We can all agree that there are few things in life as valuable as time.
Think about this moment.
Once it is gone, you will never be able to get it back.
It is such a finite resource yet we have to navigate it carefully as all the ingredients for success, prosperity, happiness, health and growth are linked to it. Every moment that you are alive you have the privilege of living minutes that you will never get back… It is as true for your personal life as it is in business.
As a real estate agent running your own business there is no moment more important and more perfect than right now to start spending your time wisely.
Think of your time in terms of money. Say you have a R 1 000 to spend every day.
Where do you spend your money in order to make sure you receive a good return on investment?
“From discussions with hundreds of agents over the years, I can state that proper time management is one of the most important differentiators between successful agents and those that are not.” Antonie Goosen – Principal of Meridian Realty
In this article we share some top time saving tips that you can use to take your real estate business to the next level:
1) Schedule everything. If it is not in your calendar it doesn’t exist.
Once a year, sit down and decide on your goals for the coming year. Write them down and commit to them. Then diarise the most important tasks you will need to consistently perform in order to reach your goals for the coming year. Use a weekly schedule and time block the most important tasks on a daily and weekly basis. One tip is to time block at least one Hour of Power every day during which you reach out and make contact with old clients and talk to new potential prospects. Also make sure to block sufficient time in a year to relax – time block weekends away and a proper holiday or two well in advance as stick to it.
Treat every time block as a commitment that you have to meet and work the rest of your schedule around these times.
2) Turn off notifications that distract you
We live in the digital age and people have never been so inundated with information and constant alerts demanding (and therefore taking away) our attention. One simple but very effective hack to eliminate some of this information distraction is to take control of the setup of the notifications on your smartphone and or tablet devices. By turning off notifications from apps that are not critical, you will find that you will be much less inundated with notifications. You will be much more productive when you’re able to focus on one thing at a time an complete the task at hand before moving on to another
3) Progress = Happiness
Start with the hard tasks first thing in the morning and get it out of the way. Do that one thing that you know you need to do to feel like you’ve accomplished something. It is usually the activity that you put off and leave for the end of the day when you’re exhausted and don’t have the energy…. Make time for it first thing in the morning. The sense of accomplishment you get from doing that ‘looming’ activity you tend to put off, will fuel you for the rest of the day.
4) Reward yourself
When you set out a goal and accomplish it, make a point of it and take the time to reward yourself. You will end up teaching yourself that it’s about MORE than simply doing what you set out to do. You can lie to everyone else but yourself. The joy that comes from doing exactly what you set out to do cannot be overstated.
5) Take small regular breaks
It’s proven that the top 10% of performers take 10 – 15 minute breaks after every hour. It helps you to refocus your mind and you will end up being more productive because of it.
6) Do something unrelated
An estate agent’s daily tasks can be segmented into different types of activities. Change it up by coupling telephonic canvassing with something that does not involve talking to clients like doing a valuation or other admin related tasks. This will refresh your brain and will help you to do different tasks with a sense of renewed energy.
7) Stay away from multi–tasking
We all think that we are master jugglers, but it has been scientifically proven that we are mentally not built for that. Focusing on one thing at a time will make you more productive and in order to do that, you have to get rid of distractions. For example, put your phone on silent when you are performing a tasks that needs your full focus.
By incorporating these 7 tips into your daily life, you will see that you can control and use your time much more productively which will lead to more sales and a better state of wellbeing.
Thinking about becoming a part of the Meridian family? Find out how to become an iAgent.
This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)