Let’s be honest. The headlines are swirling, the market is unpredictable, and conversations about interest rates, inventory, and commission structures seem to change by the minute. In times like these, it’s easy to feel like you’re reacting, not leading. It’s tempting to either hit the panic button or bury your head in the sand.
But what if this uncertainty wasn’t a threat, but an opportunity?
I was thinking about this the other day when I came across a piece by Leah Smart in her LinkedIn News newsletter, Everyday Better. She shared a personal story about facing a career crossroads: take the safe, prestigious management role, or step into the unknown to pursue a more fulfilling, self-directed path. She called it choosing to “roam the jungle” instead of climbing the ladder.
That phrase, “roam the jungle,” struck a chord with me. Isn’t that what the best agents, brokers, and leaders in our industry do? When the path isn’t clear, they forge a new one.
Her article introduced the work of April Rinne, author of Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change. Rinne provides a powerful framework for not just surviving, but actually thriving when the future is foggy. It’s a toolkit for resilience, and I believe it’s directly applicable to every single one of us in the real estate business today.
Here are the eight “superpowers,” translated for our world:
The Resiliency Toolkit for Real Estate Professionals
- Run Slower: In an industry that screams “hustle,” this sounds counterintuitive. But it means being intentional. Instead of frantically chasing every possible lead, slow down to build deeper relationships with your clients and your sphere. A well-nurtured relationship will always outperform a high-volume, low-quality lead in the long run.
- See What’s Invisible: The best agents don’t just see the house; they see the home. They don’t just hear the offer; they understand the client’s underlying motivation. Look past the daily market stats and see the emerging neighborhood trends, the subtle shifts in buyer desires, and the long-term value you provide beyond any single transaction.
- Get Lost: If your current strategies are yielding diminishing returns, it’s time to get lost on purpose. Explore a new niche, test a radically different marketing channel, or learn a new technology. Getting “lost” is how you discover untapped markets and innovative ways to serve clients.
- Start with Trust: In a climate of skepticism, trust is our most valuable currency. Assume good intent from your fellow agents in a negotiation. Be radically transparent with your clients about the process. When trust is your default setting, you build a reputation that withstands any market shift.
- Know Your “Enough”: It’s easy to get caught in the trap of chasing one more deal, a higher GCI, a bigger team. But what does success really look like for you? Define your “enough.” Is it a certain income that gives you freedom? Is it a specific number of happy families served per year? Knowing your target allows you to grow sustainably without burning out.
- Create Your Portfolio Career: Don’t just be a real estate agent. Be a community guide, a local market economist, a design consultant, a savvy negotiator, and a marketing guru. Think of your skills as a diverse portfolio. The more skills you curate, the more indispensable you become, regardless of market conditions.
- Be All The More Human: In a world of AI-generated listing descriptions and automated CRMs, your humanity is your ultimate superpower. Empathy, strategic advice, a calming presence during a stressful negotiation—these are things technology can’t replicate. Double down on the human connection.
- Let Go of the Future: You cannot control interest rates, housing inventory, or what the Fed will do next. Letting go isn’t giving up. It’s releasing anxiety over what you can’t control to focus intensely on what you can: your daily actions, your attitude, your skill development, and the level of service you provide.
Uncertainty is here to stay. But by building our resilience, we can reframe it as a landscape of opportunity. Pick one of these superpowers this week and put it into practice. The market will keep changing, but your ability to adapt will be your foundation for lasting success.
Inspired By: “How to Grow in Uncertain Times: 8 Tools for Resilience,” a newsletter by Leah Smart for Everyday Better.
Source: Smart, L. (2025, June 13). How to Grow in Uncertain Times: 8 Tools for Resilience. LinkedIn News. The piece references the work of April Rinne, author of Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change, and Suleika Jaouad.
