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Being a real estate agent isn’t just listing and selling a property. It requires research, constant improvement, adjustment to the latest trends, and network growth. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially in a constantly fluctuating market. Setting SMART goals can help you keep your eye on the bigger picture and improve your performance.
This article will introduce you to thirteen SMART goals for real estate agents to help you achieve your dreams.
What Are SMART Goals?
SMART goals help you achieve your short and long-term objectives. By answering numerous questions while crafting SMART goals, you’ll be able to determine what you need to do to accomplish them. SMART is an acronym comprised of letters representing the criteria a goal needs to meet. Let’s check them out:
Specific
All people have goals and ambitions for the future. They guide us in specific directions and make us what we are. But how many times have you set a goal you didn’t achieve? Most often, this happens because the goal is too vague. Dreaming about achieving something but not doing anything about it will negatively affect our self-esteem. That’s why SMART goals are always specific. By having a clear idea of your goal, you’ll be more determined to achieve it. Remember, this doesn’t have to be a life-changing goal; instead, focus on one bigger goal and divide it into several smaller ones.
Measurable
If you don’t figure out a method to measure your progress on your way to achieving your goal, you may lose motivation and give up on it. That’s why every SMART goal needs to be measurable. By tracking your progress over time, you’ll feel good about yourself and work harder towards your objective.
Achievable
It’s vital to be realistic when thinking about what you want to achieve. Setting unrealistic goals will affect your focus and motivation. Instead of pushing yourself to do better, you’ll most likely get the opposite effect: You’ll have lower self-esteem that could lead to dissatisfaction with your work. The key to setting SMART goals is to balance between unrealistic and easy. On the one hand, you want to set a goal that will challenge you. On the other, a “too easy” goal may not give you a sense of accomplishment.
Relevant
Every SMART goal needs to be relevant, i.e., achieving it should bring you closer to your big-picture objectives. However, that doesn’t mean every goal should be related to earning more money. More often than not, SMART goals are about feeling more comfortable in your line of work, acquiring new skills, gaining more customers, improving teamwork, etc. If you try to achieve a goal that won’t be useful to you in the future, you’re more likely to lose focus and give up on it.
Time-Bound
If you set a deadline on your goal, you’ll create a sense of urgency, which will affect the amount of work you put in to achieve it. Plus, time limits guide you through completing your goals and even enable you to keep track of your progress. Dividing your long-term goal into numerous short-term ones is the recipe for success. Moreover, you’ll feel accomplished each time you hit a milestone, which will boost your motivation.
If you want to learn more about SMART goals, check out our Ultimate Guide to Setting SMART Goals.
Why SMART Goals Are Important for Real Estate Agents
Real estate agents often work on their own. While this could be a benefit, it also means you’re responsible for everything you do. It takes a lot of time to build a reputable name, know the market, and learn the trends. Even then, you may feel overwhelmed because the market is constantly evolving, and keeping up with it isn’t easy at all.
To stay ahead of the competition, you need to adjust to the latest home staging and digital marketing trends. Plus, you always need to look for new listings and act fast. As a result, it can become harder than you anticipated, and it may leave you feeling defeated or burnt out.
If you’ve been thinking about taking action to improve your career, SMART goals for real estate agents are an excellent starting point. Think of these goals as a guide towards professional success.
By creating SMART goals that match the criteria we’ve discussed above, you’ll get a clear idea of the factors that could determine your improvement. You can use SMART goals for anything related to real estate: approaching new clients, getting more listings, improving your skills, growing your network, etc.
(And if you're a visual learner, learn how to use real estate vision boards to complement your SMART goals.)
13 SMART Goal Examples for Real Estate Agents
1. Take a Digital Marketing Course
“To help more people hear about me, I will take a three-month digital marketing course starting in February. Upon completion, I will receive a certificate that proves my knowledge. This course will help me learn more about social media and use it to my advantage. In addition, I will take a test every week to check my progress.”
S: This statement is specific because it contains all elements relevant for achieving the end goal: using social media to advertise your real estate services.
M: By taking weekly tests, you can keep track of your progress. Seeing how far you’ve come boosts your motivation and keeps you focused. In the end, you’ll receive a certificate that confirms you’ve obtained the skills.
A: Completing an introductory course is achievable for anyone.
R: Although not seemingly connected to the real estate industry, this SMART goal is highly relevant to your success. These days, most businesses promote their products and services online. It makes them more approachable and opens up a new world of potential clients.
T: The course lasts three months, representing the goal’s time limit.
2. Attend Real Estate Seminars
“I will attend two real estate seminars in my area by the end of March. This will help me grow my network, meet other people in my line of work, and expand my knowledge of real estate.”
S: This goal is specific. It’s about attending real estate seminars that will improve job performance.
M: Every new contact or client you meet after the seminars will help you measure the success of your goal.
A: Attending two seminars by the end of March is achievable. Since seminars can last anywhere from a few hours to several days, it’s essential to create a realistic goal that doesn’t interfere with your work or private life.
R: Attending real estate seminars can be vital for improving your performance and building a network of clients and coworkers.
T: This goal has a precise time limit: the end of March.
3. Update My Portfolio
“By the end of the year, I will update my portfolio. This will enable me to present my services better and attract new clients.”
S: The goal is specific: it states what needs to be done, when, and why.
M: You’ll be able to measure your success by comparing the number of clients you had before and after updating your portfolio.
A: This goal is achievable and, in this industry, maybe even necessary.
R: Having an up-to-date portfolio is essential for every real estate agent. It proves your success and shows potential clients what you’re focused on. Plus, new design trends arise often. But, on the other hand, having an outdated portfolio may prevent people from becoming your clients.
T: You’ll stay on track with this SMART goal because it has a time limit: the end of the year.
4. Take a Home Staging Course
“To be more successful at my job, I will take and complete a home staging course by the end of winter. This will help me learn more about interior design and how to make houses more attractive.”
S: The goal has a specific purpose. It focuses on improving your success as a real estate agent by completing a home staging course.
M: This SMART goal is measurable because you’ll be able to compare the number of potential clients before and after taking the course.
A: This goal is achievable without affecting your routine.
R: Taking a home staging course can be essential for making a property look more appealing to potential clients. The trends often change, and taking the course will help you learn more about what’s currently popular.
T: The goal is time-bound: the end of the winter is the deadline.
5. Complete a Real Estate Photography Course
“To enable potential customers to view properties online, I will complete a real estate photography course by the end of the quarter.”
S: This SMART goal is specific. It connects photography skills to the real estate business.
M: You can measure the success of your goal by comparing the number of phone calls from potential clients before and after completing the photography course and posting the photos online.
A: The goal is achievable, requiring only the completion of a single course in one quarter.
R: Photography is a big part of real estate. Many people search for properties online and want to see detailed photos and even attend a virtual tour before actually visiting. Uploading high-quality images will make the property more attractive.
T: The goal has a time limit: the end of the quarter.
6. Organize Public Webinars
“By April, I will organize two public webinars with people from real estate. We will discuss the current problems and challenges and explain what makes our job interesting. This will help me get to know people from my line of work and answer questions from potential clients.”
S: This SMART goal is specific. It states what needs to be done, when, with whom, and why.
M: The results of this goal can be measured by keeping track of what changed after the seminars.
A: The goal is achievable and won’t take much of your time.
R: The goal is relevant for numerous reasons. It helps you connect with people in real estate, discuss the issues you face, and present the business to the audience.
T: The goal is time-bound: It must be organized by the beginning of April.
7. Create a Good Work-Life Balance
“I will create a good work-life balance by making sure I block out family time within my weekly schedule. I will take one day off each week, starting this weekend, to spend it with my family and friends. During that time, I will allow all messages to go to voicemail and avoid doing any real estate work during that period. ”
S: This is specific because you mention one weekend day each week. You also add to it being specific by stating what you will do, letting your phone message go to voicemail, and avoiding any real estate work.
M: You can measure your success by whether you actually maintain these actions and how much more relaxed you feel after each day with the family.
A: Except in emergency situations, this is completely achievable, especially if you pencil the time into your physical schedule so you don't worry about what else you should be doing during that time.
R: This is relevant to improving as a real estate agent because, without a balanced work-life, you can easily burn out and lose your motivation for doing your job, especially if things are slow.
T: The time-bound element in this one is only at the beginning when you state you will start this week.
8. Improve My People Skills
“I will take online courses in both reading body language and improving communication skills during the upcoming quarter. I will ask my partner or a friend to go over the material I learn each week in order to make sure I am getting the most from the courses.”
S: This goal is specific in that it mentions what kind of courses and where they will be taken. It also adds a way to check progress as you work your way through the courses.
M: The weekly check-ins with a friend will help check progress and the certificate that is achieved when finishing the courses will indicate that you completed the goal. The grade you receive will indicate how well you did.
A: This is completely achievable. By opting for online courses, you are better able to fit the classes in your schedule. The online classes can be easily written in your schedule and so can the weekly review time.
R: Good people skills are a must for real estate agents, especially good communication. The body language course will help you judge how well you are doing and give you the chance to change tactics as needed.
T: This goal is time-bound in that the courses have both a beginning and ending date.
9. Increase My Network
“I will increase my network of potential clients by booking space at this year's home furnishing convention and the City Appreciation Festival. I will order imprinted items that I will offer to all visitors to my table in order to get my name in front of them.”
S: This is a specific goal. It indicates what you plan on doing, where you plan on doing it, and even what action you will take while doing it.
M: Booking the tables and ordering the items to give out are both measurable actions in that you either do them or you don't. The end result can be measured over time by keeping asking future clients where they heard of you.
A: Because these are organized events, you can definitely attain this goal. They often have registration information in place months in advance, so you can immediately book space and block off the time in your calendar.
R: The larger your network, the more clients you have access to. Working events like this allow you to gain both professional contacts and contact with the general public.
T: The two events are set in time so this is definitely a time-bound activity that must be done on a certain day and time.
10. Know My Geographical Area Thoroughly
“I will spend an hour a day for the next four months exploring various areas of the city on foot to become familiar with things like schools, parks, and other areas of interest, such as churches and retail stores. I need to block off a city map into doable sections. This will help me get a feel for the area and allow me to notice little details that may be of interest and not appear on maps that I can share with prospective buyers.”
S: This goal is very specific. You mention what you will do, how you will make it happen, why you are doing it, and what kind of information you will be looking for.
M: As your information files increase, you will see what progress you are making. You can also keep track of whether you actually do the surveying and can even use the map you used to block off areas to color-code what areas you have completed.
A: While the weather may be a factor in making this achievable, it is a goal that is very easy to meet.
R: Being knowledgeable about an area allows you to point out to potential clients all the things that matter to them. These little details often figure in big when a client is deciding whether or not to move into an area.
T: Specifying an hour a day for four months makes this time-bound.
11. Join Real Estate Forums
“I will join two popular real estate forums and spend 15 minutes a day interacting with at least three posts. By doing this for six months, I will become seen as someone knowledgeable on the subject and my name will be easily retrieved when someone is looking for a realtor.”
S: This is specific. You say how many forums you will join, how much time you will devote to the forum each day, and what you will do during that time.
M: Joining the forums and interacting for a certain amount of time is measurable. The effectiveness of the action is more likely to be seen by how much the response to your actions changes over time.
A: This goal is completely attainable. It only takes a few minutes to sign up for forums and the short time span spent each day makes it easy to pop in at times when you are waiting or have only a few minutes between other activities.
R: Forums related specifically to real estate issues have members that are seeking knowledge you have to share. As you continue answering questions, sharing information, or simply commenting, your name becomes subconsciously embedded in the members' minds as someone who knows the subject.
T: You make this time-bound by committing to six months.
12. Host Open Houses
“For the coming year, I will offer to host open houses for other realtors. These will be done once a month and will allow me to not only increase my network but also gain the attention of potential clients.”
S: Hosting open houses is specific and so is how often this will be done. The timeline also adds a measure of specificity to this goal.
M: It is very easy to measure how many open houses you host and how often.
A: Many real estate agents hate hosting open houses, so it shouldn't be difficult to find agents who are willing to allow you to do the hosting.
R: This is very relevant to growing as a real estate agent because you get to make contact with both other realtors and potential clients.
T: Once a month for a year makes this very time-bound in scope.
13. Keep Up on Industry News
“Starting next month, I will join the mailing lists of Realtor.com and Curbed, two of the leaders in industry news. This will allow me to stay abreast of all the latest industry news and make me a more valuable asset to potential clients.”
S: By stating which mail lists you are joining, you make this very specific.
M: You can easily determine how many newsletters you subscribe to and you can keep track of how often you actually read them.
A: This goal is totally attainable as it only takes a few minutes to sign up for the newsletters.
R: By keeping up with industry news, you are able to give great information to both buyers and sellers, which will help them to see you as someone they can trust to do the best for them.
T: You make this time bound by specifying you will start in the coming month.
Final Thoughts on SMART Goals for Real Estate Agents
The real estate business comprises numerous aspects you need to master to improve your performance. Good communication skills, collaboration with coworkers, and online presentation are necessary to excel at this job. By implementing SMART goals for real estate agents, you’ll be able to improve your skills and enjoy the progress.
If you own a real estate business, check out SMART goal examples for small business development.
And if you want more SMART goal ideas and examples, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 13 SMART Goals Examples for Improving Your Communication Skills
- 6 SMART Goals Examples for Digital Marketing Professionals
- 11 SMART Goals Examples for a Job Promotion
Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals.
