Tap Into RPR Commercial to Land More Closed Deals

A member of RPR’s Industry Relations team recently had an interesting conversation with a REALTOR^® at the REALTORS^® Land Institute National Conference.

Stephen J B Davis spoke with our RPR rep about how much he loves RPR (Realtors Property Resource^®) and that he uses it quite frequently for recreational and agricultural land deals. But here’s the twist! He utilizes RPR Commercial to get those deals done.

Using the commercial mode of RPR to get the ball rolling on recreational and agricultural land projects is a unique approach, for sure. We set out to speak with Stephen one-on-one to hear more about his RPR usage…

Q Hi Stephen, how long have you been a REALTOR^® and what area do you specialize in?

I got my license towards the end of 2018, so about three and half years. And apart from practicing residential real estate, I also specialize in land.

QTell me about how you got started using RPR…

Well, I first started using RPR to get up to speed and to be informed about my area. I work in Kentucky, yet I’m not actually from here. And for some people, they simply don’t want to work with a non-lifelong resident. So, as a transplant, I use RPR because it’s really simple for getting solid info on a particular area. It’s just so easy to get super specific data! Right down to the zip code and neighborhood level. I’m not an eighth generation Kentuckian, which is important here, but with RPR, it looks like I’ve been here for a while.

QGood point, almost like a relocation specialist learning about neighborhoods through RPR.

Exactly. RPR gives me quick reliability for my clients. The market updates, they really make me look smart. What’s the tag line, “Wow your clients and close more deals”?! That’s me! I love using the tools at my disposal. You don’t become excellent on accident! That’s an idea I really believe in, and I use RPR to fulfill that.

QExplain how you use RPR Commercial in your land business?

Land wise, I use it for hard data on comps. Land isn’t centralized. It’s so much more spread out and it’s not on Zillow or realtor.com. With RPR access, I’m able to bypass gatekeepers on certain MLSs, ones where there’s a paywall, where I don’t have access. But I can go on RPR and figure what has sold in the last six months, year, two years. It’s a great starting point. It’s invaluable.

QSo you use RPR Commercial to check on sales data and comps for land purchases?

Correct, and sometimes I’m hired as a consultant to figure out property values, for solar companies and other ancillary projects. I recently ran a bunch of CMAs on sixteen different properties for one of my clients. RPR centralizes things for me. In the transitional land that I dabble in, the ESRI data is great. Long term projects often require the knowledge of what consumers are buying and how much they spend. That data is available on the commercial side of RPR, and it’s perfect for that.

QWhat are some of your favorite, “go-to” features of RPR?

I mostly use it for sales data, as a way to compare similar properties. I choose property types to see what has sold in the last few years. And then I might double check with another platform to see if it’s there as well. Just to verify, I use as many sources and resources as possible. I also use the commercial side for sales records, actually sold, and how does that land use fit for what I’m trying to compare it to. And I use it for all of my listings appointments.

QAny stories about how you’ve used RPR to “wow” a client?

Sure, all the time I hear clients say, “Oh wow, you have that? Where’d you get that?” But what’s even better, is when I “wow” people in my own office! They say, “How do you know so much?” (laughs) I say, “it’s from using RPR.” I wonder why everyone in my association and MLS aren’t using it. You’ve got to use it! RPR is one of the best things that NAR offers its members. It’s fairly simple to use, but you know, I don’t tell my clients that. I want them to think that I spent hours finding them this great data.

Great advice, Stephen! We love hearing about the creative and resourceful ways our users are applying RPR to their business successes.

If you want to see how you can use RPR when it comes to locating and prospecting land, check out our on-demand webinar: Looking for Land in all the Right Places.

And remember… you don’t become excellent on accident!