Direct mail campaigns are one of the top real estate farming ideas for agents. The document discusses how to choose a farm area and effectively market to that neighborhood through various techniques. It recommends identifying a farm of 250-500 homes and developing a detailed marketing plan. Successful farming involves diversifying marketing methods like email campaigns, contacting FSBO and expired listings, door knocking, telephone calls, holding block parties and open houses, creating a neighborhood website, using social media, and implementing direct mail campaigns on a regular basis to continuously contact residents and position oneself as the area expert. Measuring the success of these various farming strategies helps determine if it's time to invest further in a neighborhood or choose a new farm.

1. Farming the Right Way
Presented by
Angie Javier
Best practices for gaining the best ROI

2. Agenda|
• How to choose a farm
• How to market to your farm
9 real estate farming ideas with laser focus on
social media & direct mail campaigns
• Best ways to measure the success of
your farming

3. What is a geographical farm?
But first…|

4. But first…|
• A geographical farm is a specific community in which you solicit
the majority of the neighborhood for business.
• Establish and brand yourself as the community expert
• Develop relationships
• Long-term investment in a community and the people who live there
• Farming takes time
• ’Real Estate farming’ is quite appropriate… you are literally growing
your business, your reputation, and your connection to a specific
neighborhood!
If you don’t nurture your farm area,
it won’t bear much fruit.

5. HOW TO CHOOSE A FARM

6. How to Choose a Farm|
BUT FIRST…
Creating a business plan and tracking
your progress is the key to your success.
Keep investing if it’s making you $$$$
If you’ve put in 100% effort and you still
don’t see a ROI, time to move on!
Ideas from the field:
- Hire a coach
- Find an accountability partner
- Join a mastermind group
- Create an inspiration board
Source: business plan examples from marketleader.com

7. How to Choose a Farm|
Identify a farm
Research the properties and potential
customers. Review the sales records for
the community. Use your local MLS and
Title Company records for sales and
demographic information. Look at any
other public records you can get your
hands on to find out how many sales
there were in the neighborhood over the
past three years.
§ Geography
§ Competition
§ Current sales trends
§ Demographics
§ Lifestyle
§ Turnover rate
§ Price point
§ Percentage of renters
§ Walkability
The best number to start with is 250-500

8. How to Choose a Farm|
Develop your marketing plan for your farm area
and make sure it includes your topics &
messaging strategy for the full year.
The more thoroughly you plan this out, the
easier it will be to follow the plan when you
begin to generate business and become
occupied with servicing your listings and sales.

9. HOW TO MARKET TO YOUR FARM

10. How Market to Your Farm|
Successful real estate farming specialists systematically and
continuously market to a neighborhood brand themselves as the area’s
real estate expert.
They do this by diversifying the types of marketing methods used to
contact neighbors to display their many marketing techniques.
Generating leads and building relationships includes a variety of
prospecting and marketing.
Prospecting = Direct
Phone calls
Door knocking
Asking for the business
Marketing = In-Direct
Letters
Postcards
Newsletters

11. How Market to Your Farm|
Real estate farming is a game of touches. The more times you are in
contact with the neighbors, the higher the likelihood of getting more
listings in the community.
Print Campaign Digital Campaign Social Media
1x per month, 6 month min. 1x per week Several times a day
Recommended Frequency

12. How Market to Your Farm|
Top 9 Real Estate Farming Ideas for Agents
Email Campaigns
FSBOs & Expired
Listings
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls to
Neighbors
Block Parties Open Houses
Neighborhood
Websites
Social Media
Direct Mail Campaign
(Market Updates)

13. How Market to Your Farm|
Always ask for an email address to be able to
“provide them with regular updates about
what other homes are selling for so that you
know how your home is changing or
increasing in value.” Once you start creating
an email database of all of the residents in the
area, it becomes much cheaper and easier to
systematically contact them to evidence your
success.
Ideas from the field:
- Your brokerage’s Internal platform
- Constant Contact
- Mail Chimp
- LionDesk (CRM)
- BombBomb (video emails)
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Direct Mail Campaign
Social Media

14. How Market to Your Farm|
Stay in continuous contact with FSBO
sellers by showing how hard you work to
market your listings while building
relationships. Show the FSBO homes to
buyers as much as you can to prove how
much more buyer traffic you can generate.
Ideas from the field:
- For expired listings, create a hot sheet in
MLS to notify you of any listings in your
neighborhood that expire each day. That
way you can call them and drop off a
marketing packet on their doorstep for a
chance to interview for the job the first day
the listing expires.
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Direct Mail Campaign
Social Media

15. How Market to Your Farm|
While this traditional activity can be a bit
difficult when the season’s change, there is no
better way to obtain the mind-share of
residents than by meeting them face-to-
face. Door knocking does take more time
than telephone calls, but you can use scripts
that evidence your success that are very
similar to telephone scripts. This way you
aren’t selling yourself door-to-door, instead
you are showing that you work hard to market
their listing in the neighborhood.
Ideas from the field:
- mikeferry.com > complimentary resources
- KW BOLD
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Direct Mail Campaign
Social Media

16. How Market to Your Farm|
Telephone calls to the residents of the
farm advertising your new listing as Just
Listed or Just Sold typically result in more
new listing appointments than any other
real estate farming ideas. Calls around
the neighborhood to advertise listings
as Coming Soon, Price Reduced, Back on
Market and Open Houses just increase an
agent’s chances of getting new listing
appointments.
Ideas from the field:
- Cole Realty Resource
- Yellow Pages
- SalesDialers (auto-dialer)
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Direct Mail Campaign
Social Media

17. How Market to Your Farm|
Once established as the neighborhood
expert, hold block parties at a community
pool, park or common area. These can even
be held at one of your listings in conjunction
with an open house. The key is to market the
event in advance with mailers, emails and
telephone calls to again make more touches
and invite everyone in the neighborhood.
Ideas from the field:
- Spring: egg hunt
- Summer: popsicles in the park
- Fall: pumpkin decorating contest
- Winter: photos with Santa
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Direct Mail Campaign
Social Media

18. How Market to Your Farm|
Real estate farmers know that open houses
are not just to attract buyers, they are also to
meet neighbors. Owners that are thinking
about selling love to check out open houses in
their neighborhood prior to putting their homes
up for sale, and hopefully they know that you
are the area’s expert by now. So they will
want to not only check out what other
competition on the market looks like, but they
will also want to meet and see what you do
too.
Ideas from the field:
- Host a neighbors-only open house 2 hours
before the public time or a twilight showing
with wine & cheese (ask your favorite lender or
to help you host)
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Direct Mail Campaign
Social Media

19. How Market to Your Farm|
Neighborhood websites should have a URL that is
specific to the neighborhood such as
bestsaltlakehomes.com or tahoerealty.com.
The website itself can be relatively simple and low
maintenance and should focus more on the
community. It should also include an IDX feed to your
local multiple listing service (MLS) with criteria pre-set
to pull up all active listings for the neighborhood.
Ideas from the field:
- Put the URL on everything! Sign riders, e-mail
signature, flyers, etc.
- Post photos and videos of the community on social
media and always include the URL when posting
- Add a “Buyers Waiting List” button on the site to
collect contact information of would-be purchasers
waiting for a home in the neighborhood that meets
their criteria to come up for sale
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Direct Mail Campaign
Social Media

20. How Market to Your Farm|
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Social Media
Direct Mail Campaign
Your online presence will be a huge
differentiating factor when potential clients
are scoping you out. Social media plays
a big role in this. Agents that are using
social media as a marketing strategy must
commit to engaging and staying relevant
on a regular basis.
With all of the social networking sites,
blogs, Q&A opportunities, etc., it can be
challenging to manage time around all of
them. How much time should you be
devoting to your social networking efforts,
and how can you ensure your time is
going to its best use?

21. How Market to Your Farm|
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Social Media
Direct Mail Campaign
Who’s nailing it?
Facebook: Scott Geiser, NextHome Citrus City
Facebook: Jamie Pierroz, RealtyOne Rocklin
LinkedIn: Jordan Mott, Intero Willow Glen
Twitter: Matt Beall, Hawaii Life RE Brokers
Twitter: Randy Churchill, Dudum RE Lafayette
Blogging: Alex Clark, KW San Francisco
Instagram: Keven Stirdivant, KW Newport Beach
Snapchat: Dustin Brohm, Equity RE Salt Lake, UT
Ideas from the field:
- Learn & master one platform at a time
- Make it a part of your daily routine
- Have meaningful conversations
- Follow colleagues that are similar to your style
- Avoid sudden reaction… think before your post
- Join LabCoat Agents group on Facebook
- #GetSocialSmart Academy (getsocialsmart.com)

22. How Market to Your Farm|
E-Mail Campaigns
FSBO & Expireds
Door Knocking
Telephone Calls
Block Parties
Open Houses
Neighborhood Websites
Social Media
Direct Mail Campaign

23. |
The Mail Moment:
noun
…the highly interactive daily
ritual that consumers devote
to bringing in their mail and
discovering what it offers…
1234 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-study-concludes-consumers-value-the-mail-54304232.html
5 https://www.dmn3.com/dmn3-blog/10-mind-blowing-direct-mail-statistics-and-what-they-mean
How Market to Your Farm

24. |
The Mail Moment:
noun
…the highly interactive daily
ritual that consumers devote
to bringing in their mail and
discovering what it offers…
Consumers spend
45 minutes with magazines,
30 minutes with catalogs and
25 minutes with Direct Mail.
4
(daily average)
According to a USPS study,
over 70% of
direct mail recipients
were influenced to visit
the promoted website –
with the greatest influence
on first-time shoppers
5
Mail evokes emotion.
56%
say receiving
mail is a
“real pleasure.”
1
Mail connects in ways other media can’t match.
67%
Feel mail is
more personal
than the internet.
2
55%
“look forward”
to discovering
the mail they
receive.
3
1234 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-study-concludes-consumers-value-the-mail-54304232.html
5 https://www.dmn3.com/dmn3-blog/10-mind-blowing-direct-mail-statistics-and-what-they-mean
How Market to Your Farm

25. |
The Mail Moment:
noun
…the highly interactive daily
ritual that consumers devote
to bringing in their mail and
discovering what it offers…
According to a USPS study,
over 70% of
direct mail recipients
were influenced to visit
the promoted website –
with the greatest influence
on first-time shoppers
5
1234 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-study-concludes-consumers-value-the-mail-54304232.html
5 https://www.dmn3.com/dmn3-blog/10-mind-blowing-direct-mail-statistics-and-what-they-mean
How Market to Your Farm

26. | How Market to Your Farm

27. Personalized with
homeowner’s name
Compelling
Call To Action
|
Unique map showing
recent sales around
subject property
Unique key code
to track responses
How Market to Your Farm

28. | How Market to Your Farm

29. | How Market to Your Farm

30. | How Market to Your Farm

31. |
Corefact Elite Branded Campaign
How Market to Your Farm

32. MEASURING YOUR SUCCESS

33. Measuring Your Success|

34. Measuring Your Success|
Corefact farm analysis & ROI calculator

35. Measuring Your Success|
10 Metrics to Track for Social Media Success
1: Track Follower Growth
2: Identify Optimal Times for Engagement
3: Track Likes and Reactions for Your Posts
4: Monitor Mentions
5: Delve Into Audience Demographics
6: Determine Reach
7: Review Replies and Comments for Your Posts
8: Find Out What Content Is Being Shared
9: Track Referral Traffic From Social Media
10: Examine Click Rates
Source: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/10-metrics-to-track-for-social-media-success/

36. Good Reads|
5 Tips to Maximize Your Farming
https://corefactblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/03/five-tips-to-maximize-your-farming/
30 Marketing Ideas for Real Estate Agents
https://corefactblog.wordpress.com/2016/08/11/30-marketing-ideas-for-real-estate-agents/
5 Ways to Stand out As a Real Estate Agent
https://corefactblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/15/5-ways-to-stand-out-as-a-real-estate-agent/
8 Tips to Help You Break Through the Noise
https://corefactblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/8-tips-to-help-you-break-through-the-noise/
12 Things All Successful People Do
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2013/10/03/12-things-all-successful-people-do/#20eeaf065cd3
7 Habits of Effective People - Steven Covey
How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
The Slight Edge – Jeff Olson
The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable – Edited by Seth Godin

37. Thought of the Day|
Anyone can reach out, anyone can lead, anyone can pick
someone else.
But if you wait for anyone, it's unlikely to happen.
It begins with you.
Seth Godin