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Hi-Ho, the Derry-O...the Farmer in the "Sell"

By
Real Estate Agent with TNG Real Estate Consultants

Why Realtors call Advertising "Farming"

 

    Most people know that Realtors call geographical advertising "farming," but why is this an appropriate term?

 #1  The Principle of Sewing and Reaping

    Traditionally, farmers would sew seed in the earth.  They would usually pray, fertilize and irrigate and the seed would germinate creating wonderful wheat, barley, corn crops that would be harvested at peak season when the grain, fruit or vegetable was fully ripe.  In Real Estate, Realtors "sew" the "seed" of their advertising pieces (notepads, postcards, calendar magnets, etc.) sometimes say a prayer, and one day they receive a call or text (the "seed" has fully matured) asking them to come over and talk about selling their beautiful home.  Farmers and Realtors both employ a sew-then-reap method of business which carries over into many other industries as well.   

Example:  I had one client say that she had my notepad, postcard, calendar magnet on her fridge and then drove by my yard sign saying SOLD on top, and figured it was a "sign" that I was to be her Realtor. 

#2  Farmers get up and work hard.  Realtors who want to stay around a while, need to get up and work hard.

    Although today's farmers would probably scoff at my relating their hard work to Realtor hard work, (and no, I don't get up at 4am, have hot cakes and eggs before the rooster crows) there is still the concept of good old fashioned hard work that can modeled through the life of a farmer.  Thomas Edison was right when he said "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."  Maybe the labor takes a different form and shape (researching for hours to ensure a client is pricing their home correctly or walking for miles with notepads) but effort is effort any way you slice it.  W.C. Fields once said, "the laziest man I ever met put popcorn in his pancakes so they would turn over by themselves."  Deals do not "turn over by themselves" so Realtors cannot sit by idly waiting for good things to happen.

 

#3  Farmers are known to be people who help others.

    A good Realtor and a good farmer are committed to helping others (not just making a paycheck)...if Farmer Dan down the road has a goat stuck in a well, Farmer John will run down to help get the goat out of the well.  Good Realtors actually enjoy what they do - they enjoy helping people solve problems, because, let's face it, real estate is fraught with problems and boils down to getting people around those problems.  Realtors who do not get this concept run the risk of being "the farmer in the sell" - focused on how many homes they have sold this year, comparing themselves to other Realtors instead of remembering why we got into this profession in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments (3)

Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Many forget item #2 - To be successful farmers, we, the realtors must get up earlier than most, in the crack of dawn and work hard in order to remain in the business.  Top produders go out in search of one worm ( deal ) before it is snatched up by others. What is the saying....early bird - gets the worm?

Dec 05, 2014 07:00 AM
Jon Kolsky
Kolsky Realty & Management - Long Beach, CA
Licensed California Real Estate Broker

Nic Petrossi ~ this is an awesome post and call to action! I came over from Sarah's re-blog and I just have to say "we might not be the typical farmer, but there's no doubt we farm 

Dec 05, 2014 08:26 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

Nick, great analogy between a hard working farmer trying to be successful and a real estate agent trying to make a living. Nothing falls in our laps

Dec 05, 2014 08:27 AM