Real Estate Marketing Blogger

One of the best types of farms you might choose to work is one where you can walk from house to house.  This will allow you to hand deliver your flyers or door hangers directly which not only saves you the money you would spend on postage, it more importantly gets you out in front of the people you are trying to get to know. When you first go about deciding the areas you will farm, pay special attention to the areas you can walk.  These may turn out to be the most fruitful of all.

One of the many advantages of working this type of farm includes getting to know the area from a street level perspective.  There is simply no other way to get this information. Driving through the neighborhood will never give you the same feel for the area that you will get from walking.

Another advantage to working this type of farm is that you are almost certain to meet some of the owners each time you walk it. If you vary the times you walk you can be sure to meet different persons each time.  Walking the morning hours during the week will allow you to meet many stay at home mothers (or fathers) out with their children. This is also a good time to get to know the retirees out working their yards.

Changing your walk time from the morning to the late afternoon and early evening can completely change the people you meet and even give you another way to look at the area. Just imagine the impact you could have on a prospective buyer when describing how the neighborhood looks at the end of the day with the sun going down and the lights coming on and the stars coming out. Sure, its pretty much the same scene everywhere but you are setting a mood that rings true because you’re talking about something you’ve personally seen.

The best time to walk your farm might be on the weekend since this is the time when most people are working in and around their house. They are not as rushed and may be more receptive to allowing you to take a few minutes to introduce yourself.

Try to vary the times and days you walk your farm. In this way you can expose yourself to the greatest number of people. Everyone seems to on a different schedule and if you really want to get the most out of your farm, remember, this might be the best way to do so.

 Direct mail can and does get your name out there but will never really replace the basic human need that we have to see and meet someone face to face. Think about the people you remember from your own life. Can you really recall the names you get bombarded with in sales letters or advertisements? Or, do you remember the people that you have met in person and done business with? That’s the difference, names vs. people.  Make sure you are one of the latter and not the former.

Walking your farm is also an easy way to introduce yourself to any FSBO’s that you may run into. Be prepared for these encounters since it will probably be your only chance to actually “happen upon” the seller.  You should have already done your homework and looked up comparables for their property, as well as knowing what all of the other homes in the area are listed for. Having a ready plan for how you would market their property can go a long way in convincing the seller to give you the chance to help them.  And remember, even if they are dead set against listing with a broker, they probably still have questions about the process that you could help with. This just might be the way to convince them to list if they see you as willing to help even when you aren’t getting paid.  And, at the very least, you might find yourself getting a call from a friend of theirs after they recommend you.

If your farm consists of apartment buildings where you are trying to convert renters into buyers, you will probably run into fewer people to talk with unless, of course, your locale lends itself to a lot of outdoor activities like barbecues, playgrounds, or sporting areas.  In general though, these areas are harder to get to know the people who live there than in neighborhoods of single-family homes.  Remember though, the tradeoff of not meeting as many residents might just be worth it. Depending on the particular area, many of these renters can be converted into buyers.  You can help many of these people realize their dream of owning their own home but in order for you to be the one to help them they have to know who you are. Take the opportunity to invite everyone you meet to an open house that you’ll hold in the near future.  Talk about where the house is and why they might be interested. Remember to sell the benefits, not the product.

Each time you walk your farm make sure you are prepared to meet the people in it. This may sound obvious, but many agents aren’t really prepared. Do you have business cards in your pocket?  Do you know all the recent sales in your farm and the surrounding areas? Do you know the ages and specific builders of the houses? You may not think this last item is very important but I guarantee you will run into more than one someone that will bring it up. Are you ready to talk about how you can help with any real estate question? Give some thought to the questions you will be asked and the answers you might give.

Another thing to remember when walking your farm is that you must not put any of your handouts in U.S. Mail boxes. By law, these are only to be used for U.S. Mail. The easiest solution for what to do with them is to use thin plastic bags designed specifically for this purpose. They have a circular hole cut in the top that should be hung on a doorknob. Two obvious problems with using these bags are they are not very environmentally friendly and homeowners may even become upset because of it. Another option is to use a heavy card stock for your handouts (a good idea anyway) and insert them in between the door and the jamb. The last thing you want to do is to have people think you are littering their neighborhood with garbage.

Something that you will want to have at the ready as soon as you get done walking is a log to make notes in each time you walk your farm.  Some of things you will want to write down are the names of everyone you meet along the way. Make a few notes about what you spoke about and whether or not they might be interested in making a move sometime in the future. Write down spouse and children’s names if you were told them. It will probably be remembered that you were told them and you’re image will certainly improve if you can recall them the next time you run into their owners. In general, write down any information you learn about the people and the homes in your area. Eventually you will want a database of every home in your farm and all of this information that you are collecting will go in it.

Selecting and working the right farm will not only jumpstart your career but, if worked properly, will pay you dividends throughout your career.  While there are many criteria to think about when deciding on what area to farm, it is important to think about how you will go about getting your name out there. Walking is certainly on of the best ways to do this. And don’t forget a final benefit, think about all the exercise you will be getting but couldn’t seem to find the time for.

If you need any more convincing that walking your farm is very important to your success in becoming the top agent in that area, consider this. Deciding to buy or sell a home is usually an emotional time for most people and they will naturally feel more comfortable working with someone they believe will look after their interests every step of the way. They need to know you will be there to handle anything that comes up and that you will really put their needs first. Isn’t it easier for them to think about you this way after seeing you week in and week out walking their neighborhood?