Ten Tips to Help Real Estate Agents Work Smarter and More Efficiently

We’ve all heard and repeated this phrase, coined by businessman Allan F. Morgensen in the 1930’s; Work smarter, not harder. This is a good idea in most aspects of our lives, but never more so than in real estate marketing.

Work smarter, get more leads and referrals, enjoy a workday where you don’t feel like you’re running in circles. If this appeals to you, you’re not alone. And it’s very likely that you are currently taking measures to ensure this happens. Let’s look at some additional ideas that you might not have yet considered.

Ten Tips to Help Real Estate Agents Work More Efficiently

1. Prioritize daily. Time management expert David Allen is not the only person is his field who suggests you start your day with 15 minutes of planning and prioritizing. This will help you accomplish more in less time.

2. Utilize your task list and calendar function. This idea is simple and effective. Set up reminders and to-do’s to ensure a lead, referral or other opportunity does not slip through the cracks.
3. Set reminders. It’s no secret that keep-in-touch reminders will save you time when managing tasks and appointments. What most people don’t consider, however, is that they can also help bring you more leads, referrals and conversions, and therefore more success as a real estate agent. Utilizing a real estate marketing system that makes it easy to set up automatic notifications for follow-ups, move-in anniversaries and more is a very profitable idea.
4. Use a GPS. You’re probably currently using Google Maps, Waze or another app to navigate your targeted neighborhood or geographic farm. Why not go one step further and create routes for your prospects? Sending a pre-mapped route to a property listing will only take a few moments and it will help show your prospects that you’re considerate and thoughtful. You can also use Google Map’s aerial view function to show neighbourhoods, surrounding parks or schools and more. Additionally, you can use your GPS or other app to get an accurate ETA. No more wasting time waiting around because you overestimated how long it would take you to get to your appointment.

1. Finish Your tasks. Multi-tasking is inevitable. Jumping from one half-completed task to the next, however, will not only stop you from getting items off your to-do list. It also has the potential to bring on that weighty feeling of being busy yet not accomplishing anything. So, don’t, for example, abandon that property description before it’s complete because a great blog topic came to you, and you want to get as much of that written while you’re still excited about it. Instead jot down the blog idea in your notebook and then finish the task at hand. Chances are, crossing one thing off your to-do list will motivate you to keep going with other tasks.

6. Is it time to get assistance? If you find it impossible to finish your tasks because there is simply too much on your plate, ask yourself if your business has evolved to the point that you require ongoing help and support. An assistant is not an extravagance if they can help you focus on money making activities and reach the next level of success. Imagine what you can get done  while they manage prepping for open houses and other administrative tasks.

1. Build a simple, lead-capturing website. You do not need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a website with every bell and whistle. You do, however, need a real estate agent website with a lead-capture form that works with your real estate CRM. You will save a huge amount of time by capturing leads which automatically funnel into your CRM and your email drip campaigns.
2. Automate, delegate, or drop. Schedule a reoccurring date in your calendar, perhaps once per quarter, to evaluate your tasks and activities. Look for items that could be automated, such as your real estate newsletter managing and mailouts. If a task cannot be automated, ask yourself if it can be delegated, or if it should be dropped from your to do list. Automating, delegating and eliminating timewasters will help you focus on the activities that will increase your results and success.
3. Don’t take personal calls. Clearly, you have to answer important calls. If, however, you have the habit of making or taking several personal calls or text messages throughout the day, especially if they turn from “quick” calls into lengthy catch ups, this time can add up to an unproductive workday, not to mention interrupt your thought process and motivation.
4. Make notes and record in your real estate CRM. It’s not only important to take meticulous notes during and right after meetings with your clients and prospective clients, it’s also important to add those notes to your CRM. Quickly read your notes each time before contacting your client or prospect.

Now that you’ve reviewed 10 different ways to help you work more efficiently and increase your real estate success, which of these can you employ, or schedule into your calendar right now? Even picking up one or two of the habits will help you work smarter instead of harder towards your real estate goals and success.