I remember when I was a little girl, I used to organize my dolls based on their height. I would arrange them first by height and then I would organize their clothing based on color. For whatever reason I just felt more comfortable living my life that way. Fast forward many years and I am still the same way – I need things to be organized by color and categories and I like systems for almost everything I do.

I didn’t realize until I got into real estate just how much my need for systems would help me to build a successful real estate career. Shortly after I began selling real estate, I realized that most real estate brokers lacked systems and they ran their business from day to day, client to client without any set system for most things in their business. I knew early on that would never work for me.

As a new real estate agent, I didn’t have a big list of potential clients and I had no idea where I was going to get my clients from, so I knew I had to come up with a “system” for lead generation. I also didn’t have any plan for marketing to my past clients once I had some, so I planned a “system” for that too. My need for systems is what helped me to create the tools I needed in my business and it helped me to follow a path of success. When I had no income and needed leads, I simply followed the system I had created for my geographical farm. When I needed to go on a listing presentation, I followed my “Listing Presentation System”.

For every part of my business I had created a system that I could follow without having to think about it. I wanted things to be automatic, set up, organized and cohesive.

My systems consisted of:

• A checklist of tasks that needed to be done and by whom

• The timeline of when they were to be used

• The templates and tools needed to carry the system out

For example, for my geographical farm lead generation system, I needed four specific tools (templates) to mail – a Monthly Market Watch template, an Annual Neighborhood Review template, a Quarterly Report template and a Real Estate Year In Review template. It also consisted of a master calendar that showed a monthly plan for when these items went out.

My system took the work out of trying to come up with new things to send out monthly. It was a system; it was easy to follow, and it allowed me to put my business on autopilot. I didn’t think about it I just DID IT! This is the key to creating systems in your business.

Now I am not saying that you need to be as over-the-top about systems as I am, but I can assure you, no, I can guarantee you, that if you set up systems in your business and follow them consistently your income will change dramatically.

The problem with most systems is not the system itself – it is with the implementation of the system. I have coached so many brokers over the years that have started a system and they didn’t have the personal self-discipline to see it through and found themselves right back where they started.

I have also coached many brokers who started by adding one system to their business, they methodically followed that system and it changed their business and their income.

I encourage brokers to look at their business and decide where they need the most help. There is always a system for that.

• Perhaps your income is not where it needs to be? You may need a lead generation system!

• Maybe you are losing listings at the listing presentation. You need a listing presentation system!

• What if your past clients have hired someone else? You need to have a past client system that keeps you top of mind with your past clients.

I have even seen brokers completely change their income level by simply adding in a system for handling potential clients. Start with one – develop it and refine it. Then it is time to add another that solves your second-biggest problem and so on.