Work to the beat of your own drum as a buyer’s agent

Many of us jumped into the world of the buyer’s agent because we found it tough to be told what to do. Everyone is different and we can’t be shoehorned into using particular work methods. When you’re tied to someone else’s idea of how to be productive, it can be stifling.

One good thing about working for yourself is you can develop your own routines and processes that help you become more productive in ways that suit your work style. 

Some simple ways to be more productive

While I dislike the term ‘productivity hack’ as it makes me feel like a robot, I recognise that other people have developed some great work methods that are worth using. Some might work for you but these things tend to be personal. Let’s look at a few I’ve test-driven and how to adapt them to suit your work style.

The Pomodoro technique 

In this productivity method, you work for 25 minutes then stop for a five-minute break. The original Pomodoro was a physical kitchen timer shaped like a tomato (pomodoro in Italian) and that can work. However, when I’m on a roll, the five-minute break can ruin my flow. 

The benefit of the 25 minutes on, five minutes off is it reminds you to get up and move around. In an era when sitting all day is being hailed as the new smoking for your health, moving is good. 

Interpretation of any productivity method is key. Sometimes when I need to smash out a report or an article, I’ll promise myself a treat if I work solidly for an hour or 45 minutes or some realistic time goal. What I don’t do is get into a rhythm then stop abruptly because some productivity guru said so. So give this method a go. Sometimes it can be beneficial to know you have to focus for only 25 minutes, 45 minutes or an hour.

One goal per day 

If you’re like most of us who work on multiple projects, one goal isn’t enough. We need to get stuff done. A combination of the Pomodoro technique with multiple projects works better for me. I give myself a certain time limit for each project and break the projects into stages. So if you’re looking at the ‘one goal per day’ method, adapt it to suit how you work.

Start work at dawn

Well I don’t know about you but I need my sleep. I’m not an early morning person but I know I can be most productive with intellectual work before 2pm. After that, I tend to do more admin-type work or data collection that might form the basis of a report. At this point, I don’t need to think too hard, I just collate the information so I can analyse it when I’m feeling inspired the following morning.

You might be on a different rhythm so you keep the mornings for personal time or admin, then work on the more complex stuff in the afternoon or evening.

Avoid meetings

Unless you have a tight agenda and need to find a resolution, meetings tend to be unproductive. So I’m all for ditching the time-wasting meetings that have no beginning or end. That said, conversations in meetings can inspire us, especially in our Property Mavens group where we’re all sharing ideas. In the main, though, think about limiting meetings to essential collaboration-type meetings or client onboarding. 

Restrict social media viewing

Social media can be a vital tool for solo buyers’ agents but make sure you don’t fall into the trap of checking your Likes and comments, or checking out what everyone else is doing. You do you, and for an hour a day maximum or you’ll be off track to complete your work.

Join the Property Mavens Group

Become a Property Mavens ‘Agency Owner’. Currently we are in a growth phase and we’ve got more buyers and vendors wanting help and leads than our team can handle. We’re recruiting property professionals and buyers’ agents to join us.

Now’s the perfect time to make your move but we have limited places available in this strong buyers’ agent business, with leads in Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat.

Want to know more ? Call Miriam Sandkuhler, on 03 9988 2266.

MIRIAM SANDKUHLER, BUYER & VENDOR ADVOCATE

As a multi-award-winning buyer’s agent, people engage me to help them purchase a home to live in, or a high performing investment property through which to create wealth. If you’re selling a property, I can help as a vendor advocate to manage the agent selection process and represent your interests in tandem with the sales agent.

If you’re an experienced property professional already, join me as I grow Australia’s first-ever Property Advocacy franchise; Property Mavens, meaning property experts!

Visit us at propertymavens.com.au for home buying and selling advice.

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