Real estate business plan that works back from your income goal
Real estate agents rarely fail for lack of effort. They fail because the effort is not connected to a number. This prompt has your todo.is agent research your local market, work back from your income goal to the deals, appointments and conversations you need, and turn it into a monthly plan and budget.
The prompt
- Write a real estate business plan for me as [AGENT ROLE AND MARKET]. My income goal for next year is [INCOME GOAL]. My details: [SPLIT, FEES, AVERAGE PRICE AND PAST DEALS]. Research my local market with links: recent median sale prices, days on market, inventory trends and the main brokerages and top teams. Write: summary, my niche (for example first-time buyers, a neighborhood, luxury or investors), market overview, the math from income goal to closed deals, appointments and conversations needed, lead sources with expected deals from each ([LEAD SOURCES]), a database and follow-up system, listing and buyer presentations, a marketing calendar, a yearly budget, weekly time blocks, and risks. Build an Excel tracker with a monthly target for conversations, appointments, contracts and closings, and a budget tab. Mark assumptions. Send a Word plan and the Excel file.
What to change
- [AGENT ROLE AND MARKET]: E.g. "a residential agent in my second year, Tampa, Florida" or "a new team leader in Calgary".
- [INCOME GOAL]: Your target income after splits, e.g. "$120,000".
- [SPLIT, FEES, AVERAGE PRICE AND PAST DEALS]: Your commission split, brokerage fees, average sale price in your area, and how many deals you closed last year.
- [LEAD SOURCES]: E.g. "past clients, open houses, a neighborhood farm, Instagram, and referrals from a lender".
Example result
- Summary
- Maya Torres is a second-year residential agent in Tampa focusing on first-time buyers and the Seminole Heights neighborhood. Goal for next year: $120,000 in income after splits and fees.
- The math (illustrative assumptions)
- • Average sale price: $395,000
- • Commission per side: 2.5%, about $9,875
- • Split 70/30 with the brokerage, fees $450 per deal
- • Net per deal: about $6,460
- • Closings needed: about 19, planned at 22 for safety
- • Appointment to contract: 40%; contract to close: 90%
- • So about 61 appointments, or 5 a month, and around 25 real conversations a week
- Lead sources and targets
- • Past clients and sphere (180 people): 7 closings; call each 4 times a year, a monthly email, 2 client events
- • Seminole Heights farm (1,200 homes): 4 closings; monthly postcard with sold prices, a quarterly market update
- • Open houses: 4 closings; 2 a month, sign-in with follow-up within 24 hours
- • Lender referrals: 4 closings; monthly coffee with 2 loan officers
- • Social media: 3 closings; 3 short videos a week about first-time buying
- Follow-up system
- • Every contact in the CRM tagged A (buy or sell within 90 days), B (within a year) or C (later)
- • A: weekly contact, B: monthly, C: quarterly
- Weekly time blocks
- • Monday to Thursday 9 to 11: calls and messages only
- • Tuesday afternoon: listing presentations and market prep
- • Saturday or Sunday: open house
- Yearly budget (illustrative)
- • Farm postcards and print: $5,400
- • Client events and gifts: $3,000
- • Video and photography: $2,400
- • CRM and tools: $1,200
- • MLS, association dues and licensing: check your board
- Risks
- • Fewer homes for sale: more time on listings from the sphere and farm
- • Rates rising: partner with lenders on buyer education events
- • Slow first quarter: front-load sphere calls in January
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add your role, market, income goal and lead sources to the [brackets].
- Paste it into todo.is or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Your agent researches your local market with links, does the math from goal to deals and sends a Word plan and Excel tracker.
- Make it a recurring to-do: every Monday at 8 your agent sends you this week's targets and a short market update.
Tips for a better result
- Work back from net income, not sales volume. Splits, fees and taxes change how many deals you really need.
- Give each lead source its own target. If open houses are not producing by month 4, you will know early.
- Block time for calls before anything else. The number of real conversations each week is the activity that drives the rest.
- Ask your agent to draft your monthly sphere email with new local sales data, then review and send it yourself.
real estate business plan: FAQ
- What should a real estate agent business plan include? An income goal, the math to closed deals and appointments, your niche, lead sources with targets, a follow-up system, a marketing calendar, a budget and weekly time blocks.
- How many deals do I need to make $100,000 in real estate? Divide your goal by your net income per deal after splits and fees. In the example, a net of about $6,460 per deal means around 16 deals for $100,000.
- Is this plan for real estate investing too? This example is for agents. You can change the prompt to "rental property investing plan" and your agent writes one with deal criteria, financing and cash flow instead.
- Where does the market data come from? Your agent searches public sources such as local association and listing reports and includes links so you can check each number.
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