So I’ve been banging my head against a wall (ala Quiet Riot) for some time now, trying to figure out exactly what it is that I want to kick off this series with. I obviously want to start with some huge explosive firework-laden display of all I have to offer. I’ve written a few things, deleted a few things, and saved a few things for later. I’ve been back and forth with Brad Nix lately via email and we got into a conversation that really sealed the deal for me.
First things first, there’s something you should know about me.
For the past fourteen years of my life, I was a b-list rockstar. I never was terribly comfortable with the word rockstar, ’cause it always made me feel like my ego wouldn’t fit through a set of French doors, but the facts are the facts. I’ve rocked crowds from 10 to 100,000 in 40 countries on 5 continents and 49 states. I’ve been to Russia more times than a Cold War spy, come down with food poisoning in the rain forests of Brazil, and dined on illegal shellfish in a ocean side restaurant in Croatia. I’ve seen and done things most people would kill me for a chance to do. Fast forward to today and I am here. A real estate agent ready to take on the world…or at least San Antonio, TX.
I decided to begin my career in real estate as the music business was faltering and the world of real estate was just beginning to show signs of a slow down. I decided if anytime was “the right time,” it was now. I had grown tired of the mental, emotional, and physical strain of being a guitar player on tour. There comes a time when you need to unpack that bag of toiletries that you keep at the ready, “just in case,” when eating out of paper bags on moving buses just doesn’t cut it, and when being on an airplane just doesn’t excite your sense of adventure anymore. So here I am.
So now what do I do?
In speaking with various AG writers and friends I began to think of the concept of identity (you might call it “branding”) and just who I was trying to portray myself as. Not that I wanted to make up any sort of fictitious character that I would perform real estate activities under (like I did with music), just trying to find who I am and how to present that to a world who has no clue I exist. At first, I went with boring ol’ Matt Stigliano. Of course, I’m not really boring, but think about it. How many agents named “Matt” are there? Forget “Stigliano,” ’cause no one can ever spell that right anyway. Even after I spell it out using the NATO alphabet for them.
I had decided to go with the “rockstar” image as part of my identity and began to think about how I could do it. As Brad and I were emailing back and forth, I realized that I had been missing the point. I was using the word “rockstar,” but still was acting as “Matt Stigliano.” Why couldn’t I be the rockstar turned agent? Why couldn’t I use my former self to build my new self? I had been afraid that my past life might make some people think I was not capable, credible, or sane. I thought little old ladies might be turned away at the thought of some crazy crack-head rockstar biting the heads off bats. I thought those that dug deep enough into my band might find us offensive, childish, or just too off the wall and that would become my identity. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that people with those attitudes about what I did for a living probably aren’t the people I want to work with. They’re not part of who I am trying to market myself and my work to. They’re not who I would want to affiliate myself with. My band was popular among people who remember the first Rentals record, people who know that Rick Rubin produced some of the best metal records and some of the best rap records, and people who remember Metallica before James got sober and Lars got angry. These people are now in their mid-20s to their late 30s (some are even creeping into the 40s). These are the people I identify with. These are the people I want to be an agent for.
“That’s great for you, but what about me?”
So, you’re a new agent and you’re thinking this is all well and good and great for my ego, but how does it help you? I’m hear to tell you that we all have something to us that makes us who we are. What’s that, you’re a stay at home mom? Its all about your love, care, and attention to your children. Apply those same ideas to real estate. You’re a computer nerd? We all love technology in this Web 2.0 world. Show that off. You’re a Texas Longhorns fan? If you live in Texas, you know that when college football starts more people wander about wearing the pumpkin-stylized orange gear than you can count on both hands. Find those fans and make them your fans!
Finding your identity is one of the first steps and probably one of the harder ones. Most people don’t like to think about themselves that in depth. With a bit of thought though, you can stand out in the crowd and be someone your buyers and sellers can relate to on a deeper level than just “I think my agent will work hard for me.” Its all about connecting with your audience and by allowing them to relate to you, you’ve taken the first step. Make them “know” you and they’ll “like” you and eventually “trust” you as one of their closest advisors.
