MOVE Worthy Podcast
All things Real Estate...What's happening today in the real estate industry. Educating, entertaining, untold stories and more!
MOVE Worthy Podcast
Real Estate Without The Gloss: Grind, Boundaries, And Real Life
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
We share what life looks like between closings and why the quiet work matters more than the highlight reel. Boundaries, smarter routines, and honest expectations turn a chaotic job into a sustainable career while leaving room for family, rest, and real joy.
• success versus reality of agent life
• unpaid work, constant learning, emotional labor
• daily routines that protect mornings
• batching showings and smarter scheduling
• systems for consistent marketing and follow-up
• myths about agents and “easy money”
• early career struggles and growth
• burnout, boundaries, and saying no
• hobbies, travel, and refilling the tank
• practical advice for new agents
• outlook for 2026 and keeping momentum
Let us know what you think in the comments after we post it
MOVE Worthy Podcast with Lauren Jones & Jenny Lendle. Together we have the experience to MOVE you forward!
Welcome Back And New Focus
SPEAKER_03Hey, this is Jenny Lindley and Lauren Jones. And we are back with the Move Worthy podcast after a nice long break. Lots of changes in 25, a lot of good changes. Some big moves, I guess. Sold our office. Lauren got really busy. Life changed, and now and now we're back. 2026, a new year. We're excited to be here. We've got a lot of new things to talk about, not just your everyday real estate trends and data and this and that. We are gonna bring some real life talk about the real estate world. Uh, and we're gonna start with that today. Lauren, you were really busy last year.
SPEAKER_02I was really busy last year.
SPEAKER_03I thought it was great. I was happy for you. When you got busy, I was sad that we separated, but then I was really glad to see just how well you were doing. Um, and I think it'll give us a lot to talk about this year.
Success Versus Reality
SPEAKER_03So today's episode is life between closings. Um what is when we're not working, when we're not doing real estate, when we're not showing houses and sitting behind a computer, what does life look like? Success versus reality. What people see is the successes and the houses and this, you know, and the closings. And what they don't see is the grind, the stress, the time behind the computer, um, putting out fires.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think that's a big key to what what happens behind the scenes um and in between the closings. Um there's still a lot of work. We still have to market, we still have to uh raise our families, um, yeah, take care of our households. Like that part doesn't stop when when we're not super busy. Um and it it it starts to become a little bit of a a balancing act. Um, because I think, you know, for the most part, when realtors are busy, they that's their focus. That's what's happening day in and day out and and kind of everything else lays on the on the back burner. Um and then when we slow down, you know, family life and travel and all that good kind of stuff kind of takes precedence. So I think it's a I think for most successful realtors, um it it's in waves, it comes, it's up and down all year long, you know, where where you're putting your focus and and where you're not putting your focus. Um, but the real estate, even when you don't have a listing or you don't have one under contract, it doesn't
The Unpaid Work And Constant Learning
SPEAKER_02stop.
SPEAKER_03It doesn't. The phone calls. No, like no. It's a 24-7 job. It is your phone can ring at any moment. You always have to put your realtor hat on. And sometimes we don't I don't always want to put my realtor hat on, but it it is the job, and you're right.
SPEAKER_02And and sometimes it's a dead end road.
SPEAKER_03Right, exactly.
SPEAKER_02Or multiple dead end roads. Before the one that actually before the one that actually goes to the end. Yes, the one that so it's uh it's a lot of you know unpaid work. Yes, oh gosh, unpaid work, and and at the same time, learning experiences because you know you're being hit with a situation that you may not have experienced before, so you're you're taking in um education.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, always always always learning something new, even things I already know. Yeah, I just need to it, you know, when I I need it to happen again.
SPEAKER_02Yes, like refresh me.
SPEAKER_03I need to see it again, I need to have that whole situation again so I can remember and and work through it, and and now it's yeah. I know I asked an agent the other day, I was like, I don't really want to do a counter offer, the counter offer on this contract. It's like, well, let's just do an amendment. I'm like, oh yeah, duh. We'll just do an amendment. We don't have to counter it. I kind of felt a little slow in that moment, but um, but yes, it's it's definitely it's it's definitely a balancing act for sure. Life in this job. Um, I was just thinking that the other day. Like, I feel like every time my phone rings, it's like, do I need the hat or do I not? Am I a realtor or am I just Jenny? So it's it's definitely interesting um business to be in.
Daily Routines And Time Management
SPEAKER_03So life between closings, what does your week actually look like? I I've given this a little bit of thought. Do you want me to go first or I'll let you go first?
SPEAKER_02Are you did you give it thought as to whether you're gonna say the real truth?
SPEAKER_03I did. That that's what I gave thought to. I was like, wait, I'll I'll go through it. I I follow somebody on TikTok in totally different profession. She's a hair, you know, she's a hairstylist or a hairdresser, and I I love her videos, and it kind of makes me think about what's my job really like from the time I wake up on a Monday, like you know, all the way through. Take me through your day. So I don't know, you want to go?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um it, I mean, it really depends on, and I we kind of briefly talked about this. I feel like the more I the longer I'm in real estate, the shorter of a time it takes me to get specific things accomplished. Um, you know, things come easier to you, things get done quicker, you've mastered certain procedures and you know, just ways of doing things. Um, I think time management is huge when you're a realtor. So I think with experience, you know, you've learned to manage your time better too. Um, so uh for me, a typical day, of course, I I start with my kids. Normally my phone starts ringing sometimes at seven o'clock in the morning. I do not answer those calls. I will talk to you when I get my kids settled, and I don't take that away from them. Um our mornings are super hectic. Um I have one that I have to get to Medary for private school, and then I have a seven-year-old that I have to get in elementary school. So, you know, it's not I can't just get out of my house at a specific time. I mean, I I can't get away from that. If I do, I'm totally off track and I'm totally off schedule.
SPEAKER_00And that's their time too.
SPEAKER_02And it is, it's their time too. Like I said, it's a balance of thing. I used to all the time I would take calls, and then I would be like way behind in the morning. By the time I get that got them off to school, I didn't even have time to like shower and put makeup on. So I was throwing my hair in a bun and a t-shirt and running out the door, and that's kind of how I was just living.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, chaos.
SPEAKER_02It's like, no, we can't do this. Um, so I definitely have gotten better over time with time management. You know, I get myself together in the mornings when the kids are getting themselves together, and um I don't start my day until nine o'clock. I mean, I nothing happens, I don't it's a good solid time. I don't have appointments before then, I don't take calls before then. And if I get a call, I'll shoot them a text. Hey, as soon as I get my kids settled and off and going, I'll give you a call back. Um typically the mornings I spend um answering emails, you know, doing estimates if I have to do a CMA, um, looking at comps on different things. My computer time is typically first thing in the morning. Um, and then I'll usually have appointments scheduled ahead of time. I try, unless I'm in the area, I try not to, you know, make myself crazy saying, yeah, I can meet you there in 20 minutes. Right. You know, that sets your whole day off.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, and if I have time, I will. And if I'm in the area, I will. Um, but I've also learned, and I used to do this all the time, I would have a listing in Harvey and one in Lutcher. And then I would, you know, I'd go to Harvey at nine o'clock in the morning and then be in Lutcher before 11 o'clock. I mean, that's just craziness. Yeah, you know, and then sometimes have to go back to Harvey because somebody else wants to see it. No.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I've learned to, you know, schedule my appointments together and you know, accommodate my clients as much as possible for sure, but I can't be, you know, all over. Um, so anyway, but my appointments typically I schedule between 12 o'clock and three o'clock. I usually do carpool, dinner, and then I'll take appointments again between six and eight. Okay because I have to get, you know, yeah, I have to get dinner done, husband, whatever he needs, and kids to extracurricular stuff. Right. So that's typically what my day looks like. And if I don't have appointments, sometimes it's only that those three hours that I'm working on the computer that I spend on real estate.
SPEAKER_03On real estate, yeah. I mean, I'm similar here. We get the kids up first thing in the morning, um, get them out the door, my phone just like yours, sometimes seven o'clock, already text messages, already ringing. And some I'm guilty of not always setting them till nine, depending on what it is and who it is. Um, and lately I've been finding myself drifting back into that. And I don't like it because it does mess up your day. It messes up my rhythm in the morning, it messes up what I need to do next, my to-do list. That once the kids are gone, and then I'm showered and I'm dressed, I'm making my coffee, I come sit at my computer, check what I need to do for the day. And then same as you, my appointments usually come a little bit later. I got in a really bad habit of scheduling appointments super early for from about I would say the end of the summer through November, I got a little bit busy and I let my I let things get a little hectic. So I was scheduling early appointments, which really would mess me up in the morning. I like to work out in the morning um a few days a week, and I find that makes me feel better throughout the day. And if I don't work out and I sleep late, I feel like it ruins my entire day. I feel like I told Robert, I feel like I'm behind the gun. He goes, I don't like that analogy. Well, that's I feel like I'm behind, and I don't know if behind the gun felt like the right term, but it does. It makes me feel really rushed the rest of the day, like I don't have things in order and they're not.
SPEAKER_02But do you don't you feel like that
Smarter Scheduling And Family Logistics
SPEAKER_02when you're like that, you're not as productive?
SPEAKER_03Oh, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Chasing your own ass and chasing your own thoughts and not really getting anything accomplished?
SPEAKER_03No, because I'll sit at this computer and like, what do I need to do again? Then I'll look at my phone. Are there any text messages? Like, what's going on? And then I have my calendar, and then both of my kids are in sports, so we have extracurriculars after school. My afternoons are usually full. Um, if I'm doing appointments, they're gonna be between 10 and 2ish. And then the rest of my evening is with the kids, and then of course, even during those things, I'm text messaging, you know, our phones are so easy. I'm in my emails, I'm answering calls and questions. But yeah, if I don't, if my morning routine gets messed up, I feel like the whole day is done. The whole day is ruined. Like just might as well set it on fire and start over. Like, and that, and we're gonna talk about that. I mean, we can even segue into that is like setting boundaries. Um, saying no, not picking up that phone until nine o'clock, at least letting your t your uh clients know, hey, I got your text, you know, I'm gonna be with you. Give me a couple hours or give me an hour, whatever time it is. Right. And like, hey, I'm going to get to you. And most things aren't, you know, emergencies. Right. But everything is important, obviously. Yeah. But yeah. It's the day there are days, and then there's the days that I don't have a lot of real estate work to do, or if I've taken care of everything in the morning and I don't have any appointments, then the rest of my day is kind of free. But I fill it up with family things. I fill it up. My husband is retired now, so I fill it with him. I'm like, hey, let's go ride and do this. Let's go here. I've been bringing him on, like, hey, come ride to this house with me. I gotta put a sign up, or hey, I gotta go measure this house. Uh, he's been doing some of that with me, um, which is nice. I like having him home.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. But well, I keep things in my calendar that may not be time pressing, but really need to get done. Um, I'll put something in my calendar with an alert on it, and I'll put it on repeat daily.
unknownUh.
SPEAKER_02And as I go through, you know, each day, I'll look at those things and I'll be like, okay, well, I have time to tackle this thing today. So, you know, I'll do it and take it up. But everything stays on there on repeat every day.
SPEAKER_03Every day.
SPEAKER_02And it could be real estate too, like, you know, um, create a marketing post about something. Like, for example, do my 2025 recap. I mean, it's been on repeat since January 1st, and I just got it done.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But I feel like those are those are things that aren't super time pressing, but you know, I need to just tackle. And it just keeps it right in front of my face. And so I find that that is very helpful for me, you know, as far as what happens on a daily basis. If I have the time that I usually spend on real estate and I have really nothing to do, I'll tackle those few things.
SPEAKER_03Go through that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I um I'm not good with the phone calendar. So I have my paper calendar and I created a few um images to put on my computer screen. One is like what I need to do each day. Mondays, I always send my updates to my clients, the buyers, the sellers, give them an update about what's going on. So I made a schedule for Tuesday and a Wednesday, like, here's some things like if I find myself needing to know what to do, um, I'll take a look at that. And so that's been helpful instead of it being on my phone, but it's something that'll remind me every day. Yeah. Make sure you just, if you have a minute, do this. Yes. Or once you get your real work done, do this.
SPEAKER_02Or I'll see something on TikTok and be like, oh, that's a great idea, and I'll jot it down and be like, okay, we'll we'll try that when I when I get a free minute.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I'm I'm bad about screenshots. Like I went through my phone the other day. I have so many screenshots. And it's things I want to go back and look at that I never do. So I made it a point the other day to go back and look through my screenshots. It's like, oh, this was a good idea. Oh, I did like this, and then I deleted probably 80% of them. That's so funny. Um, what do you think are the biggest misconceptions about the industry?
SPEAKER_02About the industry or about buyers and sellers?
SPEAKER_03I would say what's what do you think the biggest misconception is about let's say real estate agents?
SPEAKER_02Because Well, I think the biggest misconception is that buyers and sellers think they don't need a real estate agent. And and you know, I while I follow this uh this girl on TikTok, her name is Jordan Nutter, and she's a a mortgage lender. And
Boundaries That Protect The Morning
SPEAKER_02she had a um a client that came to her and said that she wanted he wanted to put an offer on a house and you know wanted to get pre-qualified, and she was like, well, you know, go ahead and do your application and then have your agent get with me. And he was like, No, we're not gonna use an agent, we're gonna do this ourselves. Um, so they did, and um, of course, everything under the sun happened. He didn't get inspections done because he didn't know there was a deadline to do it. Um, he um it was something something was about uh scheduling the appraisal. Um, then he decided that um that he he didn't want the property anymore. He decided to back out of the contract, and so he got hit, ended up getting hit with a lawsuit for 10% of the sale. And he was like, Well, why you didn't why didn't you tell me that this was a thing? And she's like, I'm your lender, I'm not your agent. I've advised you to get an agent. You didn't get an agent, and then oh, it was um the uh the good faith deposit. He never paid the good faith deposit, and of course that didn't nobody it didn't get flagged because normally the agent would handle, you know, that that transition between him and and the title company. And right anyway, it was a bunch of a bunch just a bunch of things. Um and I just, you know, for us that's a very normal process for a buyer or seller, they don't know the normal process, right? So, you know, I think that's the biggest misconception for me is that buyers and sellers really don't know, you know, what goes into a real estate transaction and they think they don't need one, don't need a realtor, or they don't think it's worth the money.
SPEAKER_03Worth the money, right? And and now, of course, with buyer agency and this and that. I I think it's a really I I think there's some people on TikTok who say, you know, they'll comment on real estate posts and things like that and say, you don't even need an agent, I don't know why we have to do this. They are it couldn't be any more false based on what you just said, especially. I think it is the biggest misconception about real estate. I would say another big misconception is that it's easy, uh, which goes along with that too. Another misconception is that we're making millions. Yeah, we're really not. I mean, there are some agents, and that all depends on your market, you know, the type of uh money that you make in this industry. But yeah, I would say it's easy, you don't need a realtor, and you know, some agents make it look very flashy and when really it's we're in the trenches sometimes. Yeah, everything that we do, if you had to figure it out per hour, yeah, and and and things like that. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02Oh, if you had to figure it out per hour, heck, we make pennies.
SPEAKER_03We would be a million we would be millionaires if we were.
SPEAKER_02But we make we we make pennies per hour, that's for sure. I think what would what you know buyers and sellers don't understand is a track, a transaction can take anywhere between, you know, four, six, sometimes eight weeks, depending on what the situation may be. And yeah, while you might, you know, get two or three percent of the sale, that's also what you made over an eight-week period. It's not it's not a quick thing. We're with you through every step, every you know, process through, I mean, every train, every uh milestone, every minute through the transaction. Yeah. Um definitely so, and whereas, you know, most people work, you know, eight to ten hours a day.
SPEAKER_03And they get paid per hour or salary, and they get paid per hour.
SPEAKER_02We work sometimes 10 to 12 hours a day, and we might close something every two months.
SPEAKER_03Correct. It might not be every month or you know, so we could spend hours talking to someone
Systems, Calendars, And Staying Consistent
SPEAKER_03and it never even actually worked out.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. Lenders too, lenders are in the same position.
SPEAKER_03Insurance guy, yeah. Simil all the similar industries, yeah, sales. You win some, you lose some. Yeah. Um, early career versus now. Do you how do you feel about what it was like when you were a new agent versus now? I can say for sure, I made a few notes on this. Um, ignorance is bliss. I feel like the more I know, the harder it is because certain things have to be done a certain way. Um making sure the other side's doing things a certain way or the right way. And then when I was a new agent, I was like, oh, this is great. This is fun. Like selling houses, making money. And maybe that's the big misconception is that it's fun and easy. And then the more you learn, the more you know, the more deals you do, the harder it feels because you've just opened up all those experiences and you're like, oh wow, this could happen, this problem, this backfire, this issue, and here's how to overcome it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And when you're a realtor, when starting out as a realtor, you hear people say this, but it is literally the God's honest truth. You don't know anything.
SPEAKER_03No, you don't.
SPEAKER_02You don't even know how to write a contract when you get your license. That is not, they teach you real estate law.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_02When you go to school. They don't teach you how to do an appointment for an inspection. They don't teach you what the what to expect when these inspectors come out and what you're supposed to negotiate, what you're not supposed to, what's a real problem, what's not a real problem. They don't teach you how to write a contract. They don't teach you how to negotiate a sale.
SPEAKER_03They don't teach you how to do a CMA or even a basic appraisal.
SPEAKER_02No, they do not. You do not, so you know, that, you know, when you first start out versus now, it's it's huge. Yeah. And I think most people also don't realize when they first start out that you're not just gonna walk out and start making a ton of money. I mean my first year in real estate, I made four thousand dollars.
SPEAKER_03I think mine was ten. Mine was ten.
SPEAKER_02This was the worst career to go into.
SPEAKER_03I was so discouraged as a new agent. I mean, I got a part-time job.
SPEAKER_02I was working I was working full-time. Real estate was part-time because it there was nothing to be had.
SPEAKER_03I was doing BPOs. Oh, where do you 20 to 70 dollars per one? And it was easy at first because their templates were super easy, and then all these big websites like ResNet and Prop some prop offer, all these different sites came out, and then the BPOs got a little bit harder. I was like, I don't know how to use these sites.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_03And that was in oh nine, so there was a lot of BPOs and foreclosures happening. Yeah, and I did get paid for a few, but um, oh yeah, I was I was doing whatever I could do to justify definitely kept a full-time job for a long time.
SPEAKER_02Actually, I kept a f I got licensed in 2016 and I kept a full-time job until I came to GL.
SPEAKER_03The GL in 2019. I remember that. You were able to leave uh your full-time job because of our great commission splits. Right. So oh man. Um, all right, so balance, burnout, and boundaries. We've kind of touched on this already. Um, burnout moments. I mean, I've had many over the years. Um, you know, just those moments where am I do I want to keep doing this? Is this am I gonna retire doing this? Am I gonna go get a full-time job or a part-time job? Or even what else would I want to do? Those I've I've thought about those moments a lot.
SPEAKER_02I think it's I think it's there's no real estate agent out there that can tell you they never get burnt out because it it's a grind. It is a full-time grind. Yeah, but I think it at some point it there probably comes a time where you have to decide, is this gonna be my livelihood or is this just gonna stay something that I enjoy? I mean, because obviously real estate agents really have to enjoy their job to to put in the grind.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02I mean, you have to love what you do, yeah, or you're not going get it. Yeah, and you have to go get it. Absolutely you can't just sit back and expect it to come to you. And if you do, you're probably not a successful real estate agent. Right. You know what I mean? Because it doesn't just come, it doesn't just fall in your lap.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02Um, but so I think you know, uh there does come a point in time where you have to decide, okay, am I doing this just to love it and I'm okay with what I make regardless, I make, or you know, is this is this my livelihood? Do I need this to survive? Do I need to, you know, put in the extra grind or not?
SPEAKER_03And that's and and when you do, when it is your livelihood and you have to put in that extra grind, the burnout along comes the burnout, and you have to learn how to deal with it, which leads us right into boundaries. How has boundaries changed everything? We touched on that with our daily routines. Like if you're not picking up the phone at 7 a.m., you know, what time are you answering the phone? What time are you calling people back? When are you going out to appointments? Um, being able to say no, I think the buyer agency changed. Oh, for sure. And for the better, I had a call the other day. Um wanted to see a house kind of right away. Someone I knew very
Biggest Misconceptions About Agents
SPEAKER_03well, so I was absolutely gonna make it happen. Um, I don't know, it turns out it wasn't exactly for that person. Still, I was happy to help, but it ended up not working out, you know, maybe because not sure by our agency, it didn't really even get that far.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03But me on the road, I was out with Robert, we were heading to town. Um, didn't know if I was gonna be able to come back to make that appointment time, but I was gonna try to do my best. But it kind of alleviated itself because maybe that person wasn't 100% aware and and you know, ready to go out and buy something and sign a contract with a buyer agent. Yeah, so I think that's kind of helped that out a lot as far as boundaries and not feeling like you have to get up and go right that second. That's how I felt as a new agent.
SPEAKER_02So I don't struggle with I I've definitely done a really good job of setting boundaries as far as that's concerned. You know, people calling and saying I need this at this time. Okay, well, you know, everybody has a job, everybody has a life. That part I don't struggle with. I struggle more so setting boundaries from my um recurring clients, you know. I I I'm an I'm an overachiever, I exceed expectations, you know, but that but that comes with its own consequences. You know, once you start doing things that, you know, take up a lot of your time and you're not being compensated for, it becomes an expectation. So I str that's one of my biggest struggles in real estate is I could give everybody anything and everything and not make it part of my business, and I really have to watch that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think I think we all find ourselves in a little bit of that too. Um doing things. People call like, hey, a lot of we get a lot of calls about successions and estates, they need valuations. Um, hey, what does that cost? For a while I didn't charge for that. Yeah. Then I started charging. It's not a huge fee, but it's like it is taking me time. It is take it is a process. I do the paperwork and then I put my name and my license number on it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So I did eventually start charging for that. But I was at one point I was doing so many CMAs for people for free. Yeah. For the longest time. I was like, wait a minute, let's change that. But yeah, I think boundaries have helped a lot. And I think the longer you're in the business, the more consistent your business becomes, the easier it is to set some of those boundaries or even to know what those boundaries are. Because in the beginning you really don't know.
SPEAKER_02Well, in the beginning, you're so hungry. You're like to do anything. Do anything just to get your name out there and you know, experience and whatever the case may be.
SPEAKER_03Yep, absolutely. Um, let's see, learning when to say no. I feel like we've covered that. Um, life outside of real estate, we'll touch on this a little bit and then we'll close it out with um advice to new agents. Um, but what do you like to do for fun? Like what um some of your hobbies? I know y'all like y'all like to travel.
SPEAKER_02We do. We do quite a bit of traveling. Um we do like to be away. Yeah, I mean, I but I'm also a huge crafter too. I really love, you know, crafting. I wish there was more time for that, honestly. Yeah. Um, but again, I I have issues with boundaries on that too. You know, I feel like I can't charge for my time, you know, so I would never I could never make it a business. I would spend more than I made. Um, but I do. I I really enjoy making shirts and just doing different crafts for people. Um decorations and whatnot, gifts. Um, that's definitely a a love and a passion of mine.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I wish I was a little more, I wish I could paint. I mean, I love art. Um we I mean I like to travel, we don't do it as much. I'm trying to do more in 26, travel-wise, like plan things out and go to places that we haven't been. Um, and I love art, which I'm not a painter. I wish I was, but I like to take pictures. So I finally photography might be. Yeah, I like to take pictures. I I got a camera, I have cameras over the years, but um, I just picked it back up when soccer season started and I started shooting the games, the girls. Um, and some of them came out pretty decent. I was pretty proud. So I've kind of gotten back into wanting to bring my camera everywhere. So I like that. And um, I really like music. So any festivals and concerts, I try to always bring Robert along and let's go listen to this band or see this group.
SPEAKER_02We do a lot of concerts too. Actually, we're going to a concert next weekend. Oh, we're going to see Jason Aldean and Biloxi.
SPEAKER_03Nice.
SPEAKER_02Lizzie's my um my concert queen.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02So she typically will talk me into it. Oh yeah. Yeah. Hey mom, so-and-so is coming. I'm like, okay, let me look at it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And then yeah, usually end up going.
SPEAKER_03The girls are trying to get more into it. They're like, hey, we should go to this concert, or hey, we should go to that concert. And we have done a couple, um, and we took them to Jazz Fest last year. That was fun. This year's Jazz Fest lineup has a few people they like. So I've been thinking I can get them to go for sure. But um, they're starting to get into the concerts a little bit too and wanting to go. Yes, we'll we'll close it out. Um, advice to new agents. What would you tell? I I met with an agent not too long ago. Um, since we closed the office, you know, I didn't offer for her to come with GL. I actually referred her to go somewhere else because I felt like she could get more um education and and time, you know, rather than the way things are set up now for GL. And I'll I'll elaborate on that. But what what would you say your new advice is? Uh your advice to new agents is.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh. Um I guess be patient. Um the business does not come quick. It's it it took me four to five years to actually be comfortable and you know, financially comfortable in what in what was happening. So um being patient
Early Career Struggles Versus Now
SPEAKER_02when it comes to that and just try to absorb as much as you can. If there's somebody you can shadow or follow, you know, agents, most agents aren't it, you know, they're not gonna take you on as a team member, but if you're just getting experience, um, do it, take advantage of it because you don't learn half of what you need to know in real estate school.
SPEAKER_03In real estate school, yeah, definitely. I I think I I feel the same way. Um, be patient. You have to be patient. It can take years, like you said. First year is not gonna be easy. Um, don't get discouraged in the first year. And I would say do uh do the work. And what I mean by that is um knock on the doors, talk to your neighbors, talk to your friends, email people, get on uh messenger, DM people, and not random people, not cold things, but people you know. I mean, if you go look at your Facebook, I mean you have hundreds of friends on there, talk to them, reach out to them, put yourself out there. I think you can go out and get as much business as you want and be honest with yourself about actually putting in the work or as little business as you want. Right. And even this for me, this this long in the business, knowing how this year went and going from not being very busy to really busy, to then the more work showing up after people are seeing that you're busy, it's like and you have to stay relevant.
SPEAKER_02I think part of that is well, and I think being relevant even when you're not relevant is key too. So even if you're just you're not putting your business out there because you don't have business, you're putting yourself out there. People are seeing you, people are seeing, even if it's just your lifestyle, the way you live, the you know, the things you believe, you know, they're people are listening to that and they're hearing that and they're like, Yeah, I agree with her. She could me and her could be cool. Like you still need to be out there in the very beginning. You might not be showing closings and you might not be showing listings, and you might not might not be posting, you know, everything that's happening as far as business, but you're you're sharing yourself. Yeah, and I think that's very beneficial in the beginning. That's something I did not do. I mean, even two or three years after I started, they were like, You're a realtor. And I'm like, Yes. Yes, I know I've been a realtor for three years, and they're like, I didn't know that. Yeah, well, and I look, I was adamant about not getting on Facebook.
SPEAKER_03I remember you hated it. You're like, I don't want to do that.
SPEAKER_02I didn't get on Facebook until I came to GL.
SPEAKER_03I know.
SPEAKER_02So from 2016 to 2019, I never I wasn't I was not on one minute of social media ever. Never.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And I'm not gonna say, you know, it changed everything, but it definitely had to have something to do with it.
SPEAKER_03Oh, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Once you start marketing and your name out there, and you know, just in general. Um, so that is something that I would definitely advise to um to agents just coming into the business. Yeah, don't worry that you don't have real estate to to market, market yourself, sell yourself, and remind people that you're a realtor every single day, all day. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Until it's until you don't want to anymore, and then it's still not gonna be enough.
SPEAKER_02Right. I mean, there'll eventually come a time where you you do have content to post because you you're busy.
SPEAKER_03And you'll have past clients, yes, you'll have referrals and yes, yes, and it all and then people will remember that you're a real estate agent. But definitely um put in the work, be patient, don't get dis don't get discouraged too soon. Um remember what we said we made our first years.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's not abnormal.
SPEAKER_03It's not abnormal, um, it's not easy. The business is not just gonna fall in your lap. No, as much, you know, I'm sure it has happened to some people, and kudos to them, but how long did that last?
SPEAKER_02Right. So we we're actually experiencing right now one of the lower numbers of realtors in Louisiana because you know, when COVID happened and interest rates plummeted, everybody wanted to be a real estate agent because sales were happening left and right.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02Well, you know, a lot of those agents have gotten out of the business because there's only so long you can hang on to not making any money and still paying dues, and still paying dues, and I think they thought it was always gonna be that easy, but it's not. So we're I think we're finally getting to a better number where it isn't a saturation of agents, and you know, we'll start feeling we'll start feeling the benefit of that benefit of that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I definitely think so. Um, I think 2026 is gonna be a good year so far. It's looking up. So hopefully, um, anybody who's struggling these last few years that stuck it out, hopefully this will be your year. Um, I'm looking forward to a good year, and excited about the podcast being back. Yay. So, yay! Our first one in a long time. Um, so thanks for joining us. This is the Move Worthy Podcast. We talked about life between closings, uh, success versus reality, misconceptions, setting boundaries, and advice for new agents. Uh, let us know what you think in the comments after we post it. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode of the Move Worthy Podcast with myself, Jenny Linley, and Lauren
Burnout, Balance, And Saying No
SPEAKER_03Jones. And together we have the experience to move you forward.
