I remember sitting in the foyer of a hotel in Perth recently, waiting to attack a day’s work with members in WA.

I couldn’t help but notice that in the cab queue sat a replica London cab. Yes, it did stand out and it did put a smile on my face to see it amidst the myriad of standard yellow and white cabs.

But, let’s be real. A different look isn’t going to be enough to make this cab really stand out. It still has to perform the functions we require: get us from A to B, be a clean vessel and perhaps even create a point a conversation whilst on the journey.

You see, if it doesn’t do those core functions it will quickly become famous for all the wrong reasons. So often in real estate we feel the need and are encouraged to stand out. But standing out alone is not enough if the basic core products aren’t addressed – the ones of trust, customer service, transparency and care.

I can’t help but feel at times that many in our industry, who have felt the need to take over bus shelters and billboards, think that this is enough to stand out in their community.

I recently met an agent who I asked to prepare an after sales care service. A system that would enable him to keep in touch with his clients for life. He quickly came back and said he could not afford this system because he just outlayed money to pay for advertisements on two bus stops with his image and phone number.

And with that, I remember the London cab: it stands out, yet still does its job exceedingly well. And yes, it does bring a smile to my face.