Don't Make These 5 Mistakes in 2021

It's time to shed what we had to go through in 2020 and achieve something better. There are some common moves that real estate agents make that might not benefit them in the long run. Here are five mistakes to avoid in the year ahead.

1. Signing Up for a New Website

A new year doesn't necessarily mean you should get a new real estate website. It is very likely that the website you have is just fine, and you don't need the fancy bells and whistles as long as you can get traffic to your website. Most real estate websites are essentially the same, but if you can't get anybody to visit your website then what's the point?

2. Not Signing Up for a New Website

Contrary to the first item, sometimes you might actually need to change real estate website providers. The biggest red flag is if your real estate website is provided to you by your brokerage. A templated brokerage website is very cost-effective, but now you have the same exact website as your office mates. What makes you stand out amongst the agents in your own brokerage? If you can't stand out there, imagine trying to establish yourself in a sea of competition.

3. Focusing on Ways to Get New Leads

There are plenty of ways to get new leads that are very reliable. What about your old leads? What about those leads you haven't spoken to for a while? What about your clients? There is still gold in those mountains if you know how to prospect correctly. And by that, we are referring to regular communication beyond the "Happy Birthday" and "Happy Insert Holiday" text message you send. You can cultivate a lot of warm leads through your existing sphere of influence. The relationships you built yesterday are the checks you can cash today.

4. Staying Away from Social Media

Oof. Social media has become less fun for some people, and many are trying to stray away from it. As a real estate agent, though, it is important to be visible on social media platforms to generate new business. This doesn't mean you should sign up for every platform that exists, but you should at least be active where most of your prospects will be active. This can be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter—and in some cases YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

5. Not Following Up with Leads Correctly

You worked so hard to get those leads, you shouldn't dismiss them all as looky-loos before they've been properly followed up with. A lead without a phone number is still a lead, and can be nurtured through email or social media—which can lead to a phone call. Understand where your prospects are in the home buying timeline. Are they just looking? Are they preapproved? Are they now actively looking for available homes? Are they ready for showings? Knowing this information will make online lead conversion an easier task.

To view the original article, visit the Zurple blog.