You are planning to get to your child's soccer tournament, concert or play this weekend, right?  Or to that exercise class you know you should take?  Or to that long overdue date with your spouse or partner that will keep the relationship fresh?  Or just get off by yourself for a massage or a serene walk in the woods? 

No?  Ah....I know why: you are "too busy" selling real estate.  YAnd I know that you will get to those things "sometime."

You are not alone, you know.  So many agents put off the really important things because they are "too busy." 

And I know the causes, too.  You can't get to that soccer tournament Saturday because you have to do everything, even the "small stuff," yourself.  You have bought into that old axiom, "Nobody can do it like I can!"  You don't realize that clients are more interested in finding the right home than they are in you.  That ol' ego gets in the way, doesn't it?

And you fear losing a transaction, right, maybe the one that will come from that out-of-area "buyer" you're showing houses to this Saturday, even though you really don't know if they are ready, willing and able to buy that day?  That's ok you, though: one of the other parents will take your daughter to the soccer tournament.  You'll hear about it when you get home Saturday night. 

Finally, I know that you just do not have the time or inclination to investigate, learn and use a couple of technology tools that can help you get more done and make more money while working one or two fewer days a week. 

Yes, I've heard all the "reasons" for ignoring the important things in life before, and I have seen how it winds up.  It's not pretty.  You've seen how it winds up, too, right? 

Well, if you take a look at yourself and find that you want to do some of the important things, there is hope.  There is no Magic Wand, however.  You will have to change.  You will need to change old patterns and habits.  If you decide to change, you will grow, but be warned: change is hard, and it is usually painful.  But it is necessary and rewarding.  But you knew that, right? 

If you want to change so that you can get to that soccer match or out on that date or to that walk by the lake, here are three things I would suggest you do: 

Farm out all the small stuff!

Let go of the ego for just a minute and listen to me: a competent VA (Virtual Assistant) can do roughly 80% of the tasks you now do....from her home in Texas or Florida.  Oh, I know: "A VA costs money...I can't afford it!"  Really?  I believe that you cannot afford to hire one if you take an honest look at the ROI (Return On Investment) involved. 

Suppose you pay a VA at $50 an hour for four hours a week of her time.  That's about $200 a week or $800 a month.  During those 16 hours each month, she does things such as: 

• Enter your listings into MLS
  
• Post your listings to your Web site and update some of your site content
  
• Do almost all of your client followup
  
• Handle your email and forward the 10-20% that she can't answer or do to you
  
• Manage your real estate database's automatic followup plans.  You remember that real estate database, Top Producer or Respond, the one you've given up on because you don't have the time to figure out how to use it?  She already uses it with 5 other REALTOR® clients, so it's a slam dunk for her to run yours. 

Suppose, just suppose, that you get just one more transaction per month because your time is freed up to meet people and talk with them about real estate and your services.  Using a sample co-op calculation on a moderately priced home, and figuring that you're on a 50/50 split with your broker, you would earn an additional $3,750 each month.....or an additional $45,000 a year.

Let's see: you spent approximately $10,000 that year for a VA and earned $45,000 more.  Looks like you are not spending money, you are making money!  That ain't too shabby for just letting go of the "No one can do it like I can" idea.  Matter of fact, my two VA's and my site/blog designer can do their "stuff" even better than I can when it comes to the tasks I give them to do! 

Use a Portable GPS With Those Buyers This Saturday!

Nicole Hearne of Ashford Square Realty, College Station, TX, invested two days of her life and $300+ dollars to attend the CRS 206 course I taught this week, while other agents in her area did not.  I guess they were "too busy."  At any rate, here is what Nicole said about only one idea she got from this intense course:

"The idea of loaning my Garmin GPS to buyers and having it loaded with all the property addresses I want them to see was fantastic!  I will lend mine to a client this Saturday morning, and on Saturday evening we will meet to plot our Sunday viewing ones they really are interested in.  Now I can enjoy watching my daughter at her softball tournament on Saturday while they drive around!  Thanks again, Allen!  It was my privilege to be in your class, and I know that so many other agents have really missed out on an awesome opportunity!"

Nicole realizes that her clients are just fine with the idea of seeing houses without her as part of a narrowing down process, that it's not "all about her."  After all, they buy the area first, the neighborhood second and a home third, and many buyers prefer to narrow their search without an agent along! 

Again, some numbers.  Suppose that Nicole has twelve properties she wants them to see.  They drive around and look at all twelve.  They narrow the "possibles" to four, which Nicole will show them Sunday.  Suppose we (conservatively) figure it takes her 45 minutes per home when she shows it.  Instead of showing them twelve homes, she shows them four.  Saving eight showings at forty five minutes per showing saves her six hours of her precious time....long enough for Day #1 of the soccer tournament, even if her daughter's team wins the first morning game and plays a second!  Not a bad investment in technology, huh? 

Schedule Your Day Off!

Dawn Thomas, one of my CyberStars®, does.  She attended the CRS 206 course I taught in Waltham, MA, last week.  Dawn is with Intero Real Estate Services in Los Altos, CA.  Whoa: she's in California and attended a course in Massachusetts?  Yup.  Her mother lives in the Boston area, so Dawn has membership in the local board there and combines business with pleasure by taking classes in the area...and cultivating referrals from local agents.  Smart a fox, she is! 

Most of my CyberStars® very successful agents, schedule their time first.  Dawn, for example, does not work Fridays, and she lets clients know this during the initial client interview.  I have found that anyone doing this does not miss much business, if any.  It is a rare, rare occurrence when a true buyer or seller will not fit into your schedule....just like they do with their doctor or accountant! 

These are just three tips that will help you "get a life": use a VA, use today's technology and schedule yourself first. 

I look forward to receiving your comments on this, pro or con.  If this post made you reflect on your Business vs. Career balance, I'm glad. 

Oh...I hope you will take a look at my new eBook, "Essential Technology for Today's Agent."  It can help you make money, save money...and save time so that you can get to those soccer games.  You can see it here.

It's a beautiful day here on the lake in Reston...I hope it's a beautiful day wherever you are, too!