Real estate agents these days face a crazy number of distractions in their day-to-day activities, which can make staying focused and working hard on a single task difficult without being sidetracked.
For real estate professionals, time is money, and distractions can become a costly source of unproductive hours. One or two hours of wasted time each day can add up to thousands of dollars in lost productivity over the course of a year.
Although avoiding becoming distracted may not be possible in all cases, taking steps to limit distractions can help to increase productivity.
Here are some tips for real estate professionals in keeping focussed on the business:
1.Choosing the correct workspace
The physical workspace that surrounds you when you work can affect how easily you get distracted from work. Choose a workspace that is free of the factors that tend to distract you. Limiting obvious distractions such as movement and sound may help keep you focused, but realize that people are distracted by different factors.
For instance, you might find pure silence more distracting than the background noise of a coffee shop. If it is not possible to move to a different work location, then wearing a headset can help to block noise.
Also keeping a workspace well organized can eliminate potential distractions. It makes it easier to find files and office supplies when you happen to need them.
2.Blocking distracting websites and apps
The internet and apps can serve as a major distraction, especially with the rise of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. If you find yourself getting distracted due to Internet use, then consider disconnecting your network connection. By doing so, you are able to avoid distraction or block any particularly distracting websites.
Blocking distracting websites for all company computers can help to prevent employees from wasting time at work.
3.Limiting email use
Email is one of the biggest distractions modern businesses face because emails can arrive at any moment.
Closing your emails while you focus on a project will prevent distraction when emails arrive.
Consider setting an email schedule so that you check and respond to new emails only at specific times during the day. Constantly checking emails and responding to messages as they arrive can become a source of distraction.
4.Learning to say no
Unexpected communications such as phone calls and visits by co-workers or other employees can make it difficult to work. People just love to communicate on the work floor.
However, is it contributing to the workflow and results?
Similarly, invitations to lunches, meetings and other events can make it simple to become a distraction and avoid work. Decline invitations that are of little interest or that pose too much of a distraction can help to keep your focus on completing work.
Turn off your phone and telling co-workers or other employees who interrupt your work. Let them know that you will speak to them later.
Learn to say no to reduce your chances of getting sidetracked.
5.Set a schedule with deadlines
One of the most powerful things you can do is set a 30 min calendar for each task. Here’s how to do it: Fill your calendar with 30 minutes blocks and describe what is happening in those minutes.
Ask yourself if it’s contributing to your business or is it wasting your time – resulting in losing money. Being mindful of your time and setting blocks in your calendar. This can be the difference in making a 5 figure or 6 figure business.
6.Track your performance
The best way to see if your time is well spent is with a good time tracker. That means that every week you need to track yourself with the tasks. Start tracking the tasks you have completed and the results you have gotten from them.
Eventually, you will be able to see if your business is growing, stable, or declining. If it is everything except growing, it means you have too many distractions. This means you need to look in what matters most in your business.
For real estate agents, this is simple. New contacts, follow-ups, calls, and the number of appointments. 80% of your business should be here. Nothing more, nothing less.
Good Luck!
