The time to hit the ground isn’t in January — it’s right now, before the new year arrives.
Seize winter months, when the real estate markets are a little quieter, to invest some extra attention in preparing for 2019.
Set yourself up for success by fitting in these five to-dos:
1. Google yourself. What do you see?
Don’t assume that a website and social media pages are easy to find on Google. Look for yourself and see if your presence is optimized. Do you have a Google business profile prominently at the top-right of Google search results?
Your Google business profile should be the foundation of your digital marketing plan, so make sure it’s verified and being updated regularly.
You can click here to see what you look like on Google right now.
2. Create your real estate digital marketing budget.
Most advisers agree that as a real estate agent, you should dedicate about 10% of your commission to marketing.
We’ve broken the process down for you in our recent post, 5 Steps to Making your Digital Marketing Budget.
3. Get set up with Homesnap Pro Ads.
Even prospects who aren’t listing their homes in the winter months will be on the lookout for the perfect agent so they can start strong come spring.
Advertise your sales and listings on Facebook and Google — where people spend 75% of their time online — and build up your name recognition now.
4. Evaluate the real estate marketing tools you used in 2018.
Look at all of it: email CRM, digital ads, other lead generation tools. Is everything running smoothly? Are you still using everything you’re paying for? Any channels that are taking more money than they’re worth?
Now is the time to consider ending some subscriptions or investing in new tools for the new year.
5. Make sure all your contact information looks the same, everywhere.
Check your website, your social media channels, your brokerage’s website. Is everything up-to-date? Is all the contact information identical? Even if there are two different phone numbers that technically work for you, make sure you list the same preferred number in every place so you don’t cause confusion.
If any of your social media profiles have been stagnant, take them down or start posting again. An inactive social media presence sends the signal that you aren’t active in the real estate business anymore.
Don’t give prospects a reason for confusion — make sure it’s super easy for them to find you, contact you, and see that you’re an active agent.