Whether you're your own boss and working from home or you're in an office environment, staying organized as a new real estate agent can mean the difference between making a sale and losing a major commission. A demanding and ever-changing career, being a successful real estate agent takes a lot of commitment and being on top of appointments, showings, and paperwork. The best way to truly succeed is to be organized and focused.

These important, yet simple organizational tips will not only save you time, but help to increase your productivity and sales.

Arrange Your Office Space

Studies show that a messy office space makes for a messy work life. If you're self-employed and work from home or in a co-working office space, make sure where you're working is working for you, not against you. Invest in storage options like files, cabinets, boxes, and shelves to allow everything to have its own space. Clearly label your files and folders so you're not wasting time digging for forms or listings, and make sure to not overcrowd your desk or working area with clutter.  

Remember, when a client comes to visit you, your workspace is going to make a major impression on them. If it's an organizational disaster, they may not be so confident in your skills to find or sell a house. By presenting an orderly and organized office, you'll already be in customers' good graces; they'll trust you to make the right decisions on their behalf.

Organize Your Work Flow

By keeping to a set schedule each day, you can best organize your workflow to maximize your time. Life as a real estate agent is ever changing, especially with last minute showings, but if you make sure to keep to a set sort of schedule, you'll be productive and not fall behind on important matters like marketing and follow-ups. Allot set times each day to focus on certain tasks, be it building your email list, phoning new clients, updating your social media, or finishing up important paperwork. When you have organized time each day to do these things, you'll feel less stressed and be able to manage your to-do list in a more manageable way.

Make a Detailed Calendar

Keeping all of your viewing appointments organized is a major part of working as a real estate agent. You'll want to make sure you're not double booked and that the appointments you have made logical sense. After all, you don't want to be racing across town back and forth, wasting time and money. Using a physical calendar that you can see in your working space is a great visual tool to keep things organized, however, consider using an electronic calendar. Not only will it be easier to move appointments around, but you'll also be able to sync it to your phone, tablet, and laptop so you'll always have it on hand. Be it an open house, a viewing, or another appointment you have, syncing your information via cloud software will make your life not only easier but more manageable.

Keep Your Vehicle Clean and Organized

When you're out showing homes, making a good impression is especially important. Having enough space to fit passengers in is paramount, but you'll want to make sure you have necessities stowed away neatly in the trunk. A toolbox, shovel, signs, measuring tape and even Tide to Go pens can be a huge help while you're out in the field. Invest in some storage bins or trunk organizers to neatly stow away your extra tools, pens, papers, etc. Your clients will be impressed that you came prepared to spray a newly formed wasp nest next to the front door, or that you sprinkled ice melt onto the frozen walkway before walking around.

Manage Your Online Footprint

Having a sleek and organized website and social media channels will do wonders for your business. Clients will find you with up-to-date information shared across the internet. If your website has all the necessary information on it presenting in a clean and approachable manner, you'll have no trouble getting and keeping those clients. If your website is disorderly and not intuitive, people will just look for information elsewhere. Many websites have organizational tips, from types of pages to the right plug-ins to use to aggregate an email list. Take the time to read up on the best website templates and layouts to use as a Real Estate Agent and your website will bring sales to you in no time.