We Give and We Give and Still...

Jim-

I have to disagree with you a on a few points here; not all--just a few.  I think that just because an agent has "office hours" doesn't mean that that agent is a bad agent so long as they are full-time and don't put real estate on the back burner.  A good example is when an agent may put on their e-mails or business cards that they are in the office (or working) on Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and are available on weekends by appt. only.  A bad example is when an agent works on M/W/F b/c they are working their "real" job on Tu/Th and weekends.  That's a recipe for disaster. 

So, I TOTALLY agree with you that for those agents who do not view real estate as a career that they will most likely not do as well as they could if they DID view it as a career.  My thoughts are that those agents who are part-time--they either need to jump in completely and not just "test the waters" or give up completely and get out and do something that is an actual job where they get paid just based on number of hours worked for whatever mindless activity they can get paid for. 

I don't equate career with "giving up my life" for something.  I DO equate a career with meaning that you MUST learn as much as possible about whatever endeavor you're into (real estate!) and continue to learn to get mastery over the easy stuff and also try to gain mastery over specific/niche/specialized things, too.  Perfect practice makes perfect.  While some people have been in the r e game for a long time, the minute they stop learning, then they're on their way out b/c things change so quickly now. 

And, no, real estate is not a job unless you get paid a salary or work on an hourly basis--but THAT'S no fun!  We choose a career (not job) like this b/c we, for whatever reason, like the sometimes unpredictability and being self employed; the being able to schedule ourselves.  Not everyone is suited for this type of career.  Back to career--Many highly-paid professionals have office hours and I believe most agents should, too.  When I first started in real estate, I DID work all hours and answer the phone even in the middle of the night.  I got completely burnt out and had very little business to show for all my readiness to help people.  Plus, I answered the phone one evening during dinner time.  My 1 year-old started choking on a piece of food, turned purple, and I was STILL on the phone and asked the person on the line to "please, hold on."  Okay--so I wouldn't have won "Mother of the Year" that month but according to what you wrote above, I wouldn't have been a good agent if I hadn't answered my cell phone. 

Would it have been poor customer service to leave a voicemail message that I was busy until after 7 p.m. and would be returning phone calls after that?  I don't think so.  I think it's prudent to let people know up front when you are/are not typically available during the day and week so they know what to expect.  Plus, you CAN actually answer the phone at times when you normally wouldn't, if it is convenient. 

I agree that we must "merge" our personal lives with our business lives at times.  But not always.  Yes, sometimes business and personal times will intermingle--we're social animals and the best agents have a large social network usually.  Times when I only want family time are off-limits for business.  An example is going to the park with my family.  Heck, no; I'm not bringing my phone to answer it.  I'm just there to have fun.  BUT, I bring it b/c if we meet a new family and the conversation turns to what I do, I have it to get names/numbers/e-mails.  So, I also agree with you that we as agents must "infuse" a lot (not all) of our personal life with our business life.  I see agents who continue to wear their nametags to the grocery store; it even works for some to generate business, which is cool, I think.   

So, I think that there's a time for business and a time for personal stuff.  Sometimes those worlds collide in a good way.  Sometimes they just collide.  I have found that at least for me, if I don't schedule my on-purpose business time, then other stuff will intrude on that time and I get nothing done.  It actually helps me to be MORE productive, working less hours--believe it or not.  It's counter-intuitive but I really am more productive in less time.  I'm more focused, on purpose, and have a need to complete the tasks I've set for myself during that time.  The times when I am purposely NOT working on my business is either for my family or for me.  My wind-down time or fun time.  When I don't take that time, I can't perform at my best for my customers.  So, it's better for me to have time for business and time for non-business activities. 

Just my two cents.  Wew, can't believe I wrote that much...  Now, Wednesday is my day off, so of course I'm on the computer looking up properties.  He he.  'Nite.