Top 10 Most Popular Articles of December

Happy New Year! Before we dive fully into a new year and a new decade, let's take a look at the month and year that just passed. As our regular readers likely know, each month we publish a list of our most read articles. But every December, we go one step further and count down our 10 most popular articles of the year. You can see the full list of our best articles of 2019 here.

Below is our final monthly list of articles from 2019. (We didn't include articles that we re-ran as part of our annual countdown, though several qualified.) Check out what your fellow agents and brokers were reading during the final month of 2019.

1. Is Your Headshot Killing Your Business?
We've all seen them: Realtor headshots on for sale signs, bus benches, business cards, you name it. But do they actually make an impression on potential buyers and sellers? To find out if a real estate agent's photo, whether it be a selfie, cartoon or glamour shot, was affecting the amount of business received, Transactly set out to poll potential buyers and sellers from across the US.

2. 6 Creative Ways to Freshen Up a Stale Listing
Even a great property with professional marketing can fly under the radar in the real estate world. According to Zillow, the average home was on the market for 68 days last year. But anyone who has bought or sold a house before knows things can happen much faster or slower. Below, you will find six tips to bring new life to your listing.

3. Top 10 Tech Christmas Gifts for Real Estate Agents
What's on your gift list this year? Whether you are a real estate agent or you have an agent on your shopping list, we've compiled a list of 10 awesome tech toys for real estate agents in 2019.

4. 8 Ways to Generate Free Real Estate Leads with IFTTT
IFTTT (If This Then That) is a free internet tool to get unrelated apps and websites to talk to one another. IFTTT offers hundreds of options to improve your real estate business. But did you know it can help you expand your business, too? Here are eight IFTTT applets we've created to help you generate real estate leads for free.

5. Your Complete Real Estate Prospecting Guide
As the industry, local markets, and technology all change, the best practices for how to prospect are ever-evolving as well. Here's everything you need to know about prospecting for buyer and seller leads, so you can keep growing your business. This is ideal for the slower months, so you can "farm" for prospects and then have a wealth of clients in preparation for the busy season.

6. Real Estate Smartphone Tricks: Using Your Phone's Calendar
A Realtor's life is filled with appointments, phone calls and to-dos—and that doesn't even include our so-called social life. We need one place to see everything going on in our life, whether it's work or play, and be able to see it quickly. Here's how your smartphone's calendar can help you do just that.

7. What does Gary Keller have to say about "focusing" on success? This #1 Team Leader tells you.
Once a year, top producing luxury team leader Matt O'Neill evaluates the seven elements in his life that require his attention in order to strive for personal growth, professional growth, and self-improvement. Here, Matt shares those seven elements and leads you through your own personal self-evaluation.

8. Real Estate Marketing 2020: Special Dates and Themes
2020 is coming, which means it's time to start planning your marketing strategies now. Because there's so much content out there, today's consumers—and future homebuyers—expect a little something extra to inspire and inform them. No matter whether you're focusing on email, social media, or even a real estate blog, here's a list of special and themed days you can use to inspire and inform with your content!

9. Friday Freebie: Let this CRM Coach You to Success in 2020
Determined to hit all your commission goals in 2020, but need just a little bit of help to get there? In this week's Friday Freebie, real estate CRM meets real estate coach… and you get 30 days to try it out.

10. The Importance of Self-Care for Real Estate Agents
There's an excitement buzzing in the air as 2020 approaches. A brand-new year filled with new beginnings awaits you, and how well you take time for yourself will greatly determine the level of your fulfillment. Remember, success and happiness are not measured only by the income you produce. Quality of life includes your health, family and friends. Are you ready?