While traveling throughout North America giving seminars, I have discovered that many real estate agents cannot delegate effectively. The main reason seems to be that they do not want to relinquish control. Some real estate agents are afraid to allow anyone to assist them out of fear that the client will not be treated properly or the paperwork will not be done according to their standards.

Another reason real estate agents to not delegate effectively is that they do not take the time to give clear and concise instructions. Agents are salespeople and not teachers. Therefore, they may not be able to properly communicate how to do something. Instead they say, "Oh, never mind. By the time I tell you how to do it, I can do it myself." However, this is a fallacy. In all likelihood, that task never gets done.

A terrific agent in the Dallas-Fort Worth area told me that she had over 700 Christmas cards that were addressed, stamped and sealed - all lying under her desk. Unfortunately, it was March and they had never been mailed. The reason she did not mail them was that she did not like her assistant's handwriting; it did not meet her standards. She not only was frustrated but had lost money, too! She focused on the method- not the results.

Most real estate agents fail to realize that you must focus on results in order to reach the next level of income and production.

Guidelines from my book Multiply Your Success with Real Estate Assistants are offered on what sort of tasks to delegate and how to start doing so. A prioritizing worksheet is there to help you decide whom to delegate to. There are steps to prioritizing, ways to save time and over 500 items you can easily delegate.

Delegation can give you the gift of time, allow you to multiply yourself and help you go to the next income level. And it can do all of this while reducing your stress. In fact, you'll have the time to bring more creative thinking to your work. When considering delegation, also look for tasks that can be eliminated entirely. In fact, this is the largest benefit that delegating offers-finding chores that no one needs to do.

Passing a job on to other people generally helps to motivate them and allows them to develop new capabilities. Sometimes an assistant can do certain things faster than the agent can!

Prospecting is the one of the most important items your assistant can do. Have him or her spend one hour a day calling your past clients, expired listings or FSBOs. Also have your assistant make you more productive by confirming all your listing appointments and sending out a packet that sells you very strongly. You'll want to include testimonials from satisfied customers and addresses of transactions that you have done in the area.

Market to owners of non-owner-occupied homes, which you can get from title companies. And don't forget your past clients; send them letters on each anniversary of their home purchase. You don't have the time to contact these people, but your assistant does. Out-of-area brokers are another group it pays to contact and fax your own best listings to the top agents in your area.

You'll become more productive by teaching your assistant to qualify buyers over the phone. You can even delegate tasks to buyers! Give them a list of homes for sale and a map, and ask them to drive by those properties. Afterward, they can tell you which ones they want to look at. Send them new listings each week. Your assistant thus can keep numerous buyers tied to you, while you are spending little or no time on them.

Holding open houses, monitoring supplies, submitting press releases, doing mailings to your farms, managing your income properties, reconciling your checkbook, monitoring cash flow to make sure that closings and expenses will match, calling sellers every ten days and processing listings are all things your assistant can do for you.

As needed, you can hire others - such as a field coordinator- to put up lockboxes, brochure boxes and sign riders; make bank deposits; purchase supplies; deliver listing packages, gifts and messages; and provide personal assistance, such as going to the laundry for you.

Published: October 26, 1998

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Monica Reynolds only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.

Monica Reynolds is the nation's foremost authority, speaker and author on the topic of personal assistants. Contact Ms. Reynolds at mreynolds@simpletel.com or by phone: 1-512-425-9736