What time do "real estate hours" begin each day?

I say 8am is reasonable.  Evening is a different story.  I call up to 8pm if it's important.  It just seems that these days, with mobile phones, the whole 8 -5pm things is getting blurry.  I figure if it's after 5pm, whoever I'm calling can let it go to VM if they don't want to talk.   6:30 am - way to early!

Ha! This is a perfect example of why I am so happy to not be a Broker/Owner anymore. The Saturday morning "urgent" call, "Colleen, I'm really concerned, I've been trying to reach "Suzie", is everything ok?" When in fact she had called one time and the agent was with clients. There are some real doozies in our industry aren't there? 

Aren't you glad this is the exception and not the norm.  I will answer after 8am...but when my kids were younger and I would drive them to school--9am.  VERY glad the option period ends now at 5PM and not 11:59pm.

Dear Jason,

My official schedule is 9-9, except Sundays, when I do not start until about 12 or 1. Most days, I am working before then or after then, but even I need to brush my teeth & do laundry once in a while, whether it is necessary or not.

My day officially begins at 8:00 am and usually ends at 8:00 PM.  However, if I have a competitive offer in...I'm happy to take calls into the night if we are negotiating or countering.  I would be really put off if someone was calling me at 6:15 in the morning with the expectation that I take the call....still doing the deep sleep at that time! 

So ironic that I read your post now, as my wife and I were having a discussion re: this very topic just minutes before reading it. These days it doesn't seem like any hour is "out of bounds" for incoming calls. Phones ring 24/7 .. Every day ... During traditional dinner hours, Sunday mornings, middle of the night.
I try to accommodate, within some reason. All I can say is I'm thankful for a very understanding wife ... It can grow old ...
Gene

I hesitate to call anyone before 9 am, and even then there are times when I fear it's a little too early. Every agent has different hours. Seems like the agents with more eperience have earlier hours, while the newer and younger agents have later hours. Either way, it's about being respectful. If an agent calls me early and leaves  a message,  I will return the call early without hesitation. Otherwise, I will wait unti 9. 

Agents IMO should post their hours of service and inform their future clients when initially engaging them. I'm available from 9am to 6pm most days except Sundays.

Agents who seem desperate or unreasonable in their behavior or actions indicate a lack of preparation and planning and therefore a cause for consternation, wouldn't you agree? 

I get up at 5 every morning and start work about 6 or so.  That work consists of emails, blogs, maybe some CMAs or BPOs. I contact people by phone after 9 because I know most are not morning people!

I wrote a contract one night for a client at 11:00 p.m. LOL I often work into the night and once I texted an agent at midnight so she would have it the next morning. Little did I know that she was in bed, heard it and replied. I was embarassed. NOTE TO SELF - Next time, e-mail or wait until morning. Definitely TOO early before 7:00 a.m. I like 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. better

Imagine Sarah having the nerve to ignore Fred in such an unprofessional manner. OMG
I think Fred needs to get a grip....take a minute or two to breathe.

Taking calls after 9am and accepting voice mail or text after 7pm.  We all need boundaries and must create some for harmony in our respective lives.

Even if Sarah took the call at 645am, she most likely would not be calling the seller at that hour to discuss the offer. Multiple calls is out of the zone!  Is Fred desparate for business.

Many successful people takes calls before the staff arrives and I can,, at times, call 730 to 830am and/or 630pm to 730pm when its a commercial transaction.  This may be the only way to get past the gate keeper.

Early mornings are times for preparation, meditation, exercise or whenever you decide the office is open for business.

I totally agree with you! That agent was rude and inconsiderate. Some clients have tried to reach me before 8am and after 10pm...it's not that urgent!!

Generally I use 8:30am as a start time and no calls after 9pm. Sunday morning and holidays--be considerate!

I agree with 9:00am.  I don't generally answer before 9am.  This morning I checked my email early and we have a client on a cruise who was trying to sign a document and was about to leave port.  I called my agent who was in charge of that deal at 8:26 and I apologized to him for calling so early, but that it was urgent we reach her before she goes out to sea.  I felt badly calling that early.

I have noticed we get agents calling us annoyed that they couldnt' reach our sellers to make appointments to view their home (buyers agents call sellers directly here generally).  When we ask when they called it was usually within the last 15 minutes.  Or sometimes people call my husband first and then call me annoyed that he didn't answer his phone (he ALWAYS answers his phone between 8a-7p unless he is tied up somehow and they have not even given a chance to get back to him.  Maybe it stems from the bad reputation that agents have gotten that they never answer their phones or call back, but in some scenerios the expectation is crazy - like your example.  No way I answer my phone that early, not a chance.  I'm still sleeping..... -Kasey

This reminds me of a lesson I always told my daughters.   When this type of thing happens it's seldom about the recipient but always about the caller.  It's their time, their offer, their business.  I would never want to answer a call at that time.  But if  I saw the call at 7 am and was just rising, seeing 9 missed calls, I'd call before I was getting ready for work.  

Unfortunately in this day and age, we are "on" so much more thanks to technology.  

And my day usually starts at 8 am, sometimes earlier.  And in the summer when it's broad daylight at 5:30 am in Arizona, we start much earlier!

It's not unusual for agents to call after 8AM, even if the sun isn't up.  However, one time I was negotiating an offer and the selling agent sent a counter at 8:30PM on a Saturday night, "this offer is null and void if we do not have written seller response by 11:59PM xx/xx/xxxx."  

I called her back to inquire if we were in a hostage situation, or if someone might die if I couldn't find the seller on a Saturday night.  The agent respresented her son, a commercial real estate broker.  That tripped my switch, "You get your adult child on the phone and tell him that I understand that he doesn't answer his business phones between 5Pm Friday and 10AM on Monday morning, so why is his hair on fire at 8:30 on a Saturday night?" We did get the deal done.

Thanks for sharing this story. Unrealistic requests are not unusual during the day of a real estate professional.

I had a client call me at 6:20 am.  I called her back and asked that she not call me before 8:00 in the future.  Not only did she not understand, she was mad at me. To make matters worse, it was a cheap rental listing.

It's good to have set hours and stick to them.  It's how you can separate your personal life/time from business and not negatively impact your family/love life.  Plus, as a professional, we need to set expectations and boundaries for ourselves and clients and colleagues.  Otherwise we're just on someone else's leash.  We come when the leash is jerked.

In front of the ATM (my computer station) at 5:30 am getting ready to set up listing appointments for you!