New Year’s Resolutions That Will Advance Your Real Estate Career and Enrich Your Life

Now that 2014 has emerged, many people have been reflecting on 2013; its successes, triumphs, pitfalls and tribulations.  Upon recognizing areas for improvement, resolutions are in development or already in full effect.  After all, 2014 is a New Year; a clean slate and a fresh start to enrich your life, both personally and professionally.

For real estate agents who wish to implement New Year’s resolutions to secure a more profitable 2014, it is imperative to remain realistic.   With a career that depends on building strong relationships, agents tend to work hours that extend well-beyond Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, and it becomes increasingly challenging to find a balance between work and personal life.  Consider the following resolutions for 2014 to ensure it is a lucrative year in all aspects of your life!

 1.  Develop a Business Plan:  Whether you are just now building your business, would like to earn more money, or seek to allot more time to family and friends, every successful real estate agent needs a Business Plan for the New Year.

• Set a specific amount that you would like to earn for the year, and make sure it is reasonable.  Pushing yourself to achieve unrealistic expectations will cause unnecessary stress and pressure.
• Set goals for yourself and develop a time table of when you would like to achieve those goals; by the week, month, quarter, etc.
• Develop a series of plans to execute in order to achieve each goal on your timeline.  These plans should include budgeting, action steps, marketing strategies, prospecting, and more.
• Track your success to ensure you remain focused and committed.

2.  Maintain a Positive Attitude:  Employing a positive attitude immediately gives you an advantage.  It will help you see the opportunities, overcome obstacles, influence your decisions and instill confidence.

3.  Utilize the Resources at Your Disposal:  Real estate agents, especially at Connect Realty, have an abundance of material and training that are instrumental to advancing your business.

• Attend as many meetings or trainings as possible.
• Optimize the benefits that accommodate being a Connect Realty Agent, like agent websites, cloud-based technology, a virtual office, Quick Links, Round Table, a BackAgent calendar, virtual tours, marketing material, lead generation and more, including individual property websites for every listing, cloud-based flyers, and new, even more sophisticated agent websites (coming in early 2014).
• Attend networking events, seminars, or go to local venues to hear presentations of experts.

4.  Indulge in Various Modes of Communication:  Communication is essential when trying to build or grow a business.  From maintaining relationships with past clients to prospecting for new ones, it is essential to remain adept of, and active in, all possible outlets of communication.

• Don’t rely on mail outs and emails for your sole method of communication.
• Stay active on social media networks or blogs to engage with as many people as possible.
• The more channels of communication that you utilize to reach past, present, and potential clients, the more business you will generate.

5.  Focus on Quality Rather than Quantity:  Too many responsibilities can weigh you down, and it will benefit your personal life, as well as your business, if you don’t bite off more than you can chew.

• Avoid taking on too many clients at once.  Instead, provide your expertise only to the amount of clients you can effectively manage at the time to ensure you are delivering the utmost service and professionalism rather than sub-par service.
• Don’t look at your clients as an opportunity for profit.  Businesses that view their customers as family or friends tend to be more successful.
• Optimizing your service and the experience of your clients will result in a greater return on your investment in the long run, as the more enhanced your service is, the greater likelihood that your clients will refer their friends and family for years to come.

6.  Make Yourself a Priority, Too:  Real estate agents always have an assortment of priorities to juggle at one time with closings, marketing, training, and clients consistently commanding attention.  However, it is important that you don’t neglect yourself and your own needs.

• Eliminate the unessential responsibilities to lighten your burden.  There’s no need to add more to your plate in an already overwhelming time.
• Ask for help.  Hire an assistant to help you with your clients, or ask family members to help you with chores around the house.
• If you can’t delegate some tasks to others, make sure you still make time for yourself.  Get plenty of rest, listen to your favorite music, take a walk, stretch, take short breaks every hour or two, break up your daily chores and personal care, light candles, etc, to better manage the stress.

7.  Get Organized:  Schedule, plan and organize every task you have to execute.

• Develop a plan of listing and closing activities for each client you are representing.
• Keep data of all of your current clients in one place, including notes about their likes/dislikes, progress, feedback, marketing plan, etc.
• Set reminders and “to-do’s” on your calendar, phone and other devices to ensure you are efficiently executing all of your marketing initiatives.
• Buy a calendar and write a list of daily tasks and appointments.  Check tasks off the list as you complete them to track your progress.

8.  Manage Your Time:  When planning your weekly schedule, set aside time for each daily activity.

• Block off time every day for checking email, and social networking, prospecting.  Allot time to catch up on uncompleted tasks.
• Prioritize your schedule to make time for friends and family. Map out personal time for non-work related activities, like school plays, birthdays, family dinners, etc.
• Plan vacations and some short getaways at the beginning of the year.  This guarantees you are taking time for yourself, allows you to better plan ahead, and having something to look forward to will increase your productivity.

9.  Stay Involved:  Businesses that are active in their community attract more clients and experience more success.  For real estate agents, community involvement also solidifies that you care about and are connected to your community; thus, better equipping you to connect clients to their community.

• Volunteer, donate money, sponsor a cause, contribute to food drives, etc.
• Stay adept on the community’s schools, services, etc.
• Emphasize the importance of helping others, not just your business.

While many people focus on executing the common resolutions, like exercising more, eating healthier, not procrastinating, etc, it is crucial not to neglect the other areas of your life that could stand improvement.  Real estate agents who are able to effectively execute these  suggested resolutions, and develop  their 2014 Business Plan accordingly, will benefit with a well-balanced and organized life, as well as a more profitable and stress-free business!