As real estate professionals, we tend to get wrapped up in the day-to-day—especially when we’re juggling multiple clients, deals, properties and, well, life! Plus, it can feel like we’re on a rollercoaster of emotion in this career, so it’s essential to take steps to achieve calm, balance and forward movement.

But how?

The key to running a successful and enjoyable business each year as a real estate professional requires a few basic things: 

1. Leads and clients
2. Annual business and marketing planning (including goalsetting)
3. Scheduling/time-blocking to support the plan
4. Ongoing support/training/professional development

1. Leads and clients

Most of us make money only when we sell properties, when we refer a client who sells or when we get a percentage of another sale. Even the best of the best in the real estate industry can only be successful with actual leads and clients to SELL to. It’s therefore vital that you have a solid plan to attract and retain leads and clients on an ongoing basis.

Sphere or circle of influence/database

Whatever you call it, your list of contacts (people who know who you are, like you and, ideally, trust you) is GOLD as a real estate professional. It’s said that attracting a brand-new prospect or lead is six times more expensive than fostering an existing relationship. That’s a lot of extra cash to throw around.

As you get into the new year, ensure that you have a functional CRM (customer relationship management) tool or database system in place to track your contacts and your interactions with them. Include key details like their name, phone number, email, address and birthday. Do some research and choose the system that fits you and your business best.

Pro tip: If you already have a database system, do a relationship audit and choose a few contacts on social media to see if you have them in your database.

2. Annual business and marketing planning (including goalsetting)

January is a time with many business planning sessions, and the people running them are passionate about helping. They run through key areas of business:

• Mission, vision, plan
• Word of the year for the upcoming year
• How did you do last year? This includes numbers, celebrating accomplishments and lessons
• How do you want to do next year? This includes numbers and goalsetting/vision boarding
• How will you keep in touch with clients?
• How will you grow your client base?
• Client appreciation
• Marketing ideas (in line with budget)
• Professional development/accreditations
• Coaching
• Networking opportunities/groups
  

If you can join in on a business planning session—either in person or virtually—with successful colleagues, you’ll also be able to help each other mastermind, idea-share and problem-solve. These sessions tend to be shared by word-of-mouth, with agents taking time each year as part of their commitment to giving back and deepening their referral relationships. 

3. Scheduling/time-blocking to support the plan

The best part (and worst part) about the real estate industry is the ability to be your own boss. As many of our colleagues have noticed, our bosses might be too strict, too lax or just a mess sometimes. Jon Acuff noted the key to things that are important but may be difficult is to allocate roles according to the mindset we have in the evening or the morning:

“Morning me is in charge of actions. Morning me is a great order taker but will talk me out of anything difficult if it’s asked to decide.”

 

Jon Acuff, New York Times author and leadership speaker

It’s also important to know how and when you work best as an entrepreneur. Some people crush the day if they start at 6:00 am, others work best in the late evening hours. It also depends if you need quiet or silence to work or if being around too many people makes you incredibly unproductive because you’re a social butterfly.

Brian Buffini talks about the Win the Day formula:

• 2 hours of solid lead generation every day = win the day
• 4 days a week of winning the day = win the week
• 3 weeks a month of winning the week = win the month
• 8 months a year of winning the month = win the year

This seems low, but the two hours a day is a solid two hours of being face-to-face or voice-to-voice or writing a personal note to clients and contacts. As a professional real estate agent, you also need to take time to market, network, complete paperwork, do professional development, etc. Surprisingly, the two hours a day is more than most real estate professionals put into that lead generation.

4. Ongoing support/training/professional development

One of the most common things we hear about in the real estate industry is that real estate as a career can feel very isolating and very lonely—especially if you’ve chosen it as a second career. The way to circumvent that loneliness is to connect with your colleagues.

To ensure that you feel supported, here are a few tried-and-true things I recommend to agents that you can start implementing today.

Join the right brokerage

When you’re interviewing brokerages for the right fit, look beyond the dollar split. Just like when we sell a home, cheaper services aren’t always better services. Look at training, the culture of the offices/brokerage, office meetings, etc., and talk to some of the agents to get their views.

Network with other agents

With Buffini, I run a Buffini Group and within my office, I also run a Mastermind. The goal of both is to connect, share ideas and help each other. Each city will have these; the key is to find a group that’s open to welcoming you as a member with an attitude of abundance (and not one of scarcity).

Join or start a business networking group

As a real estate professional, you might find that existing networking groups already have your spot filled (along with the mortgage agent), but every now and then, a spot opens. Take a couple of meetings to see how you vibe with the group and then, if you like the people, go for it! If there isn’t a group with an open spot, do what I did in 2013 and start your own. You can set up an atmosphere of warmth, welcome, support and abundance all while helping yourself and others with their businesses.

Pro-tip: Even though saving money is important, if it’s possible, make sure every dollar you spend on your business is going to another businessperson who you can build a relationship with and who might, one day, give you business back.

For example, there might be a great deal on business cards online, but someone in your networking group can get them done professionally for just a bit more money and might refer you business or connect you with someone who can.

Get a coach

When it comes to excelling in your field, getting a real estate coach is a great idea. Most highly successful people in the world have coaches—from business coaches to trainers—and there’s a reason. Being accountable to someone who knows your business and can see it from the outside is important.

While it seems you cannot throw a rock without hitting a real estate agent, there are an almost equal number of coaches out there. Whatever you invest in a coach should be less than you earn with the coach in your business.

Find one with a solid track record who can help you to be the best you possible, and take the time to interview the coach to ensure it’s a good fit. If it’s not, keep looking until you find the right coach who understands you and helps you shine. The key is to find the coach, program and/or system that resonates best with you.

Pro-tip: Pick one at a time. Being over-coached is like being over-conferenced. It feels great while you’re in it, but are you really getting the benefit if you never have time to implement anything?

Get an accreditation

From full-service professional to luxury home marketing or international property specialist, there are an abundance of certifications and accreditations you can get. It’s really about staying sharp and on top of market trends to be a better real estate professional for your clients.

Take time to plan and chart a path forward so you can hit the ground running this month. We can GIVE our best when we’re AT our best. Cheers to a fantastic 2025!