We’ve all been there. You sit down at your desk, open the CRM, and the list is staring back at you: past clients, recruiting prospects, and referral partners. These are the people who actually drive your business.
But then, that little voice creeps in. “I know I should make these follow-up calls today… but maybe I’ll just tweak my listing presentation graphics instead. Or maybe I’ll reorganize my folders.”
The graphics are shiny. The graphics feel like “progress.” But let’s be real – the graphics aren’t what pays the bills. The connection is.
Success in real estate – whether you’re running a brokerage, recruiting top talent, or closing MLO deals – isn’t found in a revolutionary “hack.” It’s found in the fundamentals. You know them, I know them, and our competitors know them. The difference? Most people find the fundamentals too boring to practice routinely. We chase the “finite” win, but the real game is much bigger than that.
Stop Trying to “Finish” the Game
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how work is endless. Exercise is endless. Parenting, marriage, investing, and leadership? All endless.
In our industry, we are often obsessed with “The Close.” We treat the transaction or the new hire like a finish line. But if you approach an endless game with a finite mindset, you’re going to burn out.
The objective isn’t to be “done” with your lead gen or “finished” with follow-through. The objective is to settle into a sustainable daily lifestyle that allows you to make incremental progress on the areas that matter.
The Shift: From Task to Practice
If you’re feeling the weight of the “endless” nature of follow-up, try shifting your perspective:
- Embrace the Mundane: The highest-performing agents and recruiters aren’t necessarily more talented; they are just better at being “bored.” They’ve accepted that the daily ritual of outreach is the price of entry for an extraordinary life.
- Sustainability over Intensity: You can’t sprint a marathon. Instead of a massive recruiting push once a quarter, find a rhythm of three meaningful follow-up calls a day that you can maintain for a decade.
- Enjoy the Practice: Since the work is never truly “finished,” look for ways to enjoy the daily practice. Find the joy in the conversation, the nuance in the relationship, and the satisfaction in the routine.
The Bottom Line
Don’t get distracted by the “new and shiny” because you’re tired of the “basic.” Your past clients, your prospects, and your partners are waiting to hear from you. The basics are where the legacy is built.
Let’s stop trying to reach the end and start mastering the middle.
