As 2016 draws to a close I hope that you are thinking about ways to find more business in 2017. I often hear agents talking about how to get more business and I keep waiting for them to ask me!

So, I wrote this last year (and have updated it for this year) and I’d like you to take a few minutes to check it out! (Since YOU didn’t ask me!)

Here is the gist of the secret to getting more business in 2017: “Find a way to prospect for the people that you want to have as clients that is effective, and that you will do every working day.”  It really is that simple.

The problem that I see that most people are having is coming up with methods that they will actually do.  There is no sense in planning on knocking on doors for two hours a day if you know you hate doing that.  There is no sense in planning on making 100 phone calls a day if you know that you can’t even make the first call.

Likewise, don’t plan on buying leads or advertising for leads or sending direct mail if you don’t have the cash reserves to sustain a 6 month or more effort.

So what can you do?  As it turns out, there is a wealth of ideas on client acquisition techniques available to you on the internet.

Here are seven websites that (between them) have well over 100 prospecting ideas.  Check them out.  Hopefully there is at least one method that appeals to you, and that you will consistently do every working day.

http://www.realtor.org/field-guides/field-guide-to-farming-and-prospecting: “Developing new leads is crucial to expanding a successful real estate business. In this Field Guide, a wealth of resources are available to you including several toolkits from REALTOR® Magazine Online, relevant articles from various websites, plus books, eBooks, and related Field Guides from Information Services.”

http://www.realtor.com/advice/for-pros/six-powerful-prospecting-tips-to-build-your-business/: “The six-figure sales reps understand the importance of business development and never forget to ask for referrals.”

http://www.marketleader.com/blog/2014/07/23/prospecting-just-do-it-and-heres-how/: “From time to time as a real estate agent, you may hear that you’re a consultant. Don’t fall for it. You’re a salesperson. The only way you are going to make a living in this business is by finding people to sell to.”

http://www.point2.com/blog/2015/09/08/75-marketing-ideas-for-real-estate-agents/:“If you’re looking for real estate marketing tips that will make your job easier, we’ve got you covered! This helpful list includes 75 of our best marketing ideas for real estate lead generation.”

http://www.thereadyagent.com/painless-prospecting-for-clients/: “The more people you can get to use you as their agent, the more money you will make.”

http://real-estate-marketing-articles.agentinnercircle.com/index.php/category/real-estate-prospecting-ideas: “Did you know that over 2/3 of all real estate clients are obtained because they  1) already knew the agent, OR 2) were referred to the agent from a trusted source?”

http://www.zillow.com/agent-resources/news/tips-and-advice/real-estate-prospecting-tactics/: “Real estate prospecting. It’s a BIG part of a real estate professional’s job. After all, no prospecting tends to equal no clients, which tends to make it difficult to shoe the children. Let’s take a look at 7 smart tactics for prospecting, whether online or offline.”

https://realtytechbytes.com/?s=prospecting:  This is a bonus link to all the articles I have previously written on this blog that relate to prospecting.

If you take the time to click on each of the links in this article and read the resulting information, I guarantee that you will find something that you can do to find more clients…if you commit to actually doing it.

On the other hand, if you can’t find something that you like or that you are willing to commit to doing, maybe real estate sales is not the right career for you.