So, you want to get away, but you're a Realtor and business would implode without you, your clients would be lost, income would shutoff? Ah our egos would like to believe that, but the truth is, lfe goes on without us and sopmetimes with less complications when the chaos junkie (I mean Realtor) goes on vacation. So take a vacation! We need one true day off per week to recharge, and at this point in my career, I need 1 week per quarter or 2 weeks every other quarter where I do not read e-mails, answer my phone/text nor solve other peoples' problems. Here's what I do:
1. When I go on vacation, I plan them for when I'm annually slower, it's less stressful to leave. For me lately, it's late February and early October when I go, twice per year. That chages as the markets change, but October is non-negotiable, it's my wedding anniversary month.
2. When I go, I GO! I do not check e-mauls, do not answer my phone...if I do, I simply didn't go away.
3. I work with an assitant to vacation proper. In the beginning I used a professional office & temp company, the last 7 years I have an assistamt. My assitant becomes your phone, e-mail and hub to other team members.
4. I arrange to have an agent, or at times 2 agents I trust and would mutually do this for, help me. They manage your listings, they service your buyers.
5. I have a trade-out agreement with one agent that we watch each other's listings; no fees just favor for favor when we go away and we coordinate our vacations well in advance.
6. I have a different agent, one I'm grooming to be my buyers' agent, service all my buyers. I offer him gas cards & percentages, depending on what occurs and what he actually does while I'm away. This can be a trade-out with a newer agent, but I find it motivates them more to compensate their time & fuel, regardless.
7. 3 Days before I go, I have an "expectations meetings" with my team: What I want each to do and handle while you are a way. And, what constitutes an urgent matter or emergency that warrants calling my bride's cell phone (mine is OFF the entire vacation). This team includes my sales manager.
8. 7 days before I leave: I do a group e-mail to all my clients, explaining who's covering them while I'm away and that I'm off the grid and I can't be reached by them, they need to call my assistant or associates covering me and ultimately they have the comfort of knowing my manager is over seeing all this.
9. I give my Team a list of my active buyers, listings and service providers to call should a need arise or escrow open. My assistant knows, that when a problem arises that she can't handle, or a deal is going to die a certain death, to call my manager (not me yet), and see if she can fix it. My manager, who's aware I'm going away, supports my off the grid position and agrees to handle what my team can't...because she knows I work hard and need this to remain a top producer.
10. My cell is off and no laptops on vacation, yes, seriously-OFF. I give my wife's cell # to my manager, & assistant only as an emergency #. My TC, associates & clients need to funnel through my "gate keepers". I go and enjoy 10-14 days away with not stress.
Oh by the way, been doing this for the last 5 years now, twice per year and I come back from Ireland, Italy, Hawaii, Catalina Island, etc. rested and it takes 20-30 minutes to get up to speed in a meeting with my team, (at a pre-planned meeting I scheduled before I left.)
It's a lot of work to organize before I go, but worth it when vacations are enjoyed, uninterrupted and I come back to business as usual, completely recharged for another 3-6 months of go, go, go! But I do take Sundays off and close my phone nightly by 6:30pm, I have for 10 years+ and I'm able to go hard teach week because of it.
It Can Be Done!
Image courtesy of [njaj] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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