I was talking with a non real estate networking expert yesterday and the topic of standing out from the crowd came up. When I saw this story it segued perfectly into the conversation.

Ill. real estate agent wins world chili cookoff

A 52-year-old Illinois real estate agent has won the world championship cookoff of the International Chili Society in Charleston, West Virginia — the first time the competition has been held east of the Mississippi.

Maureen Barrett of Willow Springs, Illinois, outcooked more than 160 competitors yesterday to win the 43rd World’s Championship Chili Cookoff.

The 3-day contest saw thousands of chili lovers. Barrett won $25,000 for her bowl of traditional red chili. via KVIA

So how will winning a National Chili cookoff sell more houses? Well it will not if the person is not very good at it, but if they are talented, what a great way to stand out from the crowd. They have the unique identifier that will fix themselves in the minds of potential buyers and sellers.

Think of it, why do retired athletes typically sell insurance? Is there any special training that they get on the baseball field? No. But they have that thing that makes them stand out from the crowd and have people want to be near them.

Same with Maureen Barrett now. She took her hobby and make herself stand out from the crowd. She now has the opportunity to leverage her chili into more sales and a better life for her family.

So here is my question for you. If you sell real estate, what do you do in your spare time that could help you stand out to potential clients as being memorable? And if you have that special something, and most of us do, why are you not using it to separate yourself from the crowd?

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