Lessons from writing every week this year

I started The Agent’s Journal in January 2024, and as we come to the end of the first year, I wanted to reflect on three things I’ve learned from sitting down to write each week, and from the process of building this community. 

Looking back, I can already confidently say that if you’re not writing regularly - in any format - you’re missing out on some surprisingly valuable benefits. It’s something I wish I started much sooner. So, at the end, I share an idea on how as an agent, you could get started writing for a local market audience. 

1. Improved ability to share ideas

The success of any business lies in its ability to sell -  not necessarily selling a product or service, but selling an idea. 

It may well be the idea behind a product or service, or it might be the idea of working at your company when speaking to a prospective employee.

Ideas drive change and progress, and the better you are at communicating them, the more momentum you’ll create in your life. 

Writing forces you to distill your thoughts, simplify them, and make them more digestible. 

This skill isn’t confined to newsletters. I’ve noticed improvements in my ability to communicate across the board - whether it’s work emails/messages, marketing copy, and even verbally.

2. You’ll start to attract interesting people

You might have unique perspectives, valuable insights, or even revolutionary ideas - but if you don’t share them, the people who might support, encourage, or collaborate with you may never discover you. This is true with any type of content you make public, but the act of writing is unique in it’s requirement to be purposeful with every word, in a way that is much more difficult in spoken word. 

Remember that some of the most impactful connections in life come from shared values or a shared vision. Writing and putting your ideas into the world is one of the most effective ways to attract the right people and to ‘find your tribe’.

It works both ways: you’ll not only meet people who inspire or help you, but you’ll also encounter those you can help, which is incredibly rewarding.

3. The ripple effects of consistency

At the start of the year, I made a simple commitment: write every week. I’ve managed to stick to it with the exception of when I was on a family holiday.

What I’ve realised is that consistency in one area of life builds the mental muscle to stay consistent in others. The more you follow through on commitments, the more you trust the process and believe in the power of consistency.

Often, people start something with an end goal in mind. For example, they might want to lose weight, so they commit to going to the gym. But when they don’t see immediate results, they lose motivation and stop.

However, if you stick with something long enough, you build evidence that consistency pays off. You see the results, and it becomes easier to trust the process the next time you commit to something.

These type of experiences create reference points for other areas you decide to focus on, it gives you confidence to stick with other long-term commitments, regardless of the short term results. 

For me, this newsletter has been another way to build that consistency muscle. 

I didn’t set an arbitrary goal for subscriber numbers, but now, at the end of the year, there are 250 of you reading it. If I stick with it, there could be 500 or even 1,000 of us in the next year or two.

I just have faith in the idea that consistency will make this a thriving community.

An idea: 

Here’s an idea to consider starting in the new year: write a newsletter for your local property market, but don’t set any goal beyond putting it out consistently.

There’s so much you can write about:

Notable sales
Local planning applications or infrastructure improvements
Buyer search requirements
Updates on market conditions
Local events
Reviews of local businesses

All of these topics will position you as an expert in your area. Plus, tying your content to property will help people see you as the go-to local property expert.

Beyond boosting your brand awareness, I think you’ll experience the same ripple effects I’ve mentioned above. 

Writing regularly will sharpen your communication skills, build valuable connections, and help you cultivate the power of consistency.

So why not give it a try?

If you give it a go, let me know now - I'd love to follow along and hear what impact it makes.

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