Agents who have a real estate task list are on the right path. The difference between a good agent and a top-producing one is a tight routine. Owning a business is different from working in a corporate environment where a manager will be watching your back to ensure that everything gets done correctly. You are responsible for moving the needle on your own. While it’s comfortable to do the things you enjoy, that is not what will move your business forward. Your daily schedule should be doing the heavy lifting.
Real estate agents can often feel as if they are working 24/7, especially in the age of social media and other forms of technology. Schedules will keep you from drowning under tasks, and allow you to focus more on your family and personal interests.
Start by launching your own schedule using some of the best practices:
Focus on productivity
There are many tasks to complete in the life of a real estate agent. Before you know it, you’ve already missed completing the important tasks that you planned.
Consider the hours when you are most alert and productive. Then, plan your time to fit in with those times. Plan your days so that you can accommodate the unexpected while prioritizing your most important tasks. Keep in mind that no two realtors have the same routine.
Prioritize the important tasks
You’ll want your afternoon to be productive by completing high-priority activities such as connecting with previous clients, generating new leads, hosting open houses and planning content.
Keep your goals in mind
Consider your “why”. Was it for a more flexible work schedule? How about a high-income? How do you become a real-estate mogul with many offices? Your daily schedule should include incremental steps that will lead you in the direction that you want to go. If you want to be a leader in the real estate industry on a national level, then you should allocate more time to networking.
Conserve your energy
Watch out for energy leaks. Avoid people who do not respect your commitment to blocking out time and dedicating certain hours for work. They often don’t understand how important it is to be organized and can make it difficult to stay focused. Unfortunately, it is often family members and friends who are responsible. Discipline is key to achieving your career goals.
If it’s not scheduled, then it doesn’t exist
It is best to block out time to ensure that you are on track and know how long each task will take. Multitasking can make you feel busy but it reduces your efficiency and the quality of your work. University of Southern California researchers found that people waste time by mentally switching from one task into another when they multitask.
You can plan your day by using blocks of time. This will help you know where you need to be at what time, what you’re doing, and why.
You can easily rearrange your time blocks if an unexpected event occurs.
There is no such thing as “free” time, only unaccounted time. Even leisure time should be planned to ensure that you maintain a balance between work and play to achieve your best performance.
Sample daily schedule
It’s up to you how you want to track and write down your schedule. Others are more comfortable with the notifications and accessibility of Google or Apple calendar. It is important to spend a few moments each day going over your schedule, and checking off each item as you go through your day.
Morning routine
There are no two mornings that will be the same. Others spend their mornings getting ready for their families, while some agents start the day with a quick exercise. It is important to wake up early in order to have some peace and quiet before tackling stressful tasks. Start your day with a calm, clear mind. This will help you deal with the stress of the day.
Most agents do not include morning routines into their daily schedule. It is important to start your day with a morning routine that will help you calm your mind, nourish your body and maintain your overall health. This is a great advantage over agents who are “hustle-culture” agents.
8 AM – 9 AM: Review and preparation
It is recommended that agents begin their day by catching-up on any loose ends, such as checking their CRM for missed emails, texts, and phone calls. Then, review the day before to see what they did to prepare for what’s ahead. The first 10-20 minutes of each day are a great time to accomplish important tasks. This will make you more productive, focussed, happy, and content for the remainder of the day.
This is the perfect time to review your calendar, as well as goals and results of previous days.
Review the current stats and hot sheets to stay on top of the real estate market.
9 AM – 10 AM: Setting of appointments
Once you’ve covered your bases, move on to the most difficult or least enjoyable task of the day. This is often prospecting and setting appointments for many agents.
A successful real estate agent cannot compromise or sacrifice prospecting. Although they are a hassle, these non-negotiable duties help give your real estate calendar some structure and concreteness. It is important to ensure that you have a steady flow of leads.
Your business will grow tomorrow because of the real estate leads that you generate today. Make sure you include the acquisition of leads in your daily routine.
Lead generation is important for all real estate agents. New agents are likely to be more concerned with gaining new clients than they are about servicing their existing clients.
Prospecting is best done early in the morning when people are awake and more likely to check their email or pick up their phones. In the mornings, most clients are at work, so there is less distraction for agents.
Avoid the temptation to make calls and prospect throughout the day. Plan them sequentially. This way, you won’t waste time switching between tasks, such as creating a campaign or answering calls.
You can prospect via email or text if you don’t want to make phone calls or knock on doors. You can also focus your online marketing efforts on social media, blogging, and online advertising.
10 AM – 12 PM: Lunch and break
Rest time! A successful real-estate agent is not necessarily a workaholic. Balance between work and rest is key to productivity and longevity. Spend some time moving your body, take a break from real estate and eat a healthy lunch.
12 PM – 4 PM: Advance your real estate business
The schedules of real estate agents vary the most during this time. You may spend your afternoons in appointments, creating listings presentations or going to listing appointments. You could also choose to show properties, supervise photoshoots, stage the property, attend networking events, etc. Doing small things like looking at real estate listings or calling the photographer is another option.
We suggest that you spend any time left over during these hours on your education or scripting.
Learn to educate yourself
As their business grows, many real estate agents let education fall to the wayside. But if you want to get ahead, advancing your education in real estate and improving your knowledge of the field could give you that edge.
You can keep up with the latest industry news by reading real estate magazines, scanning market listings or using social media. You can also take a formal course to increase your real estate value, such as earning a license for mortgage brokers or obtaining a certificate in a specific real estate niche.
This section should include anything that will help you to update your knowledge and sharpen your skills as a real estate agent.
Practice client interactions
Agents who work in real estate often overlook the importance of scripts during their daily interactions. Knowing how to respond in situations similar to those you will encounter with your clients will help you appear professional.
You won’t stumble through your presentation if, for example, you practice it regularly. You’ll be able to detect seller reactions and concerns with a script that is well-rehearsed and confident.
When was the last practice you did on how to deal with objections? Your FSBO scripts? What about scripts to cold call expired listings?
Record yourself reading your script, and then listen or watch it to see where you can improve. This will allow you to identify any mistakes in your delivery and make necessary corrections.
4 PM – 5 PM
It is important to take a look back at your day and see what went well, what needs improvement, and what can be done to prepare for tomorrow.
Be sure to check that there are no loose ends before you sign off. This will prevent a hectic day the following day. You might need to contact other agents, perform some additional prospecting or confirm your schedule for tomorrow with your assistant. You should schedule a little time to do these tasks each day.
5 PM – 7 PM: Dinner at home and family time
Congratulations! You have made it through a long day and finally arrived at “personal time”. It’s time to enjoy the moment, eat a delicious meal with your loved ones, prepare the children for bed or indulge in your favorite hobby. It’s tempting, with your real estate career on your laptop or phone, to do quick administrative tasks. But don’t! You can finish your tasks tomorrow if you’ve completed them today.
You can do this by leaving your list of tasks at your desk. The importance of a work-life balance cannot be compromised.
Conclusion
Be kind to yourself when you first start. Start by blocking off your day to complete important tasks. You can then adjust these time blocks once you have learned more about when your energy is high and what times are required for difficult tasks. Check that these changes work and then add or remove steps as you go along.
These tips will help you find balance and a rhythm that suits your lifestyle. Prepare your schedule and stick to it. Your real estate business will soon be running smoothly.