Take Five: 5 Ways to Avoid Burnout

We’re coming into the fourth quarter of the year, when many agents begin to wind down their lead generation. Why? Often, they’re beginning to feel the first symptoms of burnout. Burnout is a common affliction in real estate that affects agents at all levels of experience. It’s no surprise that it’s one of the top reasons for failure in business.

In my experience, people burn out when they’re “on” all the time and “follow the dollars,” rather than focusing on what they enjoy about the business and the “why” behind their work. Here are some tips to help you manage your energy, maintain a healthy business and avoid Burnout City.

Remember why you got into the business. If you’re like many agents, you got into the real estate business to help people; you liked the idea of being your own boss; or you wanted an opportunity to spend more time and energy with your family.

Whatever your reason, lean into it when you begin to feel burned out. Then, use this newfound energy to connect with your clients, either by phone, text, email or in-person. When you contact them, look for a need you can fill, such as connecting them to a professional or tradesperson in your network. Follow up with your clients afterward and continue to deepen your relationship.

Take control of your time. One of the best ways to protect your energy is to take control of how you spend your time. Many agents, however, fear that if they set boundaries, their business will suffer. After all, what if a client asks a question late at night or when you’re coaching your child’s soccer team?

The key is to determine your schedule and let people know when you’re available. Most of your clients will honor your boundaries—and respect you more for having them.

Set priorities. When you know what’s important to you, you can spend your time more efficiently because you’re not distracted by other less-important tasks throughout the day.

Review your to-do list each day and pinpoint the top one or two priorities on your list. These are the top tasks of the day, whether it’s checking in with your current buyers and sellers or scheduling lunch with a top client.

Go hard, then rest. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and rest ensures that you have the energy to give your best to your clients and those around you. In addition to taking breaks throughout the day, take at least one day off per week to recharge, as well as long weekends or vacations throughout the year.

Tap into the rhythm of the market. Real estate is cyclical. Although lead generation is a year-round activity, there are times of the year when it makes sense to ramp up your activities, including the beginning of the year, midsummer and fourth quarter. Connect with your database, especially your top-referring clients, during these periods of the year. This will ensure that you’re at the top of their minds to refer you.

In between these periods, schedule “active rest.” It doesn’t mean you stop generating leads, but rather, you focus on closing the business you generated during your sprint and maintaining your relationships with your past and current clients, as well as your referrals.

Brian Buffini immigrated to San Diego from Ireland in 1986 and became a top performing REALTOR®. He then founded Buffini & Company to share his powerful lead-generation system. Buffini & Company has trained over three million people in 37 countries and coaches more than 25,000 business pros. Today, Brian’s a New York Times best-selling author and reaches over 1 million listeners a year through “The Brian Buffini Show” podcast. For more information, please visit www.buffiniandcompany.com.