2012 is just around the corner. Most agents are in a lull or winding down real estate activity in anticipation of a slow period during the holidays. What a big mistake! 2012 is likely to bring lots of surprises for realtors. One thing is for sure, it won’t be a year to be “reacting” to changes in the market.

Agents that aren’t pro-active beginning right now, are likely to be left far behind next year. For example, most agents don’t realize that it will probably be much more difficult to get listings in 2012. That means agents that are sitting back now will be trying to build momentum when the competition is most fierce. Keep in mind, that many agents will do anything to stay alive, even if it means promising more than they can deliver or cutting commissions. This situation could spell real trouble to agents that aren’t pro-active.

So, what’s the solution. It’s simple:

Rule #1- GET LISTINGS NOW!

Rule #2- GET E-MAIL ADDRESSES EVERY DAY!

Why are these two rules to live by beginning right now? Because listings will drive business in 2012 for two reasons:

1-      Listings will be selling again. If you have them, you’re pretty much guaranteed to make money because most will sell.

2-      If you want to have a high conversion rate with buyers, carry a good listing inventory. The best buyers will come from your listings. They’ll call in on signs, come to your open houses, and send responses via the internet.

And, what’s the best way for most agents to get listings? There are lots of answers, but let’s pretend you didn’t know many people and were new to the area. Here are 5 strategies to begin immediately:

1. Farm Canvassing– Pick an area with good activity and go door-to-door with a realtor friend every Saturday morning from 9:00-12:00. Let residents know that your company has sold a number of homes in the area and still has lots of buyers they working with. Ask them if they know anyone that is thinking about moving.
2. Call everyone that you know– Let them know you’re growing your business in anticipation of a very good year in real estate and wondered if they would be willing to help. If they don’t know anyone that’s moving, get their e-mail address and start the 24 touch campaign with them.
3. Work Open Houses– Pick the most active or most desirable home that is listed by you or another agent in your company and have an open house every weekend on both Saturday and Sunday.
4. B-2-B (Business-to-Business) Canvassing– Walk into any establishment or small business by visiting office buildings or retail shops. Introduce yourself to the proprietors and offer to share valuable real estate trend information with them via e-mail. Be sure to remind them that the real estate recovery will have a direct impact on their business.
5. Expired and Withdrawn Listings– Prepare a list of all sellers that took their homes off the market over the past year and didn’t re-list or sell. Go door-to-door with a realtor friend late in the afternoon or on Saturdays and ask the owner if they have decided to wait until the market gets better. Get an appointment or offer to share information with them for planning purposes.

Notice that all 5 of the above approaches requires either face-to-face or phone contact. If you don’t have lots of money to spend on a direct mail campaign, you must maximize the number of face-to-face or phone contacts you make every day. A good rule of thumb: “If you make 100 contacts, you will get 1-2 clients.” Another good rule of thumb: If you wait around for people to contact you, you’ll go bankrupt. Your decision should be obvious.