Will you be attending Christmas and New Year’s parties? Then it’s time to polish your elevator speech, because you may be meeting people who ask “What do you do?”
Remember to keep your elevator speech short, sweet, and detailed.
Please don’t say “I sell real estate.” Instead, tell them who you help and where you do it. For instance:
- I help first time buyers find and finance just the right home in Southwest Bigtown.
- I market high-end homes to bring top prices for homeowners on Lake Beautiful.
- I assist estate executors in Mytown who need to sell homes in probate.
Then… polish your elevator speech by embellishing just a bit to show that you love what you do. For instance:
- I help first time buyers find and finance just the right home in Southwest Bigtown. I love helping them find homes they can afford that fit their current lifestyle and that will have resale value when they’re ready to move up. It’s a real thrill to hand a young person the keys to their first house.
- I market high-end homes to bring top prices for homeowners on Lake Beautiful. I love discovering each home’s unique benefits and creating the marketing materials to attract the right buyers. Of course I also enjoy spending so much time at Lake Beautiful!
- I assist estate executors in Mytown who need to sell homes in probate. I keep an extensive list of vendors who can help with everything from estate sales to cleaning, and I take pride in helping manage those tasks to ease their burdens. I also take pride in marketing well to bring the estates the highest possible price.
Once you’ve delivered your polished elevator speech, turn the conversation back to the other person.
I promise you – nothing will get you remembered as an interesting, good conversationalist (and a truly nice person) more than asking questions and showing genuine interest in other people’s answers.
If they express an interest in real estate, offer to send them your market reports – or meet with them if they’re really eager.
At the same time, see if there’s some way you can help them in their business.
Other year-end real estate reminders…
Check in with your most important past clients and members of your sphere of influence.
You know – those folks who love sending you referrals and who call you every time they need an agent.
- Drop by with a small gift.
- Call on the phone.
- Send a card with a personal message.
- Meet for coffee, cocktails, lunch or dinner
Be careful to save all of your receipts.
With taxes rising, it is more important than ever to keep track of every deductible expenditure. From small gifts to 
restaurant tabs (and tips) it all adds up.
To see how much you’ll save on taxes for every $100 you can deduct, click here.
Purchase things you’ll need in early 2022.
Yes, those things will (probably) still be deductible next year, but the time value of money says it’s better to save now rather than later. So before midnight on December 31:
- Check and replenish your office supplies.
- Replace outdated equipment.
- Purchase your prospecting letters for 2022 marketing.
- Put down a deposit on a new agent bio, custom prospecting letters, website creation, or web content.
Also important: take time for gratitude
Being thankful for all the good things in your life is important – for your health, your mental and emotional well-being, and even your financial future.
So take time to be thankful. Remember to put the people you love at the top of the list – and tell them that they top your list!
Taxes graphic courtesy of Stuart Miles @ freedigitalphotos.net
Merry Christmas