Top agents know that in order to craft a big business in today’s ever-changing environment, they have to be malleable and constantly absorb new lessons and information. You may be looking at the new year with drive, ambition, and a hefty goals list in hand, but you also need a clearly defined set of priorities that will lead you on the path to long-term success. Just like the substantial shifts in the way agents did business in 2020, the considerations for 2021 have experienced a pivot.
“Your business should be physically based and digitally enhanced, but COVID changed that world for us,” KWU Senior Manager of Training Meredith Maples says. “Which is why, for safety purposes, we are focusing on digitally based, physically enhanced opportunities.”
One such opportunity is Keller Williams’ annual Family Reunion. Traditionally an in-person event and the biggest KW conference of the year, Family Reunion 2021 comes with a digital makeover that will help agents regroup, reconnect, and re-energize their business. “We will be highlighting people that are really succeeding in the moment and showcasing new and innovative ideas, while still holding true to the models and systems that Keller Williams associates know and love,” Maples says.
Just in time for the new year, Maples sat down with the Outfront team to discuss four skills that are integral to agent and leader business success in 2021. By keeping these front and center throughout the year, you will be well on your way to achieving those goals. Curious to experience a concentrated shot of top training powered by the world’s largest real estate franchise? Join us in February, straight from the comfort of your own home office, as we dive deeper into these skills and provide actionable takeaways.
1. Choose your path to building a scalable and successful business
In order to truly advance their business, agents must be able to think big and step away from their own limiting beliefs. Seeing the world through a limitless mindset makes it easier to start visualizing additional pieces integrating seamlessly into your business. Take where you are today – whether you’re a solo agent with no admin help, an individual agent with some admin support, or a small, large, or expansion team – and use it as the building block to scale further.
With a powerful mindset in tow, the next step is finding a model you can mirror in order to achieve your goals. In The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, the Organizational Model outlines how to exponentially grow your business by leveraging the talents of other people to handle administrative, buyer, and seller duties. It dives deeply into when someone should make their first hire, whom that hire should be, and the training and consulting that should continue long after the right hires are made.
“We are making sure we are building an ecosystem for all agents to thrive and scale, never putting a cap on their vision,” Maples says. “We can meet agents where they are and help them grow to where they want to be. It’s up to them to decide what that path looks like.”
As you navigate your vision for the future, here are some resources to dive into: 1. The Millionaire Real Estate Agent: “Going back to MREA over and over again and reading those models inside and out is the critical piece to building a scalable business which will allow people to choose the right path for them,” Maples says. 2. Business Planning Clinic: Business planning plays an integral part in figuring out where you are and how you want to scale your business. What are your goals? Are you putting yourself on the path to hitting those goals and scaling appropriately? 3. Additional resources: – Leverage series (includes Career Visioning, 30-60-90, and Success Through Others)
2. Market yourself to take market share
While this advice is evergreen, the importance of lead generating – and doing it well by using standout marketing materials – will be tenfold in 2021. As the market continues experiencing low inventory, the lead generation battle will become more heated.
“Applets like Designs and Campaigns in Command have made it easier than ever for people to market themselves and their business and listings,” Maples says. “This gets them the necessary exposure to attract the leads they need to drive their business.”
Ready to level up your marketing? Here are a couple key KW resources that can help you succeed: 1. Outfront articles: From general marketing tips to platform-specific social media guidance, brand-building basics, and interview techniques, the Outfront archives are filled with information that will help you expand your reach. 2. Designs is your one-stop shop to create stunning, professional graphics for both print and web. 3. Professional Services: Spend less time stressing about your marketing by leaning on Keller Williams’ in-house team of professionals.
3. Build a smart database to build smarter relationships
There are only 24 hours in a day, so naturally, the number of choices you can make each day before decision fatigue settles in is limited. Yet, relationships are at the core of every real estate transaction, and in order to succeed in the business, you have to be able to create and maintain strong relationships with a substantial number of people – while still remaining front and center. “Building a smart database is the core, the fundamental piece of that puzzle,” Maples says. For Keller Williams agents, applets such as SmartPlans and Contacts within the Command platform make it easy to keep track of conversations and know exactly where they are in their relationships with clients.
“Agent sites, the KW app, and Command all intersect to create a powerful consumer experience that allows for those really smart relationships,” Maples says.
Learn more about how KW technology can help you build stronger relationships: 1. KW Tech Site 2. Outfront Technology Vaults
4. Create transformational experiences
Strong relationships are not just nurtured through technology, but also through transformational experiences characterized by consistent levels of service. It’s not enough to establish contact. In order to truly establish your business as high-value, you must follow up and give clients a seamless journey throughout their real estate experience – whether they are at a point where they are casually looking at properties, or in the process of purchasing a home. “When you’re working with clients, you want to provide experiences that keep people coming back,” Maples says. To do so, it’s important to ask, “How do we make sure that we’re servicing our clients along the way at every point of their journey?”
Get deeply acquainted with the follow-up process through a touch campaign such as a quarterly SmartPlan. “We’ve proven over and over again that if you’re going to do nothing else, reaching out and making four phone calls – one per quarter – to your database, will keep you connected to them,” Maples says. “It all starts with that personal level of contact, and from there, you can grow the experiences.”
Additional reading: Real Estate Automation in Action: How SmartPlans Scale Agent Success
When it comes down to it, training provides the opportunity to constantly learn and grow. And, by expanding your knowledge and strategy around the four topics above, you will be able to build a stronger business with a clear, scalable path and top-notch service. For a concentrated shot of all of these topics, join us at Family Reunion 2021.
Content produced by:
Keller Williams Outfront Blog
https://outfront.kw.com/training/skills-real-estate-professionals-should-master-2021/