It’s Party Time.  The holidays are full of opportunities to network at parties. 
You don’t want to be prospecting at the party but one of my new Agents many years ago taught me a terrific technique.  She was in her late twenties, engaged and getting invited to lots of weddings, showers, baby naming, etc.  She and her fiancée’ had large professional Spheres of Influence which made them perfect prospective home Buyers. She just made this up herself, started doing it, and made one sale after another with it for years.  She built a successful Real Estate career from it. 
Get invited to and attend as many non REALTOR® events as possible.  Don’t drink.  (If you want to drink then don’t do the following and just enjoy the party.  If you are going to do the following I want you to have a clear head and your best judgment.)
Engage people that you don’t know.  Open by just asking how they know the host or hostess.  As you are having a normal conversation, ask what they do for a living and where they live.  They will often ask you what you do for a living.  When they do tell them that you are in Real Estate; be sure to say it with humble pride.  Don’t dwell on it unless they show an interest.  Even then, be helpful but let them know you’ll follow up later.  Many times they won’t want to dwell on it so just move on to other topics, just build rapport and relationship.
Their answers about their occupation and where they live tells you enough to know if they are likely to be qualified to buy.

Then call the host or hostess of the party the next day.  Explain that you met so and so and would like to contact them.  Ask for their phone number.  As long as you built some reasonable rapport at the event and you were not obnoxious at the party it should never be a problem. Then simply call the prospect and start the conversion conversation.

Don’t be surprised at the misconceptions people have about the market, interest rates, prices, financing, or anything else.  You don’t realize how much you know about Real Estate versus the average citizen.  Take nothing for granted.  Explain everything; always adding home ownership is and always will be most people’s greatest source of security and equity.  It is not just the American Dream.  It is everyone’s dream.