Author Scott Dawson Shares Best Practices for Remote Worker Success

THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC has upended our lives and workplace dynamics. While the popularity of remote work has grown over the years, many people are now learning what it’s like to work from home for the first time.

As Realtors®, we appreciate the flexibility of our industry – we have the ability to work from almost anywhere! The days of popping into a coffee shop to work between appointments and attending lunch and learns in the office are put on pause. In our new world, many Realtors® find themselves working from home more than ever before. But how do you set yourself up for success?

Scott Dawson’s book, “The Art of Working Remotely,” is a wonderful resource to navigate the challenges, benefits and opportunities of working from home.

A light and witty read, Dawson’s book is broken into three main sections: The Making of Me, The Space and The Habits. As a veteran of working remotely for over 20 years, Dawson shares engaging short stories in each section, covering his professional journey as a remote worker and the valuable lessons he’s learned along the way.

THE MAKING OF ME navigates through anecdotes of Dawson’s career from his first offer to work remotely in 1998, as well as a recount of the experiences that helped him grow professionally over the last 20 years. Hidden in his entertaining short stories, you’ll find nuggets for success such as:

• “Be present for yourself and your family during your non-working time.”
• “Be nice to people and do not burn bridges. You never know where, when or how your paths will cross again.”
• “Be cautiously candid in your communications.”
• According to entrepreneur Tim Ferriss, “You are the average of the five people you most associate with.” Dawson suggests, “If you don’t like those five people, you should make some changes until you do.”

THE SPACE covers the physical aspects of success in the home office and setting up the best possible work environment.

• Infrastructure: Don’t forget the basics! Set yourself and your workplace up for success. Do you have the framework in place and the technology needed to succeed?
• Mobility: Sitting too long at a desk may impact your health and productivity. How can you move around?
• Clothing: Flexibility here offers huge financial benefits and convenience. What should you wear? How casual is too casual?
• Food: Always schedule time for lunch. Do you always need to honor that scheduled time? Tip – The answer is yes!
• Companionship: Are pets in the office a good idea or a distraction?

THE HABITS, the final section of “The Art of Working Remotely,” reviews positive behaviors and best practices to help ensure remote working success. 

• Measurement: Success is planned and measured. Have you set goals and developed your plan?
• Communication: When you’re remote, how and when you communicate with your clients and colleagues is critical. What does great communication look like to others?
• Managing Remote Teams: Culture is so important to keep our teams together and cohesive. How do you manage remotely and keep folks engaged?
• Task Management and Discipline: We all work at our own pace. When working from home, discipline takes discipline. What are the best ways to hold yourself accountable?
• Transparency: Is the saying “out of sight, out of mind” true? When you’re not visible in an office, how do you remove doubt regarding your productivity?
• Loneliness: It can be challenging to not feel isolated when working remotely, especially during a pandemic. How can you fight off feelings of loneliness?

“The Art of Working Remotely” is a refreshing resource for those new to remote working or those who wish to improve their work-from-home experience. Change can be challenging, but the benefits are endless with the right mindset. Take your “WFH” experience to the next level and check out Dawson’s book, and hundreds of others, available for free to all NAR members at nar.realtor/library.

Interested in being our next NAR Library “RE+Viewer”? Email re+view@nvar.com.



Stacy Holscher is an NVAR member and associate broker with Redfin.