A helpful quote

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” That’s a terrific quote from James Clear, an expert on habits and decision-making.

We all have very big goals, but we can’t achieve them without airtight systems that help us on a daily basis. As we head into a new year, this is a perfect opportunity for all of us to take time to evaluate our systems and make sure they’re working for us.

Scroll down to today’s Foundation Plans for some of our tips on how to build systems that work for you.

We want to help you start 2024 with a bang!

- James and David

Mortgage-purchase applications are up 19% since last month, according to Redfin’s latest market update. This stems from falling mortgage rates and a sizable jump in new listings. Here are other key findings from November:

• New listings are up 8% year-over-year, the biggest jump since July 2021

• The total number of homes for sale is still down 5% YoY

• Median days on market is 36 days, down from 39 last year

• The share of homes sold above list price is 26%, up 2% YoY

• The share of homes with a price drop is 5.3%, up 0.4% YoY

As 2023 is winding down, we’d like to offer you three thoughts to help you start the new year with a bang.

Make sure you have your KPIs in place – By now, you should have your business plan for 2024 in place. In addition to having a plan, though, make sure you know your key performance indicators. They may vary depending on what you prioritize. For most agents, we recommend tracking the following three KPIs regarding lead generation: an appointment goal, a conversation goal, and an outreach goal. If you can’t track these metrics, you’ll be flying blind.

Your systems, not your goals, determine your success – “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” That’s from James Clear and he’s absolutely right. It’s not enough to have ambitious goals and it’s not enough to even track whether you’re achieving them or not. You need systems in place to help you achieve your goals. Systems refer to the processes, habits, routines, and consistent actions that we follow regularly to make progress or achieve our goals. While goals provide direction and motivation, it's the systems or the daily habits and actions that truly determine whether we'll achieve those goals. If your systems or daily actions aren't aligned with your goals, you're likely to fall short of achieving them, regardless of how great those goals are.

Host a First-Time Homebuyer/Seller Seminar – We’d like to leave you with a lead generation idea we haven’t shared before. Host a first-time homebuyer or seller seminar in your area. Do this in person or online. There are so many ways to connect with people now. The point is to establish and burnish yourself as a knowledgeable go-to broker in your market while also increasing your base of influence and circle of contacts.

For Blueprint subscribers, the course is 30% for a limited time. If you’d like to take our course to learn how to become the top 1% of your market click here!

That’s a wrap on this edition of The Blueprint!

Even though the holidays are fast approaching, don’t hesitate to message us. Send us a note with your comments, questions, or suggestions. We love hearing from you!

Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you back here on Friday!

- James and David