Time Blocking for Real Estate Agents – Daily Checklist

Time is the most valuable asset we have. We all have the same amount of time each day, yet some seem to get more done than others. Time blocking for real estate agents is a solid strategy that ensures you get the most out of each hour of your day and eliminates too much idle time. I’ll share my time blocking strategy that helps me get more done every day and is a significant reason I’ve been successful as a real estate agent.

“Life gives you a check of 24 hours every day. You decide how to invest them.”

We all know that the most critical thing we all have in life is time. How you choose to spend your time will determine the success you have in all aspects of your life. Ask Elon Musk, a huge time blocking proponent.

Just as a business plan is a tool to create success in your business, time blocking is the system to follow out your business plan.

What is Time Blocking?

Time Blocking is one of the best real estate agent hacks to maximize your time. It is the process of scheduling your entire day (or workday) into time slots so that you fill up your whole schedule. You put all your hours to work for you in one way or another.

When First Starting Out 

It can be challenging to begin time blocking. I’m on my third time sticking to a time blocked calendar. Here are some tips to have success time blocking the first time around. First of all, make your time blocking realistic. Don’t time block an entirely new calendar from what you are already doing. Take what you are already doing most days, put it in a time-blocked form, and add the one or more essential priorities to your schedule.

I like to use Google calendar for my calendar purposes. It allows me to create multiple calendars within one Google account. Also, it integrates with tons of other apps and software. This integration will enable me to utilize my Google calendar for Calendly.

Why Time Blocking For Real Estate Agents Is Effective 

Parkinson’s Law states that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” This Law means that if we don’t set mini-deadlines throughout the day for tasks, we will take longer on each job to fill the day. This scenario played out multiple times throughout the day leads to a lot of wasted time.

Also, when you time block, you can focus on one task at a time. Because you are organized and know that everything necessary has a time and place on your calendar, you can focus on that task without getting sidetracked and looking at email, social media, etc.

Finally, it will prevent you from idly wasting time until you think of that next task you should be working on. Whenever I used to lose time, it was because I wasn’t clear on what I should do next. Most of us want to work at a high level but don’t always do so because it’s not thought out strategically ahead of time and placed in a time block on our calendar.

How To Know What To Spend Time On 

When you are getting started with your time blocking, it’s essential to prioritize what deserves to be on your calendar. Use the time and impact formula to write down everything you do in your business that you want or need to work on. Then rate 1 to 10 the tasks perceived impact on your business. Next to the impact number, do the same thing for the time it would take to complete this task. 10 is the shortest time. Add up all the numbers for all your tasks. The functions with the highest number need to be prioritized and added onto your time block calendar.

Different Time Blocked Calendar 

I create multiple calendars to stay organized and be even more evident in various aspects of my life. I have a separate calendar for “Daily Routines”, “Work,” “Appointments,” and “Travel.” Having different calendars allows me to see at a gland each calendar or multiple stacked up at a time. My daily routine is my primary calendar and shows me my day at a glance. My work calendar time blocks out the time I’ve set aside for general work on my “Daily Routine” calendar. My appointments link up to Calendly so my clients and other agents can arrange a meeting with me. Lastly, I use my travel calendar when I travel, and my daily routine doesn’t apply.

My Daily Routine Calendar 

In my “Daily Routine” calendar, I list out items that I do daily. These items include: 

• Waking Up
• Going to Bed
• Morning Routine
• Gym
• Work
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Family Time

Most of these tasks are set up as recurring daily but can be changed if done only a few times each week. 

My Work Calendar 

Here is where I take the generalized daily routine calendar where I marked off for “work” and time block out my schedule for the tasks I need to complete. I put the time in there for things like meetings, training, content marketing, prospecting calls, checking emails, going over reports, etc.

Pro Tips 

• Be sure to create separate calendars for significant categories of tasks in your life 
• Having distinct calendars made a massive difference versus having one calendar where I lumped EVERYTHING together.
• Color code different tasks within a calendar Color coding will help you keep even more organized and point out things that may be a high impact or require driving, etc.
• Leave room to breathe.
• Even though you are blocking your entire day, don’t put tasks so close together you can’t miss a minute before being off track.
• Find the pace that will suit your life the best
• Don’t create too many tiny little blocks.