It’s hard to believe that we’re already in the month of December. With only a couple weeks left of 2021, the next thing you know we’ll be kicking off New Year’s Resolutions and setting our 2022 business goals in stone!
But, first…
With the holiday season in full swing, it can be quite tempting to grab a cup of eggnog, kick back, and take these last few weeks of the year off work. After all, as a real estate entrepreneur, you’re your own boss, so you can do that… Right?
Well, before you close your laptop for the rest of the year, you might want to read this first…
Yes, some real estate investors and agents decide to take it easy in December and pick things back up in January. Some even set everything aside to take a full month of vacation.
But, they’re missing out on one of the most important months of the year for real estate investors.
Why is December one of the most important months of the year, you ask?
Great question!
Why Real Estate Investors Should Keep Marketing and Following-Up In December.
When it comes to real estate investing specifically, here are some BIG reasons why December’s an important month for real estate entrepreneurs to stay on top of their marketing and sales tasks…
- This is the season where distressed sellers need to hear from you the most!
- While your competitors are sipping on hot cocoa and taking the holidays off, YOU could be seizing the opportunity to build important and valuable relationships with sellers throughout the final few weeks of the 2021 holiday season.
- Building connections with sellers who plan to sell their homes in 2022 will set you up for a strong and successful new year.
In addition to these reasons, it’s important to also remember that December is the FINAL month for you to make deductible business expenses towards the 2021 tax year.*
(*This is not tax advice. You should consult your tax advisor for advice on whether investing in additional marketing or other business improvements in December could help you save money on your 2021 business taxes.)
When it comes to this time of the year, it’s important to remember that…
The Holidays Aren't The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year For Everyone…
While most people are celebrating the holidays with their family and friends, a percentage of the homeowners in your neighborhood are likely in distress this holiday season…
Instead of celebrating, some of these homeowners are worrying about how they’ll be able to pay for their next mortgage payment or utility bill. Many of them are haunted by the idea of a potential foreclosure looming in their future, or a bankruptcy.
Some of your neighbors may be going through stressful life situations like a messy divorce, or grieving the loss of a loved one and trying to figure out what to do with the home they inherited or shared together.
Regardless of the reason why they’re in distress…
Real Estate Investors Can Offer Distressed Homeowners A Silver Lining During The Holiday Season.
Distressed sellers who are dealing with the heavy weight of the holiday season, along with the expenses that come with it, could be in great need of a silver lining to brighten up their day. And as a real estate investor—you might just be the person who can offer it to them…
Time and time again we hear from real estate investors who persistently followed up with sellers on their lists for several months—sometimes even for a whole year—only to finally connect with them in the middle of the holiday season when those homeowners needed them the most.
Your ability to offer distressed sellers on your list an alternative solution that enables them to avoid foreclosure could be the news they need to hear over the holidays.
Not only is December a time to connect with sellers who are in distress, it’s also a time where opportunities for giving to those in need can present themselves…
In an interview last year with one of our Done-For-You Services Members, Tyler Amburn shared with us about one winter season when he had the opportunity to help an elderly neighbor who was in distress and living without heat because she couldn’t afford to fix her heater. It had gotten so bad that she had been sleeping on a couch that she moved next to her stove in an attempt to get warm at night.
Upon learning that this elderly homeowner had no working heat in her home, and also having seen that there was freezing weather in the forecast that evening, Tyler and his wife quickly ran to the nearest hardware store to purchase a heater to help keep her warm.
Talk about a silver lining!
Had Tyler not been consistently following up with the sellers on his distressed properties list all year long (including over the holidays), he may have never had the opportunity to meet this neighbor or learn about their need.
But, thankfully consistency has always been important to Tyler. And because of his dedication to consistently following up with his potential sellers, and his willingness to ask questions and get to know their needs, Tyler had this unique opportunity to serve his neighbor in need, both by providing her with a heater, and by purchasing her home a little while later when she had the opportunity to move in with her daughter.
(To learn more about Tyler’s story and his experience in building a successful real estate investing business out of Dallas, Texas, you can read his member spotlight here.)
There’s so much value that a real estate investor can bring to the community… It’s the people who you get to help avoid foreclosures, or bankruptcies, or offload a home of a loved one who passed away that makes all of the difference. We really are in this industry to help people. Sure, we want to make a healthy profit along the way. But, it’s the little things that we’re able to do for people that count.
~ Tyler Amburn Shares in his RealEstateInvestor.com Member Highlight
Why Make The Most Of December As A Real Estate Investor?
Real estate investors have the opportunity to be hometown heroes on a regular basis. What you do absolutely matters and can make a difference.
On top of being able to help distressed sellers in their time of need, December also offers you the opportunity to build positive connections with sellers who are thinking of selling their home in 2022…
Surveys show that the majority of Americans tend to be more happy during the holiday season, as well as more giving, and even more patient.
These positive attributes are yet another reason why December’s a great time to reach out to prospective sellers, connecting with them through various channels including direct mail, all while they’re in a festive holly jolly mood.
So, while the opportunity to take a few weeks off to relax and sip eggnog or hot cocoa over the holidays may seem enticing, building a solid pipeline of strong prospective seller leads that will help you start 2022 out strong may be the smartest business move you’ll make all year. (Above outsourcing some of those tasks that you’re still trying to do all by yourself, that is.)
