Warm Connections During the Holidays

Real estate agents have different approaches when it comes to end of the year business. Some turn up the heat on prospecting, while others pull back to enjoy the holiday season and prepare for the coming year. Regardless, this is a perfect time to connect with your Sphere of Influence.Last week, we posted Video Email: Spread Holiday Cheer to your Sphere. In that post, we discussed using StoryTellr video email to send a personal note to your SOI. Today, we continue the SOI discussion, but instead focusing on more old-school strategies for making these important connections:

• Warm Calls: Give your SOI a call to wish them happy holidays and let them know you’re thinking of them. Even if you don’t reach them, it’s OK to leave a friendly voicemail message. It’s easy to underestimate the value of simple, warm connections during these times that have been so disruptive for many.
• Events: Of course, many public events have been cancelled because of the pandemic. But there still may be a few outdoor community events scheduled for your area. If that’s the case, mask-up and attend. Perhaps you’ll run into some old clients or possibly meet a future prospect. At minimum, it can’t hurt to get out of the house for some badly-needed fresh air.
• Thank you: Perhaps you’ve had a number of clients give you a referral over the past year. It would be a nice touch to send them a handwritten thank you note before the end of the year. Send a handwritten thank you note to anyone who gave you a referral during the past year. We can’t underestimate the importance of referrals to your future success, so, it’s important to reinforce your appreciation any chance you can get. And the holidays are as good a time as any to say thank you.
• Shopping: Have plenty of business cards with you if you happen to do any last minute Christmas shopping in the coming weeks. You never know when a casual, socially-distanced chat might turn into a potential lead.
• Other Agents: Just like you would send thanks to clients who send referrals your way, take a moment to reach out to other agents who’ve done the same. Whether through a handwritten note, phone call or video email, it’s a nice touch to acknowledge your fellow professionals for keeping the business flowing.
• Good Cheer: We all know the holidays can be stressful for many people. That’s why it’s so important to be upbeat, pleasant, cheerful and empathetic when reaching out to your SOI in the coming weeks. A friendly tip: laughter is important, so when you reach out to your SOI, try to be a little self-deprecating about your own holiday foibles and challenges. It’s a human touch that a most people will appreciate.
• Open for Business: Connecting with your SOI in these busy holiday times, is also a great opportunity to remind them that you are “open for business.” In other words, be sure to reinforce that (a) commerce doesn’t shut down during the holidays and (b) you are dedicated to your work and to serving your clients.

Tis the season to make a heartfelt connection with your Sphere of Influence. Such connections go a long way toward ensuring that they will remember you when they’re ready to list or know of someone who is looking for an agent.Of course, don’t forget, there’s still money to be made during the holidays. Make sure you stay focused on your best prospects, especially those expireds and FSBOs who have an urgent need to sell. Check out our recent post for more tips on selling during the holidays: Successful Selling During the Holidays.