13 Hacks to Help You Slay 2024

Real Estate and Relocation professionals, as we prepare for the many unknowns of 2024, I believe it is healthy to look to the past. What this industry has accomplished in the last three years is remarkable. Guiding customers through the home buying and selling process during a worldwide pandemic is nothing to sneeze at. Helping transferees who couldn’t view a home before buying and working with sellers who didn’t want anyone in their home forced us to be creative in ways we never imagined while keeping everyone’s safety in mind.

But as quickly as we had to face those challenges, another round of a different kind came our way. As interest rates shot up, customers hesitated. Corporations rethought relocation with employees demanding to continue with their remote work options. Home prices continue to be out of reach for many. The commission lawsuits will likely change how we do business forever, and it may take years to sort it all out. And it is unknown how it will ultimately affect how relocation transactions are handled.

We lived through it, and frankly, I think these challenges jolted many of us out of our comfortable day-to-day robotic performance. While we had to make hard decisions, change how we did things, and make cuts along the way, relocation professionals still held a positive outlook for the most part. I think the word that represents industry professionals is resilient. Everyone should be so proud of how we maneuvered through these landmines.

Be fierce like a dragon.

The 2024 Lunar New Year is the Year of the Dragon. Those born in the Year of the Dragon are said to be strong, successful, honorable, courageous, and fortunate. We should all be so lucky. It's too bad there is no evidence that dragons ever actually existed. Hollywood and authors have done such a great job of building their image in our minds that even though we have never seen a real dragon, the minute someone uses the word, we can picture a dragon. They can be perceived as threatening and dangerous. Kind of like 2024. But they are an amazing weapon when their power is harnessed (think Game of Thrones). So we can be eaten up by it or use it to our benefit.

As 2024 roars into view, I challenge you to think about how we can rise above the noise and be fierce like a dragon. It means looking in the rearview mirror only long enough to learn where we have been to strategize where we need to go. If we harness the energy of 2024, we can use it to our benefit. While others cower in fear, we can step up.

Here are 13 hacks to get you started in the new year.

1. Learn to say no. And don’t feel like you need to apologize for it. Time management is critical to move yourself forward. Try time blocking, it really does work. Staying focused on one task at a time can save your sanity.
2. Do a ‘What If’ exercise. Based on various possible events, consider all the things (good and bad) that might happen in your company, department, and industry. Have a plan you hopefully won’t need.
3. Set some goals, even if they are small; they can be personal or professional. Outlining a strategic plan keeps you on track. Share the goals with someone to help hold you accountable. And take care of yourself and your physical and mental health. We have nothing without that.
4. Creating a balance between local and national activities is key. If your local leadership wants you to spend an inordinate amount of time in the field visiting branches, you must educate them on the importance of your national and local business development efforts, which may suffer if there isn’t a balance.
5. Sort your emails by priority. There are only so many hours in the day, and immediately replying to every agent who thinks they want to be on the relocation team may not be a high priority. Managing your email volume is critical. Every entity trying to sell you something you don’t need should be unsubscribed or blocked.
6. Make a ‘Read Later’ folder for industry news or newsletters (like mine ??), and then set aside time daily to stay updated and read them. Staying up on the industry news for your clients is more critical than ever. You want to be a source of reliable information for them.
7. Focus on delegation where you can. We like to get in our heads that we are the only one that can do certain things. Delegating helps others grow and gives us relief.
8. Set aside some time every day for social media to engage with other brokers, agents, and business sources. It is the best free marketing we can do. Try to do at least one original post every few days. It is likely that your company has great content you can reshare. Be authentic and engaged. Comment on posts with at least four words.
9. Think about your industry involvement. What will give you the biggest exposure and the best educational opportunities? Where is the best return on your efforts? Then, get involved.
10. How can you tap into existing resources to give you additional support? Interns, shared employees, outsourcing, etc. Make the most of the little you have. Use the available tools that are free or available through your software or apps to help with efficiency. Don’t be scared of AI.
11. Rethink your marketing efforts. Taking our sources of business for granted is dangerous, and not going after new sources is even more dangerous. Know that someone is always out there trying to take your share of the business. We must backfill the business that has gone away with new and different sources. Think big and look at sources you never imagined before.
12. Lean on your colleagues. Acknowledge how you are feeling with trusted industry associates. Spend time with those who lift you up and ditch the people who bring negative energy. Running a department can be lonely; seek out those who understand your challenges. We have such a giving industry with so many people ready to lend support and advice. Make sure to express gratitude to those who support you along the way. A handwritten note goes a long way.
13. Bonus tip: You must let people know the value you bring to the company, the industry, and them. You’re awesome. Make sure they know it! Let me know how I can help you this year! www.teresahowe.com