“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.”
As we dive deep into the fourth and final quarter of yet another strange and unpredictable real estate year, this is a great time to pause and reflect. Then, buckle up, and finish strong with a solid pipeline going into 2023!
As someone who supports and coaches a lot of real estate agents, this has been an emotional pivot: navigating terminating deals, quickly-changing affordability, and of course a rapid decrease in production while we wait for consumers to adjust to the shift.
But, it’s also been a beautiful thing to witness as amazing, level-headed agents seek out the best information and education to serve their customers and keep their businesses up and running in this new normal.
The sales pros who continue to thrive aren’t necessarily those who have survived shifts before (though that sometimes helps) but those who can absorb the bumps and keep on going, even it it’s at a different pace than they have become used to.
3 things successful agents are focused on now:
Doubling down on marketing and technology. It’s always tempting to cut promotional expenses when business is down, but there are loads of case studies that prove that the opposite is a better strategy.
When other agents stop sending postcards and newsletters, layoff their administrative staff and cancel their tech subscriptions, this is the perfect time to start a new farming program, negotiate a better deal on online leads or invest in that shiny new CRM or website you’ve been eyeing. Or, finally putting money behind online leads or a part-time assistant to delegate some of those tasks that you don’t enjoy.
Prioritizing a 12-month pipeline. For the last several years, you’ve likely been playing more of an order-taker role than that of a true salesperson. We had already been in a solid seller’s market for a long time, and then the pandemic took us to the next level of frantic moves and unimaginable home value appreciation.
Cue the Feds, who decided to check us back into real estate reality. You might be wondering where your next deal is coming from, picking yourself up and checking your ego, and even dusting off those old tried-and-true resources like Ninja Selling, the Go-Giver and your 2018 business plan.
By focusing on your longer-term prospects instead of chasing folks who are ready to buy and sell right now, you can get back to consistency, client care and a solid year-round flow.
Time-blocking for the win. We’re headed into the winter holiday season, when it’s super easy to get distracted and forget to real estate (yes, that’s a verb).
The next couple of weeks before traditions and travel take center stage are a great time to solidify some habits and protect your productivity by scheduling work-blocks into your calendar through the end of the year.
Open Houses, floor shifts, prospecting, power hours, coffee dates, lunch meetings, happy hours, volunteer time, and accountability groups should all get planned on the calendar. And don’t forget those annual checkups, health maintenance, workouts and even unused gift cards. Aim to start solid habits now, and your New Year’s goals will be able to concentrate on bigger life and career items, including many trips to the closing table.
“And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves…” – Virginia Woolf
Stacie Staub is the broker-owner of West + Main Realtors in Colorado.
