I would suggest that you work your expired listings. January 1 is one of the biggest days for expired listings. So at 12:05 after you have popped the cork and thrown the confetti, crack open your laptop and pull up the expired listings.
Deliver a package to the expired listing the day it expires, then call. Your letter should have a picture of their property embedded in the letter and how you want to talk to them about marketing their property. If you want a sample of this letter, just email me. The other items in your package could consist of your resume, a sheet of testimonials, a list of all your sales for the year, and copies of some of your advertising.
Other brokers are calling the same time as you are, but how many have delivered a package? Some have. Make yours stand out. Put your package in a plastic bag and hang on their door, or put it in a bag with a design of a home on the front, make sure you have a picture of their home on your letter. You need to make yourself and your marketing stand out from the crowd.
Keep calling to get an appointment. The difference in making this pay off is your follow-up. All you want to do is show the difference between you and the other brokers. Make the sellers the focus of all your presentation materials—not you. Most agents give up after one or two calls.
Should you leave a message on an answering machine? I say YES. Something simple, but that will get their attention. “I noticed that your property is not in the Multiple Listing Service any longer and there is no record that it has sold. I would like to spend just a few minutes telling you about my marketing program so that we both win.” You can get even more creative than this.
What happens when you have no phone number? You need to develop some quick postcards that you can send every other day. Not too much, just a few lines about how it is important that the seller get the best representation, etc. If you want some samples, just email me. Most agents don’t even start to work on these sellers if they have no phone number. You will definitely be noticed this way.