Life Hacks for Moms in Commercial Real Estate

Founding Principal Amy Calandrino shares her thoughts on what it takes to be successful as a mom in commercial real estate. This content is being repurposed from the broker list’s blog. Read more below.

With only 168 hours in a week, you must make them count especially if you are a top producer, managing broker, and mom to boot.  Often women are faced with a choice – career or children.  However, I’ve found in a commission-only world where time is money that you can be a top producer AND a superstar mom.

Here are the top five life hacks, I have for working #CRE moms:

  1. Accept help. Both personally and professionally, I have an incredible team.  I’ve learned that I can’t possibly do it all so I rely on those who are smarter than me to get things done.  From recruiting a sharp and diverse team of agents to ensuring that I have ample administrative support, I know that I can count on my team to prepare flyers, conduct tours, and much more.  Professionally, I also believe in coaching, which provides me with accountability, support, and clarity.  Outside of the office, I also get a sitter (often my mom) a couple of times a month to get away.  Whether it’s time to spend by yourself, with a significant other, or your friends or family, you deserve to take your “mom” AND “broker” hat off from time to time.
  2. Block your time.  To fuel your body with proper diet and exercise as well as sleep, blocking your time can be a HUGE help.  For me, I can crush it when I’m in the office because I’m firing on all cylinders.  More often than not, I can outpace those who work MORE hours than be just because I’m much more effective and efficient.  A sample weekly schedule is available here.
  3. Stay focused on what’s going to “move the needle.”  Limit your distractions.  It’s okay to put your cell phone on “do not disturb” or give it to your assistant to shield your communications so you can finish that pitch or work on your business.  I highly recommend reading both “Essentialism” and “The One Thing” as both texts changed me from a multi-tasker working upwards of 70 or more hours a week to an intensively focused broker getting more done in half the time I used to work. Are folks sometimes upset that I say “no”?  Absolutely.  But, I know today that saying “yes” to certain things is often saying “no” to other things that are much more meaningful.
  4. Leverage technology.  I love technology!  From utilizing Zapier to integrate applications with my firm’s Ascendix Salesforce or using Calendly to automate scheduling, I save hours weekly that I can put into more cold calls and pitches or training my team.
  5. Give yourself grace.  I fumble and forget to refill diapers at daycare or that it’s picture day, but it’s okay.  Two decades from now, my kids aren’t going to remember that.  They’re going to remember us going to their favorite park or taking a vacation together.  It’s not the stuff….it’s the time we share.