What does an agent do in a market like this to keep business flowing and put food on the table?

Now that's a loaded question. This is either a huge set up for a big bag of lies or a veritable bearing of one's business driven soul. I'll target the latter sans excuses or embellishments. For those that know me you know I like my free time. I enjoy my family life and leisurely activities. To the hard core big name marquis agents, I'm seen as a part timer. By my high school physics (was it calc or chem?) definition of "absolute" meaning, my time added up without the modifier of a positive or negative sign in front of it, I'm more than full time. Here, let me spit out my collective activities without regard to time frames, urgency or importance; look at these without the judgement of a positive or negative sign in front of perceived time spent engaged in these activities:

blog writing

diaper changing

making Raphael smile (he's 7 months old, it's not hard)

honey do's

outbound marketing - email blasts to past clients / sphere of influence, mailers, warm calling

social networking, personal and professional

my website under construction

tennis with daughter Gabrielle

surfing (ocean and internet)

running

weight training

coffee with Barbara

"other" with Barbara

playing with the kids 'round the house

vacations/holidays

motorcycle rides

motorcycle & car shows

network TV (we don't have cable, a bona-fide time waster)

targeted market research for serious and not so serious clients

managing current listings/transactions 

showing homes / writing offers

studying for broker license (Funny name since one could be just that in this market, "broker-n-pigsnot". Many of you won't get that unless you employ an accent)

internet marketing research (social media marketing, SEO, effective blogging)

Reading other bloggers' posts

dining out every now and then (ooh, I love sushi and Puerto Nuevo style lobster!)

managing relations w/  referral sources (Navy buddies, fellow church members, past clients, college/HS friends, neighbors, etc.)

managing relations w/ team mates (my assistant, my broker/company manager, escrow officer, title rep, favorite agents in and out of my company, contractors, inspectors, tax advisor, attorneys for varied needs, a cast of thousands...)

selling my listings to marginally interested agents and their buyers ("Marvin, why should we write an offer on your client's house?")

keeping up w/ NAR, CAR and SDAR (Nat'l, CA, San Diego Assoc'n of Realtors, respectively)

OCD research online (could be on real estate related topics, could be tracking migration patterns of pacific bottle nosed dolphins...)

doing absolutely nothing

Honorable mention - I wish I could say I still flew helicopters for the Navy occasionally spotting a pod of dolphins firsthand from 300 feet, but those are days gone by - now that would be the right stuff wouldn't it, Gordo...?

Collectively, it's a lot of stuff. Certainly not the same as the next rain making agent. If you were to ask me, "Which of those activities listed, if concentrated on more efficiently, would bring you more business?". I would have 2 answers and either are justifiable in my mind - first, all of the leisure time activities NOT related to business and second, ALL of the above. Why? Simple - all work and no play makes Marvin burn out fast. The spirit and intent of my life's journey is to be a positive contributor to the quality of my own life and everyone I'm in contact with. Why not enjoy the journey?

Now if I could just find a way to thank Barb for not saying anything when I'm at this damn keyboard (like Schroeder of Peanuts fame) at all hours of the night. It would be another activity which will in absolute terms generate a ton of business and put Puerto Nuevo style lobster on the table.

Provecho,

Marvin