“There has never been a time in real estate in which it’s more crucial for you to understand how you can fascinate your prospects,” Fascinate, Inc. CEO Sally Hogshead told an engaged crowd at HousingWire’s Real Estate Expo (REX Annual) on Tuesday. 

It’s time to stop thinking about how you see the world and start thinking about how the world sees you, Hogshead said. It’s a crucial shift, but all real estate professionals need to learn how to apply their personality to get more leads, attract better prospects and grow their business.

So, asks Hogshead, what is it that makes you distinct? 

In an age when properties are a commodity, how can real estate agents add additional value through their personality?

“When you add distinct value, people cherish you,” said Hogshead. “It’s when you can really start to grow your business.”

If anyone could prove this statement, it’s Hogshead, who just a few years ago was forced to sell her house as a short sale after the housing crisis severely affected her business. After months of working to become a better speaker, unsuccessfully, Hogshead took a step back to see what her greatest value was.

“The greatest value you can add is to become more of yourself,” said Hogshead, who did just that, writing her first book titled “Fascinate.” As the success of her book took off, Hogshead’s business followed suit. The speaking opportunities became readily available and before she knew it, she was bringing in far more money than prior to her short sale.

“I got my life back, and you can too,” said Hogshead. “You don’t learn how to be fascinating, you unlearn how to be boring.”

Adding more of her personality into her speaking opportunities, Hogshead learned how to fully engage her audience. “When you fascinate someone, you become most worthy of their attention,” said Hogshead, who noted that the human attention span has gone from 20 minutes to nine seconds.

You can get the most business ads out there, or you can be the most fascinating, Hogshead added. Nobody is drinking Jägermeister because of the taste, she joked, they’re drinking it because of the experience.

To find out more about your personality type and how it can be utilized to your business’ advantage, check out howtofascinate.com.