While stores have embraced the holiday season before trick-or-treaters even began their door-to-door treks on Halloween, most consumers may begin official Christmas prepping and decorating right after Thanksgiving. For REALTORS, the festive holiday season can be a great time to embrace the spirit of the season.

While many REALTORS may roll out festive holiday marketing or advertising campaigns, the holidays also are a great time to reflect on blessings and spread good cheer and tidings to others in the community. Here are ways to give back, participate in the community and cherish the goodness of the merry holiday season.

Send Holiday Greetings

While it’s true that sending holiday greetings can keep REALTORS on the minds of clients and colleagues, think of holiday greetings more as a means to send good wishes and maybe even send notes of thanks.

Cards can be funny or a bit more serious. Include a note to add personalization. After all, this isn’t the time to just drop a name stamp or a simple signature.

Join the Parade

Get involved in the community and create a float for the local holiday parade. Not all communities or cities offer a holiday parade, but, for those who do, this can be a wonderful means to get into the holiday mood and even meet new people.

REALTORS can create their own holiday float (if they have the means to do so). However, some parades let businesses walk in the parade with a banner. The local Chamber of Commerce could be the best source for local activities.

Sometimes the entire real estate team or office band together for these events. REALTORS also can talk to their broker about what they can give away at events.

Adopt a Family

Many communities offer a family adoption program during the holidays. A list will be provided on behalf of the family about household needs or gift ideas for children.

This is another way the entire office can help the community. Or individual REALTORS can adopt a family to help during the holiday. During this time, many families are still struggling with basic necessities and to make ends meet.

Host a Toy Drive

Organizations may be in need of toys to donate to children in need during the holiday season. Host a toy drive to donate to local organizations and help make holidays merry for children in the area.

Host a Food Drive

Many families rely on local food banks to meet the needs of families who cannot afford food, personal care items and/or other supplies. REALTORS may reach out to food banks to find out their needs; sometimes food banks might be low on specific items. Feeding America offers a tool to find local food banks.

Volunteer

Give back this season by volunteering for a favorite nonprofit or community organization. Many need help this time of year. Reach out to organizations and find out more about volunteer opportunities.

12 Random Acts of Kindness

In the 12 days leading up to Christmas, do a random act of kindness for a stranger. This could be paying for a person’s meal in the drive-thru, putting change in a meter that’s about to expire or something completely unique and original.

Make a stranger’s day during the holiday season!

Build a Small Lending Library

Encourage reading and access to reading materials in the community by building a small lending library that offers different books. These are extremely popular and are simple to make. But how do they work?

These little libraries offer a small area where community members can place books that anyone in the community can borrow for free. The idea is to borrow a book and return it. Or community members can add a new book to the library.

Check out this site to find out how to build a little library for the community! And maybe even start a reading movement!

Supporting Efforts on Social Media

REALTORS can use their social media pages to support community efforts, too. For example, REALTORS or their offices that are hosting toy drives or canned food drives can post the endeavor to social pages. Sometimes anyone can donate to these drives, and if the drives are open to anyone to participate…feel free to announce it.

Building a lending library? Show it off on social media and let followers know where they can find it to borrow books and contribute! Encourage followers to add books and to spread the word. Or even encourage others in the community to build their own library and expand this effort.

Give the Gift of Time

REALTORS—especially those new to the industry—may be used to working off-hours and anytime when a listing or seller calls. Time off might be rare. However, during the holidays, REALTORS might try to find time to decompress and spend time with their own families.

Can’t travel to be with family? Start a holiday tradition solo. Or get together with friends. Time off is still important, even when it doesn’t feel like there’s someplace special to go. Instead, reach out to others or even just watch a favorite movie.

REALTORS who are parents may sometimes feel torn—as many working parents do—about missing events or games for their children. On Christmas, though, take the time to devote to just kids and family. Use this time to make memories and try—although it may be very difficult—not to think about the listing, the client or the sale. Even just for one day.

Having one or two days away from work could be a nice break. We live in a fully tech-oriented and connected world. We have smartphones that allow us to check social media and our email at any time day or night. We receive texts and calls, too.

It’s difficult to draw the line between personal time and work time when there doesn’t seem to be any lines at all. During Covid, many who didn’t work from home found out that this arrangement often does come without any or many clear boundaries.

However, maybe this is a realization that REALTORS know all too well. When work includes nighttime showings or writing contracts and phone calls never seem to end, how do you unplug?

For Christmas or whatever holiday you embrace, take the day for you. Make time to focus on your needs, your family, your time. It isn’t selfish. It doesn’t mean you’re a slacker. It means you’re human. It means you need a break.

Give the gift of time this year to you and those you love. Or give time to your community, to people who need help. Give time, perhaps, to animals in a shelter who need supplies and warm beds.

This holiday season, take time to smell the pine trees. Listen to some carols. Maybe even buy a silly ugly sweater. And remember to do something—or multiple somethings—that help you remember what the season means to you…what it means in general.

On Christmas Day, don’t change your ringer to a holiday song so that when it rings it rings with a sound of the season. Instead, maybe put it on silent. Even if it’s just for a few hours. And instead enjoy the silence or the laughter.