Networking

Safeguarding Your Real Estate Business in an Uncertain Market

Sep 3, 2024

In the ever-changing landscape of real estate, market conditions can be as unpredictable as they are promising. As a real estate professional, safeguarding your business in an uncertain market is crucial to surviving and thriving in any economic climate.

Whether it’s a fluctuating economy, unexpected events, or shifts in buyer behavior, here are some strategies to help you navigate the uncertainties of the real estate market.

Diversify Your Services:

Diversifying your services is one of the most effective ways to protect your real estate business. Don’t solely rely on buying and selling homes.

Build a Robust Online Presence:

In today’s digital age, a solid online presence is non-negotiable. Ensure your website is user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and optimized for search engines.

Consider offering property management, real estate investment consulting, or rental services. By expanding your offerings, you can maintain a steady income stream even when traditional home sales slow down.

Engage with your audience through social media platforms and create valuable content that establishes you as an industry authority.

A solid online presence will help you remain visible and attract potential clients, even when the market is uncertain.

Cultivate Client Relationships:

Your clients are your most valuable assets. Nurture these relationships by providing exceptional service and staying in touch regularly.

Send personalized postcards, newsletters, or occasional check-ins to show your clients you care.

Building trust and maintaining strong client relationships can lead to repeat business and referrals, helping you weather market fluctuations.

Stay Informed and Adapt:

Uncertainty often arises from external factors like economic downturns or unforeseen events. Stay informed about local and global economic trends, market conditions, and regulatory changes to safeguard your business. B

e prepared to adapt your strategies as needed. Flexibility and a willingness to pivot when necessary can make a significant difference in your business’s resilience.

Manage Your Finances Wisely:

Proper financial management is essential during uncertain times. Create a budget, save for contingencies, and consider reducing unnecessary expenses.

Ensure that you have a financial cushion to cover your business and personal expenses during periods of reduced income. Consulting with a financial advisor can help you make informed decisions.

Network and Collaborate:

Networking with other real estate professionals and collaborating with complementary businesses can open new opportunities.

Building a network of trusted colleagues can lead to referrals and cooperative marketing efforts that expand your reach, even when the market is challenging.

Focus on Education and Training:

Invest in continuous education and training to stay ahead of industry changes. Learning about emerging technologies, market trends, and innovative sales techniques can give you a competitive edge.

Well-informed agents are better equipped to adapt to changing market conditions.

Safeguarding your real estate business in an uncertain market requires a proactive and adaptable approach. By implementing these strategies, you can position yourself as a resilient and successful real estate professional ready to face any market’s challenges.

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 Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review

The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review allows you to enter your business goals for the remainder of the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closings, and so on are needed to reach your goals. – Click Here

4. 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

Generate More Listings Through Community Involvement

Feb 15, 2023

Some real estate agents enter the business with a huge sphere of influence to tap for their first deals. A lot of these agents are members of civic organizations, churches, or philanthropic groups. Even parents active in the local PTA come to the business with a list of potential clients.

Sound a bit mercenary?

On the contrary, using your community, social and familial contacts to help you cultivate potential clients makes sense.

“Involvement” is the operative word

One would assume that the busier the real estate agent – the more successful his practice – the less likely he is to volunteer within the community. That assumption is wrong.

Successful agents that understand the power of delegation and hire a staff, even if it’s one assistant, typically have a little time to devote to a community cause or to a personal passion.

When asked how they give back, those who claim they don’t have time to get into the community say they donate money.

While giving to non-profits, charities, churches, and other organizations is commendable, it is not really “community involvement.”

So, don’t let us stop you from writing those checks. We just hope you’ll consider giving some of your time as well.

The Comfort Food Series is shown above. To see more designs, Click HERE.

Mingling online doesn’t count either

The internet has changed many things about the way agents run their businesses, including how they stay in touch with past clients and their spheres. Much of it revolves around the use of social media.

But is social networking comparable to meeting face-to-face within the community?

Don’t get me wrong, being social via tech is valuable to your business. So, mingle online all you want, but it should be in addition to in-person involvement.

Meet and greet

This is where the meat of your community involvement campaign is – those organizations where you can contribute your time and talent and meet lots of folks from the community you serve.

Activities are more relaxed than the typical real estate transaction, so people get to know you as a person, not as a real estate agent.

Let’s face it – there isn’t much that distinguishes one agent from another, but on a personal level, it’s easy to set yourself apart.

Network with a passion

It’s important to pick a cause for which you feel some affinity – preferably a passion. This way, you can focus your efforts on the cause, not the leads. The leads will come – just give it some time.

Of course, if you have a passion – say for helping veterans or tutoring children – half the battle is won right there. If you have lots of interests, do some online research to help pare down the choices. Here are several places to start:

VolunteerMatch

AmericaCorps (ideal for Baby Boomers or those specializing in that niche)

Engage

There are numerous civic clubs to consider as well, such as

Finally, ask your local church or school what kind of help they may need, and if you’re athletic, become a volunteer soccer, baseball, football, or tennis coach.

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 combined with 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 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-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 begin to 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, closing, and so on are needed to reach your goals. – Click Here

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

It’s That Time of Year to Rekindle Connections with Your Sphere

Oct 19, 2022

I heard my first holiday song of the season during the first week of October this year. About two weeks later, the big box stores started clearing out their garden centers to make way for the thousands of pallets of holiday décor.

Even the biggest procrastinators can’t miss retailers’ attempts to start the winter holidays early.

If you aren’t in the spirit yet, it’s time to take a cue from the retail industry. Especially if your CRM is crammed full of contacts, the time to start was yesterday.

Add an extra blog post every week during the holiday season

In many cities and towns, the weeks between Thanksgiving and the new year are full of local activities. These are activities that folks love to attend, so let them know about what’s happening in your town or city.

What is the best way to do that? By blogging and promoting those posts on social media and emails to your sphere.

“Create a holiday gift guide featuring local vendors,” suggests Ada Ciuca with Keller Williams. She adds this brilliant tip: “If you can secure discount coupons as well, even better!”

Here are some additional holiday blog post topics you can punch out in under an hour:

Neighborhoods with amazing holiday light displays
A list of “Adopt a Family for the Holidays” charities in your area
Best hot chocolate spots in your town
Best places to ski, sled, ice skate
Local restaurants serving holiday dinners and brunches
Winter weekend nearby getaways
A list of holiday concerts and performances (the Symphony, the Nutcracker, etc.)
New Year’s Eve events
New Year’s Eve events for families
A rundown of top economists’ housing market predictions for 2024, niched down to your market
A list of New Year’s resolutions for homeowners, such as “work on increasing your emergency fund,” “routinely change HVAC filters (mention local retailers that sell them),” etc.

Remember to keep these posts focused on the hyper-local, include business addresses or website URLs whenever possible, and link back to any earlier, pertinent posts on your blog. Internal linking is great for SEO.

Finally, don’t skimp when it comes to photos

Shannon Johnson at hubspot.com discussed an experiment they performed that found “… the click-through rate of posts containing photos is 128% higher than the CTR of posts containing videos or links.”

She concludes that they “… also know photos on Facebook generate 53% more ‘likes’ than the average post.”

Speaking of Facebook, push those posts out to your followers. Hyper-local topics (which is what we’re dealing with here) are eminently sharable. The more your followers share your posts, the better the chances of increasing your website traffic.

We have more holiday real estate marketing ideas to share with you, so check back soon!

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

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

3. The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

How to Network Your Way to More Real Estate Listings – Online and in Person

Aug 31, 2022

“… interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional contacts” is the ideal real estate lead-generation technique. Especially if you happen to have a gregarious, outgoing personality, then networking could be the gold mine of your business.

Even agents who are more introverted can benefit from networking– not only by exposing their brands to more potential clients but by building social skills as well.

Networking opportunities are everywhere

Any event that brings people together provides a golden networking opportunity. Let’s take a look at some of the more common events you may want to attend:

Charity events
School events
Civic club events (Rotary, Lion’s Club, etc.)
Alumni events
Community events
Local sporting events (both professional and school-aged athletes. Pop Warner, Little League, youth soccer leagues)
A client appreciation event that you organize

In reality, any event or any time a group of people is gathered can be considered a networking event.

Sprinkle in some online networking

Online networking presents the perfect solution for the tends-to-be-somewhat-shy agent. It’s also a must-add to any agent’s in-person networking calendar.

Three of the best social media platforms for those in the real estate industry are:

Facebook groups
LinkedIn
NextDoor

Facebook has tons of groups that you can join, including real estate groups, neighborhood groups, and groups that align with just about any interest or hobby.

Using these groups for networking, however, doesn’t mean you should spam people with your listings. Be Sociable, respond to and like their posts, and engage consistently. There are subtle ways of letting your followers know that you’re a real estate agent, but avoid being salesy.

The Inspiration Series is shown above. To see more, click Here.

Volunteer

To be considered the area real estate expert takes massive exposure to your brand and getting to know as many people as possible.

One of the best and most rewarding ways of getting this exposure is through volunteering at:

Civic clubs
Schools
Church
Non-profits
Community youth athletic teams
Humane societies/Animal shelters
Food Banks

Find a cause that you’re passionate about. Stuck for ideas? Check out these websites:

VolunteerMatch
United Way
Points of Light
Score
Google “volunteer opportunities in [name of your city or town]

The fortune truly is in the follow-up

It’s vital to get as much information as possible from the folks you come into contact with while networking.

Aside from volunteering, what do they enjoy doing in their spare time?
What do they do for a living?
Where are they originally from?

You may want to spread these information-gathering questions over time so that you don’t come off as creepy.

Get all of this information into your CRM as soon as possible so that you don’t forget it. Now you have what you need to follow up with people.

If you plant seeds in your garden and leave them alone, the chances are excellent that they won’t germinate. Water, fertilizing, weeding, and ridding the garden of pests are some of the ways we nurture seeds to sprout and thrive.

The same can be said of our relationships with others. Maintaining the new relationships you build through networking is critical if you hope to do business with them in the future.

Just as your seeds may rot if you overwater and over-nurture them, so it goes with those you meet through networking. Don’t be spammy. Be someone they look forward to seeing at the next event.

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

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

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 all of these boxes but is also a business-building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to 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

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

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

If You Need Real Estate Business, Get Out and Network

Apr 12, 2022

Remember the days when real estate agents considered themselves sales professionals?

Today, most consider themselves to be ace relationship builders and wince when anyone regards them as someone in the same category as a person who sells cars.

However, a strong, well-maintained network can sustain your business for decades to come.

But, wait, “network” isn’t only a noun

When you “… interact with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts,” and relationships, you are networking. Generally speaking, there are three types of networks that real estate agents participate in:

Professional
Peer
Client (or prospects and leads)

All three provide different results, but today we are addressing the potential client variety of networking.

While it’s the wise agent who schedules time to nurture their current networks, those a step ahead are also adding to it, by networking.

Networks should be diverse

Unless you’re building a professional network, choose events and opportunities outside of the real estate industry. This might include chamber mixers and school board or PTA meetings where you’ll be exposed to those who are active in bettering your community.

Diversity in your networking, however, is critical, so branch out to other opportunities as well.

Consider creating a community service network by joining the local chapter of the Lions Club, Rotary or Jaycees.

“If you consistently push your boundaries and work to broaden your sphere of connections, over time, you will run into opportunities that others would only be able to describe as luck,” suggests Maria Arauz with the Keller Center for Research at Baylor University.

The Content Card Series is shown above. See Content Card postcards, HERE. See Content Card scheduled campaign information, HERE.

Break the ice … Gently

Naturally, you’ll want your new network of possible clients to understand what you do for a living, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to let them know.

“If you go to networking events with the intention of just trying to sell to people, they won’t want to meet with you later because they know you’re going to pitch to them,” cautions author and keynote speaker Ivan Misner at entrepreneur.com.

These are the overtly salesy folks who approach others at events, business card in hand.

“Be interested, not interesting” Misner continues. “It’s not all about you.”

If you want to make a true connection, make the conversation all about them. No pitches, no asking for business.

Sure, it takes time to network. Step one is making the time. Step two is showing up.

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 esthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts, combined with 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 12 Month 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 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 all of these boxes, but it is a business building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to 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

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

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

Ready to Level-Up? Add One or More 2022 Real Estate Conferences to Your TO-DO List

Mar 22, 2022

The list of real estate conferences and conventions is, as usual, long this year. Not surprisingly, this year you’ll be able to attend most of them in person.

We urge you to attend at least one. There are so many benefits to networking, attending the sessions, and socializing with your colleagues.

The people you meet, the information you attain, and the resources you discover will result in a level of business growth well worth the time spent.

Learning new techniques, becoming inspired by speakers, and making new contacts is the name of the game. So, let’s dive into some of the more popular 2022 offerings, listed by date.

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® National Convention

March 14–16, 2022

NAHREP’s 2022 event is being held at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington DC.

Organizers promise that over the course of the three-day event, you’ll be able to attend “… professional development workshops, [get] key insights from policymakers and top industry professionals.”

You can still register online until March 11 and pay $399 if you’re a NAHREP member and $549 if you aren’t.

On-site registration will be available during the event and the cost is $499 for members and $699 for non-members.

Find additional details online at nahrep.org.

The Real Estate Times Postcards are shown above. To see more, Click Here.

Inman Connect New York

April 19-21, 2022

Circle the date so that you don’t miss Inman Connect, New York, held at the Hilton New York Midtown.

The speaker lineup is impressive and includes Zillow’s president, Susan Daimler; Ryan Serhant; Spencer Razcoff, and other real estate notables.

Tickets at this writing cost $1,299 with a note on the website stating that “This price will go up.” There are less expensive virtual tickets on sale as well, for $199.

Learn more online at inman.com.

Inman Luxury Connect

Aug. 2-3, 2022

Luxury agents won’t want to miss Inman’s annual lead-in to the Vegas Connect. Held at the center-Strip located Aria Resort and Casino, you can network, attend workshops and enjoy speakers on topics of interest to luxury agents.

Tickets are marked down, for now, and you can pick them up for $899. Register online at inman.com.

Inman Connect Las Vegas

Aug. 3-5, 2022

Inman’s main event happens on the heels of the luxury conference and also at the Aria. Organizers promise “… a 3-day exploration and celebration of the glorious, complicated, rapidly evolving real estate marketplace.

The in-person tickets are selling for $899 or you can participate virtually for $199. Get registration and ticket information online at inman.com.

Asian Real Estate Association of America National Convention

October 20 – 22, 2022

AREAA’s national convention will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. There is currently not a lot of information on the group’s website, but keep checking in as the date draws near. Visit them at areaa.org.

2022 REALTORS® Conference & Expo

November 11-14, in Orlando, FL. What better way to escape the fall’s chill than schmoozing in sunny Orlando, Florida? Again, the agenda has yet to be posted to the website. You can check for updates online at conference.realtor.

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 the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and, it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

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 all of these boxes, but it is a business building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to 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

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

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