Our Director, Virginia Brookes says these are the most important time management skills real estate agents need to be successful.
Perhaps one of the biggest differences between real estate agents who are killing it and those who are struggling is effective time management.
It's not that the ones who are at the top of their game necessarily have extra time, it's just that they use it more effectively.
If you find yourself fast approaching 5 pm every day and wondering where the time went and how on earth your inbox still has hundreds of unread emails, you probably need to manage your time better.
The Real Estate Conversation asked real estate recruitment expert Virginia Brookes of Resolver Recruitment for her best time management tips for real estate agents.
1. Schedule weekly planning time
Virginia says carving out time to map out your week will put you ahead.
"Have dedicated time at the end of each week to look forward and schedule the next week. You need to be out in front of your tasks and actions. This allows us to be proactive in determining what we are allocating our time to and not just responding to what shows up," she told WILLIAMS MEDIA.
2. Create a to-do list every single morning
Hands up if you've ever put something on your to-do list that you've already done, just so that you can have the satisfaction of crossing it off?
Virginia says even if you are just re-writing tasks you were meant to do the day before, to-do lists are the best way to stay on top of things.
"Prioritise this list (numerically or alphabetically) to make sure you get the important stuff out of the way first – eat the frog! However, make sure you also leave enough time for unexpected tasks that come up throughout the day so you don’t feel overloaded and stressed."
3. Break up the day
It's easy to chain yourself to your desk when you've got approximately ten million and a half things to do, but it's not the most effective way of working. While it may feel like you're wasting time by going for a walk or grabbing a coffee, taking regular breaks will actually make you more productive.
"Sometimes breaking down your day to sizeable chunks can help you manage your time better," Virginia says.
"Try assigning 25 minutes at a time to each task – put your head down and don’t let anything else distract you for that 25 minutes – don’t check emails or let colleagues distract you during this time! Make sure to also take breaks and divide up your day so you don’t exhaust or over-exert yourself to the point where you are no longer productive! Schedule in mini breaks and strategic times to check emails."
4. Get rid of distractions
Clear that ASOS shopping cart - even minor distractions like having too many (online shopping) windows open will entice you to procrastinate.
"Even things that don’t feel like distractions – like having your personal phone on your desk or having too many windows open on your computer – are still going to entice you to be distracted from your work," Virginia says.
"However while it’s great to put your head down and work hard – it’s also important to allow yourself little breaks to chat to colleagues and make sure you give your mind a ‘break’ every now and then. Just make sure you have completed all your priority tasks and earnt that coffee/chat break!"
5. Keep the bigger picture in mind
While most of your day might be spent putting out small fires, like managing a vendor who has unreasonable price expectations or tackling mountains of paperwork, Virginia says it's important for real estate agents to keep the bigger picture front and centre.
"As part of your weekly plan, allocate time to take a step back and look at the big picture. Are the tasks and activities you are completing on a daily and weekly basis supporting the achievement of a larger goal or purpose?"
