A Lockbox On My Time: Setting Boundaries

Early in my real estate career, I learned the hard way that boundaries aren’t just a luxury—they’re a necessity. In 2020, I had a few separate instances where some individuals had ill intentions behind a home showing request. This pushed me to draw a hard line. From that moment, I stopped doing open houses. I wouldn’t show homes without pre approvals and consultations. It completely changed how I ran my business and I am so thankful. I also had the shutdowns to really enforce my boundaries. Like many realtors, I’ve faced clients calling at all hours, expecting me to show homes endlessly without serious intention, and ultimately, it led me to feel distrustful of myself. So, if you’ve ever felt exhausted or questioned your own boundaries, this article is for you.

1. The Importance of Boundaries in Real Estate

Real estate is one of those jobs where the lines between professional and personal time can blur easily. It’s not uncommon for clients to expect 24/7 availability or to assume your schedule revolves around theirs. While it’s great to be responsive, failing to set boundaries leads to burnout, self-doubt, and fatigue.

When I started out, I found myself running from house to house, sometimes with clients who hadn’t even gotten preapprovals. Over time, I realized that if I didn’t respect my own boundaries, neither would my clients.

2. Common Boundary Challenges in Real Estate

All-Hours Communication: You might find clients reaching out late at night, expecting immediate responses.
Lack of Preapprovals: Showing homes for clients who haven’t been preapproved for a loan wastes valuable time.
Time Management: Balancing client needs with your own personal life can feel like an impossible juggling act.

One of the hardest lessons I learned was that if I didn’t set clear expectations about my availability and requirements like preapprovals, my clients would continue to push the limits.

3. Self-Assessment: Do You Need Boundaries?

To help you recognize when it’s time to set or reinforce boundaries, ask yourself these questions:

Am I constantly answering calls or texts outside of my set working hours?
Do I feel drained or frustrated by certain client requests?
Do I find myself agreeing to work on tasks that infringe on my personal time?
Have I communicated my boundaries to clients, or am I hoping they’ll figure them out?
Am I not respecting my time with the people i am with?

If you find yourself answering “yes” to any of these, it might be time to reestablish boundaries. I personally noticed the effects of poor boundaries when I started to feel tired and distrustful of my own decisions, especially when I wasn’t sticking to them myself.

4. Practical Tips for Setting Boundaries

Set Clear Expectations: From your first conversation, explain your process, including working hours, preapprovals, and communication guidelines.
- I now always ask for preapprovals before I show homes, and I clearly outline my business hours in initial discussions.
Enforce Your Own Boundaries: It’s one thing to set them, but another to stick to them. If you let one client overstep, you’re likely to allow others to do the same.
- I started using a ‘Do Not Disturb’ app to automatically silence calls after a certain time. It was a game-changer for my mental health.
Prep Clients for Success: Walk clients through every step of the process so there are no surprises.
- I make sure to do a needs analysis upfront and ask questions to ensure that we’re not wasting time on homes that don’t meet their criteria.

5. Scenario Examples: Handling Boundary-Pushing Situations

Scenario 1: The Late-Night Caller

Situation: A client calls you at 10 PM, wanting to talk about a listing.
Solution: Politely explain your hours and offer to connect the next day: “I’m happy to discuss this first thing tomorrow. Thanks for understanding!”

Scenario 2: The Non-Preapproved Client

Situation: A client wants to see multiple homes but hasn’t been preapproved yet.
Solution: Explain that viewing homes without preapproval isn’t the best use of time and offer assistance with connecting to lenders.

Scenario 3: The All-Weekend Showings

Situation: A client insists on weekend showings when it’s your time off.
Solution: Suggest alternate times and explain your non-working hours. “I’d love to show you homes, but I reserve weekends for personal time. Let’s find a weekday that works!”
(I know a lot of Realtors will cringe at this one but I do know people who have the luxury of doing this)

6. The Benefits of Strong Boundaries

By setting and sticking to boundaries, you’ll not only protect your time and energy but also earn respect from your clients. When clients know what to expect, they’re more likely to respect your time, which leads to stronger relationships and a more sustainable career.

Once I started setting firm boundaries, I found my clients were more respectful of my time, and I was more energized and able to serve them better. It’s all about finding that balance.

Conclusion:

In real estate, setting boundaries isn’t about being unavailable; it’s about being your best self when you are available. Take time to reflect on your current boundaries and ask yourself: Are you setting yourself up for success or burnout?