Use these real estate time management training tips for Realtors to increase sales production while maintaining life balance.
In this mastermind session, we talk about real estate time management training. It’s a question I get a lot in the coaching industry. This isn’t something that everyone agrees on, because everyone’s ideal calendar looks a little different. For that matter, everyone’s goals are different. Regardless, the point of time management training is to get successful real estate agents to be more successful.
VIDEO: Real Estate Time Management Training for Realtors
Get uncomfortable to get more successful
As real estate agents, by nature, we are people pleasers. We are in the business of making everyone happy. This may be great for business but not so great for your personal life. You need to start making changes in the way you structure your business to allow for the sake of your personal life. It’s against our nature as real estate agents, but it’s time to get a little selfish, in a good way!
Lately, we have had more of our coaching clients reaching out to us to help with their time management. It’s even harder now as many of us are working from home, because the line has blurred between time “on” and time “off.” This year we have a unique harvest season, which has given us a few bonus summer months. Usually, September is a big slow-down month, but like many aspects of our lives, COVID has changed the pacing of our business.
Working from home necessitates time management
If you are working from home, you need a structured calendar more than ever. You don’t have the same accountability that you would have if you worked in an office environment. There are temptations all around you at home. Ultimately in order to make working from home a success for your real estate business, you need to create structure and balance, and stick with it. It all boils down to real estate time management training.
Life Balance Wheel for real estate time management training
Take a look at the Life Balance Wheel graphic below. The Life Balance Wheel is a great resource that illustrates the different facets of your life that you need to keep in check in order to maintain a healthy work/life balance. I don’t care if you sell a lot, or you don’t, or you’re really busy, or you’re not. We all want to be more successful as real estate agents. Or else, why would you be reading this?
The more successful you are, the more I want you to pay attention to this. If you are truly successful and you’re selling a lot of real estate, you’re going to have time management problems automatically. It’s good to take a look at this wheel frequently because it will help to keep you in check.
Go around the Life Balance Wheel and rank yourself on each section. 1-10, how are you doing? This is personal for everyone. Figure out which sections need work to achieve a better balance.
It’s important to have a life
Keeping your own “life balance wheel” in check will help you maintain your work/life balance. And it’s super important for you to have a life as a real estate agent because that is how we build more business! The more you are able to have a life, the more people you are able to meet and socialize with, the more folks you can add to your SOI, the more business you will bring in.
If you think about it, people don’t like to “follow” other people who are workaholics. It’s not a fun lifestyle to watch. Working an 80-hour workweek and always talking about your “hustle” and your “sacrifice” to succeed is not attractive. Sacrificing your personal life is not a fun look. People want to “follow” you if you show that your personal life is successful, too. Everyone longs for success in work and in life, and you need to demonstrate that balance.
If you look busy busy busy, and your life looks chaotic at best, stressful and out of control at worst, chances are clients will shy away from working with you. But if they check you out and you look organized, happy, calm, and successful, they will feel more comfortable about reaching out to you.
Download the FREE Life Balance Wheel: CLICK HERE
Daily Schedule for Realtors for real estate time management training
Below, you’ll see our sample Daily Schedule for Realtors. These are just suggestions; obviously, everyone has their own limitations and needs to set their calendar accordingly. The point is that you should have a daily calendar that looks something like this.
Morning tends to be the best time for lead generation. Servicing existing business and customer service calls should happen later in the morning and early afternoon. Later on, you can schedule your meetings and showings.
Notice that there is a designated time to “unplug.” You should have a time that you are clicking out each day to promote your work/life balance. Always calendar time for yourself and for your family!
Download the FREE Daily Schedule for Realtors: CLICK HERE
Sample Weekly Calendar for real estate time management training
Below, you’ll see that every prioritized task is time blocked within a weekly calendar. This type of organization will help ensure that you get the necessary tasks done each day. You won’t have to worry about emailing your clients back immediately or answering every phone call if you know that you’ll be doing your “business servicing” from 2-3 pm each day. We are people pleasers so it is hard to train this out of ourselves, but you will find that time blocking allows you to get more important things done, and achieve a better balance. Establishing a weekly calendar and time blocking accordingly is key in your real estate time management training.
Download the FREE Sample Weekly Calendar: CLICK HERE
The rule of “erase and replace”
Life happens. It’s true, you won’t be able to stick to your schedule 100% of the time; that’s just reality. Your kid will get sick and you’ll need to stay home with them. You’ll have a funeral you need to attend, so your morning will look different. Unavoidable “life” things happen from time to time.
What you can do to help with special disruptions is use the “erase and replace” rule. If you need to miss out on your lead generation tasks on Thursday, then move them to Friday. As a result, you aren’t losing those hours — they are just moving to another time.
This rule also ensures that you don’t skip the important to-dos on your calendar. Nothing can be deleted — it can only be moved. This also serves as motivation for not skipping unpleasant tasks. “If I skip my workout this morning, I have to wake up extra early and do a longer workout tomorrow.” “If I skip part of my lead gen this morning, I’m going to need to wake up early to get more lead gen in tomorrow.” You’ll find that after thinking about it that way, you are more likely to just bite the bullet and get the difficult task done each day.
