Look back through the archives and you'll see just how often I mention the power of showing a bit of Personality in business.

Yet too many agents are still frightened about alienating property owners. They worry that being too niche or too different will lose them instructions.

This ignores the golden rule: people buy differences.

How refreshing then to see Michael Hardy in Wokingham put their personality front and centre. The opening paragraph of their website does a great job of positioning them against the competition.

"We aren’t the biggest agent nor are we the cheapest, none of us drive a Mini with the company name emblazoned on it and nobody wears gel in their Hair because most of us haven’t got enough hair! We don’t wear flash suits or loud ties. If we were a car we would be a Volkswagen Golf, not too flashy not too staid but get the job done with a little bit of style! If you instruct us to sell your house we won’t give you cause to regret it!"

OK, so the punctuation could be better.. But still, the Volkswagon Golf must be one of the most ubiquitous symbols of quality at a fair price in everyday life all across the country. And the lack of hair hints subtly at experience (or so I tell myself).

We all know the type of wideboy estate agents they're distancing themselves from. As a homeowner, maybe even a VW Golf driver, wouldn't you see the appeal of their pitch?

With nearly 200 sales and letting properties listed, their local marketplace clearly can.