We all know it’s the time of year for real estate agents nationwide to start gearing up for the busy spring season, one of their busiest of the year. It’s a time of new beginnings, new clients, and hopefully, more commissions.
Hope springs eternal at this time of year and the 2018 buying season is expected to be busier than usual, as fear of increased mortgage rates could spring more buyers into action. There’s also pent-up demand after a slow winter real estate period.
However, it’s the ongoing lack of inventory that will drive the market, according to Redfin analysts.
With the need to beat the bushes for their buyers and to drum up listings, brokers and agents need to focus on income-producing activities and less on menial (but still important) tasks that take away from doing what really matters such as interacting with and supporting clients.
Below are five ways agents can best clear their deck and focus on their most important tasks.
Automate lead qualification
Bots and automated lead cultivation tools are no longer “bleeding edge.” Website or Facebook Messenger applets engage consumers with simple questions to confirm pre-qualification, beds and baths, location, and budgets.
Agents spend days emailing and playing phone tag to collect basic buying information. Let bots do it for you! Working at the point of engagement, such as a Facebook page, these tools alert agents when leads are worthy of personal attention.
Automation saves valuable lead research time and provides information that helps you start matching buyers with listings.
Put your sphere to work for you
Those familiar with your expertise make the best marketing recipients. You don’t need to spend time selling to your network; they know how adept you are at managing a deal. Past clients and industry colleagues become even more valuable when reminded of what you do.
Adwerx, for example, has an advertising product that targets agents’ networks of colleagues and contacts. It’s always a good idea to remind your professional services colleagues that you’re still in the business and still taking listings.
Delegate
Not every agent can afford an assistant. If you can, or if your brokerage provides office support, use it. Real estate demands odd hours, random projects, and can pull agents into unproductive rabbit holes.
In the midst of such task-frenzies, don’t forget to delegate. While it’s important to never totally hand off a client to an assistant, staff and support members can assist you in serving clients in many cases, allowing you to better focus on selling and closing.
Say no
Calendars dramatically open up when we learn the power of “no.” Whether the result of a big heart or the hope of making new contacts, we are often too quick to agree to volunteer, help plan, or join.
Over-scheduling ourselves has become a common source of exhaustion and lack of productivity. There’s nothing wrong with placing value on your time and choosing to be in control of how it’s spent. This spring, take time off putting others ahead of yourself.
Stay healthy
Staying healthy and aware of your well-being is the best way to ensure you’ll always be there when your clients need you this buying season. Moreover, it’ll help you stay on top of what’s important.
Physical exhaustion and mental fatigue have no place in a real estate transaction, where a missed checkbox or dropped addendum can submarine months of work and valuable relationships.
To be your most productive this spring, get rest and listen to your body. No one’s ever made a game-winning play from the sidelines.
This spring, be the agent that makes your broker take notice. Stay focused on getting current deals over the finish line and hand off tasks and duties to staff and technology.
The first quarter of 2018 is halfway over, and there’s no time like the present to start making this your year.
One of the fastest growing companies in real estate technology, Adwerx automates digital advertising for brokerages to delight the seller and increase agent satisfaction. Working with over 100,000 real estate customers, Adwerx helps individual agents promote themselves and their listings online, with custom ads optimized for Facebook, mobile and the web. Learn how easy digital marketing can be here.