Every week, we ask a real estate professional for their Short List, a collection of tips and recommendations on an essential topic in real estate. This week, we talked with Brittany Purcell, an associate broker with Keller Williams, who shared her ways on how agents can distinguish themselves from the competition.

When it comes to getting business:

4. Identify where your strengths are. Is it staging? Is it problem solving? Is it negotiating or marketing?

3. Identify your competition, and how your strengths differ from theirs.

2. Write out your own value proposition: what makes you particularly unique from tip No. 1? Why is that important to your client?

1. Never use your competitor’s name in a presentation; just say, “While other agents try to sell you on their ______, what sets me apart is my _______. And ultimately, it’s what’s going to get your house sold in less time, for more money, and with less stress.”

When it comes to keeping business and generating referrals:

5. Answer your phone. Call people back. You’d be surprised how different that is from average real estate agent behavior.

4. Show up 15 minutes early. Every time.

3. Be willing to do more than anyone else out there. I can’t tell you how many listings I’ve won just because I went one step further than my competitors.

2. Always do what you say you’re going to do.

1. Express gratitude to those who support you (friends, family, clients, vendors etc).

Brittany Purcell is an associate broker with Keller Williams Realty. She leads a team of seven, whose vision is to be the No. 1 referred real estate team in Athens and Northeast Georgia by providing their clients with the service they deserve and the results they expect.