Spring home selling season is off to a slow start this year, but waiting around for it to suddenly pick up isn't a strategy. Here are five things you can do right now to unstick it.

Last Friday marked the first day of Spring after an extended, cold, eventful winter for much of the nation. This is the time of year when homeowners start thinking about moving and buyers start scouring the web for new listings in their favorite neighborhoods. Even in choppy markets, this is when activity usually picks up. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, home sales pick up in the spring, with activity ramping up in March and running through early summer.

In my last blog I covered some of the traditional ways that solo agents can start extending themselves when business picks up. A few readers asked about automated ways to do the same thing. If you run a solo real estate business, you already know the drill: one minute you’re prospecting, the next you’re showing homes, answering texts, chasing paperwork and trying to keep your marketing running at the same time. Doing it all yourself can get overwhelming fast. So I dug aro

Every agent dreams of the day they can't keep up with the business coming their way. Then it actually happens and the dream starts to feel a lot like a grind. You're closing deals, showing homes, answering emails, updating the MLS and somehow you’re supposed to be constantly showing up on social too. Something has to give. Here are some tips straight out of The Real Estate Agent's Business Planner : Hire a licensed assistant. You can hand off almost anything, including tra

I'm celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Real Estate Agent's Business Planner (5th edition just came out) and wanted to share one of the most asked questions I get from new agents: how much should I spend on marketing? In the book, I write about how real estate coaches typically recommend spending about 20-30% of your projected first-year income on marketing. If you're targeting $100,000 in year one, that's roughly $25,000. Sounds like a lot, right? Here's the thing:

I walked out my front door the other morning, pulled it shut behind me and there it was, hanging right on the doorknob. A door hanger with a REALTOR’s name, logo and contact info on it (plus a really cute family photo). I stood there for a second, just staring at it. I mean, I hadn't seen one of those in ages. And there was no scrolling past it, no swiping away and no algorithm deciding whether I'd view it or not. It was just hanging out there, waiting for me to find it.

You ran into an old friend at the grocery store who mentioned they might downsize next year. A neighbor casually said they're thinking about moving. A past client texted asking if you're still selling. Three potential transactions just landed in your lap. Two weeks later, you can't quite remember which neighbor said what or when you last followed up with that old friend. The past client? You meant to text back. Look, prospecting is challenging enough. Add in tracking ever

Real estate agents are natural doers. They show up, pitch in, volunteer, help clients through stressful moves and take on more than their schedules can support. I’ve covered the industry for 25+ years, and one pattern shows up again and again. The agents who build successful businesses aren’t always the busiest ones. They’re the ones who decide early and often where their time should go and stick to it, even when distractions pile up. In practice, this usually comes down

I came across a recent LendingTree article that walks buyers through the process of choosing a real estate agent. It’s written for consumers, but the takeaways can be valuable for agents if you just flip the perspective. This is important because consumer-facing advice from a leading online lender doesn’t just educate the public. It sets the rules of engagement . Agents who understand those rules can show up, communicate and position themselves for success. Flipped for a

The start of the year provides a brief pause before the real estate market picks up again. That means it’s a great time to step back and decide how you want the year to play out. Taking time now to set direction gives you more control once things get busy. Here are nine ways to set the tone for the year ahead: Lay out your income and transaction goals for the year. Review last year’s numbers to spot patterns and gaps. Audit your 2025 lead sources and double down on the

We’ve reached that point in the year when the pace eases enough to think clearly. The inbox quiets down, showings slow and for a brief moment, there’s time to step back. Use this pause to put a few fundamentals in place before business picks back up in January. Here are three ways to maximize the downtime: 1) Getting started in real estate in 2026? Put your business mission into one clear paragraph. Write it the way you’d explain it if someone asked what kind of real estate a

Real estate moves fast and it’s easy to tell yourself you’ll figure it out as you go. A good business plan isn’t just busywork. It’s a path to staying focused, avoiding burnout and keeping your business steady when things get busy. These are the usual excuses and the real truth behind each one: “I don’t have time to write a plan.” Putting one together now saves time later and keeps you from chasing the wrong goals. “Plans are for corporate types.” Corporations use plans bec

Agents usually move straight from licensing class into looking for leads, then quickly realize that passing a test and running a business are two different things. Those first few months feel fast and unpredictable, but there’s a way to create more stability and control. Here are three ways to start strong: First, look at your daily habits. Real estate rewards consistency more than intensity. A simple routine for outreach, follow-up and marketing gives you something stea

New agents enter the business ready to work but soon see that licensing is just the starting point. The real momentum comes from the systems they build next. If you’re feeling stuck, use these five moves to set a strong foundation: Write a one-page plan today. Define your service, list your ideal clients and pick three ways you’ll reach them this week. Set up your business finances. Open a business account, separate your money and track every expense. Block your schedule