It's all too common.  Agents get licensed, set up their lemonade stand, and wait for the business to pour in!  The problem is, NOBODY KNOWS YOU'RE SELLING LEMONADE!

In order to succeed, you need a plan.  Your plan must be laid out in step by step, attainable actions.  Here is an example:

• Who do you wish to work with?  Is it your neighborhood?  Is it the people at your church?  How about a particular industry?  Identify your target market and MAKE A WARM LIST!  Use directory resources, White Pages, database/contact list companies, etc.  Be sure your list contains addresses, phone numbers, and emails.  This first step is absolutely necessary for real success!
• How are you going to market to your database?  First impressions are very important!  You want to present yourself as a professional and a valuable resource in real estate.  Be the expert!  You must set yourself apart from other agents.  Are you going door to door?  Are you doing mailers?  How about full color emails?  Phone calls?  You must organize the methods you'll use to expose your business.
• How many clients do you want to work with at one time?  This may seem like a silly question but think of this; the more clients you have, the less time you will have to work with each of them.  You want to be able to give your clients quality services and ample amount of time.  You may wish to stagger your clients so that they are at different stages of the process.  Time management is a real factor.  Having too many clients can create a tremendous amount of stress. 
• Do you wish to target particular areas of real estate?  Do you want to work with first-time homebuyers or senior citizens?  How about REO's and investors?  There are many specialized types of real estate.  Decide which one works best for you and focus on it! 
• How much do you wish to make on an annual basis?  Your first thought is most likely "as much as I can!".  Plan your income!  You want to break it into attainable steps.  For instance, year 1 to be $50,000, year 2 to be $75,000, etc.  With this in mind, you can figure out how many deals you will have to close in order to reach that income.  You will have a handle on your productivity and will be able to make changes as needed. 

Having a written plan is your map to success!  Without it, you're going to go wherever that wind takes you.  You'll never get to where you want to go without a direction.  Take control of your future!  Point yourself in the right direction and stay on course!  You will find the reward is worth your efforts!

If you need help with your business plan, we are happy to assist you!