After a year-plus of uncertainty and extended time at home, people around the world have re-evaluated their priorities from work to home life and everything in between.
Ryan Anderson
Thinking about work life in particular, Inman News Founder Brad Inman took to the Inman Coast to Coast Facebook group recently to ask the real estate community this very question.
“Headline this week: ‘Workers around the world are rethinking their jobs after the turbulence of COVID.’ How about you?” Inman asked.
Many Coast to Coasters mentioned taking time for reflection and thinking about what’s really important in their lives.
Valerie Garcia
“I feel like it’s taken everyone out of their ‘routine’ and evaluating what will best support them and their families,” Ryan Anderson, a Realtor at eXp Realty, wrote. “Sometimes that means jobs, locations, values, etc. Someone who valued the workaholic lifestyle, probably doesn’t so much anymore. (Speaking for a friend 
) lol.”
“More about rethinking life than work, for me,” Real Estate Consultant Valerie Garcia wrote. “I have 6 friends who lost a parent to Covid. It’s been sobering to think that nearly 620,000 deaths in the US means that many, many families will never again be the same. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to being annoyed about things like having to make reservations. At least I hope not.”
Christi Borden
More than one person mentioned that the pandemic has made them think more about when they want to retire — for many, it’s now sooner rather than later.
“It certainly has made me and my husband reevaluate our work lives and our future retirement date,” Christi Borden, a Realtor at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene, wrote. “It has turned years into months and I am very excited about that. Plus, Covid gave us a glimpse into how we would handle post retirement togetherness and we will be just fine!”
Don McGlynn
Don McGlynn, an associate broker at Compass, said, “It made me lower my retirement age 
“
Others who responded to Brad’s post, however, mentioned that the pandemic actually helped them to refocus and double down on their jobs in what has become a record-breaking year for the industry.
Brandon Kekich
“We are very COVID aware/high risk and live in one of, if not The, most locked-down state, Michigan,” Brandon Kekich, a Realtor at RE/MAX Dream Properties, wrote. “Yet, while everyone else has been ‘rethinking things,’ we jumped in, invested in tons of PPE, shifted some models, adapted (and adapted again & again), worked harder and smarter than ever, and have taken the mindshare and marketshare of agents who have been ‘rethinking things.’ No reason people couldn’t be safe, responsible, sensitive, aware and productive, all at the same time, during this craziness.”
Ryan Bokros
“Rethinking ‘balance’ and ‘leverage,'” Ryan Bokros, team leader at Navigation Real Estate Group, wrote.
“I became much more efficient during COVID and spent a lot of time reflecting on how I can be better and more effective while not working any harder — if anything, working less. I succeeded at most [of] it, having basically lived a traveling ‘workation’ for a year with my family.”
