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As any homebuyer or seller will tell you, moving isn’t easy. It’s one of the reasons why 9 in 10 sellers work with an agent in the first place. Of course, it’s only after closing that the real moving process begins, from packing and unpacking, to settling into the new space, to getting acquainted with your new surroundings.But what happens to real estate agents who move?
I want people to understand who I am and select me or not select me based on the things I have to say.
— GREG FISCHER
When your community represents your customer base, your inventory, and your expertise, starting over in a new city essentially means starting your career over. Agents who relocate are often faced with an entirely different market, and must build an entirely new sphere of influence from scratch.
But that didn’t scare Greg Fischer. Originally from Texas, Greg spent years running a small brokerage in Fort Worth before stints in New York and San Francisco, where he spent his days developing real estate software for Move, Inc. Finally, in late 2015, Greg decided to fulfill his dream of living in the Pacific Northwest, eventually settling on Bend, Oregon.
Fast forward to the summer of 2016, and Greg has lived in Bend for just a few months. Despite this, however, he’s already built a thriving real estate business with a local brokerage. How? In a word: preparation.
Greg spent months researching not just where to live in Bend, but also how to position himself professionally in a sea of established brokers. “I started doing the hard work of evaluating the competitive landscape, creating an economic and jobs outlook for the area,” Greg told us. “I started researching the real estate search traffic and analyzing the market for who was advertising and what the flow of people was like coming to the area.”
Eventually, Greg saw a way to turn his recent arrival into a strength. “Bend has a very strong tech scene and a very strong entrepreneurship scene,” he explained. “The population is expected to double in the next 25 years. I knew if I could get to those people who were moving…if I could get to them first, that was an equal opportunity market for me to compete in.”
Greg decided to attract these folks by creating valuable digital content specifically for relocators. Today, Greg’s website, Bend Station, includes blog posts, articles on local news and events, great photography, and a podcast dedicated to people interested in joining the Bend community. Greg’s content enables him to not only provide value for visitors, but also establish a personal connection with prospective clients. “I want people to understand who I am and select me or not select me based on the things I have to say,” Greg said.
As a result these efforts, Greg is already on pace to do $8 million in sales over the next year — and he’s just getting started.
In this interview, Greg details the careful analysis and preparation that helped him hit the ground running in an unfamiliar market, and explains how he’s using awesome content to build a new and unique personal brand.
– Matt & Seth
