by Phill Tomlinson | Jan 23, 2025 | AI
As a commercial real estate (CRE) broker, staying ahead in a competitive market means embracing tools like AI and automation. Here’s a guide to the essential terms you’ll encounter, explained in plain English, and tailored to how they can help your CRE business.
Core AI Terms
Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI enables computers to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as analyzing market trends or optimizing property searches.
Large Language Model (LLM): AI trained on massive amounts of text to understand and generate human-like language. Tools like GPT-4 can help brokers draft property descriptions, respond to client inquiries, or generate social media posts.
Tokens: Units AI uses to process text. Understanding tokens is essential because AI tools often charge based on their usage. For example, crafting email campaigns or automating follow-ups with clients might use a certain number of tokens.
API (Application Programming Interface): The “middleman” that connects different software. APIs can integrate AI tools into your CRM or property listing platforms, streamlining your workflow.
API Keys: Your personal password to access API services, like connecting your listing database to automation tools.
Generative AI: AI that creates new content—like property listings, client reports, or even marketing materials—saving brokers valuable time.
Popular AI Models for CRE Brokers
GPTs (Generative Pre-trained Transformers): These AI models can write property descriptions, assist with cold-calling scripts, or even suggest negotiation tactics.
Custom GPTs: Tailored versions of AI tools designed to fit your specific needs, like analyzing lease agreements or creating tenant prospecting plans.
Claude Sonnet: Useful for drafting leases or contracts and summarizing property-related documents.
DALL-E 3: Generates high-quality images for property marketing, like enhancing listing photos or creating conceptual visuals for redevelopment projects.
MidJourney: Another powerful tool for generating marketing visuals, particularly for brochures and social media.
Technical Terms in AI
Prompts: Instructions you give to AI. For CRE, prompts can include “Create a market analysis for downtown office spaces.”
Natural Language Processing (NLP): Enables AI to understand industry-specific language, like zoning laws or lease terms.
Fine-tuning: Customizing AI to understand your brokerage’s unique needs, such as tenant preferences or market-specific data.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A data format often used when integrating AI tools into platforms like your CRM or property database.
Python: A programming language often used to create custom AI tools for automating lead management or tracking property performance.
AI and Automation for CRE Brokers
AI Agents: Virtual assistants powered by AI that can manage admin tasks, update listings, or even assist with client communications.
Automation Tools Like Make.com Terms:
- Action Module: Perform tasks like sending automated emails to potential tenants.
- Scenario: Automate processes, such as updating your CRM when a new property inquiry comes in.
- Trigger: Starts your workflow, like receiving a signed lease or a new client inquiry.
- Webhook: Connects your website to automation tools for instant updates on leads or client activity.
- Filter: Helps focus on high-value leads by sorting data based on criteria you set, like property size or location.
Why AI and Automation Matter for CRE Brokers
These tools aren’t just tech jargon—they’re powerful assets that can:
- Save time on administrative tasks.
- Streamline marketing efforts.
- Enhance client communication.
- Provide better market insights.
- Improve lead management and follow-ups.
Understanding and leveraging these terms can help you work smarter, close deals faster, and focus more on building client relationships.
Keep this guide handy as you explore how AI and automation can revolutionize your CRE business operations. With the right tools and knowledge, you’ll be well-positioned to thrive in today’s dynamic real estate market.
Our Commercial Real Estate (CRE) team leverages AI daily to optimize multiple tasks, enhancing productivity and efficiency. Currently, we’ve integrated 8 powerful AI automations, used weekly, to streamline our operations. Taking it a step further, we’re in the process of developing an innovative 20-agent AI System, designed to help our team and Virtual Assistants save an additional 20–30 hours per week.
If you’re curious about how this works and want to explore how these tools can benefit your business, we’d love to connect! Click here to schedule a quick discovery call or visit our website at LeveragedVA.com for more details.
by Phill Tomlinson | Jan 13, 2025 | Blog
As a commercial real estate (CRE) broker, the thrill of closing deals and the satisfaction of matching clients with properties can feel unmatched. But beneath these victories, there’s a hidden cost that often goes unnoticed: burnout. It’s not noticeable at first but happens slowly, fueled by the relentless pursuit of success. Burnout isn’t just an inconvenience—it can derail your personal well-being and professional momentum if left unchecked.
This CRE Brokers guide uncovers the hidden costs of burnout and offers practical strategies to reclaim your time, energy, and joy in your CRE career.
Chapter 1: Recognizing the Warning Signs
Burnout is more than just feeling tired; it’s a spiral of chronic stress that slowly erodes your personal and professional life. Ignoring the signs can have lasting consequences. Here’s what to look out for:
- Emotional exhaustion: Feeling drained before the day even starts.
- Cynicism: Losing passion for deals that used to excite you.
- Reduced efficacy: Struggling with tasks that once came easily.
- Physical symptoms: Persistent headaches, insomnia, or digestive issues.
- Relationship strain: Neglecting personal connections because work consumes all your time.
These signs are easy to overlook in the fast-paced CRE world, but they are crucial indicators that it’s time to reassess your approach before burnout takes over.
Chapter 2: The True Cost of Burnout in CRE
Burnout affects more than just how you feel—it impacts your health, relationships, and professional reputation, areas that are essential for long-term success.
Personal Toll: Beyond the Balance Sheet
- Health risks: Burnout increases the risk of heart disease, depression, and substance abuse.
- Relationship challenges: Divorce rates are notably high among overworked professionals.
- Loss of identity: When work consumes everything, it’s easy to forget who you are beyond being a broker.
Professional Consequences: The Invisible Profit Drain
- Missed opportunities: Mental fatigue makes it easy to overlook lucrative deals.
- Client loss: Stressed brokers often neglect relationships, leading to client attrition.
- Reputation damage: In the close-knit CRE community, news spreads quickly about brokers who struggle to keep up.
- Weakened negotiation skills: Fatigue dulls your ability to negotiate effectively, costing you thousands in lost revenue.
- Stunted business growth: Innovation and business expansion require energy—burnout leaves no room for either.
Chapter 3: Breaking Free from the Burnout Cycle
The key to sustainable success in CRE isn’t working harder—it’s working smarter. Changing your mindset and building better habits is the first step toward reclaiming your time.
Mindset Shift: From Superhero to Smart Strategist
- Redefine success: Shift your focus from volume to sustainable, meaningful growth.
- Embrace vulnerability: Asking for help isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength.
- Value your time: Calculate your true hourly worth and focus on activities that bring the highest return.
Practical Strategies for Reclaiming Your Time
- The Power of No: Decline low-value commitments that don’t align with your priorities.
- Time-blocking: Allocate specific times for important tasks to avoid distractions.
- Technology leverage: Use CRM systems, automation tools, and email filters to streamline workflows.
- Delegate strategically: Offload tasks that don’t require your unique expertise to team members or virtual assistants (VAs).
- Continuous learning: Stay ahead of market trends to work smarter, not harder.
The shift to a smarter, more balanced approach will help you regain control of your career while avoiding burnout’s downward spiral.
Chapter 4: The Game-Changing Secret of Top CRE Performers
While science hasn’t yet figured out how to clone brokers, savvy professionals have discovered a powerful alternative: strategic outsourcing. Top-performing brokers are leveraging support staff and virtual assistants (VAs) to handle time-consuming tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities.
Here’s how these brokers use additional help to scale their business:
- Administrative work: Managing schedules, paperwork, and client databases.
- Client communication: Ensuring consistent, personalized follow-ups.
- Market research and reporting: Compiling data and delivering actionable insights.
- Marketing support: Managing listings and promoting properties across platforms.
- Lead screening and appointment setting: Filtering leads and scheduling meetings with serious prospects.
With the right support system, these brokers can focus on their strengths—building relationships and closing deals—while maintaining a healthier work-life balance.
Chapter 5: Transforming Your CRE Practice: A Day in the Life
Imagine a day in your career that looks like this:
- Your inbox is managed, with only the most critical emails requiring your attention.
- Market reports are waiting for your review.
- Client follow-ups are handled, nurturing long-term relationships.
- Property listings are updated and marketed across multiple platforms.
- You have time for strategic planning and high-value client meetings.
- You leave the office at a reasonable hour, without guilt or unfinished tasks hanging over your head.
This isn’t just a dream. It’s the reality for brokers who have learned how to leverage their resources effectively. By building the right support network, you can reclaim control over your time and enjoy the freedom to focus on the activities that matter most.
CRE Brokers Guide: Your Blueprint for Sustainable Success
Burnout doesn’t have to be part of your career. By recognizing its hidden costs and adopting smarter strategies, you can achieve more while working less. The most successful brokers aren’t necessarily those who work the longest hours—they’re the ones who make the most of their time.
If you’re ready to regain control and create a more sustainable business, consider joining our exclusive LeveragedVA Program. It is a CRE brokers guide for you:
- Get connected with an experienced VA
- Identify the tasks that deplete your energy and waste your time.
- Delegate effectively and manage a team without added stress.
- Use technology to automate your workflow and boost efficiency.
- Grow your business while maintaining balance in your personal life.
- Training for both the CRE Broker and the VA to provide a seamless set up process.
Don’t let burnout define your future. Take the first step toward sustainable success and join the ranks of brokers who have transformed their businesses—and their lives.
by Phill Tomlinson | Jan 6, 2025 | Blog
In the relentless hustle of commercial real estate (CRE), it’s easy to feel buried under an avalanche of responsibilities—overflowing inboxes, endless deal negotiations, back-to-back property tours, and the ever-demanding marketing grind. Amid this chaos, many brokers unknowingly lose sight of what truly fuels their success: prioritizing high-impact activities that drive growth and close deals.
Why Productivity Is the Foundation of Success
Success in CRE isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working smarter. Productivity is not about cramming more into your day; it’s about doing the right things that move the needle in your business. However, staying productive is easier said than done when you’re overwhelmed by the day-to-day grind.
Here’s why it matters:
- Time Is Your Most Valuable Asset
As a CRE broker, your time should be spent on activities that generate revenue and build relationships. Administrative tasks, inconsistent follow-ups, and marketing efforts often eat away at hours that could be spent closing deals or growing your network.
- Missed Opportunities Are Costly
Every missed call, late follow-up, or unpolished pitch can cost you a deal. In an industry where relationships and timing are everything, staying organized and responsive is key to staying ahead of the competition.
- Burnout Is Real
CRE brokers are known for their hustle, but even the hardest workers have their limits. Working long hours without a clear plan leads to fatigue, poor decision-making, and a lack of enthusiasm for the job.
- Consistency Is the Secret to Growth
In CRE, consistency breeds trust and results. Consistently following up with clients, marketing properties, and maintaining a well-organized deal pipeline sets successful brokers apart from the rest.
Stop Spinning Your Wheels
Many brokers know they’re overwhelmed but don’t know where to start. Without a clear understanding of where your time is going or what’s holding your business back, you end up stuck in the same unproductive cycle.
Imagine having a simple, step-by-step guide to help you regain control, streamline your tasks, and focus on what matters most. That’s exactly why we created the “30 Days to Productivity: CRE Brokers’ 2025 Kickstart.”
Take a Step Toward a More Productive Future
This free guide is your roadmap to overcoming overwhelm and building a thriving CRE practice. Inside, you’ll discover how to:
- Identify and eliminate time-wasters.
- Stay consistent with client communication and follow-ups.
- Streamline your deal pipeline for maximum efficiency.
- Plan for sustainable growth without sacrificing your personal life.
Don’t wait for things to improve on their own—take action now. Download your free copy of “30 Days to Productivity” and start transforming your CRE business today.
When you take control of your productivity, you take control of your success. Are you ready to make a shift and scale your CRE business?
by Phill Tomlinson | Jan 2, 2025 | Blog
As a commercial real estate (CRE) broker, the new year is your chance to hit refresh. It’s time to leave behind old habits that didn’t work and adopt better systems, strategies, and support that will take your business to the next level. Whether you’re aiming to close more deals, manage your time better, or build stronger client relationships, this guide for CRE brokers will help you start the year on the right foot.
Step 1: Organize Your Systems
Let’s face it staying organized can be tough when you’re juggling multiple deals, managing clients, and keeping up with market trends. This is why having the right systems in place is so important.
- Use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool to track clients, leads, and deals. It’s like a digital assistant that remembers everything for you.
- Automate your tasks like email follow-ups and appointment reminders. This saves you time and keeps you looking professional.
- Use the Cloud to keep your files and documents organized and stored so you can access them anytime, anywhere.
An organized system is the foundation of a smooth, successful business.
Step 2: Create a Smart Strategy
Planning your strategy for the year is like mapping out a road trip. Without a clear path, you’ll waste time going in circles.
- Set your goals for the year. Do you want to close a certain number of deals? Grow your client list? Expand into new markets?
- Focus on lead generation by spending more time on high-value activities like networking, cold calling, or hosting client events.
- Market yourself effectively. Focus on your top two (2) social media platforms to showcase your expertise. We recommend LinkedIn and Instagram. Write short posts and share market updates to attract attention from potential clients.
Having a strategy means you’ll work smarter, not harder, in 2025.
Even the best brokers can’t do it all alone. If you’re overwhelmed by administrative tasks or struggling to keep up with everything, it might be time to consider hiring support—like a Virtual Assistant (VA) from the Philippines.
Here’s how a VA can help you:
- Handle repetitive tasks like data entry, email management, and cold calls.
- Assist with marketing by creating social media posts, managing your calendar, or updating listings.
- Free up your time so you can focus on what you do best: closing deals and serving your clients.
Many CRE brokers hesitate to delegate, but hiring a VA can be a game-changer for your business.
Make 2025 Your Best Year Yet
By organizing your systems, creating a clear strategy, and getting the right support, you’ll set yourself up for success in the new year. So the question to ask yourself is, “Am I ready to take the first step?”
What’s your top goal for the new year, and how can you prepare to achieve it? Let us know or reach out to learn how a VA can help you reach new heights in your business!
by Phill Tomlinson | Dec 17, 2024 | Blog
Managing a successful commercial real estate (CRE) business requires more than just closing deals. It takes strategic time management, smooth client follow-ups, and effective marketing. Many brokers struggle to find time for high-value activities due to endless administrative tasks and missed follow-ups. If that sounds familiar, the From Chaos to Clarity 30-Day Productivity Challenge for cre brokers can help you regain control and boost your business.
This challenge is designed to streamline your daily operations and uncover growth opportunities by focusing on four key areas: time management, client communication, pipeline management, and marketing. Let’s break down the challenge week by week and explore how it can transform your business.
Week 1: Time Audit and Task Analysis
Goal: Identify and Reduce Low-Value Tasks
To increase productivity, you need to know where your time is going. During the first week, track every task you perform in 30-minute increments and evaluate how these tasks affect your energy and focus.
Steps to Implement:
- Day 1-3: Track your time and note how each task makes you feel.
- Day 4-5: Identify time-wasters and tasks that don’t contribute to closing deals.
- Day 6-7: Prioritize high-value activities and brainstorm ways to minimize or delegate low-value tasks.
By auditing your time, you’ll discover how much effort goes toward non-revenue activities, and you’ll create a plan to shift your focus toward what matters most.
Week 2: Client Communication and Follow-Ups
Goal: Build Stronger Relationships and Improve Follow-Up Processes
Consistent communication is essential for building relationships and closing deals, but it’s easy to fall behind. This week focuses on refining your client communication and setting up templates and systems to stay on top of follow-ups.
Steps to Implement:
- Day 8-10: Audit your recent communications to identify missed follow-ups.
- Day 11-13: Create email templates and develop a follow-up schedule for different client types.
- Day 14: Set up or optimize your CRM to manage contacts and automate reminders.
Implementing these systems ensures no client interaction slips through the cracks, improving your chances of closing more deals.
Week 3: Deal Pipeline and Property Management
Goal: Streamline Processes to Prevent Bottlenecks
An efficient pipeline and smooth property management are critical for keeping deals moving forward. This week focuses on auditing your current process, identifying bottlenecks, and making improvements to accelerate deals.
Steps to Implement:
- Day 15-17: Review your deal pipeline and spot bottlenecks.
- Day 18-20: Audit your lead process for listings and/or tenants
- Day 21: Develop a deal acceleration plan to fast-track high-potential deals.
With a more organized process, you’ll be able to handle deals efficiently without unnecessary delays.
Week 4: Marketing and Business Development
Goal: Create a Marketing Strategy and Plan for Growth
Marketing and networking are essential for business growth, but they often take a backseat to more urgent tasks. This week helps you focus on building a sustainable marketing strategy and expanding your network without overwhelming your schedule.
Steps to Implement:
- Day 22-24: Audit your current marketing efforts to identify time-consuming tasks.
- Day 25-27: Plan efficient networking strategies to expand your professional connections.
- Day 28-30: Set quarterly growth goals and identify obstacles that might slow you down.
This week ensures that your marketing efforts align with your goals and fit into your day-to-day operations.
Common Productivity Pitfalls
Without the right processes, it’s easy to waste time on tasks that don’t generate revenue or lose deals due to inconsistent follow-ups. The most common issues brokers face include:
- Spending too much time on administrative work
- Missed follow-ups that cost potential deals
- Disorganized pipelines that slow deal progress
- Marketing efforts that get delayed due to lack of time
How Virtual Assistance Can Help Maintain Your Progress
Completing the 30-day challenge provides clarity and momentum, but sustaining these improvements requires ongoing support. This is where leveraging a virtual assistant (VA) can help. A VA can handle your administrative tasks, manage client follow-ups, and oversee marketing efforts, giving you more time to focus on closing deals and building relationships.
Top-performing brokers use VAs to:
- Offload time-consuming tasks
- Ensure consistent client communication
- Manage property listings and marketing campaigns
- Keep the deal pipeline moving smoothly
Take Control of Your Business
The From Chaos to Clarity 30-Day Challenge for cre brokers helps you identify inefficiencies and develop better processes. But to truly scale your business, you need more than just insights you need the right support. With our LeveragedVA Program, you’ll learn how to integrate VAs into your practice and free up your time to focus on high-value activities. discover actionable steps to streamline your business. Join other brokers who have transformed their workflows by working smarter, not harder. Your journey from chaos to clarity begins today!
To download the 30-Day Productivity Challenge, head over to our free free CRE Skool community
