Five Ways for REALTORS® to Keep Busy During COVID-19

As REALTORS®, the hustle and bustle of your lives may have quieted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it doesn't mean you can't keep busy during this time as you continue to practice social distancing and following government recommended guidelines.

Whether you’re continuing to try and conduct business, or are simply looking for ways to remain productive, here are five ways for Realtors to keep busy during COVID-19:

1. Make networking a priority

Even if you’re working from home there are many ways to continue networking and interacting with coworkers, clients, and the community to maintain and expand your business.

1. Check in with your current and past clients. This can help expand your reach for future clients.

2. Have a virtual coffee, lunch, or happy hour with colleagues to share business ideas.

3. Use the “High Five” practice for networking. Read more about it here.

4. Look for online volunteer opportunities that you or your brokerage can get involved with and help your community.

2. Focus on professional development

While traditional classroom learning is currently unavailable, there are plenty of opportunities for Realtors to continue their professional development online. BCREA has a selection of online courses making it easy for you to access quality education that serves your professional needs, personal interests, and earns you Professional Development Program (PDP) hours.

With more flexibility in your schedule you can use this opportunity to take a course that interests you while also enhancing your professional development.

3. Boost your online presence

With more time spent at home and in front of a computer, now is a great opportunity to boost your online presence. A 2019 study from the National Association of Realtors highlights the importance of a strong social media presence. The study notes that 47 per cent of real estate businesses listed social media as the best source for generating high-quality leads.

Some ways to enhance your online presence:

• Revamp your website,
• Enhance your content by taking high-quality photos and videos for posts and listings
• Schedule content in advance to keep your audience engaged
• Start a blog to share more about your business

For more tips on how to boost your social media presence check out this article.

4. Plan ahead

There’s no better way to stay productive than planning ahead. Here are some best practices for business planning:

• Create a 30-60-90-day business plan focusing on building your business framework and structure, connecting with clients and preparing for the return of face-to-face business.
  
• Spend some time researching the tools, resources, forms and services provided by your brokerage that are there to help support you in your business.

• Consider listing properties, remotely, with an effective date in the future, and prepare the listings by conducting your due diligence research – you’ll be ahead of the competition when the crisis is over!

5. Focus on personal wellness

As we all try to adjust to this new ‘normal’, it is important that we prioritize taking care of ourselves.

The Government of Canada has a page dedicated to mental health and wellness during COVID-19 that provides good tips and tools.

Some of those include:

• Doing five minutes of mindful activities every morning
• Personalizing your workspace
• Finding stress coping mechanisms that work for you
• Incorporate self-care into your routines

Additionally, the Mental Health Commission of Canada has created a guide you can download to help you create a self-care routine you can incorporate into your daily schedule. You can find the guide here.

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt our personal and professional lives it’s important we prioritize our mental health and personal wellbeing so we can continue to cope as best as possible during these unprecedented times.

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