8 Steps to a Productive and Successful Year

Here are some steps / ideas / planning to help you have the best year ever.

 

This is a re-cap of a live class. (Here is a link to the power point for more information.)

 

Step 1:  Analyze your business from the past 12 months.

Hopefully you've been tracking all year, but if not - utilize reports from your MLS. Here is your checklist of items to ponder...

• How much business did you have?
• How many buyers vs. sellers did you represent?
• What was your average sales price?
• Average days on market?
• How many listings did you have?
• What percentage of your listings sold?
• How many face to face appointments?
• Where did your business come from?
• What marketing efforts worked?
• What's getting better?
• What's not working?
• What needs more consistency?
• What strategic adjustments need to be made?

 

Step 2: Focus on what clients want / need.

This report is full of information to consider… 

2013 Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers

Every client has unique needs. Be sure to listen carefully to discover how you can serve them best.

 

Step 3: Create a plan.

Here are several tools / templates to help you get your plan down on paper. Reviewing your prior year and going through the SWOT process will help you identify your goals. 

Click here to link to these templates, tools, and the power point for the class. 

• Business Planning Worksheets (A tool to track your income, lead sources, and business for the year.)
• S.W.O.T Template (Identify your Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats)
• 1-3-5 Goal Setting
• Proactive Action Plan (Alternate to 1-3-5 goal setting template – very similar.)
• 12 Month Plan (Balanced marketing activities for the year, at a glance.)
• Strategy / Content Plan (Ideas for consistent social media content / posts.)
• Social Media Organizer (Prioritize and keep track of everywhere you have a web presence.)

 

Step 4: Lead Generation / Web Presence:

Remember the work you do today is the business you will see 60 to 90 days from now. Lead generation is a daily task. Your primary focus is on your sphere and core clients. 

Stay in consistent contact so they never forget who their REALTOR is: 

• Visits
• Phone calls
• Email campaigns
• Letters
• Personal cards

Moving on to the web. Let’s increase your presence and help you connect with the goldmine of leads available.

First step is to create an outstanding bio and make sure you have a good, professional photo.

Then put on your expedition hat and get to work showing up where people are landing on the web.

Top Ranking Real Estate Sites (As of 1/2014)

1. Zillow
2. Yahoo! Homes
3. Trulia
4. Realtor.com
5. Homes.com

With each of these make sure you complete your profile, gather recommendations, consider investing in their leads (especially Zillow & Trulia), sign up for the question alerts and participate. These sites are full of potential clients.

Some other places to ‘show up’…

• Your Website (boost your SEO)
• Google+
• ActiveRain
• FaceBook / FaceBook Business Page
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• About.Me (tie it all together)

 

Step 5: CRM (Client Relationship Management)

Now to manage all those leads (as well as your sphere and core clients) so you can turn them into happy, satisfied clients for life…

What are you using for CRM? Find something simple and functional that gets the job done.

• Realty Juggler
• Market Leader
• Wise Agent
• Top Producer
• Outlook
• Google Apps
• Excel
• Zillow
• Something provided by your company
• The tools in your MLS
• Other (there are a million to choose from… find the one that works for you and make a habit of using it.)

 

Step 6: Productivity. 

A useful tool or app is one that will increase your business or save you time and money. Here are some of our favorites…

Tools You Can Use

• Get an iPad or Tablet if you haven’t already. It’s time.
• Zip Forms Plus (online forms - must have)
• DocuSign (esignatures - must have)
• DropBox (manage all your files in the cloud)
• EverNote (remember everything – this is a must have with great real estate applications)
• PicMonkey (easy photo editor)
• SurveyMonkey (free survey tool)
• MailChimp or HappyGrasshopper (e-mail campaigns)
• MyNeighborhoodAgent (postcards)
• Air.Droid (manage your Droid on your PC – great for texting and photo management)
• Jing (take a picture or make a video of anything on your screen)
• DepositPhotos (royalty free photo source)
• CloudCMA (create stand-out CMA’s in minutes)
• Animoto (turn photos into a video)
• Scribd (load documents / fliers to the web)
• Pomodoro Technique (time blocking)
• Unroll.me (efficient way to clean up your email box)
• SlyDial (go straight to voice mail)

 A few tools from AmeriTitle to help you get the information you need…

• RealQuest
• REISource
• Area Trend Reports
• ATLIS Maps

 

Step 7: Stay motivated and informed all year long.

Education / Motivation

•  AgentReboot (Seattle 3/12 - $59)
• Coffee with Krisstina (Excellent training and ideas to put your iPad to work, use EverNote in your business and more.)
• ActiveRain
• 1000 Watt Blog (writings about real estate, marketing, branding, media, & technology) 
• Agent Genius (news, insights, tools for your real estate business)
• Relator.com (news / stats)
• MyTechOpinion (real estate technology)
• Ben Kinney (IMSD) (internet marketing specialist designation - loads of excellent training)
• Tom Ferry, Motivational Coach (inspiring and motivating)
• The Good Life Team (follow this innovative real estate team out of TX for ideas)
• Productivity Junkies (increase your sales, increase your productivity, increase your profit)

Stay Inspired with Books

• From Good to Great
• Eat That Frog
• Raving Fans
• Crush It
• Fish
• Purple Cow
• Who Moved My Cheese
• How to Win Friends and Influence People
• The Millionaire Real Estate Agent

 

Step 8: More important than anything...

Love what you do. We have the privilege of helping people during one of the most emotional, stressful, exciting, important decisions in their lives. Make it your number one goal to serve every client with compassion and energy. Listen carefully for their needs. Deliver the highest level of service in your power. This, above all else, will grow your business. 

 

Make it a great day. Thanks for reading. I love comments and conversation so please feel free to contribute a note. 

 

Rosi Green  |  AmeriTitle  |  Marketing Representative

Cell:  503.302.6990  |  Office:  503.873.7200

EMail:  RosiG@AmeriTitle.com  |  Web:  www.Ameri-Title.com