Author: Kelly Cruz, Customer Support Specialist – Realty Partners LLC
Sarasota, FL. September 24, 2021 – As a REALTOR you may spend a lot of time at your broker’s office or at home writing contracts, following up with leads, or working on your marketing. Some agents choose to steer clear of their broker’s office all together (especially after the pandemic) as they can do most of if not all their work from home. It makes sense given the added time to an agent’s day driving to and from the office. With that being said, you will want to be sure that you have all the necessities in your home so you can utilize the office effectively.
First thing to consider is furniture; after all you will need a place to sit and somewhere to put your work materials. Of course, an absolute must have is a desk, and there are plenty of options. Depending on the layout of your office you could select a corner desk or stick to the standard computer desk. Also consider using an ergonomic desk which you can adjust to work sitting down or standing up. Then there is furniture like your office chair or other seating. Choosing to add a couch or a love seat brings some comfort to the office if you decide to lay back while making your calls. As a REALTOR you know that lighting is an important feature as well, especially if you create a lot of video content. Natural lighting is always appealing but you will also want to bring in some desk lighting or perhaps professional photography lighting if you want to go all in.
Next is equipment; can you even call it an office without it? If you are using a computer such as a iMac 24” then you should have plenty of screen space to work in two windows or programs at a time. If you are using a laptop you may want to consider purchasing a monitor. This way you have the option to connect the additional monitor to your laptop and have plenty of space with the ability to work on two screens; don’t forget to purchase a quality webcam if your computer does not already have one built in and of course a headset (I prefer cordless). Although almost everything is paperless these days, it is still important to have reliable printer/scanner in case your buyer or seller is the “old-school” type. All the aforementioned equipment is basically useless without Wi-Fi, and you will want to be sure to choose an internet provider that offers a bandwidth that supports the number of calls and meetings you will be having.
Lastly is décor. Colors can impact your mood so be particular about what color you paint the walls. Certain hues of yellows can be uplifting, some reds can help spark a conversational mindset, while different hues of blue are known to lower heart rate and relax you. Once you have chosen your color and painted your office then you can bring in some art, framed inspirational quotes, mirrors, whiteboards or candles. We all know that person who loves their knick-knacks, so if that is you find some fun ones for your desk and shelves.
Having a home office just makes sense for REALTORs. Many studies show that working from home even improves productivity and think of the time you save not driving to the office or doing the full routine you would otherwise do before leaving home in the morning. I mean, who would even know if you decided to work in your pajamas all day? If you are looking for some ideas or more tips on how to get started on an efficient home office check out this REALTOR’s video tour of hers’.
If you prefer to work solely from home (and of course on the road and with customers) then find a brokerage that can accommodate this for you. Realty Partners is a virtual technology driven brokerage, and the first truly agent-owned real estate company. With the power of e-signing, (and several other incredible technologies they provide for their agents) they make working from home not just doable but easy and efficient. To learn more today visit staging.realtypartners.com or send an email to info@realty-partners.com.