#28 RE Prospecting - Stop hiding behind the professional facade

Hi ,

Well, how’s 2026 coming along so far? I’m sitting here early in the morning writing my thoughts into this newsletter and I hope it helps you. Let’s make a deal, I’ll keep writing these and you keep reading and growing. Deal? Ok. Let’s go. 

Years ago, I realized something that changed how I prospect. Most agents think their job is to convince people to buy or sell. That's wrong. Your job is to teach, among other great things. When you position yourself as an educator instead of a salesperson, people start to notice you. You're no longer chasing leads, you're attracting them. Think about it: when someone is confused about how to get a loan, or what to look for in an inspection, or how long it actually takes to close on a home, they're looking for answers. 

If you're the one consistently providing those answers, through your videos, your posts, your conversations, you become the trusted resource in their mind. And when the time comes to make a move, who do you think they'll call? The agent who educated them or the one who cold-called them once six months ago? Build buyer guides. Create first-time homebuyer explainers specific to your market. Teach people something valuable, and they'll never forget you, just be sure to stay consistent. 

Benjamin Franklin had this habit I've been thinking about a lot lately. Every morning he asked himself one question: What good shall I do this day? And every night, before bed: What good have I done this day? That's it. 

Two questions that bookended his entire life. I've started doing something similar, and I want to share it with you because I think it applies directly to how we show up in this business. Real estate can grind you down if you let it. The constant rejection, the deals that fall through, the clients who ghost you. But when you frame each day around contribution instead of extraction, when you wake up asking how you can serve instead of what you can get, something changes inside you. You stop feeling like you're chasing and start feeling like you're building. 

Here's my challenge to you…tomorrow morning, before you open your email or check your phone, ask yourself that question. Write it on a sticky note if you have to. Let it guide your conversations, your follow-ups, your entire approach. Service over sales. That's the game.

Now let’s get a little more personal with real estate and our business. At the end of the day, people don't just hire an agent, they hire you. Your personality, your quirks, your story. I've been doing this for over 22 years, and the agents who win long-term aren't the ones with the biggest ad budgets or the slickest marketing. Many of those have gone out of business and are more flash than substance. The agents that win are mostly the ones who let people actually know them. Show people what you do on a daily basis. Share where you eat, what you listen to, what you think about. Let them see you as a human being, not just a transaction machine. I talk about this concept all the time: connection media over social media. Social media is broadcasting. Connection media is inviting people into your life and then genuinely caring about theirs. When someone feels like they know you, when they've watched your content and feel like you're already a friend, the trust is already built before you ever shake hands. Stop hiding behind the professional facade. Be real. Be you. That's your biggest competitive advantage, and nobody can copy it.

And, let’s not forget about something that’s not often talked about in our business or even in general when it comes to business, ENERGY! This business demands high energy. And if you don't manage your mindset, the market will manage it for you. I've seen agents burn out. I've felt it myself, that moment when you're running on fumes, snapping at clients, feeling like nothing you do is enough. 

Here's what I've learned: burnout comes from the gap between expectation and reality. If you're planning to make fifty calls, go on three appointments, and write two offers in a single day, you're setting yourself up to feel like a failure by five o'clock. Most agents wake up and immediately react to other people's emergencies. That's backwards. Before you open email, social media, or text messages, ask yourself powerful questions, similar to the Ben Franklin ones, but that guide you internally. 

Where is my energy on a scale of one to ten? And what is my one intention for today? Not a to-do list. An intention. Something like: today I will be a calming presence for my stressed sellers. Start there. Cut your to-do list by thirty percent. Focus on the three things that actually move the needle: prospecting, appointments, and negotiations. Everything else is noise.

Let me leave you with this. The agents who thrive aren't necessarily the ones working the hardest, they're the ones working the smartest on the things that matter most. And what matters most? Relationships. Your past clients. Your sphere. The people who already know, like, and trust you. Most agents know they should be following up consistently. They know they should be sending anniversary touches, past client check-ins, market updates. But they never build the system. They keep meaning to, and then another month goes by, and another, and suddenly it's been a year since they talked to someone who would have referred them business. 

Honesty sells homes faster than hype ever will. That line has guided my entire career. Be honest with your clients, yes, but also be honest with yourself about where you're dropping the ball. If your follow-up is inconsistent, fix it this week. Set up one simple sequence. One monthly touch. Something that keeps you top of mind without feeling salesy. The fortune really is in the follow-up, but only if you actually do it. 

You've got this. Now go build something real.

Many blessings,