In the hectic life of a real estate agent, it’s easy to get distracted and focus your time on activities that are never going to generate income.
But for US-based real estate trainers, Tim and Julie Harris, it doesn’t matter how many properties you sell, how high your IQ might be or how much commission you write, the more you attempt to juggle the less productive you will ultimately be.
“Focus on things that are going to put you in a position to help people and make money in less than 90 days,” Tim says.
“There’s been tons of examples that have proven over and over, that the people that rely heavily on and primarily on long-term lead follow-up, are the ones that sell the fewest number of homes and make the least amount of money.”
Tim says that while it is important to continue to generate leads, you need to become incredibly effective at narrowing down which of those leads you spend your time on and how to best manage your daily activities.
He says there are a number of ways you can sharpen your focus on a daily basis.
Use your whiteboards
Tim believes one of the first things agents need to be doing is making use of visual accountability.
He says most agents use CRMs to track the health and wealth of the business, but nothing actually beats a whiteboard.
“You need to have your facts, your figures, the things that matter most out in front of you at all times,” he says.
By tracking your current listings on a whiteboard and using it to set monthly and yearly goals, it helps you subconsciously begin moving to a higher level and stops you from being lazy and complacent.
Having visual accountability leads agents to do better follow-ups, set more appointments and get better at pre-qualifying leads.
“It is amazing the power of visual accountability,” Julie says.
“When you look at that white space, it is literally telling you what to do and if you’re on track, ahead or behind.
“But people try to avoid visual accountability and that’s the reason a lot of agents will use CRMs with dashboards that are hidden between spreadsheets.”
Track your finances
Tim suggests all agents need to track each of their finances in detail each day.
He says just like you need visual accountability in your lead generation, you also need it with your finances.
“Your savings, you’re checking your credit cards, investment accounts, investment properties, and everything else,” he says.
“Pay attention to all of these things because they do give you a very profound sense of wellbeing and control.
“Even if your finances aren’t where you wanted them to be, it’ll give you a sense of direction.”
Making contact
Julie says that every day agents should be focused on making contact with a certain number of people, every single day.
“Contact is a conversation with a decision-making adult about real estate, with at least the same number of people as transactions you must do this year,” she explains.
“Now, if you must close 20 transactions to meet or exceed your goals, you’ve got to make 20 actual contacts daily to meet that goal.
“You will adjust that number almost always down with your skill increasing.”
Julie advises to focus on people who are most likely to sell and that will increase your ratios.
“For example, existing listing leads that you just need to close on, that’s your lead follow-up, expired listings, for sale by owners, probate, relocation and past clients,” she says.
Tim explains that you want to call the people that already have their hands in their air saying ‘yes’, they want to sell their home.
Furiously fast lead follow-up
Julie says you need to make fast lead follow-ups no matter what.
“This is a daily minimum standard on 100 per cent of your leads, 100 per cent of the time, no exceptions, no excuses, no different rules for different types of leads,” she explains.
“It does not depend on how they contacted you or referred to you – call them furiously fast.
“Now when you do this, you don’t have to spend more than half an hour or less, most of the time, on your furiously fast lead follow-up because you don’t have a pile of what you believe to be leads that are an avalanche and you lose control of that.”
Tim suggests that new agents make a point of fast follow-ups because it helps win business.
“Most people choose the first agent that they meet,” he says
“That is a true, essentially a fact that’s been true forever.
“That gives you a huge advantage. It does not matter that the ink on your license has just dried.
“If you are showing energy and enthusiasm, number one and two, furiously fast lead follow-up, you’ll be shocked how frequently you get the business.”
Show gratitude
Julie says the final daily standard is more of a personal one around showing gratitude to those around you.
“Show gratitude overtly to those that you care about,” she says.
“Start your day out right by saying, ‘I love you’ and giving hugs and kisses with your family.
“As far as clients go say thank you.
“Send thank you cards, send them to your vendors.
“If somebody does a great job, make sure that you’re showing gratitude and that helps to keep your head screwed on straight.”
Tim suggests by being overt in your gratitude towards others it will make a huge difference in their lives.
“How frequently have you helped somebody in your life, be it maybe just opening a door or giving somebody an encouraging word, where they actually then thanked you later for said encouragement,” he says
“It never happens and when it has happened, remember how you felt when that person said, thank you.
“It’s extraordinary, isn’t it?
“That person is going to remember you, and you’re going to remember that person.
“These little tiny things are what makes the difference long-term, not how frequently you put up a TikTok video.”
