One of the greatest perks of entering the real estate industry is freedom and schedule flexibility, but if you aren’t careful, it can also be one of the greatest challenges. Having the option of working wherever you choose is one of the most sought-after criteria in a career today, heightened by our current digital landscape and the fact that a lot of what we do is online. Avoiding the traffic and trying to find parking is enough to make anyone stay home or work in a local coffee shop, restaurant or patio on a nice summer day. However, I’m here to tell you the four main benefits as to why you should work from your office.
1. Motivation:
One of the biggest benefits of working out of your office is being surrounded by your peers and colleagues. Some of these people have been in the industry for longer than you and may be at a place in their career that you strive to reach. Working alongside these role models can be a big motivator to do better, work harder and achieve higher goals than you originally thought possible.
Everyone is working toward the same goal, to help clients in real estate, whether that is to buy, sell or lease. When working out of the office, you are drawing on this energy and when you see others actively working for their clients, you naturally want to do the same. You’ll be motivated to make one more call, one more post on social media, which could result in one more happy client. This isn’t something you’ll find at home – it’s special to your office.
2. Education:
You can learn a lot from your peers and colleagues. You have the opportunity to hear and have conversations with these people about their experiences, market information, negotiation situations, client relations and more. Working out of your office also provides you with the advantage of being one of the first to discover new listings, exclusives or what is “coming soon” from them. This provides you with a competitive advantage. Having at least one other person to discuss what they are experiencing expands your understanding of the market. If you are missing out on that opportunity, it places you at a disadvantage.
3. Accountability:
As an entrepreneur in real estate, you are your own boss. Admittedly, sometimes we go too easy on ourselves. We are the toughest critics and softest critics of our business when we want to be. This means if you want to, you can convince yourself that doing one less call, attending one less meeting or skipping out on that social media post won’t do any real damage. In reality, it is harming your business and your goals immensely.
By taking the initiative to work inside your office (and speak to your manager/broker) you create accountability. If your manager or broker knows you are planning 10 things to do that day, you are more likely to finish them, simply out of knowing that they may ask. On top of that, we revisit point No. 2 – that when you see others accomplishing their goals, you are more motivated and likely to do the same. Completing those tasks could mean one or two extra deals in the long run, which is definitely worth the extra effort.
4. Focus:
Working from home makes it almost impossible for me to focus for long periods of time. I can convince myself that doing 10 minutes of work justifies a two-hour lunch. Instead of jumping back into work, I find myself cleaning out the fridge, vacuuming, then walking the dog and doing everything other than working on my business. It’s easy to distract ourselves from things that you know you need to do but may not be overly excited to do. By surrounding yourself with people focused on work, in an environment meant for work, you will accomplish so much more than you would at home. Sure, you may be distracted by a conversation or coffee break or two with fellow agents, but even that is an opportunity to learn from what they are experiencing, which is a lot better for your business than scrubbing your toilet.
There is a lot to gain from working in your office, benefits that are not often highlighted, but doing so can create an environment that will help in elevating your business and its success.
Important: All of the above benefits are only applicable if you like and trust the culture of your office. If you are in a space in which you don’t feel comfortable with your colleagues or management team, none of the benefits above can be achieved. It’s important to be in good company that you feel would be helpful in building your business. Only then would you be able to take advantage of the benefits of working in your office.
Kenneth Laroza is the broker of record at PSR Brokerage in Toronto. He has been immersed in the real estate industry for over 16 years. He takes a hands-on approach to his job to see that the company maintains a high level of integrity and works closely with governing associations to ensure the brokerage meets and surpasses industry standards. Visit the PSR website, Kenneth’s blog or email kenneth@psrbrokerage.com.
