Two decades in this business come down to five things, and most agents who burn out skipped at least one of them.
Twenty years in this business teaches you what actually keeps an agent in it, and it usually isn’t talent or luck. Every agent I’ve met who only chased the next deal eventually washed out. They never followed up, and they never really cared about their clients. The ones who build a real career tend to get the same five things right. Here’s what two decades have taught me.
Relationships come first, and they pay you back. If you go in with the intent to provide first-class service and build a genuine relationship with your clients, that’s the single biggest driver of referrals and reviews. And reviews are essentially remarketing that attracts more people to you. I learned this the hard way.
During the years I was doing the most volume, it wasn’t that I didn’t want relationships with my clients. I was just trying to get it done, and I hated the business. The shift came when I started asking what I could give each person rather than what I could close. When you pour a real service mindset into someone, they feel it, and they give it back. Give it your all, and the relationships take care of the rest.
Follow up until they tell you to stop. I can’t count how many people I’ve followed up with, thirteen, fifteen, twenty times. One seller I’d chased for months only re-engaged after the seventeenth or eighteenth touch. A video I sent finally pinged me a notification that he was watching it. I called, and he acted like we’d spoken the day before. The rule I live by sounds aggressive, but here it is: follow up until they tell you to stop, period.
When an agent tells me a prospect complained about too many calls, I’m thankful. If someone says you called too much, you simply thank them, apologize, and move on. That’s rare. Far more often, the deal quietly slips away from not following up enough. By my estimate, the vast majority of your business falls through right there, in the follow-ups most agents never make.
Surround yourself with people who level you up. Skill development never stops. Put yourself around the best people and the best brokerage you can. Get a coach who pushes you further, no matter how far along you are. I’ve always had a coach, always had development, always been reading. It’s constant, never-ending improvement, and it’s how you keep raising your game.
For most of my early career, I couldn’t find people who could help me. So I was trying to figure everything out alone, which is the slow way. Getting the right people around you shortens the path, which is why I stay an open book for any agent trying to learn.
Learn to negotiate, because it builds more than deals. When you put real time into negotiation, you become genuinely able to represent your clients. You also learn to work through your own deals. A strong agent can build a great sales business and a great investment business at the same time. Understanding how to negotiate doesn’t just help your clients. It helps you build your lifestyle, your assets, and your portfolio over time.
Consistency is the hardest part, and the whole game. This is the most important habit and the toughest to hold. Make your best day every single day. Get up early and feed your mind something positive before the world tries to derail you. Look at your goals, know your direction, and do at least two hours of business development daily. Work in a real workout too, because being physically capable makes you someone you’re proud of. When you’re proud of yourself, you project leadership. When you can lead, you can truly help the people around you, and that’s the whole point of doing this for twenty years.
If you have questions about the market, about coaching, or about what it would take to level up your own business, I’m glad to help. Call or text me at 801-285-0521, email me at Justin@justinudy.com, or visit justinudy.com. I’d be happy to share what’s worked and point you toward an environment that can help you grow.
