Cash Crop (Hopefully)
Did you know that Realtors have “farms?”
Not for raising corn, soy beans or livestock.
Rather, a Realtor farm is all about cultivating . . . future clients.
Realtor Marketing
Drawn from the Realtor’s “sphere of influence” (another industry buzz term), a farm often times is a geographic area — a couple block area around where the Realtor lives, for example.
But farms can also be defined in terms of demographics (Baby Boomers, Gen X’ers), professional identity (lawyers, doctors), ethnicity, or even just shared interests (PTA, stamp collecting).
The common denominator?
A farm is any group with whom you share an *organic bond, i.e., people you regularly communicate with and relate to — and in turn regard you as a credible, card-carrying member.
Prerequisites: Trust, Credibility
Given those two imperatives — repetition and personal contact (plus time and expense) — the consensus amongst Realtors is that the optimal “farm size” is 200 people (or even less!).
And no, the fertilizer isn’t what you think.
It’s regular, useful information about the housing market.
*If the bond is fake rather than real, two things will happen (or should I say, won’t): 1) you won’t be able to sustain it (sort of like taking up a sport you’re ill-suited to); and 2) the group’s genuine members will see right through you — and avoid doing real estate business with you.
