There is something unique about the life of a Realtor®.
Often times it is difficult to find a happy balance between our work lives and our home lives.
We can't control the flow of customers coming in at any given time or the number of phone calls coming in during a specific month. Some months we have more business than we can possibly handle, and others it's a bit more laid back and quiet.
When we are busy, there are no regular hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
There are no 40 hour work weeks.
There are no one hour lunch breaks. Or 15 minute coffee breaks.
Often our appointments are after hours and on weekends, away from our families.
We work around others people's schedules.
When we're busy, often we work 14 to 15 hour days, and sometimes more.
We can go for several weeks without a day off.
So, when we are swamped, we have to balance out the workload.
Balance, strength, endurance, stamina and determination are essential qualities in the life a successful Realtor®.
There is something unique about the life of a Realtor®, it's the life I've chosen, and the life I love!
Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate
Brevard County Real Estate and Investing
I specialize in Residential, Investment and Relocations.
We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.
I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.
Search for Properties for sale
that for you
Work/life balance is a huge issue in many professions. We Realtors are first of all driven, but also service oriented, and very close to the concept of where our paychecks come from. If we don't work, we don't eat!
Yes Sandy, balance can be achieved. You can schedule people and not jump at the ring tone. It is possible to juggle time slots. When we look up and havent scheduled a vacation it is usually because we are so passionate about what we do rather than not making time to take a breathe and/or getaway
Hi Sandy ~ I hear ya! I just got home from a 12 hour day, wolfed down a burrito, patted my pumpkin, and here I sit - ready to do it all again tomorrow.
Liz
Yes, there is such a thing.
It's all in your head.
Balance comes from a combination of being smart about who/what/where you spend your business time with, and what you do NOT allow to infringe on your private time.
It's all in the scheduling. My voicemail says my hours are 11am to 7pm and closed on Sundays. It's normal here in Utah not to work Sundays and very dificult to schedule showings for that day. So I always get at least one day off each week and unless I have an offer pending the phone is turned off at 7pm. If an offer is pending I wait until 8pm then turn it off.
I usually start work before 11am but can get transaction management done and some prospecting before people expect me to start answering the phone. When I first did this I thought it might be a problem, but you know what? Most of clients only work 8 or 9 hours a day and they understand that I have a life too. It's never been a problem.
Sandy
You have a fulllllll schedule.
Good luck and success.
Lou Ludwig
Sandy, so true. Especially now with everyone in the crunch to beat the tax credit.
When my kids started attending school a few years ago, I tried to set my business up into a daily routine. Now when they head off to school, I head off to the office. I've hired a full-time buyer agent to do the night & weekend showings in return for a great commission split. Sure makes life a whole lot simpler.
The challenge is to find the "me" and "we" time...The "we" time might even be "Wii" time with the kids!
You are right, It is a major challenge at times for sure. When I got into this business, the trainers said that real estate a great job for those who want to work half day - which 12 hours of the day I choose to work would be up to me. Many times it is like that. I am still having the time of my life.
Hi Sandy, It sounds like you are doing pretty well with the balancing act. It is definitely a unique career choice :-)
Lisa, So true, we know who butters our bread, and we must work to eat.
Eileen, I do agree that the passion in this business is what drives us. We have to remember to keep a happy and healthy balance in our lives.
Elizabeth, You go girl - you must be staying extremely busy. That's great! I know exactly how you feel.
Ralph, You said it, we do have to be sure to make time for ourselves and keep those commitments. A healthy balance is what keeps us fresh and sharp.
Patty, Well it sounds like you have found a system that works beautifully. Good job! I think it is all about setting boundaries for ourselves and our clients.
Lou, It seems that we all have full schedules right now. Hooray! Gotta love it!
Gabe, A lot of our customers are tax credit buyers that are trying to get in under the deadline.
Rob, I remember when my girls were young, I completely worked my schedule around theirs. I went to every play, dance show, field trip, you name it, I was there. As they have gotten older, I have adjusted as their lives have adjusted and changed. They only grow up once and it is so important to be there for every single thing we can. I feel blessed that I have been able to do that. Now I fill my schedule much fuller than I used to as they are off doing things they enjoy.
Gary, Oh, our family loves Wii time! What a great way to spend some time together. It's so much fun.
B, I'm like you, I work longer hours. I wouldn't know what to do with myself only working half a day.
Mary, Thanks. Real estate is a huge balancing act. We have to be sure we just don't take on too many balls in our hands, so we don't start dropping them.
Great post Sandy. I can relate for sure.
-Paul
Sandy that's the one thing I really don't like about the business. Your time isn't your time.
Balancing/juggling work, family and recreation has always been a major issue for busy real estate professionals.
I remember a number of years ago my family was home, and I was working in a very busy market while trying to maintain and keep it all together! I was making good money, but it seemed the more I made, the more depressed I got. Then one day I came to the realization of why that was. I had been programmed to think that money equated to success and happiness! But I had come to find it wasn't necessarily so. The missing component for me was balance!
Sandy, what a timely post for me right now. So often it's "feast or famine" but balance is so important to keep ones sanity.
Oompa, do everything in your power to maintain that balance. This practically drove me into the ground during my mortgage days.
Paul, Being busy is great, being insane is just nuts.
John, You're right - often it's not. Our time doesn't always belong to us, we must work carefully to adjust our schedules so that we have time for ourselves.
Myrl, I think your comment is so interesting. And I do believe that you can get to the point that you can lose sight of what's really important. This business can bury you, if you let it.
Silvia, I am glad to hear that things are going well for you right now. It seems that we are all crazy busy now. Make sure that you take some time for yourself.
Hey TOTO, So you've been there, you know. We have to work to keep the balance.
Hi Sandy, you have a great post here, and the comments are very beneficial for someone like me who is new to the business. Thanks!
Bruce, When we get out of balance with our business, it throws everything else in our life off kilter. For me, it's important to make sure that I continue to keep certain hours of the day and at least one day of the week for myself (which can sometimes be hard). It keeps me sane.
I don't know if there is a way to find true balance in a real estate career. When the phone is ringing off the hook, you have to work every lead that's coming your way. Because you don't know when the next lull will come. I'm just glad I married a man who appreciates a strong, driven woman, and supports me =) I've just never understood how women with young children are able to do this!
For me, this is what makes life interesting. I love my job!
I wouldn't change a thing Sandy, though I strive to find the balance in my family life just like so many of my professional peers!
Thank you for reminding me that I am not alone!