Do you ever wonder how some real estate agents seem to get so much done, but you feel like you’re struggling?
The truth is, maintaining productivity is a challenge for everyone. Real estate has so many different things going on that it’s easy to be distracted.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve your productivity and make sure you have time for the most important work in your business. Here’s what you need to know!
Create Systems & Use Them Every Time
Creating a system might seem like something so time-consuming that it will damage your productivity rather than help. That’s not true.
Creating a system is as simple as writing down the steps you take when listing and advertising a property, and using that as a checklist for every listing from then on.
Write down the steps you take in each thing you do, starting with the most important. Weed out the wasted time, and use your list as the checklist – the system – for that process every time going forward. If you need to make changes, just update your list!
When you do everything the same way every time, you won’t forget anything. You also won’t spend a lot of time and mental energy trying to decide what you need to do and what order it should be done in.
You already have it!
Prioritize Your Tasks
Some folks like to prioritize tasks with numbers, but my favorite method is the Eisenhower Box. You create a 2X2 grid, so there are four squares.
The top left is for activities that are urgent and important. The top right, not urgent but important. The bottom right has urgent but unimportant. Finally, the lower right has not urgent and not important.
Take everything you have in your head that you “need to do” and put each one in the appropriate box. Hint: not everything will be both urgent and important!
If something is in box one, you’ll plan to do it immediately. Box two you will schedule to do later. Box three you will delegate to someone else. Finally, the tasks in the not urgent and not important box can be deleted from your list.
You’ll find that a lot of things seem urgent but actually aren’t important. Think about whether these items are actually urgent or not. It’s possible they can be dumped entirely!
Manage Communication With Automation
You might think that having an automated email series means you have a less personal approach, but the opposite is true. The truth is that without automation you might not reply at all, or if you do it will be days later.
With the right email service provider, you can divide your contact list into relevant sections. Use this to deliver targeted content – without having to type out individual emails from scratch.
Create a three-email series for people you’ve met at an event. You can make a small update and use it again for a future event. No more starting over!
You can also create email series for people who click your Facebook ad, download a freebie, contact you through your website, and much more. You won’t be dropping the ball anymore.
Take Time For Breaks
It’s common for productivity advice to say that you should take advantage of every free moment to “get stuff done.” Waiting in line at the store, being in the car, and more – all time that can be utilized, according to some.
I’m going to say the opposite. Your brain needs a BREAK! You can’t be thinking constantly about 100 things at once and not burn out. So take time to step away from all the doing and just BE.
Whether you choose to meditate, spend time in your chosen faith, or even take a 20-minute nap, be sure you unplug a few times a day. It doesn’t have to be a long time. But it does need to be enough to allow your brain to rest.
The more you reset, the more creative and productive you’ll be!
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This post originally shared on PrinterBees' Real Estate Marketing Magazine.
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