If you’re a good real estate agent, you know that farming a geographic area takes work, such as doing some door knocking and attending events at the community center. But, establishing yourself as the go-to agent in a large neighborhood requires an effective strategy. Great agents take the time to plan out an approach that works for them.
1. Decide If Farming Is for You
As a real estate agent, you can and should use many different types of marketing to establish and maintain your business. Most agents find that farming helps to grow their business, but it does require ongoing effort to be successful. Just having a farming strategy won’t help you if you don’t follow it. So, make sure you can reap the rewards by committing to the process.
2. Do Research Before Choosing a Farm Area
Agents who aren’t successful at farming have often chosen the wrong farm area. Enthusiasm will take you a long way, but you need to know that the farm you choose has the potential to help you meet your goals. Your MLS has a treasure trove of information that will help you make the right choice. Choose an area with homes in your target price range and reasonable property turnover rates. Find out if there’s already a dominant competitor in the area and consider whether you’d be able to take some of the market for yourself. Choose your farm after careful research and evaluation.
3. Choose Your Tools
In-person contacts are powerful ways to reach your farm, so direct mail and door knocking should typically be part of your plan. In today’s digital world, however, you need to decide how to combine offline activities with the online tools that can help you reach your farm in a very different way. Online alternatives include using targeted Facebook ads, zip code dominator tools and other services that integrate with your CRM. Leverage the technology to continue your outreach while you’re busy doing other things.
4. Make a Plan
Now that you’ve chosen a farm area and have an idea of the tools you want to use, it’s time to put everything together into a plan. Document the approaches you’ll use, the budget you will assign and the ways you’ll measure your success. Document everything you know about your farm to ensure that your content marketing produces the right messages at the times when they’ll be most useful to your farm community.
Not sure where to start? Download this free eBook, called Geographic Farming in the Digital Age, to learn more about successful farming tools and strategies. Chime Technologies co-wrote the eBook with Debbie De Grote, the guiding light behind Excelleum Coaching & Consulting, and with input from several other top authorities. Reading this eBook will give you the tips you need to supercharge your farming!
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