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3 Property Management Productivity Tips for 2017

Posted by Luxer One
on Jan 2, 2017 4:48:34 PM

If you commit to just one resolution this new year, shoot for the grandmaster of them all: increasing productivity. When you increase your productivity, you save time and can greatly improve your entire community.

 

If you're a property manager looking to start off the new year with a time-saving bang, use these three productivity tips to get started on a fresh, efficient new year.

 

1. Schedule with Time Blocks

“Time Blocking” is a strategy inspired by Parkinson’s Law, which suggests that work is “elastic” and expands to fill the time available for its completion. This phenomenon can waste massive amounts of time and kill efficiency. To increase productivity and save time – instead of watching it trickle away into the bottomless pit of Parkinson’s Law– try using the Time Block strategy.

 

A woman wearing a large watch types on a Mac laptop while sitting cross-legged on a white bed.

 

How to do it:

Devote 15-20 minutes at the end of your day to planning very specific, rigid Time Blocks for the next day. We’re talking as specific as: "reply to emails between 11:00am to 11:20am.” This specificity will help you focus on the task assigned to each specific block. The frequent quasi-deadlines will help drive your productivity, keep you more organized, and save you time!

 

2. Use S.M.A.R.T. Goals

"S.M.A.R.T. goals" – the acronym designed to help you reach your goals, and save you time along the way! If you have well-intentioned but vague ideas of how to improve your property, career, or life in general, setting S.M.A.R.T. goals will give you a time-saving, productivity-boosting roadmap to realizing those ideas. 

The breakdown:

S – "Specific".
Now is not the time to be vague. Nail down exactly what your goal is – it should be something tangible, that you can confidently cross off your to-do list when it's complete.

M – "Measurable"
If you can’t measure your progress toward your goal, how will you know you’re getting closer to it? Embrace your inner scientist and find a metric to apply to your goal. Real, hard numbers are what you’re looking for. 

A – "Actionable"
Your goal should have a clear-cut path of specific actions you will take to reach it. This step combined with the “measurable” step is what transforms your goals from vague to crystal clear. 

R – "Realistic"
Pick a goal you have a realistic chance of achieving. It can be tricky to hit the balance between giving yourself enough of a challenge to grow, and still making it achievable, so feel free to tweak your goal to make it more realistic.

T – "Time-bound"
Give yourself specific deadlines. If you don’t create a timeline for your goals, they stay in the wishy-washy purgatory of “someday” forever. Deadlines kick-start you into action.

 

It’s useful to apply S.M.A.R.T. goals to every step of your process – short-term, mid-term, and long-term. Give every step of your project the “S.M.A.R.T.” treatment to create a plan that’s truly actionable.

 

Todo list coffee.jpeg

 

3. Automate with Technology

Tech innovations are the biggest time-saver of the modern world, and they can be the heavy-lifters in your quest to increase your productivity this new year. There's plenty of tech and software out there that makes the life of a property manager easier. 

 

Accounting software

Check out accounting software like Rent Manager that’s tailor-made for multifamily properties. It’ll help you stay organized and take work off your plate.

 

Auto-pay for residents

Give residents the option to automatically pay their rent. You’ll save the time spent collecting and depositing checks manually, and it can de-stress the rent collection process for both you and your residents. 

 

Automated package system

Get package lockers or a package room that’s custom-fitted for your property. Automated package management systems allow residents to pick up their packages 24/7, eliminating the need to spend time accepting, storing, or signing for packages anymore.

 

Maintenance request software

Software like Property Meld processes and streamlines maintenance requests for you. Good maintenance software can shift the bulk of the work and conversation between your residents and your vendors.  

 

These automation solutions not only take work off your plate, they keep it from taking up valuable headspace and mental energy. With the 1-2-3 combo of time blocks, S.M.A.R.T. goals, and automation, you'll be able to crush your productivity-increasing resolution and enjoy a new year filled with newfound efficiency and time!

 


 

Want to learn more about how an automated package system can save you time and increase productivity? Reach out to a Luxer One Team Member today!

Topics: Property Management, Tips

Written by Luxer One