In a busy real estate market, it can be hard to schedule needed time away from the office for a vacation or even a short break.

But with the right planning and flexibility, there are ways to recharge and get away without disrupting your real estate business, according to four Illinois REALTORS^®, who are also leaders with the Young Professionals Network (YPN). They share their tips in a new video.

“You have to be able to step away, collect your thoughts and then give your clients and the other agents you’re working with the best version of yourself, and you just can’t do that if you’re working 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and missing all family events and not taking vacations,” says Megan Beechen, a broker with Realty Executives Elite in Lemont.

“It’s just so important to recenter yourself,” she says.

So, what steps can you take to take time off while ensuring your business runs smoothly while you are away?

PJ Trautman, an appraiser and a broker with Champaign County Realty in Champaign, suggests thinking about what could come up while you are away and putting an action plan in place.

“If you think through each of your days while you’re gone, you can usually plan accordingly and eliminate a lot of those surprises,” he said. “Visualize through those days that you’re gone, really plan and minimize (potential issues) the best you can.”

Watch the video and get more tips from Beechen, Trautman, Chris Pezza of The Apartment Source in Chicago and 2022 Illinois YPN Chair Connie Vavra, a broker with Coldwell Banker Realty in Orland Park.