Most busy real estate professionals struggle trying to find time to do all of the things we want to do in our day. We need to always be prospecting yet busy work can keep us away from the tasks that really make a difference to the bottom line. While we can never create more time, we can work smarter.
Here are seven productivity boosters to make the most of your day.
1. Evaluate Your Effectiveness
Take one day and write down everything you do and how long it takes. Don't skimp on the details - write down EVERYTHING. Now go back and categorize your task into the following areas: Business Development, Administrative, Health & Wellness, Family, Fun, Other. What percentage of your day is spent on business development? The results may be shocking to you.
2. Calendar Money Producing Tasks First
Never have enough time for prospecting? Calendar it. Every day. Generating new business is one of the most important jobs for a real estate agent and yet it is often the first item that slips off the daily schedule. Sure, you have other 'stuff' that needs to get done but ignoring your money producing tasks will come back to bite you later.
Set a regular working schedule and stick to it. Take a half hour to check your email and handle essential tasks when you first start your day, then get to prospecting. Earlier in the day is better before your day starts to run away with you.
TIP: Get started early. I like to get to the office early so I can knock out my most important tasks before other people arrive or the phone starts to ring with the inevitable fire drills of the day.
3. Outsource Unproductive Tasks
Outsource unproductive tasks so you can focus on items that will make you money. Virtual assistants can be a cost effective solution for agents looking to outsource administrative tasks so you can focus on those money producing tasks. Listing management, transaction management and marketing are just a few of the tasks a skilled assistant can take off your plate to make you more productive.
Need more ideas on what to delegate? Check out this article on how to ramp up productivity with a virtual assistant.
4. Delete Unnecessary Tasks
Go ahead, delete them. I'm not kidding. There are some tasks that we should simply just delete - they have absolutely no value. If it can be deleted - do it. And don't feel guilty.
TIP: If you really can't delete it or delegate, set a timer. Some tasks are simply time sucks. They can run away with your time before you know it so use a timer to keep you on track.
5. Manage Your Inbox
Manage your inbox, don't let your inbox manage you. Email is like a bottomless black hole. It's important to be responsive to clients on your email, but most email is busy work. Use filters to help you focus on the important emails and delete/delegate the rest. Close your email when you doing your most important tasks to make sure you don't get distracted.
6. Don't Multi-Task
We used to think mult-tasking was a productivity booster yet studies have shown that multi-tasking actually decreases concentration and productivity. Focus on your task at hand, finish it, then move on to the next item on the list.
TIP: Do your least desirable tasks first and get them off your plate. You'll save time by not having to worry about them later.
7. Systematize
Without systems, we spend time reinventing the wheel time and again. Repetitive tasks can be simplified to save you time. Create document templates for questions you frequently get asked. I save all of my frequently used phrases, pages, scripts and more in Evernote so I can easily pull them up later. Tools like text expander are helpful to eliminate repetitive typing of frequently asked questions, listing information and more. You save your frequently used text snippets and simply use a short code later to pull them up.
TIP: Shaqualyn Mitchell, a REALTOR from Brooklyn, New York uses the auto-text feature on her Blackberry to reduce repetitive typing and quickly respond with listing information requests on the go. People are impressed by both speed and quality of her response.
It's easy to fill our time with busy work that doesn't benefit our production or enhance our relationship with our clients. Understanding what your time sinks are and how to minimize them will help you work smarter and find more time to do the things that really matter.
What do you do to maximize your efficiency and get the most out of your day?
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Want to learn more about how to boost your productivity? Click the below image to watch an educational webinar about fresh technologies and apps that top-producing agents need for 2015.
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