farming: Property Information Tool for Real Estate Professionals - 10/26/16 08:05 PM
myFirstAm.com
Desktop and Mobile application that provides Real Estate and Mortgage Professionals the convenience all your orders, property profile reports AND Farming  in one place from First American Title Company.
Reach out to your local Title Sales Professional to get an account and get started.  Click here for the registration screen here, too.
Click on this Video Link to Learn about myFirstAm -- Watch this short video describing the benefits of myFirstAm.
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farming: Target Farming Yields a Higher Return on Your TIME and Money - 08/21/10 04:30 PM
Title Insurance Companies like First American Title Insurance Company in San Diego can provide Real Estate Professionals with valuable home owner data in a geographical area called a Farm. One helpful way the title insurance company can provide data is by applying filters.  For example, a mailing to a non-owner occupied residence might be considered a waste of your money if you specifically want to target the owner.  Targeting the Non-Owner occupied is going after the investor that may or may not live in the area.
Another useful filter is applying how long they have lived in the home -- you … (8 comments)

farming: Holiday eCampaigns -- An easy way to touch your prospects and contacts - 06/06/09 06:37 AM
Are you communicating with your contact database on a regular bases.  Everyone is capturing and communicating more and more with email and therefore you have a database of contacts and clients that you should be touching regularly. 
Use the Holidays or recognized events throughout the year to reach out and communicate.  Flag Day is coming up in a couple of days.  Do you have a planned communication scheduled to go out.  What about the 4th of July.  I would prepare an email to go out on July 3rd and wish your contacts a Happy Fourth of July weekend.
Use the calendar … (0 comments)

farming: Farming opportunities with the Holiday Season -- timing is everything! - 10/01/08 05:39 PM
The Holiday season is quickly approaching and you have an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
Many send out holiday or season greeting cards in December.
I recommend you take advantage of the Thanksgiving season and send out your cards or letters the middle of November.  Whether it be a thank you card or a letter of thanks as you reflect on the year, friendships, clients and families.  Take the time to craft a message that will be noticed as you will be the only one sending the card and your contacts will receive it first before the crush of other … (12 comments)

farming: Most Movers Stay in the Same County! - 09/08/08 04:15 AM
Know your market -- this is a quick summary of a press release by the Census Bureau on Sept 4th
Most Movers Stay in the Same County      Between 2006 and 2007, 38.7 million people moved in the United States: 25.2 million stayed in the same county, 7.4 million moved to a different county within the same state, 4.9 million moved to a different state and 1.2 million moved to the U.S. from abroad.
     These statistics are from Geographical Mobility: 2007, a series of tables that describe the movement of people in the United States. The tables include data on why people … (3 comments)

farming: Consistent, Persistent Communication with your Clients is Key! - 08/26/08 04:48 AM
Inconsistent Follow-Up.
How many of you have an automated follow-up program for your business?
You have to WORK on this everyday -- Make time or calendar time to make sure that emails are being answered and put into an action plan of emails or an email campaign.  Make sure your listing alerts that are going out to clients are being reviewed and followed-up on.  There are so many CRM packages available that have these tools yet most don't use them or edit / write the messages to use within the program.  Take time out one morning when your fresh to review your … (3 comments)

farming: What's In It For Me, says the consumer... - 08/25/08 03:23 PM
Active Rain is great and I learn a lot to work with my customers.  But ask yourself, what do your customers want to know?  With nearly 25% of buyers relocating to other communities, schools and neighborhood information become more important the where the house is.  Your customers are looking at what neighborhood do they want to live because of the schools and the make up of the neighborhood.
They then think about commute time to their place of employment,
Then they look at what they can afford and then they are targeting the community houses might be available in.
Post information … (2 comments)

farming: Use a Neighborhood Survey to Your Advantage - 08/21/08 04:15 AM
Internet sites, tools like Active Rain and Localism are making it easier for consumers to find information about the community or neighborhood.   Internet sites like Zillow and Cyberhomes provide great school, neighborhood, community, demographic information to buyers but what about taking care of EXISTING HOMEOWNERS that aren't in the market now?
EXISTING homeowners don't necessarily know where to go on the Internet because they aren't doing the research now but they will -- we all know that the average length of time a consumer owns a home is in the 5 to 7 year range.  They will eventually look for this information -- is … (5 comments)

farming: Tell Your Farm and Clients About Valuable Web Site Updates and Changes - 08/17/08 12:47 PM
You made a decision to include a professional web site in your technology plan.
I am sure you actively update the site REGULARLY.  Don't let it become stale -- post good content similar to what your doing with the Active Rain Blogs.  Freshness also helps with search optimization and getting you noticed.
Go one step further -- if you add a tool like the Zillow or Cyberhomes Co-Brand tools -- tell your farm area about the great content that they now have access too.  These co-brand tools bring sticky content where consumers want to come back and see their home values, … (4 comments)

farming: Out of the Box Farming Idea You Can Do In Your Community - 08/12/08 07:35 PM
As a Real Estate Professional, you have your geographic farm organized and categorized in a Contact Management Program -- right?
That database of names, addresses and even email addresses is a very valuable asset that you collect and build over time.  Take advantage of that database and co-market with other affiliates or vendors that you may never have thought of.
I was at my local dry cleaners and under the glass counter top was tons of business cards from local real estate professionals, mortgage professionals, contractors, etc.
Consider working with the Dry Cleaners similar to what was done above AND / OR … (7 comments)

farming: Out of the Box Farming Idea for your Community - 08/11/08 08:26 AM
As a Real Estate Professional, you have your geographic farm organized and categorized in a Contact Management Program -- right?
That database of names, addresses and even email addresses is a very valuable asset that you collect and build over time.  Take advantage of that database and co-market with other affiliates or vendors that you may never have thought of.
I was at my local dry cleaners and under the glass counter top was tons of business cards from local real estate professionals, mortgage professionals, contractors, etc.
Consider working with the Dry Cleaners similar to what was done above AND / OR … (6 comments)

farming: Working With Your Lender Affiliate and Your Geographic Farm - 08/11/08 08:16 AM
Most top producing real estate professionals either work with the Broker's in-house lender OR have connected with a mortgage professional that can help facilitate their closing with the consumer.
You partner up on transactions to close deals --- have you ever thought of partnering up on a farming piece to share the expense?  For example, you can contact your Title Company and find out what homeowners have an adjustable rate loan and ones that are fixed.  Maybe it is time to put out a piece that reminds the adjustable rate homeowners that rates may start to begin increasing or about the resetting … (1 comments)

farming: Don't Ignore Long-Time Homeowners As A Farm All By Itself - 08/11/08 06:44 AM
Intelligently analyze your geographic farm and break it down into separate niche markets.
You can market to those that have been in their home for two years and discuss with them the tax benefits of moving or
You can market to those that have been in their home 5-7 years because that is the average length of time people stay in their home before they move or
Look at your data -- look at those few homeowners in your area that have been in their home for 20+ years. 
Are they ready to retire and downsize with their kids now gone.
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farming: Making Contact With Every Homeowner At Least Once Per Year Is EASY! - 08/11/08 06:08 AM
This farming tip should be mandatory for all agents.  You should make at least one contact via a personal hand addressed letter to each homeowner in your geographic farm area once per year.
When do you send the letter?
Get an electronic farm, most of the time from your local Title Company, and ask for the basic report of ownership name, address and WHEN THEY PURCHASED the home.  Title Companies can give this to you electronically and you can import into contact manager programs and set up an annual reminder.
Send out a letter a week before their home purchase anniversary … (4 comments)

farming: How do you collect EMail addresses for your geographic farm? - 08/11/08 05:54 AM
As the market levels off -- prices will most likely go sideways for a period of time in different markets before the next cycle begins and prices start to climb, particularly here in California.
Real estate professionals will then have to work in a more normal market with different farming techniques.  Whether it be the traditional snail mail programs, door knocking or electronic farming.
Electronic farming will require you to collect and organize your email address for your geographic farm area.  EMail farming is far less expensive than traditional snail mail however, it does take time to carefully layout your campaigns … (32 comments)

farming: Farming Condominiums and Townhouses as we come out of this downturn in the market. - 08/07/08 07:18 PM
Real estate agents are in a position to change peoples lives!  You can take a renter and get them in a first home.  Typically, it is a lower priced home -- maybe a condo or townhouse.
Consider that their families will grow and if they have been in the townhome or condo for 3-5 years -- maybe they might have the equity necessary to take the next step.
Better yet, the tax advantages of selling after you own the home for two years is more of a reason to connect with this audience.
Contact your local title insurance company and ask … (4 comments)

farming: Mining your past clients for future success - 08/06/08 04:24 PM
Don't just use your contact manager program as an address book.  Set up campaigns, action plans but it all starts by categorizing your contact records.  I put all of the people I know into distinct groups -- Prospects - people that you don't know but are in your market area and potential customers Contacts - people you have either met, talked with or have an email communication going. Clients - Those that you are currently working on Past Clients -- those that you should work just as hard as getting new clients Finally, vendors or affiliates you work with that won't … (17 comments)

farming: Energy, Enthusiasm and Commitment Make a Difference! - 08/06/08 03:55 PM
I recently took my Daughter to a Sophomore High School program called HOBY and the welcome ceremony the other students provided was amazing -- they were lined up on every street corner waving, yelling, shouting, jumping, bouncing -- the welcome they provided my daughter was full of enthusiasm and made it really fun for someone that attended without knowing anyone.  Everyone was in the same boat not knowing one another but everyone felt welcome.  By the time the weekend was over they had created great friendships because everyone was committed to participating with energy. Working open houses, door knocking, listing appointments … (0 comments)

farming: Farming Ideas over a cup of coffee - 08/05/08 10:22 PM
Looking for VALUABLE ideas on what to send out to your farm area that will get noticed or read and not tossed? I recommend you get Chases Calendar of Events -- this book is printed annually and has anything and everything that is happening by day throughout the year.  From birthdays, anniversaries or special events. For example, there is a National Ice Cream day -- take advantage of that and offer ice cream in your community and take advantage of the press and make an event out of it. There is a National Blood Donor day -- take advantage of the … (15 comments)

farming: Using your Buyers as a Farm to create leads and transactions! - 07/30/08 04:02 PM
Everyone wants to become a listing agent and that is their priority but I like to think Buyers are valuable to and can lead to listings.
What are the characteristics of your Buyer -- they want a __ bedroom, __ bathroom, __ square foot home in a particular neighborhood.  Take the physical characteristics to your data source.  Title Companies are great at this and get your farm -- it may only be fifty records or hundreds, regardless -- it is a very defined targeted farm.
Your job should be to put a letter together that says, "Hello my name is ___ … (5 comments)