Let's Finish December STRONG

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with 3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. #9001154

I love Mondays, I love 1st's and what more getting me exciting when December 1st falls on a Monday! I'm giddy just thinking about it!

We have exactly 30 more days to finish December STRONG regardless what you set your goals are in January.

(If you work with a good lender and a prepared buyer, you can still close in 3 weeks, get a few closings in before the year ends. Certainly the same if you have a couple more listings!)

I know it's hard to control that part of our business at times - with how many more closings you can have for December. However, there are a few things that you could control to wrap up the year:

Finish your Seed Planning (folks call it Business planning, I refer mine as SEED PLANNING).
I look at myself as a farmer, sowing seeds. I plough my fields daily (ie. work on my business daily) with prospecting activites. I'm also a huge believer of my faith so I pray. I pray for God to send the rain and in His time, He sends the rain and I reap my harvest (a great analogy I got while watching Facing the Giants from a few years ago).

  • Plan for marketing activities
    If you farm, write newsletters, gather your thoughts and topics here. You dont have to start or finish them but have a rough draft in bullet points. 
  • Plan for fun/ calendar of events to reconnect with past clients and friends
    Think about fun ways to enjoy some time off even when re-connecting with people. Use 4th of July celebrations, Summer Social, Holiday parties. You don't have to do too many of them or get your calendar fully booked, but a few sprinkles of these events help you break up the monotonous work we do daily in our real estate business. Put a budget to this too. Dont forget it does cost money to run a  business!
  • Plan for blogging topics
    Decide what are great topics to blog in each month. Get them on the calendar. Where to dine for Valentine's Day, Fun activities for Spring Break, Things Fathers Love to do in YOUR Town, Free Holiday activities for December, etc.
  • Review your YEAR that has been
    I do this again in January but I begin gathering my numbers in November through December. Track closings by month and source. You can clearly see where you fall short, where you need to keep your focus on.

Put your life on the calendar. You cannot have an organized year if you dont first, lay a plan down. I include my personal activities on my calendar. That way, it's a realistic expectation of when I need to accomplish what.

Lastly, dont forget to clean up your Database. "Carry over" those people you are working with, but havent conducted their transactions with you. Get their names out on paper so you clearly remember whom you need to contact. Then, make sure you stay in touch with them even prior to when they said they will begin "looking", or selling. Let me tell you..... Life changes all the time and certainly those people's plans may change too so you want to continue to stay in touch so you don't lose them.

What more an awesome day to begin wrapping up December STRONG! Guess what I will be doing the next couple of days!

PS: One awesome lesson I experienced over the Thanksgiving holiday:

Dont put off until tomorrow what you can do today! 

Since then, I don't go to bed until I finish everything I set out to do (achievable, accomplishable goals)!

Comments (15)

Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

  We have been doing many of the things you suggest...and planning our quarterly getaway to work "on the business" every quarter as well...that is something we always find productive.

Nov 30, 2014 07:18 PM
Loreena and Michael Yeo
3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. - Prosper, TX
Real Estate Agents

I certainly love the Quarterly idea as well! Good to have you on my blog this morning like good times! Sally K. & David L. Hanson 

Nov 30, 2014 07:22 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Lorena - This is great advice.  I always look forward to December as a time to plan ahead and do several things that I know will grow my biz for following year.  It's one of my most productive months.

Nov 30, 2014 07:54 PM
Scott Fogleman
New Home Team 804-573-9592 - Richmond, VA
Greater Good Group

Lorena- Great afdvice. Get everything set for the next year now..

Nov 30, 2014 08:05 PM
Brenda Mayette
Miranda Real Estate Group, Inc. - Glenville, NY
Getting results w/ knowledge & know-how!

Seed Planning? LOVE IT!  What a great topic to begin our month with.  I have started on my 2015 plans and intend to complete them by the end of the week --- and continuously revisit them the first week of every month.  If we keep our goals top of mind and develop measurable, attainable goals that we keep visiting and tweaking as needed, there's no doubt we'll reach our over-arching goal for the year ahead.  Cheers to ongoing success and happy holidays!

Nov 30, 2014 08:33 PM
Sonja Patterson
Keller Williams - BV - College Station, TX
Texas Monthly 5-Star Realtor Recipient for the Hou

Hi Loreena! Love this post!  I am hoping to have a couple of more closings for my last 2 listings of 2014!  The phone always starts ringing that first week of January, so December is a great time to gear up for 2015!

Dec 01, 2014 03:55 AM
Donna Foerster
HomeSmart Realty Group - Parker, CO
Metro Denver Real Estate Assistant

Hello Loreena. The best way I know how to end this year is to prepare for next.

Dec 01, 2014 05:16 AM
John Meussner
Mason-McDuffie Mortgage, Conventional Loans, Jumbo Loans, FHA, 203(k), USDA, VA, - Walnut Creek, CA
#MortgageMadeEasy Walnut Creek, CA 484-680-4852

Love this, Loreena.  Many people are looking forward to January and overlooking December - you give great reasons not to do that, there is still plenty of time to do great work this year!

Dec 03, 2014 01:42 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I am juggling a lot of problemed deals and I'm always preparing my fields for furture crops.  Hopefully not only will I finish strong, but have a great start to January as well.

Dec 03, 2014 04:59 AM
Beth Atalay
Cam Realty and Property Management - Clermont, FL
Cam Realty of Clermont FL

Awesome post Loreena! we still have 28 days left in the month, plenty of time for seed planning.

Dec 03, 2014 06:01 AM
Tammie White, Broker
Franklin Homes Realty LLC - Franklin, TN
Franklin TN Homes for Sale

Loreena, while I'm planning for the new year, I still have two buyers I'm hoping to get closed before year end. 

Dec 03, 2014 01:57 PM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Loreena Yeo - great advice. I promised my coach today that I will have my business plan ready within a week - plus my accomplishments in all 5 circles!

(Like the word 'SEED' planning.)

Dec 08, 2014 01:23 PM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, Keller Williams Fox Cities - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Love this post Loreena, Mondays excite me too with all ot the potenial that the week holds.

This plan is one that should be reviewed the first of every month.

 

Dec 08, 2014 03:09 PM
Lottie Kendall
Compass - San Francisco, CA
Helping make your real estate dreams a reality

Lorena, I'm so glad Bob re-blogged your post since I missed it the first time around. I find planning helps keep me enthused and on track. Wishing you a productive week.

Dec 14, 2014 10:07 PM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

Saw this in a recent reblog by Praful. Still true....finish strong. 

Dec 16, 2015 11:34 AM

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