Realtor Paul Sian Talks Standing Out In A Crowded Industry

Anyone looking to start and successfully run a business could learn a lot from someone in the real estate industry. To be successful, realtors must have a keen business sense, razor-sharp sales skills, and they must know when to take risks.

It’s with this in mind that I’ve been conducting interviews with professionals in the industry in hopes of gaining some insight to share with other prospective business owners. So far, I have not been disappointed.

In particular, realtor Paul Sian JD MBA of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Real Estate has shared some valuable information.

First,I asked him what made him decide to go into real estate.

“I got into real estate during law school more on a whim while I was in law school,” he explained. “My mom suggested I get a license and I did in Michigan. I worked with a small brokerage at the time. After completing law school and moving out of Michigan I let my license expire. A couple of years back I decided to get back in since I enjoyed real estate and the technology today allows me to do real estate along with my other passion which is computers and technology.

“With real estate I actively blog and I built my first real estate website using WordPress on my own since I enjoy tinkering with the software. The technology aspects of real estate have really grown since I was last in real estate. With digital photography, high definition video in the palm of ones hand delivering a great presentation of a home becomes easy to those who know how to use the technology.”

That’s very true. The Internet has taken a lot of the guesswork out of the home-buying process with tools like home buying calculators, social media, etc. Realtors really have to demonstrate their value to customers, and Sian does just that.

“I love being a real estate agent in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky market since there is such a variety of homes and home styles,” he told me. “Whether someone wants a starter home or is looking for luxury the Greater Cincinnati area is a very affordable market with some great locations. Being able to help anyone find something that fits them just right is one of the great things about this area.”

Based on my many conversations with real estate professionals, it’s clear that most have no shortage of proud moments. It’s just that kind of work. Sian shared one I hadn’t heard before though.

“My proudest moment is having built up my blog to where I got to over a hundred visits per day to my site,” he said. “Blogging is a long term effort and with good content people will come.”

Words of wisdom for any business for sure.

The industry is also full of challenges, and I asked Sian what he views as the biggest, as well as how he overcomes it in his career.

“The biggest challenge for real estate agents is to differentiate themselves from the multitude of other real estate agents out there. The barrier to entry with real estate is low so anyone can get a license if they put their mind to it. As a result agents must stand out above the noise and become noticed so they can be successful.”

“I think as an active blogger and someone who knows how to take great videos and photography of homes I differentiate myself from others who may not be striving to share knowledge with blogging and who may not but trying their best to make a home shine online.”

The value of an online presence with great content cannot be overstated in today’s business climate. This is great advice from a guy who knows how to stand out in a crowded market.

Special thanks to Dean Burgess at Excitepreneur.com for putting this together.