Daily routines generate business success

It’s the day-to-day habits Realtors® develop that help determine their success, according to real estate expert and coach Rich Levin.

“Most agents are taught activities, like making a certain number of calls each day,” Levin, based in Rochester, NY, said. “Focusing on activities will always frustrate you because you can never do enough. You need to focus on the results.”

Establishing daily and weekly routines is the beginning of a business plan, Levin explained. “You break this down into measureable activities and successes. Successful agents have good marketing, great service and they’re generating more leads that come to them rather than making lots of prospecting phone calls,” he added.

Habits and consistency work. “Setting priorities and sticking with them helps Realtors® achieve success,” Levin said. His recommended priorities for Realtors® include:

• Review and update measurable results daily. See what activities are generating success and note where your business is coming from.
• Schedule appointments with new clients (Monday). It only takes one or two appointments a week to see results. If you have one appointment per week and sell to half of them, you’d sell at least 25 houses a year.
• Conduct technology marketing (Tuesday). Decide what technology you want to focus on, whether it’s a blog, your website or other social media and work on it for at least five minutes.
• Implement traditional marketing (Wednesday). Incorporating traditional marketing like postcards and print advertising work with newer trends.
• Touch base with your listed sellers and pending clients (Thursday). Make it a point to talk with your clients and ensure you’re meeting their needs.
• Strategize business opportunities (Friday). Consider new ideas to incorporate into your business.
• Improve listing presentations (as needed). If you’ve been in the business less than three years, you need to continue to hone your presentations.
• Learn inventory by previewing property (as necessary). Know what’s on the market so you’re prepared to show your clients.

“I recommend doing these daily habits before ever opening your e-mail each day, so these habits become priorities,” Levin advised. “If it is hard to spend an hour, then initially you want to spend 30 minutes or less on each priority but you’ll find as you work that you’ll know what works best for you.

“Business planning is important but ultimately it’s your habits, not your plan, that dictate your success,” he added.