The 9-Appointment Baseline: How Consistent Booking Beats Feast-or-Famine

Some weeks you're slammed with appointments. Some weeks you have nothing scheduled.

This creates income chaos.

Set a baseline. Maintain it. Solve the problem.

The Baseline Concept

A baseline is the minimum number of appointments you need on your calendar at all times.

For most agents targeting 36-48 transactions per year, that baseline is 9 appointments.

Not 9 appointments completed this week. Nine appointments on your calendar right now for the next two weeks.

The Math Behind 9 Appointments

9 appointments on calendar at all times means:

4-5 appointments happening this week 4-5 appointments scheduled for next week

Accounting for cancellations and no-shows, you complete 3-4 appointments weekly.

3-4 appointments weekly = 12-16 monthly 12-16 monthly = 4-8 contracts signed 4-8 contracts monthly = 50-90 transactions yearly

That's the production level 9 appointments creates.

The Daily Check-In

Every morning, first thing:

Count your appointments. If you have less than 9 on the calendar, your only job today is getting back to 9.

Everything else is secondary. Everything.

This one habit prevents pipeline problems before they start.

The Appointment Type Mix

Your 9 appointments should include variety:

3-4 buyer consultations or showings 3-4 listing appointments or CMAs 1-2 past client check-ins or market updates

This mix creates a balanced pipeline that converts to both sides of transactions.

If all 9 appointments are buyers, you're missing listing opportunities.

The Weekly Rhythm

Monday morning: Count appointments. Should be 9+.

Wednesday morning: Count appointments. Should still be 9+.

Friday morning: Count appointments. Should still be 9+. If not, Friday becomes an appointment-setting day.

This prevents weekend stress about an empty calendar next week.

The Prospecting Formula

To maintain 9 appointments, you need consistent prospecting:

20-25 conversations per day = 1-2 appointments booked 100-125 conversations per week = 6-9 appointments booked

This replaces the appointments you complete each week and keeps the baseline at 9.

The Cancellation Buffer

Appointments cancel. Plan for it.

If you have exactly 9 appointments and 3 cancel, you're down to 6. Now you're behind.

Better strategy: Target 12 appointments on the calendar.

12 appointments - 3 cancellations = 9 appointments actually happening.

This buffer protects your baseline.

The No-Show Prevention

Automated reminders reduce no-shows:

Confirmation email or text immediately Reminder 24 hours before Reminder 1 hour before

This cuts no-shows from 30% to under 10%.

One TidyCal link setup handles all these reminders automatically.

The Qualification Filter

Not every conversation should turn into an appointment.

Only book appointments with people who:

• Have specific timeline (within 6 months)
• Are financially qualified
• Have clear motivation
• Are willing to meet

Unqualified appointments waste time and hurt your conversion rates.

The Calendar Visibility

You should always see two weeks ahead:

This week: 4-5 appointments Next week: 4-5 appointments Week after: 2-3 appointments starting to schedule

When you can't see two weeks ahead, you're about to have a problem.

The Thursday Review

Every Thursday at 4pm, review next week's appointments:

How many are scheduled? What type are they? Any gaps that need filling? Who needs confirmation calls?

If you're under 9 total appointments, Friday morning becomes prospecting time.

The Friday Recovery

Friday is your safety valve.

Appointments dropped this week? Book more Friday.

Next week looking light? Prospect Friday morning.

Going into the weekend with under 9 appointments? Spend Friday fixing it.

Never go into the weekend with an empty pipeline.

The Appointment Setting Blocks

Block specific times for appointment setting:

Monday 9am-11am: Appointment setting calls Wednesday 9am-11am: Appointment setting calls Friday 9am-11am: Appointment setting calls (if needed)

Three 2-hour blocks per week = 6 hours of focused prospecting.

This creates a consistent appointment flow.

The Lead Source Balance

Track where appointments come from:

Database: Past clients and sphere (should be 40-50%) Online leads: Website, Zillow, etc. (should be 20-30%) Prospecting: Cold calls, expireds, FSBOs (should be 20-30%) Referrals: Client referrals (should be 10-20%)

If 80% come from one source, you're vulnerable when that source dries up.

The Conversion Rate Tracking

Track your conversion rates by source:

Database calls: Should convert 15-25% to appointments Hot leads: Should convert 40-60% to appointments Warm leads: Should convert 10-20% to appointments Cold calls: Should convert 5-10% to appointments

If your rates are lower, fix your phone skills or qualification questions.

The Appointment Confirmation Strategy

Confirm every appointment 24 hours before:

Call or text: "Looking forward to meeting tomorrow at [time]. Still work for you?"

This catches cancellations early so you can fill the slot.

It also reminds them, reducing no-shows.

The Same-Day Booking

Can't get to 9 appointments with future scheduling?

Offer same-day or next-day appointments:

"I actually have time this afternoon at 3pm if you want to meet today."

Urgency beats waiting for next week. People ready now will meet now.

The Seasonal Adjustment

Your baseline might shift seasonally:

Spring market: 12-15 appointments baseline Summer: 9 appointments baseline Fall market: 10-12 appointments baseline Winter: 6-9 appointments baseline

Adjust your target but never abandon the baseline concept.

The Motivation Factor

When you have 15 appointments scheduled, you feel confident and relaxed.

When you have 2 appointments scheduled, you feel stressed and desperate.

That stress comes through in conversations and hurts conversion.

Maintaining a baseline keeps your confidence steady.

The Income Stability

Consistent appointments create consistent income:

Same annual income. Completely different stress level.

Baseline makes income predictable and manageable.

The Growth Path

Once you consistently maintain 9 appointments, increase the baseline:

From 9 to 12 appointments = 30% more production From 12 to 15 appointments = 60% more production

But don't jump too fast. Master 9 first.

The Common Excuses

"I don't have time to book 9 appointments." Reality: If you don't have time to book appointments, you don't have a business.

"I can't find 9 qualified people." Reality: Your market isn't the problem. Your prospecting activity is.

"My conversion rate is too low." Reality: Track your numbers and fix your process.

The 30-Day Challenge

Commit to 30 days of maintaining 9+ appointments:

Day 1: Count appointments. Get to 9. Day 2-30: Check daily. Never drop below 9.

After 30 days, evaluate:

• Is your pipeline fuller?
• Is your income more stable?
• Is your stress lower?

If yes to all three, you proved the system works.

Your Next Action

Right now, before you do anything else:

Count your appointments for the next two weeks.

If under 9, block two hours today for prospecting.

Don't stop until you have 9 appointments on the calendar.

Then maintain that baseline every single day.

Stop the feast-or-famine cycle. Start with baseline consistency.

Tiffany Hampton is a seasoned real estate leader and MAPS Coach with over two decades of experience helping agents succeed through leadership, coaching, and innovative strategy. As the founder of AgentGrowth365.com, Tiffany delivers proven systems, tools, and training that empower agents and market center leaders to grow with clarity and purpose. Whether you're looking to hit 24 transactions, streamline your coaching systems, or lead your business with impact, AgentGrowth365 offers a full suite of solutions designed to meet today's challenges and scale tomorrow's success.