Realtors don’t often have people lining up to work with them, especially at the beginning. Sometimes it’s necessary to kickstart a career by “putting yourself out there.” Janine Sasso came to find that out quickly, listened to her gut and started small. “I got to know my neighborhood first and foremost: the parks, types of homes available, cost of homes, schools and local amenities,” says Sasso, a realtor and licensed real estate instructor with Coldwell Banker Realty. Through trial and error, she discovered a formula for geographic farming success that involves using postcards for lead generation. In 2023, postcards accounted for 76% of her business and have helped her connect with more buyers and sellers in Hoffman Estates and the surrounding area.

After sharing her formula for geographic farming success with many agents over the years, Sasso became a licensed instructor and launched “The Hyper Local Agent,” free online classes to help agents develop rewarding businesses. At the same time, Sasso is building a nationwide referral network that has come in handy for many of her past clients who are relocating. In 2024, she launched GEOsential, a software and printing company to help agents across the country with their print marketing and business, so that they too can experience hyper-local success and avoid getting stuck on the hamster wheel that can leave many entrepreneurs feeling trapped.

Sasso has also authored several books. In addition to one for homesellers, she has written two focusing on direct mail: “Success with Real Estate Mailers” and “Success with Just Listed & Just Sold Postcards.”

She entered the industry in 2015 on her family’s recommendation to try real estate. “I fell in love with the marketing and diversity of the business,” she says. “No day is the same. I was hooked.” Over the years, Sasso learned to stand out from the crowd by not doing what everyone else is doing.