What Does a Top Producer's Morning Routine Look Like?

By Jacqueline Smith

Jacqueline Smith started in real estate in 2015 and sold 52 homes her first year in the business as a solo agent. After considering growing her own team, and exploring different team models, she decided to partner with Place in 2017. The partnership allowed her to fast track her growth, and provide better systems and models to her agent partners. Her and her team in Vancouver Washington now close over $165M in annual sales volume, while keeping the quality of the agent and client experience at the forefront.

The picture most people have of a top producing agent is nonstop phone calls, rushing to showings, and juggling a million things at once. The reality is the opposite. Top agents have learned that time is our most important asset, and we use it in a much more intentional, structured way. The ones who win long-term aren’t just working harder. They’re planning, prioritizing, and working on the right things in the right order.

I had an agent come to us not long ago who had been solo for nearly a decade. She was running around all the time with buyers, trying to please everybody, be everything, be everywhere. She was exhausted. When she came to us, she learned a new way of approaching her business, and it led to more peace, more time, and more business. Her story isn’t unusual. A lot of agents hit a ceiling because they’re letting the day run them instead of the other way around.

That matters even more right now. Deals are taking longer to close. We’re working harder to get them across the finish line. If you’re going to build without burning out, you have to learn how to use your time differently.

Here’s what that looks like for me.

1. Start your day with a plan. A lot of agents wake up, check their phone, scroll social media, check email, and let the day tell them what to do. That’s how the whole morning disappears. I plan mine out ahead of time, especially the 8-to-noon block. Those are the power morning hours, and they’re where the real work gets done. If you’re focused in the morning, you’ve already won the day by noon. Then you can go to your appointments, pick up the kids from school, and feel good about what you accomplished.

2. Lead generation comes first. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t work out in the morning, it doesn’t usually happen. It’s the same thing with lead generation. We tell ourselves we’ll do it later, but later never comes. Your willpower is highest in the morning hours, and let’s be honest, lead gen can feel like the boring part of what we do. It can be uncomfortable, especially when you’re newer and still getting used to following up, asking for business, asking for referrals. That’s exactly why it has to go first. Flyers, social media posts, all that stuff can wait. Do the thing that grows your business before you do the thing that feels productive.

3. Stay on top of the market and keep learning. Ever since I was a brand new agent, I’ve looked at the MLS hot sheets every morning. New listings, back on markets, price changes, pendings. I still do this to this day. It keeps you sharp on what’s coming on and off the market and where prices are moving. Don’t get complacent and assume you know it all. There’s always something to learn, and your clients expect you to know what’s happening right now, not last month.

On top of reviewing the market, I keep a learning block in my calendar for reading, podcasts, and research. A growth-based learning mindset is what keeps you serving your clients at the highest level. I like to do my learning block midday as a break, but the timing is up to you. The only rule: don’t do it during your lead generation hours.

Top producers aren’t successful by accident. Our mornings are calm, structured, and focused on the activities that actually move the needle. If you’re reading this and realizing you could stand to have more structure in your day, I’d love to sit down with you. We’re always looking for great partners to join our team, and if you’re curious at all, just reach out. We can schedule a meeting at the office, grab a coffee, or even just hop on a quick phone call.

Call me at 360-800-1334, email Jacquelinesmith@place.com, or visit jacquelinesmithleadership.com. Thanks for tuning in! I hope this was helpful.