If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Ireland, please be sure to visit the best little pub you’ll ever have the pleasure of walking into: Ana O’Neill’s in the charming little town of Newmarket-on-Fergus.

It’s not the décor or even the way they pour the perfect pint of Guinness that makes this place special.  It is the people.

When my husband and I got there one evening in July—me for the first time and he on a return trip after thirteen years—we felt like we were coming home.  Not only were we warmly greeted, we were serenaded—yes, they sang to us—by the locals.  What’s more…each and every person was able to tell us useful information about the town and the surrounding areas: from the off-duty policemen to the woman behind the bar to the (thankfully) off-duty cab driver.  In short, everyone served as a willing, able and knowledgeable ambassador of this perfect little corner of Ireland.

What does this have to do with real estate? Well…everything.

Real Estate professionals have a unique and important opportunity—rather, obligation—to serve as ambassadors for their communities.  Because consumers have more access than ever to information about homes that was previously only available to the pros, our games need to be raised. 

In order to provide utmost value to your clients, share information that provides community-level context to what will be the most significant purchase or transaction they will make in their lives

• Be plugged into community happenings: Beyond hard-stat market dynamics, who is moving into and out of the community? What cultural and community events will add flavor and a sense of belonging to your clients’ new lives?
• Have an idea of the commuting situation in your community: What is traffic like? What are the short cuts? How accessible is public transportation?
• Know the ins and outs of the school systems: What are the best schools? Who are the best teachers?
• Share recreational ideas: Are there activities for outdoorsy people? Golf lovers? Runners? How can your clients take full advantage?
• Be in the know about fun things to do: Are there any great new restaurants? Where do you get the best slice of pizza? Museums? Entertainment venues? What do people do for fun in your community?
• Not every client has the same priorities: Depending upon whether you are working with a family, a single person, or a newlywed couple, their priorities will be different.  So do your homework for each of these—and many other—consumer personas that will come your way.

Being a real estate professional is nothing short of being an ambassador of your community.  You are the personification of what the community has to offer.  That is an important role, one that could make the difference in whether a client buys or not.  Yes, square footage, number of bedrooms, and the renovation status of kitchens will always be important.  But for today’s informed consumer, community is equally important.  Crack the community code and you will stand out from the crowd.