With the increasing volatility of today’s real estate market, it can be easy to get caught up in distractions, rescheduled meetings and competing priorities. And when it comes to online communication, employees report spending over a third of their hours on email, with 84% of workers claiming to receive more emails than ever. Moreover, study after study continues to point toward the ineffectiveness, if not damaging consequences, of multitasking. Real estate professionals like yourself want to get a handle on changes in the market as well as your clients’ priorities. It is crucial that you effectively and efficiently manage your schedule and optimize your productivity. To ensure you make the most of your day, we’ve compiled a few tips that will help up your efficiency.
Block out your day
Setting aside blocks of time to work on certain tasks throughout the day is a surefire way to ensure tasks don’t slip through the cracks. By building priority tasks that most immediately affect your bottom line, such as responding to new leads, cold calling or managing online ads, you can guarantee that you take these tasks on each day. Similarly, try dedicating specific time to administrative work or even answering email to make sure these smaller tasks don’t slip through the cracks. In doing so, you will be able to completely focus on the work that matters, without the interruption or distraction of your to do list.
Make scheduling work for you
Everyone has been in a scenario where the act of trying to get a meeting on the calendar can take more time than the actual meeting itself. Whether it’s figuring out time zones or rescheduling as events change, scheduling can often appear to be too much work for too little return. The back and forth shouldn’t cut into your ability to take these meetings, nor should it prevent you from taking advantage of each opportunity as it arises. With that in mind, there are a number of scheduling smart tools available to make your life a little easier. Be on the lookout for tools that update your calendars in real time to accurately reflect changes as different time slots get booked or canceled. But working with people is often at the crux of this industry, so be mindful to leverage tools that prioritize personable interactions rather than simply sending your clients to a site to choose a meeting time.
Take control of your inbox
A study from the University of California found that it takes over 20 minutes to refocus after an interruption. And with the increase in hybrid and remote work, it’s becoming increasingly easier to be pulled away from a task by an email or a messaging app. To increase the efficiency with which you approach each task, minimizing these distractions will prove crucial. Use your email to set reminders for important meetings, deadlines and dates, and archive messages that don’t need immediate attention. Take advantage of email technology that will help identify important emails and bring non-urgent emails back to your inbox when they need attention. Lastly, consider closing email or using a smart tool to pause your inbox when working on a deadline to prevent any distractions.
Build your brand to get referrals
In real estate, starting relationships off on the right foot goes a long way toward building your brand which, in turn, means more referrals. Much like how it might take you 20 minutes to refocus after a disruption, it can take your potential clients that long too. Instead of sending a scheduling link, send an invite with a clickable, always up to date calendar. Not only will it save you time, but it will signal to your clients that you value their time as well.
Boomerang’s leading productivity tools include software that integrates with Gmail, Outlook and mobile to enable millions of people to efficiently master their email and even helps write emails that are more likely to get a response with the assistance of artificial intelligence. To learn how Boomerang can help you effectively and efficiently manage your schedule and optimize your productivity, visit Boomerang.
Aye Moah is CEO and Co-founder of Boomerang. Moah came from Burma (now Myanmar) and attended MIT on a scholarship and graduated with a B.S in Computer Science.
