Since selling his first piece of real estate in 1990, it’s safe to say that Tony Nastri has experience working in the real estate industry. And the same goes for his geographical experience, having been in real estate in each of the three states he’s lived in: New York, Florida, and now Georgia.

Funny enough, he didn’t really consider his lead generation strategy to be farming at first. He considers his entre into farming as more “accidental” as he was more focused at the time on helping his community during a difficult time than lead generating. He bought a home in an area that had been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis around 2009. And as he explains, he naively thought that if he started a newsletter specifically for the area, it would help the residents rally together. At the time, he considered the newsletter he created to be a community building tool and nothing more.

It took him about 4 years to realize something important: with his newsletter, Tony had been farming all along.

Almost all of Tony’s deals could be traced back to people he already knew. And while he wasn’t surprised by this because he has always focused on relationships, what did surprise him was how many of those relationships were connected to a specific neighborhood. His lead generation strategy there? Simply being involved in that community, putting local people and small businesses first, and staying connected.  

If you’re looking to integrate farming as a source of business, read on for Tony’s simple strategies that work:

• Farming doesn’t require a massive area or neighborhood.
  Tony’s original and second farm were both neighborhoods where he lived, and both about 175 homes in size. Over time, his consistent approach created familiarity. Neighbors saw him regularly, interacted with him at events, and received helpful information from him. And from building connections within these manageable-sized groups, business followed.
• A newsletter keeps him top-of-mind.
  His newsletter is intentionally simple and straightforward. And it’s templated so that he can be consistent each month. The key components are one 500-word article, two 250-word articles, a list of upcoming local events, a business directory, and two 4×4 ads. One of the ads is always Tony’s business. The other ad is one of his neighbors who owns or operates a local business can run about their business for free. Tony makes a point of hand-delivering the newsletter each month, which is yet another way he can connect with the farm residents.
• Encourage people to support local business.
  One of the most popular sections of Tony’s newsletter is the local business directory, which features neighbors who own or manage a business in the area. To start creating this list, he printed a blank page that suggested for anyone who owns, operates, or manages a business in the area to send their contact information to him so that he could advertise the business for free in his newsletter. He noted that supporting these businesses is a way to support your community. And people loved it.
• Get involved with neighborhood leadership.
  Tony joined the events committee for his own HOA as a part of his strategy to immerse himself in the local community. This involvement naturally puts him in the center of community activities. He helps to organize the events, spreads the word about gatherings, and supports the neighborhood in ways that are about more than simply real estate.
• Institute pop-up dining out events.
  Each month, Tony picks a local mom-and-pop restaurant. He picks a day and time and promotes it to his farm. And while everyone gets their own tables and pays their own checks (Tony may get some appetizers for attendees), they feel like they are contributing to the success of the town. Any number of attendees, from Advertise it on the events, pick a date and a time. Everyone pays their own checks, but he’ll get a couple of apps sometimes, and they will get 6 to 30 people to attend.

In every aspect of Tony’s farming strategy, he’s visible in the community. His  consistent contributions whether providing value via a newsletter or encouraging local support at the business or neighborhood level creates a feeling of trust between him and the community. And it’s from ever-present trust that his business grows.