How to End the Year with a Boom

I come bearing good news: It looks like the remainder of 2015 will be a good one for agents looking to end the year on a positive note.

I'm sure you've noticed the recent stock market wavering – a roller coaster ride with deep dips one day and soaring gains the next. It turns out, that volatility could bring benefits to prospective buyers. Why? The drop in demand by those hurt by the stock market might just give would-be buyers an advantage in a market that's favored sellers for much of this year. Inventory grew during the end of summer and demand has kept pace, so buyers will have better options through the end of 2015.

Plus, of course, the Fed postponed raising interest rates and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports the trend in median days on market is suggesting a more balanced market. Another sweet little tidbit from NAR: a full 88 percent of buyers use an agent to buy a home.

So the obvious next move for the remainder of 2015 involves tapping into those buyers and sharing the good news with them. The question becomes: How did those 88 percent of buyers find their agent? NAR says 67 percent interviewed only one agent, 20 percent interviewed two.

So how do you get to be on the interview list? Referrals. A whopping 40 percent of buyers chose to work with an agent who was referred to them by a friend, neighbor, or relative (or an agent who was a friend, neighbor, or relative).