Seven Strategies for Boosting Mental Well-Being & Productivity

For all the achievements and rewards a profession in real estate delivers, there are also plenty of challenges and demands. We often contend with high stress levels, wide swings in client emotions, and long hours that require a tremendous amount of sacrifice and dedication.

In fact, according to a survey by the National Association of REALTORS®, more than 50% of real estate professionals said they felt stressed due to their workload. Additionally, real estate professionals who work more than 50 hours a week are at a higher risk of experiencing burnout.

Simply put, to build a long and successful career in real estate, one must take care of their mental well-being. These seven helpful strategies from REALTOR® Magazine will improve your mental health and even help boost productivity.

Communicate clearly and precisely

Let’s be honest: Your typical home financing experience is fraught with the unexpected. Clients want to work with an industry professional who stays in constant touch during the numerous steps of the home financing process. This means connecting the way a client wishes—whether it’s phone, email, text message, or video conferencing—and when the client is most available. Also, no matter which method is being used to communicate, your messaging should be clear and easily understandable to the recipient while striking the right balance between personable and professional. 

Of course, there is more to solid communication than just touching base and providing information. A successful industry professional carefully listens to a client’s concerns, asks the right questions to identify their needs, and then introduces effective solutions.  

Be open to continuous learning

Homeownership is an important responsibility, and those of us in the real estate industry empower our clients with the knowledge to make informed, responsible decisions. One impactful way to achieve this is by committing yourself to being a life-long learner and skill-seeker.  

Our ever-changing industry—with its new real estate laws, emerging technologies, and fluctuating market conditions—means it’s essential that you devote time to professional learning and development. You can:

• Join industry associations and regularly attend events.
• Make a habit of reading e-newsletters, blogs, trade journals, and magazines.
• Frequently connect with colleagues, partners, and clients to discuss current market trends. 

Strive for accuracy

This does not mean striving to be perfect. Attempting to achieve perfectionism can create excessive stress and anxiety, hinder productivity, and prevent you from learning and growing. Follow these three helpful tips to better stay on point:

• Prioritize. Identify which tasks are more urgent and which can be completed later in your workday or workweek or even assigned to a colleague.
• Avoid multi-tasking. You typically accomplish less when your brain is switching back and forth between tasks. Pick one task to work on and put your best effort into accomplishing it. And if necessary, set a time limit for working on a specific task so you can take a break.
• Set aside uninterrupted time. If there is a particular task that needs to be finished immediately, setting aside time to completely focus on its completion is often the best course of action.

Think flexibly

Thinking flexibly means you are comfortable with considering situations from multiple perspectives, are willing to adjust your thinking based on new information, and are open to different solutions or approaches. 

One impactful way to cultivate a flexible mindset is to embrace the calm-think-act approach. To start, relax your mind and body so you can think effectively. Next, consider multiple possibilities that could fix your problem. Lastly, put your plan into action. 

Manage impulsivity

In a work setting, impulsivity can manifest as rash responses, poor self-control in team settings, and challenges with task prioritization. Managing impulsivity is essential in the real estate industry, as doing so enables us to make better decisions and avoid costly mistakes. Creating a more structured workplace environment will give you clearer routines and expectations while reducing uncertainties and moments of impulsivity.

Persist, persist, persist

Even in the face of uncertainty and change, the most successful professionals in our industry push forward to meet their business goals and the goals of their clients.

With the first quarter ending, spring is an ideal time to adjust and revise the goals you established at the beginning of the year. And if you did not set any goals? Well, it is never too late to get started. A detailed list of objectives can help you be more successful—objectives such as scheduling two listing appointments per week, posting on social media daily, and following up with leads within three days.

Embracing the concept of downtime is also key to accomplishing goals. Even though we live in a world where it is possible to work 24/7, 365 days a year, stepping away to make time for family, friends, outside activities, etc., is essential. Simply put, there’s a tremendous upside to embracing downtime—from boosting productivity and creativity to restoring focus and energy to improving mental and physical health.

Actively listen

Being an active listener means that you not only give your clients and partners plenty of opportunity to communicate without interruption but that you also fully understand what they are saying. The professional benefits of being an active listener are many—from building strong, healthy relationships to resolving conflicts more effectively to ensuring better decision-making by all parties involved in a real estate transaction.

Following these impactful strategies will help ensure your year is the healthiest and most successful one yet.