Realtors©… Eliminate Stress And Maximize Production

realtors eliminate stress maximize productionHere’s a quick recap of the last 20 months… Start. Stop. Start again. Go. Go. Go! Never slow down! 2020 started with a bang, the real estate market was hot, then Covid introduced tons of tragedy, fear and uncertainty… and pretty much brought real estate to a standstill. Then a few months later, things opened back up and have been rocketing full speed ahead ever since. Put simply… it’s been a stressful period for real estate agents everywhere and including myself. I just want to check in and make sure you’re doing okay. I’m not a medical professional. But I genuinely care about your well-being, as I do for all of my own agents in my brokerage. So let’s jump into some ways to maximize your productivity while maintaining sanity, eliminating stress and avoiding burnout…

1. How Are Your Routines? – If you let it, this business will pull you in a million different directions all at once. So what’s the solution? Routines! Even if challenges are popping up left and right, routines keep you on track by telling you what to do and when to do it. With the discipline to stick to your routines, the most important aspects of your business never get ignored. (Lacking that discipline? We can help.) Ultimately, routines put you in control. If you’re feeling frazzled and lacking structure, check your routines. And if you haven’t established any routines, it’s time to take a step back and do so. (We can help with that, too.)

2. Self-Care: Take Your M.E.D.S. Daily – The acronym “M.E.D.S.” is an easy way to remember four essential components of daily life: Meditation, exercise, diet and sleep. If you’re not doing these things consistently and healthfully, it’s time to start. Meditation – Everybody needs some “me time” to decompress, look inward, breathe deeply and recharge your batteries. Whether or not you engage in traditional meditation is up to you, but I’d suggest you set aside time to clear your mind on a daily basis. Exercise – Ask yourself the questions like “What did you do this week to get your heartbeat up?” or “How many times did you walk your dog since we last talked?” to the people he coaches. It’s a great reminder that you can’t simply work 24/7 and expect to achieve a healthy lifestyle. If you’re a morning person, I strongly suggest you add a workout to your morning routine. If you’re a night person, make a habit of going straight to the gym after work. If you’re not a “gym person” at all, find something that gets your body moving on a regular basis. Diet – When your schedule gets busy and time gets scarce, it’s easy to neglect eating the right things. Don’t let yourself lean on that flimsy excuse. Put in a little more effort and make eating right a priority. Sleep – Working long hours and late nights leads directly to not getting enough sleep. Make sure your body is getting the rest it requires to keep you at your best.

3. When’s Your Day Off? – If I asked to look at your calendar, would I see at least one full day off every week? If you’re working 24/7 and never giving yourself time off, you’re headed to a dark place. To maintain your energy and maximize your productivity, make sure you’re taking at least one day off every week. You also need to schedule a vacation or two. Get away from the business and go do something you love. You’ll definitely be better for it in the long run. (And if you have the right systems in place, you should be able to do this without sacrificing productivity anyway.)

4. Get Help When You Need It. – After taking some time off to recharge your batteries, you should feel rejuvenated and excited about the business again. If you’re doing the things I’ve talked about above… Relying on your routines, Getting exercise, eating right and sleeping well. Taking time off and getting away from the business …and you’re still not clicking into high gear, your issue may go beyond burnout into depression. If that sounds like a possibility, don’t keep it bottled up inside you! You’ve been through a lot. Don’t carry that stress further than you need to. Talk to someone. Seek out therapy and/or appropriate mental health assistance. Here’s to a strong finish to 2021 and a healthy and prosperous 2022!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Energy and Productivity Boosters For Realtors© in 2021

Energy and Productivity Boosters For Realtors© in 2021Hey everybody it’s Wade Webb, the author of “The Lazy Realtor,” and the founder of AgentsBoost. Over and over again, I get the feedback from so many different Realtors© feeling that they’re just frustrated and they just can’t feel like they’re getting any results and they’re getting anywhere. They’re putting in the time, and putting in the effort, but they’re not just feeling the results. So, one of the things I want to share with you this week is “Productivity Boosters.” And I’m going to share with you 8 of my favorite productivity boosting ideas.

One of the things I want to start with is, just go back to one of my favorite books is Tony Schwartz’s, “The Power of Full Engagement.” Tony Schwartz really shares an epiphany for me of the importance of energy management vs. time management. And really top producers and people that are excellent at what they do are really skilled in managing their energy and not really worrying their time management. So, imagine if you could keep yourself at a peek state, if you’re well rested, if you’re well fed, if you’re well exercised, if you’re fine-tuned, and you have tons of energy, and you’re effective in being able to execute at a higher level, and not focusing on your time management, but focusing more on your energy management.

So the key to most top producers is to think about your energy management and keeping yourself at a peek state. It’s so difficult to keep us enthusiastic and passionate; being rejected on a daily basis in real estate, and these productivity boosters, I hope will keep you at that peek state and boost your through those productivity downturns.

So first tip for me: Taking the time to book my time off, before I book my time on. And what I mean by that is, that, Jim Rohn said this, “finish your week before it begins.” He talked about the importance of scheduling time for yourself. You are your most important commodity, you are the most important thing, productivity and your personal growth is key. Booking those times in for when you exercise, when you read, when you’re getting fueled, when you’re getting feedback , encouraged, and mentored. Those are key times and to book those times in. Then, the most important people in your life are next. When are your holidays? When are your vacations? When are you spending time with your spouse? Date nights? When are your children and their activities with them booked in? When are you taking time to book that fun time in, and spending time with those people that you care about the most? So, if you don’t book those times in for yourself, for your spouse, for your friends, for that fun, something else or someone else will take that time. So, take that, and book that time on before you book time off.

Tip number two is this: Single task vs. multi-task. Gary Keller wrote a great book last year called, “The One Thing,” he talked about how you should focus on that “one thing.” What it is that you’re gifted at? What do you do really well in real estate? What can you do over and over again, all day long and never gets tired, never gets old. Think about what activity that is, and how much time on that activities each and every one of your days? Are you spending but none of these tasks that are boring, or are you spending time doing the things were you’re gifted, your talent, and your energy level is just at a peek state, because you’re just good at it, and you find it just so fun and focusing on that “one thing.” So, single task vs. multi task, they’ve proven that productivity is reduced exponentially by 50% if you’re multi-tasking vs. single task. So, discover what that one thing is, and single task can focus on that one thing that you’re good at.

The third thing I’m going to talk about is reducing distractions. We’re distracted every 11 minutes every day, that’s a third of your day being tied up and keeping you off track by distractions. So, do you have your space, or place of work? Do you have it controlled? Do you have your phones off? Do you have it on “do not disturb?” Are you in an area where you can concentrate and focus? Or are you in an area where you’re getting distracted with small talk with your peers? Are you getting asked to go for coffee? So, control your environment to allow you to focus to be productive, and to be able to have a higher return of investment is key in reducing those distractions.

The fourth is this: When tying your shoes, do you stop and think about whether you should do the right shoe or left shoe first? No, it is a Habit. Do you think about whether to brush your teeth before you shower or after you shower? No, it is habit.

A study at Duke University found that more than 40% of what people do every day is not deliberate but a habit. Identify some of your counterproductive habits and really focus on what you can do to replace and create stronger, better and more effective habits in your personal and professional lives. The definition of Insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Stop the insanity! One simple example would be; watch T.V or read a book instead, just try it!

The fifth is : We have all heard the sayings “Time is money” or “Work smarter not harder”. I am teaching my coaching clients and top producers to constantly be seeking ways, tools and devices to make their efficiency levels higher than ever. Here are some of the Top 5 Real Estate productivity Apps you might want to test out for your own business. BombBomb. Snagit. Slide Shark. Docusign and Clear. Feel free to comment below and let me know what some of your best Apps for productivity in your real estate business are!

The sixth is: Are we getting enough sleep? Do you get up at the same time every day? Do you take time to be quiet and meditate? Do you block regular time to exercise? Are you drinking water all day to cleanse your body? Are you eating 4-5 small meals a day? Personally I go to bed the same time every evening and wake up the same time every morning. I have hired a personal trainer to keep my exercise and strength regiment consistent as well my favorite new tool to maximize my energy is an App called MyFitnessPal which helps me make so many better choices when eating out or eating on the run, it is amazing!

The seventh is: In today’s new world of google, social media, smartphones and 24/7 news media, it is not surprising many of us have become addicted to information and noise. Personally, I struggle as a people person to not react all the time to my smartphone and struggle every day to not be constantly reacting and responding to someone else. I do my best to come home and try to just turn it off and remind myself, everything else on the list can wait till the morning. Easier said than done for me. Identify the top 3 high jackers of your time, energy and attention that pull you off task, bring you down or hinder your ability to focus and be in the moment. Implement awareness and strategies to shut those high jackers down.

The last tip in the productivity boosters I want to give you, is to be able to systemized and put yourself on auto-pilot. One of the tips I learned was “3D Technique.” To ask myself, each and every one of my activities and spending my day doing, “should I be doing this myself?” “should I be delegating this?” or “should I just be living and just dumping it?” So that’s the “3D Technique.” So, 85% of as good as you do it, giving it to someone else, is really good. Because you’re systemized, and you’re freeing yourself up to do what you do best. What you do, what gives you best returning your investment of your time and your energy and management.

So those are some of my “Productivity Boosters, I hope that you’ll take the time to implement just one of these ideas, and take your business and boost it to the next level, and take your production, your energy level and your passion, and just boost it to the next level.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Realtors©… Busy and Productive Are Not the Same Thing

busy productive realtorYes, those tasks that ate up your day were all things that needed to be done. But just being blunt… the way you prioritized them is detrimental to your business, long-term. The key to success is identifying and prioritizing the 4-7 daily disciplines that truly move the needle for your business. And then making those your priority every day! If you’re letting the “urgent” tasks override the “important” tasks in your business, you’re never going to get ahead.  Tell me if this sounds familiar: You’re so-called “busy” all day… Replying to emails. Returning calls. Playing phone tag with an appraiser. And suddenly, it’s early evening and you say to yourself: “I didn’t get any of the things I needed to do done today.” So what’s the difference? Important tasks are those big-picture activities that create growth in your business. Urgent tasks are those that move a particular transaction forward. The solution? Prioritizing and time blocking.

The specifics of identifying what moves the needle may vary for every person reading this, but from a big picture perspective, I think it breaks down into four categories:

1. Marketing & appointment setting – Without this, there’s no business coming your way

2. Nurturing & follow up – It’s the biggest complaint about real estate professionals… “I never heard back from them.” You need to make nurturing a daily discipline to move people from prospects to clients.

3. Going on appointments & converting – How many appointments would I see in your calendar over the next two weeks?

4. Servicing & closing transactions – You’ve got to do the work and keep people moving through the process.

 

Create a daily action checklist of the 4-7 most important actions for the day that will keep your business moving forward. Here’s some examples:

  • Self-Care – exercise, meditation, prayer, reading, gratitude’s and affirmations
  • Review your day of activities
  • Lead follow up
  • Appointment setting
  • Appointments and presentations
  • Showing homes
  • Negotiating offers
  • Marketing

Then time block and calendar these actions into your daily scheduler in order of importance with the most important action scheduled first in your day timer. Lists can be useful, but they can also pose a trap. Many people create a big list of “things to do” and then tend to choose to tackle the easiest tasks on the list. Just one problem: Those easy things aren’t what moves the needle. Then those tasks that WILL move the needle end up getting ignored because you keep adding easy tasks to the list. Am I talking to you? Here’s another common list-making mistake: You combine your business, personal and family tasks all into one list. Don’t do this! It jumbles up your priorities and only causes confusion. That’s why I love the Daily Action Checklist for your business. The only things on it are things that you know move the needle in your business. And by making those tasks a daily discipline, you create certainty in your business both now and for the long run.

 

Strength and courage,
Wade