It’s the beginning of the fourth quarter, and there are 92 sales days left in the year for you to maximize more listings, more sales and more income. While most of the industry is slowing down and too focused on 2020 goals and considering 2019 already over, you and your team can be the agents putting in the grit to not only make more money in the last quarter, but also create closings and ensure income in January and the first quarter!
Follow these strategies to keep everyone on your team focused on creating and converting potential sellers and buyers into listings and sales in the next 90 days, and create the momentum that will kick off January with a huge pipeline of potential business.
Set goals for Q4.
Right now—today, when you’re done reading this—map out your goals for the next three months: the number of new listings, sales, calls, email campaigns, open houses and special events you are going to do. Include how much money you wish to make in the next three months, and from there, figure out—based on your average sale price and average earned commission—how many sales you need during the next three months. Based on those numbers, add 25 percent to create your number of leads in your pipeline goal. You can begin to look at 2020 business planning, but remember to really make the most of the next three months right now. You can make double what you did last year in Q4 if you make the decision to do it, and then create the action plan to make it happen.
Adopt the 90-day rule.
Whatever you were doing 90 days ago is why your month now is busy or slow—which means that what you are doing now will create the sales and listings 90 days from now, or in the first quarter. If you want to have a profitable 2020, get busy now making and going on appointments to create the income you want in January, February and March of next year.
Stay in the game.
It is vital that you continue to work daily and have a focus on creating more opportunities and leads. You should wake up every day and say, “I am going to list or sell a house today; I just don’t know the address yet.” Remember, you are the one that creates opportunities by being proactive and making them happen. Make an appointment with your desk and your phone for an hour (or two) of power prospecting, where you make outgoing calls to your sphere, expired listings, for sale by owners, online lead sources and past and current clients. Schedule appointments with these people to show a home or preview their home. Remember: A lot of homes will be sold between October 1 and December 31. Be the agent that has record-breaking months during this quarter—the pay-offs are huge, both now and long term into next year.
Go on more appointments than ever.
Appointments make sales happen. Face-to-face appointments mean you are one step closer to listing or selling a home. You must fill your calendar with appointments. Making this a priority will literally change your life. Set a goal for how many listing and showing appointments you are going to go on, and then make it happen!
Ask for referrals.
Now is the time to let your past clients and sphere know you are taking new listings for the fourth quarter, and that you have an inventory of pre-approved buyers waiting for homes to come on the market. Call your sphere and let them you know how great the year was and that if they or someone they know is considering selling their home, or making a move to buy a new home, that you are available for a “free, no-hassle market analysis consultation.” While you are talking to them, tie down the appointment by asking them which day and time is better for them: “Thursday at 5 or Saturday at 10?” You have to secure the appointment and make the time on the calendar, even if they are just thinking about selling. You can help them now, and you only need to be at their home for 30 minutes or less to see it and talk about their timing. Always get the appointment. Look at your appointment goal for each day, and then make as many calls as you need to hit it.
Overcome “time of year” objections.
If people are thinking this is not a good time of year to make a move because of holidays or weather, you should counter that and explain why it actually is a good time. Knowing your market as well as you do, it is important to let potential buyer and seller clients know the advantages of working with you, as you know about listings before they come on the market and are able to help them maximize a higher value when there is less inventory for sale as a seller. Overcome their objections by letting them know that many homes are sold each year during this time of year, and that homes show beautifully during the holiday season, as well. Also, remember that relocation moves typically happen in January, too!
Track and measure your sales activities daily and weekly.
What is tracked and measured will improve. Keeping track of your daily number of calls made and appointments secured will increase your momentum. Track the number of appointments you make and go on, and then track the number of new listings and sales weekly and monthly as well. All of this will lead to you being hyper-focused on the activities that matter most, generating new business and appointments and these activities will lead to new listings, sales and ultimately income. Go make it happen!
For a free copy of my exclusive Creating Your Success Worksheet, click here.
Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. With 20 years of experience in real estate, Johnson offers coaching, consulting and keynotes, and is a national speaker for the Homes.com Secrets of Top Selling Agents tour and the Official Real Estate Coach for McKissock Learning and Real Estate Express. For more information, please contact coaching@sherrijohnson.com or 844-989-2600 (toll-free) or visit www.sherrijohnson.com.