While customers and prospects may step away for the summer months, you can use the time to step up your self-improvement in the real estate game. Weichert® shows you how with these surefire tips for making summer break great for business.
Work on your sandcastle (aka your business)
As a real estate professional, you’re likely accustomed to the feasts and famines of our industry. Don’t panic if you’re experiencing an activity dip at this time of the year. Use the calmer, quieter summer months as an opportunity to work on areas of your business that you typically don’t have time for throughout the year. This can include:
- Reviewing and revising your business plan
- What’s been working?
- What needs adjusting?
- Getting involved with local events
- What family events are happening?
- How can you get your name out there?
- Staying active on social media
- When did you post last?
- What holidays/events are coming up to tag?
- Sprucing up your website
- How are your headshots?
- Is your content up to date?
And, while perhaps not overly exciting, but most definitely critical, you can also use the time to take care of practical things, like organizing files and decluttering your office space. Even a fresh coat of paint in your office can make a difference. A neat and tidy work environment can help you and your team to feel more productive once business revs up again in the fall. It also sends a positive message to customers when they stop in.
Soak in some vitamin D
And by “D” we mean “development.” Taking time for self-improvement in real estate can lead to bigger, better growth in your business.
For example, use the summer months to keep up with your continuing education (CE) requirements. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) highlights the CEs needed to stay in good standing, depending on the state(s) where you hold a license. NAR also offers information on other real estate education and training to keep you on top of your game.
Our broker-owners tell us that the training and networking opportunities at Weichert are especially appreciated during the summer months. Be on the lookout for webinars and classes to help inspire you and increase your skills and knowledge. Looking for summer reading while sitting on the beach or by the pool? Take along a popular business or leadership book, such as The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher. You can also use this time to improve your time management skills or mentor members of your team.
Catch a wave
The AI wave, that is. It’s no secret that AI is reshaping the real estate market as we know it, helping agents improve client communications, create powerful listings, perform market analysis, and so much more.
With tools like ChatGPT, agents can generate content in a flash, including blog posts, social media posts, video scripts, prospecting letters, and beyond. Use these tools to generate a first draft of any type of content, then add personalized touches and local flavor to make the content feel unique to your region and voice.
One key to ChatGPT success is using effective prompts to “train” the tool to generate the type of content you’re looking for. Take time to learn game-changing ChatGPT prompts every agent should use and watch your productivity soar.
Make more ice
Summertime is the perfect time to proactively prepare what you’ll be needing all year long.
Overall, “making more ice” is about catching up and getting ahead. Re-prioritize tasks you put on the back burner, such as:
- Updating your contact database
- Mapping out your marketing plan
- Adding dedicated networking hours to your calendar
- Upgrading/converting your CRM
If you’re looking for a few more tips to help make summer break great for business, check out this article.
Take a few days off
This one is not a metaphor for something else. We mean it—let the calm of summertime be your time to recharge and refresh. Stepping away from work for a few days can help you build back your energy stores and clean the slate to welcome new thinking. It’s also a great opportunity to show your team how much you trust them to run the ship while you’re gone. Once the fall arrives, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running once again.
Look for butterflies
Sometimes, especially during the summer months, the most promising opportunities are already right in front of you. Could self-improvement in real estate also come from a franchise opportunity with Weichert? Use this downtime to contact us. Summertime is the perfect time to let your curiosity fly.
