If Hannibal from the A Team was an Estate Agent

Google has a 1000 year plan.

Apple apparently has the same very long term vision laid out in a secret cave.

A lot of dodgy football managers have five years plans but are usually only around 12-18 months to work on them before getting their P45.

Hannibal from the A Team always had a plan. He loved it when it came together.

Jesus, even my four year old daughter has a plan (well it’s a well thought out, detailed and expensive Christmas list for Santa / Amazon to get his / their teeth into).

Plans are useful. They give direction, clarity and bring focus to our efforts.

I do a lot of work this time of year helping agents plan their marketing and PR efforts for the following year.

In fact my late November / early December are filled helping agents with these planning and strategy days.

I’ve just finished a plan for next year with a very switched on agency that’s more comprehensive than Grange Hill. There’s a reason (actually there’s loads) why they are leading their area in terms of instructions won. Precise planning is one of them.

So what’s your plan?

The thing is I’m often staggered when I have a chat with agents who have NO marketing or PR plan.

Even more staggering is when the answer to my question, ‘What’s your marketing and PR budget for the year?’ Is met with a blank look and ‘we’re not actually sure’ or ‘we haven’t worked out a budget.’ (Most agents I work with say around 10 per cent of their annual turnover is spent on marketing and PR).

Now this isn’t a criticism. I’m great at helping agents with their plans but my own probably need a look at to be fair. But I do have a month by month yearly plan of action.

Why plan for 2017?

From a PR and marketing perspective having a plan helps you make the most of calendar and seasonal opportunities and is one less thing to think about.

Mapping out the coming year gives you a great idea where and when you can get the most punch for your marketing pound.

It allows you to put in place a way of measuring the response you get and as the businesses gurus always tell ya ‘what you can measure you can manage.’

Planning can seem a bit of a bore. Sitting down, in a room, faced with a spreadsheet with the months of the year laid out in front of you. It can even be daunting.

But just like sitting down to sort out your life / home / car insurance is dull planning where your marketing and PR is headed is very, very important. And it’s time and money well invested and with the right people involved is actually fun and interesting.

One of aspect of my 2016 plan was to attend The Negotiator Conference in London at the start of November. Good speakers, great networking and an opportunity to see some old friends and meet new clients.

Let me know if you’re going and fancy a coffee on me (well I say ‘me’ but you get complimentary coffee as part of your ticket price, I’ll pour it though).

Thanks for reading and here’s to your plan for 2017.

Jerry

PS: I was surprised during a chat with a client earlier this week that he didn’t know how to find out who owned properties which were advertised to let. He wanted to come to the attention of landlords in his patch but felt stuck.

I kind of assumed that all agents know the little technique to discover who owns what property. If you don’t know how ping me an email saying ‘I’m in the dark on this one’ and I’ll send you the info.

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Stress Test Reform Boosts Buy-to-Let Market as Product Choice and Affordability Improve

The latest research from award-winning mortgage adviser Alexander Hall has found that recent changes to stress testing rules are helping to rejuvenate the buy-to-let borrowing landscape, with product choice, affordability, and rate competitiveness all showing strong signs of improvement. The changes follow an update from the Bank of England in March 2025, which eased the…
Read More
Breaking News

Propertymark outlines how UK Government can help smaller housebuilders meet ambitious 1.5 million new homes target

Property agent professional body, Propertymark, has outlined how the UK Government can assist small to medium-sized homebuilding businesses (SMEs) to build 1.5 million new homes. As part of their ambitious target for boosting England’s supply of new homes, Propertymark has responded to the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government’s (MHCLG) Planning Reform Working Paper…
Read More
Property for sale
Breaking News

Why Vacant Dwellings Should Be Converted Into HMOs

The Hidden Housing Fix: Thousands of Empty Homes Could Become HMOs New research from COHO, the HMO management platform, reveals that England’s stock of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) could grow by nearly 5,000 properties simply by repurposing a small portion of the country’s long-term vacant homes. According to the latest UK Government housing data (2024),…
Read More
Cat Trees and Scratching Posts
Breaking News

New Rules on Pets and Discrimination: What Landlords Need to Know

By Allison Thompson, National Lettings Managing Director, LRG The Renters’ Rights Bill is set to introduce a wave of changes to the private rented sector, including new protections for tenants with pets, children, or those receiving benefits. These reforms aim to prevent blanket bans and create a more inclusive and transparent rental market. Landlords will…
Read More
Seaside Properties UK
Estate Agent Talk

Majority of Agents Plan Summer Holiday

The latest research from eXp UK has found that the majority of UK estate agents intend to take annual leave this summer, despite it being traditionally one of the busiest times of the year in the property market. The survey of UK estate agents, commissioned by eXp UK, revealed that 32% of agents have already…
Read More
Breaking News

Property sector benefits from additional £74M investment in the last year

New research has revealed that private investment in the UK property sector increased by £74.10 million last year – the fourth-highest surge of any UK sector. This comes as the UK Investment Association unveils new recommendations to unlock private market investment in UK businesses, potentially paving the way for future investment going forward. The business…
Read More