When the real estate market changes, REALTORS get back to basics

When the Real Estate Market Changes, REALTORS Get Back to Basics

By Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), ASP, GRI, e-PRO

When you joined the real estate profession after getting your license, you might have performed the grueling exercise of writing down the names of relevant people in your sphere of influence along with their contact information so that you could announce your new gig. Maybe that was some time ago; have you checked and updated your own list of contacts recently?

The market trends are changing, and so has the way real estate is done. Buyers and sellers now have myriad options for navigating the local real estate market. As a result, if you want to be their top choice, it is essential to refresh your relationships by getting back to real estate marketing basics.

People in your network are already aware that you are in the real estate industry; it is now time to reach out and let them know that you care. It may help them to get back to you when they are interested in investing or selling. Get ready to help them through all the ups and downs in the market so that you can find potential deals to close in the future.

Here are a few tips and tricks that REALTORS can follow to get back to basics in the changing real estate market:

  • Mail out encouragement. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we handle our schedules, workspaces, and routines. Before the epidemic, maybe it was enough to carry out some simple email drip campaigns, but now, people expect an authentic human touch in every real estate conversation. It is the right time to manage your client-relationship management system, prepare a list of anniversaries and birthdays on the way, and send them best wishes on every occasion. It may help them feel connected to you, and they may contact you back for potential sales.
  • Offer exclusive services. It is not always possible to capture an audience’s attention via emails. Their inboxes are already overflowing with an extensive range of information on keeping productive and stress-free during a pandemic. You need to plan something out of the box. Try to use Facebook Live and Instagram Live to share your daily story. You can also use Zoom tutorials to connect to the clients and support them during these challenging times. It is not just about showing new deals to them; you can have a general discussion about their life and special moments to hold a deeper connection.
  • Provide local market updates. Like most other business sectors, the real estate industry is also experiencing lots of uncertainty these days. It is your responsibility to keep your clients updated about the conditions of the local market. Make sure you educate your clients periodically about attractive real estate deals. Add the human touch to all your customer services and show them that you care about their interests.

These simple tips and tricks may help you to achieve your goals during uncertain market conditions.

10 Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe

10 Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe

By Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), GRI, e-PRO, ASP

The winter months have almost arrived, and once again, you’re no doubt worried about organizing your closet for the new season. This is among the most challenging things we do at the change of the season.
Perhaps you even spend hours staring at the clothes hanging in your wardrobe with the same question, “When do I wear them all?” or even “When did I wear this last?” Moreover, the mess created by loads and loads of items inside creates a headache before you even begin the organization project.

Experts say that people who open a well-organized closet in the morning feel less overwhelmed and more peaceful for the rest of the day. When you can decide your outfit for the day without feeling stressed, it can inexplicably fill your day with promise.

This is where the concept of a capsule wardrobe comes into play. You might have heard this phrase and wondered what the capsule-wardrobe hype is all about.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

As the name suggests, a capsule wardrobe is basically a streamlined wardrobe comprised of versatile articles of clothes and accessories that you love to wear every day in a particular season. These wardrobes are meant to accommodate around 30 to 40 items that fit your lifestyle. The items you put inside these small-sized wardrobes are greatly influenced by season; however, it has nothing to do with the walk-in square footage.

These wardrobes’ basics say that all shoes, clothes, and outwear count in this wardrobe; however, accessories, pajamas, fitness apparel, and special event outfits don’t.

When your wardrobe consists only of pieces you love to wear — and that mix and match with all the other items in your wardrobe — there is no need to spend hours choosing your outfit each day. Moreover, as it keeps everything organized inside, you will always feel great about your clothes.

At first blush, a capsule wardrobe may appear restrictive since it allows you to include only a limited number of clothes. But you will likely come to love the level of freedom it offers. Those who have adopted the capsule-wardrobe strategy often say that it makes getting dressed in the morning a genuine pleasure.

Here are a few unique benefits of crafting a capsule wardrobe to ease your decision-making:

  1. A capsule wardrobe makes it easy to choose an outfit. The morning hours are often already full of chaos, and rooting around in an overflowing and disorganized closet to pick your day’s outfit only adds to the stress. Capsule wardrobes can help you avoid this struggle as it consists only of clothes that you love, that fit you well, and that make you look and feel great. The idea is to edit the wardrobe collection until you have only your favorite items inside. Doing so will help you to decide what to wear with ease every morning. There is no need to spend time trying on items and taking them off a few minutes later — no need to spoil your mood by looking at clothes that you actually don’t like to wear or don’t really fit. Everything you have in the closet is something you love to wear, making selection more straightforward and convenient.
  2. A capsule wardrobe saves time. As you can see, all your favorite clothes are hanging in front of you; there is no need to worry about what looks good and what doesn’t. There is no need to waste time trying on multiple outfits when you are already in a rush. Moreover, it doesn’t require your precious time every weekend to clean and organize the wardrobe. You will be able to utilize this time to participate in other productive (or fun) activities.
  3. A capsule wardrobe helps avoid decision fatigue. We make important decisions all day long. Some decisions are important, and others are comparatively insignificant. No matter the size, decisions add stress to your life and fatigue to your brain. If we can somehow avoid a few minor choices throughout your day, it may help you maintain control over the larger decisions you have to make. Having a well-organized, capsule wardrobe that contains fewer items can help you make selections for your daily outfit more easily.
  4. A capsule wardrobe requires less stress about clothes. The capsule wardrobe may make help you let go of the general stress about the clothes. As this strategy allows you to eliminate items that you don’t wear often, the wardrobe will be packed only with the pieces that make you feel your best. It simplifies life by taking out the unnecessary overwhelming burden of storing and caring for clothes that don’t even fit or flatter your body. Owning fewer, better-tailored pieces can also help you feel realistic about your collections, and it is far easier to manage them. You will also have to worry less about washing, drying, dry-cleaning, and folding them.
  5. A capsule wardrobe reduces guilt about your clothes. For many people, clothes can hold great emotional significance. A significant problem with having so many clothes in the closet is that it can force you to feel negative emotions and guilt. You may feel guilty about buying things that you rarely wear or spending so much of your hard-earned money on something lying there unworn season after season. Maybe you have gained some weight, and many of those clothes consequently no longer serve you, bringing additional negative feelings. Getting rid of clothes that don’t positively impact your life can definitely help you feel lighter and freer.
  6. A capsule wardrobe makes your closet simple to organize. Owning fewer clothes means you get more space to breathe in the closet since shelves, drawers, and rods are not stuffed full. As a result, it’s easier to keep it tidy and well organized all the time. Moreover, finding precisely what you’re looking for is always easy. A simplified wardrobe simplifies your life, as well. There is no need to spend time or money on a fancy closet organization system; a smaller wardrobe requires only minimal organizational items to keep it tidy and items easy to find. Since you have fewer clothes to put in your closet, you can also accommodate some other items on the empty shelves and drawers. This naturally frees up more space in the bedroom.
  7. A capsule wardrobe boosts your confidence. A smaller wardrobe makes it easier to implement your style preferences. You will never come across clothes that you do not wear anymore. The color, style, feel, and fit, everything will be according to your well-thought-out choice. The capsule wardrobe makes it convenient to determine your style preferences, and it will naturally boost your confidence. Wearing your favorite outfits without concerning yourself with the unflattering sartorial detritus can enhance the entire day’s mood.
  8. A capsule wardrobe can bring increased gratitude and contentment. It seems odd to think that a mere wardrobe can teach us lessons of contentment and gratitude. When you curate your clothes carefully, leaving only what makes you feel great, you are more careful about your next shopping trip. You will soon realize that more clothes don’t make you happier or more stylish. Rather — and counterintuitively — having a smaller number of items in the wardrobe can create a sense of abundance. You will also learn to appreciate what you have while enjoying the feeling of gratitude.
  9. A capsule wardrobe saves money. Having a capsule wardrobe can naturally help you to avoid mindless shopping. The idea is to commit to the limited collection and carefully select what you should buy in the future. Experts advise keeping only 35 to 40 items in your wardrobe and make thoughtful decisions about purchasing new items. In short, capsule wardrobes can help you save more out of your limited monthly income, and soon you will be able to enhance your bank balance.
  10. A capsule wardrobe helps you learn to be comfortable with less. One of the most essential things in human life is satisfaction, and we all struggle to achieve that. A person who learns to be comfortable even with fewer things can enjoy life to the fullest. Capsule wardrobes teach us the same lesson. Having a limited number of clothes in your closet and still feeling secure and happy about your style is a significant achievement for anyone.

So there you have them, the 10 most important benefits of crafting and maintaining a capsule wardrobe. This strategy may soon lead to a positive impact on your life while taking away all the stress of managing unwanted pieces in your wardrobe.

5 Tips to Create and Nurture Your Online Presence

5 Tips to Create and Nurture Your Online Presence

Engaging the target audience and improving online brand impression is the primary target for growing business owners and social media marketing plays a vital role in this. As per a recent survey conducted by experts, it is observed that almost 77% of the Twitter users feel privileged when they receive replies from a brand to their Tweets. On the Instagram platform, nearly 600 million people are actively connected, and they share over 4.2 billion posts every day.

In this scenario, it is better to use social media marketing to build a solid web presence online. Here are five crucial tips to help you create and nurture your online presence:

  • Present yourself as human. The modern age audience prefers brands that appear more authentic and set up a human-like presence. They are not interested in corporations with no personality or reliability. So, while posting ad campaigns on social media, you have to be very careful about the content. It should be transparent, fun-oriented, and down to earth. Experts even advise creating content in the form of TikTok videos, memes, and articles that showcase your value.
  • Live stream on social media. Live streaming is an excellent way to enhance your reach in the competitive market. Growing businesses find it the most trusted solution to connect with the new audience and increase engagement online. You can start streaming with YouTube Live and Facebook Live to boost your brand reputation online. The expert projections reveal that live streaming is expected to build a $70.5 billion industry by the end of 2021. No matter what niche you are serving to the target audience, live streaming can be an excellent idea for demonstrating your product and services.
  • Take advantage of advanced analytics tools. When you are interested in improving your social media campaigns’ success, it is better to use advanced analytics tools to enhance performance. The great news is that software developers have created several advanced solutions to monitor social media campaigns and track the ROI. You can have unique tools for measuring performance on Facebook, Instagram, and other marketing platforms. However, it is not just about collecting stats from the market; instead, at the same time, you need to use those metrics to improve your brand impression in the long run.
  • Creative content development. How can we miss the importance of creating content for building an online presence? As there are several competitive brands online, you may need to follow trusted tactics to set yourself apart. It is better to make use of Instagram photographs to create stunning appeal in the market. Other than this, prefer to follow SEO practices to write keyword-rich blog posts that can maintain the top ranking on search engine results.
  • Lean into user-generated content. Experts advise using customer-generated content more creatively to lead an authentic appeal in the market. It can be the most inexpensive way to produce solid credibility in the market. Make sure you analyze available information more carefully to extend your reach and to boost credibility.

These simple and trusted tips from experts can help you achieve top ranking online in significantly less time.

 

 

Stop Work-from-Home Procrastination with These 5 Strategies

Stop Work-from-Home Procrastination with These 5 Strategies

Although the Coronavirus pandemic has brought numerous difficult challenges into our lives, one significant advantage of this phase has been the routinization of working from home. This new trend has helped eliminate hours-long commutes, annoying traffic noise, and the constant air-conditioning wars at the office. Many people even lost their jobs during this pandemic phase; however, of those who didn’t, many have now started working from home.

There are many positives about working from home, but there’s one notable negative: How easy it is to procrastinate. And this habit further leads to the guilt of lost deadlines and missing work opportunities in the long run. Hence, one needs to be more careful about managing routine work without falling into the trap of procrastination. Here are a few trusted strategies to help you manage procrastination while working from home:

  • Acknowledge your behavior. The first most important thing is to accept and understand the behavior of procrastination. One needs to understand what is actually affecting productivity levels. Some of you may lose several hours watching TV, many others might be busy scrolling unworthy social media newsfeed, and a few others might be feeling bored while working alone. Check what is distracting you from your goals and what is eating up all your valuable time. This analysis may help you better to set up a counter plan.
  • Establish a routine. The best advice from experts to deal with procrastination is to establish a set routine. When you start working with full determination early in the morning, you can feel motivated to accomplish your small goals all day long. It is better to set up an easy and comfortable routine for your work to be highly productive all day long. Set up your time table ranging from the wake-up time to bedtime to stay focused.
  • Make two lists every day. When you get ready for work in the morning and sit on your work desk, the first most thing you need to do is prepare two lists. The first list must include three-to-five crucial things that you need to do today, and the second list must consist of three-to-five things that you absolutely do not need to do today. It may help you to stay focused on your work while maintaining an adequate flow of tasks.
  • Align your small goals to achieve bigger. It is not just about focusing on the bigger goal; you need to start with the smaller ones. Taking small steps to achieve the bigger one may help you to succeed fast. Many people fail to maintain their direction towards big goals, but following a step by step approach towards the small ones may assist you better.
  • Don’t forget to reward yourself. Last but not least, don’t forget to reward yourself when you succeed to avoid procrastination. Rewards may motivate you to achieve more in life. You may also feel an inner urge to perform better in your routines, and it may automatically lead to success.

Start following these trusted tips and strategies to manage your routines with high productivity levels.

How leaders model productive behavior

How leaders model productive behavior

Leaders in our time are often admired for their dedication to staying productive and delivering results every day. They seem to have they have preternatural abilities that help them achieve a high level of productivity. But leaders have 24 hours in each day, just like everyone else.

But by carrying out some specific habits and staying true to their purpose, they achieve tremendous accomplishments that inspire the world.

  1. The first and most important is that these people avoid procrastination. Needless to say, it is easier said than done, but most people don’t fully understand it. Research suggests that there are two base reasons for procrastination. Either the task that you are doing is too challenging, or it is too dull. When modern leaders face this dilemma, they quickly act. If the task is too complicated and hard to do, they break it into simple and easy steps. If the task is too easy, they add a couple of extras and make it exciting or delegate the job to someone else. In simple terms, to avoid procrastination, bring your work just outside your comfort zone, enough to be compelling but not overwhelming.
  2. The second way these leaders model productive behavior is by making a calendar. They add their goals and tasks into their calendar and make it work for them. Even though it is difficult to thoroughly check off the to-do list, they end up hitting it with at least 70 percent accuracy. This is certainly better than not making a calendar and missing your tasks altogether.
  3. Another significant way that leaders maintain their productivity is by committing single-mindedly to their goals. It is frequently called the ‘Hyperfocus’ mode. With utter devotion towards their targets, modern leaders cultivate an unwavering ability to focus on their work. They understand that each day, they are bestowed with a limited attentional capacity. And they know that doing multiple things at once will impair it. When they realize that attention is an enormously valuable asset, they utilize it wisely. Picking a few (but the most important) targets is the best way to protect this asset.
  4. Moreover, they avoid digital distractions to protect their concentration. Turning off devices or using excellent online extensions help them navigate easily through the web. While they work, they establish a rule where nothing and no one can disturb or interrupt them.
  5. Similarly, they also avoid internal distractions commonly described as mind chatter. To calm their mind, these leaders practice meditation and mindfulness relentlessly. This not only makes their focus laser-sharp, but it also increases their attentional capacity, which means they can concentrate on more things without getting tired or losing their attention.

Leaders today are very self-disciplined. They exercise and inculcate productive habits in their lives to increase their income and impact. Likewise, anyone can apply these techniques in their routine to improve their work and personal lives. After all, it is evident that nothing will work unless we do.

5 Strategies For Managing Your Time During Crisis

5 Strategies For Managing Your Time During Crisis

As an entrepreneur, one of the essential lessons you need to learn is time management. It ensures that whatever business operations you undertake will run smoothly. Time management is vital, but during a crisis, it seems almost impossible.

You might have planned something unique for your business but never expected a crisis like the situation to come suddenly. In this situation, you must handle the stress and avoid burnout. You can handle pressure and prevent burnout by increasing communication, bringing focus to activities, self-care, and reaching out to advisors to seek support. To manage your time effectively during the crisis, here are five strategies:

  1. Plan your day. Another effective strategy of smoothly managing the time during a crisis is planning your day in advance. Planning is essential even during a crisis. Depending on the circumstances, you may find the need to modify your plan a bit, but having a plan for your day helps you reach closer to your goals. Without a plan, you will have no idea what exactly you want to do.
  2. What’s First? The problem with many entrepreneurs is they keep delaying tasks that they need to be focusing on first. Instead of postponing different tasks and getting burnout due to so much work, prioritize the critical tasks. You can postpone tasks that are of less priority and focus on working on something important. You need to work by prioritizing short versus medium-term goals.
  3. Manage your energy, not just your time. During tough times, what you can do is – instead of managing just time, you can manage your overall energy. You need to figure out ways how you can bring productivity to the organization and get the most. Here’s what Richard Steele (Partner McKinsey & Company) says, “You can’t add more hours to the day, but you can do things to maximize your energy and make it go farther.”
  4. Delegate what you can. You don’t need to do every task of your business by yourself. Sometimes, it is best to delegate or outsource specific tasks. Especially during a crisis, when you want to get tasks done as quickly as possible, you can delegate whatever business functions you can. Delegating small tasks will save you time so that you can focus on what’s more important.
  5. Use technology. In any stage, you think that the usage of technology can smoothen your business functions or add productivity to the organization, just do that. What type of technology or software you will be using will differ based on your business type. Let say Slack can be used for communication and collaboration, Buffer for automating social media management, Zapier to eliminate tedious manual tasks, and Calendar is the tool for saving time on scheduling.

The success or failure of any business is based mainly on how the time spent. If your business is affected due to the crisis, it’s time to make some changes.

Go into a “cave”​ to manage procrastination

Go into a “cave”​ to manage procrastination

By Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), e-PRO, GRI, ASP

No, that’s not some sort of typo. This strategy’s moniker, coined by Caveday.org, will make a lot more sense once you learn just what this is all about. If you’re the type that loves to let unfinished projects sit until the very last minute or if you’re always in a crunch because you wait until the last possible minute to get started on a project, Caveday may be just what you’re seeking.

What is Caveday?

Caveday is the brainchild of three friends who struggled with productivity issues, including procrastination. They wanted a strategy to stop procrastinating and to hold each other accountable. Jeremy, one of the founding members of Caveday, had once described “going into the cave” to finish a screenplay he had been completing. With his script finished, the friends were awestruck about Jeremy’s amazingly productive strategy. They set out to learn why he could be so productive and see if they could reproduce that same level of productivity among themselves and a few other fellow procrastinators.

As a result, Caveday was formed!

The original Caveday “Cave” was essentially “an event series that’s sort of like a pop-up coworking space; rather than sign up for a weeks- or months-long membership, you register for a single day. The price of [$40] admission includes two meals, snacks, coffee, and a handful of work-related services doled out by a briskly energetic group of facilitators — whose sole job is (as the program’s website puts it) to help you ‘GET STUFF DONE’ with ‘NO DISTRACTIONS.’“

Remote Caves make it impossible to procrastinate

Caveday has helped one-person operations, coders, writers, designers, college students, and even comedians. Obviously, all of these people aren’t able to make it to an actual on-site Caveday “cave” so, instead, they participate in what are called Remote Caves.

During Remote Caves, fellow procrastinators come together for short bursts of work (less than an hour or so) called “sprints,” followed by a small break — all with their cell phones hidden and out of reach.

During Remote Caves, participants gather via a Zoom meeting led by a trained moderator who guides the introductions, sets the time for sprints, and demonstrates periodic stretches and other physical activities to keep participants focused and limber.

We can learn a lot from the wildly successful collaboration of procrastinators worldwide and apply it to scenarios that we all must face. Here are some of the reasons that these Remote Caves are so successful:

  • Bursts of focused work. It can seem like a tall task to say, “I need to sit down and do work for 8 hours straight.” But it’s much more digestible when you break it up into smaller chunks. Remote Caves have bursts of work that are between 40 and 52 minutes. They don’t tell you exactly how long because you are supposed to focus more on that task at hand.
  • Frequent breaks. Procrastinators often wait until the last minute and then try and cram in as much work as possible — this way of working leaves no room for breaks. Not taking breaks is unhealthy and can leave a poor taste in your mouth about working on future projects. Remote Caves have you take small breaks after every single burst of work.
  • Professional direction. Do you have a mentor that can guide you through challenging problems? It’s easy to procrastinate when you’re stuck looking for a solution to something. “Oh, no, that’s too hard, and I’m not sure how to solve this. I’ll come back to this problem later on.” But you never come back to it. Remote Caves are led by trained “Cave Guides” that have diverse professional backgrounds. Having someone to guide you along the workday makes solving problems much more manageable, just like having a mentor with whom to collaborate.
  • Accountability. Think about working a salaried or hourly-wage job. You’ve got your coworkers and bosses around you. It’s hard to procrastinate because they’re holding you accountable. When you’re working remotely or working for yourself, who is going to keep you accountable? Your spouse? Your dog? Remote Caves take place over a Zoom meeting where fellow procrastinators and your host can hold you accountable.
  • Limited distractions. This one probably goes hand in hand with accountability. If you’re sitting at home dreading your next task, it’s almost second nature for most of us to pick up our cell phones and mindlessly tune out to our responsibilities. Going to an in-person Caveday will require you to turn in your cellphone before the day starts. Remote Caves require that you hide your cell phone and put it out of reach. Would you like to know why they do this? Because it’s an effective way to get people to focus on their work.

Procrastination: Is it normal?

Procrastination is exceptionally common. Now, procrastinating is different from being a procrastinator. Everybody procrastinates with something at some point throughout the workweek. But for some of you reading this, and for many Caveday participants, chronic procrastination is prevalent in our lives. Just know that you are not alone, and we can use the Remote Caves strategy to learn how to tackle our problems better and focus on what’s in front of us.

_____________________________________

KEVIN REID SHIRLEY is a real estate professional with almost twenty-five years of experience. He is an Associate Broker with Long & Foster Real Estate in Washington, DC. He is also an Accredited Staging Professional and a Graduate of the REALTOR Institute. He graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classical Civilization and Art History. Find his author page on Facebook; e-mail him at kevin@realastute.com; call/text him on 202.320.6634.

The Importance of Creativity for Entrepreneurs

Photo by Rachael Gorjestani on Unsplash

The Importance of Creativity for Entrepreneurs

By necessity, entrepreneurs must embody many different positive qualities. Among them, creativity plays a vital role. Successful entrepreneurs have to tap into their creative sides. In a competitive world, survival is possible only for those businesses that have something innovative and creative about them.

Unlock your creative side as an entrepreneur by consistently thinking “analog,” meditating, journaling, networking with other creative thinkers, and taking mental breaks. Here are some benefits of entrepreneurial creativity:

  1. Creativity brings unconventional and fresh ideas. All the businesses out there are doing the same thing. This increases the competition, and in the end, the business owner has to suffer from its profit margin. However, it is possible to stand apart from the rest of the crowd and build something unique. Doing something innovative in business is possible only when the entrepreneur gets unique ideas. It is possible through creativity. Creativity in entrepreneurs helps to get unconventional and creative ideas. The entrepreneur needs to think differently and creatively, and also challenge the standard procedures.
  2. Creativity helps you find the same patterns in different areas. Creativity forces the entrepreneur to think differently in other areas. The success or failure of any business is highly based on its idea. Through imagination, the entrepreneur can link unrelated subjects and make unique entrepreneurial ideas. Creative entrepreneurs merge different fields and create intersections that create new niches. This way, you will find something unique, and you may create a monopoly in the market.
  3. Creativity offers a competitive advantage. One of the best things about creativity in entrepreneurship is a competitive advantage. We can see that majority of businesses nowadays are relying on the same conventional ideas. Following traditional ideas means you have to face the competition. As an entrepreneur, when you generate innovative & creative ideas and implement them in your business, competition in the market will not affect you.
  4. Creativity helps you develop new niches. A creative thinking entrepreneur can develop and introduce a unique niche in the market. Instead of following the rules of traditional business, the entrepreneur explores various aspects of it. Studying and exploring different aspects of conventional businesses helps to know the issues and hurdles involved in it. And when there’s a problem, the importance of entrepreneurship comes into play. For example, it could be the business’s manufacturing process, supply chain (delivery of product/service), distribution channel, or any other.
  5. Creativity boosts productivity. Last but not least, creativity in entrepreneurs also increases productivity. The business may have certain roadblocks that are the root cause behind low productivity. Creative thinking can help entrepreneurs identify those issues and fix them. Improvement in productivity in business saves time, money, and resources.

If you are an entrepreneur, there are different ways you can become creative, like meditating, keeping a journal, surrounding with creative people, etc. Creativity in your business would help you bring something new on the table, and competition won’t be an issue for you.

5 surprisingly actionable time-management tips for real estate professionals

Want to hone your time-management skills? Let’s skip the fluff and go straight to the actionable quick tips that you can implement immediately.

Real estate agents lead hectic lives. Whether you are at the top of your career or are just starting out, you have to make every moment count. After all, time management is the secret to success. However, if you are new on this entrepreneurial journey, you might be looking for some expert tips to make your journey worthwhile. Well, here are five unconventional time-management hacks for all real estate professionals. I hope they help ease your journey towards success.

  1. Keep track of your time: You can never get back the time that you’ve already spent. Hence, it is essential to be careful about how you spend it. A successful business owner knows how to be accountable for his or her time. You can start by simply writing your daily routines in a notebook to keep track of how you are spending your time. There are tons of time-management apps out there to help with this task for those who are more technically minded.
  2. Plan ahead of time: Studies reveal that when you start work with proper planning, it can help you save more time on execution. Instead of beginning your week on Monday, start preparing for it on Sunday. The idea is to grab a paper and pen and start writing your goals for the week. Spare some time to organize things in all seven days to create and maintain a flow. Prior planning can help you enjoy better returns for entrepreneurship and personal life as well.
  3. Batch like tasks together: Instead of doing every task independently, batch related items to save time. All your emails, say, can be scheduled in one go; client meetings can be utilized better with pre-defined agenda; the fundraising activities must be handled simultaneously. This type of management may help you to keep your brain fully active all day long.
  4. Skip social media: Social media has revolutionized our lifestyle in a considerably short amount of time. Conversely, though, it has harmed our productivity routines as well. Studies show that most people spend almost three to four hours scrolling their social media feeds daily. This time leads to zero productivity. If you want to be more focused on your business, it is better to skip social media. You can specify a time for social media, emails, and other phone activities once in the day. In this way, you can use most of your routine time on business, which will naturally improve your productivity.
  5. Take frequent brakes: Breaks are not always a waste of time. Well-organized schedules include some breaks, which can help you restore your energy and focus on working more effectively. It is the best way to eliminate all the frustration and stress while ensuring high productivity every day.

There you go: Five surprisingly actionable quick tips to improve your time-management skills. Once you start following these time-management tips and tricks, it will be easier to ensure uninterrupted business growth. Now, go forth and implement!

_____________________________________

KEVIN SHIRLEY is a real estate professional with almost twenty-five years of experience. He is an Associate Broker with Long & Foster Real Estate in Washington, DC. He is also an Accredited Staging Professional and a Graduate of the REALTOR Institute. He graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classical Civilization and Art History. Find his author page on Facebook; e-mail him at kevin@realastute.com; call/text him on 202.320.6634.