OREA's article "Surviving the busy spring season" published earlier this year takes a look on the spring season on real estate market, which is one of the busiest periods of the year for real estate agents. In the article, Julie and other agents talk about their daily routines and things that help them to keep up the pace with the stress of the job.
Julie's part:
To the general public, spring means flowers in bloom, warmer temperatures and sunshine. For REALTORS®, however, spring is one of the busiest times of the year — a period that requires extra thought and energy.
Julie Kinnear, a Toronto REALTOR® with 22 years of experience, is equal to the challenge and prepares accordingly.
"Managing time is a key," Kinnear says. "I subscribe to time blocking. I do a specific task for a certain amount of time and then I stop – and that includes appointments. Otherwise, I can get caught up in things that aren't productive."
Kinnear starts each day with a routine designed to make the day most productive.
"When I wake up," says Kinnear, "I don't look at emails, texts or the phone; instead, I read something spiritually inspirational. I'm programming my brain to be in a positive place."
After breakfast, Kinnear writes in her journal for 15 minutes before taking her dog for a walk. "These activities are all meant to help with sanity," Kinnear says. "If you don't have kids, a pet is great, because they are routine-oriented and our business is not. They need your attention and help keep you grounded."
Once she has had this time to herself, Kinnear is ready to face the day. Although she prefers to get difficult tasks out of the way first, "what happens is that I end up working on the urgent things. Having administrative help really improves the quality of the client experience because it allows for consistency, and it increases your business, because a lot of administrative things get done."
Although it can be frustrating to be tied to the office during the lovely weather, Kinnear makes a point of looking at her annual calendar each January. She then schedules holidays for periods throughout the remainder of the year, booking them and notifying her colleagues in advance. That way she ensures that she takes vacation and can look forward to those times, since everyone is informed in advance. Otherwise, she says those holidays may not happen.
"It can be hard during the spring since your days aren’t balanced, but vacation counterbalances the spring because one is all work and the other is all play," Kinnear says. She also believes strongly in exercising and getting outdoors, because "you need to be able to handle the hours, the pace and the stress of running around. Think of these activities as part of your job, rather than as leisure per se."
Read the full article here - Surviving the Busy Spring Season
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