Time Management Strategies for Overwhelmed Agents

Done correctly, prioritizing tasks and creating time blocks can increase your income and allow you to work less. Dirk Zeller, international speaker, author of Successful Time Management for Dummies and CEO of Real Estate Champions, recently shared his advice for "Taming the Time Management Monster" in a recent Secrets of Top Selling Agents webinar.

According to Zeller, every interruption, even if the actual interruption is only 30 seconds, takes five minutes to recover from. That means that every 12 interruptions cost you an hour of productivity. "We get interrupted by all different mediums – personal face-to-face interruptions, social media interruptions, email, text; all types of interruptions," Zeller explained. "Real estate agents are the most interrupted profession on the face of the planet."

Setting Priorities

Zeller explained that the most successful people identify and complete high priority tasks first. He recommended you write out everything you have to do and rate each task based on time-sensitivity. Things that would have negative consequences if not done today should be ranked above things that would have milder consequences or that can be delegated to another team member. He didn't limit this method to just work items, however. Your most important things could be watching your child's concert or just having dinner with the family.

Zeller also ranked direct income producing activities (DIPA) as one of the most important things to complete each day. The revenue you generate through prospecting, lead follow-up, buyer consultations, showing properties, and writing/negotiating contracts is much higher than the income you earn performing production-supporting activities (PSA) like creating flyers, checking voicemail, and buying office supplies.

"Your time is your most valuable commodity, because you don't know how much you've got," said Zeller.

Secrets of Time Blocking

Planning an effective time block strategy will be easier after you've prioritized your tasks. The key is to make time for top-priority goals first. Start by scheduling time for things that you participate in regularly or are committed to (family events, social engagements, etc.). After that, factor in sales-oriented activities (DIPA), being sure to consider how long each task takes to avoid dead time between appointments. Finally, add time for administrative tasks like PSAs. You may also want to scheduled time each week for self-evaluation and planning.

You don't have to schedule every minute of your day to be a successful time blocker. Start by identifying two or three hours in the day when you are most productive and blocking those hours for your DIPA. As you (and your potential distractions) get used to you being unavailable during those hours, you can start adding in more blocked time to accomplish other tasks.

For You: Download FREE Handouts

During the webinar, Zeller offered several time management resources to help you plan your daily priorities, follow up with leads, and evaluate your success with each lead. Find them here!

To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.