Finish Strong, Start Ready: Building Your Real Estate Business for 2027

The fourth quarter brings an opportunity to do two things at once: finish the current year with purpose and build a stronger foundation for the next one.

At Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage, that was the focus of last week’s TOM TIME discussion: Q4: Finish Strong. We explored how agents can use the final months of the year to strengthen relationships, evaluate their business, and prepare for 2027.

For an agent considering where to build a career, these conversations offer a glimpse into our culture. We believe professional development should connect directly to the work agents do every day—and give them room to ask questions, share ideas, and create a plan they can use.

Start With an Honest Look at Your Business

Before setting a new goal, it helps to understand what is producing results now.

Which relationships led to business this year? Which activities created meaningful conversations? Where did consistency slip when things got busy?

Those questions help agents make better decisions about their time. An agent who receives most of their business through past clients may benefit from a more intentional relationship-building routine. Another may need to improve follow-up with the opportunities already in their pipeline.

The question to ask: What worked this year that deserves more of your attention in 2027?

An honest review also means recognizing progress. Stronger client communication, better systems, and greater confidence all contribute to a business that can grow.

Give Your Current Pipeline a Clear Next Step

A name in a database becomes more useful when you understand the person’s needs and know what should happen next.

The fourth quarter is a good time to reconnect with buyers who paused their search, sellers considering a move next year, and past clients whose plans may have changed.

That conversation can be simple:

“As we head toward the end of the year, I wanted to check in. Are you still considering a move, or has your timeline changed?”

The goal is to listen, offer something useful, and agree on an appropriate next step. That might mean arranging a meeting, providing updated market information, or scheduling a future check-in.

The question to ask: Who needs to hear from you, and what would make that conversation valuable to them?

Build a Weekly Routine You Can Maintain

Ambitious goals need practical routines behind them.

A productive week should include time for relationship-building, client follow-up, transaction responsibilities, marketing, and learning. Without that structure, urgent tasks can consume the time an agent intended to spend developing future business.

The most useful routine is one you can repeat through both busy and quiet weeks. Protect a manageable amount of time, give each activity a clear purpose, and review whether it is helping.

The question to ask: Which activities need a permanent place on your calendar?

At BHGRE Heritage, we encourage agents to think about how their daily habits support their longer-term goals. Consistency gives a business direction.

Begin Your 2027 Planning Before January

Planning ahead gives agents time to connect their goals to the life they want to build.

Production matters, but so do income, expenses, family time, and the kind of clients an agent enjoys serving. A useful business plan considers all of those pieces.

Start with a few questions:

• What do you want your business to provide for you and your family?

• Which sources of business will you develop?

• What skills would help you serve clients more confidently?

• What support would make your plan easier to carry out?

The question to ask: What can you put in place now to make January more productive?

Grow Where Conversation and Support Are Part of the Culture

Real estate offers independence, but agents also benefit from access to experienced guidance, practical training, and colleagues willing to share what they have learned.

TOM TIME is one way we support that growth at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage. Our conversations connect business-building ideas with everyday challenges, while creating space for agents to contribute their own experience.

As a family-owned brokerage rooted in Western North Carolina, we value lasting relationships—with our clients, our community, and our agents.

If you are exploring your next step in real estate, we would welcome a conversation about your goals and how BHGRE Heritage could support them.

Connect with Tom and Christine Mallette at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage: 828-926-5200.