Building Trust Through Showing Up

Hi ,

Last week I was having coffee with an agent who told me she sends a newsletter to her farm every month, except for the three months she skipped because "nothing was happening in the market." I asked her how she'd feel if her favorite restaurant only opened when they had specials to promote. She got quiet. Here's the truth: consistency isn't about always having something spectacular to say. It's about being present when nothing is urgent, so people remember you when everything is. The agents who win their farm aren't the ones with the flashiest postcards or newsletter, they're the ones who show up in January, in July, and every month in between.

Let me add something else along those lines…I've watched hundreds of agents announce they're building a "local vendor directory" and then never finish it. You know why? Because they try to collect 50 names in two weeks and then get overwhelmed vetting everyone. But here's what I learned when I built mine: you don't need a complete directory to start adding value. Start with one category. Find two incredible plumbers. Call them. Verify they're taking new clients. Ask for three references. Then share those two names with your database. Next month, do electricians. The month after, roofers. People don't need a phone book, they need one trustworthy name right when their water heater breaks at 9 PM. And every time you give them that name, you become more valuable than any Zillow algorithm.

I had a newer agent ask me after speaking in California recently why he wasn't getting calls after farming a neighborhood for four months. I asked him what he'd been sending. He rattled off: market stats, interest rate updates, a recipe postcard, and a holiday card. I said, "So you've told them what's happening in real estate, but have you told them who you are?" There was a long pause. See, people don't hire data, they hire people they trust. And trust doesn't come from facts alone. It comes from seeing your personality, hearing your story, understanding why you care about their neighborhood specifically. That means some of your touches need to be personal: what you're learning, why you love this work, a lesson from a recent client. When you show up as a human being and not just a market reporter, everything shifts.

Please remember that farming isn't about asking, it's about giving until the ask feels natural. Think about it: if someone handed you business cards at every conversation, you'd avoid them. But if someone helped you five times before ever mentioning their business, you'd refer them without being asked. The magic ratio I've seen work is 80/20. Eighty percent of your touches should add value, educate, or connect. Twenty percent can invite action. When you flip that ratio, you're not farming, you're just noise.

Remember that the knowledge that makes people say, "Oh yeah, she really knows this area." When you can talk about life in the neighborhood and not just transactions, you stop sounding like every other agent. Spend one hour this week walking or driving your farm with fresh eyes. Notice three things about the community you didn't know before. Share one of them in your next communication.

Every touch is a deposit. Every piece of helpful content is a memory being formed. I've had clients tell me they kept every postcard I sent for 18 months before finally calling. They weren't ignoring me, they were watching me prove I was serious. The agents who dominate a farm are simply the ones who refuse to quit when it feels like nothing's happening. They understand that this business rewards patience, consistency, and faith in the process.

Write it down. Sign it. That's your contract with your future business.