The last few months of the year are an invaluable opportunity to say thank you to clients, celebrate the season, and strengthen community connections. It’s an opportunity to foster trust and remind people of the value you bring as a local expert and a thoughtful resource, spurring repeated referrals and long-lasting relationships.
From client appreciation gifts and local family gatherings to VIP parties and community workshops, there are many ways to create a holiday season filled with meaningful experiences that make a lasting impact. Planning and executing these experiences takes time, which is why Charlotte Savoy and The Savoy Team at The KW® Collective market center in Maryland make it a priority to meet every November to discuss their annual event plans for the year ahead.
Charlotte Savoy’s Seven Steps to Successful Event Planning
Charlotte’s seven-step process for creating successful events helps her team execute several every single month. But, she says, if you’re not ready to build out an entire year’s worth of events, focus on the fourth quarter – and follow these seven steps that will keep you top of mind with your clients during the holiday season and beyond.
Charlotte Savoy’s Seven Steps to Successful Event Planning
1. Plan Events in Advance
2. Look at Past and Future Events
3. Decide Theme and Budget
4. Segment Database
5. Connect With Vendors
6. Set Goals
7. Execute Calendar in Advance
Step 1: Plan Events and Client Gifts in Advance
Your holiday event plan can take many forms. At its core, the plan should articulate the type of event, the time frame, the target audience, and your budget. It should also outline your communication and marketing strategy, as well as the theme, experience, activities, gifts, giveaways, and any participating partners or vendors.
Like Charlotte, Tanya Kerr, founder of T. Kerr Property Group at the KW Realty Lone Star in Georgetown, Texas, views the fourth quarter as critical for her business momentum. She refers to this period as her “holiday blitz,” a carefully curated campaign designed to create multiple touchpoints throughout the quarter.
Tanya’s team kicks off the campaign in October with a family-friendly “Trunk or Treat” event. Some years, they’ll host casual and kid-friendly Halloween-themed community gatherings called “Boo Bashes.” This year, they gave away dog bandanas.
November centers on gratitude and togetherness, with a special focus on their clients and farm. The team starts with mailing gratitude cards – handwritten, personalized notes with information about their upcoming December events. Later in the month, Tanya hosts a party at her home with the help of her stager. She encourages everyone to bring a friend, with the goal of cultivating a comfortable party setting while adding to her sphere.
December is a busy one. The team hosts “Fristmas,” an adults-only party that’s fun and purposeful. Donations are collected over the course of the event and later given to that year’s chosen charity. Their family-focused Christmas events feature photos with Santa, face painting, wreath-making, and music, and they also hand out personalized ornaments with branding on the back. When it comes to building digital connections, social media plays a big role in the success of their gingerbread contest. The team delivers gingerbread houses and asks clients to share their unique decorations online. “This makes great social media content and engagement,” Tanya says.
Tanya’s holiday blitz leads to $50 million in volume annually, she says. “By starting our year in October, we super-charge the sales pipeline and explode into the selling season.”
Step 2: Look at Past and Future Events
During their annual planning process, Charlotte and her team take time to discuss the previous year’s events. “We look at what went well, what didn’t go well, what themes worked, what events worked,” she said.
The Savoy Team has the benefit of a full year of events to reflect on. If you don’t have a history of events just yet, think of the real estate events you’ve attended and ask yourself the same or similar questions. Consider reaching out to a professional event planner. Offer to buy them coffee in exchange for some speed-dating-style mentorship on creating and executing memorable events.
Step 3-6: Decide Theme and Budget, Segment Your Database, Connect With Vendors, and Set Goals
The best events prioritize the experience over immediate sales. Still, setting clear goals is essential. Are you aiming to increase referrals or expand your database? Choose one to three goals to focus on this holiday season.
Next, segment your audience. Is your client base primarily families, young professionals, retirees, or a mix? Tailor your events and gifts to resonate with your main target demographic.
Ultimately, you know your business best – your lead generation goals, your ideal client, your database size, and its demographics. Your event and gift-giving strategy should support your goals and influence the entire experience.
A former lawyer and interior design enthusiast, Meg Daday of KW® ONEChicago loves bringing people together for unique, curated events. Throughout the year, she hosts smaller, high-quality events tailored to top clients. Her micro-events include activities like wreath-making and mixology nights, each designed for about 20 guests. “It’s really more of a VIP experience,” Daday explains.
For Erica Deuschle of KW® Main Line in Pennsylvania, bigger is better. Although her main event is in May, not the holidays, Erica’s May Soiree provides the opportunity for clients to bring friends, mingle, and shop from among 25-30 vendor booths – many of whom are clients themselves.
Erica markets her big event through social media first. As the event date gets closer, she reaches out with a personal phone call or group text message in a TCPA-compliant way. “I think it works because it’s personal. There’s so much noise out there. Show people who you are and bring people together and be that connector,” Erica said.
Harrison Beacher, one of three managing partners of Coalition Properties Group with Keller Williams® Capital Properties in Washington, D.C., is equally passionate about creating connections in his community. Whenever there’s a gathering of people, he recommends asking how you can vertically integrate it into your bigger mission for your business, your clients, and your community
”Our clients and our community want to help us live out our mission. Giving back is at the core of what a lot of people want to do. And if they can give back while attending a lit, amazing party with delicious food while meeting new people, it makes it that much better,” Harrison said.
Step 7: Execute Your Calendar in Advance
When it comes to planning in advance, The Savoy Team exemplifies excellence. They start preparing six weeks before each month’s events, ensuring they avoid last-minute pricing and logistical hiccups. Mapping out every email, social media post, and communication in advance is key to an outreach campaign that drives event participation and engagement.
Small Gestures, Big Impact
Creating memorable holiday connections doesn’t always require intense planning or a big budget – especially if real estate events are new to your business strategy. Even small, thoughtful gestures can create significant impact. Whether it’s a handwritten note or a personalized ornament, the essence of your outreach should reflect your brand values and resonate with the community you serve.
