Four Ways to Grow Your Farm & Ranch Business
You know the farm and ranch market is different than residential and commercial real estate. So how you build your business and expand your influence will be a little different, too.?
You can get some traction from social media and listing your credentials on your website, says Lani Rust , the immediate past president of REALTORS? Land Institute Texas Chapter. But here are four strategies she recommends to help raise your profile in the farm and ranch world.?
Know your business. Your clients may know the land and its uses very well. They will be able to tell if you don’t know what you are talking about. “The biggest thing is having the knowledge base to be able to advise your clients,” she says. You should be able to speak the same "language" as your client.?
Build your referral network. Farm and ranch is a small world. Referrals are important for every real estate professional, but they’re a little bit more important in farm and ranch. “Am I capable of selling a horse farm in Houston while I’m here in Stephenville? Yes, but I’m doing the best for my clients by referring them to someone I trust over there.” Pretty soon, other agents will be referring business to you. The referral network also includes contractors, insurance agents, government agencies, and lenders. Building those relationships are essential to grow your business.
Network with fellow practitioners. A great way to get noticed and meet fellow practitioners is to attend conferences such as the Outlook for Texas Land Markets Conference or RLI’s National Land Conference. RLI offers educational and networking opportunities including the Accredited Land Consultant designation, the only land-specific designation backed by NAR.?
Be where your clients are. Rust grew up participating in rodeos and she still shows cutting horses. Attending these events connects her with the landowners, ranchers, and investors that may become her future clients. “It complements my real estate business and it's something I really enjoy,” she says. ?