Advanced Access Blog

Take Some Time During The Holidays To Prepare For 2008!

Most people enjoy the holidays!  This time of the year is synonymous with great holiday celebrations, company events, catching up with old friends, and perhaps even making a few new ones!  Whether its spending countless hours of watching football games well into the new year, or taking that extra time to decorate Aunt Dee’s gift that’s taken almost an entire year to locate…the holidays mean something special to everyone!  Of course, much of your time and effort is centered around the family, and the myriad of events that drive the entire holiday season.

But just as important as enjoying the holidays, is taking some valuable “down time” to properly reflect on all aspects of your life to see what kinds of improvements can be made.  Certainly, as a real estate professional, taking some time to plan your goals, objectives, and strategies for 2008 will play a vital role in just how successful you ultimately will be during the upcoming year.

An Effective Budget Will Help You Plan Your Activities For The Year

With everyone enjoying the holiday season in a variety of different ways, more often than not, most professionals attempt to get through the budget process as quickly as possible.  They are really not focused, they sometimes glare over the details, many times being completely satisfied to simply use the same numbers that proved to be half as effective during the past year, in most cases to just get the budget process completed.

But in today’s market, and with the kinds of real estate trends that are prevalent to the professionals who make a living dealing with the outcome, the simple fact that an effective and thorough budget can and will make the difference entering into 2008!

Typically, most small companies or offices do not provide enough focus on the budget process, and very little on strategic planning.  Most professionals agree that allocating an adequate amount of time to strategic planning every year is an essential best practice that helps set the foundation for your company’s next fiscal year. A thorough strategic plan should align your company’s vision with a detailed strategy of the “who, what, when, where, why and how” you are going to complete and when it’s complete, it should provide you and your organization an outline of an integrated action plan. Given our current economic environment, the slowdown within the overall real estate markets, and the continued shakeout within the financial services markets, there is no better time than NOW to expand your planning and budgeting process for 2008.

When In Doubt, Always Return To The Basics

It has always helped from time to time to “return to the basics!”  In any industry, many times we simply forget or neglect the simple things that proved so effective in developing a successful business model.  Don’t be afraid to address the simple questions that can lead to huge savings from a budgetary aspect, and also can lead you to make simple strategic decisions as well.

One of the most basic questions that you can review for 2008 is the debate that has surfaced regarding print or online marketing.  What will continue to be the most effective method to promote your business, and how can you afford to utilize it to your advantage? 

Some prefer print advertising, while others feel that on-line is the trendier.  Research shows that a well coordinated combination of the two is more effective, and agents and brokers have admitted that the online exclusive source simply isn’t enough to drive business.  A well placed marriage of the two seems to be the prudent course, while allowing you to gauge the effectiveness and make any mid-year adjustments that may need to take place.

Getting Business The Old-Fashioned Way…Referrals

“This is a lovely home, how did you find it, and who was your real estate agent?”  The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) says that 80% of a Realtor’s future sales will come from referrals or repeat business generated from past clients. Many Realtors, however, will spend much of their time, effort and resources implementing activities that are designed to attract new clients, while ignoring their most valuable asset, their past clients. This oversight can be easily corrected, and can provide a huge incentive for your past clients to provide you with additional referrals well into 2008.

It’s important to reach out and touch your past clients during the holiday season.  Pick your top ten sales, and send them a gift basket, and bottle of wine, gift certificate, or a lovely card with tickets to a local event or concert.  Making this effort to “keep in touch” with you satisfied clients will pay big dividends as you prepare for your 2008 market. 

For your current sales, an effective house warming gift allows the real estate agent the one effective chance to get into the day-to-day lives of the client. Instead of giving a house warming gift to show appreciation, give a house warming marketing tool designed to generate future sales, and keep you contact information at the forefront of their top vendor list.  The gift can be shipped with a personalized note from the agent, thanking the client for past business, while informing them about current market conditions and reminding them that referrals are always appreciated and represents the best compliment that they can receive.

Finally, marketing expenses represent a tax deduction in the real estate industry and should be utilized to target past clients (check with your tax professional for additional information). Remember, 80% of your future sales will be generated from your past clients. If you decide not to embrace your most important asset, your past clients, your competition will.

We Have The Know-How That Can Help You In 2008

The professionals at Advanced Access can show you how to become more success with additional tips like these.  Give our Inside Sales Team a call TODAY and ask them what additional products, programs, and services we can recommend to keep you ahead of the competition.  Call TOLL-FREE 1-800-335-1563 and find out how you can improve your Internet presence.

Remember, at Advanced Access, “…The KEY To Your Success…Is Our SERVICE!”

This entry was posted on Friday, December 7th, 2007 at 2:16 pm and is filed under Weekly Marketing Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.