I recently got a comment from one of my students that made me shake my head. They were telling me how they, along with another student, had spent a bunch of time reviewing all the websites of their fellow students. They were analyzing, critiquing, and dissecting every detail of those sites.
And you know what? That’s exactly what not to do.
I get it. It feels productive. It feels like research. But at the end of the day, it’s just another way to avoid the real work that actually moves the needle.
Let’s be clear: Nobody ever made money in real estate by overanalyzing websites.
The Two Things That Actually Matter
If you want to be successful in real estate investing, you need to do just two things consistently:
- Talk to Sellers. Every. Single. Day.
- Make Offers. Every. Single. Week.
That’s it. Simple, right? Yet so many people get stuck in the weeds, convincing themselves that they need to tweak their logo, refine their website colors, or spend another two weeks crafting the perfect email signature.
Listen—your website doesn’t get deals done. Your conversations do.
Why We Default to Busy Work
So why do we do this? Why do we gravitate toward things that feel productive but don’t actually move us forward?
Because busy work is safe. It doesn’t involve rejection, discomfort, or putting yourself out there. Calling a seller? That’s scary. They might say no. Making an offer? That’s intimidating. What if you make a mistake? What if they laugh at your offer?
But here’s the truth: If you’re not getting told “no” at least a few times a week, you’re not making enough offers. If you’re not making enough offers, you’re not having enough conversations. And if you’re not having enough conversations, you’re not marketing consistently.
So ask yourself: Are you truly building your business, or are you just playing business?
A Simple System to Keep You Focused
I want to give you a simple way to stay on track. Before you start any task, ask yourself these three questions:
- Does this directly help me talk to more sellers today?
- Does this directly help me make more offers this week?
- Is this something that must be done now, or am I just avoiding real work?
If the answer to the first two questions is no, then you’re probably working on the wrong thing. If the answer to the third question is yes, then it’s time to get it done, then get back to 1 and 2. Focus on the real priorities.
How to Structure Your Day for Maximum Results
To keep yourself accountable, I suggest structuring your day around these two core priorities:
- Morning: Lead generation and marketing (whatever gets you talking to sellers)
- Afternoon: Following up with leads and making offers
Everything else—branding, website tweaks, social media posts—comes after these two tasks. If you haven’t talked to sellers or made offers yet, you haven’t done your real work for the day.
The Path to Success is Unavoidable
You can spend weeks on your website, social media, branding, or planning, but the unavoidable truth is this: If you’re not making offers, you’re not doing deals. If you’re not talking to sellers, you won’t have anyone to make offers to.
The students who succeed don’t waste time on fluff. They get on the phone. They send messages. They drive for dollars. They make offers—even if they’re not perfect. And guess what? They get deals.
So, the next time you find yourself sinking time into a task, take a step back and ask: Is this actually moving me closer to talking to sellers and making offers? If not, it’s time to shift gears and get back to what really matters.
Success isn’t about perfection. It’s about action. Start taking the right ones today.
Drop a comment and let me know that this resonates with you! Did I hit the mark?
Yep this is real.. it’s a challenge with all the never ending information/videos to consume knowing when you know enough to start doing it. It’s a true lesson in human psychology and thank you for reminding everyone!
Thanks Kevin! We all need reminding.
Balancing admin work with income-generating activities is essential for long-term success. Both are important aspects of your business and contribute to its growth, but they must be prioritized correctly.
A website can enhance credibility, attract leads, and provide value to customers, but spending too much time on backend tasks while neglecting lead generation, nurturing prospects, and closing deals can stall your progress.
To scale successfully, you need both structure and action—build the foundation, but don’t let it become a distraction from the real work that drives revenue and moves your business forward.
Excellent feedback Jessica! Thanks for your comment! Priority is key. There will ALWAYS be admin type work to do, but it should never come before the true priority work of the day.