If you want to dominate a market, there are a couple different paths.

Create something with wide, mass-audience appeal. Later, add a higher-end version to capture the luxury market.

Create something exclusive, rare and valuable first…then later create a mass-market version.

KW is a good example of path #1. 

Luxury Presence is on path #2.

Both paths can work, but I tend to recommend #2 - start high end, go for mass market later. That’s how I built my agency, all my early clients (and favorite clients) are smart, forward-thinking, risk-tolerant leaders with lots of resources to invest in leveling up.

So I sat down with Drew Wilke, head of Enterprise Sales, to talk about how Luxury Presence is shifting to a mass-market version of their offer, and what had to change to pull this off.

Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation:Aspirational Luxury Can Be a Growth Lever…Not a Limiting Factor“We were getting inquiries from agents who weren’t necessarily luxury yet, but they had an aspiration to be there. So that’s kind of what sparked [the sense that] there’s a broader opportunity here than just focusing on luxury.” - Drew Wilke

When you serve the most successful, visible and credible agents, everyone notices. 

Luxury Presence put this into action by leaning into sharing client success stories from the very beginning.

It turned out to be their most effective marketing tactic.

“Our clients have always told the story of Luxury Presence…from Jay Mills, our very first client to, you know, recent large clients. And it’s always been in our ethos to have it be that way since day one, even how, when we go to an event, [we’re] always pulling over a client and getting a quick video with them.”

So how do you create an aspirational brand?

Look at the Nomad Capitalist YouTube channel. 

Their content is for 8-9 figure entrepreneurs interested in living abroad, creating unique tax structures and gaining second citizenships. But their videos get hundreds of thousands of views, way more views than there are 8-9 figure entrepreneurs. 

Why? Because 6 and 7 figure entrepreneurs aspire to have 9 figure problems. 

If you were going to steal the Nomad Capitalist playbook, and apply it to real estate agents, here’s what that would look like…

Create content that speaks to problems agents aspire to have.

How to handle too many leads

Things that break when sales double

What to do when you get too busy with new clients to serve existing clients at a high level

Sell the vision of success. But not just any generic success.

Success that’s so dramatic, it actually creates new, fascinating problems. 

Breaking Out of the Niche Will Require Growth & Growing Pains

If you start high end and exclusive, stepping into the mass-market space means a whole different arena of competition. 

Entrenched competitors with better…

Infrastructure 

Credibility

Brand awareness

In the case of Luxury Presence, they had to make a major transition.

“We can’t just be a service company only…if we’re going to expand beyond luxury. We can’t scale at that, right? So that really led to investing in being a technology company and [saying] We’re going to build a platform here…We’re not just going to be a website design agency.”

The transition for any leader or brand will look different, but the level of growing pains required is probably very similar. It’s a big chance to take, and requires a lot of energy and resources.

That’s when serving the high end of the market really pays off. Because you were able to charge good prices with good margins, you have profits built up that you can invest.

Without that build up of profits, you probably wouldn’t have a shot at going up against entrenched competition in a serious way.

For Indie Experts & Thought Leaders, Choosing a Niche is an Exercise in Personal Growth

Nothing reveals ego and fear quite like choosing a niche.

I’ve heard leaders say, “Why would I want to be ‘micro famous’…when I could be MACRO famous?”

That’s ego talking.

I’ve heard leaders say, “Why would I focus all my marketing efforts on one group of people….when everyone in my market can benefit from my offer?”

That’s fear talking.

How you respond to the fear and ego is up to you. 

But from a marketing perspective, choosing a niche isn’t optional…it’s a necessity.

Agent’s expectations are going up, AI is making everything more personalized, and agents are more hesitant and cynical than we’re used to.

I’m hearing that agents are looking for belonging and familiarity.

They want to know that if they liked one piece of content from you, they’ll like the next piece of content.

Because all your content is for the same type of agent.

The YouTube algorithm wants the same thing, by the way.

Once an agent watches one video on your channel, the algorithm will serve up another video (or more) in their Home feed and sidebar suggestions. 

If the next videos an agent sees doesn’t speak to them, they’re moving on.

And the algorithm deems your content “not engaging enough” and throttles down your reach.

That’s the game we’re playing.

Here’s Your Luxury-First Niche Content Playbook

Choose your niche with care and intention - Focus on those with resources to invest and the risk tolerance to try new things.

Charge fees that create real profits - Prepare for the eventual breakout move into the mass market.

Create content that speaks deeply to that niche - Speak to problems and challenges that other agents aspire to have. 

Let successful clients do some of your marketing for you - Share client success stories, so agents can see themselves in those stories. Reinforce that vision of success that’s so dramatic, it creates new, fascinating problems.

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing

What other leader or brand pulled off this move from high end/luxury to mass market?

Steal This:

Interview your best clients on video, podcast-style. Focus all on their journey, their story.

Of course they’ll have great things to say about you during the conversation.

Those soundbites become bite sized content for social media and sales follow up.

Quick Links & Resources

LuxuryPresence.com

Connect with Drew on LinkedIn

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS Here's how we can help:

Done-for-You Content Service - From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons-Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn conversations into newsletters, podcasts and videos, all with zero hassle.

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