Getting organized is one of those things we all know we should do, yet somehow keep putting it off. Often this is because it feels too time-consuming or that there isn’t enough return on our efforts. But we’re here to tell you that organization can be simple, and it will bring more success to your real estate business. Below, we’ve outlined 5 simple ways to get started.
1. Schedule Your Time
Whether you use an electronic calendar such as iCal or Google Calendar, or prefer the traditional paper-and-pen day planner, it is so important to schedule your time. If you simply enter each task as it comes along, this takes very little time but will ensure you never miss an important meeting or phone call again. It is also good to schedule in your down time so that you have a set period in which you can rest and reenergize for all the tasks you need to tackle. Once something is in our calendar, we tend to treat it as something we can’t skip. So whatever you need to do in a week, make sure you schedule it!
2. Add Leads Automatically
Real estate is a non-stop business, so when you get new leads you don’t want to have to stop and enter each and every one individually. You also don’t want to leave a whole bunch of hot new leads out of your database for very long. The solution? Automatically have them added. With a CRM like IXACT Contact, your leads from things like your website, Facebook, or lead vendor (such as Zillow Tech Connect) are automatically added to your contact database. This keeps you organized without you having to spend any time on it. What’s not to love about that?
3. Set Reminders
As a real estate agent you are busy pretty much 24/7, and it can be easy for small details to get lost in the shuffle. But you know that sending birthday wishes or remembering a move-in anniversary can go a long way in creating repeat and referral business. So what do you do? Set reminders for yourself! Now, you can go in and create individual reminders for each and every contact you have, but do you really have time for that? With IXACT Contact you can automatically generate reminders for every contact in your database with just a few clicks. Staying that organized in such little time? That’s a definite win.
4. Pre-Schedule Social Media
Social media is one of those things you know you should do, but it falls to the bottom of your long list of priorities. Unfortunately, this can mean missed opportunities to get new business. So how do you counter this? Pre-schedule your social media content. There are many tools out there that allow you to schedule your original content weeks or even months in advance, which means you really only need to spend a day or two getting everything together and then you are set for a long stretch of time. These tools won’t find the content for you though, so it is still a time-consuming process. Luckily, IXACT Contact has a solution for that too – Social Stream. Social Stream allows you to choose the sources of content you like (such as the New York Times or Huffington Post), the topics your audience is interested in (Condos? Gardening? Home décor?), and when this content goes out. Spend 10 minutes making these choices, and content will be published consistently to your Facebook and Twitter pages until you decide to change things up. Your social media will be so organized in just a matter of minutes!
5. Have Access to Your Database Wherever You Go
As a busy real estate professional, you aren’t just sitting at a desk all day every day, making it more challenging to manage your contacts and leads. When you don’t have access to your database at that open house or new client meeting, it makes it that much more difficult to stay organized and on top of things. That’s why you need a CRM that is accessible and easy to use wherever you are. IXACT Contact is not just compatible with both Mac and PC, but it has a Mobile App that allows you to easily manage your business from any device, anywhere you might be. Taking a quick lunch between showings? You can be assigning Activity Plans to contacts from the restaurant! You never have to have your organization time restricted to when you are at a desk again. More freedom, more organization, more success!
Getting organized can feel like a daunting task. It can take up a lot of time and not provide the results you were hoping for. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Use the 5 tips outlined above and you will see the benefits of streamlining your life without losing hours of time every week. You’ll see more success, and have more time for the things you love.
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