It's that time of the year again....planning, budgeting, organizing! 

Is it just me or are many of you feeling the same pressures in today's real estate market?  In years past, our budget & resources all seemed to work, effortlessly (or so we thought!).  Websites, direct mail, print advertising, pay-per-click, etc.,etc.,etc.  Let's face it, when the market is strong, it seems we can do no wrong...or we could at least offset our wrongs with an added closing or two from another business source that made everything seem just fine! 

Today, as I plan for 2007...and beyond, I am finding myself trying to be ever more focused on using the right tools, saying the right things and attaching just the right budget amounts for each.  In the past, I believe that many of us just grabbed up the next best thing to come on the market, or the great sounding resources that we just heard all about at our last seminar.  We threw these tools & ideas against the wall (at a very steep price, I might add) and hoped that some of it would stick!  At the end of the year, we RE-UP (because it's easier to do that, of course, than to really look closely at our plan!) and hope that some of it "sticks" again the next year.

I know that there are many nationally respected real estate coaches out there & probably quite a few advertising and marketing guru's who have figured all of this stuff out by now.  Personally, I feel very much overwhelmed in trying to analyze all of our current market changes, all of the most up to date technology advances, the best and most cost effective media's to advertise in, should I develop a personalized "logo" & attach it to everything that I do?, etc., etc.,etc.  I have a limited budget.  I need to make sound decisions for 2007 & beyond.  Can I afford a Real Estate Coach, a new website & all of the latest greatest systems that seem to go along with that?  One things for sure, I can't afford not to do something, because in this market, doing nothing is the equivilent of being buried ten feet under....You're Dead!

The advice from many of the long time producer's in my office is that it doesn't matter what you do.....just do it!  Stay consistant, be there, meet more people, etc.  While I am a true beleiver that all of these things are true, I'm still overwhelmed by the total volume of information that's out there.  In my opinion, if it's worth doing, then it's definitely important to do it right.  This is especially true in today's market.  I would love to here from any other agents out there who "feel my pain" & let me know what you are doing to plan for 2007 & beyond.  Maybe together, we can all put together the "perfect plan".