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Does Time Management Work For You?

By
Real Estate Agent with www.LorainCountyHomeSales.com

There is no wrong or right answer, just a question I want to throw out into this active group of successful real estate agents within this online community of bloggers. Seriously, does time management work for you, keeping to a pretty close schedule? Or are you like me, with great intentions...but ending up with last minute appointments that turns your whole day outta whack? I schedule appointments even a week or so in advance, but believe me, it's never how my day turns out. It's a crazy business we are in.

Here is a today example: I begin my day logging into my outlook, checking emails while eating bites of breakfast. (I am always multi-tasking). Open up my scheduler, ah yes, listing appt at 2pm, ads due by 4pm, nothing pressing. Looks like I'll have time to do a grocery run before dark. Totally prepared with all docs & details for listing appt, hmm, what to do first...let's get ads out of the way. Phones are quiet, good timing to finish up that task. Things are qoing well but phone rings. Problem, lock box not working, agent can't get inside. Sellers are away, really needs this home sold, agent offers to come back IF I can get them inside (they will go on to next home & circle back). Yep, extra key, off I go, need this home sold & what the heck is wrong with lock box. On my way there, 15 min drive, another call - listing appt needs to be moved up from 2pm to 12 noon now. Ok, no problem, everything ready for that appt, just get to the home - yep, lockbox is stuck, won't open, but I replace it & let agent inside with her buyer - I leave, another phone call...salesman wanting to sell me a lead generation something, end call, another call, salesman wanting me to check out how he can put me on the 1st page of google - am I by the computer to show me how, no time for this. Oh no, starting to rain. I had wanted to retake a picture of one of the homes to update picture for ad since I was in the area. Next time. Phone call, another salesman, wants to give me an unbeatable offer of search terms to purchase - am I by a computer. Are you having days now where the majority of incoming calls are salesman, trying to sell us something? Which breaks my concentration at times. How about you? I get back to home office, check emails again, 2 incoming leads...good news there, pull files on homes asking about, call back these leads. Yes, one wants to see the home, but I want to schedule appt with a loan officer first, buyer fine with that. Anyway, not to bore you with all the rest of the days details, but I can't ever seem to follow a schedule! My days do NOT go as planned. BUT I love it. Yes, I love the craziness of my job, never boring, always something.

So is there a secret to time management and being able to follow some type of schedule that is not always being changed?

If so, would you please share your tips and words of wisdom?

Carla's Blog in gold

Posted by

  www.LorainCountyHomeSales.com

 

Tony & Darcy Cannon
Aubrey and Associates Realty - Layton, UT
The C Team
Carla, this, is the hardest part of being a Realtor, time management.  I have tried the Franklin Covey time management system, and when I really work it, it seems to work.  Emergencies happen, and need to be dealt with.  The real problem becomes the "time thiefs", especially salesmen.  I know that they too have to make a living, but they can be really frustrating!  I personally, have found it much more difficult to manage my time since I went digital.  I have a Blackberry and use Outlook to sync everything, but I just did a better job when I wrote things into my day planner, I followed my "To Do" list much more efficiently.  So while I am going to continue with the digital things, I am going to go back to my paper planner.  Good luck!
Mar 19, 2008 06:58 PM
Carla Harbert
www.LorainCountyHomeSales.com - Avon, OH
RE/MAX Omega: Lorain-Medina County Area
Thanks for the response Tony & Darcy.  I like the term "time thief", yep...that little demon sure attacks my day! I like the digital technology available now, but still keep going back to my paper daytimer. Have you heard of a company called "Time Broker Inc" ? I wondered if anyone here has experience using their system. Guess that should be another blog question to ask? I'm new to blogging...but it was one of the technologies I was determined to make a part of my real estate business & marketing plan this year. --Carla
Mar 19, 2008 07:22 PM