Can Real Estate Agents Work From Home?

Let’s take a step back in time. It’s March 2020, and the Covid-19 pandemic is spreading quickly worldwide. Countries are implementing strict measures to contain the virus, including social distancing, travel restrictions, and stay-at-home orders. 

Covid – 19 caused a lot of businesses to require their employees to work from home.  

Working from home allows us to create our own working environment, which can help boost productivity and work-life balance. It also allows us to save on commute time and be more efficient with our time.

On the contrary. It can be difficult to stay motivated and productive when you’re working from home. In this article, we will go over the pros and cons of working from home. And more importantly, which is right for you in the real estate industry. 

 

The pros of working from home

 

Let’s be real, no matter where you’re working from, you’re still doing just that: working.

With that said, let’s take a look at some of the classic benefits of telecommuting!

1. Flexible schedule: You can take breaks at any moment, feel no rush to hang up on your family members when they call, and eat lunch at any weird time you want.
2. Custom environment: Set up your noise level just the way you want it — somewhere between insanely quiet to being at the front row of a Lady Gaga concert. And if you’re mindful of your workspace ergonomics, you can create a stronger rhythm for your workflows.
3. Cozy clothes: You get to wear those sweatpants from college with the letters peeling off, or the leggings your friends don’t know you own. (And hopefully never will.)
4. It’s easier to make calls: You won’t have to scramble to find a conference room or deal with a particularly chatty co-worker. (Granted, kids and pets at home can make this tough for some remote employees.)
5. Knock off some weekend to-do’s: That Mt. Everest laundry pile waiting for you? That thing you set a reminder to get from the store 11 weeks ago? Cross. It. Off.
6. No office distractions: Avoid co-workers debating the merits of cryptocurrency, sirens wailing outside your window, the AC kicking in as you hide your icicle tears.
7. Zero commuting: From bed to … bed? Hey I’m not judging, it’s nice.
8. Save money: Lunch is expensive if you work in a city or downtown. In San Francisco, it’s not crazy to see a $15 sandwich or $4 coffee. At home, you can save big time by going to the store and preparing food.
9. Forget crowds and traffic: No stuffing yourself into a rickety transportation tube, having people scuff your new shoes, or walking behind agonizingly slow people who apparently don’t know what a straight line is. (Am I bitter? No … not bitter … )
10. More time with loved ones: Take care of a sick significant other at home, be ready for your kids earlier in the day, get some extra snuggles in with your doggo, or simply get some quiet time to yourself!

 

The cons of working from home 

 

We went over the positives, lets go over some negatives to help balance this out. 

1. Willpower: Gotta get jamming on this new project, but Netflix says you still have 4 episodes of Tiger King to watch…
2. Difficulty sticking to a routine: The order you do things at work is almost never the order you do things at home. It can be tough to mirror your schedule and processes once outside the office.
3. Missing important calls or pings: Oops, my phone was on do not disturb and I missed a meeting! Or my boss slacked me and asked to prioritize something else and now it’s 4:45pm …
4. Calling UberEats anyways: You thought you were saving money, didn’t you? Blam-o! $20 minimum and a $5 fee for the higher rated Thai place. Should’ve remembered to buy bread …
5. Power naps: This could arguably could be in advantages … unless it accidentally lasts 45 minutes after your delivered double entree Thai lunch.
6. Boredom: Those office convos? Kinda missing Susan’s cat stories, eh? How long can you go without seeing another living human being?
7. Working slowly: Sometimes the office has an energy. Sometimes your home does not.
8. No second monitor: How did I ever work without two giant screens looming above me??? All 74 of my tabs are essential!
9. Iffy WiFi: At home or in a cafe, when the wifi start to spaz and you switch locations a couple of times but honestly spend more time parking and ordering a 6-shot mint mojito coffee with coconut milk and 16 grains of sugar than doing work.

 

Supplementary perspective: The Hybrid Model

The hybrid work from home model is an innovative way to optimize a working environment to best meet the needs of employees while also ensuring productivity. This type of model to working allows employees to have a more flexible schedule, with the option to work remotely at least part-time. This encourages collaboration and communication between co-workers as well as management, while also allowing them to be more efficient in their daily tasks. With this model, employers can reap the benefits of both traditional and remote working styles, allowing them to better serve their employees while also keeping, Here are a few other small wins you get. 

• Improved ability to compare in-person productivity to at-home productivity
• Reduces commutes; lowers local traffic congestion

 

So what works best for you?

Honestly, The answer to if you should work from home in real estate is very ambiguous. As the old saying goes different strokes for different folks,

What works best for you and your business is going to be unique to your situation. You need to consider the pros and cons of each option and decide what will be best for you and your real estate business.

Like the above stated: The pros of working from home in real estate include increased flexibility, lower overhead costs, the ability to work remotely, and more privacy. Cons include a lack of face-to-face interaction with clients, limited resources, and the chance of feeling isolated and disconnected.

Overall, the decision to work from home or in an office is up to you. 

 

If you want to get in touch with a broker and see the positives and negatives of working form home in action come stop in our office today. 

Click our website for more information: https://shullhomes.com/

 

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