Here’s a modern-day take on door-knocking: Real estate ride-hailing. Marta Stasik Fahme, a broker-owner with Stasik Homes Real Estate in San Diego, became a driver for the ride-hailing company Lyft when her real estate sales dramatically slowed as mortgage rates surged late last year.
“I didn’t have any escrows for at least six months,” she recalls. “I knew I needed to do something, but I wasn’t going to give up on real estate.” For six months, she drove more than 8,500 miles for Lyft while also marketing herself as a local real estate broker. On the back of her car’s seats, a sign read: “Are you thinking about buying or selling a property in SD?” The signs pointed riders to her website. She also handed out branded pens. Customers would see her sign, sparking conversations about real estate during the drive.
Her marketing drive gathered a handful of new leads on both the buying and selling sides. Fahme has returned full-time to real estate, as sales have picked up. But she won’t be hesitant to jump behind the wheel again if need be.
“You can’t just give up as soon as the tables turn,” she says. “But you may need to find ways to keep marketing and stay top-of-mind.” For her, driving accomplished that.
