Finding work-life balance as a real estate agent has never been easy, but now, with many agents working from home, it’s even harder to draw a line between work and relaxation. Whether you find yourself working all the time or struggling to get started, here are some tactics you can try to help you create a better balance.
Make Your Day Have a Hard Stop
Being that the nature of the real estate business is time consuming and does not have a “set schedule,” many agents cannot commit to a time when they are fully off the clock. New leads need to be addressed, contracts negotiated, and showings scheduled. While these are important to manage, it does not mean that you have to be glued to your work.
Choose a time when you’re officially done for the day. Take this time to change your clothes, go for a walk, or cruise social media to create a shift into the “off” portion of your day. That way, even if you do end up doing various odd tasks for your business, you can slide back into your downtime more easily once any miscellaneous tasks are done.
Breaks Are Necessary
If you find yourself trying to get something done, but also getting distracted during the process, try taking a break. Taking a short break to complete a non-work-related task can give you a taste of productivity, so that when your break is over, you’re ready to come back focused and ready to start crossing items off your to-do list.
Focus
Knowing you accomplished everything you intended to, or at least made your best effort, makes it easier to disengage from your business at the end of the day. When you work from home it can be tempting to push tasks back until later in the day. Create a work routine and stick to it. Time management techniques such as time blocking, making to-do lists, and delegating are more important than ever! Learn more about Getting Your Calendar Under Control here!
Make Distance From Your Workspace
If you’re still working from home, it can be hard to feel like you’re ever really off work. Instead of working from various rooms in your house, designate a specific space to work from. Whether this is in the office, living room, or kitchen table, stick to that space every day. That way, at the end of the day, you can still enjoy that “leaving the office” feeling when you leave your work area. Whether you take a walk around the neighborhood or just move to the other side of the room, creating some physical distance between yourself and your workspace can help you disengage at the end of the day.
Looking for more ways to get your work-life balance back under control? Join the Secrets of Top Selling Agents Facebook Group to connect with agents across the country. You’ll also be able to access Facebook Live Q&A sessions with real estate’s top coaches and experts.
Mark Mathis is vice president of Sales for Homes.com. For more information, please visit marketing.homes.com.
