Can you believe it? It’s less than a few weeks until 2017 closes and 2018 launches. If you’re reviewing your numbers and aren’t exactly where you planned to be, let’s focus on how to jumpstart your 2018 with high production.
Many agents buy into limited thinking about the “slowing down of the market” due to the upcoming holidays, but nothing could be further from the truth. What really happens is serious buyers and sellers need the help of agents who are available to assist them right after the holidays end…so we need to be ready. Don’t miss the opportunity to maximize these last few weeks to jumpstart your income and productivity before the first quarter of 2018 ends.
Here are a few quick tips to ensure your income rocks into 2018:
Use holiday celebrations to connect. Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with all your current and past clients/prospects and referral partners. Whether it’s hosting a simple open house during the week for holiday cheer or a full-blown event, make contact to let them know you appreciate the opportunity to work together. Double the effectiveness of the connection by adding a charity benefit element. Ask for a food donation for the local food bank or animal shelter, or a Toys for Tots contribution. Don’t miss the chance to reach out with a face-to-face meeting when possible.
Make a donation in the client’s name. If a face-to-face event isn’t an option, send buyers and sellers a handwritten note thanking them for their business and let them know you’ve made a donation in their name to a local charity. By making a donation to a client’s favorite charity (for example, if they’ve recently adopted a dog, make a small donation to the local animal shelter), you’re showing them that you’re interested in their lives. Save those donation receipts, as those are a tax deduction for you, as well.
Go through your 2017 closed transactions. Pull the names and addresses of both the buyer and seller of each transaction that closed. Make hard copies of the closing documents and include a letter scheduled to be mailed the first week of January. The letter should acknowledge that the holidays are over, and remind them that tax season is right around the corner. For their convenience, you’re sending an extra copy of their closing documents to help them prepare. Include an offer from your lender partner to contact them for a no-obligation, no-cost annual mortgage review and identity-theft screening. This sets the stage for your lender and you to connect with purpose every year as an ongoing consulting opportunity. For a complimentary tax letter, go to bit.ly/2h0ELAV.
Set up a quiet hour to lay out your business plan for 2018. Review where your business came from and inspect the return on your investment from lead-generation platforms you may be paying for to be sure they’re worth the cost and conversion of each lead. It’s also important to determine your four pillars of income for 2018. Need more builder business? Develop a marketing plan to connect with more builders. Want to convert more expired listings? Look at online platforms to systematize daily contacts. Inspect what you expect for more profitability with consistency and focus.
Real estate will always be a person-to-person business. Reach out and “touch” clients during the holidays in order to propel yourself to profits, and to purposefully plan for more sales in 2018.
Terri Murphy is a communication engagement specialist, author, speaker and coach. She is the author/co-author of five books, and founder of MurphyOnRealEstate.com. Contact her at TerriMurphy.com, MurphyOnRealEstate.com or Terri@TerriMurphy.com.
For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.
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