It’s Not Too Early to Start Planning for 2027
I know. We’re still in 2026.
For many brokerages and real estate businesses, the focus right now is getting through the final quarter, finishing the year strong and preparing for everything that comes with the fall and holiday season. The idea of planning for 2027 might feel a little premature.
I actually think this is exactly the right time to start.
I was recently speaking at an event for Royal LePage Burloak, and one thing stood out to me. They already had their meetings and events planned into the next quarter. That may not sound particularly remarkable, but after more than 20 years working in real estate organizations, I know how valuable that kind of forward planning can be.
When the calendar is planned, the team can plan around it. People know what is coming. Leaders have time to prepare. Marketing can support the right initiatives. Education can be scheduled intentionally. And the organization has a much better chance of being proactive rather than constantly reacting to whatever lands on the desk that week.
Planning for 2027 does not mean forgetting about 2026
There is an important balance here. You still have a business to run. The goal isn't to spend the next three months sitting in planning meetings for a year that hasn't started yet. Your current clients, agents, employees, revenue targets and operational priorities still need attention. Instead, think about planning for 2027 as creating the framework while you continue running the business.
You don't need every detail figured out. You need enough direction that you aren't starting from scratch on January 2. A few hours spent looking ahead now can save considerably more time and stress later.
Start by looking back
Before deciding where you are going, take a realistic look at where you've been.
What worked in 2026? What didn't?
Which initiatives generated meaningful engagement or results?
Which ones consumed considerable time without delivering much in return?
Look at recruitment and retention.
Review your marketing and communications.
Consider education and professional development.
Look at technology adoption and your vendor relationships.
Think about the meetings and events you held and whether they achieved what you wanted them to achieve.
This doesn't need to become an exhaustive annual review. The objective is to identify the things you want to continue, change, stop or start in 2027. That gives you a much stronger starting point than simply carrying everything from one year into the next.
Identify your priorities
Once you've reviewed the year, identify the handful of things that really matter for 2027.
For a brokerage, those priorities might include recruitment, retention, agent development, leadership development, technology adoption, client experience, community involvement or operational efficiency.
For a PropTech company or another business supporting the industry, the priorities might look very different: product development, customer acquisition, partnerships, education, brand awareness or expansion into new markets.
The important thing is to resist the temptation to make everything a priority. If everything is important, your team will inevitably end up reacting to whatever is loudest. Three to five meaningful priorities can provide a much clearer framework for decision-making throughout the year.
Put the known dates on the calendar
This is where the Royal LePage Burloak example really caught my attention. They had already planned their meetings and events into the next quarter. That creates an enormous amount of visibility.
Start with the things you already know: Leadership meetings. Brokerage meetings. Education sessions. Conferences. Community events. Recruitment initiatives. Major marketing campaigns. Client events. Association and board dates. Product launches. Important deadlines.
Then work backwards.
If you have a major event in March, what needs to happen in January and February? Who needs to be involved? When does marketing need to begin? What communications need to go out? Planning backwards gives people time to do the work properly instead of trying to pull everything together at the last minute.
Give your team visibility
Planning shouldn't happen in a leadership vacuum. One of the biggest challenges I see in start-ups or brokerages is the bottleneck that often occurs with leadership. Your team doesn't necessarily need to know every detail of the 2027 strategy today, but they should understand the direction and have visibility into what is coming.
This is particularly important in a brokerage, where marketing, administration, leadership, education, recruitment and operations are often interconnected. When people know what is coming, they can prepare. They can identify conflicts. They can contribute ideas. They can flag resource issues. They can take ownership. And perhaps most importantly, they can see how their work fits into the bigger picture.
Look for the operational gaps now
Planning for the future also gives you an opportunity to identify what could make 2027 easier. Ask yourself these questions:
Are there processes that are still unnecessarily manual?
Are there recurring meetings that aren't particularly productive?
Are there vendors you aren't using effectively?
Does your team understand the technology available to them?
Are there communication gaps?
Are there responsibilities that aren't clearly assigned?
These aren't necessarily 2027 projects. Some may be things you can address before the end of this year. Others may become priorities for next year. Either way, identifying them now gives you choices.
Don't turn planning into another project that overwhelms the team
This is where I would encourage brokerage leaders to keep things simple.
You don't need a 50-page strategic plan. Start with a one-page view of 2027.
What are our priorities?
What do we know is happening?
What needs to happen in Q1?
Who owns each major initiative?
What resources will we need?
What should we stop doing?
Then put the key dates on a shared calendar and schedule regular opportunities to review progress. The plan should be something your team actually uses, not something that gets created in December and forgotten by February.
Keep running the business
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that planning ahead and staying focused on the present aren't competing priorities. They should work together. You need to finish 2026 well while creating a stronger starting point for 2027.
That might mean dedicating a few hours each month to forward planning rather than waiting for a big annual planning session. It might mean putting Q1 meetings and education dates on the calendar now. It might mean reviewing vendor contracts or budgets before they become January surprises. Small steps now can create a much smoother transition into the new year.
Your 2027 planning checklist
If you're not sure where to start, I've created a simple 2027 Brokerage Planning Checklist to help you work through the basics. Use it to review 2026, identify your priorities, build your calendar, prepare your team and make sure the operational pieces aren't being forgotten.
Need help figuring out how to get started?
You don't need to have 2027 completely figured out. You just need to start thinking about it.
Because the organizations that plan ahead aren't necessarily the ones that know exactly what the future will bring. They're the ones that have created enough structure and alignment to respond when it does. That is the real value of planning.
And if your brokerage or real estate business needs help turning its priorities into a practical marketing, communications, education or operational plan for 2027, feel free to reach out and book a complimentary consultation.
Comments