This weekend I covered a "floor time" shift for a colleague who was called away for a family emergency. Floor time goes by a couple of names, mostly opportunity schedule and phone duty.

To answer specific real estate questions, you must be a licensed agent or you could – at least in my state – be in trouble for "practicing" real estate without a license.  Therefore, we need an agent on duty in the event that someone asking the questions comes through the door or make a call.

I won't lie to you. Floor time can be a great way to while away the hours if you're just not that into real estate.  Most buyers and sellers already have an agent in mind thanks to today's electronic, cell phone, text message, my-great-uncle's-neighbor-Gladys-is-a-Realtor day and age.  But sometimes people do call and that once or twice a year of picking up a client can be worth the time – especially if you spend your time doing other projects (writing newsletter, blog post, making phone calls, etc.).

This past Saturday, however, my floor time was completely different. At 10:30 a.m., a reporter from one of our local television stations called me because she'd read a piece I wrote on my community blog about the first-time home buyer tax credit.  She was producing a story about the tax credit and wanted me to "explain" the fine print.  Boy oh boy was I nervous.  Not only did I need a perm, but I hadn't shaved my old woman chin whiskers that morning. And I look all frumpy.

I got through the interview, though.  And about 50 calls and emails later, I'm just now writing about the experience here!  If the TV station ever posts the video online, I'll put it here.  Meanwhile, I'll post this week about some "fine print" of the tax credit!