Like everyone else, I have a list of unfinished projects that need addressing. I’m not really talking about things that I want to do or am planning to do, but projects that have already been set into action, with money spent and time invested.
The unfinished items include everything and anything from some incomplete home improvements to revamping several websites to getting better organized.
As the list continues to get longer and longer, I have dismissed my inability to keep up as a natural occurrence commensurate with my age. Perhaps I am slowing down a bit as time takes its toll.
But I am not ready for the retirement home yet, and I’m pretty robust for my years. So I came to the realization that my inability to keep up with these activities is actually related to my work as a real estate broker.
Very simply put; the real estate business demands a lot more time than in years past. Not only does it take a lot more effort to generate leads and create new business, but transactions in progress require substantially more work than in the past.
It is not uncommon to spend an hour a day on each transaction that is already “in the drawer,” two to three hours doing online marketing and social networking, and another hour scrubbing leads and following up on prospects.
That’s not counting the actual hardcore business of preparing listing presentations, scheduling showings, and actually meeting with clients to list a home or to show property. It makes for some very long work days.
This leaves very little remaining time to complete all of these unfinished business and personal projects that I have started.
There are just not enough hours in the day!
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Richard:
That is so true and why I am re-evaluating my business, out sourcing tasks and hiring an assistant.
Kelly in the KEYS
Richard, The amount of time consumed in real estate has pushed us more towards hiring people to do things we would have formerly done ourselves (e.g. cleaning/staining the deck). Our time has value, and some projects are so seasonal there's no waiting until we are available to do them!
Good morning Richard,
Good mental health in this business is crucial. I have learned to outsource some tasks and maintain a full time assistant..there is no way I could handle the business I do, enjoy traveling with my husband and enjoy my grandkids and family. The money spent is worth every penny!! At any age we can not do it all!!
Kelly...
An excellent approach... I had an assistant in the "good old days!" THX
Liz...
For the first time in my life, I have hired someone to mow the lawn. It feels weird! Thanks so much.
Dorie...
Prices are so low here, it's hard to afford an assistant. And a $30,000 house takes as much time as a $300,000 house. No wait, it usually takes more! Thanks my friend.
Make some super points Richard. But in many ways the delivery to more folks quicker, more
completely and with less time involved helps with software, short cuts learned here on AR.
Example, back in 1980, contracts walked in to attorney, banks, black and white poloroids peeled back and ad to local paper hand delivered. Now faxes, scans save that step.
Video delivers show and tell with sound and quick delivery of how the property pieces fit. What the community is like because the buyer is not just local anymore.
An ever changing industry this real estate dog and pony career is says Yoda.
There never seems to be enough time to catch up. I just added a licensed assistant to my staff to help with some of the workload.
Tom
Richard...The internet age has created much more work in the long run. When I look back, Real Estate was a lot easier and much less time consuming even just 5-6 years ago. SEND ME BACK IN TIME!!!!
Time to evaluate those waiting projects and ask if you really want to continue with them or not. If they are languishing on the desk for a while-how important are they? I have often done this when I realize they were great ideas but new ideas are more important to do.
Tony,the pile of materials on that job site looks like the pile of papers on my desk
Richard, I hear ya, loud and clear. I couldn't hire an assistant, that's for sure. It's all up to me.
We're working twice as hard for the same dollar these days. My "List O' Plenty" seems to grow daily!
Richard, I try to tell my real estate investors about the law of diminishing return...when these guys insist of painting or cleaning out a rental , but his real job suffers due to him playing handy man-or the work doesn't get done quickly and we lose a months rent...the guy is being penny wise and pound foolish. Work on the things that make you money and hire someone for the other list.
Richard
It appears by the photo your efforts have paid off
Let us know when your new office is complete
Enjoy the day
Oh me too! Everytime I think I am about to tackle something and get it off my list something else pops up that MUST be done. Right now I am in "keep up" mode. Just keeping up with the laundry is a challenge!
Richard - you hit the nail on the head with this comment ... two to three hours doing online marketing and social networking. This is the added activity to our job that is taking so much more of our time than before.
I agree with you 100%. It seems like every part of our business is getting more and more difficult and time consuming. It basically has to be babysat from beginning to end, with no stop in the middle.
Oh yeah!! And the hardest part can be evaluating whether something on the to do list is important to do. I've definitely realized some things just don't actually need to be done - or not by me - and let them go! (That being said, the pile on my desk is NOT getting smaller - LOL)
Hi Richard!
My daughter swears that there needs to be 27 hours in a day to get all of her real estate and personal life stuff done. I have been facilitating the changeover from Windermere Dunnigan Realtors back to Dunnigan Realtors and helping 50 agents in the process, so my business is pretty much non-existent and the moment. After 2 months of new business cards, new signage both on buildings and open house, listing signs), internet changes, advertising and other assundry stuff, I am just about done. I can finally start working on my own business again...but 27 hours in a day sure would have helped!
As soon as I read the line where you were attributing the unfinished projects to your age, I was going to say it had to be your career. I know that I have many more unfinished projects lying around the house than I did before starting my career in real estate.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like this line of work always puts me behind with the rest of the thing in my life. As I read this, I'm trying to cross off items off my to-do list from 2 weeks ago...good thing Active Rain was on there or maybe I wouldn't have read this.