How Real Estate Agents Can Boost Productivity

By Justin Rivera - June 27, 2019

Real estate professionals squeeze many things into their daily schedules — from client meetings to property viewings to contract signings. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but the most productive and successful brokers fine-tune their process to make the most of their workday. There’s no one step solution to increasing productivity, but focusing on efficiency is a start.

One of the best ways to achieve efficiency is by time blocking. By doing so, one can better identify priorities. Every minute made more efficient means more time to spend on generating leads and closing more deals.

Productivity requires developing good habits and sticking to them

There’s no assurance of success for those who “go with the flow.” Instead, implementing certain habits into daily or weekly routines set top brokers apart. It’s okay to be a creature of habit — if the habits are good ones. Those who stick to these habits are the ones who can better prioritize. It doesn’t even always have to be for work. Having these good habits helps establish time for sleep, exercise, and other tasks.

Between late night meetings and early morning viewings, real estate brokers don’t always have predictable hours. While there are a lot of scheduling hiccups beyond one’s control, carving out time for particular tasks will boost productivity. Experiment with your schedule to find what works best in terms of getting back to inquiries or calling buyers or meeting with co-brokers.

Technology is an important resource in boosting productivity

Technology is an important resource inside the real estate industry, but the only way to see tangible results is in using it effectively. Investing in technology is a risk, but it could prove beneficial for those who try to maximize it in their work. The right tools for a broker will promise three things: increased productivity, efficiency and ease, and long-term solutions. And while many do have that power to deliver the goods, not every new piece of technology is a good fit into an existing workflow or business culture. Sometimes, it’s better to skip over what’s new for something more established and proven to benefit productivity.

Making the most out of down times helps refocus for tasks

The real estate industry offers both peak and down times. Leveraging that down time is one of the simplest ways to become more productive. Studies have found that taking breaks during the work day can help a person remain more focused, because they aren’t fatigued.

One practical way to achieve this is to dedicate 90 minute blocks and take 10 minute breaks after each one. Whether to walk around, eat a snack, or get coffee, it’s important to take these breaks for a change of scene. However, it’s important to remain dedicated to the set time for breaks. They shouldn’t take over too much time but should help refocus for when they get back to the task at hand.

A big difference between brokers who shine and the ones who struggle are that the former are incredible at managing their time and staying focused on what really matters, and the latter aren’t. If real estate brokers don’t block off time to systematically work toward accomplishing the things on their to-do list, they’ll never be able to feel like they’re in control of their schedule. Instead, they’ll feel like work dictates their lives.

Written byJustin Rivera

Having grown up in the arts, Justin loves to tell stories. He spends most of his free time hopping from one coffee shop to another or playing with his 9 year old Siberian husky. He's also the artistic director of Manila-based performing arts collective, Theatre 2108.