Growing up in the 1990s as the son of a proud Realtor Mom, I learned a lot about real estate before I even knew what I was learning. I wasn’t sure what my mother, Jan Triglione, actually did for work because she seemed to be everywhere all at once. Didn’t people just “go to their job” and do their work in one place? How is it someone’s job to drive somewhere and wait for the fire department? What was she doing driving all the way to a house only to turn right around and drive home because someone didn’t like the back yard? Why did she have to travel all over the world to do her work? Later in life, I realized that she was mostly working in a relatively small, “local” area. We lovingly refer to that region as Greater Reading because it’s tucked north of what’s commonly thought of as Greater Boston and south of what’s traditionally referred to as the North Shore.

By the time I was brave enough to go to work for her, it was 2011, and I was in my late 20s. At that time, people were still very proud to call themselves a Local Expert. Being considered the expert in a town or city by a peer was highly coveted and the greatest compliment you could receive other than a past client referring your service. Everyone was putting it everywhere on their brand marketing. Somewhere along the path of the past 10-plus years, Local Expert kind of became a dirty word in real estate. Expert not so much, but calling yourself local started becoming passé.

Marketing yourself as local has been devalued and predominantly supplanted, bolstered or mixed with some type of global messaging. Nowadays it’s almost as if you’re not “global” in real estate, you’re doing it wrong. What’s wrong with being global though? A lot of real estate agents attend national and international conventions. We have national and international contacts. We work with clients from all different backgrounds and experiences. Why not market yourself as “global” instead of “local,” if you can?

It has been almost 14 years since I officially entered real estate. I am now in my 40s and getting used to feeling out of touch. I know grunge is dead, LEGOs come in kits now instead of just “make whatever you can think of with these blocks,” and I probably won’t ever skateboard again. But this Local Expert thing, this one I am having trouble getting over. I am just not willing to give it up. I believe there is still room in this crazy world for Local Experts. Extreme souls who don’t work in towns or cities if they don’t know a great place for tacos or pizza right from memory. Call me old school, but I love hearing a familiar voice when I call a local municipality on behalf of my clients, even if I know they’re going to be a little mean to me. This sounds ridiculous, but I can tell you exactly where there is a public bathroom in every town or city that I work in.

Let’s go back to that question I asked earlier, Why not market yourself as “global” instead of “local,” if you can? For me, it’s the same reason I like extra-extra James River BBQ sauce on my North Shore style roast beef sandwiches, even though I’d never use that sauce on any other food. Ever! It just feels like home. I feel passionate about it, and I can tell you why I love it. That’s how I like to work, and it’s worked for me. I’m enthusiastic about my hyper-local expertise and find that it resonates with clients.

To be clear, I am absolutely NOT discouraging anyone from using these nifty, globally-focused marketing strategies that people much smarter than me have come up with. I certainly appreciate the value of global connections and a global mindset but even as business becomes more and more of an international landscape, there will always be incredible value in knowing a Local Expert.

Mark Triglione is the 2025 president for the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS®.