Hey guys, is there one giant national real estate market? The answer is no. Real estate, like politics, is all local. One market is going to be different from the next, and what drives conditions in every market across the country is supply and demand.

Supply and demand determine what sellers can ask for a home and what buyers can ask from sellers. This is true in every market in America.

If we broke the national market down, we could look at it in four distinct regions, as often done by NAR: the South, the West, the Midwest, and the Northeast. These markets are wildly different.

I live in the West, where there are currently more sellers than buyers. Sellers here are feeling the pressure—reducing prices, offering concessions, and being more aggressive to attract buyers.

In the Midwest and Northeast, it’s the opposite. There are more buyers than sellers, giving sellers pricing power. Agents in those regions might say, “What are you talking about? It’s completely different here.”

He...

We have a lot more listings nationally on the market than we’ve had in many years. That means we’re going to see a lot more expired listings, especially since pending sales are also dropping.

Pending sales are soft—we're on track for about 3.94 million sales this year, very similar to last year. This is all driven by interest rates. As they hover around 6.5% to 6.75%, the sales pace will likely persist. When interest rates drop, we’ll see a big surge back into the market. But for now, expect more expired listings.

If you're an agent looking for more listings, it's time to focus on expireds—especially as we move from summer into the fall and winter market.

So what can you do to engage these potential sellers?

The #1 strategy: Work with an active buyer.

We all have buyers. Use that active buyer to farm three key categories:

1. The Neighborhood – Target the neighborhood your buyer wants. Use that buyer as a conversation starter with homeowners there. One in 20—at least 5%—will have ...

Brokerage owners and team leaders, how do you establish trust with agents in your market area?

The number one way to build trust today is through social media. Specifically by recording video daily. The most effective way to build trust is by letting people get to know who you are.

Thanks to video, people can now get a real sense of your personality, your energy, and your overall vibe.

Think about an agent who’s never seen you on video and hasn’t met you in person because everyone’s so busy. All they know is that you're the owner or leader of XYZ Company. You’d be surprised how many agents feel intimidated. Not because you’re intimidating, but because of your title, experience, and success. They might think that they could never talk to you, let alone calling or texting you.

They don’t know you because you haven’t made the effort to show up.

And the way to break down those walls is to consistently show up on social media and post videos daily. Post them to your personal page. Frie...

As a real estate agent, you're probably looking for ways to generate leads in a unique or different way.

I'm going to give you one of those strategies right now. It’s completely outside the box, and I hope it gets your wheels turning and inspires a fresh perspective on your business.

Let me start with a fascinating statistic I first came across in The Millionaire Mind by Thomas Stanley. I’ve researched it myself over the years, and it consistently holds true:

90% of all millionaires—and people who will become millionaires—have volunteered or are actively volunteering in a charitable organization within their local community.

So, ask yourself:

Are you modeling that behavior by getting involved in local charities?

If not, what would happen if you started?

Here’s what happens when you do:

You begin networking with great people—people who are already successful or on their way to success. You’re also giving back to your community in a way that aligns with your passions.

If you’re ...

As a REALTOR, you've heard the word farming, right?

Well, I want to give you a different thought process on farming that I think will be really unique:

Instead of doing a shotgun approach where you're sending out a generalized postcard or letter (which can be effective if done right), I want to introduce you to what I call “Vertical Farming.”

So instead of reaching out to 200 people, reach out to 20. And with those 20 people, go deep.

Here’s how: I might send them a CMA or a neighborhood report (both of which you can generate for free at NAR.com if you're a REALTOR). That system allows you to create a beautiful 81-page report on someone’s home anywhere in the country.

You can choose between a seller report or a neighborhood report (which might be shorter, maybe half the size).

Then, add a cover letter that says something like:

“Hi, my name is Jim. I'm with ABC Real Estate. I'm reaching out to a select handful of people in your neighborhood today to give you a quick update on you...

Quick question for you—since the beginning of the year, how much time have you invested in lead generation? Whether it's with your sphere of influence, open houses, FSBOs, expired listings, absentee owners, or geographic farming, where have you focused your efforts?

To maintain a consistent income without the ups and downs, you should be dedicating at least an hour a day to lead generation. But remember, we don’t do what we don’t schedule. If it’s not on your calendar, it’s unlikely you’ll actually do it. There will always be distractions pulling you away from this essential task.

Let me give you a simple strategy to ramp back up into regular lead generation. Because if you’ve been doing little to none for the past three to six months, jumping straight into an hour a day can feel overwhelming.

The solution? The Plus One Strategy.

It’s simple—just do one of these activities today:

• One call
• One text
• One video text
• One handwritten note
• One social media post

If you really wan...

Other than your direct sphere of influence, what’s the second-best source of business for REALTORS? Let me share my perspective and see if it aligns with yours.

We know 70–80% of our business comes from our sphere. So, what should we focus on to generate the remaining 20–30%? In my 35 years of coaching, I believe the biggest opportunity lies in your buyer pool.

Buyers are the ultimate magnet for sellers. The question is, are you using your buyers effectively as a lure? I call this strategy In Search Of (ISO) ads. Here’s how it works:

Think of yourself as a fisherman. The lure on the end of your line could be a free CMA or tips on getting top dollar for a home. But the best lure is a live buyer ready to purchase.

For example, if I have a buyer interested in a specific neighborhood, I’ll let the neighborhood know:

• "I’ve got a live buyer moving from Sacramento. They’re ready to purchase within the next couple of months, but nothing on the market has met their needs. Would you consi
...

Are you doing live buyer farming right now?

If not, you're missing a huge lead generation opportunity.

So, what is live buyer farming? It’s simple. When you go out to show a home, use the 5-5-10 method: reach out to five homes on either side and 10 homes across the street. Send them a quick text or call saying something like:

"Hey, my name's Jim. I just showed your neighbor's property across the street. They love the neighborhood, but the home didn’t quite check all the boxes. Quick question—would you consider selling for the right price if you didn’t have to list your house and had plenty of time to find your dream home? If you’d consider it, give me a call, email, or text. I’d love to have that conversation."

What's the response rate on this? On average, one out of every 20 people you contact will be open to having that conversation.

This is a winning strategy for lead generation. You’ll start so many conversations that can lead to future opportunities. Even if they say no, here...

How many of you are using cold emails to reach out to neighborhoods or farm areas?

If you’re not doing it yet, it’s something you might want to add to your toolkit. You don’t need to send thousands of emails—maybe just 50 or 100 at a time. Keep it manageable.

You might be wondering, “Jim, where do I find these email addresses?”

There are plenty of places to find them. One of my favorites is REDX. They often have email addresses for homeowners in certain neighborhoods. They might not have them all, but they have a surprising number. Once you have those email addresses, you can send out emails to solicit listings or at least start a conversation about potential interest in selling.

Here’s an idea: use the same script you’d put on a postcard or mailing and adapt it for email. Then, take an integrated approach—send both the physical mail and the email. You can also add “layers” by sending a text and running a social media ad targeting that neighborhood.

REDX has a system called Ad Bui...

Are you actively farming your own neighborhood?

It's a straightforward marketing strategy that many agents overlook. So, why should you consider farming your own neighborhood?

Well, it all comes down to the fact that people prefer doing business with those they know, like, and trust, especially when they share a common bond.

When you live in the same neighborhood, potential clients are more inclined to choose you as their REALTOR. However, this won't happen if you're a "secret agent" – someone they don't even know lives nearby and can serve them.

To get started, you need to establish yourself as a local expert.

How?

Begin by introducing yourself through a letter or postcard. Let them know you're a resident and express your interest in being their preferred REALTOR. Share your credentials and accomplishments to give them confidence in your abilities.

Next, demonstrate that you're an active agent. Regularly send updates about just-listed, just-pending, and just-sol...