Category: Talent Selection

In our industry, we’re obsessed with the “Plan.”

We spend weeks on annual forecasts, GCI targets, and recruitment quotas. These are useful, but they are often just guesses dressed up in spreadsheets. We script every objection and map out every touchpoint in the funnel – all necessary work, but it lacks the one ingredient that actually saves a business when things go sideways.

The reality that every Broker-Owner, high-performing agent, or MLO eventually admits is this:

The market doesn’t care about your plan.

Interest rates don’t follow your calendar. Inventory doesn’t always respond to your marketing. And legal or technological shifts can rewrite the rules of the game while you’re mid-presentation. If your success is tied to a specific scenario playing out exactly as you envisioned, you aren’t prepared – you’re lucky.

The ultimate form of preparation is not planning for a specific scenario, but a mindset that can handle uncertainty.

The Trap of Specificity

When we plan for a specific outcome, we develop tunnel vision. We become so committed to “the way it’s supposed to be” that we miss the signals that the world has changed.

My fighter pilot trainer friends call this “target fixation.” It happens when a pilot becomes so locked onto a target that they lose situational awareness and fly straight into the ground. It is a lethal mistake in the air, and it’s dangerous in business.

For a CEO or a top-tier agent, a rigid plan creates fragility. When the market shifts ten degrees to the left, a person stuck in target fixation panics because their map no longer matches the terrain. A leader with an uncertainty-ready mindset doesn’t need the map to be perfect. They have a compass, and they know how to navigate regardless of the weather.

What “Mindset Preparation” Looks Like

To move from “scenario planning” to “uncertainty readiness,” you have to shift your focus from outcomes to capabilities. Here is how that plays out across the office:

1. For the Broker-Owner / CEO: Stress-Test Your Systems

Instead of just forecasting growth based on last year’s numbers, build a business that is “anti-fragile.”

• The Practical Move: Conduct a “Pre-Mortem.” Gather your leadership and ask: “It’s one year from today and our brokerage has failed. What happened?” If the answer is “rates hit 9%” or “a competitor cut splits to zero,” look at your current overhead. Preparation means having a “levers” list – specific expenses you can cut or new revenue streams you can activate within 30 days of a market dip.

2. For the Recruiter: Hire for Coachability, Not Just Production

If you only recruit based on an agent’s past volume, you are buying yesterday’s success. In an uncertain market, you need agents who can adapt.

• The Practical Move: Shift your filter. Instead of just hiring for “production,” hire for “coachability.” If your top producer refuses to learn a new buyer-consultation framework because they are stuck in 2021, they are a liability in a shifting market. Look for the “pivoters” – people who view a market shift as a logic puzzle to solve rather than a catastrophe to endure.

3. For the High-Performing Agent: Diversify Your “Lead Alpha”

The most dangerous number in an agent’s business is the number one. One lead source, one niche, one referral partner.

• The Practical Move: Audit your business. If 80% of your closings come from one specific lead source, you are at the mercy of their plans. Mindset preparation means spending 20% of your time and budget on an “experimental” lead pillar (probate, geo-farming, or video content) that has nothing to do with your main source. You aren’t doing it for the immediate ROI; you’re doing it so that if your main pillar collapses, you aren’t starting from zero.

4. For the MLO: Move from “Product Master” to “Problem Solver”

When rates are low, everyone is a genius. When things get weird, the market moves toward the MLO who can handle complexity.

• The Practical Move: Stop leading with rates and start leading with “scenarios.” Prepare your mindset by mastering three niche products you currently ignore (HELOCs, non-QM, or renovation loans). When a buyer gets cold feet because of a “what if” scenario, your value isn’t your rate sheet. It’s your ability to pivot them into a product they didn’t know existed.

Uncertainty as Your Competitive Advantage

Most people in real estate are waiting for “clarity.” They want to see what the Fed does, what the lawsuits do, or what the economy does before they make a move.

That wait is your window.

While your competitors are paralyzed by the lack of a clear plan, a mindset built for uncertainty allows you to keep moving. You don’t need to know exactly what the finish line looks like to take the next step. You just need to trust that you and your team have the skills to handle whatever is around the corner.

The goal isn’t to be fearless. The goal is to be functional while the rest of the industry is waiting for permission to act.

You’ve seen it happen.

A new agent joins your brokerage, sits next to your top producer for six months, and suddenly they’re closing deals like a veteran. Meanwhile, another agent (equally talented on paper) works remotely, attends the occasional sales meeting, and struggles to gain traction.

What’s the difference? Proximity.

The Fire and the Water

Writer C.S. Lewis put it this way:

“If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire. If you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.”

Lewis was talking about spiritual life, but the principle applies directly to business. You can’t learn a listing presentation by reading about it. You need to sit in the room while your top agent delivers one. MLOs don’t master difficult conversations through theory. They need proximity to deals, to underwriting challenges, to client anxiety in real time.

But here’s what Lewis understood that most of us miss: proximity isn’t just about getting close to the right things. It’s also about creating distance from the wrong things.

Which brings me to two questions that could reshape your business in the next 90 days.

Two Questions That Change Everything

Question one: Which activities, if doubled, would make your business meaningfully better?

Question two: Which activities, if halved, would make your business meaningfully better?

Sit with these for a minute. Your gut already knows the answers.

If You’re a Broker Owner:

What if you doubled your one-on-ones with your top 20% producers? What if you doubled the days you spend recruiting versus managing?

And what if you halved the administrative tasks you should have delegated six months ago? What if you halved the transactions you’re still touching personally?

If You’re a Recruiter:

What if you doubled your conversations with passive candidates? What if you doubled your time at industry events where top talent gathers?

And what if you halved the time you spend on agents who are never going to move? What if you halved the generic outreach messages?

If You’re a High-Performing Agent or MLO:

What if you doubled your prospecting hours? What if you doubled face time with your sphere and referral partners?

And what if you halved the appointments you should be delegating? What if you halved your time on social media consumption versus creation?

The answers are uncomfortable. And clarifying.

The Proximity Principle in Action

Here’s what this looks like practically: your business six months from now will be a direct reflection of what you doubled down on and what you cut in half this week.

If you want the results your top producer has, you need proximity to how they think, how they handle objections, how they structure their day. Reading their scripts isn’t enough. You need to be in the room.

If you want a breakthrough in recruiting, you need proximity to the conversations that convert, not just the theory of what should work.

If you want to scale, you need distance from the low-value tasks drowning your calendar.

Lewis was right. You become what you’re near. And you drift from what you avoid.

Your Move

This week, take 15 minutes and answer both questions for your role. Write down your top 5 activities by time spent. Run each one through the filter:

If I doubled this, would my business meaningfully improve? If I halved this, would my business meaningfully improve?

Then make one change. Double one thing. Halve one thing.

The fire is burning. The question is whether you’ll have the discipline to stand near it and step away from the water that’s drowning you.

I’ve completed 12 Spartan races. Stadium sprints to Beast courses. And in every single race, there’s a moment where my body screams for me to quit. The mud is too cold, the sandbag is too heavy, the hill is too steep.

In those moments, motivation is nowhere to be found.

What carries me through isn’t willpower. It’s a simple code: Discipline Over Desire.

Here’s what Spartan racing taught me about business: the finish line doesn’t care how you feel. And neither does your production goal.

The Danger of Default Wins

In business, there are two types of growth: wins that happen to you and wins you make happen.

When the market is hot, it’s easy to feel like a genius. A new client falls into your lap. A hand-raiser joins your team because of your brand momentum. You credit your skill, but really, you’re just in the right place at the right time.

That’s a default win. And relying on them is dangerous.

If your success is built on market timing or luck, you’re a passenger, not the driver. The second the market shifts, your production falls off a cliff because you never built the muscle to create wins on purpose.

Intentional wins are different. You can explain them. You can document them. You can repeat them. They happen because you did the work, not because the conditions were perfect.

The Problem with “Waiting to Feel Like It”

Most people treat their business like a mood ring. If they feel motivated, they prospect. If they don’t, they reorganize their CRM or scroll LinkedIn and call it “research.”

The result? Inconsistent effort produces inconsistent results.

Here’s what I learned carrying a 60-pound sandbag up a mountain: your feelings are irrelevant. The sandbag doesn’t get lighter because you’re tired. The hill doesn’t flatten because you’re unmotivated.

You either do the work or you don’t.

In real estate, the market doesn’t pause because you’re “not feeling it today.” Your competition doesn’t take a day off because you need a break. The leads you didn’t call this week go to someone who did.

The 2-2-2 System

If you’re struggling with consistency, stop asking your feelings for permission to work. Follow a system instead.

Here’s the simplest one I know: 2-2-2.

Every single day, no matter what:

• 2 contacts with people you know (past clients, sphere, referral partners)
• 2 contacts with people you don’t know (cold outreach, new prospects, competing agents if you’re recruiting)
• 2 follow-ups (deals in progress, pending recruits, leads in the pipeline)

That’s it. Six touches. Takes 30-45 minutes if you’re focused.

On your best day, when you’re fired up and crushing it, you hit 2-2-2 and then keep going.

On your worst day, when a deal falls apart or a top producer walks or you just don’t want to do it, you still hit 2-2-2.

The system is the floor. It’s the minimum standard that keeps your pipeline alive and prevents the start-stop cycle that kills momentum.

Why This Works

The 2-2-2 system works because it removes the decision. You’re not debating whether to prospect today. You’re not negotiating with yourself about how many calls to make. You already know the answer: six touches, every day, no exceptions.

It’s the same principle that gets me through a Spartan race. I don’t ask myself if I feel like carrying the sandbag. I just pick it up and start walking. The decision was made when I signed up for the race.

In business, the decision gets made when you commit to the system.

Your Move

This week, run the 2-2-2 system for five straight days. Track it on paper, in your CRM, or in a text thread with an accountability partner.

At the end of the week, you’ll have made 30 touches. That’s 30 more opportunities than the person who waited to “feel motivated.”

Discipline beats desire. Every single time.

The finish line is waiting. The question is whether you’ll do the work to get there.

If you have been following the news, you have likely seen the conversation that follows every Federal Reserve meeting. But there is a massive misconception in the headlines: most people think the Fed “sets” mortgage rates.

They do not.

The housing market is actually moved by two different engines. One responds directly to the Fed, while the other responds to the bond market. Understanding how these work is the key to knowing when the market is truly shifting.

1. The Short-Term Engine: The Fed, ARMs, and HELOCs

When the Fed moves the needle by 0.25%, it has an immediate, mechanical impact on Adjustable-Rate Mortgages (ARMs) and Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs). These loans are tied to short-term benchmarks like the Prime Rate.

• Direct Impact: If the Fed raises rates, your monthly payment on an existing variable loan goes up almost instantly.
• Qualification: For new buyers, a Fed cut can make the introductory rate on an ARM look much more attractive, pulling them off the sidelines even if fixed rates have not moved yet.

2. The Long-Term Engine: T-Bills and Fixed Rates

For the classic 30-year fixed mortgage, the Fed is only a secondary influence. These rates track the 10-Year Treasury Yield.

Investors view mortgages as long-term bonds. When they see inflation cooling, they buy 10-Year Treasuries, which drives yields down. Mortgage rates typically follow. This explains why you sometimes see mortgage rates drop even when the Fed holds rates steady: the market is watching the T-Bill, not the Fed podium.

By the Numbers: The 0.25% vs. 0.50% Impact

In 2026, the housing market is incredibly sensitive to these small shifts. Here is exactly how many people and sales are affected when rates shift on a standard $380,000 national average mortgage.

The 0.25% Scenario (The Ripple)

• Families Blocked: Every time rates go up by just 0.25%, about 1.3 million families who could afford a home yesterday find themselves unable to qualify for a loan today.
• Monthly Savings: If rates drop by 0.25%, a buyer saves about $61 per month.
• More Home Sales: This move historically results in roughly 125,000 more home sales annually when accounting for both new buyers and sellers entering the market.

The 0.50% Scenario (The Wave)

• Families Invited Back: A 0.50% drop is powerful enough to bring roughly 2.5 million families back into the market who were previously priced out.
• Monthly Savings: On that same $380,000 mortgage, a 0.50% drop saves a buyer roughly $121 per month.
• More Home Sales: A sustained 0.50% drop is estimated to spark over 250,000 more home sales annually. This occurs because lower rates encourage homeowners to sell, finally making it financially feasible for those who have been “locked in” to their current homes to move and list their properties.

The Economic Ripple: Jobs and Your Community

A home sale is not just a private transaction; it is a job creator. The ripple effect of real estate is one of the strongest drivers of the American economy.

• The 2-for-1 Rule: For every two home sales, one job is supported in the local economy. This includes real estate agents, contractors, landscapers, and furniture retailers.
• The $60,000 Boost: Every single home sale pumps roughly $60,000 back into the community through professional services and immediate spending a new homeowner does on their property.
• The Big Picture: When interest rates drop by 0.50% and spark 250,000 new sales, that activity alone helps sustain 125,000 jobs across the country.

The Long-Term Solution: Reducing the “Debt Anchor”

While we track 0.25% moves today, many economists argue that the long-term floor for interest rates is dictated by our National Debt.

When the government runs a large deficit, it must issue a massive amount of Treasury bonds to fund it. This creates a crowding out effect. To attract enough investors to buy trillions of dollars in debt, the Treasury must keep yields high.

Because 30-year mortgages are anchored to these yields, a high national debt makes it difficult for mortgage rates to ever return to the 3% or 4% levels of the past. Reducing the national debt would decrease the supply of bonds, lowering yields and finally allowing mortgage rates to settle at a lower, more sustainable natural level.

The Bottom Line

The Fed provides the weather, but the bond market (T-Bills) provides the tide. Whether it is a Fed move affecting an ARM or a Treasury shift affecting a 30-year fixed, these tiny increments are the levers that move the American Dream.

Sources and References

• NAHB “Priced Out” Study: Confirms every 0.25% rate increase excludes approximately 1.13 million households.
• NAR “Jobs Impact of an Existing Home Purchase”: Establishes that one job is generated for every two home sales.
• NAR 2026 Real Estate Forecast: Projects that a 1% rate drop triggers a 14% jump in total sales volume.
• Mortgage Bankers Association: 2026 average mortgage and application data.
• Congressional Budget Office: Data regarding the “crowding out” effect of national debt on yields.

If you find the current market or the recent inventory crunch overwhelming, prepare for the future. Looking ahead to the decade between 2035 and 2045, our industry is poised to face a demographic challenge unlike any other in a century.

For broker owners, recruiters, and MLOs, this isn’t just some “future tripping” exercise. It is a wake up call. If you want to survive the next twenty years, you need to start pivoting your business model today.

The 5.1 Million Number: A Century Level Low

We’ve spent our careers assuming that “more people equals more houses.” But according to the latest data from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), that engine is losing steam. We are entering the Great Deceleration.

Check out the projected drop off in new households:

• 2010s: 10.1 million new households
• 2025 to 2035: ~8.6 million (Projected)
• 2035 to 2045: ~5.1 million (Projected)

By 2035, we are looking at the slowest household growth in over 100 years. This isn’t just a market cycle. It is a structural earthquake.

Why the Engine is Stalling

There are three massive forces converging here. As a leader, you need to be able to explain these to your agents and your clients:

1. The Silver Tsunami Hits the Shore

By 2035, every single Baby Boomer will be over the age of 70. Between 2035 and 2045, “household exits” (due to mortality or moves into assisted living) will accelerate rapidly. We are shifting from a market of growth to a market of replacement.

• The Big Question: We are going to see a massive surge in listings as Boomer homes hit the market. But who is left to buy them?

2. The Birth Dearth Pipeline

The record low birth rates we saw in the 2010s are finally coming home to roost. By 2040, there simply won’t be enough 25 to 34 year olds to form new households. The “starter home” pipeline is effectively shrinking.

3. Immigration: The Only Net Growth Factor

By the late 2030s, “natural population growth” (births minus deaths) is projected to turn negative in the U.S. This means that 100% of your new client growth will likely depend on immigration. If you aren’t marketing to these communities, you aren’t marketing to the future.

What This Means for Your Business Model

The Bottom Line: Strategy Over Volume

In the 2035 to 2045 decade, you won’t be able to “accidental” your way into a profit just because the population is growing. Success will belong to the leaders who stop chasing raw volume and start mastering lifecycle real estate.

The question for your next team meeting: Are we positioned to serve the Silver Tsunami and the new American immigrant, or are we still waiting for a 1950s style housing boom that isn’t coming back?

We’ve been analyzing real estate agent migration data for over 184,000 productive agents (approximately 30% of the US productive agent population) over the past year.

The results confirm a structural shift: the “Middle Ground” is disappearing.

We are seeing a definitive flight toward two extremes: Extreme Efficiency (AI-Native & Cloud platforms) and Extreme Prestige (Luxury Boutique platforms).

The Key Insights

1. The Pareto Principle is Alive

Out of the 12,473 productive agents analyzed who moved, the Top 10% (Whale Producers) were responsible for nearly 45% ($7.01B) of the total economic impact. The “heavy hitters” aren’t just moving; they are consolidating market share into platforms that offer high-leverage tools.

2. The Efficiency Ratio (Talent Replacement Quality)

The most successful firms aren’t just recruiting more – they are recruiting better. Leading “Aggressor” brands maintain an Efficiency Ratio of < 0.85, meaning they are replacing departing volume with significantly higher-producing incoming talent.

• Formula: Efficiency Ratio = Average Volume of Departing Agents / Average Volume of Incoming Agents
• Benchmark: A ratio below 1.0 indicates a “Talent Gain” (Winning), while above 1.0 signals a “Quality Drain” (Losing).

3. The “Legacy Winners” vs. “Donors”

While many traditional brands are serving as “talent donors,” a select group of Legacy Powerhouses are winning the tug-of-war. These firms have maintained superior efficiency ratios (some as low as 0.65) by aggressively pivoting to high-end talent, shedding low-productivity overhead, and offering Succession Paths for aging veterans.

4. The Stability Premium (The Listing Wall)

Interestingly, agents who stayed put (the 94%) outperformed those who moved by 18.7% in total volume. Why? Listing Dominance. High inventory acts as a natural retention barrier. If you own the listings, you own the seat. Once an agent loses listing momentum, their “Stability Premium” vanishes, making them 15% more likely to migrate.

Need help? Let’s have a conversation.

In our industry, everyone is looking for the “easy button.” Whether you’re a Broker-Owner trying to recruit top talent or an MLO fighting for a refi, the middle of the road is packed. It’s noisy, it’s competitive, and the margins are razor-thin.

But there is a secret: Most people stop exactly when things get inconvenient. The “Extra Mile” isn’t a myth – it’s a wide-open lane. When you do the things that don’t scale, the things that require actual effort and empathy, you leave the competition behind.

The “Extra Mile” Audit

If you want to dominate your local market, stop looking at what the average producer is doing and start looking at what they’re skipping.

• For Team Leaders & Recruiters: Stop sending “Checking in” texts. Start sending specific observations about an agent’s recent wins. True talent goes where they feel seen, not just recruited.
• For Agents & MLOs: Anticipate the “3:00 AM Anxiety.” Send the update before the client asks for it. If you wait for the phone to ring, you’ve already lost the lead on the extra mile.
• For Everyone: Solve the problem you weren’t hired to solve. Help the client find a reputable contractor, or help your agent navigate a personal hurdle.

Why This Wins

When you operate in the space others find “too much work,” you stop being a commodity.

1. Referrals skyrocket: People don’t tell stories about professionals who simply fulfilled a contract. They tell stories about the person who went the distance.
2. Price becomes secondary: When the value is undeniable, the commission or the rate is rarely the deal-breaker.
3. Retention is easy: It’s hard to leave a leader who is genuinely invested in your success beyond a spreadsheet.

Take Action Today

Pick one relationship – a top recruit, a difficult client, or a rising star on your team. Do one thing for them today that is “inconvenient” for you but high-value for them.

The crowd stays at the finish line. The winners keep running.