It’s that time of year again! You’ve been thinking about how you want to make the next year better than the last - not only in your personal life, but also in your business life. Your New Year’s resolutions probably include setting goals, learning from your past and setting yourself and your business up for success, but did you remember to add these items to the list?

Don't forget! Add these 8 New Year’s resolutions to your 2016 list:

As a Real Estate agent it’s necessary to be able to handle rejection with clients, so you can continue growing your business in a professional manner. While you can’t control every aspect of your career and avoid rejection all together, you can control your interactions with your clients to make the most of any situation. It can be difficult to gain the trust if personalities don’t click right away, but you can improve your business interactions by learning from past mistakes.

Improve your business interactions by:

Yes, it’s that time again where we assess the past year and begin to plan out what we’d like to accomplish in the New Year. 2016 is right around the corner, so if you haven't alredy, now’s the time to evaluate what worked and what didn’t work for your real estate business in 2015.

Of course, creating a strong business plan to help you stay on top of your goals is a must - but also take new and trending marketing tactics into account to keep you ahead of the market and on top of your game.

Real Estate marketing strategies for 2016:

You’re more inclined to shop around in a store if it's well lit, clean and tidy - right?  Well, same goes for potential home buyers at an open house. Staging presents a home in the best light, so that it appeals to as many prospective buyers as possible.  

Professional real estate staging services can certainly boost the selling price of a home, but they are not always cost-friendly. For some homes, especially more modest residences, agents need to assess the ROI of staging to determine whether or not it's cost effective. Save yourself some money and DIY - do it yourself! Of course, you should always make sure the home is decluttered, and depersonalized, but also keep these 3 essential steps in mind when you stage a home yourself.

Use these 3 Essential DIY Staging Tips: 

According to recent NAR statistics, independent brokerages are acquiring agents faster than franchise agencies. While the number of independent brokerages has always been greater than the franchise agencies, franchise companies have enjoyed years of growth as agents flocked to the “brand name” companies. Now, the tide has turned, and the majority of U.S. based real estate agents are working with independent brokers. 

Key benefits of working for independent firms: