What can both real estate agents and investors do to start the New Year off right? What steps can be taken to make January as successful as any other month?
Most entrepreneurs are solely focused on trying to make it through the next few weeks without their businesses imploding. Even fewer are expecting to get significant time off over the holidays. Yes, the next few weeks may be critical, but beyond simple logistics and closing deals, it’s what is done now that will determine success in January and for the rest of 2014.
So how can real estate investors, agents and owners of other businesses prepare themselves for 2014?
1. Take Time to Evaluate
Before vaulting ahead, take the opportunity to re-evaluate. Look back over the last month, year and every January you have been in the real estate game. What has worked, what hasn’t, what new trends and factors could change this in the next few weeks? What should you ditch, tweak, or do more of?
2. Establish and Improve Systems
This is the perfect time for improving systems and setting up new processes. The holiday season demands peak performance and time management, but don’t allow that intensity and demand for maximum optimization wane in the New Year. If real estate investors can bank big in December, with so many distractions and the industry running on half power, they will thrive in the New Year.
3. Automate Marketing and Follow Up
Experienced real estate investing professionals and investors know that they can’t wait until January to begin developing marketing materials. Deadlines should be at the beginning of December in order to ensure they are finalized before the first of the year. Both marketing messages and follow up ought to be fully automated in advance, just in case any team members fall sick or have personal emergencies.
4. Build Relationships
While it may appear to be full of distractions and down time, the end of year holiday season can actually be one of the most powerful parts of the year for networking, building relationships, sparking new strategic partnerships and planting seeds.
5. Set Appointments
Many real estate investors and agents find this time of the year frustrating because they try one-call closing with cold prospects. The pros know one of the best ways to win during this season is to focus on lining up appointments as the New Year breaks.
6. Take Time Off
If investors thought the end of year holiday season was frantic, they are certainly not going to have any breathing room in the New Year. It’s going to be a flat out race as competitors desperately try to make up time and market shares. Make no excuses; force yourself to take time off in December. Unplug, relax, rejuvenate and recharge to leap into the New Year with more energy.
