Revealed – top 3 work from home tips for agents

03 February 2021 11947 Views

We’re now in Lockdown 3.0 and most of us have become used to juggling home-working, home schooling and a million and one calls by Zoom, FaceTime or Teams.

For agents, the lines have been a bit more blurred, with some offices remaining open while others continue to work from home permanently.

Even with those offices that have remained open, they are typically working on a rota system, or with flexible working, which means the days of being in the office from 9-6 (or in the case of agents much longer than that) are over for the time being.

With nearly all agents doing at least some work from home, the importance of good practices, protocols and systems has become more important than ever.

Many businesses have found they can be just as productive, if not more productive, working remotely, without the distractions of a busy office where phones are constantly going off or it’s your turn to do the tea round.

At the same time, some have struggled with the isolation of working from home and have missed the buzz and banter of the office environment. Additionally, creating boundaries between work and home life – if they look one and the same – can be difficult.

Here, we provide three top tips to ensure you remain as productive as possible while working remotely.

Take regular breaks

For maximum productivity, it’s important that you take regular breaks throughout the working day. The natural rhythms of an office day – punctuated by meetings, tea breaks and work lunches – can be harder to achieve at home, but it’s vital for your physical and mental health to not be sitting and staring at a screen for nine hours straight.

Try and take a five or ten-minute break every hour, or every couple of hours. This might involve getting up from your desk and stretching your legs, or just stretching to get your muscles moving a bit and your blood pumping. Or it could involve doing a household chore that you’ve been putting off (such as unloading the dishwasher, washing the dishes or putting the next load of washing in the machine). This will give your brain space to breathe, your eyes a good rest and allow you to return to work recharged and refreshed.

It’s wise to take your full lunch hour, too. Try going for a walk, or having a gym-style workout during this time.

Keep in contact

For all the advantages of working from home – no commute, more time with family, the ability to control the heating to suit your own needs – it can lead to loneliness, particularly for those members of staff who are more outgoing in nature and require regular social interaction.

Given the nature of the job, many agents fit this bill – particularly sales and lettings negotiators. As such, it’s important for teams and branches to keep in contact on a regular basis. This might be a daily sales/lettings meeting, or after-work drinks/quizzes via Zoom.

Equally, you may want to organise some kind of charity initiative that can be conducted remotely to help bring teams together and keep morale high.

Stick to your regular day

It’s important, even at home, to stick to your normal schedule. It’s tempting to stay in your pyjamas and work from the sofa, but it’s better to keep to your normal routine – get up, brush your teeth, have a shower, eat breakfast – so you’re prepared for the day ahead.

It’s also recommended that you get dressed. This doesn’t have to be the full suit and tie caboodle – unless you have a reason for this to be the case – but just the process of getting out of your pyjamas and into work clothes can help to put you in work mode.

Of course, just as vital as the above are the systems you use to ensure the day-to-day running of your agency still functions smoothly. For this, all-in-one, cloud-based software – ideal for remote working – is vital.

As well as this, your website has now become your virtual shop window – and really needs to look the part – while 24/7 customer portals, which can be accessed remotely and with ease, have also taken on a whole new importance.

To find out more about how tech can help your business to thrive – from an all-in-one, cloud-based software system, to slick, user-friendly websites - please get in contact with us at Gnomen today.