Turn your vision into action—and your action into results.

Whether you’re a brand-new agent or a seasoned pro, goal setting is one of the most important things you can do to grow your real estate business and create the lifestyle you want.

In this guide, we’re breaking down a complete, step-by-step process to help you create goals that actually work—and more importantly, actually get done. No fluff, no unrealistic 4-page systems—just smart strategies, real examples, and tools you’ll actually use.

Why Goal Setting Matters in Real Estate

When Tara started her real estate career, she did what many new agents do: follow the next shiny lead gen idea. One day it was cold calling. The next? Facebook ads. Sound familiar?

Without a clear destination, it’s easy to waste time, energy, and money on things that don’t align with your goals—or your vision.

This guide will help you change that.

Step 1: Define Your Vision

Before you start listing out goals, start by answering this:

What kind of business—and life—do you want to build?

Think both practically and personally:

• How many homes do you want to sell?
• What’s your income goal?
• What kind of lifestyle do you want to live?
• What boundaries do you want in your business?

🎯 Pro Tip: Create a Vision Board

Use Pinterest or a physical planner to visualize your goals. Tara uses a pocket printer to add mini photos directly into her paper planner—super fun and highly motivating!

Step 2: Brain Dump All Your Goals

Once you have the vision, it’s time to get those ideas out of your head.

Write down every single goal—big, small, long-term, and short-term.
Don’t worry about organizing yet. Just get them out of your brain and onto paper.

🧠 Bonus Idea: Use AI for Inspiration

Upload your vision board to ChatGPT and ask it to help you write a list of goals based on your vision. You might be surprised by the creative ideas it generates!

Step 3: Set SMART Goals

Now turn your ideas into SMART goals—goals that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Instead of saying “I want to make more money,” try this:

“I want to earn $120,000 GCI by closing 24 transactions this year.”

Break your goals down by category:

• 💰 Income & GCI goals
• 🏡 Transaction goals
• 📣 Marketing goals
• 💬 Referral & relationship goals
• 👩‍🎓 Education or certification goals
• 🧘‍♀️ Lifestyle & balance goals

Step 4: Break Big Goals into Actionable Steps

This is where most agents get stuck—but it’s also where the magic happens.

Take your annual goals and break them into:

• Quarterly goals
• Monthly milestones
• Weekly targets

Ask yourself:
➡️ How many transactions do I need per month to hit my GCI goal?
➡️ What activities will drive those transactions?

Focus daily on lead generation, follow-ups, and networking—small, consistent action is everything.

Step 5: Calculate Your GCI Goals

Set your income target and work backward:

• What’s your average commission?
• How many transactions do you need?
• How many appointments will that require?

🎁 Grab the free GCI Calculator (linked in the show notes) to take the guesswork out and get your numbers spot-on.

Step 6: Align Your Marketing Plan with Your Goals

Once your goals are set, your marketing plan should reflect them.

Start with your Ideal Client Avatar (ICA)—aka your dream client.

• Who are they?
• What are they looking for?
• Where do they hang out online?

“Your ICA is the person you’d love to work with on repeat. That’s who you’re marketing to.”

Then, choose marketing strategies you actually enjoy and will do consistently. Hate cold calling? Don’t do it. Love content creation? Lean in.

💡 Use ChatGPT again! Give it your vision, your goals, and your ICA and ask for creative, lead-gen marketing ideas.

Step 7: Track Your Progress

Setting goals means nothing if you don’t check in with them.

• Use a planner or spreadsheet to review your numbers weekly and monthly.
• Schedule monthly reviews and quarterly deep dives.
• Use a CRM to track client engagement, follow-ups, and deals.
• Celebrate your wins—big and small!

Tara uses a reward system (inspired by arcade tickets!) to “cash in” on wins. Small wins = small prizes. Big wins? Hello vacation.

Step 8: Adjust When Needed

Things shift. Markets change. You change.

Use monthly and quarterly check-ins to adjust:

• If a strategy isn’t working, replace it.
• If the market pivots, explore new opportunities.
• If a goal no longer aligns, shift it.

“Setbacks are temporary. Stay flexible and keep your bigger vision in mind.”

Final Thoughts

Real estate is unpredictable. But with the right goals—and a clear plan—you can stay grounded and focused no matter what comes your way.

Here’s your recap:

✅ Create a clear vision
✅ Brain dump every goal
✅ Set SMART goals
✅ Break it down into daily & weekly steps
✅ Track progress regularly
✅ Align your marketing with your ICA
✅ Stay flexible, celebrate wins, and keep going

Resources To Check Out

1. GCI Calculator Template
2. Tara’s Favorite Pocket Printer
3. The Ultimate Real Estate Planner