Real estate is an amazing industry, isn’t it? It gives people the opportunity to build the lives they’ve always dreamed of while creating a positive impact on their community. But we’d be kidding ourselves if we believe that it’s always wine and roses.
The fact is, those in real estate—like any entrepreneur—run the risk of being consumed by their work. Regardless of the particular cause, being controlled by work is never a sustainable way to live—and, more often than not, it results in needless strain on relationships, families and business.
I’d like you to meet Ashley Alred. She and her team currently serve the Pullman, Washington, and Moscow, Idaho, areas 75 miles south of Spokane. She is a self-professed “small-town girl,” but that hasn’t stopped her from finding widespread success in real estate. Her competitive nature and strong work ethic translate to 80-plus transactions a year, and in 2021, she was named one of RE/MAX’s Top 40 Under 40.
“I was working all the time, and I loved it. it’s addicting, and in our business, the more you work, the more work you have to do.” As she met other top producers from around the country, many were shocked that she was able to do it all herself. She remembers them asking questions like, “What kind of life is that?” and whether she actually loved her husband. “I was like, ‘Well, yeah, why would you ask that?’ To which they responded, ‘Then stop living at work!'”
These comments helped set off a lightbulb. While Ashley loved being in real estate, she realized that if she wasn’t able to set boundaries in her life, real estate might become the only thing in her life. “I was producing,” she says. “But I wasn’t running my business as a business, and it was taking a toll on me and my family.” Her two young daughters wouldn’t be young forever, and they were her priority.
Anyone who’s spent any time in real estate can relate to this predicament. Many agents assume they either have to step away from their business or risk further stress to their families, but Ashley found another solution: coaching. By working with a coach to not only set boundaries around what’s most important, but also establish a team to support her, Ashley feels like she’s found the best of both worlds.
“I have time to breathe and to put me and my family first,” she says. “You have to have a life, and you can be successful in both the professional and personal.”
Real estate is an amazing industry. By setting boundaries around what’s important to you, it’s possible to create the life you want, complete with a career in real estate without major sacrifices.
Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems (385-282-7112), an international speaking, consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and building successful power agents and teams. Contact him at Verl@Workman-SuccessSystems.com, or go to www.WorkmanSuccess.com to learn more.
