With the exception of a few, no one in our generation has experienced a global-sized event that affected so many. We’ve come upon the one-year anniversary of the local, national, and worldwide shutdowns for the safety of everyone to prevent the spread of one of the most serious pandemics we have collectively faced in the most recent 100 years. The fortunate aspect to many was the advantage of technology, allowing us to keep working from the safety of our homes.

Remote work has changed business in a way that many never thought possible. Businesses large and small have become even more connected through the help of virtual meetups allowing more availability and accessibility to all attendees without limitations of physical space. 77% of remote workers report being more productive and 88% report experiencing less stress. (Iva Marinova, Review42) Here at ERA Landmark, we were able to successfully migrate all staff meetings and firm-wide weekly sales meetings in a matter of three weeks for the 60+ attendees! Even with vaccinations rolling out in full force and less-and-less cases popping up in Montana, the virtual meetings are here to stay. Like 99% of the other telecommuters out there, we want to keep it up. (Iva Marinova, Review42)

Along with our admiration of the convenience and streamlined production of meeting virtually, the lack of face-to-face socialization and working from home has been tough on everyone. Here are three tips we’ve learned to upkeep that productivity and how to optimize your workspace so that you’re not just “working from home”.

1. Make it personal | “Research has shown that a sense of personalization in your workspace can positively impact happiness and job satisfaction, resulting in a more productive you.” Just being in your home doesn’t necessarily make it your personal workspace. Intentionally set up and decorate the area in an inspiring way to help you work!
2. Keep work and play spaces separate | “One of the major challenges of remote work is work-life separation. To maintain your sanity, you’ll need clear boundaries about where and when work happens.” Try keeping your usual work schedule in place as if you were still in the office. Layout time for work, then leave your work area when you’re not focusing on the grind.
3. Healthy spaces create productivity | “Healthy humans do better work. If the airflow in your apartment isn’t ideal, open up a window to stay alert and energetic. Before reaching for that third cup of coffee when you start to feel tired, keep a pitcher of water on your desk so you can stay hydrated without breaking your concentration. By making it easy to give your body what it needs, you’ll stay focused, invigorated, and clear-headed.”

To adjust to not coming into the office every day, our ERA agents weigh in on some advice that worked for them in the last year.

“I accepted that I needed to have patience through the challenge and use the situation as an opportunity for growth. I continued to serve those around me to the best of my ability. We can't always control our circumstances but we can control how we respond to them.” -Ryan Martello

“I stayed motivated by reaching out and keeping in touch with current and past clients to see how they were doing.” -Debbie McEachron

“Made lists of people to call. Still do.” -Sharon Tudor Isler

“It was easy to stay motivated because business never let up.” -Jon Ellen Snyder

A lot has changed in the last year. What we have gathered is that we Montanans are hardy and can adapt to almost anything! Whether you work from home full-time or even part-time, we applaud the hard work we have all had to endure these past trying months. As our way of life is slowly getting back to normal, we are finding that the norm is changing in ways we never would have thought. One thing that can be said is our staff and agents have kept up with the constantly changing real estate industry, and we welcome any real estate questions and inquiries about the current market status. Talk to an agent today at one of our different office locations across southwest Montana:

Big Sky | 36 Center Lane, Big Sky, MT 59716 | 406.995.3444
Bozeman | 1805 W Dickerson, #1, Bozeman, MT 59715 | 406.586.1321
Ennis | 219 Main Street, Ennis, MT 5972 | 406.682.4290
Livingston | 215 S. Main, Livingston, MT 59047 | 406.222.8700