You’ve heard of real estate agents who “own” their territory. They have become “the agent” in the area and the majority of homeowners turn to them when it’s time to sell.
The agents benefit because they get more and more listings, AND they save time and money by concentrating their efforts within a defined geographic area. They don’t have to drive all over town to service their listings.
So how do you become “The Agent” in your own territory?
Of course you prospect to the residents. Using letters such as my Geographic Territory Prospecting Letters, you mail to them often enough that your name will become recognized. Then you mail to them when you have a new listing, when one of your listings goes under contract, and when a sale closes. (When you’re the buyer’s agent on someone else’s listing, tell them about that too.)
Offer something interesting – like a monthly market report – and invite the residents to opt in to receive email from you. Then send the report. If yours is a neighborhood focused on gardening, or boating, or any other shared interest, send news related to that interest.
But reaching out through postal mail and email is not enough.
You also need to be visible. Go to community meetings; attend the residents’ yard sales; cheer for the local sports teams. If there are retail establishments that serve “your” neighborhood, frequent them – and talk to the people you meet there. In other words, become part of the community, whether you live there or not.
Taking your email campaign a step farther, you can even send “alerts” when there’s a neighborhood meeting, a yard sale, etc.
Then you need to become a true expert. You need to learn all there is to know about the neighborhood – and even the surrounding area.
You need to be the one people ask about everything from taxes to schools to new development that could affect the neighborhood. Sounds like work? It is – but it’s much easier than trying to learn all those things about neighborhoods all over town.
Blogging about your neighborhood will add to your “expert” status. The more you talk about the neighborhood and the things that go on there, the more people will come to believe that you are the agent in the know.
And if you use Active Rain for that blogging, your posts will be found by people wanting to relocate to your area – so you’ll be attracting even more buyers to your listings. (A point you can bring up in listing presentations.)
Becoming “The Agent” in a neighborhood takes effort – but it brings large rewards.
