5 Things Every Agent Should Be Doing Right Now | How to Navigate a Tough Real Estate Market

If you’re a real estate agent wondering how to get more business, how to find clients, or simply how to stay consistent in this market, you’re probably not alone.

Real estate looks a little different right now.

Some listings are selling quickly. Others are sitting longer than anyone expected. Buyers are watching interest rates and monthly payments closely. Sellers are asking more questions. Leads may take months of follow-up before they're ready to make a move.

That doesn't mean there isn't business out there. There absolutely is.

But I do think this is a market where having the right habits,  and the right people around you,  matters.

I've been in real estate long enough to experience different markets, and one thing I've learned is that you can't control the market. You can control how well you know it, how consistently you work your business, how you communicate with your clients and how willing you are to adjust when something isn't working.

So if your real estate business feels a little slower than you'd like right now, here are five things I would encourage you to focus on.

1. Overcommunicate With Your Sellers

If you have listings sitting on the market longer than expected, don't avoid the conversation.

Communicate more.

One of the biggest questions sellers have when their home isn't selling is, "What is my agent doing?"

Make sure they know.

Follow up with every showing and ask for feedback. Keep your sellers updated on new competition coming onto the market, homes going under contract and price reductions in their neighborhood.

Show them how their listing is performing online. Send them the views, saves, clicks, inquiries and showing activity.

Then explain what those numbers are telling you.

Sometimes those conversations are going to lead to a discussion about price. Sometimes you may need to change the marketing. Sometimes you may simply need more time.

But your seller should never feel like you put a sign in their yard, entered their home into MLS and disappeared.

This is where a good real estate agent becomes an advisor.

Your job isn't just to market the home. It's to help your seller understand what's happening and make informed decisions as the market changes.

2. If Your Pipeline Is Dry, You Have to Prospect

Can we all admit something? Nobody wakes up excited to make prospecting calls.

There are probably a handful of people out there who genuinely love cold calling, but most agents I know would happily find something else to do.

You'll suddenly remember that you need to organize your database.

Your email needs cleaning out.

Maybe your desk needs reorganizing.

Anything except picking up the phone.

I get it.

But if your real estate pipeline is dry, you have to create conversations.

Go back through your database.

Who told you six months ago they might buy "next year"?

Who downloaded something from your website but never responded?

Who came through one of your open houses?

Who did you help buy a house three or four years ago that you haven't talked to lately?

Who told you they wanted to sell but were waiting for the market to change?

Call them.

And you don't have to turn every conversation into a sales pitch.

Ask how they're doing.

Ask if their plans have changed.

Check in.

Be helpful.

There is money in the follow-up, and some of the best opportunities in your database may be people you've already talked to.

When your pipeline slows down, your activity has to go up.

Activity breeds activity.

One phone call leads to another conversation. That conversation leads to an appointment. Someone remembers a friend who's thinking about moving. A past client mentions they've been considering selling.

But none of that happens if we're sitting around waiting for the phone to ring.

3. Stay Top of Mind

This is another place where consistency matters.

When business slows down, don't let your marketing slow down with it.

Keep posting.

Make the video.

Share the Reel.

Post to your Stories.

Send the email.

Drop off the flyer.

Talk about the neighborhood you're farming.

Share what you're seeing while you're out showing homes.

Answer a question a buyer asked you this week.

Explain something happening in the local real estate market.

And when I say keep your business looking active, I don't mean pretending you're busier than you are.

I mean showing people that you're actually working in real estate.

You're touring properties. You're studying the market. You're attending training. You're meeting with clients. You're learning. You're answering questions.

People are busy. They aren't thinking about their Realtor every day.

So stay visible enough that when someone finally says, "I think we're ready to move," your name is the one they remember.

4. Become the Agent Who Actually Knows the Market

If you want to know how to stand out as a real estate agent right now, this is one of the best ways to do it:

Know what you're talking about.

Don't just repeat national real estate headlines.

Know your local numbers.

What's happening with inventory?

How many homes are seeing price reductions?

What are average days on market?

What price ranges are moving?

What are buyers actually paying?

What concessions are you seeing?

What are builders offering?

What's happening with mortgage rates?

And most importantly, what's happening in the specific communities where you work?

If you're serving Mansfield, Arlington, Midlothian, Burleson or anywhere else in the Dallas-Fort Worth real estate market, you should be able to talk about what's happening there.

Because you'll hear real estate conversations everywhere.

You'll be sitting in the dentist's office and hear someone say:

"I heard home prices are dropping like crazy."

That's your opportunity.

Not to jump into a sales pitch.

Just to know the facts.

"Actually, here's what we're seeing locally..."

That's when people start paying attention.

Knowledge builds confidence, and confidence builds trust.

Take classes. Look at MLS data. Read market reports. Talk to lenders. Talk to title companies. Watch videos. Learn from other agents. Try new technology. Pay attention to what's happening inside your own transactions.

The more informed you are, the more valuable you become to your clients.

5. Get Out From Behind Your Computer and Get Plugged In

As much as we'd all love for buyers and sellers to fall out of the sky, we know that's not how this works.

Real estate is still a relationship business.

Find somewhere to get involved.

And don't choose something just because you think there might be potential clients there.

Find something you actually care about.

Maybe that's your church.

Your kids' school or sports.

A nonprofit.

A networking organization.

A community group.

A hobby.

A local organization.

Volunteer somewhere.

Find people who enjoy some of the same things you do and actually become part of the community.

You're not walking into the room trying to sell houses.

You're building relationships.

You're letting people get to know you.

And over time, those relationships can become another pillar of your real estate business.

People want to work with people they know and trust.

Give them an opportunity to know you.

You Don't Have to Figure Out This Market By Yourself

This may be the biggest thing I would tell an agent right now.

Surround yourself with people who are still trying to grow.

A changing real estate market is exactly when your brokerage, your broker, your mentors and the agents around you should become more valuable — not less.

You need somewhere you can bring the listing that isn't selling and say, "What am I missing?"

You need someone who will tell you to make the calls when you've been avoiding them.

You need people sharing what's working in their businesses.

You need training that helps you become better at the conversations you're having with buyers and sellers right now.

And sometimes you need accountability because knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things.

That's a big part of what we're trying to build at Point Realty.

We have weekly accountability meetings because sometimes we all need someone asking, "Did you actually do what you said you were going to do?"

We have our book club because we believe growing your business also means continuing to grow yourself.

We train together every week because this industry doesn't stand still. The market changes. Contracts change. Technology changes. Marketing changes. The questions our clients are asking change.

So we keep learning.

We share ideas.

We talk through what's working.

We practice.

We ask questions.

We hold each other accountable.

And we keep trying to get better.

Because the solution to navigating a tougher real estate market isn't waiting for the market to become easier.

It's becoming a stronger agent while you're in it.

If you're a real estate agent looking for more support, real estate training, accountability, mentorship or simply a brokerage where you don't have to build your business alone, we'd love to have a conversation with you.

You don't have to have everything figured out.

You just need to be willing to keep learning, keep showing up and keep growing.

We'll help you with the rest.