1. Creating a vision and a plan for your
best year yet in real estate
Workshop #1 – Business Planning Series
December 11th, 2012

2. Zig Ziglar
Your business is never really good or bad
"out there“ - your business is either
good or bad right between your own two
ears.

3. Hobby or Vocation?
Do you look at real estate as a job, or
as your business?
This workshop is designed to point
you in the direction of becoming a
small business owner. Not just a
Realtor!

4. Today’s Agenda
 Why do I need a business plan?
 What components should a business plan
include?
 Practical Business Planning Tools
 Top 6 business planning mistakes to avoid
 Q&A

5. 2013 Planning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embed
ded&v=yZcWganuNrY
Tom Ferry -> Great inspirational content on YouTube!

6. Why Do We Need a Plan?
 “He who fails to plan, plans to fail”
 Set goals and establish milestones
 Set boundaries around work time & energy
 Set time aside for family, vacation, and personal life
 Determine your financial needs, goals and budget
 Focus your efforts – work less, make more
 Reposition your business to deal with changing
markets
 Create a business you can ultimately SELL

7. What Really Matters to You?
Family
Health
Friends
Wealth/Finances
Business/Career
Travel
Spiritual/Religious
Personal Enrichment
Fun
This is YOUR business plan – work in every aspect of your
life. This is the beauty of self employment!

8. What Should My Business Plan Include?
 Mission statement
 Transactional goals for the year
 Lead generation goals
 Marketing plan for each month
 Business budget
 Personal budget
 Staffing / Team Goals
 Professional development, education, coaching
 Personal goals

9. Mission Statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a
company, organization or person; its reason for
existing.
The mission statement should guide the actions of the
organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a
path, and guide decision-making. It provides the
framework or context within which the company's
strategies are formulated.

11. Transactional Goals

12. Transaction Summary
 Average Sales Price:
 My Average Commission Rate:
 Average commission per transaction:
 Volume:
 Number of transactions needed to meet annual goals:
 Listing to Buyer Ratio
 Total annual gross commissions:
 Total adjusted gross commission after broker split:
 Number of referrals needed to meet goal:
 Percentage of business from referrals:
 Notes Written:
 Calls Made:
 Pop-By’s:
 Client Parties/Events:
 Database Additions:

13. How am I going to meet
my transaction goals?

14. Set SPECIFIC Lead
Generation Goals!

15. Traditional Lead Generation
 Postcards
 Geographic Farm
 Website
 Open Houses
 Cold Calls
 Floor Duty
 Internet Leads
 Door Knocking
Set specific goals – which of these actions are you going to
take? How often? Schedule them into your days, week and
month.

16. Social Media
 Random social media usage will NOT make you
money – it will just suck up your time.
 Choose one form of social media you’re most
comfortable with or the most interested in, and spend
time just on that. Once you’ve mastered it, move on to
the next.
 You do not need to be a Facebook user to be successful
in real estate. If social media isn’t your thing – don’t
waste time on it – spend your valuable time on forms
of lead generation that make you money!

17. Social Media Best Practices
 Personal Facebook – pepper in real estate content, but don’t
dominate your sharing with business. Keep it to 10% of your
sharing so no one hides you!
 Business Facebook Page – you must commit to updating it
once a day. Best to wait to create a Page until you’ve mastered
your personal Facebook profile skills.
 Twitter – a great way to gather real estate news & helpful
neighborhood tidbits, and disseminate them to your
database.
 LinkedIn – ask your clients for testimonials! Very powerful.
 Pinterest – create a board for your latest listing with beautiful
photos. Show your seller clients that you’re going the extra
mile to promote their home.

18. Referral Lead Generation
 Create or update your current database
 Target the people who have already given you referrals
(A and A+ clients)
 Call past, current and potential clients and ASK for a
referral!
 Host a client appreciation party
 Send birthday cards, thank you notes, and personal
notes – check their Facebook for ideas
 Stop by a past client or referral source’s home or office
with a small gift – also known as a “Pop By”

19. Pop-By Ideas
http://www.popbyideas.com
 Coffee Syrup (like Egg Nog or Peppermint)- “Wishing you
a warm and wonderful Christmas!”
 Wrapping Paper, Tape, Bows, Gift Tags - “Don’t get
wrapped up with holiday stress. Stick with me for all of your
real estate needs!”
 Wire Whisk w/ Decorative Bag of Hershey’s Kisses -
“We ‘whisk’ you a Merry ‘Kiss’mas and a Happy New Year!”
 Holiday Candle - “Don’t keep your friends and family in
the dark about me! I’ll provide the ‘light’ they need to make
the right home decisions!”

20. Plan Your Client Contact
How do your clients prefer to be contacted?

21. Include:
Notes
Calls
Pop-By’s
Events
Mailings
E-newsletters
Seminars

22. Business Budget

23. Business Budget Tips
 Determine how often you want to budget (once a
week, month or quarter) – start with something
reasonable, and commit to it.
 Determine your current expenses and
track, track, track
 Make cuts at HOME before the business
 There are countless tools to track your money –
software, iPhone apps, spreadsheets, pen & paper!
 You must be willing to invest in yourself and your
business in order to be successful in this industry

24. Personal Budget

25. Personal Finance Tips
 Separate your business & personal accounts
 Put yourself on a salary
 Talk to an accountant about the pros & cons of
becoming an LLC or S Corporation
 An accountant will be leading our February 12th
workshop – mark your calendar and come with
questions prepared!
 Dave Ramsey ~ Financial Peace University
 http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/
 9 week course
 Cost is $95

26. Staffing
 Do you need HELP?
 Part time or full time assistant
 Virtual assistant
 Showing agent
 What would it be like to have X off of my plate?
 What can I budget on a monthly basis to
delegate the most time-consuming
administrative tasks?

27. Team Goals
 Are you trying to build a team?
 What type of team members are you looking for?
 Experience level
 Personality type
 What are your 1, 3, and 5 year goals for your team?
 What you PLAN for is much more likely to happen

28. Professional Development
 Coaching – Buffini, Mike Ferry, Tom Ferry
 Continuing Education – when are you due?
 Certifications – GRI, ABR, etc.
 Accountability Partners
 Seminars & Events – Buffini Turning Point highly
recommended! Richmond & Philly in 2013.
 Networking with local agents – brokers opens, price
opinions
 Real Estate Mastermind Workshops – commit for all of
2013!

29. Personal Goal Setting
 Work-Life Balance
 How many days a week do I want to be available to
clients?
 How many evenings do I want to work?
 Which days (or pieces of each day) do I want to
purposely schedule off for personal/family/spiritual
time?
 How many vacations do I want to take a year?
 Plan with CONCRETE numbers
 “What you expect, expands”

30. Personal Goal Setting Tips
 Most important: write them down!
 Read your goals every day
 Post them somewhere conspicuous
 Find your WHY behind the goal – what do you value?
 Break your goals into manageable pieces
 How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
 Journal your progress
 Check in with a business coach, accountability
partner, or your manager -> this piece is crucial
 Celebrate when you achieve each milestone!

31. For Reflection
 What 3 goals do you want to achieve in
2013?
 How will 2013 be your BEST YEAR
EVER?

32. Top 6 Business Plan Mistakes To Avoid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fqkdc1dDy4&li
st=UU3ZAfS1Z3J_Itfy7Rp745cg&index=20

33. Online Business Plan Workshop
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/525273242
Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 12:00pm EST
Today’s the day. It’s time to lay the groundwork for your best year
ever. In this workshop we'll review the 2013 Market Leader Real
Estate Business Plan. This free guide covers the hottest topics in
today’s real estate market, including:
--The most pressing challenges facing agents like you
--What it’s like to be a consumer in today’s online-centric world
--The must-have tools for success in 2013
--Worksheets that offer step-by-step methods strategies for
success
--And more!

34. Discussion Questions
 Do you track your numbers
(transactions, volume, average commission, average
sales price)? What tools do you use to track?
 Have you reviewed where your business comes from?
 Do you set annual goals?

35. Discussion Questions
 Do you display your goals somewhere in your home
or office space?
 How is today’s market different from the market 1-2
years ago? What changes do you think you need to
make for a stronger 2013?

36. This Month’s “Assignment”
Set a goal that you would like to
meet by next month’s workshop
– Tuesday January 8th, 2013!

37. Thank You
Thank you for attending our first
Mastermind Workshop!
Your questions, feedback and topic
requests are encouraged.