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Ask An Ambassador: How To Increase Your Business in 2025

By
Real Estate Agent with Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.WarrenCountyOhioRealEstate.com SAL.2002007747

2024 is a wrap (almost).  The ball is dropping tonight and we flip over the calendar to a new year. 

"May you live in interesting times" has never been more accurate.

Lawsuits with major impact on how we do business.

Interest rates up. 

Inventory still down.

Mix in a healthy dosw of election year uncertainty, and top it off with a feeling that EVERYTHING you buy is costing more and more and it's easy to see why the real estate market may have suffered in 2024 for many real estate agents.

So how do you increase your business in 2025?

Well we can't control resale inventory levels, interest rates, lawsuits or economic conditions, but there are things you CAN control that can help your business in 2025.

First, work your existing sphere.  Nothing you can do online can top the recommendation of friend to friend, so make a point of staying in contact with past clients.

Second, increase your digital footprint WHERE YOUR DESIRED CLIENTS ARE.  My personal target market isn't likely to be looking for an agent on Tik Tok.  They want to know about Cincinnati patio homes and low maintenance living and that information isn't readily disbursed in 15 second vids and 47 character tweets.  It's why blogging and IDX pages work for us, and it also factors in long tail SEO and not being the same place that Z, T and R dominate.

Third, be careful who you give your time and energy.  Some clients aren't worth it, and that rule doesn't change just because business is scarce.  EVERY time I've tried to overlook the red flags of a new client, I've needed another bottle of TUMS.  Refer out if you have to, but don't let the soul snatchers grind you to dust.

Fourth, know where your business comes from, and keep your focus.  For me, an Excel spreadsheet tracks every transaction for the last 10 years by source.  Blogging, sphere, past client, etc. 

Fifth, stop doing the stuff that doesn't work and do more of what does.

Sixth, increase your scope.  E.g. if you don't normally work with new construction, maybe it's time to get cozy with your local builder reps.  With short inventory, new construction becomes more advantageous for our buyers to consider.

Seventh, do the things that are hard IF THERE IS A CLEAR PATH TO BUSINESS GAIN.  Fact is, hard things are things MOST of your competition won't want to do, and a lot of the "hard" tasks aren't really that hard.  Getting some snapshots of a local community and creating IDX pages isn't all that difficult once you learn the ropes, yet how many of your competitors can be found online?

At this point in my career, I'm in a less is more mode.  Fewer clients is okay if I gain a bit more peace.  I can do all the things above to increase my POTENTIAL client pool, but I still get to choose who moves from POTENTIAL CLIENT to CLIENT.

Happy 2025!

Until next Tuesday, just Ask An Ambassador if you need help,

Bill & Liz aka BLiz

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Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas

The Liz Spear Team of Transaction Alliance
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, Ohio License SAL.2002007747

William (Bill) Spear, Ohio License SAL.2004011109  Kentucky 77938
Ask for us by name if you visit the office!

EHO
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Liz Direct: 513-265-3004     
Fax: 866-302-8418

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Comments(15)

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Bill Salvatore - East Valley
Arizona Elite Properties - Chandler, AZ
Realtor - 602-999-0952 / em: golfArizona@cox.net

Happy New Years!!!

 This is an excellent post with great information. Thanks for sharing it.

Have a super fantastic week!

Bill Salvatore, Realtor- Arizona Elite Properties

Dec 31, 2024 06:16 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Happy New Year to you!

Dec 31, 2024 07:19 AM
Doug Rogers
RE/MAX Coastal Properties - Destin, FL
Your Real Estate Resource!

Happy to be the first one to comment on this awesome post. Great info all around, love the working your sphere part especially 

Dec 31, 2024 06:17 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

We had a past client call back Saturday.  Yesterday we signed a new construction contract for my second lifetime sale of 7 figures, and if renting his current home doesn't work out, a future listing.  It's a significant gift from doing the right things in 2016.

Dec 31, 2024 07:21 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and advice.

Have a very special New Year's Eve!

 

Happy New Year 2025" Images – Browse 36,773 Stock Photos ...

Dec 31, 2024 06:18 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Happy New Year!

Dec 31, 2024 07:22 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Bill (and Liz too) - while no longer active in the business my concern for matters of real estate still exists.   Obviously, different but that's indicative of how life continues to evolve.  As the calendar shifts, may 2025 be a happy one for you. I know change is under afoot at Chateaux Spear.  And that's pawsitively as it should be.  🐾

Dec 31, 2024 06:21 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

And it's those changes, along with the retiring from engineering that has me in a more "less is more" mode.  I don't need to be showing homes every day, I need more balance than I've had for the last 20 years.
Happy New Year to you also!

Dec 31, 2024 07:23 AM
Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

This is such a great time to take stock of ourselves and what we have done in the previous year. My hope is Americans will drop petty hatred over things like politics, personalities, voices that do not agree with their point of view, etc... It is time to come together and fix what is broken (at least that is my hope).

Dec 31, 2024 06:38 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I fear too many people are entrenched in the Us vs. Them labeling and mentality.  I realized yesterday I haven't posted anything new on Facebook in over 2 months.  I still scroll and interact, I'm just not contributing in the same ways I used to.

Dec 31, 2024 07:24 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Bill,

You are right on all your points. Knowing where your business comes from helps you understand where your advertising dollars should be spent. Work your existing sphere is crucial..I want to work with the people who know and trust me! Happy New Year!

Dec 31, 2024 08:09 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Happy New Year!
No doubt, I want to know as closely as possible how people find us.  More often than not I can have a very good idea of a particular blog post or IDX page that did the job.

Dec 31, 2024 04:08 PM
Sam Shueh
(408) 425-1601 - San Jose, CA
mba, cdpe, reopro, pe

Good question. Very few home owners want to move with the stellar mortgage interest rate.  Referral often come from SOI.  Will work on it.  Happy New Year.

Dec 31, 2024 09:24 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Happy New Year to you too!
I'm not the most social individual, so I often don't keep in touch with sphere as well as I should.

Dec 31, 2024 04:08 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
Retired Broker/Owner - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Bill you are spot on with all your points.  Agents simply need to read this post and follow our plan.  It works!  As you know most of my business came from my SOI and that was true for years and years and years.  It's not rocket science.  Just do the right stuff and stop doing the stupid stuff!

 

You are SOOOOOOO Featured in BananaTUDE!

 

Dec 31, 2024 11:44 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

It's a lot less work to work with people you already know and have done business with.  That's the drawback to our patio home niche, most are one and done transactions.

Dec 31, 2024 04:09 PM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Thanks for all that you share with us!

Dec 31, 2024 04:02 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Happy to help!

Dec 31, 2024 04:10 PM
BethAnn Long
RE/MAX Inland Empire - Spokane, WA
Realtor, CRS, e-PRO, CLHMS Spokane Wa Real Estate

YES! Very good ideas, reminders and suggestions. Happy New Year!

BethAnn in Spokane

Dec 31, 2024 04:04 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Thanks!  Happy New Year to you, we'll get a few hours head start on you :)

Dec 31, 2024 04:10 PM
Patricia Feager
Flower Mound, TX

Liz and Bill Spear - 7 figures! WOW! Incredible! So h appy for you that 2025 is going to make a world of difference! Wishing you a very Happy New Year! And thanks for your consistent roadmaps to success for the all!

Dec 31, 2024 05:44 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Patricia, nice way to close out the year!  Business has been slower than normal, but with everything else going on I've been fine with that.  Always nice to know a check is coming, even if we have to wait about 7 months for it :)

Jan 02, 2025 01:22 PM
Patricia Feager

Liz and Bill Spear - it hasn't been easy for me but I count my blessings for what I have. I find I have more time to do the things I neglected when I was sooooooooooooo busy. I've been reminded in the slow times to refocus and get things done that I couldn't do when I was exhausted. 

Better 7 months than 7 years!

Jan 02, 2025 07:13 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Excellent points as always. As for #3, it's important to remember if we're spending time on clients that we should not be working with, we are limiting the time we have to work with the right clients. It's so important to pay attention to the big picture!

And Happy New Year to you!

Jan 01, 2025 04:55 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I had a client during COVID.  They were buyers and searching right on the edge of my market area.  Drive 30 minutes, 5 minutes to say NOPE, not this one.  Repeat, repeat, repeat, I lost count of how many times we did this.  Finally found what should have been the PERFECT house, and they didn't make an offer, then tried to play victim because they "lost it".  Yep, you lost it by not acting.  That was the breaking point for me, referred them out and never looked back. 

Jan 02, 2025 01:24 PM
Kat Palmiotti

I would have done the same!

Jan 02, 2025 01:52 PM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Liz and Bill Spear wishing you and Liz a very Happy and Blessed New Year in your new home in West Virginia!!!

Jan 01, 2025 02:40 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Just a few more months (give or take a couple) and we should be there.

Jan 02, 2025 01:25 PM
Eileen Burns 954.483.3912
Trans State Commercial Realty Inc. - Fort Lauderdale, FL
FLorida Real Estate Connector

I would suggest sending your sphere your future blog posts about your new home build and how you are working your business going forward.  All the best on the  move you are planning in 2025

Jan 03, 2025 09:25 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Looking forward to getting there sometime this Spring.

Jan 03, 2025 09:34 AM
Thom Abbott
MyMidtownMojo.com |770.713.1505 | Intown Atlanta GA Condo Living - Atlanta, GA
Midtown Atlanta GA Condos For Sale

Always full of good...nah....GREAT advice! 

Jan 07, 2025 11:53 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Thom, I've learned a few things juggling careers over the years, and I hang out with some people that know their stuff :)

Jan 07, 2025 12:44 PM