The Magic of Time: Why Successful Agents Don’t Just “Wing It”

 The first time I heard about the Time Management Matrix, I was deep into Stephen Covey’s classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It hit me like a ton of bricks—or maybe a stack of “urgent” sticky notes. Suddenly, the mystery of why some people seemed to accomplish a week’s worth of work before lunch while others could barely find their car keys became crystal clear. Spoiler alert: It’s all about where you’re spending your time.

Now, if you’re anything like me (and let’s be honest, most of us are), you’ve probably set up permanent residence in Quadrant 3—a.k.a. the land of “busy, but not actually productive.” Meanwhile, Quadrant 2—home of strategic thinking, lead generation, and long-term success—is over there collecting cobwebs, wondering why it’s been ghosted.

Here’s the kicker: Real estate has one of the highest turnover rates of any industry. NAR tells us that a whopping 87% of new agents pack it in within two years. But I truly believe that if agents spent more time hanging out in Quadrant 2, where the magic of lead generation and business-building happens, we could shrink that turnover rate faster than a listing at the right price point.

So how do you make Quadrant 2 your new BFF? Two words: Time-blocking.

I’ll give you an example. I’m a runner (don’t worry, no judgment if your cardio is limited to chasing clients for paperwork). I know that if I don’t lace up my shoes and hit the pavement first thing in the morning, chances are it won’t happen. Could I run after work? Sure, in theory. But by 5 PM, life is throwing curveballs—family dinners, kids’ sports, unexpected calls, or that Netflix series that begs to be “just one more episode.”

The same goes for real estate. If lead generation is critical to your success (and spoiler: it is), then it needs to be a non-negotiable appointment in your calendar—just like a morning run or a closing with your favorite client.

So, what’s stopping you? Let’s time-block our way out of Quadrant 3 and into the kind of success that turns “just getting by” into “absolutely crushing it.” You’ve got this—and maybe a little humor and a lot of coffee will help you along the way.

To your success!

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