Off the Grid???

I'm sitting here in a local café typing this blog into a Word document and feeling entirely cut off from the world as I wait for the wireless router to be reset so that I can get "plugged back in."    And it got me thinking about how connected we are with today's technology.  So how connected are you?  Do your past clients hear from you on a regular basis, virtually or "IRL?"  (My teenager had to translate that little tidbit for me the other day - it means "In Real Life.")  What about your current clients?  Are you doing everything possible to take advantage of today's technology when marketing your listings and assisting your buyers?

With the economy the way it is and the Real Estate Market reflecting those ups and downs it's more important that ever to retain clients and obtain referrals from them.  But how do you do this?  There honestly are not enough hours in the day to take advantage of all the tools available to you to do so.  For example... let's say you have 10 listings (a nice round, attainable number!)  Each listing should receive - at a minimum - 2 to 3 hours of your attention every week.  This attention is probably partially in the form of the following (among other) tasks:

1. Following up with showing agents
2. Providing feedback to your sellers
3. Planning open houses, realtor tours, and other methods of exposure
4. Creating and stocking flyers
5. Creating & enhancing online ads for consumer sites (i.e. Craigslist, Realtor.com, etc)
6. Creating online ads for realtor sites to garner showings (i.e. EmailFlyerAds.com)

So for 10 listings, each week you are already investing 20 - 30 hours.  Remember when Mrs. Smith said you really would use math "IRL?"  Here it comes ... let's do some math.  (Word problems always were my favorite - I know, I'm a dork.)

Let's assume that you are also working with 10 buyer clients. (Another nice round, attainable number).  Each buyer client is probably receiving anywhere from 2 - 4 hours of your time each week, especially if you are actively showing property.  Let's say it's just 2 hours per buyer per week.  That's another 20 hours per week that you are investing.

More math.  What about prospecting?  At an hour a day of phone calls, notes, advertising, etc you are investing an additional 5 hours per week.

Math.  See what I mean?  To simply maintain a moderately-sized business of 10 listings, 10 active buyer clients and minimal prospecting to bring in more clients you are working 45 - 60 hours per week.

But you already know this.  Why else do so many successful, multi-million producers hire an assistant?  Because there simply aren't enough hours in the day.  BUT many of you may be hesitating to hire an assistant in person right now because of the natural fluctuation in your business as it reflects on the economy.  This month you may have 15 listings and 12 buyers, and the next only 5 and 3 (heaven forbid!).

What's my point and how does this relate to being off the grid?  (The wireless router has come up now - I can see that I have 32 new emails in my Outlook folder.  The temptation to ditch this blog and attend to that is overwhelming.  But I'm resisting.)  My point is that to grow your business you must balance being both on and off the grid.  But the grid is what allows me and A Virtual Genie to help you solve your math problems.  We're a no-commitment, virtual, personal assistant.  We can give you 5 hours a month or 40 hours a month - you decide how much you need.  And if you need us in May but not at all in June and then again in July and August... well, we're here for you!

So do the math.  If you're investing more hours in the week than you have and you're struggling to balance your life on and off the grid, let us help.  Contact A Virtual Genie today.