In our line of work where there is no set schedule of 9-5, we must be extra vigilant of how we spend our time, not just in terms of work, but in terms of life. Yes, we all have lives outside of real estate.
Although time management can be a daily struggle and takes time to get a good “routine” down pat, here are some tips to help get you started:
1. Identify your priorities
Writing/typing out your priorities in whatever fashion you’d like. This can consist of create a list or multiple lists – a daily to-do list, a weekly to-do list and a monthly to-do list or making a flow chart that shows all aspects of your life and what is going on in each of those parts – work, family, health, friends, hobbies etc. Doing this will allow you to see all projects and tasks laid out in front of you so it will be easier to prioritize which should come first, second, third and so on.
2. Power hour
This is 1 whole hour of uninterrupted work! We suggest using this time for you calls. Dial, dial dial! However you choose to use this hour, make sure it is uninterrupted by people, social media, calls (if you don’t need to pick one up that is) and any other non-work distractions (exceptions always apply).
3. Plan ahead
Your time is valuable. You have a lot going on so planning ahead is extremely helpful. It allows you to be in control of your time, rather than your clients. Although we need to be on call to a certain extent, that doesn’t mean our clients run our schedules and lives.
4. Organize your work environment
As we all know, we have many offices. Our car, house, purse, briefcase, and our actually office. That being said, being organized is very important.
5. Saying NO!
Too many realtors run when a client asks. This only allows your client to derail your schedule. You have to remember that we are still in control. Think of it as we are the doctor and they are the patient. You are the expert that is helping them, guiding them and giving them advice on what they need to do to get better, or in this case buy or sell a house.
You aren’t a superhero with powers to do it all, so acknowledging that is the first step, not feeling bad about that is the second. But these tips can help you to better manage your time and stress.