Inspecting Listings

As part of your regular neighborhood walks, you’ll be among the first to see brand new listings.  The advantages are obvious.  When home owners see how quickly you realized they listed their home and wanted to inspect it, they’ll recognize your conscientiousness.  You’ll probably be the first buyer rep coming by, so they’ll be more than happy to show you it.  You’ll also be one of the first people that comes to mind if the listing expires.  So be sure to find out what date the home was listed and mark down in your contact management software when it expires so it can remind you.

Dog Walking

Dogs have an amazing way of bringing people together.  So if you don’t have a dog, really consider getting one.  It’s great when you can strike up conversations about something you have in common with a fellow dog owner (IE your furry friends) and then casually introduce yourself as the neighborhood’s real estate expert when the time is right.  If your neighborhood has a dog park, be sure to spend lots of time there.  You’ll meet so many local people, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities for seeing them frequently.  Try going out at different times of the day for meeting different owners.  Some people will walk their dogs early in the morning (between 6 and 8 AM) before heading to work.  Some people work night jobs, so you’ll see them out walking late at night before heading to work.  When out walking your pooch, be sure to walk different parts of the neighborhood all the time and at different times.  That way, you maximize the number of people you’ll potentially meet.

Be sure to find out who the reliable local dog walkers are, and make allies of them, just as you would the retail business owners.  They too can be a powerful source of leads and referrals.

If you don’t have a dog, or can’t have one, that’s ok too.  That doesn’t mean you can’t walk dogs!  Offer to walk some of your neighbor’s dogs occasionally at no charge.  In fact, I’d say that whenever you’re out walking the neighborhood, you should have someone’s pooch with you if at all possible.  You never know when someone will want to get away with their spouse or significant other for a romantic evening on the town.  Be that person they’ll call to walk their dog for a half hour while they’re gone!