Being Physically Present at a Brokerage Doesn’t Mean You Worked on Your Business. If You Didn’t Prospect, Follow Up, Practice, Learn or Create an Opportunity What Exactly Did You Do All Day?

Written by Devone Richard

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I’M ABOUT TO HURT SOME FEELINGS WITH THIS ONE. 😂

You got to the office at 9:30.

Perfect.

Grabbed something to drink.

Said good morning to everybody.

Then somebody asked:

“Did you see what happened yesterday?”

And there goes the first 45 minutes.

Then another Realtor walks in.

Now we’re talking about the market.

Then we’re talking about interest rates.

Then we’re talking about another agent.

Then we’re talking about somebody’s listing.

Then we’re talking about somebody’s relationship.

Then we’re talking about where everybody wants to go for lunch.

It’s 11:45.

YOU HAVEN’T MADE ONE PROSPECTING CALL.

But somehow you feel like you’ve been working all morning.

😂

No.

YOU’VE BEEN AT WORK.

THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU’VE BEEN WORKING.

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THEN COMES THE TWO-HOUR REAL ESTATE EXECUTIVE LUNCH

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Now everybody goes to lunch.

You sit down at noon.

You order.

You talk about real estate.

You talk about deals.

You talk about other agents.

You talk about what the brokerage should be doing.

You talk about marketing.

You talk about the economy.

You talk about how difficult buyers are.

You talk about sellers being unrealistic.

You solve every problem in the real estate industry except one:

YOUR EMPTY PIPELINE.

😂

Now it’s 2:00.

Back to the office.

You’ve been “working” since 9:30.

Except you haven’t actually done anything that could create a transaction.

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BEING IN A REAL ESTATE OFFICE DOESN’T MAKE EVERYTHING YOU DO THERE REAL ESTATE

This is where agents fool themselves.

Because you drove to the office, you mentally counted the entire day as work.

No.

Sitting at your desk isn’t prospecting.

Talking to another Realtor isn’t prospecting.

Discussing the market for an hour isn’t prospecting.

Walking around the office isn’t prospecting.

Rearranging your desk isn’t prospecting.

Going to lunch with Realtors isn’t prospecting.

And standing in somebody’s doorway talking for 40 minutes definitely isn’t prospecting.

YOU CAN SPEND EIGHT HOURS IN A REAL ESTATE OFFICE AND DO 30 MINUTES OF ACTUAL REAL ESTATE WORK.

That’s the uncomfortable truth.

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“I WAS SO BUSY TODAY.”

Were you?

Let’s look at the day.

How many homeowners did you call?

Zero.

How many past clients did you contact?

Zero.

How many leads did you follow up with?

Two.

How many listing appointments did you schedule?

Zero.

How many buyers did you speak with?

Zero.

How many handwritten notes did you send?

Zero.

How many people did you add to your database?

Zero.

How many real estate conversations did you have with somebody who could actually become a client?

Zero.

So what exactly were you busy doing?

BUSY AND PRODUCTIVE ARE NOT THE SAME THING.

Some Realtors are exhausted every night from accomplishing absolutely nothing.

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THE OFFICE IS SUPPOSED TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS—NOT BECOME YOUR SOCIAL CLUB

I believe in the real estate office.

I think agents can learn by being around productive people.

You can hear conversations.

Ask questions.

Practice scripts.

Discuss contracts.

Learn from experienced agents.

Role-play listing presentations.

Prospect together.

Collaborate.

Build energy.

That’s valuable.

But there’s another version of the real estate office.

THE ADULT HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA.

😂

Everybody knows everybody’s business.

Everybody knows who’s dating whom.

Everybody knows who left which brokerage.

Everybody knows somebody else’s commission split.

Everybody knows which agent is mad at the broker.

Everybody knows all the gossip.

But nobody knows where their next closing is coming from.

That’s not company culture.

THAT’S A SOCIAL CLUB WITH AN MLS LOGIN.

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SOME OF YOU ARE USING “NETWORKING” AS A PROFESSIONAL WORD FOR HANGING OUT

Let’s be careful with this one.

Networking matters.

Relationships matter.

Lunches can absolutely produce business.

Talking with other agents can create referrals.

Industry relationships are valuable.

But every lunch isn’t a networking lunch because two Realtors were sitting at the table.

😂

Sometimes you just ate lunch.

And that’s okay.

Just stop putting it on the mental production report.

YOU DON’T GET TO COUNT EVERYTHING YOU ENJOY DOING AS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.

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HERE’S THE TEST: WHAT DID TODAY CREATE?

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At the end of your workday, ask yourself one question:

WHAT DID I DO TODAY THAT COULD CREATE BUSINESS TOMORROW?

Did you make 30 calls?

Did you reconnect with your sphere?

Did you follow up with old leads?

Did you contact homeowners?

Did you prepare for a listing presentation?

Did you improve your market knowledge?

Did you hold an open house?

Did you ask for referrals?

Did you create useful marketing?

Did you have actual conversations about real estate with potential clients?

Did you move an existing transaction forward?

If yes, good.

You worked.

If the answer is:

“Well, I went into the office…”

That’s not the question.

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THE MOST DANGEROUS PART IS THAT IT FEELS LIKE WORK

This is why agents can do this for months without realizing what’s happening.

You got dressed.

You drove somewhere.

You opened your laptop.

You answered a few emails.

You talked about real estate.

You ate lunch with Realtors.

You came home tired.

Your brain says:

“I WORKED TODAY.”

But your pipeline says otherwise.

Your bank account says otherwise.

Your calendar says otherwise.

And eventually your production says otherwise.

That’s why this kind of procrastination is more dangerous than sitting home watching television.

At least when you’re watching television, you know you’re not working.

WHEN YOU WASTE TIME INSIDE THE OFFICE, YOU CAN ACTUALLY CONVINCE YOURSELF YOU’RE PRODUCTIVE.

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THEN THREE MONTHS LATER, IT’S THE MARKET’S FAULT

Here we go.

“Business is slow.”

Maybe.

“Rates are killing everything.”

They certainly affect buyers.

“Nobody wants to move.”

Some people don’t.

But before we blame everything outside our control, let’s look at what was inside our control.

How many people did you talk to during those three months?

How many people did you follow up with?

How many homeowners know your name?

How many potential sellers did you contact?

How many appointments did you ask for?

Because somebody in your market is still closing transactions.

THE MARKET CAN BE HARD AND YOU CAN STILL BE WASTING TIME.

Both things can be true.

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IF YOU’RE GOING TO THE OFFICE, USE THE DAMN OFFICE

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Come in.

Say hello.

Have fun.

Enjoy your coworkers.

Build relationships.

But then:

CLOSE THE DOOR AND WORK.

Give yourself two uninterrupted hours.

Make the calls.

Work the database.

Follow up.

Learn your contracts.

Practice your presentation.

Study your market.

Do the uncomfortable things first.

Then go talk.

Then go to lunch.

Then hang out.

You don’t need to become miserable to become successful.

YOU JUST NEED TO STOP CONFUSING SOCIALIZING WITH PRODUCTION.

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FINAL THOUGHT

I want Realtors in the office.

I believe there’s tremendous value in agents learning, collaborating and being around other professionals.

But coming to the office isn’t the accomplishment.

WHAT YOU DO WHILE YOU’RE THERE IS.

You can arrive at 9:00 and leave at 5:00 and accomplish almost nothing.

And another agent can walk in at 9:00, prospect without interruption for two hours, schedule two appointments and create more potential business before lunch than you created all week.

That’s the difference.

So tomorrow when you’re getting ready to tell somebody:

“Man, I had such a busy day.”

Ask yourself:

How many calls?

How many conversations?

How many follow-ups?

How many appointments?

How many opportunities?

And if the answer to all of those is zero…

YOU DIDN’T HAVE A BUSY DAY.

YOU HAD A LONG DAY.

There’s a difference.

YOU WENT TO THE OFFICE, TALKED FOR THREE HOURS, ATE LUNCH AND WENT HOME.

DON’T CALL THAT WORK. 😂

— Devone Richard

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Written by Devone Richard

Broker/Owner | OYT Real Estate
California Broker #01857383
Nevada Broker #1002115

📞 626-500-1212 | 702-941-0202
🌐 OYTRealEstate.com

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