“Don’t be a secret agent.”

–Marketing advice to all new Realtors

It’s drummed into your head from your first day as a Realtor (actually before, at pre-Realtor training classes):  ‘Don’t be a secret agent” — invariably followed by, “identify and regularly communicate with your ‘sphere of influence'” (also referred to as your “farm”).

It doesn’t have to be geographic — it can be organized around an avocation, your former business acquaintances, or simply your friends and family.

But, it’s the group of people you know best — and therefore are likeliest to hire you as their Realtor.

Or refer you.

New Model

Except that today, at least for an experienced Realtor with a network of past clients, it’s more accurate to think of your sphere as a  . . . pyramid.

At the base are all the people who you interact with casually — and infrequently.

The next level are people who are contemplating buying or selling  . . . sometime.

At the peak are the  smallest, but most focused  group of people:  those who want to buy, sell — or both — now.

As you might expect, Realtors are much more involved with the people at the peak of the pyramid than at the base.

P.S.:  Given that Buyers today are typically taking longer to buy, the base of the pyramid is getting awfully big!

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.

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