How can Real Estate Agents Find A Work-Life Balance ?

As a real estate agent, I have been told how lucky I am to have a flexible schedule countless times. This has often made me want to scream a little on the inside as it’s hard to understand how very demanding the industry really is when you’re on the outside, looking in.

Real estate agents are very familiar with the pressures the job puts on their schedules and their families. Yes, the flexibility can be great but it can also quickly turn into procrastination, adding more and more lines to an ever-growing to-do list and further complicating matters.

In the last 2 years, COVID-19 has put an even greater strain on real estate agents and their schedules.

Many real estate agents have found more flexibility while working from home during the pandemic but others have struggled with getting into the routine of a schedule that combines remote and office work.

Ultimately, working from home has caused real estate agents to feel more burned out than ever before, and most workers have now returned to regular office hours.

A big part of being an agent is working with clients. And since most clients typically have 9 – 5 jobs, much of your work happens during the off hours, usually during the evening and on weekends. Along with meeting the needs of your clients, other tasks come with the job. For example, you need to respond to emails and phone calls, manage your very time-consuming social media pages, file real estate documents, research listings, prospect new clients and leads, and a myriad of other things that take up a lot of time.

With so much on your plate, it’s easy to see why your “flexible” schedule has very little room for other things in your life. But if you don’t make room for those other things and find some balance, your personal and professional life will suffer.

Why Work-Life Balance Is Important

When work takes up the vast majority of your hours your personal relationships will suffer and so too will your personal wellbeing

Without a work-life balance, you experience more stress and anxiety (potentially taken out on loved ones), miss important events and milestones, and often trade in time to take on healthy habits like personal fitness for time to take on more work.

When you achieve a better work-life balance, you can enjoy such benefits as improved sleep, stronger relationships, personal growth, better physical and emotional health, and more enjoyment in life. It can also improve your work.

It may seem counterintuitive that doing less work each day would make you more successful, but taking time away from work can actually increase your engagement, boost productivity, improve customer service and decrease the number of sick days you take.

Tips For Achieving Work-Life Balance

Looking for ways to become more balanced?

Set a schedule.

Use a calendar to create blocks of time when you are available to work and blocks of time when you won’t work. Stick to your schedule.

Schedule your administrative tasks between certain hours of the day ideally when clients are at work and can’t talk. Focus on your emails, your marketing, and paperwork at times when your clients are least available.

It may seem silly, but you’ll also need to schedule family time and your time and stick to those commitments. Treat it as you would an appointment with a client. This tactic almost forces you to take some personal time and it's a great way of making sure you keep your appointments whether work or personal.

Write your to-do lists.

Real estate agents are responsible for a lot of different tasks, a to-do list will help you keep track of tasks and make it easier to schedule high-priority tasks.

Don’t just list out your tasks, carve out time to complete them and schedule that time as you would a meeting. Putting tasks on your schedule along with meetings and events keeps you from putting them off until later in the day when you should be taking a break. It also helps keep you from forgetting them altogether.

Take breaks. If you don’t take breaks, you are more likely to experience burnout. Take time off every week, and take vacations during the year when possible. When you are away from work, resist the urge to check your work email. Set your out-of-office!

Set Your Boundaries

As great as smartphones are they can also be the very reason you burn out. It can be tempting to spend your days and nights on the phone with clients and not switch off.

It’s important to set boundaries – and enforce them. That could look like one day a week when you don’t work at all or do not answer your phone after a certain time.

It can be hard to set boundaries with clients who are purchasing a home. They’re in the process of a major financial decision and a potential shift in life and it can be an emotional time. From the very start, your clients should know what your working hours are, any upcoming vacation days you have, the best way to reach you, and how quickly you’ll respond.

Know When To Get Some Help and go easy on yourself.

Rely on your team ... coordinating work with your colleagues when you are too busy usually leads to more sales. If you suddenly have too many leads to handle you are guaranteed to lose most of them as you will be off your game.

No matter how hard you try, there will be times when your work-life balance is out of whack. You have to accept that some deals will take longer than others and some days you will have to work harder. Balance is key ..... More importantly, create enough balance so that you are taking care of your physical and mental well-being. Remember that your health directly impacts your work’s purpose – helping others change their lives.

How we help!

TEAMWORK - At RE/MAX Msida team empowerment is our ethos. No one works alone and we help each other out when we are too busy or other commitments hold us back.

TECH - State-of-the-art technology allows our agents to work from anywhere but more importantly the systems are built with 1 goal in mind... Efficiency... The more efficiently our agents work the less time they waste and the quicker they reach their goals.

MENTORING - Training and mentoring our agents at all times, regular one-to-one meetings, and follow-ups allow us to stay ahead of agents burning out. We can see the signs and avoid further loading or putting undue pressure on the agents. This is also a great way of figuring out when an agent is struggling and needs help, maybe struggling with leads or having trouble closing. Our ethos has always been "on your own but never alone"

Get in touch with me at 9949 7735 or via email at [email protected] to find out more.

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