The Benefits of Delegation and How You Can Get Started

As a Realtor, you probably ‘wear too many hats’ on any given day. From marketer and bookkeeper to networker and scheduler, you’re often left run off your feet. Without enough hours in the day, one of the best ways to reduce your stress while maximizing your time (and your income) is through the art of delegation.

Why Delegate?

Delegating refers to either transferring responsibility to others or simply off-loading (to someone else) your pending tasks. While shrinking your to-do list is certainly beneficial, there are other important reasons you should delegate.

Here’s how…

It’ll offer you more time for higher-level tasks.  Where previously you might’ve been scattered or unfocused, eliminating some of the minutiae in your day will free your mind up for important business tasks like prospecting and strategizing. It’s easy to get caught up in daily to-do rather than focusing on your business as a whole. 

It’ll help you to increase the effectiveness of your business. While it’s nice to believe you’re a phenomenal multi-tasker, chances are certain tasks could be better completed by someone else. Consider social media as only one example. Hiring someone else (with this kind of specialized skill set) would not only free up your time but increase the overall effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

What to Delegate?

A real estate business leaves much you can delegate.

* Bookkeeping & Accounting

* Website Design & Maintenance

* Marketing – including social media, mailers, print and digital advertising.

* Listing photography

* Buyer Clients – through a relationship with a Buyer’s agent.

* Open Houses – through a relationship with another agent.

* Administration – may require an unlicensed or licensed assistant.  Read REC’s article here. A strong admin can help to input listings, manage your CRM, put up signs, put up lockboxes, facilitate all activities between a sale to its completion, etc.

How to Start Delegating?

If you fear delegation, you’re not alone. Many busy Realtors fail to delegate for many reasons. Cost is always a serious consideration, along with mistrust. To begin delegating but to avoid high cost and mistrust, consider starting with no (or low) cost activities, and those requiring a lower level of trust.  

Here’s how you can start delegating.

* Outline your regularly recurring to-dos along with those that don’t necessarily require your skillset. Consider tasks that consume lots of time and those you dread.

* Clearly define the task you’d consider delegating.

* Draft a list of the individuals or the type of individuals who could help you with said task. 

* Before hiring someone, speak with colleagues for referrals to great marketers, buyer’s agents, unlicensed assistants, etc.

* Start delegating. Start with one task (Facebook posts) or one department (marketing).