👋 Welcome!
Let’s make your week a little easier. The Empire Weekly Roundup newsletter brings you real estate tips, market know-how, and CE updates—all in one quick email.
🗣️ Quote of the Week
“Summertime is always the best of what might be.”
― Charles Bowden (Author)
🚀 Featured Article
Sun, Fun, and Sold! – Making the Most of the Summer Selling Season
Hope you had a great Memorial Day! 🌞 The grills are firing up, and so is the real estate market. Summer 2025 is officially here, and these coming weeks are prime time for real estate. Historically, the four-month stretch of May through August accounts for about 40% of the year’s home sales – with June typically the peak month for closings, according to NAR. Buyers are out in droves, and sellers who waited for the school year to end are finally ready to list. It’s a recipe for a bustling market. So, how can you, as an agent, stand out and help your clients succeed during this super-charged season?
🏆 Trending on Empire Learning
🤔 Mid-Year Reflection
Hard to believe, but we’re nearly halfway through 2025! Smart agents are taking a “mid-year moment” to pause and evaluate. This week’s trend: mid-year business checkups.
- Agents are reviewing their goals from January – How’s your transaction count looking? On track with that income target? – and adjusting their game plan for the second half.
- The consensus is that a little reflection now can pay off big. Maybe you notice your social media marketing is crushing it (time to double down!), while that pricey mailer isn’t pulling its weight (time to pivot or save those dollars).
- Mid-year is perfect for small tweaks: refresh your listings portfolio, update your online profiles, or even take a new CE course in a niche market you want to break into.
- A quick halftime huddle with yourself (or your team) will help you sprint through summer and fall with purpose and strategy. Read about setting SMART goals here.
🏡 Summer Staging Magic
Sunshine and blue skies can make any home look inviting – and agents are abuzz about summer staging tricks to harness that magic. One hot tip: extend staging to the outdoors.
- Nearly all REALTORS® (a whopping 92%!) advise sellers to improve curb appeal before listing, according to NAR, and summer is the easiest time to shine up that exterior.
- We’re talking trimmed lawns, blooming flowerbeds, and maybe a cute seating area on the porch.
- Inside the home, lighten things up. Swap in breezy fabrics, let that natural light pour in, and add a few cheerful accents (like citrus-colored throw pillows or fresh flowers on the table).
- The idea is to make the home feel like a summer retreat. Buyers walking in on a hot day should feel an immediate ahhhh – cool, comfortable, and ready to move right in and enjoy their summer in a new home.
🤝 Community Connections
After a long year of grind so far, many agents are rediscovering the joy (and business benefits) of getting involved in the community. With summer fairs, festivals, and charity runs in full swing, there are tons of ways to be seen as more than just a salesperson – you’re a neighbor, too!
- We’re seeing agents sponsor local Little League teams, set up lemonade stands for charity, or hand out flags at the Memorial Day parade. For instance, check out this REALTOR® from a couple years ago helping with school supply needs.
- It’s genuine fun and smart networking. People remember the friendly agent who helped out at the food drive or organized a neighborhood cleanup. These community connections build trust and goodwill organically. Read more about working community connections for referrals here.
- So go ahead and join that summer BBQ at the park or volunteer at a local event – you’ll do good and subtly market yourself. In a business built on relationships, being active in your community is the trend that never goes out of style.
🎯 Quick CE Tip of the Week
✅ Vacation season = education season! Before you hit the beach, hit the "books" (just for a bit). Early summer can be a surprisingly great time to wrap up your continuing education. Many of us have a slightly calmer week around Memorial Day or early June – use one of those quieter mornings to complete a CE module or two. By tackling your courses now, you won’t have them hanging over you during those lazy summer days or, worse, a last-minute crunch in the fall. Finish your CE early, and you can truly relax on your vacation knowing your license requirements are in the bag. 🍹📚
→ Hit the "Books" With Us This Summer
📈 Market Highlight
🔥 Did You Know? Remember the frenzied homebuying days of 2021–2022, when houses sold in a weekend and buyers felt compelled to waive every contingency and bid tens of thousands over ask? Those wild times, fueled by a fear of missing out (FOMO), are finally fading in the rearview mirror. In 2025, the market has downshifted from a sprint to a steady jog. Buyer urgency is noticeably down – and surprisingly, that’s accompanied by a boost in buyer confidence. With a less fevered pace, homebuyers can take a more measured approach, and they’re feeling better about the process as a result. Here’s a look at why the market has calmed, and how agents can thrive in this new “slow-mo” era of real estate.
💡 Feedback Welcome!
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Happy Learning,
— The Empire Learning Team
www.empirelearning.com