How to OWN Your Real Estate Farm Online
I teach a lot of lead generation classes to my Realtor clients and one of my favorite classes is about Farming specific subdivisions. I teach and show agents how to essentially own your real estate farm on the internet. You can probably think of a “top agent” in your area who has a stronghold on a real estate farm. Now, go to Google and type in “homes for sale in xyz subdivision” or “information about xyz subdivision” and see if they show up on the first page of the results page. There is a real good chance they are nowhere to be found. Why? Agents haven’t been trained or taught to use the search engines as their friends. Instead, they spend their marketing dollars on direct mail, newsletters, and the famous “Just Listed/Just Sold.” There is value in direct mail, but if you look at your own behavior–do you go to the mailbox to get your real estate information? Let’s reverse the thinking and talk about how you as a Realtor can own your real estate farm online.
If you are over the age of 30, you have lived through SARS, MERS, Ebola, 9/11, and the Great Recession. COVID-19 is another major issue our country and the world are going through, but it will pass. We don’t have the exact timetable on when that is, but it will pass. For now, many of us are working from our homes, with kids running around and it’s not necessarily the best recipe for productivity and success. With that said, it is our new reality…for now. I always say there is an opportunity in anything, and this holds true here. You are going to see much of your competition “freeze up” during this time, not knowing how to shift their business. There are many ways to be productive Realtor from home. I have gotten the word out to my clients that essentially nothing has changed as to how I can help my clients and get them what they need. Here are great ways to be a productive Realtor from home and make the next 60 days the jump-start to your real estate business.
SEO for Realtor websites in 2020. What’s changed? What’s stayed the same? First…let’s back up. SEO is Search Engine Optimization. Essentially it’s the way Google, Yahoo, Bing, and YouTube rank or selects the most relevant content when someone types in phrases or questions on their platforms. Theses “search engines” want to give their users the best experience possible, so creating the right content is important. The issue I see is most Realtors have websites, but few know how to use them correctly. The other issue is the Realtor’s website is given to them by their brokerage. Those two things in combination say–“My online presence through search engines is going to be very minimal.” Let’s change that by walking Realtors through the main functions of SEO that will help them get noticed on that infamous “first-page” where they conduct business.
For Realtors looking to expand their business to the next level, time seems to be the culprit that interferes with their efforts. Lead generation and following up with past clients is a must in our business, and to help leverage that effort, an ISA (Inside Sales Agent) may be your answer.
It still seems surreal I’m writing this…
Spring market is here and that means being super busy and trying to create new inventory. The last few years inventory has been an issue in our area causing it to be delightful as a seller and sometimes frustrating as a buyer. With the goal of creating more inventory for buyers to choose, there are several strategies Realtors can use to make it happen. Farming is something many Realtors do, but few have a great level of success. There are many reasons for the failures, but I want to discuss great farming strategies and the layers they come in to help you maximize time, money, and energy to gain more exposure in your farm.
My father was a semi-truck driver. For many years he would work 60+ hours a week and even sleep over the wheel of his truck because back in the day semi-trucks didn’t have sleepers. He would also help unload the truck and get paid an extra $1 for every 1000lbs of freight he unloaded. That was work. The good thing is I grew up learning what work was all about, the bad thing is I grew up learning that as “work.” It wasn’t until I was much older that I learned and fully understood that leverage is the new hustle. It took many years of failing forward to understand you grow and expand by leveraging your weaknesses so you can lean on your strengths. This applies to many aspects of business, and no greater business than real estate. If you want to truly grow in 2020 and hit that production or GCI number, there has to be changes and additions to what you did in 2019.
If you have been in real estate or any sort of business for a length of time, more than likely you have been told to create a business plan. It might have been written on a note pad, or a large intricate plan that had weekly, monthly, and yearly activities with goals. Regardless of how it was completed, you had a “plan” for success on paper to see every single day. In reality, many of us get really busy, and the real estate business plan in 2020 becomes an after-thought to what we are trying to achieve in the new year. This is a mistake, as failing to plan is planning to fail. When it comes to your 2020 business plan, try to incorporate other activities and goals other than trying to hit a transaction number.
This might not be one of my more popular blog posts with Realtors, but there is a harsh reality to face. The days of six percent Realtor commission is in real trouble. As a real estate agent no matter the market, you are likely already fighting for your full 3%. In the DC/Northern Virginia market, 2.5% (or less) is very much normal. There are many factors that go into why Realtors are being 
I want to begin this blog by stating ” I am NOT the greatest Title Sales Rep in the world.” This isn’t going to be about my accomplishments or how I built my business. Instead, this is about something that affects every organically grown Title Company and Title Sales Rep who works their butt off to earn the business of a producing Realtor and to have it potentially taken away on a technicality.
