Well, I work all the time!

Something I am still working on.

Just share with them about you, your family. They understand.

just reviewing some questions and answers from this time last year, looks like this one got a few good replies.

I would recommend dealing with reasonable people.  There will be times that things need to be done on weekends and after hours.  That is part of the job.  If you have reasonable clients, it won't be unmanagable.  If you have unreasonable clients, you will never be able to do enough.

I'm very flexible and I'm available almost all the time. My family and extended family are very forgiving this way so sometimes they know I'll be rushing off somewhere.

However, if it's something really important or you just want to spend every "whatever" morning with family, do it. Literally book a time in your calendar and if someone calls for an appointment tell them "I'm not available at that time, what about this?"

You'll find that most people will reschedule.

Set your schedule and take the time you need to recharge.  No matter when you take you may lose somebody, but you have to enjoy life

Plan your day or better plan your week. Put in your personal and family time first, then business.  My trainer, Floyd Wickman has a  concept called smart week.  You will your time slots allowing for overflow on appoitments, then fill your prospect time, appoitment times, and service times in that order.  If its not on schedule, it don't need to be done.  However, there are some exceptions

You can set some parameters for yourself. Maybe you don't take calls on Sunday because that's family day. You have to decide what works for you. 

I suspect the amount of available time that an agent schedules for business is a personal one.  Most certainly, nearly all will require personal time to maintain sanity.  I remember an exceptionally busy time that I went 5 months without a day off.  That was coupled with long hours as well.  It began to take its toll on me, so I walked over to the calendar and put an "X" on a Tuesday, about 2 weeks away.  The plan was to stay in bed and just cry.  Imagine how upset I was when I woke that day, the sun was out, and I was in a good mood.  There went my plan for crying!

Shuchi Agrawal - it's up to you to decide on what you want to do! 

If you think they want you 24x7, that's your mindset. If you make it clear to your clients about your priorities, they will surely understand and won't disturb you at those times.

You will have to decide what works for your situation. I suggest taking a day off every week and turning your phone off for periods of time. Schedule family time and keep those appointments. You may want to partner with another agent to free up your calendar for periods of quality family time.

This is a very individual decision that each one must make for themselves.

Let your voice mail and email advise clients of your present working hours.  It someone is insistent that you answer the phone at 11:30pm because they have a question and you return the call the next day and they are upset, explain to them that you do shut down after certain hours and only handle emergencies thereafter.  Their concern did not appear to be an emergency situation, so you are replying at your convenient time.  If they have a problem with that, then they are probably not the person with whom you want a professional relationship.  They have to be able to respect boundaries.

Shuchi, when an event is coming up contact your active clients and let them know that you will be unavailable on such and such a date and request they be organized enough to honor your family time.  Once we get the hang of that it is easier to plan events and just stick with it as family has to come first.

I thought it was 24/7?? And I am a Loan Originator.

"...expect we be available 24x7, 365....." is FALSE.

It IS a line we have been sold and readily repeat, however, repeating it will not make it true.

Buyer and sellers DO NOT expect 24/7, 365 acccesibility, they DO want to know when to expect a response. 

Please, ask you buyer and seller, "Do you expect me to be available to you 24/7, 365 days a year?"

Everyone's schedule has to be personalized to their specific needs and family situation. There is no perfect schedule. And what's right for you this year could be all wrong next year. It's a moving target.