As a real estate agent, your unique local expertise is one of the most important ways you distinguish yourself from others. But how can you be sure that local perspective is integrated into your marketing? One reason why Homesale Realty pros are so successful is a technique called geo farming.

Geo farming is a combination of marketing techniques that enable you to effectively position yourself as a neighborhood expert, even if you are just starting your real estate journey. By using geo farming, you'll make your marketing more compelling to would-be customers while infusing your brand with true specialization.

Done right, geo farming equips you to focus your real estate marketing on a single neighborhood. Since this is the smallest geographic unit a real estate agent can work with, you will immediately stand out as someone who knows a community's intimate details and intricacies.

Here's how it works:

• Select the Right Neighborhood to Farm
  The ideal geo farming neighborhood has several traits that all work together to support success. An area you know well is best, but it should also have a sufficient average home price, a solid turnover rate, and not too much competition. If just a handful of agents manage a third of the listings, it will be hard to get started.
  
  
• Match Your Budget to Your Area
  geo farming is a long-term solution for getting your brand in front of the right people, so your budget must be sustainable. If your farm has more homes than you can afford to market multiple times over the year, narrow down the number of homes to what your budget can reliably support.
  
  
• Obtain a Postal Mailing List
  While many real estate agents now focus on a digital mailing list, a conventional postal mailing list is the key to the geo farming strategy. By obtaining a vetted, high-quality list from a provider you trust, you can be sure you'll get your messages in front of prospective buyers, who are more likely to open and read them.

How to Market Yourself With Your Geo Farm

Now that the preliminaries are set up, you must find ways to get value from your geo farm. Luckily, it's easy to develop a rhythm that will help you get inquiries, listing views, and website visits practically every time you send a message to your mailing list.

Let's look at some of the most useful best practices around:

• Make Postcards the Backbone of Your Strategy
  Postcards are cost-effective, colorful, and local. Just a few pennies in postage can turn into thousands of dollars in commission. Consider using a professional designer to maximize the impact of your postcards. Ensure you have a great website and social media presence so recipients can learn more about you!
  
  
• Encourage Them to Engage with You
  By offering value such as a home valuation or a market report, you can encourage recipients to go deeper into your brand ecosystem. Getting a mailing list member to join your social media is good, and your email list is even better. Email can be automated, so you can be in touch once a week instead of once a month.
  
  
• Mix In Plenty of Face-to-Face Marketing
  Now that your geo farming is gaining traction, make the most of it by getting your face out there. Hold client events of your own and sponsor events within the community. Back up your postcards with business cards and other collateral for those you meet.

Contact BHHS Homesale Realty to join our team.