Dominate the Spring Market with these Farming Strategies!
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.
I think we all can admit changes and disruptions have been making their way into the real estate industry. It seems every few months some innovation is trying to change how we do business. The move to the internet and technology–which I’ve talked about for the last 7 years on this site seems to be leading the way. The difference is I talk about how to leverage and use tech to expand your footprint and grow market share. This new form of tech disruption involves getting rid of the Realtor all together. This affects everyone in our industry in many major markets and soon to be nationwide. The iBuyer pandemic is sweeping the country, so much so, that it was the “item of value” mailer for all Brian Buffini coaching clients this month. If Buffini is telling his clients to push this information to their databases, that means something. Here is what Realtors need to know about ibuyers and how they can best educate their clients.
As real estate agents, you are mostly taught to market back to your sphere of influence, friends, family, etc. You should be marketing to these people to get qualified buyer and sellers leads, but there is another segment of potential clients that most Realtors don’t think to market to. People who are vendors, and professional referral sources in similar businesses who help to create business.
There are three major pieces to the Title business that affect the real estate transaction. The first piece is sales and marketing…” business development people”. We are the “gas in the car” and make things GO on the front end of things. The last piece is our closing department. The last people a Realtor and home buyer/seller see in the transaction. This person goes over the closing documents and makes it as fun and uplifting experience as possible. The middle piece is the long lost hero of the Title business. They are the Title Company escrow officer. These people work their butt off doing everything necessary to get your transaction to the finish line. They get little love, yet bare the brunt of all parties in the transaction.
One weird issue in our business that we deal with is 
I was in a large real estate office recently, meeting with two new clients, and it was teaming with people walking up and down halls, doing all kinds of “Realtor” activities. I had a thought as I walked to my meeting room…” most of these people aren’t going to be successful long term.” Many of them need help and guidance to not go the way of the dodo bird. It seems every month something is trying to disrupt the real estate industry and change upon change is coming right at us. Many people forget to dodge and weave when these adaptations and changes find our business. These people are heading towards extinction in the real estate business, but they don’t know it. Here are 5 traits of the soon to be extinct Realtor.