Preparing for Real Estate Success in 2014

At this time of year, everyone’s reflecting on the past 12 months and looking ahead to the next 12 (or just scrambling to get ready for Christmas!). If you’re looking for guidance on preparing for 2014, two articles I’ve read recently offer steps to follow.

Finances

Inman Next contributor ActiveRain suggests poring over your November credit card statement for any unnecessary business spending. I would add be sure to check your unpaid invoices and other sources of expense information, too.

Staffing

Our friend James Dingman encourages his readers to consider hiring support staff and perhaps a buyers’ agent or two and a listing agent. Analyze your workload and workflow to determine what business model would make the most sense for you at this stage. If you need more guidance on this important topic, set an appointment with your coach for next month.

Marketing

This is a broad topic that ActiveRain and James bestow with their attention. ActiveRain suggests attending holiday parties, and you might want to be prepared with a year-end market analysis you can summarize for anyone who asks. Knocking on doors with this information is another suggestion. Longer-term, the company’s blog post says you should re-examine your market niche. Who or what is your ideal target market? James thinks expanding your reach, specifically your targeted neighborhoods, could be a good move. He also advocates “supercharging your marketing” on the Internet, whether it’s on real estate sites like Trulia and Zillow or with pay-per-click, targeted ads on Google and Facebook.

Updating

ActiveRain says this is a good time to take control of your contact management system. Update it with your latest leads and any new contact information so that you can reach out to them next year. Get all of your social media profiles in order (or shut down ones you’re not actively using). Review your website page by page. Do you have inaccurate or expired information posted? What about pages that have not been localized with your office name and location?

If this seems overwhelming, it doesn’t all have to be completed by Dec. 31, just have it on your radar for early 2014.

You can read the full articles on the Set Fee Blog and Inman Next.

Have a prosperous New Year!

Live from Triple Play

Triple Play Realtor Convention & Trade Expo
The Triple Play Realtor Convention & Trade Expo is this week in Atlantic City.

Help-U-Sell Real Estate is in Atlantic City this week for the annual Triple Play Realtor Convention & Trade Expo. The event welcomes REALTORS from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Help-U-Sell Real Estate's booth at Triple Play
Help-U-Sell Real Estate's booth at the Triple Play Expo

Ron McCoy and several franchisees, including Dan Desmond of Help-U-Sell Bay Beach Realty, are on hand. Stop by booth #914 and see them today through Thursday, Dec. 12!

Top Producers for November 2013

Michelle Morgan, Help-U-Sell Real Estate Specialists
Michelle Morgan's Help-U-Sell Real Estate Specialists office closed four dual-sided transactions in November.

We’re nearing the end of the year, when many real estate agents, buyers and sellers slow down. Our top offices for November haven’t checked out for the holidays yet.

1) Help-U-Sell Detwiler Realty, in Carlisle, Penn., closed 11 sides: nine seller sides and one dual-sided transaction.

2) Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties helped 10 clients with their real estate transactions: eight sellers and two buyers.

2) Help-U-Sell Real Estate Specialists completed an impressive feat. The Lake Havasu City, Ariz., office closed four dual-sided transactions along with two buyer sides.

3) Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate tied for third place with eight closed sides: three buyer sides, three seller sides and one dual-sided transaction.

3) Help-U-Sell Hometown Realty finished November with a symmetrical two buyer sides, two seller sides and two dual-sided transactions.

Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties also closed on two properties that sold for more than $1 million, saving the two sellers a combined total of more than $100,000 in commissions (based on 6% commission).

Congratulations to our top producers! Happy holidays to everyone!

[Figures updated Dec. 11, 2013.]

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