Hey guys, I want to give you a strategy as we head into the busiest season of the year for listings—February, March, April, and May. This is when the most homes hit the market, so it’s the perfect time to ramp up your efforts.

I’ve got two strategies that can help.

1. Create a Real Estate Resume

A real estate resume highlights your background, skills, education, and successes. Keep it simple—just a one-page document. You can use Canva, where you'll find plenty of great resume templates. Pick one, customize it, and build out your real estate resume.

Once it's ready, send it out to your entire database with a cover letter. The letter should say something like:

"As we enter the busiest season of the year, I wanted to share my real estate resume in case you know any buyers or sellers looking for an agent. I’d love to interview for the job of helping them buy or sell their home."

This positions you as a professional and keeps you top of mind with potential clients.

2. Build & Share Y...

Okay, guys, here’s some great language to use with buyers who are on the fence. When you’re following up—because we should all be following up—you can say something like this:

“Hey, I just wanted to touch base with you and let you know I’ve been thinking about you. Now that we’re in a new year, I wanted to talk to you about all the new listings starting to hit the market. February, March, April, and May are when we see the most listings, which means the most opportunities. In fact, we have 10% more inventory on the market this year compared to last year. So, I wanted to reconnect and see if we could start looking at some properties together.

“Now, I know you might have some concerns about pricing and finding the right value. Here’s the key message: When you work with me, we’re not buying the market—we’re buying a specific home. My job is to ensure you get the absolute best pricing and value on the home that fits your needs.”

You can also add a personal story to connect with them, li...

Hey guys, are you afraid of ghosts? A lot of us are, but let’s put aside the spooky ghosts and talk about your business ghosts.

What are business ghosts?

If you dive into your CRM, your phone, or even your social media and see people you don’t recognize, you might think, “Maybe I should delete them.”

These are the ghosts in your machine—people you’ve forgotten. Don’t delete them!

Instead, I want you to rekindle that relationship. Here’s how: reach out via text, phone call, or direct message. Say, “Hey, I’m cleaning up my records and came across your name. I’m just trying to remember how we connected.”

They’ll respond with something like, “Oh, Jim, we met at an open house,” or “We met here or there.” Then you can say, “That’s right! I remember now. How are you guys doing?”

From there, you’ll rekindle the relationship. This could lead to a sale, a referral, or even a valuable connection that you would have deleted otherwise.

So, make sure you seek out these ghosts. If you spent on...

When somebody hears the word “real estate” in your market, what do you think comes to mind?

For most Americans, it's instantly Zillow. They've taken over this position in consumers' minds, being the first place they go for searches and home values.

So, how do we compete against a billion-dollar company?

A lot of you have given up and said, I'm just going to start buying my leads from Zillow. Keep in mind that's a negative 32% ROI, meaning for every $10 spent, you lose $3.20.

So, how do you win against Zillow and take over “Mindshare” in your local community?

You can't do it entirely, but it'll come from getting close to your consumers and your community.

Why?

Zillow can't create relationships with specific people in specific communities. But you can… by developing relationships with your own audiences, showing expertise, and connecting with local businesses and charities. Highlight why you love your community through videos and social media.

When people think “real estate” in y...

Heading into the new year, here's a game-changing strategy for you:

Open up your CRM, scan your sphere of influence, and pinpoint all the business owners. Start by reaching out to them. Call and ask, "Hey, Jim, how's the new year looking for you? How did last year finish off?"

Share your plan, "I want to start endorsing a local business every week on my social media, and I'd love to feature yours. I just want to promote local businesses I admire. No strings attached. Are you cool with that?"

They'll likely say yes, appreciating the gesture.

Be the Go-Giver. Lead with their needs. Within a week, make a post about their business on social media. Include photos, share your personal experience, and publicly endorse them. Tag them in the post. They might even share it with their audience. It's a win-win, a feel-good moment for both parties.

Even if they don't reciprocate immediately, the spirit of giving will work its magic for your business.

Now, measure your efforts. If your goal is...

Received a referral lately? What's your reward program for the person who sent it? Not about closing deals, but acknowledging referrals. Let me walk you through a five-step plan to revamp your referral program for the new year. You need a systematic approach to increase referrals and business.

Step one: Upon receiving a referral, thank them with a small, personalized gift—$25 to $50. A handwritten note makes it special. Express gratitude and mention you'd love more referrals.

Step two: After the first appointment with the client, reach out to the referrer via call, email, or text. Share your positive experience and appreciation.

Step three: Follow up when the client takes significant steps—listing the house, making an offer. Keep the referrer in the loop, expressing gratitude.

Step four: After closing, send a larger personalized gift, $50 to $100. Show your appreciation for the valuable referrals.

Step five: Do a social media post publicly thanking the referrer. Acknowledge them b...

Let's consider your office location: If you were to drop a pin on the map around your office, extending 2 to 5 miles, have you connected with local business owners in that area?

Many business owners are facing challenges due to economic changes and other factors. It's an excellent opportunity to reach out to them and establish a connection.

Here's a simple approach: initiate a business card exchange. Walk into a nearby business and introduce yourself. Mention your office's proximity and express your interest in referring people who are new to the area. You can say, "I often meet people relocating here, and I prefer to refer local businesses. Would you mind exchanging business cards?" Allow them to share information about their business.

You can further enhance the connection by saying, "I like to highlight a local business on my social media each week. Would it be okay if I featured your business next week and tagged you?"

This way, they see your endorsement and appre...

Hey everyone, I've got a question for you:

What are your standout moments when working with buyers?

It's vital to consider the service aspect of our job: Service is what we do for our clients, while hospitality is about how we make them feel.

We are essentially in the hospitality business, aiming to create emotional, “WOW” experiences for our clients that leave them saying, "Wow, I can't believe what you just did for me."

These are the moments that lead to referrals and repeat business.

Let me share three examples of “wow” moments that can enhance your buyer representation business.

First, implement a pre-meeting questionnaire: Just like when you visit a doctor, send your clients a short questionnaire ahead of time. Let them know it will help you serve them better. If they don't complete it, suggest arriving 15 minutes early to the meeting to fill it out. This simple step can improve your presentation and service.

How many other REALTORS are doing this? Very few.

Are you actively farming your own neighborhood?

It's a straightforward marketing strategy that many agents overlook. So, why should you consider farming your own neighborhood?

Well, it all comes down to the fact that people prefer doing business with those they know, like, and trust, especially when they share a common bond.

When you live in the same neighborhood, potential clients are more inclined to choose you as their REALTOR. However, this won't happen if you're a "secret agent" – someone they don't even know lives nearby and can serve them.

To get started, you need to establish yourself as a local expert.

How?

Begin by introducing yourself through a letter or postcard. Let them know you're a resident and express your interest in being their preferred REALTOR. Share your credentials and accomplishments to give them confidence in your abilities.

Next, demonstrate that you're an active agent. Regularly send updates about just-listed, just-pending, and just-sol...

What's the top reason someone might sell their house in the next 12 months?

A recent study just unveiled the number one motivator for people moving in 2024…

…and it's all about craving more space—not just square footage but room to breathe.

A whopping 38% of respondents cited this as their primary driver for considering a change.

Another big one is being closer to family and friends, a universal priority. Job changes and the overall cost of living in one community versus another are also high on the list. Then there's the desire to snag a better housing deal or explore different neighborhoods for financial reasons.

Surprisingly, there are a couple of unique motivations emerging: Some folks want to live in areas that align better with their social views, which is a new trend.

So how can you approach this topic sensitively?

Here's one approach: Share a social post stating, "One of the top reasons people are relocating is to find a place that aligns with their social v...