When coming to do real estate work in a new neighborhood, you need to be aware of your surroundings, especially the type of people you will be dealing with. This was one thing I did especially well, anywhere I’ve been, and has led people to accuse me of cheating somewhere. No, the reality is that, well, one, you most likely won’t always work in the neighborhood you live in. But you are coming in like an invading force into a new neighborhood, and naturally the residents will be curious. So you need to introduce yourself, you are disturbing their fabric of life, even though you’re there to improve it.
They don’t know that, and you may be causing them inconvenience in one form or another. If you think of it like a military campaign, you’ll need supplies. The locals may know where you can get supplies cheaper or easier. You can always use more troops. The locals may know where you can recruit more bodies or skilled tradespeople. You never know, maybe one of the local guys in the neighborhood has a skilled trade, been out of work for a while and would love to come in a tile a counter for you for a few bucks. Maybe you run across a guy that’s willing to haul old materials off for you in the neighborhood for a few bucks. You may run across a couple looking to buy a home, then you just cut your marketing expense.
You never lose by introducing yourself.
You need to know the lay of the land, only the locals can really give you that information. Especially if they can see that you are there to improve their neighborhood, they might just be more than willing to keep an eye on your place when you’re gone. Getting on good terms with the local population can make your life a lot easier.
