Believe it or not, we’re in the final push to the end of the year. If you swallowed hard and said, ‘already’, you’re not alone.

The final weeks leading up to Christmas and the new year can often become the doldrums where sales get stuck in windless waters. It’s in these still waters that the sirens of apathy call to us ‘no one is working or wants to hear from you”. Like the legend of Odysseus, we must lash ourselves to the mast and plug our ears lest we are tempted to believe the sirens’ deception that resurfaces each holiday season.

With that in mind, here are five things reverse mortgage professionals can do in the 26 days before Christmas to build their business and lay a stronger foundation for 2023.

1. Call each of your professional contacts. Secure a time you can meet in person before Christmas or in January. Your goal is to see how each of you can provide mutual value to your respective businesses. What are the concerns their clientele share that could be potentially met with a reverse mortgage? How can you drive qualified referrals to them?
2. Call those who didn’t get a reverse mortgage but may need one now. Inflation hurts all Americans, especially those living on a fixed income. Call and/or email each homeowner. Ask how they’re faring with inflation and rising interest rates. Are they experiencing a cash flow crunch? Are they drawing more money from retirement savings to make ends meet and if so what impact with that have on their nest egg’s longevity? Do they feel their current home equity is safe when it’s not?
3. Schedule a public workshop in 2023. Begin planning to host a public seminar in January or February. The research, marketing, and planning you begin today help ensure you can hit the ground running in the new year.
4. Mail New Years’ cards. Consider sending happy New Year’s cards to homeowners who may have qualified but decided against getting a reverse mortgage. Include your new years’ greeting, and offer your time to discuss how some homeowners may fight back against the increased cost of living by using their home’s value. Be creative but keep the message short and on point.
5. Plan ahead. Take advantage of the slower holiday pace to strategize, define, and create your 2023 business plan. How many outbound sales calls will you make each week or day? What tools will you use to better prospect, nurture, and close more reverse mortgage loans? What relationships will you strengthen in the new year, and which will you let go of the wayside?

There are only 18 working days until Christmas that we can maximize to increase our odds of success in today’s challenging mortgage market.