Real Estate Work-Life Balance
As a real estate agent, has anyone ever approached you and told you how lucky you are to have a lot of time on your hands? How many times has that statement alone ticked you off?
Being a real estate agent takes a huge amount of a person’s time and effort. Moreover, it's really hard to understand the difficulties of being an agent when you're not even one. Only real estate agents, know the struggles of being involved in the real estate industry and the pressures it places on their time and their families as well.
One of the major aspects of being a real estate agent is working with clients. Clients, however, normally work 9-5 jobs, which is why agents often work on off hours and even during the weekends.
Apart from meeting clients, other tasks also come with being an agent. These include answering a lot of client calls and emails, handling your social media accounts, filing and managing necessary documents, looking for potential buyers, and expanding your network. With so much to do on a daily basis, it's easy to understand why you indeed "have a lot of time on your hands." If you don't make room for other things in life, both your personal and professional life will pay a heavy price.
The Importance of Maintaining A Work-Life Balance
Failing to maintain a work-life balance can lead to dangerous consequences which could potentially take a toll on both your personal and professional life. You will experience stress and anxiety, lose friends, miss out on important life events, and replace healthy habits for more time to work.
Maintaining a work-life balance, on the other hand, allows you to live your life to the fullest and gives you the opportunity to enjoy benefits such as personal growth, stronger relationships with family and friends, quality sleep, and more time to improve your physical and mental health.
While it may seem contradictory that doing less in your job leads to success, taking some time off your job can actually lead to increased productivity and customer service. It also lessens the number of sick days you call in!
How To Maintain A Work-Life Balance
Set limits and Make Sure You Follow Them
More often than not, real estate agents tend to work long hours and don't take any days off. This often leads to burnout, both physically and emotionally. Setting limits is a great way of ensuring that one does not push himself to the brink of being insane.
A good example could be not answering your phone after 7 pm unless it's really important. Doing this gives you a sense of freedom and relaxation once your work hours are over. It's important to discuss this with your clients and tell them when it's okay to contact you.
Don't Do Everything By Yourself, Especially When You Can't
Real estate agents have so much work to do, sometimes they end up drowning. Being an agent requires you to do quite a number of tasks and errands. Humans, however, can only do so much in a day.
Getting a partner or hiring an assistant could potentially be the game-changer in helping you achieve that work-life balance you dream of. While it is true that hiring an assistant is not always feasible, especially when you're just starting out and don't have the money, you may wanna hire one once you have the funding to do so. If you do have the money but don't have the time to recruit, interview, and train someone, you may wanna postpone until your schedule becomes lighter. The purpose of hiring an assistant is to decrease the amount of work you have, not add to it.
Carve Out Your Schedule and Identify Your Priorities
Before your day begins, create a list of things to do. Factor in each and every task that needs to be accomplished and label them according to their importance. That way, you'll know what actually needs your time and attention. Not only does this give you the power to take breaks, but it also saves you from the frustration of forgetting them altogether.
Also, don't forget to include time with your family and make sure you stick to the schedule. Think of it as an important client meeting. That way, you'll be able to force yourself to take some time off and relax.
Setting some time off allows you to focus once you're working. It gives you a sense of joy and eliminates the guilt when working longer hours on specific days. It also allows you to power through tough times.
Cut Yourself Some Slack
There will always be times when your work-life balance seems bonkers. It's inevitable, which is why it's easier to accept it rather than be frustrated about it. Just don't forget that there are other days when you can try again. Maintain a sense of tunnel vision and focus on the light at the end.
More importantly, keep in mind that your health has a direct correlation with the quality of your work. Which is why it's extremely essential to take care of your physical and mental well-being. Your health is your most important asset. Without it, you'd probably be in the hospital counting your days, rather than spending your time working as a real estate agent.