As a real estate agent just starting out, it can be hard to build your business to the point where you have a consistent inventory of listings for sale. While buyer clients are great to have, they can take up a lot of time and sometimes after all that time, they decide not to buy or never find the house they are looking for. Building your business so that you maintain a steady inventory of homes for sale can help you add some consistency to your income.

When you first start listing houses, it can be overwhelming to figure out what you need to do for each house and not overlook something. If you are listing homes without a listing checklist, that’s like baking cookies without a recipe. The results will likely be inconsistent and less than desirable. Having a plan when you start the process will improve the service you deliver and allow you to manage your time better so you can serve more clients at one time.

What Does Your Real Estate Listing Checklist Look Like?

When you start putting your checklist together, think of everything you do when you list a home and try to put it all together. Some items to include are

• Putting the listing in MLS
• Scheduling photo session
• Creating brochures or fliers
• Putting up the sign
• Creating the Lockbox
• Scheduling an open house
• Preparing your Just Listed posts cards
• eBlasting the listing to your database
• Promoting the listing to your local and out of area agents
• Promotion on Social Networks
• Setting Feedback System
• Scheduling Seller Reports

You can always choose to skip some items if they aren’t necessary for a certain listing, but you don’t want to forget them when you get multiple new listings in the same week and are trying to get everything done. Don’t forget the things you need to follow up on later in the listing. Everything won’t happen just in the first few days. Many other tasks that will need to be done throughout the listing so include those as well.

Download this sample listing checklist to get you started but make sure to spend a little time customizing it to meet your needs. When you have a thorough listing checklist put together, you need to decide how you are going to manage your checklist, so you can keep up with what’s been done on each listing and when it is time to work on the next one. A good real estate CRM will have a section for managing listings where you can add your checklist then apply it to each listing. As you work on different tasks throughout the listing, you will need to be able to track what you have completed and get reminders when it is time to complete the next task. The other nice thing about a CRM is it will keep track of the items you have done so you can share the information with your sellers to keep them informed.

My very popular Listing Coordination Spreadsheet is also a tool you can use within your team to stay up-to-date on how that listing is marketed.

Like anything, a little planning can make a big difference and listing homes is no different. Take a little time to create a checklist that will take your business to the next level, and before you know it, you will be a listing machine.

Not to mention organized, excited about how your business is moving forward and your sellers are referring you to other because you are on top of it.

Need help putting together your real estate listing checklist, not sure how to set up your CRM or just don’t have the time, but understand the importance?  Reach out to me and let’s talk about how Kim Hughes & Company can help you put your business in order.

Thanks for watching this weeks video and don’t forget to download your freebies.

If you enjoyed this blog, please SHARE IT, watch it on YouTube and let me know your thoughts, LIKE IT and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my Channel.

Here is a blog I wrote that talks about Taking Listings – this would be a good one to watch

My blog “What Does Your Email Signature Say About You” is one not to miss.

You can read my other real estate business blogs and get free downloads by visiting https://www.kimhughes.com/resources/real-estate-blog/

COMING SOON!

The Ultimate Expired Listing System Webinar

Are you ready to get serious about working the Expired’s in your market?  Are you ready to start building your inventory and put more money in the bank?  I bet you are!  I have been asked many of times to do a webinar for agents who struggle with the Expired Listing process, so coming in August I will be hosting a Workshop to take you through my Expired Listing System that has been a huge success for many top agents.  If you would like to be the first notified just click on the link below and you will

automatically go into my private list to receive the first announcement.

YES! I WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW – SIGN ME UP!

 

Ready and motivated to organize your life?  The 90 Day Real Estate Planner is a must for any agent,

broker, team leader to implement into their daily lives as it will help you become more productive, find more time and be better organized.  Get it today by visiting the 90 Day Real Estate Action Planner – use the COUPON CODE: PLAN18 to get your discount.  This special code is for a limited time only, so take advantage of this discount today and get excited about your life becoming more organized and structured.

Are you realizing you need to tighten up your business strategies?  Here at Kim Hughes & Company we are the experts when it comes to working real estate agents with start-ups, re-organizing, marketing, transaction management and so much more.  Visit us at Kim Hughes and Company to download our free Real Estate Checklist.  We will show you how to become a powerhouse agent so schedule a 20 minute complimentary call with Kim today and let’s get you organized and create some amazing strategies for your business.

Are we connected?:

Instagram: @KimHughesCoaching | #KimHughesCoaching
http://www.Facebook.com/KimHughes 
http://facebook.com/KimHughesRealEstateVirtualAssistant 
http://www.Twitter.com/KimHughes 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimhughescoaching
https://www.pinterest.com/kim_hughes/pins/

 

With easy access to technology in the marketplace today, there is no need to be intimidated by video. Using video in your marketing doesn’t mean you have to hire a professional. There is room for all different levels of video in your marketing, and while you may occasionally have the need for something professional, most of your video needs can be done with your smartphone or simple online software.

For starters, grab your phone and practice shooting some video. It doesn’t have to be professional, but you do want it to look nice. Start with short videos and don’t get too long and involved. Share a quick walk-through of a new listing, a preview of the backyard at one of your listings on a nice day or a short clip of a local event you are attending. If you share your videos on social media, they will get great exposure because even if someone doesn’t watch the whole thing, they are likely to see a few seconds of it (hopefully just enough to intrigue your followers) and even those few seconds are good exposure. The quality of video you can shoot with your smartphone is more than enough for most things you will do so don’t think you need an expensive video camera before you can start making videos.

Click here to watch the video: Tips on How to Incorporate Video into Your Marketing Plan

What are some other things you can share videos of to garner some attention? Talk to your clients in your videos. One way to try and build your business is to let people get to know you. Don’t overshare but offer interesting snippets of your life that people will find interesting. You could share a review of a favorite restaurant, information about a local park that you frequent, a little bit about yourself, a monthly update on your local real estate market, a sneak peek of a coming soon listing or a few ideas about how to improve their curb appeal.

It’s a good idea to think about what you want to say before you start recording. Don’t be too rehearsed so that it sounds like you are reading a script but if you make a list of bullet points before you start recording, it will be much easier to stay on track and cover the things you want to share.

Keep your videos short and to the point. People are bombarded with so much information today that you have to fight for their attention and you will have to give them something they are interested in or they will move on after the first few seconds. Instagram allows videos up to 1 minute in length so that might be a good place to start if you are planning to use Instagram as one of your platforms and that doesn’t mean you can’t have shorter videos too. For many topics, 20-30 seconds is all you will need to convey your message.

There are many options you can use to create slideshow style videos to share in your marketing. Animoto is one program that is easy to use while still creating professional quality videos at an affordable price. This will allow you to drop pictures in, add text, background music and transitions, and have a video very quickly without having to invest too much time in learning a complicated program.

Before you post a video anywhere, always watch the whole thing to make sure it is okay so you don’t post something with too much background noise, that shows something personal or with quality issues like too much movement or poor focus. Using video doesn’t have to be time consuming or scary. Trial and error will teach you a lot so be open-minded and get started soon.

You can read my other real estate business blogs and get free downloads by visiting https://www.kimhughes.com/resources/real-estate-blog/

COMING SOON!

The Ultimate Expired Listing System Webinar

Are you ready to get serious about working the Expired’s in your market?  Are you ready to start building your inventory and put more money in the bank?  I bet you are!  I have been asked many of times to do a webinar for agents who struggle with the Expired Listing process, so coming in August I will be hosting a Workshop to take you through my Expired Listing System that has been a huge success for many top agents.  If you would like to be the first notified just click on the link below and you will automatically go into my private list to receive the first announcement.

YES! I WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW – SIGN ME UP!

 

Ready and motivated to organize your life?  The 90 Day Real Estate Planner is a must for any agent, broker, team leader to implement into their daily lives as it will help you become more productive, find more time and be better organized.  Get it today by visiting the 90 Day Real Estate Action Planner – use the COUPON CODE: PLAN18 to get your discount.  This special code is for a limited time only, so take advantage of this discount today and get excited about your life becoming more organized and structured.

Are you realizing you need to tighten up your business strategies?  Here at Kim Hughes & Company we are the experts when it comes to working real estate agents with start-ups, re-organizing, marketing, transaction management and so much more.  Visit us at Kim Hughes and Company to download our free Real Estate Checklist.  We will show you how to become a powerhouse agent so schedule a 20 minute complimentary call with Kim today and let’s get you organized and create some amazing strategies for your business.

Are we connected?:

Instagram: @KimHughesCoaching | #KimHughesCoaching
http://www.Facebook.com/KimHughes 
http://facebook.com/KimHughesRealEstateVirtualAssistant 
http://www.Twitter.com/KimHughes 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimhughescoaching
https://www.pinterest.com/kim_hughes/pins/

It’s summer, and you need a vacation.   As a real estate agent, you work crazy hours, always taking care of everyone else and putting yourself last.  Well, let’s change that up for a week.  Get your planner out and let’s pick a week for you to get some well-deserved downtime.  After all, the goal of a vacation is to relax, spend time with family and friends, sleep late and soak up the sun, right?   Get that beach bag, sunglasses and sunscreen ready because you are on your way to a truly relaxing vacation.

How to prepare for your time away from work is to get organized before you even leave.  You have planned your week, your destination and who is going.  Remember, just taking a week to stay home, read a book, work on some home projects, cook on the grill, binge watch your shows can also be a vacation and sometimes the best ones.  So, don’t feel like you have to take off to a destination.  But, do plan to take some time off!  You deserve it!

Watch my video – How to Prepare for an Amazing Vacation

The first thing to do is review your inventory, closings, any new business you need to organize before you leave?

Find the best agent to step in while you are gone.  If you are on a team talk to the team manager about this and if you’re a single agent decide who is the best agent to help you or talk to your broker to help you out.

Once you have that agent to cover you take them to lunch and discuss specifics on what you have going on, how to manage it, anything you see that might come up while you’re gone and then discuss compensation and any other particulars to make sure there is no miss understanding in the role they will play with your business.

If you have an assistant, talk to them about how they can help you while you are gone.  Do you need them to manage your email, voicemail, etc.?  Introduce your assistant to the agent in charge while you are gone and make sure they have each other’s contact information.

Create a vacation auto-respond email stating the dates you will be gone, who to contact in case of emergency, their email, and phone number.  Mention you will respond to email once a day if you want, but don’t feel it necessary.  Just be clear about what they can expect while you are gone.

Keep in mind your #1 priority is your current client.  You want to make sure you call and discuss the latest activity on their property, talk about what they can expect while you are on vacation, who to contact in case of emergency and any other important notes that they may need then follow that up with an email.

Then allow yourself a day before you leave to organize your business, get all the little things handled, pack your bags, etc.  You really should not work the day before vacation so you can get organized and get your brain acclimated.

Now it’s vacation time.  Enjoy your vacation, shut your brain off, and your body will thank you for taking this time off.

While on vacation make sure to stay off your phone and make sure those that are with you stay off their phone.  Organize your time wisely if you must work while on vacation by getting up an hour before everyone else or taking an hour after everyone is settled in for the night to perform necessary work tasks.  Do not work while your with family and friends.  Promise yourself you will shut down and take the time to reconnect with yourself.

One thing I do recommend is to give yourself some time alone to think about your life and where you are and what you might want to change.  Take a journal and write it down and allow yourself to think about your goals both personal and business – write them down, do some brain dumping, come up with some new ideas, etc.  You can and should take this time to reflect and plan.  It is good for the soul!

And once last tip…. allow yourself a day or two to get back on track once you return.  Allow one day to unpack, do laundry, pick up the pets, pay bills, sort through your mail, return emails, phone calls, etc.  When you plan before your vacation, prepare a little at a time so you are not stressed when you leave and to take a day to get back on track you will find your vacation did what it was supposed to do…. rejuvenate, clear your mind, enjoy your personal life and get excited about your business again.

Now get excited for some great time off from your busy work life, and I hope these tips help you truly relax and reconnect with life.

You can read my other real estate business blogs and get free downloads by visiting https://www.kimhughes.com/resources/real-estate-blog/

COMING SOON!

The Ultimate Expired Listing System Webinar

Are you ready to get serious about working the Expired’s in your market?  Are you ready to start building your inventory and put more money in the bank?  I bet you are!  I have been asked many of times to do a webinar for agents who struggle with the Expired Listing process, so coming in May I will be hosting a Workshop to take you through my Expired Listing System that has been a huge success for many top agents.  If you would like to be the first notified just click on the link below and you will automatically go into my private list to receive the first announcement.

YES! I WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW – SIGN ME UP!

 

Ready and motivated to organize your life?  The 90 Day Real Estate Planner is a must for any agent, broker, team leader to implement into their daily lives as it will help you become more productive, find more time and be better organized.  Get it today by visiting the 90 Day Real Estate Action Planner – use the COUPON CODE: PLAN18 to get your discount.  This special code is for a limited time only, so take advantage of this discount today and get excited about your life becoming more organized and structured.

*****

Are you realizing you need to tighten up your business strategies?  Here at Kim Hughes & Company we are the experts when it comes to working real estate agents with start-ups, re-organizing, marketing, transaction management and so much more.  Visit us at Kim Hughes and Company to download our free Real Estate Checklist.  We will show you how to become a powerhouse agent so schedule a 20 minute complimentary call with Kim today and let’s get you organized and create some amazing strategies for your business.

Are we connected:

Instagram: @KimHughesCoaching | #KimHughesCoaching
http://www.Facebook.com/KimHughes 
http://facebook.com/KimHughesRealEstateVirtualAssistant 
http://www.Twitter.com/KimHughes 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimhughescoaching
https://www.pinterest.com/kim_hughes/pins/

How much time have you spent taking care of your real estate website lately? It is easy to get overwhelmed with buyers and sellers and making sure properties close and completely overlook other things that need a little attention. While a good real estate website shouldn’t require daily maintenance, you need to schedule a little time each week to spend making sure your website is current and working for you.

Here are some critical parts of a website that yours must have to make it worth your money.

IDX connection-Probably the largest draw

for a real estate website is the ability to search for properties. Buyers don’t just want to see the properties you have listed but also be able to search for other homes to see what else is available. It’s great when you can sell your own listing but I doubt you are going to turn away a buyer just because they are interested in a home that you don’t have listed. Having an IDX connection built in to your website is the key to making this possible. Add the option for buyers to sign up for property updates to be emailed direct to them when new homes are available and you now have an easy way to capture lead information.

Once the IDX is connected, you should also be able to set up a page on your website featuring your listings. This is essential because once you list a property, your seller will be looking for it and having a section of your website that features your personal listings will make this easier for them and make you look good.

You need a call to action for sellers wanting to know the value of their home. Many people are intimidated when it comes to asking what their house is worth. In the current market where the demand for houses exceeds the supply, you should aggressively be looking for listings.

Make it easy for people to find a way to contact you. Provide your email and phone number readily on every page of your website, not just from the home page.

A blog will allow you to easily post new information to keep buyers, sellers and residents of your local area informed on the real estate market and benefit your search engine optimization at the same time.

Share some personal information about yourself. There is no shortage of real estate agents in today’s market so tell people what makes you special so they will feel like they know you and want to work with you.

Testimonials are an easy way to share your success and let your clients speak for you. Devote a page on your website to testimonials and make sure you ask your clients to provide you a testimonial and keep this page updated. Zillow provides an easy way to ask your clients for testimonials. Once they post there, you can then add the same content to your website.

Select a real estate website platform that is enhanced for mobile viewing so your site is just as attractive on a smartphone, computer or tablet.

Make sure your website has easy to find links to your social media platforms. Your social media accounts make updating your followers on property changes and local information easy to handle on the fly. The key to this being successful is to increase your following so make this as prominent as you can so you can easily connect with your friends, family, clients and prospects.

Maybe you don’t have a website at all or you just need to get yours updated with the latest information and keep it that way. If you are overwhelmed by how to make your real estate website works for you, contact me and let my team and I help you create a real estate website that will keep you in front of your market. Let’s face it, all websites cost money and if you are going to spend money on a website, it needs to work for you.

To do a self-check of your website – download my complimentary Website Checklist today and then talk to your website provider or manager to make sure you have the best website your buyers and sellers would want.

COMING SOON!

The Ultimate Expired Listing System Webinar

Are you ready to get serious about working the Expired’s in your market?  Are you ready to start building your inventory and put more money in the bank?  I bet you are!  I have been asked many of times to do a webinar for agents who struggle with the Expired Listing process, so coming in May I will be hosting a Workshop to take you through my Expired Listing System that has been a huge success for many top agents.  If you would like to be the first notified just click on the link below and you will automatically go into my private list to receive the first announcement.

YES! I WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW – SIGN ME UP!

*****

Ready and motivated to organize your life?  The 90 Day Real Estate Planner is a must for any agent, broker, team leader to implement into their daily lives as it will help you become more productive, find more time and be better organized.  Get it today by visiting the 90 Day Real Estate Action Planner – use the COUPON CODE: PLAN18 to get your discount.  This special code is for a limited time only, so take advantage of this discount today and get excited about your life becoming more organized and structured.

*****

Are you realizing you need to tighten up your business strategies?  Here at Kim Hughes & Company we are the experts when it comes to working real estate agents with start-ups, re-organizing, marketing, transaction management and so much more.  Visit us at Kim Hughes and Company to download our free Real Estate Checklist.  We will show you how to become a powerhouse agent so schedule a 20 minute complimentary call with Kim today and let’s get you organized and create some amazing strategies for your business.

Are we connected?

Instagram: @KimHughesCoaching | #KimHughesCoaching
http://www.Facebook.com/KimHughes 
http://facebook.com/KimHughesRealEstateVirtualAssistant 
http://www.Twitter.com/KimHughes 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimhughescoaching
https://www.pinterest.com/kim_hughes/pins/

Image courtesy of geralt/pixabay.com