The industry’s ongoing demands have taken a significant toll on property professionals, with agents encouraged to recognise the warning signs of burnout.
According to Health that Heals founder Sally McGrath, over the years, the ongoing pressure to be a high performer has plagued the industry, causing widespread burnout among property professionals.
“Burnout, the stigma and the shame of it is still very evident in the workplace,” McGrath said.
McGrath said that while agents needed to be accessible to their clients, the key was to establish healthy boundaries, giving them the space they needed to disconnect.
“Make it very clear when you are available and when you are not,” she said.
McGrath said that while it was fine for agents to have big goals and make exceptions to their boundaries, recognising when to step back and protect themselves was key to preventing burnout.
Additionally, she said that agents should be encouraged to reflect on their own energy levels and engagement at work to self-identify when they are approaching burnout.
“It’s not just a leader’s responsibility to be able to spot burnout.”
“We need to take a level of self-responsibility, share that and be responsible for our peers.”
Similarly, she said that professionals should monitor behavioural changes in their colleagues, such as irritability, emotional outbursts, and withdrawal.
“These can be a precursor to what I would call the burnout spiral, and you can hopefully intervene early enough to prevent it.”
Busting the burnout myths
McGrath said the solution to burnout wasn’t as simple as taking a break; it required long-term management strategies.
“Burnout is not just fatigue, and it’s not fixed by taking a holiday; trust me, I’ve tried it a few times,” she said.
While a holiday may feel like a short-term fix, McGrath said agents would eventually face the same pressures that led to their burnout.
“You are probably in burnout because you haven’t fixed the fundamental problem, and that is what you have to do.”
“You have to assess the habits and behaviours that contributed to your burnout and reframe them to change the way you function.”
“Then by all means, take the holiday.”
She said that making the changes that lead to better wellbeing don’t have to happen overnight, with incremental change being better than none at all.
“We are very good at overcomplicating things, and that’s why this needs to be simple.”
“Take the small steps, small wins, and build those gradually and consistently, and you will find a sustainable burnout prevention strategy that works.”
McGrath said that being burnt out doesn’t mean that property professionals are being weak.
“It means you’ve been strong for too long without recovery.”
“The earlier you identify the warning signs, the easier it will be to reset before it costs you,” McGrath concluded.
