As we head into 2021 on the heels of a whirlwind year that presented trials, tribulations, challenges, and successes, now is the perfect time to reassess your business performance and plan for the future accordingly.
Goal-setting is a must for agents seeking growth, and December often allows the necessary time to build a roadmap for what lies ahead—and how to get there.
These are a few methods productive RE/MAX agents use to set themselves up for success in the months to come.
They organize
Organization is the backbone of all goal-setting. Beyond physical tidying, now is the time to have current contact lists, systems, and processes as well as technology ready to use come January.
“As you send out holiday cards, it’s a good time to update your database so you have touchpoints for the new year. That way, when springtime comes, you’re not driving down the street looking at a home you sold five years ago with someone else’s for sale sign on it,” explains Faisal Susiwala, the No. 4 RE/MAX agent in the world and broker/owner of RE/MAX Twin City Faisal Susiwala Realty in Cambridge, Ontario.
They prep social media content
Agents unanimously agree that the best way to hit social media goals is to prepare content in advance that can be trickled out throughout the year, especially during busier times. Create a “content bucket” – essentially a digital folder that stores polished graphics ready for future use.
This frees up time that can be better spent on personal engagement, like commenting and conversing directly with your network.
“Fill your bucket up with content,” Susiwala says. “It can be anything from news articles to social graphics to information on the local market. For events like holidays, get all of that prep work done so that you’re not sitting there overwhelmed. You can just time it, schedule it, and post it. It all goes back to staying organized.”
In order to vary content so it doesn’t look predetermined, Susiwala employs a few creative tactics.
“I’ll sit down in my home office with six different shirts and film six different videos so it doesn’t look like I sat down today and recorded them all. I do this because I know I’m not going to have the opportunity to sit down once per week and do these videos as the year gets busy.”
They plan quarterly
Setting goals in segments is an effective way to match the typical momentum of each season with the desired outcome for your business.
“I look at things today that need to be in place 90 days from now,” Susiwala says. “That’s why I take the month of December to plan what’s going to happen in March because, traditionally, the spring is when we have the biggest boost in the market.”
They break down tasks to build momentum
According to Torrence Ford, a top-performing broker/owner of RE/MAX Premier in Atlanta, Georgia, he and his agents are most productive when a goal is broken down into realistic tasks. This way, each day’s to-do list is actively working toward the overarching goal, proving that hard work shows real results.
“At a RE/MAX broker summit last year, they taught us about the Kaizen Way and something I took away from it was how you should focus on the power of doing things in three. I really started implementing that into our goals this past year,” Ford says.
He explains that having a to-do list with three items on it each day is more digestible than addressing a lengthy list of ongoing tasks, which can feel daunting.
“When you break up tasks like this, you feel accomplished every single day. So as you go through the week, you’re building momentum,” Ford explains.
They challenge themselves
In 2020, Ford pushed himself to create informative video content for his own coaching series on YouTube despite the discomfort he— like many agents—feels on camera.
“I push myself to do silly things like filming videos. Through that, I created accountability by committing to a certain number of coaching videos per month. I got better as I went along and became more relaxed,” Ford shares.
When setting goals, deviate from the standard metrics. You should strive to identify new ways to step out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself, and find creative outlets that help present yourself as a leader in real estate as well as your own community. Video—a tool easily accessible at your fingertips—is a great place to start.
They compete with themselves
While seeking inspiration from others in the industry is helpful, the best challenge ultimately comes from within. Comparing your own performance year-over-year is often the most accurate way to establish goals to scale growth.
“Another great way to set goals is just to put your blinders on and focus on your own productivity each week,” Ford says. “This year, I wasn’t looking much at other brokerages’ metrics or studying other people at all. I was solely focused on improving my own business.”
When you walk among top producers, feeling motivated to grow your business is only natural. You’ll learn faster, strive for more, and find yourself serving clients with a fresh perspective. See how being part of an experienced RE/MAX team can energize your career by visiting joinremax.com.