How difficult is it to work in real estate now?

Real Estate Agents: How many hours per day do you work in the office and how many hours at home?

• I will be working full time as an agent when my son goes back to school. I want to put my all into building my real estate business, but I also went into the field for the flexibility. I plan to work in the office 9am-2pm, so that I can pick my son up. Then I plan to work from home during the evening. I am new to the business, so I have no clients right now. When I finally do get clients, I plan to put in the work during 9am-2pm Mon-Fri and all day Sat and Sunday. I also would be able to work with clients after 5:30pm Mon-Fri when my husband gets off of work. Does this sound like a schedule for success? Do you put in more hours?

• Answer:

  What about time for the family? I have been in this business for 17 years. And with the weird hours I work, I have found that I need to give my wife and kids the first chance at my schedule. Granted, I'm mostly in new home sales, with models that are open 11-5. And I do work weekends. However, I RARELY ever take night appts. This is the time I have dinner with the family and help with homework, put the kids to bed and spend time with my wife. I have an appt book that I block out apps slots for at the beginning of each month. The FIRST appts I write in are family obligations and date nights with wife and even with each child. I treat these "appointments" the same as I would working with a client. They are firm. If a buyer wants to meet, I give them slots I have available to meet and I NEVER!!!! give away a family appt just so that I can meet with the client. (You wouldn't do this if you had another client booked at the same time slot). I have found that buyers that want to meet after work, etc are not as motivated as buyers that will take time off work to tour houses, etc. When a person wants to meet after work, they are using time that doesn't cost them anything. It' would have been either looking at homes or at home cutting the grass, etc. However, when a client takes time off work, I know they are motivated. This appt is cost them money and they are far less likely to waste time. Have I lost sales because of this. Maybe a few over the past years. BUT!!! I have a very happy wife and kids that KNOW that I put them first. I have found that the most important aspect of this business is time management. I do a lot of work from home: like computer work, etc. When I'm in the office, it's to meet clients. When I'm driving home, I make my phone calls. At night, I work on email, etc. I you are a resale agent, you shouldn't be spending 5 hours a day in the office. You need to be out in the field; visiting houses, networking, etc. What you can do at the office, you can do at night. As for weekends. If your husband works mon-friday with Sat/Sun off, you need to to take either sat or sun to be with the family and husband.