One of the first things I discuss with my clients when we first sit down and start talking about working together is Realtor Time™. What is Realtor Time™? I’m so glad you asked.
The thing is, in real estate we often have very little control over our schedules or when things happen, so we have to be ready to work at all times. Also, we have to control what we can. I might be in the office till 7pm (like yesterday) and on my drive home be talking with the other agent (like yesterday) and then once I get to my house be typing up an addendum based on the conversation and getting it signed around by 9pm. This is totally normal for me in my work life.
So I tell my clients that I work on Realtor Standard Time™. This means that when it is 9am for other people it is 6am Realtor Time™. So if you’re going to call me at 9am, it better be super important. That said, if we are at my office writing up a deal at 7pm, it’s no big deal because it’s only 4pm Realtor Time™. When you text me at 9pm at night because you’re so excited about a house you’re just going to burst- no need to apologize, it’s only 6pm Realtor Time™ and I’m probably just getting home.
Other agents sometimes give me crap about Realtor Time™, because they wake up at 5am and are at the office by 7am. This probably has something to do with the median age of Realtors being between 55 and 60 years old. I think people that wake up early are awesome, but that’s never going to be me. The important thing is to communicate with your clients and your team about how you work.
When you start working with an agent, have a conversation about when you like to be contacted and by what method. If you’re in a partnership, specify who the point man is going to be. Make sure the Realtor you are working with gets your rhythms and will be able to work in sync with you.
