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Where's your SPACE?

Where do you reside as a Realtor in your community?

For over a year I have worked from my home office, which I love to bits.

Here I have everything I need to run my business in the way I like ~ Going into our KW office for meetings, training, floor duty and office tour, but never formally to my very own office space.

In a market where it seems many Realtors are cutting costs and expenses, moving home and leaving their office space behind to collect dust... I found I had a strong desire to get more involved in the comings and goings of KW Valley Realty.

What was holding me back? Thoughts of:

Can I afford it?
Would I put it to good use?
Is this the best use of my time?
I do most of my calling while driving...
Are there too many distractions at the office?

I decided that what was holding me back was really just a self limiting belief. A belief that I shouldn't formally have a space outside of my home, to call my own! This is crazy! It sounds crazy to me, yet I kinda thought it... To commit to my career, may mean to lose flexibility ~ after all that is what I really love about selling real estate.

Or maybe a belief that I hadn't earned it yet... that was possibly more so the reason ~ My productivity level needed to WARRANT the move???

The responsibility of being accountable, daily time blocking my hours of productivity, and doing so in a manner that is separated completely from the many distractions (and comforts) of home fills me with a nervous excitement.

Does this mean no more weekly coffee group with 'Mommy & Me'?

Now that I've made the MOVE... which seemed like more of a LEAP, I'm extremely pleased with the results!

I've added 9 hours a week of lead generation and I come home at the end of the day with a sense of really having accomplished many of the things that contributed to my 'night owl' syndrome before.

With that being said we are taught to LEAD WITH REVENUE!

If sending flyers out to a certain area brings you business, then that is $$$ justifiably spent.

But in this case I didn't know what I didn't know!

I didn't know that being in the office not just cost me money, but directly effected the way I do business. I will treat every minute more golden from this point forward

Posted by Katie Van Nes ~ Real Estate Consultant ~ Keller Williams Elite Realty on 01/29/2009 04:22 AM

Comments (16)

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16 Comments on Where's your SPACE?

JAN

Katie, it sounds like you made a good move. You're right. A lot of times it's just US getting in our own way. Good for you for getting beyond that. Best of luck.

Many agents are going to the home office to cut costs. Smart move to survive

Katie now when you come home can you leave your work behind and turn into a normal person? I office from my home and my development. I have wondered if I stop using my home would I feel more like the work day is over.

I do visit my office but I workfrom home. I can get more done there than from anywhere in shorter time. No interruptions or chitchat.

great looking office and congrats on the move - I am sure you will thrive in the office setting - is the way I work best as well

I split my weekdays between home and office. Mon and Tue I work from home and Wed and Thu, I go to the office for caravan and sales meeting. I find that I make more contacts when calling from home. Office time is also important to reconnect with colleagues and feel part of a team.

Very nice! you are so organized... will you teach a class! I will come to it!

Your friend in Charlottesville

Charles McDonald

Great looking office Katie! I'm sure you'll get tons of work done there - if I had small children it would be impossible for me to work from home. I admire you for doing it and being so successful at the same time!

ps - LOVE the shelves!

JAN

I have an office in my home on one side of toronto and I run clear across to the other side of the city as Broker of Record, but I don't keep an office there. The mess is bad enough in one place without spreading across the whole city! (and no, I am NOT posting any pics)

Hey! I just noticed your hockey sweater on the shelf. Make sure everyone in your office has their's for FR!

JAN

Absolutely love your office Katie! Its definitely the Hottest office in Town! Keller colours....style and class!

FEB

Maggie: Thanks for the well wishes, another week past and I'm still ‘over the moon' with having this space at the office. What did I ever do without it!???

Russ: I agree many agents have gone home to survive the market & to cut costs, I'm just not sure it would be a smart move for me, we all have commitments and not all of us need an office to stay on task like myself! Actually, some may even find being at the office distracting!

Denise: YES, I do feel a bit more normal. It's funny all our lives we strive to be everything but normal!! I too have a development I work out of Thurs-Sun 1-4 with an office set up in the show home, so I really do not use my home office for anything but... you guessed it... Active Rain! LOL Now with a family of my own, I appreciate coming home and spending nearly every minute here with them.

Laura: Yes the chitchat... must look at snagging a ‘do not disturb' sign whilst at Family Reunion in Florida! LOL

Randall: Thanks for the encouragement Randall! I'm sure you and Matt have a pretty efficient set up yourselves.

Colleen: I like the balance you have there, sounds like it works well for you.

Charles: I don't teach classes on organisation, and my husband may beg to differ on the ‘your so organised comment' I seem to always be running home for my lock box key!

Awwww THANKS JEN! You are such a dear! Yes the little one ~ he likes to come up and turn off the computer while I'm working, HE thinks it's funny.

Rick: Funny I was just going to ask for a pic!

Liz: Yes this office is one hot tamale!

Hey Katie, congrats on the move! I think working at the office does put a bit more focus into work, good job.

FEB

Thanks Jennifer!

MAR

Hi Katie,

Working from home can definitely have it's pitfalls. I have a home office as my physical real estate office has little room for me to work, nor any supplies. I used to work all over the house but this made my home feel chaotic. I have a designated room that is my office and am doing my best to stay in this room while working and close the door when I leave. I have to get myself in the mindset that when I am in that room I am at work.

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