Winning The Day – Page 6 – Winning The Day With Mindset, Models and Marketing

Your Character Isn’t Forged in a Comment Thread. It’s Built in the Follow-Up.

06/18/202506/13/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

The headlines are deafening. One expert predicts a market crash, another a buying frenzy. Interest rates are a daily obsession. A new lawsuit threatens to upend the entire industry. Everyone has a hot take, a prediction, a complaint. Everyone is a commentator.

The volume goes up, the noise gets louder, and it’s easy to get swept up in the chaos.

Meanwhile, nothing that truly builds your business has changed.

The phone still sits there, waiting for you to make the calls. Your database still needs to be organized. The difficult conversation with the seller whose home isn’t getting offers still needs to happen. Your skills still need to be sharpened, your value proposition still needs to be perfected, and your daily habits still decide who you are when the commission checks aren’t rolling in.

Mental toughness in real estate isn’t built when you have three offers on a listing in the first 24 hours. It’s forged when the world feels uncertain, and you stay focused anyway. It’s built when you choose discipline over distraction, client care over internet chatter, and grit over gossip.

Here’s the truth for every agent, broker, and recruiter in our industry:

You don’t need to win an argument about the future of commissions. You need to win the trust of the next family that needs to sell their home.

You don’t need to be right about where rates are going in six months. You need to be ready when a client calls you in a panic, needing a steady, expert hand to guide them.

When a deal gets rocky, when a buyer gets cold feet, when a market shifts and your clients need real strength, no one is going to care what you posted on Instagram. They will ask if you have a plan, if you can lead, if you can endure.

That is why we train. That is why we practice our scripts, why we master our CRM, why we preview property on a Tuesday morning when no one is watching. Not to impress our peers, but to become the kind of professional people can count on when it really matters.

Let other agents trade outrage online. You focus on building your capacity.

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, a significant number of agents leave the industry within the first five years. The reasons often boil down not to a lack of talent, but a failure to consistently perform the fundamental, unglamorous tasks of the job. It’s a failure in discipline.

How Do You Vet for Strength?

I’m inspired by a story from Joe De Sena, the founder of Spartan Race. He once had two men drive over seven hours for a business meeting. When they arrived, he didn’t take them to a conference room. He took them on a ten-mile run, followed by hundreds of pull-ups and burpees. By the time they sat down for breakfast, their hands torn up, he knew everything he needed to know. They showed up, did the hard work, and didn’t complain.

How are you vetting your agents? How are you assessing your own capabilities?

For recruiters and brokers, look past the vanity metrics. An agent’s strength isn’t measured by their follower count; it’s measured by their follow-up. Look for the agent who is obsessed with their craft, who time-blocks their prospecting, who seeks out coaching, and who doesn’t flinch when a client needs a dose of reality.

For agents, your character isn’t built in a viral Reel. It’s built when you get up at 5 a.m. to study the MLS before your family wakes up. It’s forged in the sweat equity of door-knocking in July and in the choice to take another negotiations course when you could be scrolling.

Strength doesn’t tweet. It quietly earns trust and closes deals.

Your Assignment This Week

Go quiet. Tune out the noise, the performative rage, and the endless speculation.

Pick something hard for your business and do it. Not because you’ll get likes for it, but because it will make you a better, stronger professional.

Make the 20 calls you’ve been avoiding.
Finally segment that messy database.
Have the pricing conversation you know you need to have.

The most successful people in this business are rarely the loudest in the room. They are the most disciplined, the most prepared, and the most focused on the things that actually matter.

Now go prove it.

Inspired by: De Sena, Joe. “The Hard Way” Newsletter.

Source: National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) member data and industry reports on agent success and failure rates.

A System Will Produce What A System Will Produce, Nothing Less and Nothing More!

The Real Estate Market is Shifting. Are You? 8 Tools for Thriving in Uncertainty

06/16/202506/13/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

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.

Unlocking Your Potential: On Bold Requests and Perfect Timing

06/10/202506/09/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Ever feel like you’re waiting for the “perfect” moment to start something new? Or maybe you’re holding back on asking for what you truly want because it feels a little too audacious? These are feelings we can all relate to. This week, I came across some powerful insights from James Clear’s “3-2-1” newsletter that really resonated with me, and I wanted to share them with you.

Finding Your Best “How”

We often get stuck on finding the one “right” way to do something. But as Clear points out, there’s usually more than one path to success. He suggests a straightforward yet brilliant exercise:

“There is always more than one way to do something. Write down as many ways as you can think of to achieve your desired outcome. Then, rank them based on how much time they take, how much money they cost, and how effective you expect them to be. Choose the best.”

This is such a practical way to break out of analysis paralysis. Instead of getting hung up on a single method, we can map out our options and make an informed choice. It’s about being intentional and strategic in our approach.

The Courage to Make “Unreasonable” Requests

This idea really hit home. We often limit ourselves by what we think is “reasonable” to ask for. But as former lawyer and professional poker player Cate Hall says:

“Ask for things. Ask for things that feel unreasonable, to make sure your intuitions about what’s reasonable are accurate (of course, try not to be a jerk in the process). If you’re only asking for things you get, you’re not aiming high enough.”

This is a powerful reminder that our perception of what’s possible can be skewed. By pushing the boundaries of what we ask for, we not only open up new opportunities but also recalibrate our own sense of what we can achieve.

The Fierce Urgency of Now

Clear also touches on the critical element of timing. It’s easy to put things off, telling ourselves we’ll be ready “later.” But as he wisely notes:

“Today might be the best chance you have to take action. The longer you wait, the more deeply embedded you get in your current lifestyle. Your habits solidify. Your beliefs harden. You get comfortable. It will never be easy, but it may also never be easier than it is right now.”

This sense of urgency also applies to our conversations. The concluding question from the newsletter is a profound one:

“What do we need to be talking about now, so we can learn the lessons before we need them?”

By addressing potential issues proactively, we can prevent problems before they arise. It’s about having the courage to have the important conversations now, rather than waiting until we’re in defense mode.

In a world that can often feel cynical, these ideas are a call to action. They encourage us to be proactive, to be brave, and to believe in the value of our efforts. As the musician Nick Cave puts it, hopefulness is a “warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism.” It’s in the small, deliberate actions—the thoughtful planning, the bold requests, the timely conversations—that we build a more hopeful and successful future for ourselves.

This blog post was inspired by and adapted from the June 5, 2025 issue of James Clear’s “3-2-1” newsletter. You can read the original content and subscribe at jamesclear.com.

Your Agents’ Old Playbook Is Obsolete. Here’s the Leadership Strategy for What’s Next.

06/09/202506/09/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

As leaders in the real estate industry, our most critical function is to see the turn in the road before our teams do. For the last several years, the path has been straight and the wind at our backs. That has changed. The market has shifted, and the strategies that created top producers yesterday are quickly becoming irrelevant.

That’s why, when an essential industry voice like RISMedia convenes the industry’s sharpest minds for its annual Power Broker Forum, I consider the insights shared to be mandatory intelligence for every brokerage leader. The recent panel in Washington, D.C., featuring the presidents and CEOs of powerhouse firms like Samson Properties, Keller Williams Capital Properties, The Keyes Company, and C21 New Millennium, was no exception.

The message from these leaders was unequivocal: The era of passive agent management is over. If your agents are going to win in this new landscape, it will be because you, as a leader, equipped them with a new playbook. Here are the strategic imperatives you and your leadership teams must be focused on right now.

Mandate 1: Evolve from Data Provider to Strategic Counselor

For the first time in a decade, significant markets are seeing inventory levels climb—Kymber Lovett-Menkiti reported over five months of supply in D.C., while Christina Pappas cited a staggering two-year surplus of condos in Miami. Your agents are facing seller conversations they’ve never had before.

Your Leadership Imperative: Your role must evolve beyond simply providing access to data dashboards. You must actively train your managers and agents to interpret this data and frame a compelling strategic narrative for their clients. Are you running workshops on how to conduct a data-driven listing presentation for a seller whose expectations are anchored in 2022? Are you teaching them to shift the conversation from “your home” to “your biggest asset,” as Donny Samson advocated?

If your agents can’t translate market stats into a clear, persuasive strategy, they will lose listings.

Mandate 2: Build Foundational Skills, Because “Back to Basics” Isn’t Enough

Christina Pappas made the most pointed observation of the day: “The average (agent) has been in this business for less than 10 years and has no idea how to sell or market.” The challenge isn’t “back to basics”; for a significant portion of your roster, it’s about building the foundation in the first place.

Your Leadership Imperative: Audit your training calendar immediately. Is it built for today’s market reality? The panelists were unanimous on the need to get agents back into the office for purposeful, structured training. As a leader, your job is to create an environment where collaboration and skill-building are not just encouraged, but expected.

This is the time to double down on in-person listing workshops, mastermind groups, and role-playing difficult client conversations, building the muscle memory required for proactive, high-touch service.

Mandate 3: Force a Redefinition of Your Agents’ Value Proposition

Perhaps the most urgent mandate came from Jason Carrier, who challenged the industry to “stop talking about how many years of experience we have.” His point was sharp and accurate: tenure is not a measure of talent.

In an era of intense commission scrutiny, a vague value proposition is a liability.

Your Leadership Imperative: You must force your agents to redefine their value in quantifiable terms. Teach them to build a case based on their performance metrics—average days on market, list-to-sale ratio, and a proven marketing plan. Carrier asks his agents to prove they are “10% better” than the competition with tangible results. Are you making this the standard in your brokerage? Are your top producers demonstrating how they quantify their value in your sales meetings? As Carrier noted, leadership must “show what ‘right’ looks like.”

Mandate 4: Be the Executive Producer of the Client Experience

In a market where sellers have more choices, the ultimate differentiator is the client experience. The panel referenced the show “The Bear” to illustrate how one establishment can elevate a simple commodity to a luxury experience.

The value isn’t in the product; it’s in the delivery.

Your Leadership Imperative: Brokerages must be the architects of a superior client experience. This means providing the systems, partnerships, and tools that empower your agents to become indispensable advisors. Are you equipping them with a seller’s checklist, as The Keyes Company does? Are you providing them with resources to help sellers stage and prepare their homes? Your job is to create a framework that allows your agents to confidently “diagnose” a client’s needs and deliver a bespoke, five-star solution that justifies their fee, every single time.

The leaders on the RISMedia stage weren’t just sharing tips; they were outlining a doctrine for modern brokerage leadership. The organizations that gain market share in the coming years will be those whose leaders embrace their role as chief strategists, trainers, and cultivators of talent.

The critical question isn’t just whether your agents are ready for this market. It’s whether you are doing what’s necessary to prepare them.

Price is only an issue in the absence of value.

If you’re grappling with how to implement these high-impact strategies within your own leadership team, let’s connect. It’s time to build the future of your brokerage, not just react to it.

Slow Start to California’s Housing Season as Prices Reach New Highs

06/06/202506/06/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

The California housing market is experiencing a sluggish beginning to the season, with home sales seeing a year-over-year decline for the second time in four months. This slowdown is attributed to a combination of elevated interest rates and persistent economic uncertainty. The condominium market, often a more accessible entry point for first-time buyers, has also seen a softening as affordability and insurability black lists continue to widen.

Market at a Glance

Recent data from the week ending May 31, 2025, shows a dynamic yet challenging market. On a daily basis, there were 556 closed sales, 548 pending sales, and 768 new listings. The median list price for a home in California has now reached $815,000, with the price per square foot at $428. Homes are sitting on the market for an average of 88 days, with a median of 42 days.

Despite the high prices, the market action index indicates a “Slight Seller’s Advantage” at 41, a figure that has remained steady from the previous month. This suggests that while sales have slowed, inventory remains relatively tight, keeping prices firm. Total inventory across the state is currently holding at around 56,395 homes.

REALTORS® Activity and Outlook

In the previous week, real estate professionals saw a mixed bag of activity. While 33.8% of REALTORS® listed a property, a 10% increase, and 24.6% closed a sale, up 12.1%, the number of those entering escrow saw a slight dip of 0.4% to 13.8%.

Looking ahead, REALTOR® sentiment reflects the market’s uncertainty. A significant 46.9% of REALTORS® anticipate that listings will increase, a rise of 3.7% from the previous quarter’s sentiment. However, there is less optimism about sales and prices. Only 23.4% expect sales to go up, a 4.1% decrease in positive sentiment, and a mere 9.4% believe prices will rise, a substantial 9.4% drop in confidence from the last quarter.

A Look at Housing Affordability

A significant factor contributing to the market’s slow start is the increasing difficulty for many Californians to afford a home.

In 2024, less than one-fifth (18%) of all Californian households could afford to purchase a median-priced home of $865,440. To afford such a home, a minimum annual income of $221,200 is required to manage the estimated monthly payment of $5,530, assuming a 20% down payment and a 6.84% interest rate.

The ability to afford a home varies across different ethnic groups. In 2024, 21% of White households could afford a median-priced home, compared to 27% of Asian households, 10% of Black households, and 9% of Hispanic/Latino households.

Economic Headwinds

The broader economic landscape presents a mixed but cautious outlook. While consumer confidence has seen a partial rebound, CEO confidence has fallen due to concerns over geopolitical instability and tariffs, with many predicting a recession in the next 12 to 18 months. Although a key inflation gauge is easing, potential price hikes from major retailers could reverse this trend. These factors are keeping mortgage rates high, causing a stall in the housing market as both buyers and developers adopt a “wait and see” approach, evidenced by a third consecutive monthly decline in construction spending.

Sourced from the California Association of REALTORS® and Altos Research.

Unlock Your Focus: Thrive Through Real Estate’s Ups and Downs

05/30/202505/29/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

In the dynamic world of real estate, we’re no strangers to constant motion. Interest rates dance, inventory shifts, headlines buzz with industry news, and those broader economic “tariffs” can feel like they change the game overnight. While this fast pace is part of what makes our field exciting, it can also be demanding, especially when we’re trying to plan, lead, and perform at our peak.

But here’s an empowering truth: this environment doesn’t have to lead to overwhelm. I was recently reflecting on this very challenge after reading an incredibly insightful LinkedIn post by Juliet Funt – an absolute master at helping leaders reclaim their focus and sanity, and the brilliant author of A Minute to Think. Her work is a powerful reminder that the key isn’t to eliminate uncertainty (if only!), but to manage our response to it. When we allow ambiguity to run unchecked, it can cloud our thinking. But as Juliet often emphasizes, we have the power to choose a different path. It’s about empowering our minds by skillfully directing our attention.

Inspired by her wisdom, let’s explore some truly effective strategies to help you do just that.

Create Space for Clarity: Your “Appointment with Stress”

We all know how those persistent worries – “Is this the right move for my brokerage?” “How can I best support my agents through this market?” “Will that crucial deal close?” – can try to steal our focus throughout the day. One of the most transformative techniques I share, drawn from Chapter 3 of A Minute to Think, is beautifully simple: Make an Appointment with Stress.

Instead of letting anxieties simmer on the back burner, you proactively schedule a brief, dedicated time – say, 10-15 minutes – to consciously engage with them. This is your window to thoughtfully consider the challenges, the “what-ifs,” the uncertainties. Give them your full attention.

Then, when the time is up, you gently close that mental file. You’ve honored the need to process, and now you can fully dedicate your energy to the high-impact activities that drive your success: connecting with clients, mentoring your team, strategizing growth, or finding that perfect recruit. When a worry tries to pop up outside its scheduled time, you’ll have an empowered response: “Thanks for the reminder, but I’ve got a dedicated time for you. Right now, I’m focused on [your current task].“

Amplify Your Attention: Two More Game-Changing Practices

To take your focus and composure to the next level, let’s build on this with two more powerful practices:

Embrace the Challenge (“Bring It On”): This fascinating technique comes from the world of performance. Actors feeling pre-show jitters sometimes find that if they lean into the nervousness, consciously trying to feel it more intensely for a moment, its power diminishes. It might sound counterintuitive, but by courageously facing the emotion on their own terms, they regain a sense of control. The same principle can work wonders for us. When a fear about the market or a challenging negotiation arises, instead of resisting it, try acknowledging it, even inviting it in for a moment. You’ll often find its grip loosens, allowing you to manage it instead of it managing you.
Cultivate a Constructive Inner Dialogue: Sharing our challenges is natural, and connecting with colleagues is vital. However, continuously replaying negative loops about the market, difficult deals, or industry anxieties can inadvertently amplify our stress and drain our energy. When you notice yourself caught in such a monologue, internally or externally, gently pause. Take a moment to connect with your present environment: the feel of your office chair, the sight of a picture on your desk, a deep breath. This simple act of grounding yourself creates a space. From this space, you can consciously choose a more empowering narrative or shift the conversation towards solutions and positive next steps. These small redirections are incredibly powerful for resetting your attention and maintaining a constructive outlook.

Why This Matters More Than Ever for You

As driven brokers, recruiters, and high-performing agents, your capacity for action, strategic thinking, and decisiveness is already immense. These mental strategies aren’t about changing who you are; they’re about amplifying your existing strengths and giving you more control over your inner game.

Think of these practices as essential tools in your high-performance toolkit – designed to cultivate the unwavering clarity, sustained energy, and decisive leadership that set you apart. They help you serve your clients, support your teams, and navigate your business with greater calm and confidence, no matter what the market throws your way. This isn’t just about feeling better; it’s about performing better.

This is how we build the resilience and focus to not just get through challenging times, but to truly thrive.

I’ll meet you in the white space.

More Than Meetings: Why Building Bridges (Through Appointments) is Your Untapped Real Estate Superpower

05/29/202505/29/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

“In the end, someone or something always gives up. Either you give up and quit, or the obstacle or failure gives up and makes way for your success to come through.” ~ Idowu Koyenikan

That quote speaks volumes about resilience. In real estate, the “obstacle” isn’t just a tough market; it’s often the chasm of disconnection between you and your next client, or between a client and their goals. The most powerful tool to conquer that? The humble, yet mighty, appointment.

Think of yourself not just as an agent, but as a master bridge-builder. Every appointment you set, every conversation you have, is another plank laid, another connection forged, spanning the gap between:

A potential client’s uncertainty and their confident decision.
A seller’s desire to move on and the reality of a successful sale.
A buyer’s dream of a home and the keys in their hand.
Your expertise and the community that needs it.

If you stop building these bridges, the “obstacle” of obscurity or inaction wins. If you persist, that obstacle gives way to a thriving network of opportunity.

The Architecture of Connection: What Kind of Bridges Are You Building?

Not all bridges are the same, and neither are appointments. Each serves a unique purpose in connecting needs with solutions:

The “Visionary Blueprint” (Listing Presentations): Bridging a seller’s property with the market, showcasing its value and your strategy to connect it to the right buyer.
The “Empathy Causeway” (Buyer Consultations): Bridging a buyer’s aspirations, fears, and financial realities to a tangible plan of action.
The “Discovery Channel” (Property Showings): Bridging a buyer’s abstract desires with the concrete experience of a potential home.
The “Community Network” (Networking & Past Client Care): Strengthening existing bridges and building new ones that lead to referrals and long-term trust. These are the lifelines that sustain your structure.
The “Opportunity Span” (Investor/Relocation Meetings): Bridging specialized needs with unique market opportunities.

Life’s Intersections: Where Bridge-Building is Most Crucial (The “8 D’s”)

People need bridges most acutely during times of significant change. These are the “8 D’s” – critical junctures where your bridge-building skills become indispensable: Death, Divorce, Diamonds (Marriage), Downsizing, Diapers (Growing Families), Deployment, Default, and Displacement (Job/Career Changes). These aren’t just events; they are calls for a skilled connector.

Deconstructing the Blueprint: How to Become a Master Bridge-Builder (Beyond Just “Setting Appointments”)

Surveying the Land (Proactive Mindset & Identifying Need):
- Stop Waiting for People to Find Your Unfinished Bridge: You must actively seek out points where connections are needed. This means dedicated time for outreach, research, and understanding your community. The obstacle of “no leads” gives up when you proactively survey.
- See Beyond the Transaction: Every interaction is a chance to lay a plank of trust, even if it doesn’t lead to an immediate “crossing.” Your reputation is built on the quality of even the smallest connections.
Designing with Integrity (Value-Driven Approach):
- Your Unique Value Proposition is Your Strongest Material: Why should someone trust yourbridge? What unique skill, insight, or care do you bring? Articulate this clearly and consistently.
- Authenticity is Non-Negotiable: People can spot a flimsy, self-serving structure a mile away. Genuine empathy and a desire to serve are the steel reinforcements of any lasting professional relationship.
The Daily Construction Schedule (Consistent Action):
- One Plank at a Time: Don’t be overwhelmed by the idea of building a massive suspension bridge overnight. Focus on laying one strong plank – having one quality conversation, making one meaningful connection – consistently. The compound effect is powerful.
- Systemize Your Craft: Use your CRM and other tools not as a crutch, but as your skilled construction crew, helping you manage materials (contacts), schedule work (follow-ups), and ensure no part of the structure is neglected.
Stress-Testing Your Designs (Learning from Every Interaction):
- Embrace Feedback (Even “No”): Not every attempted connection will result in a completed bridge immediately. What can you learn? Was the design flawed? Was the approach mistimed? Every interaction is data.
- Adaptability is Key: The landscape changes. Client needs evolve. Market conditions shift. A master builder is always learning, refining their techniques, and trying new approaches.

The Result: A Thriving Ecosystem, Not Just a Single Structure

When you consistently focus on building these bridges, you’re not just completing transactions. You’re creating a network, an ecosystem of trust and reciprocity. Past clients become advocates. New connections seek you out. The “obstacle” of an empty pipeline gives way to a steady flow of opportunity.

Your Next Blueprint:

Instead of “setting an appointment,” think: “Whose gap can I bridge today?”

Who needs to understand their home’s current value?
Who is wrestling with the decision to buy or sell?
Who in your network could benefit from a simple check-in?

Start laying those planks. The world, and your business, will be better for it.

The Unshakeable Brokerage: A Coach’s Guide for Leaders & Recruiters to Build & Win Through Empathetic Persistence

05/28/202505/28/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

As a coach to dynamic brokerage owners, leaders, and recruiters like you, I’ve seen a common thread in those who not only succeed but build truly resilient and attractive organizations: unshakeable, empathetic persistence. This isn’t just a sales tactic you teach your agents; it’s a foundational principle for your leadership, your team building, and your strategic growth.

Let’s explore how you can master this vital approach in your specific role.

Your mission is to build a thriving brokerage and attract the very best talent. This requires inspiring belief – in your vision, your culture, your value proposition, and the future you’re creating. That inspiration is directly fueled by the genuine confidence and unwavering commitment you embody. This is where your empathetic persistence becomes your greatest asset.

The Critical Distinction You Must Model & Master: Empathetic Persistence vs. Counterproductive Pressure (in Leadership & Recruiting)

In your leadership roles and recruitment efforts, understanding and applying this distinction is paramount:

Pressure-Driven Approaches (What to Avoid):
- For Leaders: Micromanaging, imposing unrealistic demands without commensurate support, fostering a culture of fear or burnout.
- For Recruiters: Aggressive or impersonal outreach, over-promising and under-delivering, not genuinely listening to a potential recruit’s needs or career goals.
Empathetic Persistence (Your Path to Success):
- For Leaders: Consistently championing your vision, providing steadfast support and resources for your agents and staff, adapting thoughtfully to market changes, and fostering a culture where people feel valued and motivated to grow with you.
- For Recruiters: Building genuine relationships with potential hires, patiently and consistently demonstrating your brokerage’s unique value proposition, truly understanding their motivations and concerns, and being a trusted advisor in their career decisions.

This is about you consistently demonstrating, through your actions as a leader and recruiter, that your brokerage is the destination for talent and success.

Become an Architect of Excellence: How You Forge a Top-Tier Brokerage & Team

Empathetic persistence isn’t just about weathering storms; it’s about your proactive, strategic efforts to build an exceptional organization. Are you passively hoping good agents will find you, or are you actively architecting a culture and a recruitment pipeline that consistently attracts and retains A-players? Your best results will come from your skillful and sustained efforts in these areas.

The Powerful Signals Your Empathetic Persistence Sends (to Your Team & Potential Recruits):

When you lead and recruit with empathetic persistence, you communicate volumes:

Your Unwavering Commitment to a Shared Vision: Your team and potential recruits see that you are deeply invested in the long-term success and stability of the brokerage.
Your Belief in People (Your Agents, Staff, and Future Hires): They sense that you genuinely care about their growth, well-being, and success within your organization.
A Culture of Support and Resilience: You demonstrate that challenges will be met with strategic solutions and collective effort, not blame or panic.
A Compelling & Authentic Value Proposition: Your consistent messaging and actions clearly articulate why your brokerage is the superior choice for careers to flourish.

Cultivating the 6 Habits of Highly Persistent Leaders & Recruiters (Your Action Plan):

As your coach, I’ll work with you to develop and strengthen these essential habits in your leadership and recruiting:

Champion Your Vision & Celebrate Wins: Consistently articulate where you’re leading the brokerage and actively celebrate team achievements, individual successes, and recruitment milestones.
Lead & Recruit with Clear Purpose: The 8 D’s! Ensure your “why” for the brokerage and for attracting specific talent is clear. This purpose will fuel your long-term efforts.
Anticipate & Strategize for Market & Talent Dynamics: Proactively address industry shifts, predict future talent needs, and develop your strategies for navigating both.
Focus on Consistent, Strategic Action (Not Just Immediate Results): Whether it’s a slow quarter or a hesitant recruit, your focus should be on sustained, value-driven leadership and outreach, not short-term panic. Your moneyball?
Use Feedback & Resistance to Refine Your Brokerage & Approach: Agent concerns, market feedback, and recruit objections are valuable data. Use them to improve your offerings and strategies.
Commit to Your Continuous Growth as a Leader & Recruiter: The best leaders and recruiters are always learning. We’ll focus on enhancing your skills in communication, strategy, and team development.

Why Your Empathetic Persistence is Non-Negotiable for Brokerage Growth & Talent Acquisition:

Building a Legacy Takes Time: True brokerage success and a strong team culture aren’t built overnight. Your sustained, empathetic effort is the foundation.
Attracting Top Talent is a Marathon, Not a Sprint: The best agents are often discerning. Your patient, value-driven, and persistent recruiting approach will win them over.
Leadership Credibility is Earned Through Consistency: Your team needs to see you as a steady, supportive, and forward-thinking leader, especially through challenging times.

Your Toolkit: Turning Challenges into Opportunities in Leadership & Recruiting:

When you encounter obstacles, your empathetic persistence, guided by our coaching, helps you transform them:

For Leaders: Addressing agent churn, navigating economic downturns, implementing new technologies or systems, fostering inter-agent collaboration. Your persistent support and clear communication are key.
For Recruiters: Overcoming objections like “I’m happy where I am,” effectively communicating yourbrokerage’s unique differentiators, building a robust talent pipeline even when not actively hiring, and keeping promising candidates warm. Your ability to empathize and persistently offer value is crucial.

Building Your Unshakeable Leadership & Recruitment Edge:

Developing this strategic, empathetic persistence in your leadership and recruiting roles is transformative. It’s how you build not just a successful brokerage, but a respected brand and a magnet for top talent.

As your coach, I’m dedicated to helping you hone these capabilities, integrate them into your operational DNA, and leverage them for extraordinary results. This is about making your leadership and your recruitment efforts both more effective and more fulfilling.

Ready to make unshakeable, empathetic persistence the engine of your brokerage’s growth and talent strategy? Let’s connect to discuss your growth strategy and how you can implement these principles for breakthrough results.

Tax Bill Advances in House: Implications for the Housing Sector

05/23/202505/23/2025 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

The House of Representatives recently passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a legislative package featuring several tax provisions with notable implications for the housing industry, homeownership, and real estate investment.

Key Tax Provisions Impacting Real Estate:

The bill includes several measures relevant to the housing sector:

Enhanced Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction: The deduction for pass-through entities, which includes many real estate professionals and small businesses in the housing sector, is set to increase permanently from 20% to 23%.
Modified State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction: The cap on SALT deductions would be quadrupled from $10,000 to $40,000 for households earning under $500,000, with planned annual growth. This change could impact homeowners in areas with higher property and state income taxes.
Permanent Individual Tax Rates: Current lower individual income tax rates are slated to become permanent and indexed for inflation, a factor that can influence overall housing affordability.
Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID) Maintained: The existing deduction for mortgage interest is preserved at its current level and made permanent, continuing a long-standing tax consideration for homeowners.
Treatment of 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges & Business SALT: Section 1031 like-kind exchanges, a provision often utilized in real estate investment, are protected. Current state and local tax deduction rules for most businesses are also largely unchanged, though some limitations are introduced for certain high-income professional services, which are not anticipated to significantly affect most real estate businesses.

Additional Provisions Relevant to Housing and Investment:

The legislation also contains other measures that could influence the housing market and real estate investment:

Affordable Housing Support: Includes enhancements to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to encourage the development of affordable housing.
Family Financial Measures & Home Purchase Incentives: Features an increased Child Tax Credit (to $2,500 through 2028, then inflation-indexed) and introduces new tax-advantaged Child Investment Accounts, which could be used for expenses such as first-time home purchases.
Investment and Estate Planning: Establishes a permanent $15 million (inflation-adjusted) estate and gift tax threshold and renews incentives for Opportunity Zones, aimed at encouraging investment in designated communities.
Business Tax Environment: Restores several business tax provisions, including those for R&D expensing and bonus depreciation. The bill does not include an increase in the top individual tax rate or changes to the tax treatment of carried interest.

These provisions, aimed at supporting homeowners, real estate professionals, and community development, will now move to the Senate for further consideration. If enacted, this bill could significantly shape the financial landscape for the housing industry and those involved in it.

Mindset Monday Recap: The Trust Deficit

05/19/202507/01/2025 Mark Johnson 1 Comment

Every Monday Matters!

For this Mindset Monday, I wanted to share some reflections from a call I led earlier today. We got into a really powerful topic: Working at the Speed of Trust. It reminded me so much of Stephen Covey’s book, “The Speed of Trust.” If you haven’t read it, he makes such a compelling case that trust isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s something real and measurable that truly affects how quickly things get done and what they cost, both in our work and personal lives.

The big takeaway for me is always that high trust just makes everything flow better, while low trust really bogs things down and adds to the burden.

The Ripple Effect of Trust

One of the things Covey talks about that really resonates is how trust isn’t just about others; it truly starts with us. That idea of Self-Trust, building our own credibility, is the foundation. From there, it naturally extends to our Relationships, the teams we’re part of, how we’re seen in the Market, and even Society as a whole.

Foundational Trust: It Starts With You

It’s a great reminder that building trust with others really has to start with ourselves. Covey outlines these “4 Cores of Credibility,” and I find them so insightful for self-reflection:

Integrity: Am I being true to myself and my values? Is there consistency in what I say and do?
Intent: What’s driving me? I always hope people see that I genuinely care and have their best interests at heart.
Capabilities: Am I keeping my skills sharp and relevant? It’s about knowing I can actually do what’s needed.
Results: What’s my follow-through like? Having a solid track record speaks volumes.

And that Covey quote, “You can’t talk your way out of a problem you behaved your way into,” always hits home. It’s our actions and who we are that really build that solid foundation of credibility.

Building Bridges: The 13 Behaviors of High-Trust Leaders

Once we’re feeling solid in our own trustworthiness, it’s amazing how that can flow into building stronger relationships. Covey shares 13 Key Behaviors that I think are fantastic guideposts for nurturing that Relationship Trust. They’re all things we can actively practice:

Talk Straight: Just being honest and letting people know where you stand.
Demonstrate Respect: Genuinely showing others you care and value them.
Create Transparency: Being open and real, so people can see what’s happening.
Right Wrongs: Owning it when we mess up and making things right, quickly.
Show Loyalty: Giving credit where it’s due and speaking well of others.
Deliver Results: This is a big one for me – getting the right things done and making things happen.
Get Better: Always looking for ways to learn, grow, and improve.
Confront Reality: Tackling the tough stuff directly, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Clarify Expectations: Making sure everyone is on the same page.
Practice Accountability: Holding ourselves and others responsible for commitments.
Listen First: Really trying to understand before jumping in with a response.
Keep Commitments: Doing what you say you’re going to do. Simple, but so powerful.
Extend Trust: Being willing to give trust to others often encourages them to reciprocate.

Putting Trust into Action: Practical Strategies for Our Industry

It was also great to connect Covey’s ideas to what we do every day in our industry. We talked about a few practical things that really bring these trust principles to life for us:

Radical Transparency: This feels so aligned with talking straight. Just being upfront and honest in all our dealings.
Prioritize Meaningful Interaction: Every conversation is a chance to connect, to really listen and show we care.
Become the Undisputed Hyper-Local Expert (and Share It!): This is all about building our ‘Capabilities’ and then generously sharing that knowledge. It shows we’re invested.
Over-Communicate: We all know that feeling when you’re left wondering! Keeping people in the loop proactively is huge for building confidence and showing we’re on top of things. After all, the #1 complaint from consumers can be, “I never hear from my agent!”
Show Your Value, Don’t Just State It: This is where ‘Delivering Results’ really comes into play. It’s about the actions and outcomes that speak for themselves. It reminds me of that saying, “

Repeat business isn’t luck — it’s earned. I deliver results, not promises.

Why This Matters: The Real-World Impact

Thinking about all this, it’s so clear that these aren’t just abstract ideas. In our world, especially with our clients, trust is everything. It’s that feeling when a client comes back, or refers someone new – that’s the best compliment, isn’t it? It tells me, “A returning client is the greatest compliment. Your trust means everything — I deliver, every time.”

I’ve definitely seen how low trust can create so many headaches and slow everything down. But when that trust is there, things just move smoother, decisions happen faster, and it opens the door for so much more. It’s like when clients know,

You need someone who shows up and gets it done — every time. That’s what I do.

Wrapping Up: Investing in Trust, Together

My main reflection from our chat and revisiting Covey’s work is just how vital it is to actively nurture trust. It’s a continuous journey, starting with ourselves and how we show up in every interaction.

Maybe this week, it’s a good opportunity for all of us to think about:

Which of those 4 Cores of Credibility feels like an area I can focus on for myself?
Is there one of those 13 Behaviors, or one of our industry strategies, that I could be more mindful of?

It really is an investment that pays off in so many ways – making things easier, more efficient, and building those strong connections. Here’s to all of us aiming to work at the speed of trust! Because at the end of the day, what we do is truly “Built on trust. Grown through referrals. Backed by real results.” Let’s keep earning it.