While Everyone Else Is Eating Leftovers, Map Out Your 2026 Content Strategy

I’m guessing you’re sitting on the couch in your PJs with Christmas cookies nearby. Am I right.

Here’s the thing. This pause between Christmas and New Year’s. This is a strange little present. It’s a respite. Your phone is silent. Your clients are silent. And you’re not being pulled in a thousand different directions for showings and negotiations and “quick” questions that never are.

Think about this. If you use this week well, January feels different. Not frantic. Not behind. Not that lovely “I should be doing more” guilt that pops up on cue.

I’m not asking you to listen for the trend of the next three months and try to be the next big thing on TikTok. I’m asking you to lay the groundwork so that people, when they are actually ready to make a move in 2026, find you. Not the agent who hopped on the trend. The agent who answered the actual questions.

Reality check time. Today is Sunday, December 28, 2025. You’ve got a couple of chill days left before January hits the gas pedal. We should use these days.

The Reality of Content That Converts

Viral dance challenges are exciting. Viral audios are exciting too. It could even give you some views.

But opinions do not close sales. Closings do.

When a person is ready to buy or sell, they don’t look for “agent who nailed the trend.” They search for things such as:

• “How much does it cost to sell a house in [Your City]?”
• “Do I need an inspection for new construction?”
• “Pre-qualified vs pre-approved.”
• “Sell now or wait until spring.”
• “How much down payment do I really need?”

Your content needs to be present when they’re searching. Not entertaining. Useful.

Plan 2026 is not presence on the world wide web. Plan 2026 is presence where it counts.

Why This Week Matters

Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials. This is a quiet week. We both know it. The market knows it.

And that is exactly why it is valuable. You have the time now that January will never offer. Because January is where everyone comes flooding in, trying to grab every listing and every buyer in sight. Suddenly they don’t have time to plan anything.

So let’s use this week as the foundation. Not for perfect content. For consistent content that truly serves people.

Five Things to Do This Week Before January 1, 2026

Low-cost. High-impact. No magic necessary. Just a laptop, some focus, and perhaps a cookie or two.

1) Create Your “Real Questions” List (Do This Today)

Pick up your phone and open up Notes. Or begin a Google Doc. Or open a simple Google Sheet.

Set a 20-minute timer. Now list all the actual questions that were asked of you in 2025. Take a journey in time through transactions, open houses, DMs, phone calls, holiday party encounters, and all the random “Hey Jerry” chats in the grocery aisle.

Examples:

• “What is the difference between pre-qualified and pre-approved.”
• “Do I need an inspection for new construction.”
• “Should I sell now or wait until spring.”
• “How much do I need for a down payment.”
• “What does ‘as-is’ really mean in 2026.”

How this works. These are not just ideas for content. These are the anxiety points of the buyer and the seller. By answering these questions, you build trust.

By Wednesday, December 31, 2025. At least 20 real questions.

Tech tip. To expedite this, you can put your list into ChatGPT and type. “Group these by theme. Recommend 5 per theme. Please confine it to [your city].”

2) Set Up Google Alerts (Do This Right Now)

Now, go to google.com/alerts and create some alerts that are of interest to your clients.

Start with:

• “[Your City] real estate”
• “[Your City] housing market”
• “New construction [Your City]”
• “mortgage rates” or “interest rates”
• “zoning [Your City]” (optional, but powerful)

Five minutes. Done.

Important note. Alerts will not be instant, but they will be regular. When something happens in 2026, you will hear about it sooner. More importantly, you will see a steady stream of “here’s what this means for buyers and sellers” topics.

By Monday, December 29, 2025. Have 4 to 5 alerts running.

3) Mine Google for What People Are Searching (Perfect for a Lazy Afternoon)

Make some coffee or eggnog, for example.

Next, Google this phrase. “how to buy a home in [your city].”

Then do these three things:

1. Take a look at autocomplete. Those are searches from real people.
2. Scroll down to “People Also Ask.” Screenshot the questions.
3. Scroll down to related searches. More free topic ideas.

Need more ammo. Consider using tools with free levels:

• AnswerThePublic for question variations
• Google Trends to determine if there is growing or declining interest
• AlsoAsked to find topics that form good blog series

By Tuesday, December 30, 2025. Choose 10 searchable questions. These are your first 10 January topics.

Tech tip. If you have a website, check Google Search Console. It will literally show you queries that already send people to your website. That is like finding loose change in the couch cushions, but for geeks.

4) Audit One Old Post Per Day and Refresh It

Go look at your 2024 or early 2025 posts. Find ones that answered strong questions but might include information that is now outdated. Rates, programs, market stats, inventory, timelines, and even local regulations.

Then do a simple refresh:

• Update the stats and references.
• Incorporate an additional paragraph that reflects the current marketplace.
• Include a short FAQ section at the end.
• If a more specific title exists, update the title.

One post per day. Just one.

By Thursday, January 1, 2026. Have 4 refreshed posts scheduled for January.

Bonus move. Turn each refreshed post into:

• one Reel script
• one email tip
• three social posts

Same idea. Multiple formats. This is how you win without burning out.

5) Make One “Useful” Video on New Year’s Eve

On Wednesday, December 31, 2025, while all the partying happens, record a quick video answering your top question of 2025.

Keep it to 90 seconds. Simple camera work. Not a studio. You, your cell phone, and the answer.

By Thursday, January 1, 2026. Record and have ready to publish one video.

Then on Friday, January 2, 2026, while everyone else is posting “New Year, New Me,” you post value.

Simple script:

• “I get asked this all the time.”
• State the question in one sentence.
• Answer in 2 to 3 points.
• Close with. “If you want help with your specific situation in [your city], message me.”

The Real Opportunity This Week

I understand. A rest for the holidays is well earned. Take it.

However, if you can carve out 3 to 4 hours between December 28, 2025 and January 1, 2026, you can lay the foundation for the whole year.

Picture beginning January with:

• a bank of real questions to answer
• alerts feeding you market topics
• refreshed posts scheduled and ready
• one useful video already recorded

While other agents are scrambling, you’ll come across organized, unflappable, and helpful. Like the person to whom six figures are entrusted.

Finish 2025 Strong, Start 2026 Stronger

It’s a quiet week, and that’s a beautiful thing. Yes, binge watch. Yes, enjoy the leftovers. But take a couple of hours to be the resource that matters most in your market. Not the funniest. Not the most viral. The most helpful.

In 2026, when buyers and sellers search for solutions, your content will be right there with them. Work a little this week. Your March closings can be traced back to groundwork you laid in December.

Who knows. You could be starting off 2026 ahead of the game instead of being behind it.

Next, do this. Choose one of the five tasks and get started today. Finish strong.