How Many Homes Should You Farm? (Here’s the Honest Answer)
How Many Homes Should You Farm? (Here’s the Honest Answer)
This is hands down one of the most common questions I get when I speak at offices or run webinars:
“How many homes should I farm?”
And the answer?
Well, it’s not as simple as you might hope.
The Bad News:
There’s no magic number that fits everyone.
Traditional training will throw out fixed formulas, but in reality, your ideal farm size depends on several key factors — not just a number pulled from a manual.
The Good News:
You can start small, scale up, and still win big — if you plan it right.
Let’s break down the four biggest variables you should consider when deciding how many homes to farm.
1. Your Budget
This is the first thing I always cover when helping agents select a farm.
No matter what strategy you use, you’ll be investing something — whether that’s time, money, or energy. If you’re short on funds, start smaller.
If you’ve got a bigger budget, great — but don’t make the mistake of going too big, too fast.
💡 Rule of thumb:
$1 per home, per month (or $12/year) is a reasonable baseline for a mixed-strategy farm.
So, a $10,000/year budget?
You’re probably looking at a farm between 800–1,000 homes — assuming you’re doing more than just mailing.
Remember:
“It’s better to scale up than to scale back.”
You want to grow from momentum — not recover from burnout.
2. Your Strategies
Not all farming strategies are created equal — and not all scale the same way.
If you’re:
Relying heavily on direct mail? Stay lean.
Investing time in door knocking or community events? Stay focused.
Running digital ads? You may be able to go wider — but you’ll need strong targeting.
The size of your farm should align with the strategies you can actually execute consistently.
Pick your tactics first. Then size your farm accordingly.
3. Your Team (Or Lack of One)
If you’re a solo agent, your capacity is naturally more limited.
Without admin help, systems, or a support team, you’ll burn out trying to reach too many people at once.
But if you’ve got:
Admin support
A marketing assistant
A team of agents helping in the farm
…then you may be able to go bigger — because you’re not the only one carrying the load.
Just be honest about your bandwidth.
4. Your Commitment
This one’s often overlooked — but it’s everything.
If you’re “just trying” farming, start small.
But if you’re seriously committed to making this a key part of your business, you may be able to take on more — if you’ve planned properly.
But here’s the truth:
Agents who dabble with too many homes rarely get traction.
They spread themselves too thin, lose consistency, and end up quitting before the results ever show up.
Farming is a long game. Commit to a timeline of at least 12 months — and build your farm around what you can consistently support.
So… What’s the Magic Number?
There isn’t one.
But here’s what I typically recommend:
👉 Start with 500–2,000 homes depending on your budget, time, and strategy.
👉 Choose a subset of your ideal neighborhood to test your messaging and systems.
👉 Scale up after you’ve proven your approach works.
That’s how you build a farm that actually lasts — and produces.
Final Thoughts:
Your farm size isn’t just a number — it’s a decision that impacts your budget, consistency, strategy, and results.
If you want help selecting the right area (and right size), that’s exactly what I walk you through inside my 30 Day Launch Program. It’s designed to help you choose your farm, build a plan, and start taking action right away.
– Ryan "The Farm Sizer" Smith
Founder of Launch Your Farm & Creator of the 30 Day Launch Program
➡️ Still unsure how big your farm should be — or how to choose the right area?
Join the 30 Day Launch Program and get a complete step-by-step roadmap to selecting, planning, and launching a profitable geographic farm.
