The past 18 months have been unrelenting for real estate agents. A red-hot market, a glut of buyers, overwhelmed sellers — all of it has added up to more work for agents.
Facing heavy demands, some agents have told us they feel exhausted from constantly being on-the-go, resulting in a decreasing drive to hunt for leads, meet new clients, and interact with other agents.
But agents also told us that they have found effective strategies to remain sharp and motivated to serve clients and close deals. If you’re feeling burnt out or just want to avoid feeling overwhelmed, check out how your fellow agents combat the demands of real estate.
1. Schedule Time for Yourself
As his business grew, Chih-Hao Yang, a broker in the Chicago office of FultonGrace, found himself reading and answering emails from the moment he opened his eyes in the morning until the second his head hit the pillow at night.
Before long, Chih-Hao was exhausted. This wasn’t sustainable. It was time for some ground rules.
Now, Chih-Hao turns on his phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature each day at 9 p.m. That puts a pause on notifications until the next morning, which Chih-Hao says has improved his sleep. Chih-Hao also now takes a short vacation at least once every three months to unplug and refresh.
Recently, Chih-Hao has found that jogging along Chicago’s lakefront is an effective way to “take [his] mind off work.” And when those jogs do spark thoughts about real estate, Yang is more excited to do his job well. “Jogging along Lake Michigan in the Chicago summer is a reminder of why my clients love to live by the water,” Yang says.
Real estate isn’t a traditional nine to five, but Chih-Hao has found a way to carve out time in his days that are dedicated to rest and rejuvenation — not answering messages or serving clients.
2. Value Time With Loved Ones
For India Headley, prioritizing personal time is a challenge. India is a Connecticut-based real estate agent at exp Realty, and serves clients in the high-octane New York-area real estate market. She’s also a home improvement contractor and a homeschooling mother whose schedule feels perpetually crammed. “I have so many roles and I am a resource to many,” India says.
Like Chih-Hao, India practices self-care such as turning off her phone before bed and walking away from her desk to take breaks.
Headley has an additional trick: Scheduling regular date nights.
“My husband continuously encourages me and is a great means of support. Love can be our biggest moving force! Who doesn’t want to work with a loving agent?” India asks.
To Headley, family time is an opportunity for rejuvenation. Since agents typically operate independently, a date night with her husband is a reminder to Headley that the world doesn’t “sit on [my] shoulders alone.”
India has found that spending time with loved ones fills up the emotional reserves necessary to be an effective advocate and expert for clients.
3. Automate Tasks When Possible
Judging by Yang and Headley’s experiences, agents have plenty on their plate.
Given all their other responsibilities, agents may also want to consider what tasks they can automate so that they can focus their energy on servicing clients and closing more deals.
The simplest, most centralized method agents use to automate is customer relationship management (CRM) software. CRMs are an online database through which agents can track, manage, and organize their leads.
An agent with a CRM can view which leads they’ve previously contacted, view the messages that have already been exchanged with leads, and automate workflows such as email follow-ups. These capabilities save agents the time, energy, and frustration associated with digging around for information about every individual lead or tracking lead contacts with a cumbersome spreadsheet.
Agents can also use CRM software to sync their own contacts, calendar, and accounting software. This way, agents can keep track of what leads they contact, what deals they close, and what money they’re earning.
Lead generation can also be partially automated, particularly with Homesnap Concierge, in which a team of marketing professionals earns you leads, saves you time, and balances your business goals with the need to be fresh and motivated.