What makes the top-performing real estate agents different from other real estate agents? Top-producing real estate agents have daily habits that help them stay focused, remain consistent, and reach their goals. It’s not easy being a real-estate agent, but these habits will help you stay motivated and on track. As you adopt the habits of successful agents, and continue to work to grow your business day by day, you will see progress.
10 best practices for real estate agents
Check out this list to see what best practices you can implement into your daily routine, whether you are a new or seasoned real estate agent. You’re one step away from becoming a top-producing agent when you adopt these habits.
1. Create a daily schedule
When you follow a daily schedule for real estate agents, you are more likely to stay organized and efficient. Developing a daily schedule will help you to allocate time to the most important aspects of your business. This includes making calls to previous clients, checking out for sale by owners (FSBO) listings and prospecting every day. It is not limited to only real estate activities. Setting up a morning ritual, such as scheduling a workout and time to read and journal may help you set the tone of your day. Reserve a desk at your brokerage, or rent a workspace if necessary, if going to the office makes you more productive. Keep the consistency up by going every day.
2. Block time your days
When you learn time blocking, you won’t need to wonder where you are spending your time. This time management technique allows you to schedule everything in blocks, from emailing, listing or showing appointments, prospecting and journaling, down to lunch and small breaks. Add time blocks to your weekly schedule. This will allow you to have a better overview of your calendar. Focus your entire attention on a single task for each block of time. Do not get distracted by other things during this time period. If you prefer to work in the mornings or evenings, try this method and make adjustments accordingly.
3. Know your neighborhood
In the real estate industry, it is common to hear “location, location, and location”. But do you know the area you work in? Keep up-to-date on what is currently available, recently sold and any insights you have on upcoming listings. Remember that clients, particularly new homebuyers, may have questions regarding public transportation, walking distances, shops, gyms and schools. You’ll be asked for insider info, so become involved in your community and become familiar with the areas you work in.
4. Know your clients
You will ask the client for basic information on your first meeting. This includes their preferred neighborhood, number of bedrooms, financial status, budget and timeline. It is important to have this information, but also get to know your client. You’ll have to understand their motivations for buying or selling, and determine what is non-negotiable in comparison to the nice-to-haves. This knowledge will assist you in finding the right buyer for your client or the perfect house for them. You can also work to acquire clients who are interested in a particular niche or about which you have extensive knowledge. You could have empty nesters who are looking to downsize or clients searching for multi-family properties, or even young families moving in from another state.
5. Know your mortgages and the market
Your clients will value your ability to provide answers to their questions about mortgages and financing. You don’t have to be an expert on mortgages but you should at least understand the basics. Understanding what your client is going through can be very helpful. You can help your clients by referring them to a home financing partner.
6. Communicate quickly and effectively
Clients expect a quick and effective response to their correspondence in today’s technology-driven world. If you delay communication when closing a sale, negotiating or making an offer, it may affect your efforts. Implement a system. You could hire someone to answer the phone or help you with your email communication when you’re not able to. It’s important to let your client know what time you are available and how they can reach you. Set up expectations before you begin working with clients so that they know what to expect in terms of timely responses to texts or calls.
7. Connect with others
When it comes to real estate, 92% of trust recommendations are from people you know. Plan time to meet with your connections. Start with your past clients, such as lawyers, home inspectors and insurance agents. You can host events or parties to benefit your connections. Introduce them to other people or be their adviser on all things house-related. Send postcards during holidays and remember birthdays so that your contacts know you are thinking of them. You’ll feel more confident when you ask for referrals if you keep your connections in mind.
8. Set goals and track performance
You will stay motivated by setting goals and monitoring performance. You can use these to create daily habits and routines that will keep you motivated. Select a general goal such as how much commission you would like to earn per month or per year, or how many leads per month you’d like to generate. A set number helps you to track your progress. Visualize this on a wall-mounted whiteboard or a spreadsheet. Give yourself a reward for reaching the goal. Share your goals with a partner you can check-in with daily or periodically to stay on track and to encourage you to progress.
9. Maximize social media
It’s time to start using social media and websites for your real estate company. In fact, 43% of home buyers conduct online research before contacting an agent. One of the creative ways to attract clients to real estate is to maximize social media. You can use social media for posting your property listings, testimonials and events. But you should also show off your expertise. Showcase your knowledge of staging homes or instruct your audience on how to interpret current market trends. Answer questions to get people interested and, ultimately, convert them into clients. Consider running social media ads to reach a targeted audience.
10. Be resilient
It will be a challenge to become a top-notch real estate agent. You will face challenges, such as rejections, offers that may not be accepted, or clients who decide to use another agent. But it’s important to remain resilient. Continue to improve your real estate networking skills, how you handle objections, and communication skills. Journal and write down your small and big wins to help you remember them.
Final thoughts
It is important to form these habits and take each step one at a time. Keep your eye on the prize and work hard to achieve it. You can’t expect to see results if you don’t try. Do not make excuses. You can do it.