Generating your own business as a real estate agent can be the path to profits and income. So, today, I’m laying out a six-step plan to help you be more intentional about the business you’re generating.
Every agent dreams of creating their own business because when you do, you’re not losing money to referral fees, and you’re maximizing your network‘s potential. Plus, we know 65% of sellers list because of proximity.
There are countless reasons why generating your own business makes so much sense, but the real challenge is in the implementation. That’s where most agents get stuck. Everything I’m about to share is highly actionable, so you can start putting these strategies into practice right after you finish reading—or watching the video below.
Read on for the six-point plan. I’ve also included a bonus at the end that you’ll want to read so you can implement this at a high level.
Step 1: Build Out Your Database.
Make sure you have emails, phone numbers, and addresses for all the people you actually know, whether it’s your:
- Dry cleaner
- Hairdresser
- Accountant
- Parents’ friends
- Spouse’s friends
- Neighbors, etc.
If you live in a community, take the time to sit down and map this all out to create a database you can effectively market to. And it all starts with one simple tool: your cell phone.
Once you’ve done that, you’ve got your target audience. You can’t market to people you don’t know exist.
Marketing to your database only works if you’re constantly adding new contacts and updating it to keep it fresh and relevant. This is a critical step most agents overlook. Or they’ll claim they “don’t know anyone,” which is total nonsense. You’ve got people in your phone contacts, your neighborhood, and all over your social media.
You have more connections in the marketplace than you realize—you just need to leverage them.
Step 2: Get Clear on the Numbers.
When I talk about numbers, I mean the key metrics you need to focus on to effectively market to your database—the foundation of your plan. And this plan revolves around consistent daily and weekly conversations with your database.
In other words, how many people will you be talking to daily and weekly?
My number is a minimum of five a day. I need to connect with at least five people in my sphere every day to know that I’m working it properly.
These aren’t just quick, transactional chats like, “So, where are you planning on moving?” No, these are deeper, more meaningful conversations. You’re asking pre-qualifying questions. You’re talking about their family, their work, what they do for fun—you’re using that F.O.R.D. (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams) script to genuinely engage.
So, that’s number two: commit to a daily and weekly schedule around conversations with your sphere. But don’t stop there. Consider these two additional numbers:
- How many CMAs are you going to prepare each week for the people in your database?
- How many sales do you want each year from your sphere and your database?
Tom Ferry and I once ran a CMA-a-Day campaign, which was all about providing real value. Not everyone in your database will be ready to transact right now, but you can still offer them valuable insights with a personal touch.
So, you’ve got your daily and weekly conversations, your commitment to weekly CMAs, and finally, your annual sales goal from your sphere and database. These are your targets, your lead and lag indicators: the number of conversations, the CMAs (whether delivered via video or in-person), and the sales you aim to achieve because of these efforts.
Now, you’ve got steps one and two laid out. Let’s keep building from here.
Step 3: Answer These Questions
Now, ask yourself: Do you plan on sending direct mail to your database? And, if so, how often?
Will it be once a month? Twice a month? Every three weeks? You need to make that call. The key is to create a consistent schedule that keeps you top of mind without overwhelming your audience. These are all extra touchpoints.
But direct mail isn’t the only tool at your disposal. Consider adding a video element—at least once a month—where you share what’s happening in the market. This adds another valuable touchpoint that helps you stay connected.
So, what’s your plan? If you decide to send direct mail, set a regular schedule. It’s simple enough to implement. Then, decide if you’ll film a monthly “How’s the Market?” video email. This is an easy way to provide value. Just pull the latest stats from your local MLS, talk about what’s happening in the market, and share the same information you’d naturally discuss with your clients.
That’s step three: Determine if you’re going to send direct mail, and commit to getting on video. My advice? Do both. They’re powerful ways to build out your plan and strengthen your presence in your market.
Step 4: Create Your Social Media Plan
Next up, we’ve got some social media commitments. That’s step number four.
If you’re serious about leveraging social media, start by answering a few key questions:
- How many of your weekly posts will be business-related?
- How many will be personal?
- How much time will you dedicate to engaging with your audience?
By engagement, I mean actively getting into people’s comments, liking their posts, and genuinely interacting with them. This isn’t something you do on the fly—you need to block out a specific time in your calendar each day for social media interaction.
Aim for at least 10 meaningful comments a day with high-value targets—people you want to do business with. Think attorneys, accountants, community influencers, the president of the Parent Teacher Association—folks who are well-connected in your area. You know what I’m talking about.
And if you’re stuck thinking, “I don’t know what to post,” start simple. Aim for one business post and one personal post per week. Then, gradually ramp it up—maybe two of each per week. Mix in videos, static posts, whatever feels right for you. I’m not going to dive into the content specifics here because, right now, it’s all about creating the plan.
Consistency is key, so lock down your social media strategy and stick with it.
Step 5: Create Your Time Blocks
Now it’s time to get all of this into your calendar. You need to block off specific times for each of these activities to ensure they actually happen. Here’s are the time blocks to schedule:
- CMA Prep and Execution: Set aside time for preparing the information, executing the CMAs, filming if you’re doing a video, or putting together the mail packages—whatever your process involves.
- Social Media Posts and Interactions: We covered this in step four, but make sure you have dedicated blocks for creating content and engaging with your audience.
- Sending and Prepping Emails: Schedule time to prep and send emails, including your monthly “How’s the market?” video and any client events you’re planning. Have your email lists and content ready to go in advance.
- Daily Sphere and Database Calls: Make sure there’s time blocked out every day for calls to your sphere and database.
Put all of this in your calendar, because we both know if it’s not scheduled, it’s not happening. Time blocking is your roadmap for consistency and productivity.
Step 6: Set Up a Weekly Content Drop
Now, it’s time to plan your weekly content drop. This includes emails, business posts, and videos. The question is: what does your content creation schedule look like?
So, what is your content creation schedule? There are tons of great places where you can get email templates to customize for your database, whether it’s BAM in a Box or Listing Leads or something similar.
Email marketing will work because you’re delivering value. You could talk about—
- The upcoming Federal Reserve meeting
- Interest rates
- What the election could mean for the housing market
As real estate agents, we deal with these kinds of topics regularly. Use them as opportunities to educate your audience. A consistent weekly email to your database that delivers value can make a big difference.
So, make sure you’re dropping content every week that keeps your name top of mind, provides valuable insights, and strengthens your position as a trusted expert in your market.
That’s just how it works. You’ve got to determine what your content drop will be on a weekly basis so you’re providing value to these people. Then once they open the emails, the calls get a lot easier. They’re more well received. People like what they hear.
That’s the six-point plan.
Bonus Tip: Get a Calendar—and Use It
The bonus is this: Get a calendar. I’m talking about the one that has all 30 or 31 days (28 if you’re in February).
You can have Google generate this for you in a Google Doc and say, “Please generate 12 months of calendar, starting today and running through the next 12 months.”
Then, you put the following in your calendar—
- When you’re prepping the CMAs
- When you’re emailing the newsletter
- When you’re emailing the content drop that you get every week
- When you’re posting on social media
You put all that in your calendar, and then you know what you’re supposed to be doing every day. It’s really simple and it’s looking you right in the face. Go to your time block when you’re working on your self-generated business, and you execute based on the calendar.
This may all sound elementary. But this is what high level operators and high achievers do. Because implementation is the gap in real estate—and the more you can implement, the better.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. Done beats perfect every time. Because you’ve got to do it all on a regular basis, day after day, week after week.
And the best time to start, if you haven’t already, is today.
