If I had to answer the question truthfully, I would say my Summer was definitely a MISS! Oh, I had a great time hanging out with the my husband and kids, spending a wonderful time at the beach with family and friends, and just enjoying a very lazy Summer. Was that productive for my real estate business? Probably not. Could I have spent my time sending out more postcards, holding more Open Houses, and really trying to network more effectively? Of course I could have!
Kudos to those of you that really applied yourself's to closing deal after deal and keeping the pipeline full. If, however, you fall into the "unmotivated" category with me...it is time now to reflect on how to finish off the remainder of the year strong. You may say it is a little too late for 2013. And you may be right. But if you start now with diligent follow-up and starting up a nice fall campaign, you may very well Close a deal or two before December 31st, and you will certainly get the ball rolling for a nice flurry of Spring activity.
Procrastination is my biggest problem. Always has been. Not exactly the best characteristic for a Realtor! And it is even harder to get motivated to sell when you don't have anything under contract or any deals on the horizon. (sound familiar?) What I am discovering though, is that my "target" group of Sellers does not fit with my personality type. And that may well be the reason for my lack of motivation.
I had an epiphany several weeks ago, that I would like to share, as the inforamation may hit home. My real estate goal, from the start, was to sell million dollar homes all over the County. I love the fine details and architechtural masterpieces that many people call home. I enjoy walking clients through impressive 4000+sqft homes with wine cellars and media rooms. Problem is, those listings seem to take an enormous amount of enegy to sell, not to mention the cost associated with marketing those homes (as they deserve to be marketed), and in my market, quite a bit longer on the market than the average less expensive home.
My enthusiasm comes from always having a deal in the works. I love the process of negotiating and selling. Working with both buyers and sellers throughout the entire transaction, and after. If I don't have a deal going, my motivation wains...severely! So, that said, I realized that I need to target a market that is more fluid. Days on the market are quite a bit shorter and there is always a market for the price range I am targeting. You may have guessed it: my target market is smaller homes that would work for 1st time homebuyers, or empty nesters looking to scale down. Maybe not as glamorous as selling million dollar homes, but it does work for keeping me excited about my job and motivated to host that extra Open House, or send out that additional post card campaign.
If this sounds familiar to your scenario, I encourage you to take a look at the market you are targeting. Is it really fulfilling what you need, or is it a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. I am certainly not suggesting that everyone go out and start selling to 1st time homebuyers or empty nesters, but what I would suggest is taking a look at when you are your happiest with the job, what components do you love, and who are the clients that bring out the best in you.
So, here's to finishing off the year with a clear direction on who your target market is, and how to effectively market to those clients. I wish you the best of luck and a profitable 4th quarter!
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