23 Productivity Hacks to Help Real Estate Agents Boost Their Business

23 Nov 2019 Posted at 10:00h by Tait 1 Comment

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Working in real estate can feel like an impossible task. With new agents entering the market all the time, how can you stay ahead?

The key to success in real estate is being more productive than your peers. This does not necessarily mean working more. Instead, you should seek to be more efficient with your time. Here are 23 productivity hacks to help you boost your real estate business.

1. Prioritize Tasks That Offer the Most Gains

All real estate agents face conflicting priorities. The better you are able to recognize and manage priorities the better your professional outcomes will be. Unless your task is really quick (i.e. under 2 minutes), you should focus on what offers the most gains. Decide which task holds the most promise for business and revenue growth, and do that.

2. Take Breaks

It may seem counterintuitive, but taking breaks actually increases productivity. By compartmentalizing your time spent not working you increase your productivity in the time that you do. There is a general consensus that most of us can handle 75-90 minutes of intense work before losing focus. So try to time your breaks at these intervals.

3. Get Some Exercise

Productivity depends on energy. And energy depends on exercise (and sleep). So take some time out each week to be active. Even if it takes an hour or two away from work, the increasing returns from exercise will more than make up for the time lost.

4. Limit Social Media to Specific Times

As real estate agents, we cannot completely abandon social media. So we are left to manage it the best we can. Most workplace gurus suggest limiting social media to very specific times during the day and being disciplined about your schedule. We must view social media as a tool not a crutch.

5. Write Everything Down

One of the biggest wastes of time at work is having to figure out how to do something again or asking someone to repeat themselves. So write everything down. If you can type your notes into searchable Word or .txt files, all the better.

6. Buy a Quality Bag

If you have had a bag break on you, you know how debilitating it can be. Real estate agents are constantly on the move. Buy a quality bag with a solid strap. It is a worthwhile investment.

7. Manage Notifications

Real estate agents must try to block out as much as possible, while remaining available to their clients. It can be a tricky balance. If you are able, let messages and calls come through and mute everything else. Then, while at your desk, place your phone face down, so you do not see any blinking lights or popups.

8. Use a Site Blocker

All of us have that site that turns into a black hole. For me, it is YouTube… and Wikipedia… and well you get the idea. Try installing a site blocker on your work computer, so you do not fall into one of these traps during your productive hours.

9. Strive for Good, not Perfect

When taking on a new task or challenge, your goal should always be good. When we strive for perfection we often waste several hours polishing off those last few details that turn out not to be necessary anyway. Save yourself the time and strive for good.

10. Seek Small Automations

Everyone has that task that is annoying to do but must be done. Things like data entry come to mind. Whatever this task is for you, look into some technology solutions to automate it.

11. If You Can’t Automate Delegate

If you are not able to automate these repetitive tasks, try to delegate it to someone else. An office assistant or a new agent just learning the ropes may be willing to take it on to get exposure to a new aspect of the business.

12. If You Can’t Delegate Listen to Music

If you absolutely cannot automate or delegate your repetitive tasks, do them while listening to music. Music has been shown to have productivity benefits when doing work that does not require too much analysis or creativity.

13. Update Your CRM

Your CRM is designed to facilitate lead management and conversion. But to maximize its effectiveness you need to feed it current and accurate information. So take the time every week to update your CRM with new leads.

14. Use Templates for Common Emails/Documents

If you are writing all of your emails from scratch, you are wasting time. Derive templates for your most common messages so only names and dates need to be updated.

15. Pursue Professional Development

Real estate is too competitive to rest static. Instead, you should always be seeking self-improvement. Set out a vision for yourself, identify the steps to get there, and work on these steps throughout the year.

16. Dual Monitors

If you work at the same desk everyday, invest in dual monitors. It is worth it. Trust me. 

17. Set Goals

Setting goals allows you to identify what you want to do in a professional setting and allocate your resources to achieve it.

18. Seek Out a Mentor

A mentor can help guide you through new tasks, difficult situations, and office politics. They can also be a resource for any concerns you have in your real estate career. The less time you spend worrying, the more time you can spend getting things done.

19. Ask for Help

If you are struggling to understand or complete something, ask for help. Do not toil by yourself in futility, watching the hours tick away.

20. Manage Contacts

One aspect of productivity that is often overlooked is relationship management. Everyone you meet in real estate has some knowledge and talent. Knowing who to call on, and when, can help you achieve more.

22. Unsubscribe With Vengeance

Real estate agents of all stripes tend to spend too much time on email. You can fight the habit by making your email inbox simpler and easier to manage. Be diligent about deleting and unsubscribing from marketing emails.

23. Go For a Walk

There is something rejuvenating about a small change of air and some movement. It clears the mind and allows for new perspectives. So do not be afraid to get up and step away for a few minutes.

BONUS:  Ignore the News

The news business makes money through viewers and clicks. It is designed to pull you in until you cannot look or click away. Do yourself a favor, and limit your exposure to the news during the day. Each glance is a risk.

Now you have the tools to be productive in real estate. Time to put them to use. Questions or feedback? Leave them in the comments. For some related content, see How to Blog Faster and Produce More Content For Your Real Estate Website.