If you're not tracking your metrics, then you're missing the boat. There is an emotional and analytical component to why metrics are important.

For example, every Friday Sarah posts an agent advice video on her social media. It's a short 2-minute video on a specific topic with a full-text description. This text then goes directly into an email that goes out to about 2,000 local real estate agents first thing Monday morning as a kickstart to the week.

Sarah doesn't always have a lot of responses to her videos on Facebook. If she was just paying attention to that, she may have lost her steam. But by also looking at the email metrics, she can clearly see that the email has consistently high open rates every week. She also hears from people in person about her videos. These metrics motivate her even more to keep producing these videos and getting her message out there.

Numbers don't lie. Track your metrics for all your activity so you know where your time is well spent and the impact you're having. Auditing your time will also show you where you're wasting time and when you're most productive.

First off, if you are an agent and don't have a social media presence then you're missing out.

What is your voice? What unique perspective can you provide? Be yourself and loosen up. We get in our own way sometimes and think we need to present ourselves in a specific way. You might think you're coming across as professional, but people are actually perceiving you as stiff and unrelatable. Just keep it organic. One of Mark's most successful reels to date was him being funny and almost making fun of himself. It was relatable and fun, and that's why it resonated with people.

If you don't know where to start, start with a market update. People want to know what's going on in their area. There is huge value there and you already know the content. Just relax and talk about what you already know.

It's easy to tell the difference between people who are doing what they're passionate about and people who are just going through the motions or copying something they've seen someone else do. You want to strive for content that is more compelling and organic.

Bottom line: be you, find your rhythm, find your identity, be consistent.

Follow-up is not one size fits all. Agents that are the most successful at follow-up don't get frustrated. They mix it up, make it a game, and keep it exciting and fresh.

There are 5 easy ways to communicate: call, text, email, video, and social media. There are about 16 working hours in the day by which you can reach someone. If you're not mixing up the method and timing then you're missing out on deals.

Experiment with different subject lines and different titles for your prospective buyer searches. If the search has their name on it are they more likely to open it? Where can you personalize your follow-up?

Tactics that work for other agents may not work for you. That's normal. Let others inspire you, but ultimately you have to put in the time and experimentation to find what works for you. It has to be your own journey.

Sometimes we can get in our own way and our client's way. We have a new agent on our team that was inadvertently sabotaging his showings. He was saying his opinion right off the bat when opening the front door. The other day he tried a different tactic.

When they walked in, he immediately thought the home was outdated...but he waited to see his clients' first impression. And they loved the home! If he had voiced his initial thought first it could have swayed their opinion of the home before they'd even had a chance. There is power in silence and letting the client speak.

Here's another example. You've just given your value proposition and put everything on the table. The client is ready to sign with you but you keep going with your sales pitch. There comes a point when you can stop selling. Don't sell yourself out of a deal. Learn to recognize when that turning point is.

Have you set realistic goals for 2024? If you have been making 50 calls a week and you set your goal for this year at 200 calls a week, is that realistic and sustainable? Don't set yourself up for failure before you even start.

You want to dream big but you have to be honest with yourself and what you can commit to.

If you don't think that your buyers are looking at homes priced at more than they're approved for, then you're wrong. With the way the current market is, you should be too (within reason). Not everything is selling right now with multiple offers and over asking. Are you looking out for your clients and keeping tabs on price adjustments? There may be a surprise opportunity for your buyers. Homes that may not have been in their budget could be at any time. Have an accurate gauge on your buyers and the market they're looking in.

You also need to be able to adjust your strategy and communicate that clearly to your buyer. If your buyer has a budget of $500,000 then right now you might need to monitor homes up to $525,000 or even $550,000. But if that same buyer is looking in the summer at the height of the market, then you might not even show them homes priced at $500,000. You may cap at $475,000 or $450,000 because of how competitive the market will be at that time.

A good place to start is to take your buyer through a journey in the MLS before you even start looking. Look at the homes that have sold in their target area in the last year that would have met their non-negotiable list. What were they listed at and what did they sell for? Would your buyer have paid for that price? This exercise will back up what you're telling them about the current market and give you credibility. Ultimately, they will have more realistic expectations going into their search.

How do you handle the objection: "I don't want to overpay for a home?" A home is worth what the market is willing to pay for it. If a home has multiple offers over asking, then the market has determined that that home is worth that amount. There is no such thing as overpaying.

You've probably heard from prospective clients that they want to wait to buy until interest rates come down. What are the cons of that strategy?

More buyers will enter the market in the spring. Historically over the last few years, there has been an uptick in buyers but a decrease in inventory. This equates to a more competitive market. If you compound this normal ebb and flow of the market with interest rates likely continuing to go down next year, then buyer demand will compound even more.

It's all about educating your buyers not selling your buyers. Lines like "You should buy now because we don't know what's coming" are pushing them to buy right now but from a place of uncertainty. If you instead phrase things like: "Buying now might be right for you because historically the spring has been more competitive and lower interest rates will also dramatically increase the buyer pool," then you're giving them the knowledge they need to make the right decision for them.

Relationships break down when there are unmet expectations. If you are frustrated with clients for not showing up to buyer consultations or showings, or you've been driving all over town for months and they've yet to write any offers, they might not be the problem. You need to do a better job of setting expectations. Look at the patterns in your daily frustrations and then take a hard look at your processes and how you're setting expectations.

For example, if you answer your client's phone call at 10 pm then you're giving them permission to call you every night at 10 pm. Tell them upfront what your daily availability is. For example, you show homes every day in the afternoon between 1 and 4 pm and you can take calls anytime from 7:30 am to 5 pm. Better yet, call them every day at the same time and you'll find that you get less one-off calls. They'll just wait for your predetermined time.

It takes time to refine your process and scripts, but don't be afraid to make changes along the way. These tweaks will have a lasting impact on your business.

We are all human. We all have fears of rejection in some form or another. This ultimately boils down to your ego / sense of self-preservation. Either let the ego lead or tame the ego and open yourself up to the possibilities. If you let your fears hold you back then you're guaranteed to not reach your full potential.

Sometimes overcoming the fear of rejection boils down to your perspective. If you think of a good day as a day you sold a home, then even if you're a great agent selling 40 homes a year then that's 216 bad days.

In this business, the quicker you learn to get out of your comfort zone, the faster you're going to be successful.

Sarah's daughter requested a Stanley cup for Christmas. She could not find the color or right design anywhere, so she turned to social media. Responses poured in suggesting where to look and she started getting texts from people in stores offering to buy the right one. It was shocking how far this one post spread. We all have a village around us ready to jump in. Don't forget that and don't forget to also support your village.