Most agents try to out-convince.
The better move: say something that makes the right person raise their hand and the wrong person scroll past.
This week, three examples of marketing that do exactly that.
Here's what's in this week's edition:
🪝 Steal The Hook — The picture before the pitch
🧠 Follow The Leader — Who understands authority better than almost anyone
🏆 And the Oscar Goes To… — A list built around fit, not hype
Let's get into it.
Steal The Hook
Sell the scene, not the service
Nobody daydreams about the permitting process.
They daydream about the backyard where their kids want to spend every weekend.
That line works because it skips the category and jumps straight to the outcome.
The viewer is not being asked to care about land, builders, or square footage.
They are being handed a scene they can picture.
What You Can Steal
Every offer has a more human way to describe it.
Instead of:
“Build your dream home.”
Try:
“Build the house your family never outgrows.”
Or:
“Find the place everyone ends up gathering.”
Or:
“Create the home your kids will remember bringing their friends to.”
Same offer. Better angle.
The Real Takeaway
The strongest hooks do not explain the product.
They show the life around it.
Follow The Leader
Chase Hughes | Behavior Science / Tactics Development
If you want to understand why some people sound credible before they have even made the case, study Chase Hughes.
One of the more useful ideas in his work is that people are reading more than your words. They are reading your confidence, your certainty, and whether you seem sure in what you’re saying.
He explains it with a simple example:
Walk into Hermès like you can't afford anything, your whole presence shifts.
Walk in knowing you can buy whatever you want, the room feels different. Nothing visible changed. But everything about how you carry yourself did.
Chase Hughes uses this to explain why authority shows up before your argument does.
That matters more in a listing appointment than most agents admit.
The seller isn't just evaluating your CMA. They're deciding whether you seem like someone worth following. That read starts the second they open the door - not when you get to your pricing strategy.
It shows up in how quickly you hedge, how directly you recommend options, and how calm you stay when they push back.
Confidence in this context isn't bravado. It's the felt sense that you've done this before and know what to do next.
Watch the full Chase Hughes breakdown here — the Hermès example is worth the full context.
And the Oscar Goes To…
The relocation video that filters for fit
“If you’re looking for ultra luxury or high-end communities, this video is probably not for you.”
That's the second line of a relocation video for Sacramento. Most relocation content tries to appeal to everyone. Which means it's optimized for no one.
This one filters immediately. And that filter is exactly why the right viewer trusts it.
The rest of the video ranks five suburbs - not just where they are, but what's improving, what's still early, and who each one actually makes sense for. The honest read is what makes it credible.
The move worth stealing: give people a way to place themselves before they ever ask you a question.
Instead of:
“Top 5 neighborhoods in [City].”
Try:
“If I were moving to [City] in [Year], I’d look here first.”
Or instead of:
“Best suburbs in [City].”
Try:
“The [City] suburbs that make the most sense for [buyer type].”
Now the viewer is not just collecting information. They are comparing themselves against the options.
Copy/paste title formula
If I Were Moving to [City] in [Year]... I’d Move HERE!
More options that fit the same pattern:
The [City] Suburbs I’d Look at First in [Year]
Where I’d Actually Buy in [City] Right Now
The [Number] Areas in [City] That Still Have Real Upside
The Real Takeaway
A useful ranking does more than organize places.
It helps the right buyer hear one and think, that sounds like me.
Three different formats. Same underlying move.
Lead with the life, not the offer. Show up like you've already done this. Filter for the right person instead of appealing to everyone.
That's what this week was about.
P.S.: New resources every week at ListingLeads.com for agents who want their marketing to do the prospecting.