As we slide into the 3rd quarter of 2013 you should know by know by now the year is half over. The good news is that you can position yourself to stay disciplined and finish strong. Build listing inventory, re-evaluate your first 6 months of this year, and look toward upcoming events. The secrets to Real Estate really aren’t that secret, it’s simply that many agents just won’t do what the successful agents do. You need to pay attention to the basic fundamentals of this business, invest in your trade, and stick to what works.
State trade shows and conferences are something I would like to talk about this month. As a disciplined exhibitor for EXIT Realty, I have seen first-hand the results that attending your state conference can make on agents and owners. We put our money down each year to attend the state trade shows as exhibitors, representing our brand to educate attendees on what makes us unique and competitive, as well as ensure we are there to support our franchisees. The trade show booth is costly, but incidental hidden costs like travel, lodging, meals and entertainment are part of the gig, and we need to ensure we get our return on investment.
I am keen to notice not only who is there exhibiting, but really who isn’t. It is somewhat interesting to see that over the last 6 years of a down market, who has stopped advertising and exhibiting, and really stayed in survival mode instead of being focused on positioning themselves to grow their brand or business. Both brands and agents alike obviously need to be fiscally responsible but proactive is always better than reactive. At EXIT, we continued to make growth a component of our focus and thankfully all the seeds we planted in the past years are really paying off for us right now. We will sell more franchises in the month of July alone than we did all last year, and many of them are from the relationships and communication from the past few years.
I said earlier that it is important to get a return on your investment. As agents and owners, you owe it to your business to attend your state conference and trade show for several reasons. First and foremost, to meet new contacts and increase your professional sphere of influence. Other reasons include learning the latest tools and technology, increasing your education level through seminars and training events, and overall to be present at what may be the largest collection of Realtor professionals in your state all year. When you surround yourself with other professionals, you will grow personally and professionally. Keep focused on your business and plan to attend your state conference this year, and stop by one of our EXIT booths to shake hands and say hello!
Have a great month!
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