Real estate makes for a great investment, but real estate agents don't always know how best to invest their time. Without understanding time blocking for real estate agents, you may feel overwhelmed with the volume of your work. Thankfully, there are tips you can use to keep from going insane while fulfilling your business potential.
Decide on the type of real estate business you want to have
You want to be in the real estate business, but is there a specific sector of the business you'd like to be in? For instance, do you want to specialize in residential properties, commercial properties or foreclosures? Or maybe there's a specific demographic you'd like to cater to. Once you have that answer, you'll have a better idea of how to utilize time and resources. If you want to keep track of how much business traveling you do, take a peek at MileIQ.
Get the unpleasantness out of the way first thing in the morning
It's understandable that you want to put off grueling tasks, but doing so is doing you a disservice. Instead, you're better off getting those items done as soon as you get your day started. That means tending to your website and handling tax matters with your first cup of coffee. You'll have the rest of the day cleared to do what you enjoy, which is sure to keep you in good spirits. Also, you don't have to deal with that feeling of dread that comes with boring and unappealing work.
Utilize task management systems
Speaking of unpleasant tasks, there are management systems available that can take care of some of the heavy lifting for you. See if there are any useful apps you can use to better handle all your projects, contacts and tasks. You want your business to grow, but one common issue with growing businesses is that growth comes more work that needs to be done and more leads to follow up on. Management systems are just what you need to juggle all your various tasks without going insane. If apps aren't enough, look into hiring an assistant to give you a hand.
Have your priorities in order
During your time as a real estate agent, you're likely to have small interruptions throughout your day. While time management tips for real estate agents can help, you're sure to do a better job if you know how to prioritize. Rather than respond to every text message, phone call, and email the moment it comes in, prioritize. You've got to know what requires immediate attention and what can be put off for later.
To better help with this, time yourself performing your regular tasks on a typical workday. Then, see if you can streamline the work you do without compromising on overall quality. The data you gather lets you see which tasks are the most time-intensive and the highest in the pecking order. How your business tree grows depends on the seeds you plant.
Don't let yourself get distracted
Depending on where and how you work, there could be several interruptions coming at you throughout the day. Interruptions that have nothing to do with the work you're doing can knock you off your schedule. If you work in an office, one of those distractions may be coworkers coming by wanting to chat. Rather than indulging them, be polite, but firm, and let them know you're in your workflow and don't have time to chat.
Maybe you work from home and are easily distracted by social media and minor tasks that need to be done around the house. Know that there are time-management apps that help you focus by limiting the time you can access sites that prove to be distractions. Additionally, realizing that the less work you do today means more work for tomorrow can keep you focused. If that's still not enough to keep you going, let all your unpaid and incoming bills help motivate you to get to work.
Batch and block
Going back to responding to emails, phone calls and text messages, use what's known as batching and time blocking. With batching, you only respond to or send emails, messages and phone calls two or three times a day. As for time blocking, you create blocks of time each day to send and respond to messages. You start and end at the same time and working uninterrupted to maximize every second. This can help your brain get into the habit of thinking about emails and phone calls during certain hours of the day.
Besides getting a handle on your real estate business, you've also got to get a handle on your time. See how these tips work for you and your real estate goals. Best of luck!
