Sometimes the whirlwind of the real estate business causes us to lose focus on the activities that led to our successes. But to move to the next level, top producers must consistently prioritize activities that propel their businesses forward.
So, if you want to continue growing your business, focus on these seven important activities that’ll help you garner even more success in the future.
1. Reach out to all your past buyers
Inventory is slim everywhere, so we should begin by prioritizing any activity that will generate more listings; because as long as we price them correctly, they will sell.
Start by reaching out to the people who have purchased homes from you in the past using a message like this:
Hey! This is Sally Agent with ABC Realty. I wanted to check in on you all now that we are coming out of this crazy last year. How are you doing?
Let them answer. Then say, “The value of your home has increased dramatically this year. Do you all still love your house?”
Asking this simple question will provide you an opportunity for you to uncover listings opportunities. Even if they are not ready now, you will be planting seeds by deepening your relationship that will generate listings in the future.
2. Systematize communication with the people in your database
Make sure that every single person in your database receives emails from you, either in the form of updates on properties similar to the one they’ve already bought or on those properties they’ve expressed interest in buying.
Because real estate is a contact business, consistent communication will build rapport with the people in your database, and it will provide value as well. The more personal your communication is, the more likely you are to build a reputation of trust.
Systematizing your database ensures that your outbound messaging keeps you top-of-mind for the people in your database so that they’ll reach back out to you when the time is right for them to buy.
3. Engage with your database
Most agents have people in their database, and drip campaigns are incredibly effective at initiating new conversations and helping you identify those people who are moving closer to a buying or selling decision.
You may have people set up with automatic email campaigns when a home like the one they desire comes on the market. Now is a great time to reengage with the people receiving these property emails. Use a message like this one to generate conversation with the people in your database:
This is Sally Agent with ABC Realty. I wanted to make sure the emails I’m sending with properties are not overwhelming you, but I also want to make sure I am not dropping the ball by providing you with all the info you want. Should I make any modifications to frequency of emails, price range, location, etc.?
Ensure that the people in your database receive relevant updates about the properties they are interested in. Personalized texts, especially to people you haven’t directly connected with in a while, will generate opportunities that will ultimately lead to sales.
4. Step up your farming efforts
Whatever your current farming practice looks like, do more! If you currently farm two areas, increase it to four. If you communicate with the people in your farm once a month, increase that outreach to twice a month.
You have information that the people want and need, and because the market is shifting so quickly, they may not know how much the value of their own home has been affected.
Farming is all about consistent communication with a neighborhood or area. Your repetition will build your reputation as the trusted resource for the area you farm. Lean into farming as the most consistent way to generate a stream of listings.
5. Shoot more videos
Every single social media platform has indicated plans to highlight video and to build algorithms that increase organic traffic for videos, so give them what they want, and help your clients at the same time.
Video helps you connect with your audience and give them the information they need. Not sure where to start? Here are a few ideas to get you started, and then get creative with your own ideas:
- If you’re in a home that has a great kitchen, shoot a quick video of the room and invite interested people to contact you if they are interested in seeing more of the house.
- Post a virtual open house for a home that you’re offering.
- Post a coming-soon listing video in front of the home you just listed.
- Video the walkthrough of a house that might be of interest to your audience.
- Provide updates about the real estate market and how it might impact the people in your audience.
Focus on the information that you know will add value for your customers, and then build video content around that information. Get creative, and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to shoot compelling videos for your audience.
6. Double down on testimonials
Research shows that 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations from a friend or family member. Now more than ever, online recommendations from people you’ve worked with create opportunities for you to grow your business
One of the first things people will do before engaging with you is search Google to see what information they can uncover. Online recommendations help them learn more about you and hear from people you’ve already built rapport and relationships with.
Gather quotes from your client, and then create a graphic that includes their testimonial. When you post it to your own platforms, acknowledge them and tag them in it so it will cross-pollinate with their connections as well.
My company uses Testimonial Tree to gather the quotes and the marketing templates for highlighting these testimonials, but gathering them yourself and using Canva to create the graphics would work as well.
This is an example of the text portion for a social media post with a testimonial marketing graphic.
It’s a great pleasure of mine to work with amazing people like (tag them here). Thank you so much for the kind words and review.
These posts show you as a trusted professional, and they increase the comfort level potential clients will have doing business with you. When you lean into testimonials, you’ll generate new and fresh opportunities that will help you grow your business.
7. Save more money
If you’re a top producer or you’re earning more than you used to, make it a habit to save more money than you ever have before as well. Make sure that you’re sending in your estimated taxes quarterly and that you’re preparing for changes that could come to the market.
We do all know the market will not be the same in a year. Will it go up? Probably, and if it does, you will have saved more cash and put yourself into a great financial position. No one ever said, “I wish I wouldn’t have saved so much cash.”
If the market does pull back at some point and you have saved cash, you will have the opportunity to not only survive, but to thrive. The easiest way to gain market share is to lean in when others have to pull back due to financial constraints.
Set yourself up to thrive no matter what the market does in the future by saving more money. You didn’t grow your business to this level to stop now. Focus on these fundamentals, and you’ll create new highs in your business.
Jimmy Burgess is the Chief Growth Officer for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties of Florida in Northwest Florida. Connect with him on Facebook or Instagram.
