6 Productivity Tips to Make the Most of Your Work Day

As an agent, your productivity is directly tied to your bottom line. The more you can get done, the more leads you gain, sales you can close, and money you can make in the process.

But you’re juggling a lot. Half the time, it feels like you’re doing all you can just to keep your head above water and your clients happy.

How can you reach that high-productivity, high-efficiency peak that you (and your wallet) need? Here are some tips to help:

1. Create a daily checklist.

You should always have a checklist to guide your day-to-day. Sit down the night before with your calendar, listings, and book of current clients, and hammer out a quick tick-list for the day ahead. Try to put the list in order of importance, with the highest-priority items at the top. 

If you want to ensure you stay on track with those to-dos, then consider using a mobile app that you can take on the go. Evernote, Todoist, and Wunderlist are all great options you can use. Most of these even allow you to set up reminders to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

2. Try time blocking.

You have a lot of responsibilities as an agent. For your business, you have to spend time marketing and generating leads. For your sellers, you need to create the listings, market the properties, host open houses, and negotiate on their behalf. On the buying side, you have to coordinate and attend countless home tours, not to mention execute their contract and attend their closing. 

It can be a lot to balance, to say the least. And if you’re like many agents, you can find yourself in the weeds quickly. Sure, you’re getting those client-related to-dos done, but the bigger-picture items (like marketing your business, for example), are getting lost in the shuffle. 

Fortunately, time-blocking can help. Pull out a calendar and set aside regular chunks of time for those oft-forgotten tasks. Block out an hour or two every Friday for lead generation efforts. Add a once-a-month evening for bookkeeping. Heck, you can even reserve 20 minutes every morning to meditate if that would help you be more productive. Just narrow in on what parts of your professional life are falling behind, and start to block out regular, consistent time for them. 

3. Be protective of your work environment.

Distractions are all around us, whether you work at the office, from home, or at your local coffee shop. The important thing is that you’re protective of your work environment — that you don’t let those distractions get the best of you. Invest in a good pair of noise-blocking headphones, and install a lock on your home office if the kiddos or dogs keep barging in. Remove potential temptations like TVs or radios, and consider putting your phone on silent when you’re really trying to get some work done.

4. Use your drive time wisely.

You probably spend half your workday in the car, so why not use that time to be more productive? Use your phone or car’s Bluetooth settings to dictate the day’s to-do list, reply to emails, or jot down notes that are running through your mind. You could also call up your assistant and go over any pressing meetings or events, or use the time to listen to an agent-friendly podcast. These may not help you check off those to-dos, but they can certainly help you further your skills and grow your career in the long run.

5. Cap meetings and calls.

Lengthy phone calls and meetings are some of the biggest productivity hits out there. Always set an end time for any call or meeting you have scheduled — and do it from the outset. A good way to do this? Send Google Calendar invites for any events you have planned. These allow you to set a beginning and an end time that’s visible to everyone invited.

6. Use the right technology.

The home buying process has traditionally been a tedious, paper-filled one, but that’s all changing thanks to the onslaught of technology our industry is seeing. Use this to your advantage, and adopt tech that can streamline your processes and speed up your work with clients. DocuSign, DocMagic, and SignEasy can digitize your contracts and paperwork, as well as make sharing them with clients, sellers, and other agents a breeze. For scanning items or turning real paperwork into signable PDFs, consider apps like ScannerPro, Scannable, or GeniusScan.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Productivity is all about working smarter, not harder. Be prepared for your workdays, use the right tools, and cut down on time-consuming tedium that gets you nowhere. You should also be sure to work with the right vendors — home inspectors, mortgage lenders, and other industry pros who value time and efficiency as much as you do.

Want a lender who fits the bill? Contact Embrace Home loans today.