Do You Have Real Estate Burnout? Here's How You Can Beat It.

It’s no surprise that many real estate professionals experience burnout at some point in their careers. Real estate is a fast-paced, competitive occupation that requires constant hustle and attention to detail. While there are many rewards to being a real estate professional, there are also drawbacks that can wear people down over time, such as long hours and unpredictable market conditions. In heavily service-oriented businesses, such as real estate, it is important for professionals to take time for themselves and to practice self-care to avoid burnout.

If you think you might be experiencing real estate burnout, don’t despair. Many experienced real estate professionals report feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted at times. There are ways to recognize it and things that you can do to improve your outlook and perspective. While every agent is different, here are some symptoms that may indicate you are on the road to burning out:

You’re tired all the time.  While working in real estate requires a lot of energy and it’s perfectly normal to feel tired periodically, chronic exhaustion can be an indicator that the demands of the job may be getting the best of you.

You don’t get excited about new listings. If landing a new listing doesn’t give you a burst of creative energy or a sense of anticipation any longer, you may be burning out.

You don’t get satisfaction from closings.  Are closings something you used to celebrate, but now just feel like another day at the office? If so, you may be losing your enthusiasm.

You’re more short tempered than normal with colleagues. Sometimes we can unintentionally take out our frustrations on others. Think about recent interactions with other agents and people in your office and consider whether there’s been a change in your attitude.

You don’t communicate with clients as much. If you used to go out of your way to contact clients frequently, but now mostly wait for them to make the first move, this could be a sign that you’re not as invested in your career as before.

You don’t keep a close eye on market developments. Do you read trade publications and follow online sources as often as you did early in your career? Losing interest in current industry trends could mean you’re getting a bit jaded.

You stop networking. If attending professional meetings and functions with colleagues has lost its appeal, this could be a sign of burnout. Most people who are fully invested in their careers are eager to connect and learn.

You often lament how much the industry has changed. It’s certainly true that this has been a decade of industry shifts largely due to technology and the economy, and that agents have had to adjust the way they do business. But if you continually find adapting difficult, this may signal an overall dissatisfaction. 

You find yourself thinking about other job opportunities. If you routinely find yourself daydreaming about other careers or often peruse job openings, you may be experiencing burnout. While it’s perfectly normal to sometimes think about what other livelihoods would be like, thinking about it a lot could be telling you something.

Here are some ideas for beating burnout:

• Talk to a respected, experienced colleague and ask them to share any personal experience or advice about handling periods of burnout.
• Take some time off to rest, think, and reflect.
• Remember why you chose real estate as a career in the first place and what motivated you every day.
• Take a continuing education course to reignite your interest and focus.
• Seek out more first-time buyers, who are often enthusiastic, appreciative, and rewarding clients to serve.
• Set working hour limits to give yourself more breaks and relaxation time.
• Consider specializing in a niche market that interests you.
• Change up your marketing materials and social media presence for a fresh start.
• Explore new hobbies and interests outside of real estate to help rejuvenate yourself.

Your American Home Shield® Account Executive can be a good resource for ways to innovate your service, help transactions go smoothly, and to help take some of the stress out of your job. Contact your AHS® representative today to find out more.