Special offer

3 Things to Stop Doing Every Day to Boost Productivity!

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with RealSupport Inc.

Do you find yourself constantly bogged down with mundane daily tasks?  They may seem insignificant, but all of these little tasks add up and before you know it; your entire morning or afternoon is gone.  

 

As real estate agents, your schedule can vary greatly from day to day, which is oftentimes much of the allure of going into the business in the first place!  In fact, I was talking with a friend last night over dinner (who happens to be a real estate agent) and she was commenting on how much she loved the freedom of her schedule.  She’s her own boss and admitted that she could never take on an office job.  I’m sure many of you feel the same way!

 

But, what happens when this “free” schedule becomes detrimental to getting things done?  How can you make sure those small daily tasks don’t take over your day?  Here are a few key ways to cut down on the mundane and keep your daily schedule focused so you can be as productive as possible.

 

1. Stop having open ended meetings- As a real estate agent, you are constantly meeting with people, and as you know, these meetings can easily take more time than you anticipated.  Take time in the morning to look over your day and set time limits for each meeting.  Then, at the beginning of each meeting you can politely mention that you “have another committment at two” or simply say “Thanks for taking the time out of your day to meet with me. I know you’re busy, so this should only take twenty minutes.”  Your client or co-worker will appreciate your time conscious approach and you’ll be able to stay on track.

 

2. Stop overloading your To-Do list- While it may feel like you’re being productive by putting everything on your list; it can also be stressful to reach the end of the day and see that you only got half of the things done.  Don’t set yourself up for failure!  Each day only put on the list what absolutely has to be done that day.  Programs such as Things can keep you on task and provide options for organizing items for “today,” “tomorrow,” or “someday.”  You won’t forget tasks, but they also won’t all be on today’s to do list!

 

3. Stop answering repetitive questions- This may sound harsh, and we’re not suggesting you give your client the cold shoulder; just be smart about it.  If you find sellers are always asking you what they can do to help their house sell, buyers want to know about the best restaurants in town or what they need to do prior to beginning their home search; provide this information on your website or blog!  Blogging answers to common questions or providing a Q & A page on your website can allow you to easily refer clients to these resources rather than explaining these things over and over.

 

These are just a few of the ways you can cut down on time being wasted throughout the day!  Still overloaded?  As Real Estate Virtual Assistants, we can manage your online presence, social media, marketing for your listings and much more to help lighten your task load! 


Contact us today for more ideas or to get started!  You’ll find you’ll actually have time to focus in on what you do best!


Allie Coyle
Blogging & Copywriting Specialist 

Lottie Kendall
Compass - San Francisco, CA
Helping make your real estate dreams a reality

you make 3 good points. Years ago I got in the habit of making a weekly list of things to get done; I fit them in my schedule on appropriate days. Hmmm...maybe I should blog about that!

 

Aug 30, 2012 01:57 AM
RealSupport, Inc.
RealSupport Inc. - Schaumburg, IL
- Virtual Real Estate Marketing

Hi Lottie, we're glad our blog inspired you with a topic of your own! We agree that having a realistic to-do list will only boost your productivity and make sure that things get done in a timely fashion. We also think that time-blocking is a great tactic. If you set aside a certain time each day to answer calls, check and respond to emails, and other menial tasks, then you are more likely to focus the rest of the day on pressing items that need your attention.

Sep 05, 2012 06:09 AM