One of the most common questions I get asked is, “How many hours should you work a week?” There isn’t one number that applies to every agent because it depends entirely on the chapter of your career you’re in. In the early years, when you’re building your database, generating opportunities and operating without an assistant or support team, the workload can be significant. There is no doubt that sacrifices are often required. For some agents, that may mean working anywhere between ten and fourteen hours a day, six days a week, particularly while they’re establishing momentum and learning every part of the business.
That level of workload shouldn’t necessarily become the permanent model. As your business grows, your role needs to evolve with it. When you appoint your first or second team member, the purpose isn’t simply to add headcount. It’s to remove tasks from your day that no longer require your direct involvement. Administration, campaign coordination and other repeatable activities can be delegated, allowing you to spend more time on the work where you create the greatest value. At that stage, it may be possible to bring the working day back to eight or ten hours while still increasing productivity and performance.
The next stage comes when you begin developing what I call an attraction business. Referrals start coming to you, your reputation creates opportunities and the dynamic shifts from “who you know” to “who knows you”. That doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of years of consistent prospecting, strong client service and delivering results. Once you’ve reached that point, the business should become less dependent on you personally handling every task and more reliant on a capable team with clearly defined responsibilities.
This is where structure becomes critical. I believe in creating specialized swim lanes within an effective business unit so each person understands where they add the most value. When the right people are responsible for the right areas, the business becomes more efficient and you gain greater control over your time. The goal isn’t simply to work fewer hours for the sake of it. It’s to build a business that no longer requires you to be involved in everything. How many hours you work will change throughout your career, but the progression should be towards greater leverage, stronger systems and more control over how your time is spent.