This document provides tips and techniques for real estate agents to work more efficiently while maintaining good client service. It recommends focusing on three key areas: having a system to regularly communicate with clients and prospects, shifting communications from private to more public forums when possible, and using tools to maximize productivity during small windows of downtime. Specific suggestions include using a CRM, social media for ambient intimacy, automating financial tasks, creating neighborhood videos, and leveraging text expansion tools. The goal is to save time through systems and technology while still providing a personalized experience.

1. Time-Saving Tools
& Techniques for
REALTORS®
DAVID SPARK
david@sparkmediasolutions.com

2. Ways to Efficiently
Increase Your
Recognition
Without
Decreasing Service

3. Introduction

6. REALTOR® Struggles
Appointments
Travel
Juggling
Little free time
Timely client
communications
Pleasing
everyone

7. Positives we can
work with
There are inefficiencies in how we all operate that
can be improved using new tools and techniques
REALTOR® is filled with lots of
specific knowledge of their market
Multiple moments in the
day where there’s 2-10
minutes of free time
Huge percentage of business comes from referrals

8. Three areas to
focus improvement
Have a system in place to keep
in touch with your clients,
potentials, and past clients
When possible, shift inefficient
private communications to more
efficient public communications
Use tools to take best
advantage of those
moments of down time
1
2
3

9. Death by 1000
paper cuts

10. System to keep in
touch with clients,
potentials, and
past clients
 MUST start using a CRM
 Connect via Facebook and
LinkedIn for ambient intimacy

11. System to keep in
touch with clients,
potentials, and
past clients
 Respond to LinkedIn
alerts of new jobs
 Newsle for press mentions
in your social network

12. System to keep in
touch with clients,
potentials, and
past clients
 Rapportive to know what’s
on their mind right now
 Play games

13. System to keep in
touch with clients,
potentials, and
past clients
 Nextdoor for hyperlocal news
 Work past clients
 Delight them with an anniversary card/gift
 Help them with contractor information

14. Efficiency Tools
and Techniques
 Turn off all non-personal alerts
 Bluetooth keyboard for your phone and iPad
 One page where you have speed
dials to all clients
 Android users - Swiftkey or Swype

15.  Use voice dictation – Dragon Dictate
 Scheduling appointments with meetme.so
 Use an efficient note taking tool
 Evernote
 OneNote
Efficiency Tools
and Techniques

16.  Digital filing cabinet
 Scan documents
 Turn off paper billing
 Capture receipts
 Throw away manuals for their PDFs
 Receive faxes via online service
Efficiency Tools
and Techniques
Create a paperless office

17.  Automate financial information and
billing through Quicken or Quickbooks
Efficiency Tools
and Techniques

18.  PhraseExpress for PC
 aText or TextExpander for Mac
 TextExpander touch for iOS
Efficiency Tools
and Techniques
Use an autofill text expanding macro tool

19. Anytime you repeat
information you've
written or said before
you're wasting time
Shift phone and email communications
to public communications

20. Shift from private
to public
communications
when appropriate
^

21. Shift from private
to public
communications
 What do you keep repeating?
 Blog a long email or conversation
 Maintain a story list
 Stop guessing, use Google Adwords

22. Shift from private
to public
communications
 Easy to create and publish from phone
 Post photos of homes and staging
 Follow and repost other real estate tumblr blogs
 Post opinions
 Build library you can review with clients
If no blog, create a Tumblr blog

23.  Yes, post listings, but don't make
it your only communications
Shift from private
to public
communications
 Publish favorite contractors on
blog or Google Doc
 Batch record a video series
 Create custom easy to remember bit.ly
addresses for frequently shared documents

24.  Save URLs in your text expander tool
Shift from private
to public
communications
 Use your personal page, not
business Facebook page to connect
 Pull yourself off of social
networks you're no longer using

25. Turn killer assets
into videos
 “What do you love about this neighborhood?”
 “What does every new resident need to know
about this neighborhood?”
 “What have you learned in your years living in
this neighborhood?”

26. Your homework
 Turn off all your alerts
 Know your phone's camera - stills, videos, and upload
 Get data entry tools - Swiftkey and keyboard
 Top 5 things you keep repeating in conversation or in email

27. What we can do
 Train your team of REALTORS®
on all of this
 Produce neighborhood videos
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28. DAVID SPARK
sparkmediasolutions.com
Blog: sparkminute.com
david@sparkmediasolutions.com
415.794.9135
@dspark