Struggling to close deals in today’s market? Let’s get practical and tactical and look at three simple goal-setting techniques that will help you increase your closing ratios.

Early on in my career, I woke up without a plan. I would log into MLS, get distracted by the notifications, decide to update my profile, open my email and social media accounts and dive headfirst into the wormhole. 

I would get a lead and be super excited about the opportunity, but I didn’t have a system for getting from the call to closing. I felt “busy,” but I wasn’t getting the expected results. 

So I found people who were. And I studied them in depth. What did they do differently by which they were achieving success when so many in this industry gave up before they even had a chance to succeed?!

Do some goal-setting before investing time, skill or money

A huge unlock for me was zooming out and setting up goals for what I wanted to accomplish BEFORE I deployed time, skill or money.

The three pillars I focused on to start with were setting clear goals personally, professionally and transactionally.

Personal goals

If your personal life is falling apart, it will seep into your professional life, and people can FEEL it. 

No one wants to do business with people they don’t trust or who don’t show discipline or professionalism in their personal life.

If you had to grade the following from 1-10, with 7 not being an option,* where would these fall in your life? (This is my stack. Modify it to whatever tracks with your ambitions.)

• Faith
• Fitness
• Family
• Friends
• Finances

If I take care of my stack in order, by the time I get to work, I’m PUMPED and EXCITED that I GET to do my job. 

Others I meet resent their work because their family is upset they work all the time. Or they feel sluggish and unhealthy, which studies have proven makes you more irritable and likely to fly off the handle. 

What you focus on expands. 

It doesn’t mean I’m perfect by any means, but if any of these fall below a 6, I ask myself what small action I can do to make it an 8-10. 

Often, it’s just frontloading the calendar with family trips, walks to the beach and time-blocking my workouts in at a time I KNOW they’ll get done. Personally, I had to start waking up earlier to get my mind and body right before the world started pulling on me. It took time and effort to make the change, but I can tell you that the version of myself now would run OVER Justin 1.0. 

If I don’t take the time to ask myself these questions, how fast will time pass without me making improvements? I can tell you: Decades in the blink of an eye.

Professional goals

Having a plan for what you would like to be known for, including transaction volume, marketing plans and budgets, is no different than plotting a course for a journey across the ocean.

Not having a plan is also no different than not plotting a course across the ocean.

Which would you rather do if you were crossing the Pacific?

Reverse engineer success. As an example, if you want 50 deals:

• 8 dials = 1 contact
• 12 contacts = 1 lead
• 5 leads = 1 appointment 
• 2 appointments = 1 contract
• 2 contracts = 1 transaction 
• 240 contacts = 1 transaction

By this metric, if you wanted to do 50 deals a year, you should contact 230 people a week. Let’s say you can only commit to prospecting four days a week. That’s 55 people (rounded down).

That’s not a lot. If you sit down for 30 minutes, open your CRM, hit 45-50 people a day x5 days a week — there are your 50 deals. 

The key is like my morning routine: start with 1-5 people daily until you develop a system. What you focus on improves. If you commit to it, you get faster. My bet is with one hour of focused prospecting time daily, you can get to 100-200 touches quickly. But it starts with one. 

The real secret? Most successful agents do 1-3 hours a day because they understand one clear thing: prospecting is the easiest way to always stay in business. 

This doesn’t mean turning into a boiler room cold-calling machine. Prospecting can be DMing a contact on Instagram, texting or emailing, but yes, a human call is the mother of all connections. The key is to log the contact in a system where you can track your efforts. 

The basics are undefeated. 

Transactional goals

Many people don’t realize that it’s essential to have a clear picture of success in a transaction with a client. Be it a buyer or seller, tenant or landlord, all of these have different measures of success.

Some are price-related, some are condition-related, some are tied to an overall portfolio strategy where the transaction is part of a bigger plan. 

The best thing you can do for a client is spend the time to reverse engineer what success looks like for THEM. Many agents get this wrong — they fail to remember that we are FIDUCIARIES. This means that the client’s goals are above our own. 

Think about how this has played out in the industry:

Agents who throw cutting comments amid tense negotiations to belittle others so they can feel important or because they felt slighted in the past and are looking for revenge — all while their client suffers the costs, unbeknownst to them. 

A broker-owner so caught up in a personal vendetta that he chooses to exert power over a minor contractual disagreement that could lead to an unneeded legal battle between clients when everything could have been easily mediated.

The listing agent who literally tells a client that they need to buy through them “because it’ll be easier to get the deal done” and builds a reputation for it. 

I could probably write three articles on stories that all give you the same “feeling,” but I think you get the point. All of these are typically a sign of shortsightedness and insecurity. 

Over time, focusing on the transactional goal will allow you and your clients to develop a stronger bond and relationship as you’re tested with various challenging situations because, if documented, you can always zoom out to the original goal, then zoom in to the problem at hand for a pragmatic solution. 

Plan ahead to execute well

So, what goals are YOU going to set — personally, professionally and transactionally?

I bet there are deals and things you can think of RIGHT NOW.

I know that simply writing this has reminded me to update mine. I used to business plan every December, but over the years I’ve realized that in our business, you need to be working 60-90 days AHEAD of when you’re looking to execute. This means that planning for me now starts after Labour Day so I’ve got a clean plan in writing by October. 

If you need help or accountability, reach out anytime. Sometimes all it takes is sending a message.

* 7 is a non-answer — if you force yourself to choose 6 or 8, you know where you really stand.

As a realtor, you can anticipate your client’s questions and know key market statistics. But lurking in the shadows of that new apartment you’re about to show is a potential mass of bylaws and rules — especially in British Columbia and Ontario — that could catch you and your client off guard and ruin that potential sale.

Guiding your client through the labyrinth of condominium rules and bylaws is critical to turning their purchase into a place that truly feels like home — not a homegrown nightmare.

Important to pay attention to both common and administrative bylaws

Bylaws and rules often confuse. But simplifying them to the basics makes it easy for homeowners and potential buyers to understand.

Bylaws govern how the condominium (or strata) corporation operates and cover everything from pets to short-term rentals to smoking. On the other hand, rules are closer to housekeeping items — how late the amenity room is open, for example. Rules are more accessible to change and typically focus on day-to-day things, while bylaws require a significant portion of the ownership to agree to change/add or modify.

Ann Benoit, vice president of Winford Strata Management in Vancouver, says about bylaws for buyers: “On top of the common bylaws, buyers should also pay attention to administrative ones, especially those allowing B.C. councils to vote via email between meetings.” While it doesn’t seem important at the time of purchase, waiting for a board meeting to get renovation approval can delay weeks if not months.

Benoit adds, “Potential buyers should focus on what they enjoy in their day-to-day lives and what might affect them. Smoking and barbecue restrictions aren’t common but could affect an owner.”

These common bylaws & rules often cause issues for buyers

Ensure your clients understand the bylaws and rules of the building they’re buying into before closing. While each condominium complex will have its unique bylaws and rules, general ones around pets, renovations and rental restrictions, for example, seen in almost every set of condominium or strata bylaws can cause issues for potential buyers.

Pets are a significant consideration when moving, but pet bylaws and rules can be complex and need a thorough review with a close eye. The most common pet bylaws restrict the number of dogs, cats, birds and other pets housed in a unit. However, the restrictions can often go beyond these to include size, weight and breed restrictions, and some buildings will ban pets (some animals or all) entirely.

Over and above restrictions on the actual pets, there are typically bylaws about aggression and noise and where the pets are allowed on the property. Enforcement can vary for these bylaws from a simple fine (where applicable) to more extreme measures such as removal of the pet.

Renovations tend to be the norm when moving into a new apartment. In most buildings, approvals are needed before the work can begin. Most buildings will have some bylaws concerning the process but typically, it’s simple.

However, there are cases where the bylaws can be pretty lengthy and include things such as a restriction on materials used, requirements for flooring underlays, specific work hours and even deposits.

Rentals have been a hot-button bylaw for many prospective buyers, but things have changed in B.C., where rental restrictions were abolished in 2022 under the Strata Property Act. Strata corporations can no longer restrict or limit the number of rentals.

Under the Condominium Act of 1998, condominium corporations cannot ban rentals in Ontario. They may require owners to notify the board when renting a unit and can restrict short-term rentals, but complete rental bans or limits on the number of rentals are prohibited.

While rentals are now allowed in both areas, keep in mind that short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, are exempt from this and can still be banned in condominium buildings.

Enforcement isn’t consistent or typically quick

Of course, not everyone follows the rules. Enforcement depends on the area, running from simple warnings and fines to court injunctions in extreme cases.

Still, Katharine Olson, managing broker for FirstService Residential in Vancouver, notes the process can be lengthy and slow: “I caution new owners that the drum-playing neighbour isn’t going to go away the first day they report it. There’s a process involved, starting with a complaint being submitted, reviewed and actioned on. It can take weeks for a potential resolution and, in some cases, even longer.”

Try to match clients with buildings that suit their needs

Navigating clients through bylaws starts with assessing their wants and needs. Jacqueline Adler of Oakwyn Realty notes that she spends time with her clients during the purchase process on bylaws. She tries to match clients to buildings and bylaws that will suit them. If they’re an avid piano player, she’ll watch for musical instruments or noise restrictions.

Bylaws and rules are the way of living in a condominium building — there’s no getting around them. By understanding the basics and reviewing the documents, realtors and owners can be fully equipped to make solid decisions on potential new homes.