I took yesterday “off” from real estate to paint our mudroom

I took yesterday off from real estate to paint our mudroom.  Let me rephrase that, I tried to take yesterday off. Painting our mudroom is a project I’ve wanted to tackle for about six months but I just can’t find the time.  But yesterday was the day!  The paint was purchased, the supplies were ready.   Oh, wait, I’m a real estate agent.  So how did that day off really go? Is it possible to take a day off?

The night before my project, I received two calls that put a small wrinkle in my day off.  One was from an existing rental client who wanted to look at a place in the morning and another was from a new buyer who wanted to look at a place in the evening.  I just couldn’t say no, so I scheduled them, and still knew I’d be able to spend a good portion of the day painting.

So I got up early and before I started getting my painting materials ready, I checked my email and addressed some customer questions and requests.  While I was at the computer, I checked the expired listings which I do daily and I prepared some prospecting letters to mail and I wrote a blog and… before I knew it, it was 8am and I still needed to get my exercise, so I threw on my sweats and went for a walk/run, came back, showered and left for my appointment to show a rental.

The showing was in the next county, so it took a half hour to get there.  I met my clients, showed them the house, which wasn’t a good fit for them, and as they packed up, a car pulled up with a couple who wanted to see the same rental home.  My first clients left, and I took the new people in to see the rental.  Well, they liked it but were also interested in seeing another one that was a short drive away. I called the listing agent, made an appointment, and we went over to the second home.  They were going to think about whether to pursue either one, so we went over the forms and they left to discuss.

Meanwhile, my phone rang and it was a home owner who wants to sell her home.  We had a long chat about the situation the caller finds herself in, and we finished that call with an appointment to meet later this week.

So then I decide to go home and get my painting started.  Except I remember I also need to drop some forms off at a buyer client’s home; they contacted me the night before because they want to make an offer on a house.  So I bring the forms to the client and we talk a bit.

Then a quick stop at the grocery store, and then I’m home.  It’s lunchtime, so I eat, but I still have the afternoon to do my painting.   Except..

The phone rings.  It’s the listing agent for a deal I have under contract.  She needs some info asap, so off I go to make calls and get details.  Then I need to supply attorney names to another client.  Then I need to submit an offer, then negotiate for my client.  I needed to contact the mortgage processor for a client.  I needed to respond to text messages for others.  I needed to do research for the home I’m going to later this week.  I needed to try to get someone to cover my floor time later this week, and prepare for an open house this weekend.  I needed to chat with the couple I met in the morning as they wanted to put in an application for one of the rentals.  I needed to let the buyer know the showing we had in the afternoon was canceled by the seller.

So, how did I do taking a day off?

Terrible.  I managed to paint a small section of ceiling and a few pieces of trim.  So I’m going to try again today!   Maybe at midnight it’ll be quiet enough.