For those who are venturing into a real estate career, it is highly likely for these professionals to consider themselves free from the hassles of micro-management and intense supervisory scrutiny.
Most real estate agents manage their own time and run the business by themselves.
With work-from-home becoming the new “normal” during this COVID19 crisis, real estate agents are expected to be working more independently as a result of disrupting the traditional management and oversight model.
However, it may not be as easy as many may think, especially for those who are not prepared for this new work model.
Also, given the “freedom” from being confined to the office walls and working in their comfort zones, they could get too comfortable and lose sight of their goals.
In the real estate industry, one of the most effective and traditional practice is establishing professional relationships through personal contact and interaction, but the current situation and home quarantine measures pose real challenges for the industry.
How can real estate agents nurture these relationships and adapt to the current situation? How can they impose self-accountability and at the same time ensure they stay productive, especially when they are in their comfort zones?
Establishing self-accountability measures are important to hit business goals and continue to be productive in this new work environment.
Goal setting
Whether it’s a short-term or long-term goal, visualising what you must do on a regular basis to accomplish your goals can effectively guide and remind you to finish it by staying on track.
If you find it hard to follow a week-long or long-term goal, make a daily checklist of things to do so you can designate work periods throughout your regular working day.
Make a list of your tasks and assign a timeframe for each of those tasks to let you manage your time well.
Devise a feedback mechanism
Develop a check and balance process such as a feedback mechanism from your client or manager, so they can help provide an external perspective of how you work and manage your time.
It may not have to be a daily process that can become intrusive and distracting rather it can be a weekly or bi-weekly interaction with a colleague or manager.
This can be mutually beneficial since you can both exchange notes, more so if you feel that you are not doing enough, you can ask for help or receive moral support.
Once you have a clear and better focus towards work in a home environment, also pay attention to generating leads and coping with rejection from potential customers.
How to stay productive
Since face-to-face interaction is not possible under home quarantine conditions and social distancing, agents will have to resort to cold calling which can be challenging for some. This can put your convincing skills to the test so here’s how you can level up your lead generation activities.
Manage your conversations well and keep it flowing
Not everyone is a fan of cold calling and can be frustrating for you if you are looking to generate leads.
However, there are ways to catch the attention of a potential lead and change the mood of the conversation to your favour.
You can take advantage of your soft skills to deal with the crisis situation by looking for cues that you can leverage to get a conversation going such as fishing out topics that may be relevant for them.
An example can be a previous struggle in the past they hope to never encounter in the future such as a negative experience with a previous agent. You may help provide a solution to such challenges and assure your client about how you can help them avoid it.
Avoid anything offensive
When dealing with home buyers or sellers, it is wise to never lose your cool when negotiating. Make sure to always avoid using strong language or offensive remarks even when you know that the other party has zero knowledge about the market.
Always choose your words carefully and always support your claims with data or substantive evidence.
Always come prepared
Doing your research before making a call can give you not just a clear approach on how you can convince your leads and give you the confidence to convince your potential clients.
For instance, when the person you are talking has an expired listing, you should investigate what happened or how the previous agent handled it. With this, you may be able to develop a strategy and offer a solution or several options to help out.
Ultimately, the best takeaway that you get out of this is the confidence to do your cold calling campaigns and help you keep track of your goals during these challenging times.
Always be there to provide your potential clients with the answers to their real estate concerns and problems, which can be your biggest advantage in keeping things running smoothly no matter where you are- whether you are out on the field or at home doing your work.