A Day In The Life of a Bergen County Realtor

There is a perception that all realtors do is show homes and list homes, when in reality, this is only a fraction of the job! Being a realtor requires many more skills than most people realize. How busy and productive you are as a real estate agent truly depends on the work you are willing to put in, and whether you prioritize delivering white-glove service.
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​​​​​​​As someone who loves all things real estate and is the CEO of a top real estate team in Bergen County, my work goes beyond that of a full-time employee. I work every day of the week and try to fit in as many hours of work into my day as I can physically take. I am responsible for making sure the rest of my team and I are on top of communications with clients, attorneys, colleagues, and vendors, for marketing my brand and my listings, writing up offers on homes, attending inspections, and more!

The truth is this job is a bit of a whirlwind! My group jokes that we are full-time realtors and part-time magicians because we've become expert multi-taskers and have mastered the art of making the various issues that arise in the buying and selling process disappear. 

​​​​​​​Of course, our knack for dealing with real estate issues is no magic. As a real estate team, we strive to take away the burdens associated with buying and selling from our clients because our mission is to deliver white glove service. The hectic aspect of the job comes into place when you have to balance new business and current business. The way I've dealt with the chaos of working in real estate is by having some type of daily structure (of course, no two days are the same!).

​​​​​​​How does my schedule typically look? Let's look at a day I had last week. 

A Day in the Life of Christina Gibbons:

6:30 A.M. 
From the moment I wake up, I am checking emails and texts to see what I might have missed while I was sleeping or during the limited amount of time that I spend offline at the end of the day. I also am a mother of three  boys, so I have to make sure everything is ready for their day and my day.  

7:30 A.M.
Typically around this time, I have to give at least one of my kids a ride. If I'm lucky, I get driving duty for my twins who go to one of Ridgewood's public schools, George Washington Middle School (conveniently located around the block from the Ridgewood Christie's Real Estate office!) Around this time, I typically get my first call of the day from Zillow. 

8:15 A.M. 
Daily team meeting at the office with Christina Gibbons Group's Director of Operations and Transaction Coordinator. Though our office doesn't open until 9:00 A.M., we like to get a head start on the day before things get hectic. 

9:00 A.M.
By this time, I've gone through all email correspondence for the morning, am 15 calls deep into my day, and ready to jet off to a Buyer's Home Inspection across town. Sometimes we have multiple inspections at different homes in one day.

10:30 A.M. 
Halfway through the home inspection, I get a call from a buyer lead who wants to see my listing at 70 Crest Road. The Director of Operations for my team happens to be a licensed realtor and switches places with me at the inspection, so that I can head across town for the showing. 

11:30 A.M.
Fly back to the office to put out a 'small fire' as I like to call them. During my showing, I missed 8 calls and 5 emails related to an issue with an upcoming closing that has a septic issue. Reach out to my client, their attorneys, the other agent on the deal, and the Upper Saddle River Building Department. Crisis averted - fire extinguished!

NOON
Marketing meeting! Meet with the Christie's International Real Estate marketing department to discuss the marketing strategy for launching Christina Gibbons Group's expansion to the Jersey shore. In this meeting, we discuss expenses, the message we are trying to relay, and set expectations for launching blog posts, Instagrams, and magazine advertisements. 

1:00 P.M.
Get in my car to show a young couple a property in Englewood NJ. Showing properties is a major part of the job. For some clients, I end up showing them 30 homes before they find the right match. While walking through the home, we check in to discuss the pros and cons of the property regarding how much it fits their needs.

2:00 P.M. 
Arrive back at the office to grab a marketing folder for a listing meeting in Ridgewood. To get an idea of how to market and price a home, I need to do a home walkthrough with the prospective seller. The walkthrough usually helps me in my pitch because it allows me to understand what platinum services the home might need and how I can put myself in the best position to pitch myself as the best realtor to sell the house.

3:30 P.M.
Realize I haven't eaten lunch and order a Puzo's salad on the way back into the office.

4:00 P.M. 
Eat lunch and review the listing write-up for a listing I'm launching the following day. I've always found it incredibly important to be better than I was the previous day at work, so I am constantly looking back at my work to make revisions and improve what I have done so far.  

4:30 P.M. 
My Director of Operations sets up a Zoom call for my clients who are based out of California and are looking to move to Ridgewood. We discuss the types of homes they are looking for (price range, towns, neighborhood vibe, number of bedrooms needed etc.) and their timeline for purchasing. I get them set up in my NJMLS to receive emails with properties matching their real estate needs. 

5:00 P.M.
My clients want to submit an offer on a home but are not preapproved. I connect them with our preferred lender and discuss a strategy for the purchase price and additional provisions. I know that this home will go way over asking in Ridgewood's hot real estate market and want to put my clients in the best position for having their offer accepted. 

6:00 P.M. 
Go over what I want to be tweaked in my listing presentation with the Direct of Marketing/Operations so that I can be ready for my 10:00 A.M. presentation scheduled tomorrow morning.

6:30 P.M. 
Hop on the phone with the listing agent of a home my clients want to put an offer on. It takes two experienced agents who know how to collaborate professionally and productively to get a deal done and ensure that both the seller and buyer are happy. 

7:00 P.M.
Drive over to Ridgewood Country Club to pick up my sons from their round of golf. My family is full of avid golfers, and it is always exciting to be part of activities that we all mutually love. 

7:30 P.M. 
Dinner with the family and then back on the phone and email to respond to calls, texts, and emails related to the Buyer Specialists on my team. We work through our CRM together and talk through the offers they put in for their clients today and discuss the necessary follow-up needed with our clients and listing agents to ensure that we serve our clients to the best of our abilities.

8:30 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
During this time range, I usually try to end the lingering communications of the day, whether with clients, leads, or other agents. On this particular day, I called it quits around 9 P.M. and try to watch some Netflix with my kids to end the day.