Real Estate Manager Training – The Vacation Mindset

Self-Awareness: The Real Estate Leader’s Secret Weapon

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after coaching thousands of agents and leaders, it’s this: awareness changes everything.

When we simply talk about the pre- and post-vacation mental load with our people—before they go—we empower them to manage it. We give them the context to understand their own stress. And when they return, we can reframe their experience so they don’t spiral into blaming the job or the team.

In fact, this is why our real estate manager training includes mindset and emotional intelligence training. Because leadership isn’t just about systems and tracking—it’s about managing people through the messy middle.

And nothing gets messier than the week after a vacation.

Don’t Let Vacations Derail Your Culture

Culture is built in the small moments—in how you prepare your team for time off, how you support them when they return, and how you re-anchor them into your systems.

Here’s what I recommend for all real estate team leaders and managers:

1. Have a Pre-Vacation Talk

Before someone leaves, pull them aside and say something like:

“I’m glad you’re taking time off—it’s important. But I want to prepare you. The week before and after can be rough. You’ll probably feel overwhelmed coming back, and it’s easy to start blaming the job. Just know that’s normal, and I’m here to help you transition back smoothly.”

This one conversation can save a career.

2. Support the Transition Back

Welcome them back intentionally. Help them prioritize what needs to be handled immediately vs. what can wait. Reaffirm that the stress they’re feeling isn’t a sign that the job is broken—it’s just part of the rhythm of reentry.

3. Remind Them of the Bigger Picture

Use the return from vacation as an opportunity to realign with their goals. Help them zoom out. Reconnect them with their “why.” Remind them of the impact they’re making and the systems they’ve built to support their success.

Emotional Regulation Is Leadership

Here’s something I say in nearly every real estate manager training session:

“You don’t get both rights and responsibilities.”

If you want the responsibility of leadership—whether that’s leading a team, managing transactions, or coaching clients—you don’t get the right to fly off the handle emotionally. That’s the trade-off. Leadership requires stability.

Your agents, your clients, your staff—they look to you to stay between the emotional guardrails. You’re the thermostat, not the thermometer. You set the temperature in your environment.

When you stay calm, others settle down. When you fly off the handle, others get reactive. It’s that simple.

So when someone returns from vacation and starts gaslighting the whole office, yelling “nothing gets done without me,” you need to step in and redirect. Not with judgment, but with understanding and authority.

Let them know:

“Hey, I know this is tough. You’re under pressure, and that’s normal after being away. Let’s prioritize and get you back in the zone.”

Normalize their feelings, but don’t let them derail the team. That’s how you model stable leadership.