Mastering Your One Thing: Focus and Execution in Real Estate
Your One Thing - Why Focusing on One Thing Matters
Success in real estate—or any business—is determined by your ability to focus on the right priorities. With so many distractions, tasks, and urgent matters pulling at you, it is crucial to identify and execute on the one thing that will drive your business forward.
Not all tasks are created equal. The most successful agents understand that only revenue-generating activities truly matter. These activities include:
Lead generation – Finding new clients and potential deals.
Lead follow-up – Staying top of mind with your prospects.
Appointments – Meeting with buyers and sellers to move deals forward.
Showings – Taking clients to properties and helping them make decisions.
Offers and negotiations – Securing the best deals for your clients.
If an activity does not contribute directly to revenue generation, it should be delegated, systemized, or scheduled outside business hours.
The Domino Effect: Why Your One Thing is the Key
Picture a row of dominoes falling. Your first action—the one thing that propels everything forward—is the first domino. If you focus on the right activities daily, everything else will fall into place.
Just like a car, your business has multiple components—the wheels, the steering, the seats. However, if the engine (your core activity) is not working, the car will not move. You must identify the one thing that drives your business forward every day.
How to Identify Your One Thing
Your one thing will evolve as your career progresses. A new agent must focus almost entirely on lead generation, while an experienced agent with a team may shift towards lead conversion and appointments.
To identify your one thing, ask yourself:
What is the single most important activity that will generate revenue?
What daily action will move my business forward the most?
What are my current strengths, and where can I improve?
If you are just starting out and your database is small, your one thing is lead generation. If you already have a large database, your focus should be on lead follow-up and maintaining client relationships.
Prioritizing Revenue-Generating Activities
Many agents spend their time on non-essential tasks instead of focusing on what actually makes them money. Here’s how to prioritize:
Time block your schedule. The most productive agents dedicate 9 AM to 12 PM daily to revenue-generating activities.
Avoid distractions. Checking emails, designing marketing materials, or dropping off signs can wait.
Track your time. How much of your day is spent on actual lead generation? Be honest with yourself.
Leverage tasks that don’t require you. Hiring an assistant, transaction coordinator, or virtual assistant can free up your time for high-value work.
The 5 Key Revenue-Generating Activities
If your goal is to make more money and grow your business, you must focus on these five activities:
1. Lead Generation
Finding potential buyers and sellers is the lifeblood of your business. Whether it’s cold calling, door knocking, networking, or online marketing, this is your priority.
2. Lead Follow-Up
Most deals are lost because agents fail to follow up. 80% of sales happen after the fifth follow-up, yet most agents give up after one or two calls.
3. Appointments
Meeting with potential clients is the goal of your lead generation and follow-up efforts. This is where relationships are built and deals are made.
4. Showings
Taking buyers to properties or preparing sellers for listing appointments is crucial for moving deals forward.
5. Offers and Negotiations
Your job is to close deals. The time spent writing and negotiating offers is time that directly generates income.
Anything outside of these five activities is secondary. If you’re not doing one of these five things, ask yourself: Am I being productive or just being busy?
Creating a Plan for Execution
To succeed, you need a clear action plan:
Step 1: List Your Tasks
Write down everything you do in your real estate business.
Mark the tasks that are directly tied to revenue generation.
Step 2: Eliminate or Delegate Non-Essential Tasks
Can someone else do this for me?
Can I automate this?
Can I schedule this outside of revenue-generating hours?
Step 3: Time Block Your Schedule
Your most productive time should be spent on the five revenue-generating activities. Example schedule:
9 AM - 12 PM: Lead generation & follow-up
12 PM - 1 PM: Lunch & admin work
1 PM - 5 PM: Appointments, showings, offers
5 PM - 6 PM: Planning for the next day
Step 4: Hire Support as Soon as Possible
Once you generate consistent business, hire help to take non-revenue tasks off your plate. Start with:
A virtual assistant for admin work
A transaction coordinator for paperwork
A marketing assistant to handle content creation
Real-Life Example: How Focus Transformed a Business
When I first started in real estate, I was disorganized. I would react to everything—emails, calls, marketing—but I was not focused on the one thing that mattered: lead generation.
Then I attended a seminar by Gary Keller. He said: “If you don’t have any business, the only thing you should be doing is lead generation.”
From that day, I blocked 9 AM to 12 PM for lead generation every single day. No distractions, no excuses. Within one year, my business exploded.
The Power of Simplification and Focus
In real estate, there will always be distractions. New tools, new ideas, and new strategies will constantly pull your attention. However, if you master just these five activities, you will always have business.
How to Start Today
Download the Productivity Planner – A tool to track your one thing, set goals, and monitor progress.
Use the Execution Checklist – A step-by-step guide to break down your tasks and hold yourself accountable.
Time block your revenue-generating activities and stick to them.
Review and adjust every quarter to improve efficiency and maximize results.
Final Thoughts
Success in real estate is not about doing more—it is about doing the right things consistently.
Identify your one thing. Commit to it. Execute every single day.
When you focus on what truly matters, your business will grow beyond your expectations.
