If you’re a “Rookie Realtor” (new real estate agent), generating a consistent flow of real estate leads is top-of-mind for you. Ideally, you want leads that have a fair chance of converting and will help build your reputation and career.
There are many real estate lead generation tactics. Each with their pros and cons. However, as a new real estate agent, a tactic you should seriously consider is selecting and working a real estate geographic farm.
Why? Let’s take a look at some good reasons…
- It’s a proven way to generate real estate leads One big advantage of real estate geographic farming for new agents is that it’s proven to work. You’re not taking a risk and sinking money into an unproven marketing tactic. Done right, geographic farming generates real estate leads. No argument about it.
- It’s the gift that keeps on giving Unlike other forms of lead generation, such as online real estate leads, returns from a geographic farm grow each year. As you focus on a targeted area, using the right geographic farming system, you’ll get more and more leads each year. It’s like having an investment account with guaranteed compound returns.
- You’ll spend less time chasing leads that go nowhere Most leads generated online, such as from people searching for an agent on Google, fail to pan out. In fact, studies show that only 1% convert. So, chasing those can be exhausting. Leads from geo farming, however, are higher quality. So, you’ll be talking to more leads that go somewhere.
- It’s ideal when you have few previous clients and other contacts Marketing for new real estate agents can be challenging. You may not have any previous clients, yet, nor referral-giving business contacts. Geographic farming allows you to begin building relationships with targeted prospects right away.
- You’ll become “known, liked and trusted”, faster Top performers tend to have one thing in common: They’re known, liked and trusted by their past clients and targeted prospects. So, good leads and referrals come their way. What geo farming does is get you headed towards that enviable positioning in a marketplace. In just a few months, you can be seen by homeowners in an area as their go-to agent — the one they’ll call when they’re ready to sell.
- More of your real estate leads will convert Next to client referrals, no source of real estate leads has a higher conversion rate than those from a geographic farm. The reason is that, unlike leads generated online, farming leads aren’t coming from strangers. These homeowners know you. And you know them. When they call, they’re already half-way to hiring you.
- You’ll become really good, faster Geographic farming leverages the power of focus. You quickly learn how to market and sell homes in the area. And you also become good at getting buyers into the neighbourhood. As you become better, more quickly, your reputation grows. That in itself results in more real estate leads and referrals.
- You won’t burn out as often (if ever) When you’re scrambling to generate leads, chasing leads that end up being dead-ends, and spending money on real estate marketing tactics that don’t get results, burn-out is just around the corner. This is especially true of Rookie Realtors. The last thing you want is to grow tired and frustrated; your career dreams ending before they even start. However, when you work a geo farm — using the right done-for-you real estate marketing system which makes it easy — you start seeing results, sooner. You have a continual sense that your career is on the right track. That’s motivating!
- You’ll start getting real estate referrals, sooner. You might not think of a geographic farm as a source of referrals, but it is. In fact, as homeowners in a targeted area come to know, like and trust you, they’re naturally going to recommend you to others. Someone asks a neighbour, “Hey, do you know a good real estate agent?” That person recommends you.
- It’s less work than most other real estate lead generation tactics Once you have a good geographic farming system in place — ideally one that does most of the marketing “heavy lifting” for you — geo farming only takes a few hours a month. In addition, because the leads convert well, you won’t be spending untold hours each month following-up on leads that go nowhere.
- You get more listing clients It’s tough getting listing clients when you’re a new agent. In fact, you may be focusing on buyer clients for the time being, hoping a nice listing will fall in your lap someday. When you focus on a geographic farm, however, you don’t need to hope. In fact, getting good listing leads is relatively predictable when you’re working a geo farm, effectively.
- You’ll have more happy clients who like and recommend you Satisfied clients are the key to success as either a seasoned or new real estate agent. That’s where your future repeat business and most of your real estate referrals will come from. When you’re geographic farming, you’ll be working with clients who, in many cases, know each other. They’re neighbours, at the very least. They talk to one another. So, when you do a great job for a client, word spreads.
- It’s an investment in your future A geographic farm is an asset. You build it and, when you have a geo farm that’s working well for you, it’s going to pay off year after year in leads and referrals. So, the work you do on it this year will pay off not only this year, but also next year, three years from now, five years from now, and so forth.
- It’s fun Following up on prospects you know you can help — and who already know, like and trust you — is a pleasant and energizing experience. Compare that to competing for leads from prospects who don’t know you and are talking to a dozen other agents.
- If you don’t jump into a good geographic farm, another rookie real estate agent will The fact is, geo farms are a limited commodity. There are only so many potential areas or neighbourhoods you can target. One of the most important reasons to start geographic farming today is this scarcity. If you don’t start now, some other rookie/new real estate agent might establish himself or herself in a farm that could have been yours. You don’t want that!
These are just a few of the reasons why geographic farming is such a good move for a rookie agent. It can be a fast way to establish your career and build a great reputation and income as a new real estate agent.
Our advice: go for it. Find the best farm for you. Use the best geographic farming system to work it.