There are no shortcuts. There are no complicated funnels. Jimmy Burgess shares a simple guide to becoming the most visible, valuable, and trusted person in your field.
One of the biggest mistakes I see agents make is trying to be everything to everyone. They want to market throughout the city. They want to serve every zip code. They want to be known everywhere. The problem is that consumers rarely think like that.
When homeowners decide who to entrust one of their largest financial assets to, they often look for someone who is knowledgeable in a particular area. They want experts in their neighborhood. They want someone who understands homes, people, business, and market trends better than anyone else.
Recently, I asked AI a simple question: “What should a real estate agent do to dominate a particular area?” It wasn’t just the answers that were interesting. That’s what the AI didn’t say:
I was not asked to buy leads. I didn’t tell you to spend thousands of dollars on advertising. I wasn’t told to chase every opportunity in every direction.
Instead, we focused on five basic strategies that, when combined, create a powerful neighborhood control plan.
become all resources
The first thing AI proposed was that it would be all the resources related to the neighborhood and surrounding area. Note that I did not say it would be a real estate resource. I said be a resource.
That’s an important difference. Most agents only focus on housing information. Posting real estate-related content is important, but a good neighborhood expert understands that homeowners have questions about more than just real estate.
What they want to know is:
Who is the best plumber? Which landscaper can you trust? Where is the coffee shop that just opened? Which local businesses are worth supporting? Who will fix my pool, roof, or air conditioner?
A few years ago, we partnered with a trusted local service provider to create refrigerator magnets. Today, we’ve expanded it into a more comprehensive resource guide for clients and homeowners. The goal is simple. When someone has a question about a specific field, you want them to think of you first.
One practical step every agent can take right away is to create a list of trusted vendors and consistently share it with your database via direct mail, social media, and email.
The other is highlighting local businesses through social media, video content, and community spotlights. Not only does this provide value to the homeowner, but it also creates relationships with local business owners who often become referral partners.
appear more than anyone else
The second recommendation from AI was visibility. The reality is that familiarity breeds trust. People tend to trust people they meet often.
That visibility can be achieved in the following ways:
Direct Mail Community Events Social Media Neighborhood Walks Sponsorship Opportunities Local Involvement
One recommendation I’ve shared for years is to budget about $2 per household per month for the area you want to control. In an area with 500 homes, that would be about $1,000 a month. This budget includes, but is not limited to, monthly mailings and support for community activities such as food trucks for special occasions, neighborhood family and pet photo days, and even back-to-school parties at local parks.
One of my favorite community activities is creating scholarships for alumni living in my neighborhood. Ask applicants to share what they like most about growing up there. This not only creates goodwill, but also shows a real investment in the people living in the community.
Many agents immediately focus on cost. A better question is: What if your efforts resulted in just one additional listing in the area? Most agents underestimate the long-term benefits of consistent visibility.
The key word is consistency. It’s not like I mail or engage from time to time. Consistent and ongoing involvement in the neighborhood.
have more conversations than anyone else
This is perhaps the most important point made by AI. The agent who has the most conversations with the homeowner will almost always have an advantage. At a minimum, you should have at least one conversation a day with the homeowners in your neighborhood. If you are an agent looking to take control of a farm area, talking to neighboring owners four times a day, four days a week will almost guarantee success in the long run.
Over time, these conversations will help the owner see you as an active member of the community. These conversations occur in the following ways:
Phone Calls Door Knocks Open Houses Local Events Neighborhood Gatherings Local Sponsorships Social Media Interactions
Conversation creates intimacy. Familiarity breeds trust. Trust creates a list.
Become a source of nearby real estate information
The fourth recommendation is to become the most trusted real estate source in your neighborhood.
This includes sharing:
Latest market information New property details Recent sales information Neighborhood trend reports Community development status
One of the easiest ways to accomplish this today is with video. Create an overview video of your neighborhood. Share monthly market updates. Highlight notable sales and trends. Create content that answers questions homeowners are already asking.
When people continue to receive valuable real estate information from you, they begin to associate your name with your expertise. Over time, that connection becomes incredibly valuable.
become part of the community
The final recommendations provided by the AI may have been the most powerful. It’s not just about marketing to the community. Be part of it. There’s a big difference. Agents who truly control a territory are not considered salesmen. They are considered contributors.
They are involved in:
Schools Local Charities Festivals Community Projects Neighborhood Events
they exist. they are participating. they are serving. When you become a trusted member of the community, people stop seeing you as someone trying to make a business and start seeing you as someone who genuinely cares about the place they call home.
That’s when everything changes.
The most interesting thing about AI recommendations is that they are very simple. There are no shortcuts. There are no secret hacks. There are no complicated funnels. It’s just a commitment to becoming the most visible, valuable, and trusted person in a particular field.
If you can be a resource, consistently show up, have meaningful conversations, offer market expertise, and truly be part of the community, you’ll ultimately become the first person people think of when the topic of real estate comes up.
And that’s what neighborhood control actually looks like.
Jimmy Burgess is Chief Coaching Officer of HomeServices of America and President of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
