How Can Agents Achieve More By Doing Less?

Imagine finishing your workday early, feeling accomplished instead of exhausted. It doesn’t have to be a dream. The secret isn’t cramming more tasks into your day—it's about making smarter choices and focusing on efficiency. So, how can agents achieve more by doing less? The answer lies in simplifying your approach, streamlining processes, and adopting strategies that allow you to maximize your time without burning out.

Over the years, I've refined methods to improve productivity in real estate. These strategies can reshape your approach, help you unlock untapped potential, and boost agent performance. How can agents achieve more by doing less? By focusing on what truly matters and eliminating unnecessary tasks, agents create a better work-life balance and higher success rates.

Unlock your potential with AI-powered solutions tailored to your real estate needs. Save time, grow faster, and work smarter. Schedule your discovery session now at lesix.agency/discovery.

Rethinking Agent Productivity: How Can Agents Achieve More by Doing Less?

Real estate agents are pulled in many directions daily. Juggling client meetings, marketing tasks, and paperwork can get overwhelming. Finding ways to improve agent productivity might seem impossible. However, some tactics are backed by proven strategies to support agent productivity. Let's explore a straightforward plan so agents improve and thrive. 

1. Setting Clear Expectations

Setting clear expectations is crucial in managing a team or company, and this principle extends to business operations. It also plays a key role in improving customer service goals and boosting productivity within customer support. When agents know what's expected of them, they can meet their targets consistently. Without clear goals, however, agents may struggle to meet performance standards.

So, how can you set clear expectations and help agents improve? One effective method is by using key performance indicators (KPIs), which help equip agents to perform at their best. KPIs such as average handle time, first reply time, number of first-contact resolutions, and customer satisfaction scores are all essential metrics.

According to Gartner, setting clear goals can increase productivity by 22% when employee needs are aligned with organizational goals. This alignment ensures that agents understand their role and can work toward achieving the set objectives. 

2. Embrace Customer Self-Service

Many customers prefer handling things themselves. So, businesses are investing in customer self-service tools to resolve issues. If your agency implements tools like knowledge base software, you can significantly decrease the overall ticket volume, freeing up time for complex issues. This will allow agents to feel appreciated by not bogging them down with mundane issues. You can also look into these resources.

• FAQ page.

• Community forum software.

• Automated call center software.

I used to get bogged down with basic questions. I put up a detailed FAQ on my website, and ticket volume dropped by almost 40%. It freed me to help with the trickier problems of our clients, leading to better agent performance, which also improved customer satisfaction.

3. Measure Agent Performance Regularly

Tracking agent performance metrics regularly provides valuable insights into what’s working and what isn’t. This data allows you to better support agents and enhance productivity by identifying areas for improvement. To effectively track these metrics, management software is essential, as it enables you to monitor tickets per hour and wait times. The primary goal is to resolve issues swiftly.

Additionally, this data encourages open discussions, fostering accountability. By recognizing both successes and shortcomings, agents can take ownership of their performance. Frequent communication leads to outstanding results, with Gallup reporting that it drives performance 3.6 times more effectively than relying on just an annual review.

4. Celebrate Agent Success

Everyone appreciates being recognized for a job well done. While rewards like money, trips, and awards are effective, the simple gesture of acknowledgment can have a powerful impact. Agents are also motivated when they work in a supportive environment that makes them feel appreciated, which in turn boosts their productivity. 

Frequent recognition has been shown to increase agent performance by nearly 78%, according to Nectar. This creates an ecosystem of encouragement, driving a strong work ethic and contributing to a positive work environment. 

5. Improve Agent Well-Being

Happy staff equates to success in customer service. Your support team’s health must remain a top priority, and you must create a place where they feel comfortable. This helps to prevent burnout and contribute to good work. What is the easiest method to achieve that?

• Give sufficient break times, allowing agents time to relax.

• Encourage a healthy balance between work and life, promoting healthy.

• Distribute the load evenly.

Prioritizing their mental health and physical state curbs burnout. It is important, too, to maintain team members are productive; the staff needs to be at their best and healthy. According to The Hartford, health and wellness makes an impact on productivity for 63 percent of employees. A healthy work-life balance improves overall performance.

6. Improve Call Center Workforce Management

Call centers need the correct agent to handle communication with leads to ensure profitability and scalability. With workforce management software, you are able to manage employee schedules with ease and monitor work in real-time. The result helps identify snags in workflows and gives solutions to maximize productivity and workflow processes.

This happened when one of our agents was struggling with scheduling conflicts. The tool made it a more organized workflow, and now the agent excels in productivity. This improved agent productivity and helped improve customer interactions.

7. Adopt Easy Ways for Collaboration

Do you have a problem that your fellow agents have solved in the past? You can tap into resources like communication and collaboration tools to improve team outcomes. Software platforms enable teams to collaborate seamlessly on solving issues from a single, easy-to-manage interface. Some of these platforms even integrate with other media channels, creating a unified system that boosts productivity and supports collaboration.

Employee experience solutions further streamline communication for Human Resources purposes, allowing HR operations to run smoothly through automation tools. According to Queens University of Charlotte, around 75% of employers consider teamwork and collaboration to be 'very important.' Collaboration helps agents share information efficiently, enhancing overall team performance. 

8. Implement Effective Training Processes

Are your agents struggling with problem-solving, causing time to be wasted? It could be a sign that they need updated training on processes or products, along with resources that help maintain workflow and resolve issues quickly. When you provide agents with opportunities to gain experience and access to the right training, they can tackle more complex problems effectively. This empowers agents to perform at their best. 

Employees also recognize the positive impact of training, with nearly 60% of respondents in a SurveyMonkey survey reporting real on-the-job benefits. When your agents have a deep understanding of the business, they can excel beyond initial expectations. 

9. Have Centralized Agent Workspace

 Everyday agents juggle multiple channels when providing solutions for clients—whether through phone calls, chats, or other forms of technological support. However, constantly switching between these platforms can lead to disruptions and missed conversations, causing unnecessary lag in daily operations.

A unified agent workspace addresses this challenge by consolidating channels and data, enabling agents to solve issues more efficiently. With streamlined communication, agents can meet expectations across various contact points, ensuring they reach clients wherever they are and improve customer satisfaction. A unified agent workspace ultimately enhances customer interactions and boosts overall efficiency. 

10. Consider Task Automation

 Let technology provide solutions when the volume of simple tickets increases. By integrating AI assistance, workflows are enhanced, allowing agents to shift from tier-one tasks to more complex assignments, ultimately improving productivity and service quality. For example, AI can handle basic inquiries, freeing up agents to focus on more intricate resolutions.

With tools like automatic ticket sorting and problem identification, agents receive real-time data, enabling them to implement processes that address client needs effectively while maintaining a high standard of service. The goal is to empower your team, enabling them to deliver top-tier services that meet customer expectations on time. Leveraging AI to reduce manual tasks allows agents to focus on delivering value where it counts. 

11. Put Data From Client History to Work

 Customer history provides valuable context that helps support teams make informed decisions when issues arise. By using details like customer names and previous transactions, agents are equipped with essential information before addressing a problem. This proactive approach allows agents to resolve issues more efficiently, improving productivity and ensuring the best possible experience for customers.

12. Sales Contests that Motivate

When you're looking to motivate sales staff to new heights, contests can be an effective way to kickstart momentum and reach goals faster. Contests, particularly within smaller teams, are a powerful tactic for boosting drive.

A 2009 study found that competitors in smaller groups showed exponential increases in motivation compared to those in larger groups of 100 participants. To make the competition even more motivating, offer desirable rewards like trips or bonuses that tap into personal desires.

13. No-Meeting Days

 Meetings often consume valuable time that could be better spent on individual tasks, leading to lost productivity. Implementing no-meeting days allows teams to focus on their assignments without interruptions, improving output and reducing time spent in routine discussions.

Reports show that employees waste up to a month annually in meetings, impacting the company’s bottom line. We designated Fridays as no-meeting days, which helped our team concentrate on assignments and deliver results for clients. This approach increased creativity, allowed for more efficient project completion, and supported meeting revenue goals. 

14. Reduce Mental Burnout.

Identifying and addressing burnout triggers in the workplace is essential for maintaining productivity. Offering reduced hours and providing mental relief practices, like stress management tools and fitness activities, helps employees recover emotionally and physically, improving their performance.

Implementing programs like Headspace at Work, which costs $69.99 annually, can support this process and boost team output. According to the Northeast Business Group on Health, investing in mental wellness programs can lead to a reduction in burnout-related costs and yield a 2-4% return on investment. Supporting emotional well-being helps ensure long-term success and enhanced service delivery. 

15. Integrate Generative AI to Improve Workflow Efficiency

Integrating Generative AI tools into your business processes can significantly enhance productivity, especially in sales and task fulfillment. These tools allow for quicker workflows by automating repetitive tasks, enabling agents to focus on more complex responsibilities.

AI-driven tools, such as automatic sorting and problem identification, improve customer service by streamlining data handling and resolution processes. According to research, companies using AI to automate tasks report increased efficiency and reduced workload for team members.

As a result, businesses can meet new targets, reduce operational stress, and improve overall service quality. By leveraging AI, your team can respond faster to client needs, leading to better client satisfaction and higher engagement rates.

16. Maximizing the Potential of AI in Sales and Customer Service

AI technologies can also assist in content production, marketing objectives, and customer service fulfillment. For example, AI tools can craft personalized emails, streamline customer interactions, and automate routine queries, saving valuable time. This allows agents to focus on higher-level problem-solving and client relationships, which improves productivity and customer retention.

Nearly 60% of businesses report that AI reduces waste and boosts productivity across various roles, according to a study by FitSmallBusiness. By embracing AI, your agency can achieve greater efficiency, scalability, and long-term growth, allowing your team to meet targets faster and with better results. Ultimately, AI is a game-changer, helping businesses streamline operations, reduce manual tasks, and deliver superior client service.

FAQs about How can agents achieve more by doing less?

Which metrics improve agent performance?

Some commonly used metrics to measure and improve agent performance includes average ticket volume and customer support and volume. Track key performance indicators.

How to improve agent productivity in call center?

 Streamlining processes and setting clear expectations can significantly boost realtor productivity by reducing inefficiencies and speeding up client interactions. Providing realtors with the right tools and training enables them to handle more leads and close deals faster, driving higher conversion rates and sales. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, these easy-to-deploy concepts answered the question, "How can agents achieve more by doing less?" Success begins when you focus on fast, efficient implementation and better volume action. Prioritize strengthening client relationships and team assignments, as they deliver meaningful results.

As you improve your skills and processes, the volume of success will follow, leading to greater outcomes over time. Start implementing these strategies today, and you'll see better results in the future.

Ready to take your real estate success to the next level? Schedule your discovery session today at lesix.agency/discovery. Stay ahead with tips and insights—subscribe to our newsletter at lesix.agency/newsletter.