Century 21

3 Things Real Estate Agents Should Do Before the New Year

By Joe Lins
December 26, 2025

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a great opportunity for real estate agents to get some important work done. Things tend to slow down, inboxes are quieter, and there’s a little more breathing room in the schedule. I’m going to share three simple things you can do during this in-between week that will help set you up for success in the coming year while also creating a less cluttered, more focused start to January.

Photo courtesy of Canva Pro

1. Reach out to your sphere of influence (SOI).
Call your SOI, yes, actually pick up the phone and call them. When they answer, keep it simple. Here are three easy questions to ask:

  • “How was your holiday?”
  • “What are your plans for New Year’s?”
  • “What are you most excited about for the coming year?”

After you ask the question, be quiet and listen. Really listen to what they’re saying and respond with thoughtful follow-up questions. Make the call about them, not you. The conversation may or may not turn to real estate, and that’s okay. This is simply a check-in call to see how they’re doing and where they’re at. These relationships matter, and staying connected without an agenda goes a long way.

2. Clean out your emails.
Use this quiet time to tackle some of the tedious work you avoid all year long. Go through your email and clean it out. If your inbox looks anything like mine, it’s probably bursting with junk. Somewhere along the way, you got added to countless email lists, and now your inbox is paying the price.

As you go through the process, unsubscribe from emails you never read or don’t need. Be sure to stay connected to emails from your brokerage, REALTOR® association, and Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This can take some time, so don’t feel like you have to do it all at once. Set aside an hour or so each day to click that “Delete” or “Unsubscribe” button. You’ll be amazed at how much lighter your inbox feels.

3. Commit to showing up.
A new year means a blank slate. Whether you use a paper planner or a digital calendar, pull it out and start marking important dates now. Add your office sales meetings and any regularly scheduled events that support your business and professional growth. Check your association’s calendar and plug in classes, networking events, and meetings you know you should attend, even if you don’t always feel like it.

Showing up consistently is one of the simplest ways to stay connected, informed, and top of mind. When these dates are already on your calendar, you’re far more likely to follow through. Treat these commitments like appointments with your future self and protect that time.

By putting these simple ideas into place, you will set the tone for the new year and hit the ground running.

Joe Lins

About the author: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services, training and coaching we provide, contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Why Every Real Estate Agent Should Attend Their Brokerage’s Sales Meetings

By Joe Lins
June 2, 2024

Century 21 Discovery sales meeting attendees

As a real estate agent, your time is valuable. Between showings, client meetings, and administrative tasks, it’s easy to see why attending your brokerage’s sales meetings might not always be a top priority. However, regularly participating in these meetings can be one of the most beneficial habits for your career. Here’s why:

Networking and Relationship Building

Sales meetings provide a golden opportunity to network with fellow agents and industry professionals. Building relationships within your brokerage can lead to collaborations, referrals, and a strong support system. It’s also a chance to learn from the experiences and insights of others, which can be incredibly valuable, especially for newer agents.

Staying Updated on Market Trends

The real estate market is dynamic, with trends and conditions changing frequently. Sales meetings often include updates on local market conditions, recent sales data, and economic factors affecting the industry. Staying informed about these trends allows you to provide accurate and timely advice to your clients, setting you apart as a knowledgeable and trustworthy agent.

Century 21 Discovery sales meeting discussing new forms

Learning and Development

Most brokerages use sales meetings for ongoing education and professional development. Whether it’s a new sales technique, marketing strategy, or technology tool, these sessions offer valuable learning opportunities to enhance your skills and increase efficiency. Continued education is essential for staying competitive in the real estate market.

Motivation and Accountability

Sales meetings can serve as a source of motivation. Hearing success stories and strategies from top-performing agents can inspire you to set and achieve higher goals. Regularly attending these meetings can help keep you accountable to your goals and commitments, providing a structured environment to track your progress.

Access to Resources and Support

Brokerages often use sales meetings to introduce new tools, resources, and support services available to their agents. This can include marketing materials, lead generation services, or new software platforms designed to make your job easier. Being present ensures you won’t miss out on these valuable resources.

Sharing and Receiving Feedback

Sales meetings are an excellent forum for sharing challenges and seeking advice from colleagues and management. Whether you’re struggling with a difficult client, a complex transaction, or need advice on a negotiation strategy, your peers and leaders can provide feedback and solutions. Likewise, sharing your own experiences and successes can contribute to the collective knowledge of the group.

Century 21 Discovery sales meeting discussing goals

Staying Aligned with Brokerage Goals

Regular attendance at sales meetings ensures that you are aligned with your brokerage’s goals, values, and strategies. It helps you understand the bigger picture and how your efforts contribute to the overall success of the team. This alignment can lead to a more cohesive and collaborative work environment, ultimately benefiting everyone involved.

Recognition and Incentives

Many brokerages use sales meetings to recognize and reward their agents’ achievements. This recognition can boost morale and provide a sense of accomplishment. Incentives such as awards or public acknowledgment of your hard work can motivate you.

Conclusion

While it may be tempting to skip out on sales meetings due to a busy schedule, the benefits of attending far outweigh the time investment. From networking and learning to staying updated on market trends and accessing valuable resources, these meetings play a crucial role in your professional development and success as a real estate agent. Make it a priority to attend your brokerage’s sales meetings and watch your career thrive. If you would like to sit in on one of our sales meetings, call me.

Joe Lins

About the author: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services, training and coaching we provide, contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Why Choose A CENTURY 21 Discovery Agent?

By Joe Lins
May 2, 2024

It seems like everyone knows someone who knows someone who is a real estate agent. There’s a lot of us around! When choosing an agent there are many things to consider and I’m going to tell you why you should choose a CENTURY 21 Discovery agent. I think we have the best agents around. I may be a little biased but I’ll lay out the reasons why I believe they are.

Local Market Knowledge

Our CENTURY 21 Discovery agents have a clear understanding of what is going on in your local real estate market. A good agent can find out what’s going on in the market with a little research. A great agent knows exactly what is going on in the market on a daily basis. You want an agent who has their hand on the pulse of the market. We instill in our agents the importance of the knowing the communities they serve by constantly educating themselves on local market activity. Their knowledge will empower you as you price your home, review and accept offers or make an offer on that dream home.

International Reach

A CENTURY 21 Discovery agent has access through the Century 21 system to a network of agents across the country and across the world. Our listings are placed on a global site that allows the user to view the listing in their own language. If you’re moving out of the area, our agents can tap into that database of international agents, vet them, and find just the right one to meet your needs.

Industry Education

Forms and protocols in the real estate industry are constantly evolving and changing. CENTURY 21 Discovery is known in the local real estate world as the leader in training agents. This allows our agents to have the most current and up-to-date knowledge of the forms, rules and laws that must be adhered to in a real estate transaction. All this will help you avoid headaches and delays throughout the homebuying or selling process.

Leader In Marketing

Marketing a home for sale has become a bit more sophisticated than just putting a sign in the yard and an ad in the local paper. CENTURY 21 Discovery agents have access to a suite of tools that allow them to market the listings at a high level, in numerous ways, giving you peace of mind and the results you expect.

Community Involvement

A huge part of our company culture is giving back to the communities we serve. We encourage our agents to actively engage in community service and philanthropy to demonstrate their commitment to the well-being of the community.  Their involvement allows them to establish themselves as the go-to resource for all things related to real estate in the community. Through this they gain a deeper understanding of local market trends, preferences, and developments. This insight is invaluable for effectively serving clients and providing them with relevant information about the area.

Who’s Your Realtor?

One final reason why you should choose a CENTURY 21 Discovery agent to guide you in the most important sale or purchase of your life is because they are REALTORS. Not all real estate agents are REALTORS. To become a REALTOR an agent must join the National Association of REALTORS and adhere to a strict code of ethics. So, the bar is set higher for an agent to be able to use the word “REALTOR” with their name. 

If you are interviewing agents for the sale or purchase of real estate, make sure to ask them about these things: local market knowledge, international reach, industry education, marketing tools they will use to sell your home, community involvement and if they are a REALTOR. If they can’t provide you with answers about all these areas of the business, give me a call. I have the perfect agent for you.

Joe Lins

About the author: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services, training and coaching we provide, contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Work Your SOI

By Joe Lins
April 21, 2024

Photo Courtesy of Canva Pro

Are you working your SOI? A strong sphere of influence is invaluable for a real estate agent’s business, providing a steady flow of referrals, repeat business and credibility. This contributes to and agent’s long-term success and growth. In our office meetings and training we talk a lot about reaching out to your Sphere of Influence. Many times, an agent will have a hard time wrapping their head around who is actually in their sphere of influence and how they should be reaching out to them. In this blog post we will give you some ideas of who to consider as your SOI and how to connect with them.

Who Is In Your SOI?

  • Members of your family
  • Members of your spouse’s family
  • Members of your extended family
  • Your best friend and their family
  • Your spouse’s best friend and their family
  • Your children’s friends parents
  • Your doctor, dentist, optometrist, veterinarian, pharmacist
  • Your hairstylist, barber, estetician, manicurist
  • Your CPA, attorney, insurance broker, financial planner, banker
  • Your neighbors
  • Your grocer, florist, jeweler
  • Your gardener, plumber, electrician, roofer
  • Your painter, window washer, appliance repair person
  • Your tailor, travel agent, pet groomer, pet sitter
  • Your children’s teachers, principals, coaches
  • Your Pastor, Priest, Minister, Rabbi
  • Your fellow members of organizations you belong to (Rotary, Elks, Chamber of Commerce, etc.)

The list goes on. I suggest sitting down with a notepad and going through the contacts on your phone to make a list of people you know, interact with or do business with. You already have their contact information so it will be easy to add them to your database.

Connect With Your SOI

Here are some ways you can connect with your sphere of influence:

Regular Communication

Keep in touch with your sphere of influence through regular communication channels such as phone calls, emails, newsletters, or even social media updates. Keep track of these communications in your CRM. At CENTURY 21 Discovery we have a CRM that syncs with your email contacts and can automatically add them to your database. This allows the agent to save time by avoiding duplicate effort of having to add them to the CRM. 

Personalized Messages

Tailor your messages to each individual in your sphere of influence to make them feel valued and appreciated. By keeping notes in your CRM about prior conversations, it allows you to pull up that information and refer to or comment about it in your next interaction. Personal touches like this can go a long way in building stronger relationships.

Social Media Engagement

Engage with your sphere of influence on social media platforms by commenting on their posts, sharing relevant content, and participating in discussions related to real estate or their interests.

Organize Events

Host events such as client appreciation parties, homebuyer seminars, or networking mixers to bring your sphere of influence together and strengthen connections in person.

Attend Events

Attending events will make you known in the community. A good place to start is your local Chamber of Commerce. They have networking events throughout the year. These are good opportunities to get to know other business people in the area. 

Provide Valuable Resources

Share helpful resources such as market updates, home maintenance tips, or local community information to demonstrate your expertise and provide value to your sphere of influence. You want to become their go-to resource for all things home and community.

Referral Programs

Implement referral programs to incentivize your sphere of influence to refer friends, family, or colleagues who may be in need of real estate services.

Personal Meetings

Schedule face-to-face meetings with individuals in your sphere of influence to catch up, discuss their real estate needs or goals, and offer your assistance. Meeting for lunch, coffee or a glass of wine will give the encounter a nice touch.

Send Personalized Gifts

Surprise your sphere of influence with thoughtful and personalized gifts or cards on special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, or anniversaries to show appreciation and strengthen your relationship. Again, using your CRM to keep track of their special dates makes this process much easier.

Volunteer in the Community

Get involved in community events or charitable activities that are important to you. Your sphere of influence will see your commitment to giving back and you may also meet new people you can add to your sphere. 

Follow-Up and Follow-Through

Always follow up with your sphere of influence after any interaction, whether it’s a phone call, meeting, or event attendance. Additionally, ensure you follow through on any promises or commitments you make to maintain trust and credibility.

By implementing these strategies, real estate agents can foster deeper connections with their sphere of influence, leading to increased referrals, repeat business, and long-term success.

Joe Lins

About the author: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services, training and coaching we provide, contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Communicating With Confidence

By Joe Lins
August 12, 2020

Communicating is crucial in every industry, but in real estate it’s our life line. Every step of a transaction requires communication in some capacity. In this episode of our podcast we sat down with Bill Kurzeja of Professional Success South to learn his tips for communicating with confidence.

Listen to the podcast here:

 

Prefer video? Watch the video of the podcast here:

 

Joe Lins
About the author: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services or training we provide, contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Tools For Real Estate Agents To Work Virtually

By Suzy Lins
March 30, 2020

Most everyone is working from home at this point due to the Coronavirus, but with real estate you still need to talk to and interact with people. How exactly do you do that, especially if you’ve never done it before? Here are specific tools you can use to work virtually and keep your real estate career on track as you work from home.

Meet with clients virtually
Meeting “virtually” with your clients means to interact with them via apps and software that allow you to see each other and have conversations as if you were there in person. Here are a few different ways you can meet with your clients without leaving your house:

Video Conference Apps
These apps are perfect if you want to have a face-to-face conversation with a client or prospect.

  • FaceTime – This is an Apple app and only available on their devices. It comes pre-installed on your iPhone and iPad so it’s already at your fingertips.
  • WhatsApp – This is a messaging app that also supports voice and video calls. It’s available for Apple and Android devices in the App Store and Google Play Store.
  • Skype – This is a video calling platform available for Apple and Android devices. This platform requires the user to log in. This is a great option for computers and tablets.

Find out what kind of phone your client has to determine which app to use. Get familiar with more than one of these video conferencing apps so you’re ready for any scenario.

Video Conferencing Software/Apps
These platforms are an easy way to do a virtual property tour or hold a virtual open house. You log into a website and create a virtual meeting with your client. Once you send them a link, you both appear on the screen and are able to talk as if you were in person. To do this, both users need to have cameras on their computers.  Here are some of the most popular:

  • ZOOM – This is the one that we use and have had great results with our virtual meetings and agent training. There’s a free version that allows up to 40 minutes of video conferencing. Paid versions start at $14.99 per month. For personal meetings the free version should be sufficient. Find it here at Zoom.us.
  • GoToMeeting – This is another platform for video conferencing. There’s a 14-Day Free Trial and the paid versions start at $12 per month. Check it out at GoToMeeting.com
  • Google Hangouts – For this option, it’s easiest if everyone has a Google account. If someone doesn’t have an account, then the inviter or another invitee needs to have a G Suite Account in order for everyone to participate.

Show properties virtually
Once you have a chance to talk to your clients or prospects face-to-face you’re going to need some way to show them properties. By using one of the virtual conference software programs I mentioned above, you can share your screen to show them a virtual tour (video) or photos of the listing. They can ask questions and you can interact with them via the camera on your computer.

Virtual Showings
Select a day and time to meet “virtually” with your client and send them a link to the video conference. Have the property photos and virtual tours of the properties ready to go on your desktop. Share your desktop with them and give them a tour of the home with the photos and virtual tour.

Virtual Open Houses
Publicize the day and time you will be holding the virtual Open House and have guests request the video conference link. This gives you some control over who is coming and going at your Open House. If you decide to post the link publicly, take precautions to eliminate Zoom-Bombers coming to your Open House. A Zoom Bomber gets the public link to the meeting and once in the meeting wreaks havoc or displays inappropriate pictures on the screen. Don’t worry, there are several ways to prevents this from happening. Here are some reminders to keep those party crashers out.

During the Open House show the photos and video of the listing and answer any questions visitors may have. Depending on the length of the Open House, you’ll probably have to run the video tour and photo slideshow over and over again depending on how many people attend and when they pop in.

Video Conferencing Tips:

  • Set up your video conference in a room that has a distraction-free background.
  • Make sure the room is well-lit and that the lighting is not behind you. Back lighting will make your face difficult for them to see.
  • You’ll be on camera so make sure you’re dressed properly.
  • Look into the camera when you are talking to them instead of looking at their face on the screen.

I recommend that you practice using these apps and tools with a family member or friend before you use them with a client. A couple of practice runs and you’ll be open for virtual business.

 

About the author: Suzy Lins is the Communications Director for CENTURY 21 Discovery. For more information about CENTURY 21 Discovery you may call (714) 626-2000.

Why We Love Real Estate

By Joe Lins and Stephanie Goedl
February 12, 2020

In honor of Valentine’s Day and the month of Love, we talk about why we LOVE real estate in our latest podcast episode. We share the day to day things that make us love this business as well as the special things like handing a first-time home buyer keys to their new home.

We encourage you to figure out what you love about what you’re doing, real estate related or not. If you’re looking to fall more in love with real estate, give us a call and we’d be more than happy to help you find your passion.

Listen to the full podcast here:

 

Joe Lins

 

 

 

 

About the authors: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. Stephanie Goedl is Broker, Chief Operating Officer and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services or training we provide contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Stephanie Goedl

Joe Lins & Mike Miedler

Why CENTURY 21 Discovery?

By Joe Lins
January 20, 2020

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Century 21® President and CEO Mike Miedler to talk about the benefits of joining CENTURY 21 Discovery. We talked about the tools and systems that are available to our real estate agents. He mentioned our office culture and the family-like atmosphere. We also talked about quality customer service and how that affects the referrals going back to the agents. The one big take away from our conversation was why successful real estate agents align their personal brand with CENTURY 21 Discovery and then build that brand on top of the most recognized brand in the industry.

Listen to the full podcast here. It’s only six minutes and will really give you an idea of what we’re all about.

 

Joe Lins Author

 

About the author: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services or training we provide contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Day In The Life Of A Successful Realtor

By Stephanie Goedl
April 25, 2019

I recently had the opportunity to interview one of our top agents about what a day in her life looks like. This was a great conversation with Shonnie Jones of Jones Team Real Estate and she gave some valuable insight into what it takes to be a successful Realtor.

Listen to our podcast to learn how a successful agent spends their day.

Listen to the podcast here:

 

Watch the video of the podcast here:

Stephanie Goedl

About the author: Stephanie Goedl is Chief Operating Officer and Broker/Owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services or training we provide contact us at 714.626.2069 or Careers@C21Discovery.com.

The Buyer Interview

By Joe Lins & Stephanie Goedl
January 29, 2019

The Buyer Interview is the initial meeting with your buyer to find out what their real estate goals and aspirations are. This is important because once you figure out what your client wants you can do a better job of finding that property for them. Our value as a Realtor is finding the house that is good for them. The only way you can do that is by asking questions and building buyer loyalty.

Listen to our podcast to learn what questions to ask when interviewing buyers.

Listen to the podcast here:

 

Watch the video of the podcast here:

If you would like a copy of our Buyer Interview Questionnaire we would be happy to share it with you! Just email us at Careers@C21Discovery.com. To get the latest podcast episodes subscribe on iTunes, Google Play or Podbean.

About the authors: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. Stephanie Goedl is Chief Operating Officer and Broker/Owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services or training we provide contact us at 714.626.2069 or Careers@C21Discovery.com.

Stephanie Goedl