Staying Organized as a Real Estate Agent

Keep a Routine

Routines are essential in many areas of life because they keep people on track and help them get to everything they need to accomplish in a day. For a real estate agent, a routine doesn't only help them, but it helps their clients feel more secure throughout the buying or selling process. There are many specifics that go into a real estate transaction, and agents who aren't organized may accidentally overlook an important step. That's even more true of agents who have several transactions in process at one time.

To structure a routine, agents will want to consider the most important parts of their day. For example, if they're typically in the office in the morning, they may want to return phone calls, reply to emails, and take care of paperwork. That leaves the afternoon free for showing properties, taking listings, and handling anything that has to be done outside the office. Routines should be detailed enough to ensure nothing is overlooked but not so complex that they cause more stress than they alleviate. A routine that's not realistic isn't one that anyone is going to adhere to over time.

Use a Physical and Digital Calendar

Many people only use one option when it comes to tracking their routines, appointments, and plans. If they have a digital calendar on their phone, computer, or both, they may wonder what they need a physical planner for. The reverse is also true in that they may not see the need for digital assistance if they have a physical planner or calendar with everything already written in it. To stay as organized as possible, it's important to use both a physical and digital planner in conjunction with one another.

When a real estate agent has a physical calendar, it's easy for them to see everything they need to address that day at a glance. They can focus on one block at a time and make sure they get those things accomplished before they move on to the next set of items. It's easy to carry the planner along, and they won't need to have a phone, computer, or anything that relies on an internet connection or battery with them. However, a digital calendar is a great way to get notifications and reminders, which is something a physical calendar can't provide. So the two work together very easily, to help with good organization.

Organize Your Desk

Staying organized as a real estate agent involves more than just having a calendar and a plan. It also involves having a space where everything can be quickly and easily located for maximum convenience. For most agents, that space is their desk. Keeping a desk organized doesn't have to be difficult, even if there are a lot of papers and other items that need to be used frequently. An in/out tray helps, as do file folders or hanging files in one of the drawers. This can make sorting things easier.

For commonly used paperwork such as listing agreements and contracts, having everything needed right in one place can help. It's also valuable to have a mug or some other small container with pens in it, so clients and customers can easily reach for what they need. Staplers, paper clips, and similar items can have their own space or small cubby, depending on the size of the desk. With a large desk, it's fairly easy to have a space for these things on the desktop. Smaller desks may need to have these items in a drawer to save space on the desk's surface.

Use CRM Software

CRM (customer relationship management) software makes it easier for companies and individuals to keep track of contacts, interactions, and information. There are many different CRM developers, but Real Geeks, Sierra, and REW are some of the most popular options. This kind of software is not only good for tracking people and keeping their info updated, but it's also good for building a relationship with them and making them feel valued and important.

For example, emailing clients on their birthday is one of the ways to help build relationships with them. However, agents aren't expected to remember the birthdays or anniversaries of every client and customer. Instead, they use CRM software to do that for them, and the customer feels important and acknowledged. Almost all brokerages offer access to this kind of software because they understand its value to their agents. But if an agent works with a brokerage that doesn't offer it, there are also cloud-based options that individuals can use. That keeps agents organized and helps them build stronger interactions with clients, too.

Keep a Call Log

A call log is a record of the data about a telephone call, not the content of the call itself. That's important for real estate agents to note because recording a conversation with someone isn't legal without consent from both parties in many states. However, the call date and time, how long the call lasted, the origin and destination, and some notes about what was discussed can all be used to gain valuable knowledge. Typically, telecommunications companies save this information automatically so it can be accessed later. For a real estate agent, keeping a call log can help determine how much time is being spent on calls, and the length of the average call, among other details.

Where the calls are originating from is also useful because it gives agents more information about where their clients and customers are coming from. That, in turn, can help them understand how far they're reaching with advertisements or whether they're popular or in-demand in particular areas of their target market. While call logs are only one part of the equation, they can help a real estate agent understand their audience better, so they can organize their efforts for that audience more directly.

Conclusion

In short, staying organized is vital for real estate agents, and there are many good ways to do it. With the right software, call logs, planners, digital calendars, routines, desk organizers, and more, agents who are serious about their careers will have everything they need to be as successful as possible. There's still a need for good discipline and strong habits, of course, but the right tools for the job are extremely significant when it comes to organization. Any agent who wants to be more organized has many opportunities to do so with plenty of great tools and techniques to help them advance their careers more fully.