Happy Agent Co. — Real Estate Podcast for Women hosted by Lindsay Dreyer, Real Estate Coach

Part 2: Spring Clean Your Real Estate Business - Systems & Technology

• Lindsay Dreyer

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Welcome back to Part 2 of Spring Clean Your Real Estate Business! Today, we’re diving into one of my all-time favorite topics: systems and technology. Because let’s be real, running your business without the right systems is like cramming everything into a closet and hoping for the best.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

  • Audit your tech stack and ditch tools that aren’t serving you
  • Automate repetitive tasks to save time and energy
  • Set up a Custom GPT (yes, AI can be your real estate assistant!)
  • Organize your database like a pro so no leads slip through the cracks
  • Create a seamless, repeatable client experience
  • Establish a weekly CEO date to stay in control of your business

🎧 Listen now and let’s clean house!

If this episode was helpful, send it to another agent who needs a business reset, and don’t forget to subscribe—next week, we’re tackling mindset and boundaries so you can actually enjoy your success 🙌


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Speaker 1:

Welcome to part two of Spring Clean your Real Estate Business. Today we are going to talk about systems and technology, which are literally one of my favorite things in the world. I am not going to lie running your business without the right systems is like trying to organize a closet by shoving everything inside and hoping for the best, and we all know that just doesn't work. Eventually you have to open the closet. So let's clean up the mess, let's simplify your tech and let's create a business that runs smoothly without you constantly scrambling around to keep up. Why do you need to clean up your systems? That is a great question I'm so glad you asked, and what this comes down to is this is probably one of the number one reasons that agents feel overwhelmed is that they are doing too much manually. They have clunky processes, they're wasting time, there is lost potential clients because of it and it just results in unnecessary stress and, most importantly, it results in lost income, which sucks. No one wants to miss out on money. So when your business is running on clear systems, everything feels easier. It frees your brain up, it frees your energy up to do the most important things in your business, which, honestly, in real estate, is selling homes and building relationships. I remember I had a client who she had no system for tracking potential clients. I am not going to lie. She would just write them on a random piece of paper and then just like had them all over her house, all over her car and she was wondering why she wasn't getting more business. And I think you guys know that's like kind of an extreme example, but if you don't have a system, you are leaving money on the table, and I think you guys know that's like kind of an extreme example. But if you don't have a system, you are leaving money on the table, and I do not want that for you. So today we are going to go step by step and clean up your business systems, and that is going to be a huge game changer for you and your business.

Speaker 1:

Let's start with your tech stack. So step number one is let's audit your tech stack. For those of you out there who don't understand what that means, a tech stack is essentially the technology that you're using in your business. So let's look at every tool you're using your CRM, your email marketing software which they might be the same thing, they might not, not. Social media schedulers, transaction management, your contract documents, your e-signing, et cetera. Let's just brain dump them all and let's ask ourselves for each of them Is it actually helping me or is it just another thing that I'm paying for? And if it is not helping you or it is just another thing you're paying for, we are going to cut it out of your business.

Speaker 1:

The other thing is, maybe you need some training on it and maybe you need to learn how to use this software or piece of technology to its maximum capability. So get some training. Also, some people need to get it set up for them, so maybe there's a concierge service who will get it set up for you. I do this for clients sometimes, where we will set up custom drip campaigns. We'll get their CRM in order. There are people out there who are going to help you. Not everyone's a techie and that's okay, so it's okay to ask for help. The other thing is a lot of times, people are adding additional features to their software, so maybe you have multiple tools doing the same thing. Pick one, ditch the rest.

Speaker 1:

We are simplifying our tech stack to make it the most efficient possible. Maybe there's a piece of tech you think you need. That is a really great opportunity to start researching Now. I do not believe in shiny objects and I do not believe in buying tech just for buying tech, because everyone says you have to have a CRM. That is not a good answer for getting a CRM. You need to think of what the business problem is that that piece of technology is solving and how does it solve that problem. So, for example, my problem is I'm so disorganized with my clients and my database and I need something all in one place. That is a business problem that a CRM would solve. So that allows you to go out into the marketplace and find something that solves that business problem. Now could a Google Sheet solve that business problem? Absolutely Does not have to be a expensive piece of software and there's no shame in solving your business problem with a free or basic piece of technology. So audit your tech stack and really just simplify it and make it something that you are going to use and also that's going to make an impact in your business.

Speaker 1:

So action step here is just make a list of every tool you're paying for. Maybe you're not paying for it, maybe your brokerage just offers it, but put it on the list. Highlight anything you haven't used in the past month. Decide if you're going to use it and you just need training. Maybe you don't use it and you're just going to knock it off the list, or maybe you're going to use it in a different way. But figure out what you're going to do with each piece of your tech stack.

Speaker 1:

The second step to cleaning up your systems and your tech is automate the time consuming stuff. This is a place where real estate agents are not doing enough. You can free up your time by automating repetitive tasks. What are some examples? Lindsay, I am so glad you asked Lead follow-ups. So setting automated email or text sequences, or, if you don't want it to be automated, maybe it's just a sequence that has tasks that reminds you that they need to be followed up with. Automate your appointment scheduling. Use something like Calendly or TidyCal instead of the back and forth emails. That is such a good way to just get the back and forth off of your calendar. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1:

Okay, this next one I love this one is Loom video. So just like screen recordings. I love doing these for contract explanation. So if you are having a buyer making an offer and you want to be able to explain the contract to them of what they're signing. I love doing a loom video for that. You can do videos for previews of properties. Videos can save you so much time, so it's get creative. But Loom videos are an amazing way to explain complex information asynchronously and skip a meeting or skip a phone call In social media. So many ways to save time and automate.

Speaker 1:

Here. We can batch content, use a scheduler instead of posting manually. Huge believer in a checklist of any kind. So transaction checklists for your buyers, your sellers, your rentals, email templates for everything. And you can even automate a direct mail campaign by just signing up for 12 postcards in advance, so you can have your 12 months of postcards just ready to roll. I love automating everything. So take a look at your business and see where are the things that I am doing them manually over and over again. But I could really set it up and automate it and I challenge you to set that up this week. Just one small piece.

Speaker 1:

Step three is setting up a custom GPT. Now I have a course in this, so a little shameless plug you can buy my custom GPT for real estate course. I will put it in the show notes and that is going to walk you through how to create a custom GPT. So why would you want a custom GPT? This is basically a AI assistant who is trained on your business. They are trained to sound like you. They are trained to know your clients. They are trained to know you. Now you do have to have the premium version of ChatGPT, which, at this point, is $20 per month and is totally worth it which, at this point, is $20 per month and is totally worth it. But this will save you so much time and will be an incredible system for you to use for marketing email templates, drip campaigns, literally any content you are creating in your business. Your custom GPT will help you. So why do custom over just the free version? The free version does not allow you to program a custom GPT, so you have to include everything about what you want that content to be in your prompt. So you have to include your brand voice, anything about your product, any story that you would want to include, whereas with a custom GPT, you can program all those stories in it in advance and they will just pull from that little database of your stories, that data bank. It will already know your brand voice. It will already know what brokerage you work for it will already know everything about the market area you work in. So highly recommend setting up a custom GPT and again I have a course. It is super easy. You do not have to be techie in the show notes.

Speaker 1:

Step four is organize your database like a pro. Make sure no potential clients are slipping through the cracks, because your database is your goldmine, but it is only a goldmine if it is organized. So I recommend organizing your contacts into hot leads, so they're actively looking to buy or sell in the next three to six months, and warm leads is anyone interested in the next six to 12 months? I also want to keep track of all of my clients, so anyone who has done a transaction with me, because those people are important for referrals and nurturing them down the road and making sure that you're creating your follow-up system so you are consistently staying in touch and staying top of mind. So crucial to stay in touch with not only your active leads but also the people who have transacted with you, because you obviously want to get referrals. So log into your CRM. If you do not have one, figure out a way to organize those contacts, clean it up. I like to do a cleanup at least twice a year and delete any old leads that aren't going anywhere. That is fine. Trash them. If you really feel bad about deleting them completely, get a spreadsheet of these people and just keep them somewhere else, but they do not need to be in your database right now. Categorize those contacts and then set your reminders for following up with everybody. I feel like everyone who's a hot lead or a warm lead should have a follow-up always scheduled, so that's my advice is always have a task scheduled for that person, because you never want them to drop off your list.

Speaker 1:

Step five is creating a seamless client experience, so you should have a system for creating a client experience that every single client will go through, so you don't deviate. You have a set process that every client goes through, so, from first contact to closing, your process should be consistent with every client and professional. I love templates for this, so have your buyer and seller guides squared away, your offer and negotiation email templates and also transaction timelines. Like setting expectations with people, I love setting clear expectations with clients so they always know what's next, and that's where my processes and my systems come into play, because everyone gets my congratulations You're under contract email. Everyone gets my we're two weeks out from closing email. Everyone gets my congratulations, your financing is approved email, so you have to have all of these email templates to make sure that your client is getting a seamless, amazing experience.

Speaker 1:

I know that it is so easy to just go on autopilot or recreate the wheel, but having this in advance where you can just literally copy and paste it or just plug it in as an email template to your CRM, it is so easy. So think of the Email you send over and over and over and over and how you can create a template for it. Think about the number one question clients ask you over and over and over and create a template for it, because I promise you you are losing time and energy on this when you could just have it be a repeatable, copy and pasteable or insertable template. The last step is step six, which is set up a weekly CEO date. I cannot recommend this enough. Take control of your time instead of being in constant reaction mode. So I encourage you to block out at least an hour every week to work on your business, not just in it, and this is where you are going to work on those systems. Look at your previous week and realize where was I inefficient, where was I losing time, where can I potentially implement some systems? So review your pipeline, your upcoming deals, organize your calendar and your tasks, check in on your marketing and your finances.

Speaker 1:

When you're intentional about your business, it stops being so chaotic. And the weekly CEO date is a really important part of my systems in running my business. I know that kind of seems counterintuitive, but it's a system. It's something I do, it's repeatable, it's something I check in on every single week. So I encourage you, pick a time for your weekly CEO date and put it in your calendar and protect this time like it is a client appointment, like just shut your phone off for an hour and just focus and work on your business. We always work in our business all the time. As real estate agents, we're like constantly dealing with the deals, dealing with clients, but we don't spend enough time working on your business, which is something that I do with my coaching clients day in and day out. That's what I'm basically there for. I'm their coach to make sure they're working on their business.

Speaker 1:

So, to wrap up our steps for systemizing your business and your tech audit your tech stack. Cut anything that's not helping you Automate what you can. Save time by putting systems in place. Create a custom GPT. Use AI I know everyone says it's the devil, but honestly, it saves me so much time every single week.

Speaker 1:

Get your database organized. Stop losing potential clients and money due to your disorganization. Stop being a hot mess. Create your seamless client experience. Have that experience that's repeatable. Make every transaction feel smooth and professional and set up that weekly CEO date, because you need to take control of your business instead of reacting all of the time. If you do one thing today, I highly recommend that you just audit your tech stack and cancel any tools that you're not using and then pick one thing that you are going to automate this week. Your future self will thank you, I promise. If this episode was helpful, please send it to another agent who could use a business reset. And don't forget to subscribe, because next week, we are wrapping up our spring cleaning series with an episode all about cleaning up your mindset and your boundaries so we can actually enjoy our businesses. Until next time.

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Lindsay Dreyer

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