#34 RE Prospecting - You Don’t Hear About This Often Enough

Hi ,

I had coffee with a past client last week, someone I helped buy their first home about 15 years ago. We hadn't talked in a while, and that was 100% on me. About ten minutes in, he said something that stuck with me: "I almost called another agent last year because I thought you might be too busy from what I see online." 15 years of trust, a great closing experience, a handwritten note at the time, many hamburger meals together and I nearly lost him because I simply didn't show up. Not because he forgot me. Because I forgot to stay present in their life and let them know that I was there for him and his family.

That's the part of this business nobody wants to talk about. It's not your scripts, your CRM, or your marketing budget that's failing you. It's the silence between your last conversation and the next one.

Here's what I've learned after 22 years of selling real estate: the agents who win long-term aren't the ones with the best tech stack or the flashiest ads, they're the ones who never let the gap get too wide. Prospecting isn't just about finding new people. It's about protecting the relationships you've already built. You don't need some complicated system to do it. You need a reason to call. That's it. Whether it's a local vendor directory you've put together, a quick market update for their neighborhood, or just a genuine "how's the house treating you?" The reason doesn't have to be earth-shattering. It just has to be real and VALUE driven. Because the moment you give someone a reason to hear from you, you've opened the door back up. And most of the time, they're glad you knocked.

But here's the deeper question, and it's one I ask myself constantly: why do we let the gap happen in the first place? It's not laziness, most of you are working harder than anyone in your circle. It's that we get so caught up reacting to the business that we stop being intentional about it. We check our phones a hundred times a day but almost never check in with ourselves. Are you moving toward something today, or just putting out fires? That's the difference between being busy and being productive. And when you're operating on autopilot, the first thing that slips is the stuff that matters most, the relationships. Your past clients love you. But love doesn't beat a perfectly timed, relevant message from someone who showed up when you didn't. That's not a scare tactic. That's reality. Other agents are using AI, automation, and targeted ads to reach the people you already helped. The only thing that beats technology is consistency wrapped in authenticity.

So here's what I'd challenge you to do this week, something simple that actually makes a difference. Pick five people from your database every single day and reach out. Not a mass email. Not a generic "just checking in." Give them something useful. Build a directory of every local service provider you trust, your plumber, your electrician, your go-to handyman, and use it as the reason to call.

You'll be amazed at what happens. The directory is the door-opener, but the real magic is the three to five minutes of genuine conversation that comes with it. And when you're done catching up, the transition is easy: "Hey, do you know anyone who's been thinking about making a move?" You're not pitching. You're connecting. That's what this business is supposed to feel like. And if you want to take it further, pick your top twenty clients and invite them to coffee over the next thirty days. One a day, thirty minutes, no agenda. Just show up and be the person they already trust.

Look, I started this with a story about a client I almost lost, not because of anything I did wrong in the transaction, but because of what I didn't do after it. That's the lesson. The close isn't the finish line; it's the starting line of a relationship that can feed your business for decades if you protect it. You don't need a two-hour strategy session to fix this.

You need sixty seconds of honesty with yourself about where the gaps are, and then you need to go fill them, one call, one coffee, one genuine conversation at a time. Relationships enclose transactions. They always have. The agents who remember that, who show up consistently and lead with value instead of asks, are the ones who don't just survive in this business, they build something that lasts. So check in with yourself today. Then go check in with someone who needs to hear from you. That's where the growth is.