3 Ways Real Estate Agents Can Use Time Management to Improve Their Business

We all know that an effective time management plan is essential for a productive business, but how well do we really manage our time? You might be shocked to learn that, according to a recent survey, the largest chunk of a typical real estate agent's day – 37 percent – is spent running errands. This is followed by administrative tasks at 19%, email at 18%, the internet at 12% and social media 11%. Only 3% of a typical agent's daily time is actually spent talking to clients!

If you really want to be productive, achieve your goals and reach next-level success, you have to take stock of how you spend your day, stop wasting time on activities that aren't making you money, and put a plan in place to help you get more focused and productive. Here are some steps you can take today to start building an effective time management plan for your real estate business.

Set Your Priorities First

What are your priorities? Stephen R. Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, always advised to "put the big rocks in first." If your time is a jar, you must put the most important activities in first. Everything else should be secondary. In real estate, appointments with qualified buyers and sellers are your big rocks so make sure that those are always a top priority in your calendar. Everything else should follow.

Schedule Your Week

We all have 24 hours in a day, but not all of us use that time wisely or to our best advantage. To make sure that you optimize the time available to you, you should create a calendar to outline your deadlines, appointments and time for lead generation. Having something that you can visually see and reference is a powerful way to keep track of how you're spending your time. Of course, life will happen, and there must be room for flexibility, but this calendar will be your road map for success. Remember, too, that time blocking is your friend. Set aside a certain period of each day for administrative tasks, such as responding to email, and only do those particular activities within the set time limits. It's amazing how much more you can achieve when you work within boundaries.

Make Time Management a Habit

It's often said that we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit! If you make scheduling habitual, then you won't have to worry about squeezing everything in week after week. Many people shirk from creating a schedule as they feel it is too restrictive, but actually the opposite is true. A schedule gives you freedom; it doesn't take it away. If you have a plan and you stick to it, you become less stressed and more productive. What's not to love about that?

A time management plan is essential to a thriving business. For a deep dive on time management best practices, check out the latest real estate agent training program from Buffini & Company, The Pathway to Mastery—Essentials.