If you’re in a serious relationship with a real estate agent, chances are excellent you’ve waited on them.
Space Coast Realtor Shane Burgman opened a recent Instagram reel with that point, and he admitted his own wife has waited on him more than once.
The last time was rough. In his words, “it hit really hard.”
Agents know how this goes. As Burgman explains, the job has no off switch, and the people at home end up covering for it. Not because their time is worth less, but because they’re more likely to understand and assume the best.
His reel walks through the afternoon that made him rethink how he plans his day and what he’s changed because of it.
From the looks of it, agents are resonating hard with the post. And it delivers on both marketing insight and actionable day-to-day tactics for real estate pros.
So, here’s the genius of Burgman’s reel and why we’re spotlighting it for Marketer of the Week.
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The Afternoon That Made Him Rethink His Calendar
Burgman described the moment in the reel.
“Last time she waited on me, it stung and it hit really hard. She had a meeting at five, and like most afternoons when I’m here at the office, head down, I am fully in work mode and on emails, and I completely lost track of time.”
He tied it to the nature of the job, not to make excuses but to explain what happened. And any real estate agent watching is probably nodding their head as he does.
He listed the kinds of things that keep pulling agents back in:
- One more email
- One more call
- Late-night texts with a client
- An inspection issue that feels like it can’t wait
Burgman admits that a lot of the time, those things can’t wait. He says that’s what makes the problem so tricky to fix.
Clients Got the Plan and Family Got the Leftovers
Burgman’s realization came when he compared how he handled two kinds of appointments. He explained what he did for a client’s showing and what he did for his wife.
“When a client, for example, has a showing at 5:00, I would plan for it. Reminders, I would double-check and I would not risk it. But with my wife’s appointments, I just assumed that I would remember it.”
He went on to name the pattern he’d fallen into.
“Now, somewhere along the way, work got my best plan, and she got whatever was left. And it’s not because she matters less. It’s because I know that she would understand.”
He says she did understand, and she still does. Here’s what she’s put up with along the way:
- Late dinners
- Missed bedtimes
- Burgman stepping away to take a call or grab his computer to get something done
She carries a lot for their family so he can build his business. Burgman says she shouldn’t have to be the one person who gets the backup plan on top of that.
The Fix Uses the Same Tools He Uses for Clients
Burgman’s answer is to give his wife’s appointments the same weight as his clients’ appointments.
He now takes these steps to prioritize her time commitments (as well as time with family):
- Setting reminders on his calendar
- Setting Siri reminders
- Checking his calendar throughout the day, where he used to look at it the night before or in the morning
Every step uses tools already on his phone. Any agent can set up the same thing this afternoon.
The bigger change is how he ranks his time. Burgman explained the new rule for his schedule.
“When her stuff is there, my work moves around for it, not the other way around.”
Why the Reel Connects With Agents and Their Spouses
The first line, “If you’re married to a real estate agent, you’ve probably waited on that person multiple times,” names its audience in one sentence and pulls in agents along with the people who wait on them.
Two audiences. One story that both can relate to.
From there, Burgman tells on himself. He picks one afternoon and one mistake, and he owns it.
There’s no listing in the reel and no pitch. Seeing the person behind the listing specialist brand builds trust with past clients and prospects who might hire him later.
The ending speaks to two audiences. He has a line for agents, which we’ll get to below, and a thank-you for spouses. Here’s what he told the spouses.
“To the spouses who keep waiting and understanding, we see you and we appreciate what you do for us. And we’re working on it.”
His caption boils the whole message down to a few lines.
“My clients get reminders and double checks. She got ‘I’ll remember.’
“When you’re building something, it’s easy to give work your best and family what’s left. It’s time to restructure and put them first.”
The post hasn’t gone viral, and it doesn’t have to. At the time I’m writing this, it has over 150 likes and 26 comments from viewers who took the time to say how meaningful Burgman’s reel is to them.
Your Clients Can Find Another Agent
Burgman saved his message for agents for the end of the reel.
“Now for the agents out there, your clients will probably get another agent someday, But your spouse and your family, they’ll never get another you.”
If your family’s plans live in your head while your clients’ plans live in your calendar, put them in the same place this week.
Add reminders for your life partner’s appointments the way you would for a showing, and check them throughout the day so nothing slips past you at five o’clock.
