I work just as hard or harder (not implying anyone else doesn't).  I have to so that the work I do in the winter months pays off by the time the spring market hits.  Closings in the late winter/early spring are a result of continuing your business in the winter.  Contacting my sphere to wish them a Happy New Year is the task I'm focusing on this week.   

Get caught up with other stuff.  Do my taxes.  Market more.

In the Washington DC area, the market is strong in the winter months, as buyers try to beat the spring market.  Our slowest month of the years is August.  December is busier than August.  We ratified over $5.3Million in December.  We have over $6Million in the pipeline for January and early February.

Erick Blackwelder

It hasn't been slow in my area.  I had a closing last week and 2 this week.  Out with buyers over the holidays as well.  I am working on a new website and mailings to make sure Spring is just as productive.

Refocus!  Life has gotten in the way for me lately, so I need to start doing everything I say:)  In the winter months I focus on future expired listings and also the FSBO's.  I am going to make sure I have a marketing piece in place so that I can send to my sphere of influence welcoming the warmer weather.

I keep myself busy all the time, even if I don't have so many active transactions. There is always a lot of work, if you are a full time realtor: marketing, education, lead generation, blogging(:), etc.

I am going to do a lot of education and putting systems in place. Also some general marketing to get things rolling in the spring.

Tabitha - there were two terrific webinars - actually power hours - by Market Leader - check marketleader.learn.com - about this very thing; some very creative suggestions - and actually I was even interviewed! So much terrific information on that site - To be honest, we know that the funnel has to be continually fueled so my winter isn't a slow time, it's a time to really cultivate people with ways to bring urgency to their decision. Depending on where your market is located you can play up the fun things they're missing in a neighborhood, or a community since they haven't bought yet! With sellers, look up info from your Chamber where people from your area are moving and reach out to a referral partner - get some hints as to why your people should move there :-)

It is agood time to take courses, read books , internet marketing and mailing.

Be always prepared and stay active, you may encounter a catch, like fishing.

I live in Florida and there has been no slow period for me.  Full force through the end of the year.  I tried to take the day off today.  I've worked all day.  

In the last two years, the market hasn't slowed down too much for me. I haven't had too much time. Normally I like to take time off, sleep in, travel, cross country ski and spend some quiet time at home. I need a bit of that right now. That is good recharge time for me when I can get it. 

After a few quiet days at home...I get restless and antsy. I'm ready to go back to work then. 

It's all our mindset! We have so many things to work on all the time.

This period gives us time to focus on planning, adding to or subtracting from marketing material, connect with sphere of influence. It's more like working ON your business during this period.

Move old files out to make room for new year files. Clean up receipts drawer. Finish Success Stats Spreadsheet for Business Plan. Take some Learn to Earn classes on Lynda.com. Revise goal list. Clean closets and drawers. Out with the old and in with the new.

PROSPECT- go back to the expireds that didn't relist immediately and connect with them - that is my plan on the snow days that I know will come next month! 

Refresh, rethink, retool, and look at how to better every aspect of your business, and do the same for yourself by taking time off. A

For anyone wanting to get their online presence in place, that's the time!  

Create new checklists and market to potential buyers to keep them in your spotlight. 

Tabitsha,

The essential software I rely on for media publishing is WebinarJam. This may sound like it is more than you want but it is not more than you need.

Other software products that have proven essential are:
Trello
PODIO
IgnitionBlueprint

With these four I have covered multi-user task management(TRELLO), process control and curation(Podio), creating stuff(ignitionblueprint) then promoting that stuff (WebinarJam).

Having walked the long road myself, I have come to realize it is better and much less costly to start with robust tools than to keep ugrading or replacing and RETRAINING and CONFIGURING every time my business expereinces a new level or finds a new niche. Note: these are NOT real estate agent tools. They are the tools used by the big boys in marketing and development.

Tabitha - For some reason this time of year is always busy for me. There is no down time.

November/December are great months to market with the personal touch. I walk my "farm" area, send handwritten notes, deliver calendars or a small poinsettia etc. Contrary to popular belief, most people are not rushed and frazzled during those times. You can chat up many when they hang christmas lights on the weekend after Thanksgiving. People have days off between holidays.

I am just taking a listing because I believe my personal card made me stand out.

No such thing as a slow time if you're doing it right. People still need to buy/sell. I LOVE that my competition checks out for a couple of months...

During the slow times of the year, I like to do a couple of things.

1. Previous Clients. Call them, go see them. touch base with them. Ask for referrals! Keep in touch! This is a great time to utilize those good experiences and turn them into referrals!
2. Leads you are working on or were working on. Call them frequently and try to get a connection made. When its slow this becomes great time to get on the leads and try to drumb up business.
3. Social Media / Marketing. When its slow its the best time to market. While everyone else sat idle, you were out there making connections! and guess what? Who are they going to remember when business picks up? YOU!
4. Make a plan. What works? What doesn't work? What could you do better or differently to generate results?

It's a good time to clean up old files, get the spring mailings organized, and update my client database.  I hope to do some blogging as well.

Ah, California doesn't really get those seasonal slow downs. We are hot again after the lower volume of December.

I try to get my mailings in order and write draft blog posts for future use!

I'm always trying to work smarter not harder, so I focus on learning and adapting to new processes and more innovative marketing campaigns.

Dallas keeps a relatively even pace all year.  When I have extra time, I spend time marketing and attending classes.

Fortunately, we haven't really had a slow time of year here in SoCal. 

Good morning , i don't think of high and low season i work the same all year to achieve my goals for the year. when you thing about high and low you just attract that to your life , thanks have a great day

Use the slow times to vacation, rest, close out files that never closed. Clean the office, order supplies. Update my listing presentation, make buyer and seller packages. Order holiday and seasonal postcards, plan farming and mailing. Catch up on older Activerain posts.

In this business, there is always something to do.

We work on Florida's Treasure Coast.  St. Lucie, where we are has beaches, golf, tennis, Mets Spring Training and the better pricing than counties to our north and south.  Winter is our BUSY time.  Summer is slower.  Debbie

In Idaho the winter too is slow.  I use this time to recharge myself and my business.  Generating my business plan, tweaking processes, previewing new tools and spending time with family.  I'm ready to hit it hard come the first few weeks of January!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depends on your POV!), the last couple of years have NOT been slow during the winter. We've had double digit closings in November and December, lots of showings and lots of listings, so it's keeping us very busy. This year we are taking a few days to go to Vegas to meet with family, but we'll still be in touch with everything happening back here! Even with it being so busy, we still found time to get our 2015 biz plan in place, meet with our agents to get their 2015 goals in order, have our web site redone to a WP site, watch a few webinars and get familiar with some software we purchased for our business. All in all, exciting times in the real estate world!

I use the cold winter days as an opportunity to clean up old files, contact expireds, prepare for taxes and attend the Missouri Association of Realtors state meetings.  January is the perfect time to get organized!

Business is not seasonal for us in South Florida.  We give it our all 365 days a year!

Like Sylvia, I too have the time for a more personal touch during this slower time. I also point out the merits of listing now (versus waiting until spring when the market will be flush with competition) for those potential clients who are on the fence about timing.

Education! Time to train, brush up and get motivated for the New Year!

Convert the spare room to a studio and produce new or update old media that supports 2015 marketing goals and markets.

Never a slow season.

Learn new skills.

Not exactly for me.

The same year round

No slow seasons here!  On the coast we are busy all year round!