Juggling the intricacies of home buying with a bustling professional life is no small feat, so we’ve gathered insights from CEOs, Founders, and Real Estate professionals to share their wisdom. From embracing growth and structured flexibility to utilizing resources for balanced management, explore the twelve strategies these experts have mastered for managing both spheres effectively. Here’s how to balance professional responsibilities with the demands of home-buying:
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- Embrace Growth and Structured Flexibility
- Communicate and Divide Home-Buying Tasks
- Plan and Seek Work Schedule Flexibility
- Maintain Open Communication with Employer
- Delegate Duties and Master Time Management
- Prioritize and Schedule Dedicated Home-Buying Time
- Inform Supervisor and Plan for Adjustments
- Compartmentalize Tasks and Set Clear Milestones
- Empower Teams and Allocate Time Wisely
- Plan Investments with Professional Timing
- Work with a 24/7 Real Estate Agency
- Utilize Resources for Balanced Management
Embrace Growth and Structured Flexibility
As a real estate agent, I professionally guide buyers by navigating them through the market, monetarily impacting their lives, and analyzing comparable market research on the daily. I have been granted the opportunity to learn how to both manage but excel in the practice of balancing my responsibilities and the demands that come with being in this industry.
Obviously, through paying due diligence of trial and error, every day I am learning and growing as an agent. The structure that I have created for myself now, due to my discoveries, may not be the structure I use five years from now, but that’s just it. It takes discipline, yes, but most importantly, it takes a desire to keep learning, keep trying, and with that, keep growing. If you do not let your curiosity and eagerness (the desire to be better) lead you, you will remain stuck. A stuck person is one who does not evolve. Just like the market, our lives, feelings, and responsibilities fluctuate, but the one, constant aspect about who you should be, is the desire to evolve. Implementing structure, time blocking, prohibiting the wrong distractions from re-entering into your life, is my best advice.
Lead with a desire to then not only learn, but help others. Stick to routines and goals. The consistency you establish for yourself will show. Overall, trust yourself. You will never regret listening to your own intuition. That is my reflection, but before I end I must mention, have fun! Joy will keep you motivated to keep going!
Katia Diaz, Real Estate Agent, SERHANT.
Communicate and Divide Home-Buying Tasks
As a working professional, finding a balance between work and personal life can be challenging. And when the added responsibility of buying a home comes into play, things can become even more overwhelming. However, with proper planning and time management, it is possible to handle both effectively.
I remember the time when my husband and I decided to buy our first home. It was an exciting, but also stressful, period as we were both working full-time jobs and had limited time to dedicate to the home-buying process. We had to juggle between attending open houses, researching neighborhoods, and dealing with the paperwork while still meeting our work deadlines.
The best piece of advice I can give is to communicate and prioritize effectively. It’s crucial to have open and honest conversations with your partner or family members involved in the home-buying process. Set realistic expectations and divide tasks equally based on each other’s strengths and availability.
Brian Hemmerle, Founder and CEO, Kentucky Sell Now
Plan and Seek Work Schedule Flexibility
Balancing professional responsibilities with the demands of home buying was a significant challenge that required meticulous planning and discipline.
My strategy was to allocate specific times of the day for home-buying tasks, ensuring they didn’t overlap with my work commitments. For instance, I scheduled home viewings during early mornings, lunch breaks, or late afternoons.
I also leveraged technology to automate and streamline as much of the process as possible, using online resources to research properties and mortgage options. Additionally, I delegated tasks within my family and worked closely with a real estate agent who understood my time constraints.
My best piece of advice is to communicate openly with your employer and seek flexibility in your work schedule, if possible. Being upfront about your needs can lead to mutual understanding and support, allowing you to navigate this life-changing process with less stress.
Tony Mariotti, CEO, RubyHome
Maintain Open Communication with Employer
Successfully managing professional responsibilities with the demands of home buying is all about finding harmony. During my own home-buying experience, I discovered that open communication was fundamental.
Keeping my employer informed about my personal commitments allowed for flexibility in my work schedule, enabling me to focus on the home-buying process without neglecting my job duties. It’s about being proactive in managing expectations and ensuring that both aspects receive the attention they deserve.
Bennett Heyn, CEO, Sell House Columbus Ohio
Delegate Duties and Master Time Management
Juggling entrepreneurial duties with the complexities of home buying, I discovered the value in setting strict boundaries and mastering time management. Opting to delegate where possible freed up invaluable hours, making room for thorough market research and thoughtful decision-making in the real estate realm.
If I were to share a nugget of wisdom, it would be this: Harness the power of delegation and meticulous planning. It’s how you turn potential overwhelm into a well-navigated journey, achieving balance and success in both arenas.
Erik Wright, CEO, New Horizon Home Buyers
Prioritize and Schedule Dedicated Home-Buying Time
During my experience of buying a home while also balancing my professional responsibilities, I learned that it was crucial to find a balance between the two in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
It can be challenging to manage both effectively, but with proper planning and organization, it is possible to navigate through this process smoothly. When I first started looking for a home, I was working long hours and had very little time to dedicate to the home-buying process.
However, I quickly realized that I needed to make time for it in order to avoid feeling stressed and rushed. My best piece of advice is to prioritize and schedule specific times for both work and home-buying tasks. Set aside dedicated time during the evenings or weekends to research properties, attend viewings, and communicate with real estate agents. This will help you stay on top of your responsibilities at work while also making progress in your home-buying journey.
Krixelle Sant, Founder and CEO, Sell My House Fast For Cash
Inform Supervisor and Plan for Adjustments
Balancing the responsibilities of work with the demands of buying a home can be quite challenging. I personally experienced this struggle when I decided to buy my first home a few years ago. I was working full-time as a project manager in a fast-paced company. My days were already packed with meetings, deadlines, and other work-related tasks.
Adding the process of buying a home on top of that made things even more hectic. I knew that owning a home was an important milestone for me and my family. I had to find a way to manage both effectively without compromising either one. My best piece of advice for balancing professional responsibilities with home buying is to prioritize and plan ahead. Let your supervisor or manager know about your plans to buy a home.
This will help them understand your situation and possibly be more flexible with your work schedule. Understand that you may need to make some adjustments to your routine in order to accommodate the new responsibility of home buying.
Be realistic about what you can achieve during this time and communicate any changes to your team. Take advantage of your lunch breaks or weekends to work on home-buying tasks, such as researching properties, scheduling viewings, or filling out paperwork. This will help minimize the impact on your work schedule.
Justin Turner, Founder and CEO, Turner Home Team
Compartmentalize Tasks and Set Clear Milestones
Juggling the demands of running Shorten Homes, a company dedicated to revolutionizing modular home construction, with the personal journey of home buying or home creation, has taught me invaluable lessons on balance, efficiency, and prioritization. One significant experience I can recall is when we were in the midst of expanding our catalog of customizable home options while I was also in the process of overseeing the construction of a new personal home for my family. This period was both challenging and enlightening, pushing me to sharpen my time management and multitasking abilities.
The key strategy I employed was compartmentalizing my professional and personal tasks without sacrificing quality on either front. For instance, I dedicated mornings to strategic planning and client consultations for Shorten Homes, ensuring our commitment to customer satisfaction and innovation remained unshaken. Meanwhile, evenings were reserved for family and overseeing the progress of our home project, utilizing the same principles of quality control and efficiency I advocate in my professional life. This clear separation helped maintain focus and prevented burnout.
My best advice to those managing professional responsibilities alongside home buying or construction is to adopt a project management approach to both, setting clear milestones, deadlines, and priorities. Regularly review and adjust these as needed, and don’t shy away from leveraging your professional skills in your personal projects.
Just as we at Shorten Homes emphasize customization, efficiency, and attention to detail in crafting homes for our clients, applying these principles to personal home projects can lead to equally rewarding outcomes. Adaptability, clear goal-setting, and a willingness to embrace the complexities of both worlds can make balancing these significant life aspects not just possible, but also highly fulfilling.
James Shorten, President, Shorten Homes
Empower Teams and Allocate Time Wisely
Juggling professional obligations alongside home-buying required careful planning and delegation. During my recent home purchase, I delegated administrative tasks and empowered my team to handle routine operations autonomously. This allowed me to allocate 15 hours per week to property viewings and negotiations.
My advice: Delegate tasks where possible, communicate effectively with your team, and leverage technology for streamlined workflows. This approach enabled me to navigate the home-buying process efficiently while maintaining business productivity.
Mike Wall, CEO, EZ Sell Homebuyers
Plan Investments with Professional Timing
As a business executive and CEO with a modest real estate background, my way of balancing professional responsibilities and business expenses with the demands of home buying was to get into a home contract early and funnel my investments and efforts into my professional career and responsibilities. This approach helped me achieve both goals in due time, and I’d recommend planning and timing your professional investments accordingly.
Mark Pierce, CEO, Wyoming Trust & LLC Attorney
Work with a 24/7 Real Estate Agency
My husband and I balanced our professional responsibilities with the demands of home-buying by letting our employers know we might need some time off. Luckily, we were able to minimize those requests by working with a reputable one-stop-shop real estate agency that worked hard to accommodate our schedules.
Our realtor made herself and her staff—including her finance manager and her closing coordinator—available 24/7, with much of the home-buying process being done electronically. She also let us know the closing date well in advance so we would both be available for it.
My best piece of advice is to find a top-notch real estate agent with a deep knowledge base who can provide advice on everything from home insurance to local services and taxes, to help make the home-buying process as smooth as possible.
Michelle Robbins, Licensed Insurance Agent, Clearsurance.com
Utilize Resources for Balanced Management
Successfully balancing professional responsibilities with home buying is achievable through effective time management and delegation. I prioritized tasks based on urgency and importance, setting aside dedicated time for home inspections and mortgage discussions without compromising business commitments. My advice is to stay organized, utilize resources efficiently, and seek guidance from professionals to navigate both responsibilities seamlessly.
Adam Seguin, Owner, Myrtle Beach Home Buyers
