12 Things You Need to Do Right Now to Have a Successful Year in Business
The New Year brings with it a lot of expectations. The expectation to do better, be better and make resolutions that we know we’ll never keep. I’ve never been a fan of resolutions, a to-do list is more my style. So with that in mind, here’s an actionable list to get your year started to set you up for success.
PLAN FOR SUCCESS TO-DO LIST:
Pull the list of all your past and current clients and separate them by buyers, sellers and renters.
Buyers looking for a home: If you haven’t been in touch in the last 30 days with new listings for them to go and see, do that now. Research their preferred areas and look just beyond that neighborhood to find homes you can take them to see this weekend. Yes, January 3rd and 4th. If you need to re-group and re-evaluate their search, then do that instead of showings.
Buyers who purchased: Anyone who already bought with you, up to say this past February, should be getting an email or a letter (even better) from you letting them know what similar homes are selling for in their area. Why? This is their biggest asset and most people want to know what it’s worth, even if they don’t plan on selling any time soon. They may also have friends or family looking to move to their neighborhood so being the “neighborhood expert” could mean referrals.
Sellers: If they haven’t set a date yet to put their home on the market, it’s time for a talk. Call them to set up an appointment to meet up for coffee. Bring comps from their community with you. Be armed with the info they’re going to need to either put their house on the market, or stay where they are for now. Either way, you will know where you stand.
Renters: Reach out to wish them all the best for the New Year and ask how things are going? Are they still enjoying their home, have their needs changed? They may have had some type of life change and they’re going to need to move to something bigger or even a new neighborhood. Maybe they’ve been thinking about buying a property. This is your chance to work with them again to secure a rental or remind them that you work with buyers too.
Join a network group. Ask your manager, your friends, look on places like Meetup, talk to your preferred mortgage broker, lawyer or even your banker. Find a group to attend, if they aren’t your people, keep looking. Being part of a networking or mastermind group is on your to-do list this year because the benefits are immense and it will help to grow your business.
Update your CRM or get one if you don’t have one. Make sure that the info you have for clients past, present and potential are all correct. Pipedrive is my choice, here’s a 30 day free trial*.
Make an appointment to meet with your manager to discuss your goals and the best way to achieve them. Most managers have sold real estate and even if they haven’t, they know who is making sales in the office and who isn’t, so they know what works by the results they see.
Spending some time with your manager also reminds them of your existence and that you are looking for clients. A very busy agent might need help at some point and you want your manager to remember you when that time comes.
Get an agenda*. It’s old school but it works. You can also use your phone calendar to keep track of appointments but “Neuroscience Explains Why You Need To Write Down Your Goals If You Actually Want To Achieve Them”. From personal experience I can tell you that writing my appointments, goals, to-do lists etc. down, makes it that much more memorable and more likely that I’m going to take action.
Set clear, realistic goals. Once set, break them down into daily, short-term (next 3 months) and long-term (by year-end) goals. Clear, actionable targets boost motivation.
Daily: examples — schedule time each day for cold calls and/or door knocking, calling your database.
Short-term (next 3 months): examples — close 5 deals, increase listings 20%, attend 3 community events to grow your network.
Long-term (by year-end): examples — raise sales volume 25%, add 20 new clients through targeted outreach and personalized service.
Plan a community event. If this is not your area of expertise, speak to your manager. They are their to help you succeed and your success is the brokerage’s success. Here are some ideas that won’t break the bank but will give you exposure:
Participating in spring fairs at schools or community centers can build connections and enhance your visibility.
Host a “meet & greet” at a local coffee shop and bring a mortgage broker with you. You and the mortgage broker can advertise the event through social media. Offer free coffee and cookies and ask the coffee shop or cafe for a discount. This event will give both of you the opportunity to meet prospective buyers, sellers and investors.
Host Open Houses. Even if you don’t have a listing that needs an open house, you can still find open houses to host. Your goal with an open house is to be “interviewed” by potential sellers and find new buyer clients.
Find listings that your brokerage has in an area where you want to work. Ask the realtor who has the listing if they were planning on having any open houses and offer to do it for them.
Do not text or email them. Call them or go up to them in the office and ask in person.
What you do in the next few weeks will set the tone for the next 12 months of your career. By stepping out of the New Year slump, establishing goals and then taking action, you’ll be setting yourself up for a successful year in business. This exciting time represents a fresh chapter filled with endless possibilities, but possibilities won’t turn into results unless you take action.
Have a happy, healthy and very prosperous New Year!
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