Lose the listing, not the lesson.
Market Intelligence · A Personal Note
I wanted to write something a little more personal this week.
In the conversations I’m having, there’s a common thread: things are tough for a lot of people right now.
When fewer properties change hands, the effects reach well beyond real estate agents. Brokers, builders, tradies, solicitors and service providers all feel it. Less activity puts pressure on profits, incomes and, eventually, the choices families make about how they live.
I feel it too. I’m an agent. When transaction volumes fall, that affects my income and the decisions we make at home. I understand that there are ebbs and flows in business, but knowing that doesn’t make you immune to them.
We’re still selling homes. Deals are getting done. But the work required, the conversations involved and the time it takes have changed considerably.
And it’s made me revisit a philosophy I’ve carried throughout my career:
It’s okay to lose the listing. It’s never okay to lose the lesson.
Right now, there are plenty of lessons.
The conversations that worked in January don’t necessarily work in October. The questions we ask, the way we qualify buyers and how we negotiate all need to reflect the people and circumstances in front of us.
We can spend our energy wishing the market would change. Or we can examine what needs to change in us.
Slowing Down
For me, that starts with slowing down.
Someone selling a home might already be navigating financial pressure, a separation or poor health. A more difficult market adds another layer to an already demanding situation.
Before discussing price or strategy, I’m learning to spend more time understanding what they’re carrying. What does this move need to achieve? What worries them most? What would a workable outcome allow them to do next?
Patience
My patience is getting a workout, too.
The pace feels very different from the start of the year. Buyers need more conversations, more reassurance and more time to build confidence. Those relationships need to be nurtured, even when there’s no immediate result.
Assumptions
Then there’s a lesson about assumptions.
I’ve always reminded myself never to let my own agenda get ahead of my client’s interests. That matters just as much when business is slower.
But I also need to be careful not to decide on a client’s behalf.
A seller might have told me their minimum price. An offer might arrive below it. My responsibility is to present that offer, explain its terms, explore whether it can be improved and help them assess their options.
An expected “no” is still their decision to make.
Their circumstances may have changed. The terms may create an opportunity we hadn’t considered. They may simply say no. Either way, they deserve the choice, alongside my honest advice.
The Reset
I enjoy change, although I don’t always enjoy the discomfort that comes before it. This market is making me more patient, more thoughtful and more conscious of the responsibility that comes with helping people move.
And I’m here for that.
To my colleagues, fellow business owners and anyone feeling the pinch: I don’t want to pretend pressure is easy, or that every difficult period comes neatly wrapped in a life lesson.
But I do think it’s worth asking:
What is this period asking me to do differently?
It’s okay to lose the sale. It’s not okay to lose the lesson.
This market is forcing a reset. My hope is that the changes we make now, in our businesses and in ourselves, will serve us long after conditions improve.
- Billy Jaz
