Staying connected to your wellbeing as a real estate agent

Spring ?is here and real estate agents around Australia are readying themselves for a busy selling season. But this one will be unlike any other.

Coming off the back of more than two years of COVID restrictions and price fluctuations, it’s been a tumultuous period for agents.?

Many are sure to be weary after working through much of their traditional summer break and keeping up with all the movements in the market since interest rates began to rise in May. So now is the time to be mindful of individual and team wellbeing. As part of Domain’s partnership with the?RISE Initiative , we want to help agents have the resources and strategies to look after themselves.

Here, we speak to industry experts and leading agents to get their tips and advice on the practices to use to ward off, rather than work through, stress and burnout.

Mental wellness is a must-have

Real estate agents are notorious for working long hours, leading negotiations and commandeering lengthy sales campaigns. They can often think it’s their duty to soldier on during times of stress, but Kylie Davis from the?RISE Initiative ?said it’s time to scrap that way of thinking.?

“Mental wellness isn’t a nicety to have while you are working, it’s actually really essential as part of a good performance,” she said.

“So as we go into spring, what we need to understand is that we’ve come through a really crazy three years and that’s had an impact on all of us. What we are hearing across the industry is that people are deeply tired.

“We need to understand as we go in for another sprint with spring, that we need to look after ourselves. Recognise that you are coming from a position of deficit and be extra kind to yourself.”

Reconnect with your goals

Knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing is the all-important ingredient for motivation, said Jet Xavier , a high performance coach.

“It’s reconnecting with the soul,” he said.

“So on a day-to-day basis, come back to your why, your purpose, what’s important to you, what’s your passion, what’s your vision for your life.?

“Knowing this helps you keep focused on your truth and you’re authentic in your actions.”

Keeping the body in tip-top condition with good eating, exercise and sleep is just part of the wellness equation, said Xavier.?

“People can recover their body by eating and fuelling it right, and sleeping, and all those things we already understand, but that isolated is not going to only do the job,” he said.

“So moving into the spring market, I think agents need to look at it holistically around how the mind, body and soul aligns, and how they get those things right, and how that rest, recovery and reconnect piece is really important.”?

Meditate

Every agent knows how hectic a busy Saturday can be. Incessant phone calls, multiple auctions and inspections, plus constant paperwork can add up to an intense 24 hours.?

Sam Rigopoulos , director at? Jellis Craig ’s Inner North Group, said his team was introduced to meditation as an effective way to release stress.?

“They suggest you meditate twice a day for 20 minutes … my whole team does it now,” he said.

“Our ability to handle mental fatigue now has really been helped by implementing that into our time.”

Rigopoulos said he and his team typically meditate in the morning before work and then again at 3pm.

“You sit in silence and you repeat a mantra to yourself in your mind,” he explained.

“You have to be taught how to do it, but I suppose there are many different ways to meditate and there’s an abundance of apps.”

Prioritise time

Most people call it time management, but veteran Sydney agent? John Cunningham ?describes prioritising the day’s duties as understanding the value of time.?

“Everyone’s heard a lot about doing the hard things first, and I totally 100 per cent agree with that, but I would add another layer to that and it’s doing the hard things and the committed things first,” he said.

“So when you commit to things, whether it be your health or going to the gym, or go for a surf, or a bike ride, whatever it is, those commitments are far better done early at first.

“Then you’ve got the commitments to your family and those commitments are the non-negotiables.?

“Then come the commitments you’ve made to your clients and those commitments are delivering the service promises and the service expectations.”

Eat and sleep well

It seems obvious, but during challenging times people let their good eating and sleeping habits slip. Keeping on top of your health is one of the best ways to keep stress from damaging your lifestyle.

Josh Tesolin , owner of? Ray White Quakers Hill ?and 2022 Rate My Agent number one agent award winner, said he sticks to his health routine as much as he can, particularly when business lifts in spring.

“I make sure I have eight hours’ sleep because that works well,” he said.

“And it doesn’t matter if you’re going to bed at midnight or 1am, always try to get a strict eight hours.?

“The other thing that helps me is exercise. Every night, I do seven days a week, 30 minutes of exercise. So for me, it’s just a light bicycle ride.”