Real estate agent productivity tips

Becoming successful in real estate requires time, effort and consistency. Those within the industry often find themselves time poor, and thinly stretched over a number of tasks. Luckily, there are a number of real estate agent productivity tips and tricks to help improve your work/life balance.

1. Track Your Time

The key to becoming successful is to utilise each day efficiently. The difference between surviving agents and thriving agents is often a direct result of how they organise their day and choose to spend their spare time. There several habits you can easily adopt as a real estate agent to get the most out of each day and boost your productivity.

Many of us are under a false pretense that we are maximising our time. After analyzing our day-to-day, it becomes apparent that perhaps we may not be as productive as we imagined.

The first step to improving your time management is to understand how you are currently spending your time. The easiest method to do this is by tracking it. There are no rules when it comes to tracking, it can be as brief or as thorough as you like. The ultimate goal of time tracking is to learn more about yourself and your habits, both good and bad.

From the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, record your day in 30 minute increments, noting what activity you are undertaking. Do this over the course of a week, then at weeks’ end, take a look back and evaluate how you spent that time. Did you have more or less dead time than expected? Utilise that wasted time to improve yourself and your business.

2. Plan Your Day the Night Before

The importance of planning and goal setting can’t be overstated. It one of the most effective things you can do to prepare yourself for success, this includes both short and long term planning.

Long term planning and goal setting is useful to create a pipeline of what you would like your future to look like. A long term goal is inspiring and often helps guide the smaller goals and helps to form a plan of action.

Planning is very personal, and the most effective form of planning changes from person to person. Some people may prefer weekly planning while others work better on a month-to-month basis. No matter what type of goal setter you are, all real estate agents and vendors can benefit from planning out your day the night before.

Pre-planning your day night before can help you feel more prepared and focused when waking up in the morning. This preparation might include outlining the tasks you need to complete and prioritising them. It may also be a logistics-based plan, in which you look at where you need to be and when. Without a plan, you are more likely to feel overwhelmed, or be distracted by other people or tasks which are thrown your way.

3. Prioritise Your Tasks

Unfortunately is it impossible to be at your very best and 100% focused throughout the entire work day. Many people find that they perform best in the morning, and that their performance decreases throughout the day. Others still feel sleepy first thing in the morning and feel that their best work occurs in the afternoon.

It’s important to know yourself and understand what works best for you. Some people immerse themselves in their creative work in the morning, and leave the monotonous tasks for their post-lunch slump. Others will allocate their most important, focused-based tasks in the afternoon because it’s when they perform best.

Understanding your own body clock, and when you are most productive and able to produce quality work is key. Know which of your tasks need the most brain capacity and attention to detail, and do those when you’re at your most productive.

From the plan you’ve created the night before, you’ll have a better understanding of which tasks are most important to you and your business. This will help you decide which tasks to tackle when you are feeling focused. Make the most of the slumps you experience throughout the day and use that time for the more mundane tasks you need to complete, such as checking emails.

By tailoring your day to suit your output levels for different times of the day, you are less likely to feel frustrated, and more likely to be productive.

4. Automate & Delegate

When you first start your business or career, it is your responsibility to take care of everything. As you become more established, you may find that the workload becomes too much.

The ability to automate tasks saves business owners and operators an incredible amount of time and money. While automating can be costly, it often pays for itself with the amount of labour saved. This saved time is now able to be rediverted, and spent on other projects which will increase revenue.

Delegating is another great way to save time. Delegating also offers the benefit of decreasing the emotional load that comes with owning and operating a business as an individual.

Mundane tasks which don’t actively build you business or generate revenue are the easiest to remove yourself from. If you can’t automate it, delegate it. Consider outsourcing where you can, or hiring an assistant on a casual basis if needed. This will save you some time and allow you to invest your time into the areas that matter the most.

5. Use Technology to Your Advantage

Real estate agents can leverage technology in various ways to enhance their productivity and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software: Use real estate CRM software to manage client interactions, leads, and appointments. These tools can automate follow-up emails, schedule meetings, and remind you of important tasks, allowing you to stay organized and focused.
2. Virtual Tours and 3D Scanning: Instead of physically visiting every property, use virtual tour technology and 3D scanning to give clients a comprehensive view of properties online. This can save you time and reduce the need for constant travel.
3. Social Media and Online Marketing: Utilise social media platforms, online advertising, and email marketing to reach a broader audience. Automation tools can help you schedule posts and track engagement without spending excessive time online.
4. Automated Email Responses: Set up automated email responses during non-working hours or when you’re on vacation to manage client expectations and avoid feeling constantly tethered to your inbox.
5. Outsourcing and Virtual Assistants: Consider outsourcing administrative tasks to virtual assistants. They can handle data entry, appointment scheduling, and other time-consuming chores, allowing you to focus on high-value activities.
6. Analytics and Reporting Tools: Use analytics platforms to track your marketing efforts and sales performance. This data-driven approach helps you make informed decisions and optimize your strategies.

6. Look After Yourself

Real estate is a very competitive industry and in order to excel, you need to have high levels of energy and focus. Studies have shown that burnout can easily occur in those who don’t adopt a work/life balance.

Without this balance, you risk burnout which leads to poorer sales and is not sustainable for a long period of time. Customers are attracted to vibrant and happy people, particularly in the real estate industry. For this reason, it’s important to look after yourself and make choices that leave you feeling healthier and happier. This benefits your career, as well as your personal wellbeing.