Distractions Decrease Real Estate Agent Income: Here's How To Fix It
As real estate agents, we often get distracted by non-sales-related duties. By not focusing on new leads, the past client follows up, and business development during the day, real estate agent income suffers. Real estate mentors recommend time-blocking as an effective strategy. Here are 5 time-blocking tips that will help real estate agents increase their sales effectiveness:
1) Block out morning hours for prospecting
Morning hours are the best time for real estate agents to prospect because they're fresh and ready to be on their feet. Prospecting will increase sales leads, which is a great way to grow your business in other areas such as marketing or developing new clients.
To maximize morning prospects, set an alarm that goes off every day at this hour so you start each day with a sense of purpose. Wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual to go through email and make it possible for yourself to get out there right away.
If mornings don't work well for you, try taking them after lunchtime instead! This shifts when we're most alert by one hour: early birds become larks while night owls become wise owls.
Take a look at your schedule and see if you can move morning meetings to the afternoon or evening. This way, people are more likely to take off their shoes after work rather than during the day when they're feeling tired.
Another tip is taking control of your email inbox before sending emails out so that it doesn't distract you from prospecting time later in the day. A great tool for real estate agents who want help with this strategy is Todoist - get organized today! It has been used by over 20 million users worldwide and offers an intuitive design and helpful features like location based reminders for specific tasks on certain days (e.g., "Set reminder: review marketing plan every Monday.") You'll be ready to take on every day with a sense of purpose!
Follow up is another important habit that real estate agents should prioritize. After sending an email, write down the date and time you sent it as well as what your follow-up plan will be (e.g., "Sent offer to prospect at 12:00pm") so you'll remember to revisit them later in the week or month if they don't reply right away. This way, there's less chance for leads slipping through the cracks - not only does this make prospects happy by following up with them but also increases income because they're more likely to accept our services instead of moving on to someone else who never contacted them again!
An often forgotten type of lead generation is past client follow up. Real estate agents should set aside a time block to make sure they stay in touch with past clients and keep them as an active customer for the future.
Ask your past clients if there's anything you can do better or differently that would be more helpful for their needs - it might just lead to another sale!
Email all of your previous customers who have expressed interest in buying, selling, renting out property recently (e.g., "Hi Jane, thank you so much for reaching out!"). Make sure this is part of any time blocks you've made and send emails on days when other tasks are less pressing than usual.
Keep track of how many times each week you email these people by setting a reminder on your phone or computer for the appropriate time block.
Ask for feedback during these emails so you can better understand their needs and how to serve them more effectively in the future!
One of my favorite tips is blocking out a time before lunch to do quarterly marketing tasks like updating social media profiles, sending newsletters, creating new ads, etc. It's important that real estate agents stay focused on what they're doing because it will lead to increased sales leads which help with business growth elsewhere (e.g., "Sent client an offer at 11:00am"). Allocating this type of task in advance means we won't be sidetracked by other things and increase our chances of getting it done right away - I always seem to get more done when I do this.
2) Block out afternoon hours for following up with past clients
In the afternoon, real estate agents should focus on past client follow-up. This is a great way to ensure that you're keeping in touch with your clients and encouraging them to buy again. The more time spent following up with this group of people, the better!
Set an alarm for every day at around 12PM so you can spend some quality time checking out their social media pages or sending them a message just as they start their lunch break. Don't forget about email too; it's important not to let these relationships go stale by ignoring contact through other forms of communication!
If afternoons don't work well for you, try taking them before dinner instead! Keep everyone happy until bedtime :)
It's also important to take advantage of the daylight in the afternoon by getting out there and connecting with people. This will help you think creatively about how to bring new prospects into your real estate business!
3) Block out evening hours for planning and scheduling appointments or meetings with prospective clients
After a long day of real estate agent work, it can be hard to stay focused on what needs to get done. This is when the evening hours come in handy for planning and scheduling appointments or meetings with prospective clients. Set an alarm every night so you don't forget about this important step!
Before bed, make sure that your calendar has all available time slots blocked out - these are some of the most valuable hours during any given week because they're uninterrupted by other tasks (e.g., "Met client at 12:00pm").
Schedule one appointment per weekday evening and try not to stretch yourself too thin; if things start piling up, it'll only lead to more stress at the end which doesn't do anyone any good!
Be sure to leave some time in between appointments so you can prepare for them - this means organizing the brochures, making a list of topics to cover during the meeting, etc.
Keep track of which meetings are scheduled and when by using an app like Reminders or Evernote on your phone (e.g., "Meeting tomorrow at 12:00pm"). This will help remind you what needs to be done before each appointment too!"
The most successful real estate agents block time for different parts of their day to focus on marketing, networking and following up with past clients. The more focused you are, the better your work will be and the higher your income will go!
4) Block a day in the week to do your own personal real estate work
Blocking out a day in the week to do your own personal real estate work will allow you to focus on other aspects of the business that may have been neglected. Make sure not to neglect this task because it's so important!
On Sunday evening, go through all open houses and make notes about what needs to be done (e.g., "Open house scheduled for 12:00pm tomorrow")
Organize files by listing each client name with their corresponding folder - don't forget about documents like contracts or emails from past clients too!
Block time during the following days before lunchtime to catch up on any unfinished tasks (e.g., "Sent newsletter at 11:15am"). This is also a great time for any tasks that are more mentally draining (e.g., "Updated website at 12:00pm").
Before the end of your day, be sure to set an alarm so you can review all completed items and summarize what needs to happen tomorrow."
The most successful real estate agents block out a day in the week to do their own personal work as well as marketing, networking and following up with past clients. The key is being organized! If each task has its designated space on your calendar or desk then it will be much easier to stay focused during these important hours of the day."
"Time blocking is very important because we get distracted by things like social media," said Anna Smith from A&M Real Estate in Chicago, IL. "If you're not blocking out time for marketing and networking then it's very easy to get off track."
Before bed, make sure that your calendar has all available hour slots blocked out - these are some of the most valuable hours during any given week because they're uninterrupted by other tasks (e.g., "Met client at 12:00pm").
Block one appointment per weekday evening and try not to stretch yourself too thin; if things start piling up, it'll only lead to more stress at the end which doesn't do anyone any good!
5) Ask your family members to take care of chores so you can focus on sales
Ask your family members to take care of chores so you can focus on sales. If they're not a part of the real estate business, it's important that they know what needs to be done (e.g., "I need you to stay home from work today and watch the kids because I have a meeting at 12:00pm"). It may also help with costs - for example, if there are groceries on sale this week, then ask them to pick up some while grocery shopping!
Ask friends or family members who don't live in the same house as you about their availability throughout the day before blocking out time slots for yourself; this will allow everyone involved to plan accordingly.
This is especially important if you live in a house with multiple people who have real estate businesses (e.g., "Make sure to clean the kitchen before noon so I can get some work done").
Consider always inviting family members over for meals on Sunday and Wednesday evenings - these are usually prime time slots where agents might be tempted to check social media or spend another hour answering emails!
If your agent is having trouble getting out of bed, then ask them what they need in order to feel motivated."
The most successful real estates block out time slots for themselves as well as marketing, networking and following up with past clients. They also keep their families involved by asking friends and family members about their availability throughout the day. The key is being organized! If each task has its designated space on your calendar or desk then it will be much easier to stay focused during these important hours of the day."
"Time blocking is very important because we get distracted by things like social media," said Anna Smith from A&M Real Estate in Chicago, IL. "If you're not blocking out time for marketing and networking then it's very easy to get off track."
Before bed, make sure that your calendar has all available hour slots blocked out - these are some of the most valuable hours during any given week because they're uninterrupted by other tasks (e.g., "Met client at 12:00pm").
Block one appointment per weekday evening and try not to stretch yourself too thin; if things start piling up, it'll only lead to more stress in the end which doesn't do anyone any good!
Consider always inviting family members over for meals on Sunday and Wednesday evenings - these are usually prime time slots where agents might be tempted to check social media or spend another hour answering emails!
If your agent is having trouble getting out of bed, then ask them what they need in order to feel motivated. "This may include setting an alarm at night with a specific goal (e.g., "By tomorrow morning I want you awake by X:00am")."
Remember, Mindset is EVERYTHING when it comes to blocking time off for your development. Your mindset regarding time blocking should be, "I'm making time for myself." Remembering this and thinking about what you'll be able to accomplish in the long run will help motivate you while reallocating your day. So start tracking down those tasks that are important but aren't getting done - then make a plan of action! And don't forget: if all else fails, take a break!"
For more winning tips and strategies, talk to an expert real estate mentor, and take your career on the right path.