What does it take to be successful in today’s market?

The answer is basic. You have to prospect. You must be persistent and consistent in your daily, yes daily, prospecting activities. If you don’t have someone to work with as a buyer or seller, all of the knowledge in the world about real estate won’t get you a sale.

Where do you start? You must have a plan. Set a goal of how many calls you will make, how many notes you will write, how many appointments you will set, how many networking events you will attend and how many clients you will visit on a daily and weekly basis. Write it down and keep it visible.

It is critical to track your activities so you can “monetize” them. As an example, how many calls does it take to get a referral, how many referrals does it take to get an appointment, how many appointments does it take to get an agreement (listing or buyer) signed, how many signed agreements does it take to get a sale and go to closing. Once you know these numbers, it will motivate you to do the activities as well as improve your skills to get better conversion rates. Approach it with enthusiasm and a positive attitude – it will make it easier to accomplish.
Ask for help. Get a coach, an accountability partner, or a mentor to keep you on target and motivated. Choose this person wisely as they can make a huge difference in your approach and impact your results.

Also, prospecting must be on your schedule and you must stick with it to be successful. Set an appointment on your calendar everyday to do your activities. Focus strictly on this during your most productive time of day. Eliminate distractions by turning off your cell phone, don’t look at emails, or allow others to interrupt you. Be disciplined and you will see results!

Additionally, you must analyze your activities and adjust your plan accordingly to make you more productive during your prospecting time. Which activities are yielding you the best results? What isn’t working and why? Get the most out of your time by making a decision to step it up in the areas that are working and remove or spend less time on things that aren’t working for you.

Success in real estate is a choice. You must choose to prospect to survive in today’s market as well as propel you into the future.