Professional Development
6 Productivity Tips for ® New Realtors You have your license and you’ve signed on with a broker. Congratulations! But now what? It can feel as though there is an empty void in front of you when you first start out. You may not have many (or any) clients yet. But the truth is that this is the perfect time to get solid productivity habits in place. Once you get busy, it’s hard to find time to make changes. Here are a few tips to get your business operating like a well-oiled machine. Goals. If you don’t know where you’re headed, it’s hard to know if you are on track! Create a business plan and figure out what you hope to accomplish in your first year of business. There are several templates available for creating a business plan, or your broker may have some in place for new agents. Be specific. Rather than stating that you want to sell as many homes as possible, state exactly how many you want to sell. How many will you list? What amount of money you will take in? Track your efforts. They say that what you track grows! Figure out the most important metrics. The number of open houses per month, contacts in your CRM, number of clients, phone calling efforts or thank you notes are some things you might want to track. Watch your numbers increase. Get a mentor. Having a mentor or an accountability group can make a huge difference in how quickly you grow your business. It’s important to talk to successful agents and find out what they did that worked. You’ll find that most of them are willing to help newcomers. Some newbies get together regularly with other new agents to share ideas and to cheer each other on. Real estate can be a lonely business, so it’s very helpful to connect with others.
Create a routine. One of the first things to do, after establishing your goals, is to make a schedule. When will you do open houses or write a blog and post on social media? On what day will you focus on updating your CRM? Yes, once you’ve got clients asking to see houses, you’ll have to adjust, but having a baseline schedule is key. Technology. There are seemingly endless systems and apps for streamlining your work and tracking important numbers. There are apps for gathering email addresses at open houses, scheduling social media posts, and logging mileage for tax purposes. Don’t forget about tools that you can use to help your future clients, such as mortgage calculators or square footage calculators. You might also consider tools for your personal life, such as shopping list apps or to-do lists so that your free time is really free! Self-care. We’ve put this at the end of the list, but it’s the most important item! You can’t be your best working self if you haven’t had enough rest or exercise. Make sure you put good fuel into your body by eating nutritiously. Think about keeping healthy snacks and beverages in your car for the times you’re on the go. And spending time with family and friends, or on hobbies, can go a long way toward maintaining mental health. Real estate can be a very fulfilling career, but the first months often feel daunting. Maximize your potential by starting out with your best foot forward!
The Minnesota Realtor ® | Januar y/Februar y 2022 | mnrealtor.com
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