Setting boundaries in your business. Does the thought of that just give you a little anxiety and make you want to curl up into the fetal position?
Trust me, I know the feeling. Setting boundaries is a huge topic in the real estate TC world.
The thing is, the real estate industry as a whole is a service-based business. You may think of it as a sales industry and while that may be true, it's all about the service you provide your client. Whether you're a real estate agent selling a house or you're a Transaction Coordinator working on behalf of a real estate agent.
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I remember back in my early days in real estate, I would do just about anything a client asked me to do. If they needed help in some way around the sale of the house then I would do it. Even if it had nothing to do with the actual sale of the house. Anything to push the process forward in my mind was a win-win situation or so I thought.
Still to this day, I find myself going over and above and pushing the boundaries at times because I tend to be a people pleaser and want people to like me.
Sound familiar?
(That's a whole other blog post in itself lol).
When we are first starting out in our business it's easy to get sucked into agreeing to do things for our clients that we wouldn't normally do just to keep them happy.
You start your business all bright-eyed and excited and you find yourself bending your boundaries just to book your first few clients. Or worse we agree to take on a client that we don't really want to work with, but hey you need to pay the bills right?
That's where drawing the boundaries with your clients comes in. The problem is, when you have a handful of clients that you have essentially “trained” that they can ask you to do extra things for them, you start to get resentful. This is an easy predicament to find yourself in especially if you are just getting your business started and you want to do all the things for everyone.
In order to be able to reclaim your space and sanity, it is time to start speaking up for yourself. That may make you cringe but if you want to have a business that you truly enjoy then it’s time!
The two most common boundary issues are that of time and added tasks to your workflow. Agents will contact you outside of business hours. Now, this isn’t always a boundary issue. For example, they may send you a contract on the weekend but you don't need to process it that very minute. Chances are you can wait until Monday morning to do it.
Recommendation 1: Set up a Policy and Procedure Document.
The first thing I recommend to help combat this issue is to have a policy and procedures document that you give to all your new agents in your onboarding process. You can even go as far as to have them initial certain paragraphs saying that they have read and acknowledged your availability and set work hours. In the event you find them falling away from your process, you can always remind them of your policies and refer back to what they agreed to when you started working together. Agents work 24-7 and sometimes forget that you don't.*Tip: I recommend having your hours at the bottom of your email signature so it's front and center for all to see. Have an “out of the office email” sent after business hours to remind them when you will respond back.
Recommendation 2: Set A Clear Process/ Workflow of Tasks and Stick to It!
Agents like to add little tasks that you don't normally do during the transaction any chance they can. Scope Creep can be a big frustration for Transaction Coordinators as it can throw off your whole workflow and break the boundaries you are trying to keep in place. When you are just starting out, deciding what tasks you are going to offer will take some time. Eventually, you will have your process down and it will be easier to decide if you want to add something to your workflow. Some agents are better clients than others and you may give in a little for your favorite agents that treat you well and respect your time.*Tip: Remember, it’s ok to remind them in a nice way that what they're asking is not part of your workflow. A lot of times they are asking for a task their assistant should be doing, not a Transaction Coordinator.
It's ok to have boundaries in your business. You shouldn't feel bad about this. After all, you are creating a business that you want, a business that allows you the time and space to be who you want to be and live the life that you want to live. I tell my students in the Transaction Coordinator Bootcamp, that you can always fire your clients if they aren't following your policies and making your life miserable. (It’s the best part of being your own boss!) Life is too short to work with someone that does not respect your boundaries and business policies. It's your business and you can run it any way you chose. That's why you have your own business right? You want to be able to call the shots and run things so they work for you. You're probably saying to yourself right now...sure Joni that's easier said than done. I get it. It may be hard to enforce your boundaries but isn't your sanity more important? You just have to start. It'll get easier as you find your voice. It may take some time, but keep setting your boundaries and enforcing your rules until it does get easier. I promise it will.
Check out my other post about Transaction Coordinators:
3 ways to Ensure Success as a Transaction Coordinator
How to Start an Online Business as a Transaction Coordinator
Planning your 2020 Transaction Coordinator Business Goals
3 Simple Strategies for Getting Clients For Your Transaction Coordinator Business
What is a Virtual Transaction Coordinator 
