This May marks Inman’s sixth annual Agent Appreciation Month. Look for profiles of top producers, opinions on the current state of the industry and tangible takeaways you can implement in your career today. Plus, the prestigious Future Leaders of Real Estate return this month, too.
In a business where every minute counts, savvy agents are offloading repetitive work to apps and automation — so they can focus on what humans do best: building relationships and closing deals. Below are 13 high-impact “delegate to tech” moves that go beyond the usual AI buzz.
1. CRM drip campaigns
Automate follow-up emails and texts based on lead behavior — opened, clicked, site visited — using your CRM’s built-in sequences (Follow Up Boss, HubSpot). Drip campaigns boast average open rates around 30 percent and click-through rates often topping 5 percent.
2. Transaction management workflows
Kick off checklists, collect docs and send status reminders automatically with platforms like Shaker.io or Dotloop. Automating these steps can save hours each week and cut manual workload by up to 50 percent.
3. AI-assisted property descriptions
Let tools like ChatGPT or MyCortex draft your listing copy — then tweak for local, state and federal fair-housing compliance. You’ll ditch the blank-page panic and get a solid first draft in seconds.
4. Social media scheduling and time blocking
Use built-in scheduling on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to plan weeks of posts at once. Automating publish times boosts your scheduling productivity, and time blocking helps you avoid the up to 40 percent productivity loss caused by multitasking.
5. Website chatbots for lead capture
Deploy a chatbot (Structurely, Drift, ManyChat) to qualify visitors, schedule showings and capture contact details 24/7. Leads engaged within five minutes are 21 times more likely to convert — and your bot never takes a coffee break.
6. Voice assistant calendar entries (Alexa and Siri)
Link your Google, Outlook or iCloud calendar to Alexa or Siri so you can say, “Alexa, add buyer meeting for May 12 at 2 p.m.” Hands-free scheduling keeps your day organized even when both hands are on the steering wheel.
7. Automated appointment booking (Calendly)
Share your Calendly link for buyer and seller consults or showings — with pre-call questions and automated reminders — so you can ditch the back-and-forth texts.
8. LINQ blue smart-number communications
Give agents a personal “blue bubble” via LINQ so texts and calls stay professional and private, auto-logging every conversation in your CRM and even running built-in SMS campaigns from your phone.
9. Keyboard shortcuts and text expanders
Tools like TextExpander or your OS’s built-in shortcuts let you type “Holly@” to auto-fill your email, or “B6” for your license number — saving hundreds of keystrokes daily. Create snippets for any canned email or text response you send often.
10. Automated CMA report generation
Platforms like Cloud CMA or RPR pull comps, create branded PDFs and email them to prospects with one click. You’ll still eyeball the final comps, but the heavy lifting happens in seconds.
11. Expense and mileage tracking
Apps like QuickBooks Self-Employed, Expensify or MileIQ auto-track drives, receipts and write-offs — so tax season isn’t a scramble.
12. Automated feedback and review requests
After closing, trigger texts or emails asking for reviews on Google, Zillow or Realtor.com, then funnel five-star feedback into your testimonials page without lifting a finger.
13. DIY custom seller marketing plans
Use ChatGPT or MyCortex to whip up a tailored “Homeselling Game Plan” in minutes.
Auto-populate your average days on market and suggested list price from MLS comps, then layer on creative touches:
- Show-ready visuals: pro photos plus optional drone footage or a DIY video walkthrough
- Hyper-targeted ads: Facebook and Instagram campaigns to buyers within a five-mile radius
- Seller perks: complimentary YMCA/aquatic-center membership or neighborhood gift cards
- Performance checkpoints: a clear timeline — listing day, photo shoot (Day 3), open house (Week 1), mid-market review (Week 3)
- Price-reduction strategy: Set a Week 6 checkpoint to assess offers and suggest up to a 2 percent price tweak, if needed.
Keep it fair housing compliant by focusing on property and neighborhood highlights — schools, parks, transit — not on demographic targeting.
If streamlining your to-do list sounds good, pick three of these tech hacks, carve out an hour on your calendar this week to set them up, and watch your closings — and your free time — multiply. Ready to spark a productivity revolution in your market? Roll up your sleeves, hit “launch,” and let the apps do the heavy lifting.
Holly Brink is the co-founder, COO and managing broker of My Real Estate Company in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Illinois. Connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
