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Ask any moms which is the most important skill needed to strike a balance between family life and real estate career. One of the top answers will always be: Multitasking!
We learn how to prepare dinner while feeding the baby. We fit in a quick shower while keeping the toddler entertained. We supervise the kids in their studies and reply emails and whatsapp messages at the same time. We squeeze a couple of viewing appointments in between chauffeuring our kids to tuition and enrichment lessons.
It is no wonder moms are always on a 24/7 balancing act!
Techniques To Building More Efficient Multitasking Skill
Through my years of being a real estate mom, I developed some habits which help me become more efficient.
1) End the day with a To-Do List for the next day
There are always 101 things to do every day. It is important for me to have a To-Do List for the next day. This sets the tone of work for the next day and allows me to see what are the important or urgent tasks I have.
With the To-Do List, I will group all similar and related tasks together. To master the art of multitasking, it is vital that the tasks we are doing concurrently has something in common. This makes it easier to for us to complete it effectively and efficiently.
A good example is the task of putting up advertisements on property portals, which can be time-consuming. I will craft the advertisement and upload the photos across different portals together rather than doing it at a separate time. This reduces duplicate work and allows me to be more efficient.
It is important that we have an idea how we are going to work on each task. Nothing is worst than doing it half way and realize we have done it wrongly and have to do it all over again.
Also, with the To-Do List, it keeps me on track of what I am supposed to do. It is better to be busy with things we planned to do, than to be spending the bulk of our time reacting to situations and be blinded by spontaneous requests.
2) Avoid Distractions
Real estate agents attend to many phone calls and messages. People contact us to enquire about the properties we are marketing. As a matter of fact, the more enquiries we have, the more chances we have to close a deal!
In order to minimize distraction, I put my phone on silent mode when I need to focus on a task. However, this can only be done when I know I am not needed for any urgent matters. Also, I will set my phone on silent mode for a maximum of one hour. When the hour is up, I will check my phone and reply to any messages that require my attention.
Tasks that require my full attention will be done in the mornings when the boys are in school, or late at night when they are asleep. A good example will be the writing of articles in my blog. This requires my full attention and It is hard to put together my thoughts when the boys are around.
3) Use A Physical Notebook
Call me a dinosaur but a physical notebook is really handy for me.
As a mother of 2, I am constantly bombarded with requests from the boys.
"Mom, I am hungry!",
"Mom, where is my T-shirt?"
"Mom, I don't know how to do this question!"
I always have a notebook around. When I am distracted by the boys, I write down what I was planning to do so it is easier for me to continue when I am done with their requests.
Also, a notebook comes in handy when an idea popped up or when I remembered something needs to be done. To prevent myself from being distracted from the task on hand (and also forgetting what those ideas are the next minute), I write them down to work on later.
4) Use Technology
Ok I might be a dinosaur at times but I embrace technology. It really improves our efficiency and makes life so convenient.
Google drive, Google calendar, Google contacts, Camscannar, Adobe Fill & Sign. These are my lifesaver at work. Anytime when my clients require details like when they purchase their property, or when the tenancy is ending, I can give them in an instant.
Huttons is an established real estate company of innovation. It has very powerful apps like HIP and Huttons Pro+ which provides a lot of information on both new launches and resale properties.
Also, how can I not touch on our Huttons Analyzer app when we talk about technology? This is such a powerful app that literally gives us all the most updated real estate numbers at our fingertips!
Look at the video below to see how powerful this app is!
5) Plan, plan, plan
Remember the saying: When you fail to plan, you plan to fail?
Throughout my real estate career journey, I find that one of the most important traits of a Top Sales Achiever is to plan. And how can we be consistent in our sales? Make it a habit to plan!
It is good to have a monthly meeting with ourselves on the 1st day of every month. During this meeting, I will set up my sales target for the month. I will also compile the listings that I have on hand, and the leads that I can follow up with.
Besides this, I will also include other non-sales related tasks I would like to complete in that month. Some examples are updating my website, creating new ways of using social media platforms to reach out to new customers, attending CPD classes etc.
With the agenda for things to be done for that month setup, it is easier to break them down into weekly/daily things to do. And when we break them down into daily tasks, we find our efficiency improve too!
一年之计在于春，一日之计在于晨
I like this Chinese idiom. To translate to English, this means we should plan for the new year in Spring, and plan for the day in the morning.
Let's plan!
6) Delegation and Partnership
It is only wise that we accept the fact that we can't do everything on our own. In this case, delegation and partnership become important.
When my boys were younger, we chose to ferry them to and from school. We were able to do that as my working hours is flexible. However on days when I have appointments that clashed, this job is delegated to my parents.
Partnership plays a very important part in our work, especially for real estate moms.
I always remember July 2007, the month when I was due to give birth to my elder son. Real estate market was booming. Enbloc fever was at a high. People were buying properties without viewing. Speculations were rife. Options were flipped soon after it was issued.
I conducted viewings right to the day before I gave birth. In the afternoon after I gave birth in Thomson Medical, the first person to visit me was my work partner. He came to pass me the Option To Purchase!
It was also in that month when I broke my own sales record!
I hope what I have shared is helpful to you. If you find it useful, please feel free to share my article with your friends. Do subscribe to my website to receive more real estate career tips :)
As real estate moms, it is especially important to be in a team with like-minded individuals. Being in a team encourage learning and improvement, it also provides support and camaraderie.
In short, TEAM simply means Together Everyone Achieves More.
If you are thinking of making a change, let's have a non-obligated discussion on how myself, together with OrangeTee & Tie and NAVIS, can help you achieve what you hope to achieve in this career.
Drop me a whatsapp or schedule an appointment with me using the link below.
See you soon!
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About The Author
Vivian joined the real estate industry in 2002.
Having been in the real estate business for almost 2 decades, she knows the rewards and challenges that a real estate agent face.
While the real estate career offers lucrative income and flexible work hours, it also presents many challenges - financial insecurity as we do not have basic pay, time management as we juggle work, children and family all at one time. Only those who have walked the same journey will understand.
Vivian would now like to pay it forward by mentoring fellow agents, especially women who want to build a real estate career.
It is her vision to see women achieving their dreams, and live their lives with purpose and passion through a successful real estate career.
Call Vivian at 98577714 to embark on this journey.