Finish Strong, Start Stronger: Your Q4 Playbook for a Landmark New Year

October 30, 2025

Member contribution by Roszettie Gutierrez-Uy

Nice day in the park

Let’s be honest. As the air gets crisp and the scent of pumpkin spice fills every coffee shop, there’s a powerful urge in our industry to take a deep breath, look at the deals we’ve closed, and gently coast toward the new year. The phone rings a little less, clients talk about “waiting until after the holidays,” and the temptation to ease off the gas is real. We tell ourselves we deserve the break. And we do.

But the most successful agents I know, the ones who consistently grow their business year after year, don’t see the fourth quarter as an epilogue. They see it as the prologue to their next chapter of success. They know a secret: Your January and February commissions are earned in October, November, and December.

The habits you lock in now, while everyone else is slowing down, are the habits that will slingshot you into the new year with a full pipeline and unstoppable momentum. This isn’t about working 80-hour weeks through the holidays. It’s about working with intention, focus, and a strategic mindset. It’s about building the foundation for your best year yet.

Here are the key areas to focus on right now to end this year on a high note and ensure you’re not starting from a dead stop on January 1st.

Mine Your Gold: Deepen Your Database Relationships

Your CRM isn’t just a list of names; it’s a collection of relationships and future paychecks. Q4 is the perfect time to nurture that asset without the pressure of an immediate transaction.

The Gratitude Call/Text/Video: Go through your list of past clients from this year. Don’t ask for a referral. Simply call them to say thank you. Ask how they’re enjoying their home, wish them well for the upcoming holidays, and offer to be a resource for anything they need (contractor recommendations, market updates, etc.). A 90-second personalized video message can have an even greater impact.
The End-of-Year Pop-By: This is a classic for a reason. A small, thoughtful gift—a local pie, a bottle of wine, a nice candle—dropped off at the doorstep of your A+ clients is an incredibly powerful touchpoint. It keeps you top-of-mind as they gather with family and friends for the holidays, which is prime time for real estate conversations to happen.
Scrub Your Data: Now is the time for a CRM audit. Are your contacts categorized correctly? Do you have birthdays, home anniversaries, and notes from your last conversation? Clean data is efficient data. Use the slower moments to organize your sphere so your marketing and follow-up in the new year are laser-focused and effective.

The CEO Mindset: Plan Your 2026 Business

You are the CEO of your own business. The end of the year is your annual shareholder meeting—with yourself. You need to stop working in your business for a few hours and start working on your business.

Conduct a Brutal Audit of This Year: What worked? What didn’t?
- Where did your best leads come from? (Open houses, Zillow, referrals, social media?) Double down on the top two sources next year.
- Where did you waste money or time? (A marketing subscription you never used? An ad campaign that yielded zero results?) Cut it.
- What was your average sale price? What was your Gross Commission Income (GCI)? Know your numbers inside and out.

Set Clear, Tangible Goals for 2026: Don’t just say “I want to sell more.” Get specific. ○ GCI Goal: What is the exact dollar amount you want to earn?
- Transactions Goal: Reverse engineer it. Based on your average commission, how many closings do you need to hit your GCI goal?
- Lead Generation Goal: How many conversations do you need to have weekly to generate the appointments that lead to those closings? Break it down into daily, actionable tasks. For example: “I will contact 5 past clients and 5 new leads every single day.”

Sharpen the Saw: Invest in Yourself

When you’re slammed with escrows, the first thing to go is personal and professional development. Use the extra pockets of time in Q4 to get smarter, sharper, and more skilled. The market is constantly evolving, and those who adapt thrive.

Master a New Skill: Have you been meaning to get better at video marketing? Take an online course. Do you want to understand real estate investing to better serve your clients? Read the top three books on the subject. Do you need to learn how to use your CRM more effectively? Watch the tutorials. A small investment of time now pays massive dividends in efficiency and expertise later.
Network with Purpose: Attend holiday parties and industry events not just to socialize, but to build strategic alliances. Connect with a great lender, a reliable title rep, and a home inspector you trust. Have coffee with another top-producing agent in your office and learn from them. These relationships are the bedrock of a referral-based business.
Recharge Your Batteries: This may seem counterintuitive, but building great habits also includes the habit of rest. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Schedule actual days off. Block out time for your family, your hobbies, and your health. Ending the year burnt out is the surest way to have a miserable January. A well-rested mind is a creative and resilient mind.

Prime the Pump: Build Your Marketing Pipeline

While the market may seem quiet, people are still scrolling on their phones. Your online presence shouldn’t go into hibernation. Use this time to prepare your content and marketing for the Q1 rush.

Audit Your Online Presence: Google yourself. What comes up? Is your Zillow/Realtor.com profile updated with your latest sales and reviews? Is your website mobile-friendly? Does your social media bio clearly state your value proposition? Make sure your digital first impression is flawless.
Plan Your Q1 Content Calendar: Brainstorm and even batch-create content now. Think about the questions buyers and sellers will have in the spring.
- “5 Tips for Preparing Your Home for the Spring Market”
- “Understanding Interest Rates in the New Year”
- “Neighborhood Spotlight: [Your Farm Area]”
- Shoot 4-5 short-form videos now that you can roll out in January.

Prepare Your Listing Presentation: Don’t wait until you get a listing appointment in February to update your presentation. Refine it now. Update your stats, add new testimonials, and polish your design. Practice it until it’s second nature.

Conclusion: The Compounding Interest of Q4 Efforts

The work you do in these final weeks of the year is like compound interest. It may not feel like much today, but the accumulated value in January, February, and March will be staggering.

While your competitors are winding down, you’ll be winding up. While they are scrambling to find leads in January, you’ll be nurturing relationships that are ready to bloom. You have a choice. You can cross the finish line of this year walking, or you can sprint through it, building the momentum you need to make next year your most successful year ever.

Let’s get to work.

Learn more about Roszettie Gutierrez-Uy