#17 RE Prospecting: Why Most Agents Are Exhausted (And What Actually Helps)

Hi ,

I was talking to an agent last week who told me she sits in her car between appointments and just… stares. Not at her phone. Not planning the next move. Just breathing. 

She said it like she was confessing something shameful, but here's the truth: that five minutes might be one of the smartest things she does all day. Real estate breaks you down in ways most people don't see. The clients who panic and take it out on you. The deals that fall apart after weeks of work. The constant feeling that you're one bad review away from losing everything. If you're feeling beaten up right now, it's not because you're weak, it's because you're human, doing hard work, with people who are terrified. Their fear isn't about you, even when it lands on you.

Here's what actually helps: give yourself permission to reset between the hard stuff. A walk around the block. A song that reminds you who you are. Something that lets you shake it off before you carry that weight into your next conversation. And save the good stuff, screenshot every “kind” text, keep the photos from happy closings, store them where you can pull them up on terrible days. The clients who appreciate you are quieter than the ones tearing you down, but they're there. You need proof on the days when you forget. What's one boundary you've been afraid to set because you think it'll cost you business?

The Algorithm Doesn't Hate You, It Just Doesn't Know You Yet

Stop chasing the algorithm like it's some mystery you need to crack. It's simpler than you think: show up consistently, talk like a human, and build trust before you build reach. The problem isn't that the platform is working against you, it's that you're trying to sound like everyone else instead of sounding like yourself. Engagement isn't owed to you. It's earned when you show up often enough that people start to recognize your voice, when you leave thoughtful comments instead of generic emojis, when your posts start with something a real person would actually say. Stop following what other agents are doing. Just be you more often. One clear thought beats five lessons crammed into one caption every single time.

Three Things You Should Ask AI Every Single Day

If you're not using AI yet, you're working twice as hard for half the results. But most agents use it wrong, they treat it like a magic button instead of a thinking partner. Here's what actually moves the needle: Set a task on ChatGPT for every morning at 6 AM, to summarize what's happening in your local market so you can share insights that make you look like the expert you are. 

Have one set for 9am too, for one social post or video idea that connects real estate with your story, not some template everyone's already seen. And here's the one most agents skip: ask it to teach you one business lesson you can apply that day, then give you a reflection question to make it stick. 

You get so busy working in your business that you forget to work on it. AI can't replace your empathy or expertise, but it can give you back the time to actually use them. What's one thing you could automate today that's stealing hours from what actually matters?

Be the Answer, Not Just Another Search Result

When someone asks their phone "What are closing costs in my city?" or "How long does it take to sell a house?" Do you think your name comes up? Probably not. And that's a problem, because people don't want to click through ten websites anymore, they want the answer now. If you're not the answer, you don't exist to them. 

This isn't about gaming the system. It's about answering real questions people actually ask, in the exact way they ask them. Write like people talk. Use their questions as your headlines. Give them the short answer first, then expand if they want more. Create an FAQ page that covers what buyers and sellers ask you every single week. AI tools are getting smarter, and they're looking for people who teach, not people who just advertise.

Stop Trying to Be Everywhere, Start Being Worth Talking About

You don't need to be on every platform. You need to be someone AI recognizes as legit when people ask for recommendations in your area. That means getting your name mentioned by other people, local news, community blogs, client testimonials they post themselves, partnerships with lenders and inspectors who talk about you. It means creating content that actually helps instead of content that just sells. Monthly market updates with real data. Neighborhood guides with information people can't find anywhere else. Stories about how real buyers navigated this crazy market. 

The agents who win aren't the ones with the best SEO tricks, they're the ones who provide real value that machines recognize and humans trust. Who else in your market could mention your name this month if you just asked?

You're Doing Something Hard, Give Yourself Credit

I know you're tired. I know some days it feels like you're pouring everything into people who don't appreciate it. But here's what I also know: you show up anyway. You answer the late-night texts. You walk nervous buyers through the scariest purchase of their lives. You hold the hand of sellers letting go of the house where their kids grew up. That's not just real estate, that's ministry. 

The work you're doing matters more than you think, especially on the days when it doesn't feel like it. So take the breaks. Set the boundaries. Save the good stuff. Use the tools that give you time back. And remember that the clients who appreciate you might be quieter, but they're building a life in the home you helped them find. 

Now, think about and dwell on what's one thing you did this week that actually made a difference, even if no one said thank you? Focus on the good!