The real estate industry is characterized by being fast-paced and customer-facing. In a world where we are constantly “on” for our customers, it can be difficult to remember to take time for yourself. When we forget to practice self-care, we can quickly find ourselves feeling exhausted, isolated, undervalued, and easily irritated while at work. This is what is commonly referred to as burnout. Now that we have defined burnout, the question remains: what do we do and how can we avoid this feeling in the new home sales industry? The good news is that burnout is preventable and manageable.
Let us first look at common causes of burnout, as identified by Harvard Business Review. Burnout can happen for a variety of reasons but one of the most common in our line of work is a discrepancy between workload and capacity. There are seasons in the new home sales industry that are busier than others. When there is a mismatch between the work you can handle and the work you currently have, the first thing you should do is reach out to your sales leader or direct manager. They can help you determine how to prioritize your workload and which items can be delegated. You can also use time management skills, such as calendar blocking, to determine what you have time for in your day.
In our current climate, the lines between work and home are becoming more and more blurred. This leads to another common cause of burnout in new home sales — perceived lack of control. Let’s face it, there is a lot in our work environment that is not within our control. For this reason, it is vital to take inventory of which situations cause you to feel like you are not in control. Once you have identified this, you can start to create an action plan for what to do when these situations come up. While working virtually or even semi-in person, Harvard Business Review also suggests that it’s important to focus on the highest priority work, create physical boundaries between your work and personal space, and define the times you will be working and the times you will “clock” out.
By first identifying burnout, you can strategically identify what needs to be done to get past this hurdle and get back to having that balance you’re looking for. With the information above and tips for breaking through burnout, you can better determine how to balance your workload and get back to being the new home sales rockstar you are!
