Real estate productivity killers
We all know the feeling of sitting at our desk with infinite tasks to perform, but resorting to activities that kill our productivity. Real estate professionals are unique in that there is not typically a micro-manager breathing down your neck demanding you follow a script, no, most are in charge of their own activities and the only accountability in many cases is whether or not an agent’s car payment is made or not.
But even knowing that, it can be intimidating to improve productivity and can feel like a lost cause. Not so. There are common tasks Realtors can avoid in order to stay focused on the customer and on the bottom line.
Steve Pacinelli, VP of Real Estate Events at Move, Inc. works with real estate professionals every day, learning everything from their phone habits to lead management habits to tech use to work-life balance, and has seen first hand the productivity killers these professionals suffer from. Brought to you by Realtor.com, Pacinelli offers the following seven productivity killers in his own words, to help agents get a real start on what can be a big challenge, rather than remaining overwhelmed.
7 productivity killers real estate pros suffer from
1. Facebook is a massive killer of productivity! Facebook lists can keep you on track by organizing the massive feed of Facebook data into unique streams that can separate business interactions from your high school friends list to keep you on track.
2. Doing minimum wage work. Successful agents don’t engage in minimum wage activities as THEIR time is MONEY and they are worth a lot more than the $8 an hour they pay someone to stuff envelops.
3. Not utilizing the MLS to the maximum potential. Most MLS’s have come a long way in terms of functionality and a lot of them offer a lot more automation…learn it! See point six.
4. “Buying” into every new technology that comes along. There is a reason why its called the “bleeding edge.” Sometimes you get cut, which turns into a massive productivity killer if the latest shiny object doesn’t pan out. Choose wisely based on your current needs, not fabricated ones.
5. Duplicate Apps – if you already have an app that handles your email well and you are happy with it, use it! The new app that provides 5% more functionality just took you a month to get comfortable with it.
6. Not taking the time to learn the tools you already have. When you invest in something, take the time upfront to learn it inside and out or don’t buy it. The time you waste fumbling around will always exceed the time spent upfront learning it and utilizing it from day one.
7. Creating custom market reports – Technology has come a long way and personalized, relevant communication can be automated to an extent. Market Snapshot reports can be easily created that are targeted and full of great local MLS information that are sent automatically to your sphere.
Want to see Steve Pacinelli speak in person? Catch him at the National Association of Realtors’ Conference and Expo in San Francisco this week in one of his two sessions: Managing an Unexpected Volume of Leads and Mobile – it’s not Just About the Apps.
