Winter Has Come…What Now?
The holidays have come and gone, the cold is setting in and the new year is nearly here. Don’t make the mistake of going into hibernation! Right now is the perfect time for these real estate activities:
FASTTRACK
If you’re one of our newer agents, you were introduced to this program during Advantage. This self-paced online course is the perfect way to further hone and develop your skill set and catch up with your mentor through these traditionally-slower months. It’s full of gems, such as Agent Interrogation videos, prospecting assignments and more.
UNSOLICITED CMAS
Bar none, this is one of my favorite off-season pieces of marketing that’s easy to do and can have a large impact. It can be something as simple as a one-page CMA summary along with a handwritten message to the effect of, “Hi, Bob and Nancy, here’s a quick glance at the market activity in your neighborhood. Wishing you a happy new year!” You could even take it a step further and make it a call to action for MyNeighborhood enrollments or include it with a holiday popby.
WHAT’S YOUR PLAN, STAN?
Have you completed a business plan for 2018? There’s no time like the present! My advice is to start with an income goal and work backwards from there. You can then calculate how many sales you’ll need, which price range and what your potential expenses are, including taxes, marketing and mileage. There are business planning packets available on the Today Site, and your Brokers are more than happy to help you get started. A different approach would be to begin with a SWOT/TOWS matrix exercise (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats). There are many available online.
OPENS, OPENS AND MORE OPENS!
Winter is a great opportunity to pack in as many open houses as you can. Cold-weather buyers are serious. Plus, as Overland Park’s Managing Broker Sarah Bloustine mentions in her blog post, sellers are now using open houses as opportunities to interview prospective agents on the sly. So make sure those opens are warm and inviting.
GET CERTIFIED
Dying to add some initials next to your job title? There are abundant online opportunities to earn NAR-recognized designations. E-PRO® is a good one to start with that can be completed over the course of a couple of snowy days. You could also take advantage of our membership in Leading Real Estate Companies of the World to audit one of their free online courses or enroll in their low-cost Ninja Selling course, available through the Today Site.
Make these winter months active ones, and you’ll be on the road to an amazing 2018!
