Tip the odds in your favor with 7 top daily routines from successful REALTORS®.
By Donna Shryer
Ask successful REALTORS® what’s in their secret sauce and the tips most often mentioned won’t likely elicit OMGs. Instead, says David Brenton, CRS, broker/owner, David Brenton’s Team in Indianapolis, “Mundane things are the backbone of success. It’s the daily tasks that keep you on track to accomplish much bigger goals.”
With that insight, let’s examine how several successful REALTORS® define their least-glamorous but most-effective daily habits, practices and routines.
Good Morning
Successful business people live by the same 24-hour clock as everyone else, although they often share a habit that is not universal: they are committed to an early-morning routine. Apple CEO Tim Cook is firing off emails by 4:30 a.m.; Vogue editor Anna Wintour slams tennis balls around 5:45 a.m.; and Daniel Del Real, CRS, broker associate with PMZ Real Estate in Modesto, California, is biking or running by 4:30 a.m.
“I do Ironman triathlons, which take a lot of training. I’m at it by 4:30 a.m., fully present and intentional with my training,” Del Real says. “So, when I sit down to eat breakfast with my kids or I’m showing a property later that afternoon, I don’t worry about training. I already won that part of my day.”
Does the early riser really catch the worm? According to a study conducted at the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany, early risers tend to anticipate problems better, think proactively and achieve greater career success.
An Engaging Thought
“In terms of daily habits, one of the most important things you can do is delegate,” Del Real says. “Find people who do things better than you and let them do their job.”
Dayton Schrader, CRS, broker associate, The Schrader Group, RE/MAX Associates in San Antonio, is also a big fan of delegating, although he emphasizes that building a trustworthy team takes time. “My team has great chemistry. I don’t want to jeopardize that, so our hiring process is intentional and we take our time,” Schrader says.
Building a team is part one. The second part is learning to let go and trust your team, says Laura Harris-Hodges, CRS, REALTOR®/broker, Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Associated Brokers in Kennewick, Washington. “I have the most amazing people helping me, but it took me a long time to step aside and let everyone do their job. I always thought my way was the best way, but I finally realized that my assistant may not do things exactly as I would, but that doesn’t mean she’s wrong. Sometimes her way is better!”
Now You’re Talking!
Successful REALTORS® share a penchant for team communication. One way to go is with “an open-door policy,” which is a nice sound bite, but not everyone will make time to cross your threshold. Another way to go is with routine meetings. That’s how Misty Soldwisch, CRS, broker/owner, The Misty SOLDwisch Home Selling Team at RE/MAX Innovations in West Des Moines, Iowa, keeps communication flowing with her staff of 11. “My daily routine is more about helping my team set their routines,” Soldwisch says. “Everyone needs to understand what’s expected of them and how we can help each other.”
Soldwisch’s meetings include a daily, full-team, 15-minute, morning phone huddle; a weekly, 90-minute meeting with the entire team; a bi-weekly 30-minute meeting where team members role-play to work through challenges; and a weekly, 30-minute, one-on-one meeting with each salesperson.
Brenton, too, is a strong believer in routine team meetings. “Done consistently, you create a team environment where everyone is accountable. That helps everyone be more productive than they ever were—or could be—individually.”
Sharp Focus
While it’s not something you can plug into a calendar, one daily practice that many successful REALTORS® subscribe to is being present in the moment. Schrader attributes much of his professional success to this philosophy, from acknowledging the day by updating his voicemail message every morning to focusing on what he calls the Seven Boxes of Life—personal time, health, relationships, friendships, spirituality, money and work. He may not always give every box the same amount of time, but among the 1,440 minutes in a day, each box gets at least some time. “If the only thing you focus on is work, you’re going to burn out,” Schrader says.
Being present helps you give the best you have to that moment, Del Real adds. “Too many people are at work feeling guilty about not being with their family, or they’re with the family but worried about not doing work. You end up doing nothing well.”
Power Down
Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, has a ritual when her day officially ends: she turns off all electronic devices.
For some, powering down is easier said than done, but Schrader urges every REALTOR® to give it a try. It’s a daily habit that makes staying present in the moment more effective. “I may finish my last call as I pull into the driveway, but when I hit the button to open the garage door, my workday is done,” Schrader says.
Building Blocks
Many forward-thinking business persons are diligent about creating a good, old-fashioned, daily to-do list.
Over in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, jotting down the day’s tasks is just the beginning for Robert Hoobler, CRS, associate broker, RE/MAX 1st Advantage. “I triage my to-do list all day. Some things move to tomorrow’s list and other things move up the list. Re-prioritizing throughout the day is a huge part of my overall success.”
Hoobler is on to something. In fact, it has a name—the Zeignarik effect, which refers to the psychological tendency humans have to remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed tasks. By triaging your to-do list, it’s more likely that you’ll head home with no nagging worries about what’s not done.
In addition to re-prioritizing, clustering like-minded to-do tasks is another daily habit shared by many successful REALTORS®. Stacey Hennessey, CRS, broker associate, with CENTURY 21 Ace Realty, in Appleton, Wisconsin, explains: “If I have a 9 a.m. appointment, I try to build off that when the next person calls for an appointment. When I cluster meetings, let’s say in the morning, that gives me a solid block of uninterrupted time in the afternoon to tackle something else. It keeps my mind focused.”
Be Passionate
For his book The 8 Traits Successful People Have in Common, Richard St. John interviewed more than 500 highly successful people. After close examination, he discovered that the top trait was a passion for what they did.
Del Real agrees, although before finding his bliss, there were a few false starts. “I used to cast a wide net over a huge database, contacting everyone but connecting with no one. It wasn’t a successful business strategy,” Del Real recalls. “Now I spend the same amount of time building business relationships with a smaller, targeted group. I enjoy pouring my energy into it—and the phone can’t help but ring.”
Passion also drives Hennessey, whose phone is on from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. “I always answer the phone,” she says. “If I can’t at that moment, I call back as soon as I’m able.”
While some might see Hennessey as a workaholic, she has a different opinion. “I love helping people,” she says. “That’s what makes it all worthwhile.”
It’s a viewpoint that perfectly complements what St. John writes in his book, “Do what successful people do and follow your heart, not your wallet. In the end, your wallet will be happy you did.”
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