As the holiday season fades away, many real estate agents want to rest, relax or revel in their commission numbers. In many cases, these professionals are missing out on valuable opportunities to cultivate new business and tighten up their games. To make the most of your time during the holiday season, learn how to best prepare for 2018.
- Update your contact lists. This is the ideal time to weed through your emails and social media accounts. Take a few moments to build a spreadsheet with your past clients and current contacts, and upload it into your customer relationship management (CRM) system. If you aren’t using any sort of CRM, consider doing so now.
- Manage your reputation. Slower winter months may be a good time to see what people are saying about you on the Internet. Check to see what reviews have been left on sites such as Zillow, Trulia and Yelp. See if you’ve missed any social media interactions and take steps to clean up your online presence.
- Educate yourself. Brush up on business trends and other issues that could affect clients. Zoning rules, infrastructure development and tax laws change frequently. Stay on top of any and all relevant topics that could impact a sale.
- Plan your marketing budget. You can’t create buzz about your personal brand without investing a little capital. Take some time to determine your average commission per transaction. Once you’ve settled on a reasonable number, set aside a certain amount to reinvest in your business.
- Read, read, read. Absorb everything you can get your hands on. Find out what other agents are doing to improve their marketing campaigns. Look for new technologies that could make your life easier and help you provide a better service to your clients.
- Nurture your current leads. During January, many agents assume their leads will be busy with coming back to work after the holidays. In actuality, this can a great time to engage leads in your pipeline when other agents are taking time off. Whether it’s a greeting card or seasonal newsletter, try to leverage the new year to connect in more personal ways.
Hit the Ground Running
Although the real estate market tends to slow down during the holiday season, there are still big opportunities to improve your position. It can take discipline to finish the year in high gear, but when spring comes around, you will be happy you did.
