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Wednesday, May 15, 2024

goals

    Those brake lights you see up ahead? Some are from home prices, while others are from buyers and sellers, confused as all get out about what’s in store for the housing market.

    What we do know is that home prices are decreasing, homes are remaining on the market longer than we’re used to, and mortgage rates are rising. 

    As of this writing, the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is 7.24%. We’re looking at 5.62% for a 5/1 ARM, which many buyers are pursuing right now. The current inflation rate is 7.75% (the long-term average is 3.27%).

    So, what is in store for next year? As we all know, no economist has a crystal ball, and most are all over the place when it comes to predicting the 2023 economy and, specifically, the housing market.

    If things have slowed down a bit in the days ticking down to the start of 2023, use this time to prepare your business as if the ‘busy season’ promises to be gangbusters. 

    In other words, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” 

    The Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign is shown above. To learn more, Click HERE.

    Clean up your CRM

    Even the most robust CRM is ineffectual if it’s brimming with bad information. While fixing the problem is time-consuming, the importance of doing so can’t be overstated. Here are a few steps to consider:

    • Get rid of any duplicate entries. There’s nothing more unprofessional and impersonal than sending duplicate information to the same recipient.
    • Now go through the database and rid it of entries for which there is no contact information. 
    • Pull up all contacts with whom you have a personal relationship, be it friends, family, former coworkers, etc. Have any of them had a change of address? A divorce? Automated emails to couples when they are no longer couples not only make you look out of touch but also insensitive. If you’re unsure of any contact information, reach out to them.
    • Get rid of the wild-goose chases. This isn’t easy to do, we know. Take your time with this part of the process, studying each entry to determine how much time and effort you’ve expended and what you honestly think you’ll get out of it in the end. Any that seem like a waste of time should either be placed in a “barely breathing” category or deleted.
    • Think about marketing campaigns for the leads in your CRM. This one, too, sounds easier than it truly is, especially if you haven’t yet completed your 2023 business plan, but it’s still doable. Remember, your SOI and ‘hot leads’ require a different approach than those folks you don’t know and/or are still on the fence about buying or selling. Once you’ve settled on the campaigns, get them scheduled so that touches are delivered consistently throughout 2023.

    Nothing you do now is set in stone, so relax. Your CRM requires input all year, but now you will have a plan to nurture new contacts.

    Happy 2023!

    PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

    1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

    Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts and engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you.

    Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here


    2. The Free 6-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

    The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 6-Month Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

    3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

    The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks these boxes but is also a business-building machine. In two easy steps, you can build a robust sphere of influence that will provide you a lifetime of repeat business and referrals. – Click Here

    4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

    The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan allows you to enter your business goals for this year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closings, and so on are needed to reach your goals.  – Click Here

    5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

    Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

    6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

    Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

    Building Blocks for a Hitting Your Goals

    Top agents know that the key to longevity in this business is to build a better book of business.  Referrals are their stock and trade, but to keep them coming IN– they know they need to constantly be reaching OUT. Let’s take a look at some powerful and productive ways to do that WITHOUT a lot of stress or hassle.

    Strategy #1
    Commit to The List

    Whatever database system you’re using, inputting your customer information is step one.  Even if you don’t have EVERYTHING you need , or all the information you want, start somewhere.  I’ve talked to agents who never get around to marketing at all because they feel like they have to do everything at once.  If it seems overwhelming – start SOMEWHERE.

    Pick 50 or 100 people to add and knock it out in a couple hours – even if you’re simply using excel to add name, address, phone, email. Then pick another day and do the same thing so you can get your list to the 200 mark. (Virtual assistants these days are very affordable as well – so that may be an option for some of you.  College students are always looking for some extra money too – so ask around!

    Strategy #2
    Opt-Ins & Social

    We’ve got some powerful tools in our resource section.  Terrific free reports that are a perfect addition to your website as an opt-in piece.  Here’s a creative multi-use way to use these tools to help you build your list, feed your social media stream and entice your customers and prospects to continually return to your site for more resources!

    SaveDownPayment_thumb (1)You’ll become the go-to agent for information!  Simply click here to go to our resource section and download the free reports that will work best for you and your market.  Go ahead and download as many as you like and bookmark this page because we add new ones all the time.

    These are going to now become part of the campaign you’re about to kick off!  Now, take one per week or one per month and break the contents down into bite sized pieces to share on your social media and on the backs of your postcards.

    I’ll give you an example:  Take the How to Save for a Down Payment free report.  It has seven tips for saving for a down payment.  A fun strategy would be to kick off your Facebook posts on a Monday with a post something along these lines:

    As a professional Realtor, it’s a privilege to help people invest in their future and find the home of their dreams.  Often times, it is the down payment that can be a sticking point.  This week I’ll share with you seven powerful ways you can save!  

    Tip #1:  1. Get in the know. Like any good budget or savings plan, the first place to start is to determine where you are NOW in relation to your credit score, your monthly bills and assets. Contact me or a trusted mortgage professional to see how much home you qualify for and how much you’ll need to save to purchase your home. We can help you take a look at things like credit scores, loan requirements and interest rates now so you can be simultaneously doing ALL the things right during this savings period to ensure the most favorable rate and terms.

    Say you made this your “Free report for August” in your business plan.  When setting up your postcard campaign on Prospectsplus.com – choose the alternate back and add a little verbiage to that fact.  Here is an example:

    timing is everything cardAs a professional Realtor who specializes in helping people find the home of their dreams, I’m always eager to share resources that can help consumers just like you make the best financial decisions for their family!  Please visit my site today at www.yoursitehere.com and download a copy of my new free report:  How to Save for a Down Payment.  No cost or obligation and please share with friends!  Call me if you have questions at xxx-xxx-xxxx!

    Then do the same for month two and three of your campaign.  This way your social media and your postcard marketing are all working in tandem.  Keep copies of each report on hand so you can mail or email them out easily.  (I would make a file on your desktop specifically to house all these reports to make finding them easier!)time is now card

    Strategy #3
    Commit To a Campaign

    Even if you’re not sure which campaign is right for you – choose one to use for at least three months.  Breaking projects down into bite-size pieces makes the process less stressful and more manageable for most people.  I love the idea of a three month campaign because you can add your list, choose your card campaign and let that run for three months.

    Then make whatever revisions are necessary to your list once a quarter such change an address, add a new customer or referral, change an email, etc.  This makes your database management less time-consuming as well.  By breaking your campaigns down into quarterly increments – you also have the flexibility to try a new campaign on for size.

    Some sphere of influence favorites are:customer-appreciation-direct-mail-real-estate-postcards (1)

    • Listing Inventory Series
    • Holiday Series
    • Recipe Series
    • Call to Action Series
    • Neighborhood Update Series
    • Customer Appreciation Series

    Strategy #4
    Add a niche

    One of the fastest ways to grow your sphere is to take what you’re passionate about, the people you like working with the MOST and create a niche for yourself.  I’ve always said it’s tough to be #1 in a geographic market – but not in a smaller niche that you are excited about.

    From traditional (first time home buyers, fsbo’s, expireds) to out of the box (Health and wellness seekers, boaters, fishermen) – find something you love, then get out there and meet THOSE people and start putting them into your list.

    The secret ingredient in a sphere of lifestyle interstinfluence is INFLUENCE.  Taking people from being “on a list” to knowing, trusting and liking you enough to want to do business with you.  That process happens fastest when you’re working with a group of people that you like and know about in return! Not sure where to start? Take a look at our Lifestyle Interest Series which helps agent match their messages to their favorite marketing segments such as boaters and golfers.

    Now you’re ready to get STARTED!

    Get Your Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan

    Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan – Click Here

    Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

    The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here

    Also…check these out 🙂

    Three Click Postcards – Snap, tap, send from your phone

    MLS Mailings – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

    Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

    Don’t forget – our inside account management team is here to help you make some of these decisions and walk you through the processes.

    You can reach them at  866.405.3638 during normal business hours.

     

     

    “The holiday season is a perfect time to reflect on our blessings and seek out ways to make life better for those around us.” – Terri Marshall

    What a perfect quote for Realtors.

    You help people discover the place they embrace as home, where they raise children, nurture relationships, and seek comfort and peace – and that help truly makes life better.

    So when you are reflecting on blessings, include the combination of characteristics and skills that you have, that allow you to help people in such a positive, life-changing way.

    Then take some time to reflect on everything you have accomplished in 2017.

    In the daily grind we get so close to what we are doing, the outcome we are after, and the high stakes associated with that outcome, we can lose sight of the bigger picture.

    We forget that little wins throughout the year can add up to meaningful big wins overtime.

    For instance, at ProspectsPLUS! we had an important goal of our own.

    A committment to raising $50,000 for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. We matched contributions on our website, dollar for dollar, and offered 1, 5, & 10 optional donations at check out. With smaller donation levels you might think our goal is a bit too big.

    But we achieved it!

    Little by little, donation by donation, we climbed that hill to an incredible joint success with our amazingly generous customers!

    That’s how goals often are accomplished…

    In small steps – a few forward a few back – all the while keeping an eye on the prize until you get there.

    Now it’s your turn, to take a look back at the goals you set last year and the effort ‘over time’ that went into achieving them.

    It’s a great precursor to deciding what it is you want to accomplish in the new year.

    Once you are done, take a few moments to celebrate your accomplishments!

    …Then prepare your new goals for an explosive 2018!

    Lisa

    PLUS: Whenever you have a moment…here are 3 things to check out that will help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

    1. The 2018 Online Real Estate Business Plan

    Treating your business like a business is a vital component to succeeding long term in this industry. While some agents put together elaborate business plans, detailing every aspect of their marketing plans, business goals and budget needs, there is something powerful to be said for keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan.

    2. The Sphere of Influence Calculator

    Top real estate professionals state 66% of their business comes from their sphere of influence. So how many people do you need in your SOI? Check out our Sphere of Influence Calculator (from your desktop) to find out the answer.

    3. A 12 Month Strategic Marketing Plan

    The Master Marketing Schedule is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence.

    Remember, we are always here to help you in any way we can. Reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 for help with new mailing lists and marketing materials for 2018. 

    Time is Non-Refundable…Use it With Intention

    It’s amazing how easily we can get distracted and before you know it hours have been lost and your day is behind you.

    Time seems to have the ability to expand and contract based on how we fill it.

    If only two items need to be accomplished in a day, those two items somehow end up taking most of day. Yet when a day is packed with 5 or 6 important tasks to complete somehow it takes the same amount of time.

    Einstein believed that time wasn’t linear.

    In fact he’s quoted saying, “The separation between past, present and future is only an illusion, although a convincing one.”

    Maybe that’s not a bad idea to live by. It certainly makes it easier to focus your attention on the present moment.

    However you decide to focus, make sure you focus with intention.

    Prioritize the tasks that you need to complete each day. Then keep your list handy and in front of you to help you stay focused. If you find yourself getting distracted ask if your distraction trumps the importance of the items on your list.

    With intention guiding you, accomplishing your daily goals becomes easier and more rewarding…

    …and there’s nothing like the feeling you get from crossing items off your list at the end of the day.

    Need help?  Call our team today at 866.405.3638 to put the best marketing tools in place to build your business easily, and cost-effectively.

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