Productive things during the shutdown

Making the most out of your downtime during the COVID-19 shutdown

Not being able to go to work is frustrating, but it doesn’t have to halt your personal progress as a real  estate agent. There are some special opportunities we have right now that can help us come to see the  Coronavirus shutdown as a blessing. Below are a few productive things you can do with your  downtime during the economic shutdown:

Read.

Now’s the time to catch up on all the wisdom available in the many books about real estate, sales, communication and other people skills. Here are the top books for real estate agents as rated by  popularity on Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/89521.Best_Books_For_Real_Estate_Agents

But there’s no sense in limiting yourself to what’s most popular on one forum, in one specific category. Reach out to other real estate agents or salespeople and find out which books have been most impactfull  for them.

Right now, it may be hard to get your hands on hard copies of books. Platforms like Kindle are a great  resource. Some people find they prefer reading on their phone. The formatting is different, and its a  little more convenient. What’s highly valuable about Kindle is that you can read a sample of any book  available on the platform, which makes it a great way to assess a large number of books from the  comfort of your home.

Strengthen your partnerships through increased communication.

Your ceiling is partially determined by the strength of your partnerships. If you have investment  properties, you need relationships with many experts, such as contractors, cleaners, and landscapers. Having these contacts will also make you even more of an asset to our clients. Naturally, these people  can also offer insight. Now might be a good time to make future arrangements or to pick their brain.

In your day to day routine, you exchange insights with fellow agents and even rely on them for advice. We all have more experienced people around us who are a wealth of knowledge. We never quite have  enough time to sit down and chat with them, though. Now you  do  have the time. They probably do, too, so you can pick up the phone. You can also offer mentorship to somebody less experienced than  yourself. Open up channels of communication and make yourself available to others. You never know  what kind of gift could come though those channels, now or down the road.

Familiarize yourself with your market

Knowing the ins-and-outs of all the neighborhoods around advances your ability to share useful  knowledge with your clients. You know exactly what your clients typically want to know, whether its  what parks are nearby, what the schools are like, or how far it is from the freeway. You also probably  know of some important items that home buyers tend to overlook.

Having this kind of knowledge gives you credibility, which builds trust. People appreciate a  salesperson who is dedicated and resourceful when it comes to knowing their product. Building this  expertise takes time --- which you just so happen to have right now.  Now might not be the best time to drive around and assess the landscape, but there are other ways to  explore, such as Google maps and Google Street View, directories, databases, blogs

Examine your own approach to your work.

Surely there are things you’ve wanted to change, to improve, to streamline, or simplify, or even  eliminate --- if you just had the time. You have time now.

Each of us is a work in progress. Mastery is more aptly describe as a pursuit than a destination. Case in  point: there are tweaks you already know of, as well as improvements that you aren’t aware of yet. You’ll find some, if you examine your own process with the intent of uncovering pain points. This is  quite easy; all you have to do is sit back and think, and then jot down any ideas that strike your fancy.

You could seek to make your approach more efficient, or just less painful. No feeling is sweeter than  newfound proficiency. No gift keeps on giving like a more enjoyable work day. To accelerate this  process, you might reach out to somebody on your list of contacts and ask for suggestions.

Set some goals.

People who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. But how many of us actually take  the time to write down our goals? How many of us do it on regular basis? And how many of us go back  and review them?

If this simple and quick act truly increases the odds of success --- if there’s even a chance that it does --- we can’t really afford  not  to do it. Our only excuse is the mother of all excuses, the same one we use  for everything else we know we’re neglecting: there’s not enough time. Well, now we have more than  enough time.

Make this process quick and easy by leaving a note pad with your current list of goals somewhere  you’ll see it multiple times a day. Frequent exposure will help you to form the habits that facilitate your  goals. This is easily managed if you dedicate a minute or two to reviewing and revising every day.

Of course, detailed and specific goals are more effective. So use your downtime to get carried away  and build a detailed and specific vision. Then, when you’re back to business-as-usual, it won’t require  much to keep it updated.