Hunters Hope, Farmers Harvest, Advisors Endure

Jeff Sorg

10 hours ago

4 min read

Every time the real estate market takes a breath and transaction volume slows, brokerage managers fire up the traditional rallying cry: Stop being a hunter and start being a farmer.

It's a classic industry lesson that I don't think is wrong.

A three-panel illustration contrasting a Hunter searching terrain, a Farmer cultivating crops, and a Wise Advisor reviewing real estate contracts at a desk.

When the market is booming, the "hunters" look like geniuses. They chase immediate transactions, ride the wave of easy liquidity, post their closing photos on social media, and mistake a runaway macro cycle for personal skill. But the moment interest rates rise or inventory freezes up, hunting season is over. Hunting season requires abundant game.

The traditional advice is to turn into a "farmer" and stop chasing shiny lead-generation funnels and start cultivating your database. Call past clients. Send the annual market review. Check in on the sphere.

While farming might keep an agent fed when the hunting season ends, it still has a subtle flaw: your clients catch on if you only view your "farm" as a crop to be harvested when you need a commission.

Beyond Hunting and Farming: The Advisor

The agents who survive five decades in this business don't just hunt for deals, nor do they treat their farm—their sphere of influence—like an orchard to be picked on a quarterly schedule. Instead, they operate as the fiduciaries and advisors they've learned to become.

Consider the difference in posture:

The Hunter calls a past client because they need a transaction this month.
The Farmer calls a past client on a schedule to plant seeds for a transaction this year.
The Advisor maintains a continuous professional dialogue because property ownership, carrying costs, property taxes, and market valuations are ongoing financial realities for the client every single day.

Shifting from a "farming" mindset to an "advisory" mindset completely changes the conversation.

You aren't calling past clients with canned scripts or generic "just checking in" fluff—but that's okay if that's all you've got to start with. The key to farming is making the call.

As you lean into the advisor role, the reasons for those calls evolve. You start calling because you noticed local tax assessments just jumped 4%, or because insurance underwriting guidelines in their neighborhood just shifted, or because you ran a structural analysis on rate buydowns versus price cuts and realized they need straight answers on their equity position. Or you call to check in and see if they need any information, advice, or service because the market changed.

Don't just ask yourself, "Who can I harvest a referral from?"

Ask yourself real questions before picking up your emblements and working the farm—questions like: "Who trusted me with the largest financial asset on their balance sheet, and what professional insight might I be able to offer them to protect it?"

The Long Game

Hunters starve when game gets scarce, and farmers worry when the weather turns. But advisors remain steady because their work is tied to their reputation and trust they've earned.

Don't treat your clients like prey to be hunted or vegetables to be harvested. Hunters take, farmers harvest, advisors protect.

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Until soon enough,

Jeff.

Championing the Human Parts of Real Estate Since 1979™

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I am a self-retired real estate professional with a career spanning 47 years. Throughout decades of market changes, I remained dedicated to the idea that real estate is about more than square footage—it’s about the human element. Today, I write about the lessons learned from a lifetime of helping people find the place that truly feels like home, hoping that sharing these insights will help the next generation of agents better serve their clients and find fulfillment in their own careers.

NOT INTENDED AS PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OR TO SEEK CLIENTS: This website provides general information, data, and opinions for your interest. It is not intended as a replacement for professional advice or your own due diligence. Always consult the appropriate professional: a lawyer for legal matters, a tax professional for tax questions, and a real estate agent for buying or selling property. Because my license is inactive, I am no longer accepting new clients, but I am happy to provide referrals. Unless otherwise noted, the opinions and views expressed are mine.

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