Rebooting Your Real Estate Business After Summer: Strategies for Success
As the summer days wind down and the hustle of back-to-school season takes over, many real estate professionals experience a noticeable slowdown in their business. But this end-of-summer lull can also be the perfect time to recharge, refocus, and reboot your real estate business. With a few strategic moves, you can position yourself for a strong finish to the year. Here are some actionable tips for revitalizing your real estate business and staying top of mind in your local area.
1. Reconnect with Your Sphere of Influence
Summer vacations, family activities, and the general hustle of the season often mean less face time with your clients and leads. Now is the time to reconnect and re-engage.
- Host an End-of-Summer Client Appreciation Event: Invite past clients and potential leads to a local park or restaurant for a casual get-together. It’s a great way to stay connected in a relaxed setting while reminding them of your expertise. You can even use this opportunity to hand out branded materials like our Magnetic Football Schedules, a thoughtful gift that keeps you visible throughout the entire football season.
- Send a Personalized Email or Handwritten Note: Make it personal! A quick check-in note asking how the summer went and offering a helpful tip on the local market shows that you’re thinking about them as individuals, not just as clients.
2. Capitalize on Fall and Holiday Marketing
As we shift into fall, people begin to refocus on their goals for the rest of the year, including buying or selling homes. Now’s the perfect time to refresh your marketing efforts and leverage seasonal changes.
- Leverage Seasonal Direct Mail: Stay top of mind by sending out Recipe Postcards with easy-to-make holiday recipes. These recipe cards aren’t just visually appealing—they also provide real value for homeowners who are planning gatherings in the months ahead. Not only will they appreciate the recipes, but they’ll also be reminded of you every time they look at the postcard.
- Offer a Fall Market Update: Whether it’s through a blog post, newsletter, or social media, offer insights on current market trends. Explain why autumn can be a great time to buy or sell. Potential clients may be unsure of how the post-summer market works, so be the expert who guides them through it.
3. Strengthen Your Social Media Presence
With more people spending time at home during the fall and winter, social media engagement tends to increase. Now is a great time to boost your social media activity.
- Engage with Local Content: Share and comment on local community events or news. By engaging with local content, you can keep yourself relevant and visible in your target neighborhoods. Don’t just focus on listings—show your personality by posting about local restaurants, parks, and businesses that you recommend.
- Create Seasonal Content: This could be as simple as sharing fall home maintenance tips or as creative as doing a Facebook Live tour of a home you just listed, complete with fall decorations. Small touches like this make your content more relatable and engaging.
4. Prepare for the Upcoming Year
While it’s important to finish the year strong, don’t forget to plan ahead. Take this quieter time to set your goals for the next year, refresh your branding, and create a marketing calendar.
- Order Branded Marketing Materials Now: Stock up on materials that can keep you in front of clients year-round. Our Magnetic Football Schedules are perfect for keeping you in view for months, while our Recipe Postcards with holiday recipes can be a hit right around Thanksgiving. By getting organized now, you’ll be able to hit the ground running when the busy season picks up again.
- Organize Your CRM: Take the time to clean up your database, update contact information, and segment your list for more targeted marketing in the months to come. This will allow you to send more personalized communications, whether that’s a home anniversary reminder, a birthday wish, or a tailored market update.
5. Reconnect with Local Vendors
Another way to build business is by strengthening your relationships with local vendors. These relationships can be mutually beneficial, offering a steady stream of referrals for both parties.
- Create a Vendor Referral Program: Partner with local contractors, landscapers, and home stagers to create a referral network. These vendors often work with homeowners who are preparing their properties for sale or need assistance after moving in. If you send business their way, they’ll likely return the favor.
- Feature Local Businesses in Your Marketing: Partner with local businesses to feature them in your newsletters, blogs, or social media. You’ll build goodwill in the community and position yourself as a connected local expert.
6. Follow-Up with Summer Leads
If you had prospective buyers or sellers who were unsure about making a move during the summer, now is the time to follow up. They might be more motivated as the year comes to an end and their schedules become more predictable.
- Use Targeted Follow-Up Campaigns: Segment your leads into categories such as “considering selling” or “first-time buyers,” then send them targeted emails with relevant information. For instance, sellers might appreciate a market analysis, while first-time buyers could benefit from tips on getting a mortgage pre-approval.
Conclusion
The post-summer period is a perfect time to reboot your real estate business and prepare for a strong finish to the year. By reconnecting with your sphere of influence, capitalizing on fall marketing opportunities, strengthening your social media presence, and planning ahead, you’ll set yourself up for success in the coming months.Don’t forget to leverage our Magnetic Football Schedules and Recipe Postcards to keep your name top of mind with clients. With the right strategies in place, you’ll be able to turn the end-of-summer lull into a season of growth and opportunity.