How to Own the Holidays as a Real Estate Agent

The holidays are a magical time where you can reflect on the year that was, spend quality time with friends and family and truly focus on what's important in your life. And while it's often said that there is never a real "weekend" for a real estate agent, the holidays present a unique opportunity to show some client love while taking advantage of the downtime to chart a course for the new year ahead.

Sometimes planning organizational goals and strategy can get lost in the middle of all this running around and family time, but if you haven't started planning for 2019 – you could already be behind the competition.

Before we cover the corporate bases, let's touch on some key areas where you can keep in touch with your clients and spread some love while you're at it.

Creating a Holiday-Themed Party

What better way to celebrate the holidays than to host a party with your friends and family to spread some cheer? Sure it can be a big task to take on, but the benefits greatly outweigh the administrative tasks needed. And instead of doing a Secret Santa or trying to figure out the matrix that is gift giving at the holidays, why not invite everyone to bring wrapped gifts to donate for a local charity? Or a cash donation? Or non-perishable food items? Or send out a link where you can purchase a turkey for a family in need?

Take it one step further and extend the invite to your prospects as well! That way you have a chance to celebrate the spirit of the season with loved ones while giving back to those less fortunate – and keeping in touch with your core network and prospects at the same time.

You could add a personal touch by having an open house style get together where everyone can pop in sporadically when it is convenient to their schedules. And even if a client or prospect of yours can't make it, you've still earned some big brownie points for going the extra mile and inviting them into your home.

Give Back – And Invite Others to Join You

The previous point flows nicely into this one. Remember our piece on how socially progressive brands really resonate in the market nowadays? Companies of any size that find causes they're passionate about and put forth an effort to raise awareness and funds while incorporating that message into their business are the ones that have a sustainable marketing platform.

It's something everyone can make time for during the year, but during the holidays while we all naturally get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, it's especially important to make a conscious effort to give back and help those in need.

Use your platform and your brand to raise awareness of this by way of every medium. Your email marketing can provide frequent touch points about your party and charitable plans and even leverage your social media vehicles to open it up to a wider network.

The more the merrier!

What Are the Best Gifts to Give as a Real Estate Agent?

Inman created a survey asking exactly this – what are the best gifts to give around the holidays as an agent? One of the more obvious and safe choices for any agent considering a holiday gift would be a food or drink item. That being said, it is important to take into consideration various food allergies.

Here is a list of the top holiday gifts this season:

• Bottle of wine
• Homemade cookies
• Poinsettias
• Fruit baskets
• Flower arrangements and wreaths
• Homemade gifts and ornaments
• And personalized items like homemade holidays cards are a great touch.

Inman also suggests that if you don't know the client well enough (or don't have time) to whip up something specific, you can still think "home-oriented" by bringing them or buying them: custom planters, pest control, cleaning services, time with an interior decorator or even trees for the property. They might not be the flashiest of gifts, but for a new client where you just closed the property within the last year – it's actually a very practical housewarming and holiday present.

Lean on Your Real Estate CRM to Centralize Everything During the Holidays

Meetings during the holidays, plans for hitting the ground running in 2019, what night dinner was at your in-laws, who was in charge of getting the kids' presents – there are a million different tasks flying in a million different directions during the holiday season. Optimize your real estate CRM so that you and your digital assistant are on the same page for 2019. It's also a massive boost to sending out holiday greetings to your entire database—and the ones that are a touch outside your core sphere of influence.

TIPS:

• Make organization a priority: If December is a slow month in real estate sales, use it as a time to prepare your budget, consider your social media strategy for 2019, or clean up your list of contacts.
• Use this slow time to sharpen yourself for the upcoming year: Take a moment this time of year to take a step back, look at all you've accomplished and pat yourself on the back. Spend time with loved ones. Read a good book. Do whatever you can to strengthen your mind and it will surely help strengthen your real estate business come the New Year.

To view the original article, visit the IXACT Contact blog.