How to be a happy Realtor - Time management and balancing your life

This week I had an interesting conversation with an agent in my office who has been in the business for just about one year. The agent had just closed on a difficult transaction and our conversation turned to customer service and making sure that clients are happy after the transaction closes. This particular agent consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty in communicating to clients. A characteristic that is admirable, but if not managed, will lead to burn out and excessive stress.

I took the opportunity to share with the agent some of my thoughts on time management, and so I thought I would share them here too.

First of all, I think it is important to always establish expectations at the outset of a relationship. Let the client know what days and hours you work, in what time frame you will return calls and emails, then, adhere to that schdule. I learned very early in my career that people would treat me the way I trained them to treat me. If I answered my phone at 9:00 at night, that would be when they would call me. Don't let your clients steal your personal time. You need that time to be better able to serve them when you are working.

Organization is the key to time management. Any successful agent I have ever known has had solid systems in place for staying organized. Using a contact management program such as Outlook, is a great way to stay on top of your time. Personally, if I think there is a chance that I will need to schedule an appointment when returning a phone call, I will not make the call until I have my calendar in front of me. All of my emails, contacts and tasks are in one place. I don't know how I ever managed without the systems I have now.

Finally, I can't stress enough how important it is to create balance in your life. An agent who worked for me several years ago had an amazing year, was the top agent in the office and was simply setting the real estate world on fire. However, the time the agent was spending in the office was taking a toll on his personal life and relationship with his family. At the end of the year, the agent came to me with a business plan that floored me. The agent was actually planning on scaling back is business, letting his personal assitant go and spending more time with family. Six months later the agent shared with me that he was happier than he had ever been, by cutting costs, he was taking more money home and his wife was expecting a baby. And the best part is that he actually did more business because he was happier!

A true success story of how balance in your life can make you BETTER at what you do and HAPPIER! Embrace it!