Transform Transform June 2014 | Page 8

Back to Basics with Farming Fundamentals One of the many marketing strategies that real estate agents employ is called Farm Area Marketing. The key to this marketing strategy is to pick out a small geographic area such as a small town or a medium size neighborhood and then market solely in that area. A farm area with a higher turnover rate tends to be more successful. You will most likely earn more with a quantity of modest sales than if you have to wait for one or two large commissions. After you have decided on the farm area that you would like to market, then you should focus on making yourself known in that area and, in essence, become that community’s agent of choice. Farm area marketing is a technique that cuts advertising expense to a minimum. Having a smaller geographic location to focus your attention is a smart economic move because you can literally flood the area with your marketing materials. 8 Sound Economics Economically, it is similar to fishing a stocked pond as opposed to fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. The expenses are scaled down in proportion to the size of farm area. For instance, you can acquire your own mailing lists and service your own brochure boxes because the size is manageable. Your newspaper advertisements are less expensive because you are only targeting one area. If you have more than one seller to visit, the route is shorter and takes less time and you can even distribute your own flyers as you go. More importantly, you will be able to give your clients personalized service which enhances your reputation. Effective Farming Dedicating yourself to a farm area is a good marketing strategy, but if your techniques are not effective, then your plan will fail. There are some things that you should do and a few