Top 10 Most Popular Articles of December

Happy New Year! Before we dive fully into 2019, let's take a look at the month and year that just passed. As our regular readers likely know, each month we publish a list of our most read articles. But every December, we go one step further and count down our 10 most popular articles of the year. You can see the full list of our best articles of 2018 here.

Below is our final monthly list of articles from 2018. (We didn't include articles that we re-ran as part of our annual countdown, though several qualified.) Check out what your fellow agents and brokers were reading during the final month of 2018.

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1. 10 Gorgeous Gadgets and Accessories for Road Warriors
Your car isn't just a way to get from place A to B: it's a mobile office, your space to sing and so much more. We've put together a list of 10 gorgeous gadgets and accessories that every road warrior could use. We tried to choose a mix of high-tech and low-tech items. We also looked at a variety of price points. Which is your favorite gadget or accessory?

2. It's Business Planning Season: 4 Costly Mistakes to Avoid for 2019
With less than a month left in 2018, some agents are preparing for the holidays, and others are ramping up their efforts to close with a bang! Personally, I love this time of year precisely because there's so much on the line. It's a chance to finish 2018 strong--and to set yourself up to make 2019 your best year ever. That's why I want to alert you to these Four Costly Business Planning Mistakes to Avoid for 2019.

3. 6 Mistakes New Real Estate Agents Make
Whether you're thinking about becoming a real estate agent, or you're navigating the early years of your career, there's a lot to take in. Colleagues are always full of tips for new real estate agents, and it can be overwhelming! To help make sure you're setting yourself on the right track, we've gathered six common missteps to avoid as you start your career as an agent.

4. 5 Ways to Sell the Neighborhood
As important as the actual house is to your buyer, the neighborhood is just as much a selling point as anything else. Convincing the individual, couple, or family that they would love to live in the property you are selling will have to be backed up with reasons as to why this particular area will suit them too.

5. Do Online Real Estate Leads Really Suck? Here's the Bottom Line
Online leads are what you might call the "black sheep" when it comes to real estate lead generation. Some agents write them off as "trash" and don't even bother investing a dime. Some swear that it's a worthy investment that can generate 10-40+ percent of their business. So what's the bottom line?

6. How to Make Ho-Ho-Holiday Cards
It's beginning to look a lot like holiday card season. Whether you're wishing your clients a merry Christmas, happy Chanukah, or a more general season's greetings, it's important you get your messaging just right. Read on to find out how to write, design, create, and send holiday cards that add that extra personal touch and a little bit of fun!

7. Why Creating Value for Clients Is Important and How to Effectively Do It
As online home buying and selling web tools advance, real estate agents have started fearing that clients will believe their commission isn't justifiable with the services they provide. Creating value for clients by showing them how much easier the home buying and selling process is with an agent is the best way to earn referrals and get past clients to want to do business with you again. Here are a few of the most effective ways to create value for potential clients.

8. Tech Savvy Team's Highest ROI is with Print Marketing: Here's Why
We talk a lot about how real estate agents and brokers are finding phenomenal (and affordable!) success with Facebook Ads. Today, however, we're going to turn the tables and introduce you to a husband and wife team who decided to spend less on Facebook advertising and more on old-fashioned print marketing. Why? Find out more in this article--and discover the 3-piece mailer that drives seller leads to them.

9. How to Write a Successful Introduction Email
It's one thing to introduce yourself to someone in person. It's another thing altogether to introduce yourself to someone in an email. So how do you put the written word to work, and write an email that a stranger (and potential client) will actually respond to? Here's your essential guide for emailing those homebuyers!

10. Safe Selling: The 3 Things You Should Do to Prepare a Home for a Showing
All the world's a stage--as should be the home you're showing to a new prospect. We don't mean a "stage" in the sense of everything being picture perfect (although that helps). Rather, we mean that, for safety purposes, a listing should be treated like a stage where the outside world can see inside in case something goes wrong. Here's how.