If you want real growth in your business, it rarely comes from doing more of what you’ve always done. It comes from recognizing what’s currently working, letting go of what no longer serves you, and having the discipline to lean into new trends before others do.
All the meaningful growth spurts I’ve experienced in my career have come from identifying shifts early and committing to them fully while others were still debating them. Plateaus and setbacks occurred when I held on to a strategy for too long, even if results were quietly declining.
If you want to gain momentum this year, it’s worth taking an honest look at which trends you’re on board with, and which ones you should stay away from. Here are five changes that are evident in today’s real estate landscape. These include what’s coming out, what’s coming in, and how to apply each to your business.
Bold marketing is underway. Full-scale marketing begins
For years, real estate marketing has rewarded flash. Large production. Sophisticated branding. perfect lighting. Movie-like video. While this approach still has its place in the true luxury market, for most agents it is no longer the differentiator it once was.
Reliability wins now.
The truth is, the cell phone in your pocket today is just as powerful as most of the cameras agents were using five years ago. The real question isn’t how impressive the marketing is. It’s about whether it feels real or not. Does it reflect who you actually are? Is the way you treat your clients consistent in real life?
People don’t seek perfection. They want connection.
Real estate remains a relationship business. When your marketing feels human and approachable, trust builds faster than any flashy campaign ever could. There’s no need to wait for the “perfect” content. Do more marketing that accurately reflects who you are, and your ideal customers will recognize themselves in it.
Mass marketing is over. It’s time to become a super celebrity
There was a time when it was effective to send a message to as many people as possible. Send thousands of mailers. Email one generic update to your entire database. Cast as wide a net as possible. This strategy has been successful in the past, but its season has passed.
Today, growth comes from becoming “micro-famous” by becoming deeply known in a small, specific area or niche. It’s better to monopolize one neighborhood of 500 households than to randomly market to 5,000 households that barely know your name. Targeting your message to a small, specific audience and doubling the amount of mailing and marketing to that group will be far more effective.
If you send just two value-driven direct mail pieces per month to one region for a year, you’ll be seen as the go-to agent there. I’ve seen it happen many times and consistency always trumps scale.
An article by Luke Acree of Reminder Media describes a marketing experiment in which a fictitious agent was created and mailed consistently to one area. A few months later, residents were surveyed about who the best agents were in the area. More than half named an agent that didn’t even exist simply because they’d seen the name repeatedly.
That’s concentration.
The same principle applies to content. Instead of posting for every buyer type, every price range, every corner of town, choose your lane. A certain neighborhood. One niche. There was only one audience member. Wealth exists in really, really niches.
“Look at me” marketing is over. Introducing “Look at you” marketing
In the past, boasting was considered marketing. I just sold a post. award. Ranking. Production statistics. While they are still important internally, they are no longer appealing to consumers. What’s resonating right now is storytelling, especially stories that feature someone as the main character.
Instead of emphasizing the sale, emphasize the story behind it. Families downsize after their children go to college. Buyers taking their first step toward homeownership. When people recognize themselves in those stories, they begin to imagine you leading them on a similar journey.
This extends beyond transactions. We shine a spotlight on local businesses. A new restaurant. community event. Entrepreneurs in your market. Interesting things happen when you continually lift others up. This means attention and referrals will naturally come back to you.
The agents who are growing their businesses the fastest today aren’t shouting about it. They learned to listen better and talk better.
You have finished adding the assistant. Building an AI system has begun
For years, the default advice for growth was simple: hire an assistant. Human help remains important, but we are at a generational tipping point. Artificial intelligence has become the most powerful assistant most agents have ever had, and AI assistance comes without the salary of a human assistant.
Please ask another question before adding overhead. What systems can AI build now? AI can help build follow-up plans, outline social media workflows, generate market insights, organize checklists, and even surface trending topics specific to your region. AI allows you to design and run smarter systems once instead of delegating tasks.
This is the first time in real estate history that agents can meaningfully expand their operations without immediately increasing expenses. Agents that learn how to use AI as a thinking partner, rather than just a shortcut, will generate significant efficiency benefits.
Part-time agents are not available. We have full-time professionals
The pandemic created a unique season where just about anyone could close a deal or two because everyone wanted to buy real estate. That market is gone. Today’s buyers and sellers know that this process is more difficult, more nuanced, and riskier than it has been in years. They are not asking for favors. They are looking for experts.
It’s the season of farewell. Agents who treat this as a full-time profession and understand contracts, negotiations, market changes, and customer psychology are more prominent than they have been in the past decade. Consumers want guidance, not guesswork.
This is good news for aspiring professionals.
When you invest in skills, systems, and service levels, the market will take notice. Highlight the process. Show the preparations. Communicate your values. Be excited. Your professionalism is once again your competitive advantage.
ride the right wave
Every market change creates opportunity, but only for those willing to adapt. The agents who grow the fastest aren’t the ones achieving more. They’re doing well now.
Audit your business honestly. Let go of trends that have reached their peak. Lean into something that has momentum. Riding the waves that rush toward shore will get you to your goal faster and with much less resistance.
For agents willing to adapt, the best is yet to come.
Jimmy Burgess is Chief Coaching Officer of HomeServices of America and President of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
