The 2025 plan
Here's what paid subscribers will gain access to this year
Agents and brokers who want to maintain brand focus need a plan. Here’s mine.
It’s broken down into three frameworks with a focus for each month.
I believe in managing meaning vs. metrics. After all, our work is about people first. Homes second. That requires a focus that differs from typical “contact-to-close,” training programs.
This plan is geared to help brokers and agents who want to work differently, but aren’t sure how. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, I hope to see you in the live Zoom sessions.1 First one kicks off January 22nd.
Awareness, Intention, Action
January - Eulogy traits, not resume traits. Those who build brands understand that our character traits and values are why people hire us. That means we need to have self-awareness. We’ll recognize our gains from the previous year and identify the gap you’re aiming to close for the year ahead (notice I used the singular (gap), not plural (gaps.) This month, we’ll identify one focus for the year that, if accomplished, will make the year a win (this is not a volume goal). This will direct our actions. Why? Because our actions demonstrate our values and our values are our brand. Closing this gap is how successful brands are built. It’s also how they grow more impactful year over year.
February - That voice in your head is honest and powerful. It also determines how others perceive your actions (i.e., your marketing). Your intention is everything when building a brand. Let’s get that sorted before we start marketing.
March - Business is usually heating up now. Just because we’re busy isn’t an excuse to ditch our decisions, scream YOLO into the void, and hope for the best. This month, we do a reality check. Is our process directing our actions? Are we adhering to boundaries? Do we have the capacity we need? Is there enough slack in the system you designed? Are we recognizing and responding accordingly to the trigger points of the system we designed? This is about saying no to as much as possible - not yes to everyone and anything.
Claim, Frame, Aim
April - We aren’t the heroes of real estate. We’re the guides. Does our marketing reflect the problems our heroes (our customers) have? Our marketing should showcase our claim - the problem we solve for our customers. If we want our brand to work effectively, our marketing, time, money, and effort should point in the same direction.
May - Does our marketing align with your claim or conversion story? Is it appropriately framed so consumers understand and respond? Does your system make it possible for others to assist you? If not, you’re likely feeling it this time of year.
June - Who has the problem you solve? Where are they? Are you solving every aspect of their problem? Are the right consumers receiving your message? Is every aspect of your internal process aimed to support that? Plus, mid-year business plan check-up.
Align, Design, Refine
July - Reality check. Did our actions and decisions align with our claim or our conversion story? Did our design withstand the Spring market? Did we choose the right brand focus last January? What’s next? How can you make it better? How can we refine our brand?
August - 2026 business planning and marketing (our marketing pieces for the upcoming year get completed. No more winging it at the top of each month…(yes - that’s possible.)
September - Hiring/Firing/Stop or start services. Decisions from August’s business planning will take time to implement. If we start now, January will be productive (plus, from a bookkeeping and accountant perspective, we need to set things up now.)
Rest, Reflect, Record
October - Holiday prep. Did we close the gap this year?
November - Position January launch with refinements from business planning.
December—No Zoom. We should rest, reflect, record, and gear up to repeat this entire cycle in 2026. Done annually, this cycle acts like compounding interest. Instead of financial returns, we create compounding impact. Our efforts build deeper meaning and trust with consumers, as well as sustainable satisfaction for ourselves.
These sessions are not designed to identify your unique brand. They are designed to help you maintain your brand focus. To understand how to uncover your brand, you can learn more by visiting KnowYourValue.RealEstate.