Load shedding has become a common occurrence in South Africa over the past few years. This is because our country’s electricity supply is not able to meet the demand from consumers.

As a result, businesses and homeowners have had to get used to scheduled power outages. If you are a real estate agent, this can be a major inconvenience, as it can affect your productivity.

In this blog post, we will discuss some tips on how you can remain productive during load shedding periods using automation!

1.    What is load shedding and how does it affect real estate agents

Real estate agents are all too familiar with the electricity struggles that come with load shedding.

For those who don’t know, load shedding is when the electricity supply is interrupted due to a lack of generating capacity.

This can happen for a variety of reasons, but usually, it’s because the power grid is overwhelmed and can’t keep up with demand.

This means that real estate agents have to find ways to stay productive during periods of load shedding.

One way to do this is to use automation. Several different software programs can help real estate agents automate their workflows.

This means that tasks that would normally take a long time to do manually can be completed quickly and easily - and with near to zero physical effort.

This is particularly useful for tasks like lead generation and follow-up, task automation, and social media post scheduling. By using automation, real estate agents can stay productive even when the power is out.

Load shedding doesn’t have to be a nightmare for real estate agents. By using automation, they can stay productive and get the job done, even in the dark.

2.    How to automate your work using technology

As we all know, load shedding is a real pain in the proverbial bum for real estate agents.

Show houses require electricity, and potential buyers are not going to be impressed by a dark home. And carrying a generator with you to showings is also not a viable solution.

However, there are some things that real estate agents can do to stay productive during load shedding using automation.

For example, using a CRM (customer relationship management) system to automate your workflows can be a real lifesaver.

A CRM will allow you to manage your leads, properties, and clients in one place.

You can also use a CRM to set up automated Whatsapp, email and SMS marketing campaigns, as well as schedule social media posts for the month when you do have electricity and a working internet connection.

It can also help you with appointment management and automatic reminders of appointments to reduce no shows.

Another great way to automate your work is by using a project management tool like Trello or Asana. These tools will help you stay organised and on top of all your tasks, even when the power is out.

You can create to-do lists, set deadlines, and assign tasks to team members.

Both Trello and Asana have mobile apps so you can access your account even when there is no power or internet.

3.    Tips for staying productive during load shedding

These days, almost everyone has to deal with load shedding in some way.

For real estate agents, it can be a real pain in the neck. Showings have to be postponed, phone calls and Whatsapp and Zoom calls get cut off, and email correspondence goes out the window.

However, there are ways to stay productive during load shedding using automation.

By setting up automatic showings, sending automatic emails and text messages, and using other digital tools, real estate agents can keep their business running smoothly even when the power is out.

Here are 4 tips for staying productive during load shedding:

1.   Use automation to schedule showings, send emails and text messages, follow up with clients and automatically request Google Reviews after appointments.

2.   Stay in touch with clients using digital communication tools like Whatsapp, Google Meet, Zoom, and Skype.

3.   Keep your website and social media pages updated using tools like Property Funnels and Zapier so that potential buyers can learn about your listings even when they can’t see them in person.

4.   Leverage Facebook ads so that you can keep generating leads even when you can’t call or meet with them in person.

So next time there’s a blackout, don’t panic - just sit back and let the technology do its thing.

4.    The benefits of automation for real estate agents

Load shedding is a pain in the neck. There are no two ways about it.

But there are ways to minimize the impact it has on your productivity, and one of those is to use automation.

Automation can help you stay productive during load shedding by taking care of tasks that would otherwise be disrupted by power outages.

For example, you can set up automated backups of your contact list so that you don’t have to worry about losing any important information.

You can also use automation to schedule tasks such as social media updates and email marketing campaigns so that they’ll go out even if you’re in the middle of a power outage.

And if you use a CRM system, you can often find ways to automate repetitive tasks such as data entry and lead management.

There are plenty of other examples, but the bottom line is that automation can help you stay productive even when load shedding strikes.

Here are 6 benefits of automation for real estate agents:

1.   Automation can help you keep track of your clients’ properties.

2.   Automation can help you manage your listings.

3.   Automation can help you respond to inquiries quickly and efficiently.

4.   Automation can help you generate leads.

5.   Automation can help you stay organized and on top of your tasks.

6.   Automation can help you save time and be more productive.

So if you’re looking for ways to stay productive during load shedding, automation is definitely worth considering.

5.    Examples of software that can help you stay productive during load shedding

Load shedding is a pain in the ass. There’s no two ways about it. For real estate agents, load shedding can be a major issue, since it can disrupt showings and open houses. But there is a silver lining: automation can help you stay productive during load shedding.

There are a number of software programs that can help you automate your business, from appointment scheduling to customer relationship management.

By using automation, you can minimize the impact of load shedding on your business. And in some cases, you may even be able to continue working entirely uninterrupted.

For example, schedule appointments through an online system like Acuity Scheduling, Calendly and Property Funnels, so that you don’t have to rely on power for your appointments.

Or use a cloud-based CRM like HubSpot or Property Funnels to keep track of your leads and customers, even when the power is out.

Zapier is another fantastic software that connects hundreds of tools you are likely already using and helps you to automate a lot of tasks, from automatic social media posting, creating blog posts from your social media feed, capturing and sending data from your Google Contacts to your CRM and even capturing all your portal leads and sending them to your CRM for immediate follow up, and everything in between!

Load shedding doesn’t have to mean coming to a screeching halt. Automation is key to keeping your business running smoothly, even when the power is out.