Leaders who perform well throughout the cycle don’t necessarily predict when things will get better. These are the people who have built habits of being there for the business during difficult times, asking better questions, and enabling their teams to move quickly when the window opens.
The same questions arise every market cycle. “What do you do when you feel like the rules are changing faster than you can read them?”
It’s not an easy question to answer. The trend toward caution is real. So is the temptation to over-correct, to make key decisions based on headlines rather than fundamentals, and to get sucked into the noise and lose sight of what actually drives performance.
The leaders I most admire resist all of that. They become quieter, more deliberate, and more focused on what’s actually driving the business. In uncertain markets, the most powerful leader does not oversee everything. They are seeing the right thing.
Actions, not emotions
In an uncertain market, everyone has an opinion. The mistake is to treat those opinions as data.
It’s the actions that actually communicate something.
Will paused buyers come back to the table? Are sellers adjusting their expectations before listing, or are they still locked in at the peak price? Are agents revisiting the database, or are they waiting for the market to give them permission to move?
Emotions can lag behind reality. There is real information in actions.
growing agent
In every market, even in difficult markets, some agents thrive. The most useful question is not necessarily “Why is the market depressed?” Sometimes the better question is “Who is still winning and what are they doing?”
Market uncertainty widens the gap between the top and middle of the market. That gap is instructive. It shows where the skills shortages are and who is building trust, pricing correctly and prospecting while others remain silent.
When you see agents consistently converting in a tough market, you want to understand exactly what conversations they’re having and how. And we want to get that information in front of all the agents who need it. The best market intelligence we have is already within our own organization.
where friction occurs
Where there are frictions, growth stalls, and in uncertain markets frictions surface quickly. If the same stall point appears across multiple agents or markets, that’s a pattern worth considering. Sometimes it’s market education. In some cases, pricing and positioning may be an issue. Agents may need better language to have honest conversations with clients about where values really stand.
When you hear the same hesitation from multiple markets, it becomes a priority. That might mean creating new resources, conducting intensive training, or simply getting on the phone with agents and leading the conversation together. Fixes are rarely complicated. But you have to listen carefully enough to find it.
Finding and removing friction is some of the most impactful work a leader can do in a down market. There is no need to wait until the situation improves.
team energy level
Energy is not just a reflection of the market. It is a reflection of leadership.
Look at your daily habits. Are agents initiating conversations or waiting for the phone to ring? Are they actively pitching or playing defense? Do they share what’s going well or what’s been quiet?
If your team’s energy is low, the answer isn’t a new macro update. People already know that markets are complex. What they need to do is clarify where the opportunities lie now, what actions are most important, and what they can control.
long relationship
Every market downturn reveals how well agents were building relationships with customers when business was easier. We stay in touch with our clients with whom we have genuine relationships. Transactional stuff disappears until something is needed.
I pay attention to how often clients contact me without prompting. It signals the trust the agent has built and the strength of the business. If this number is low, it’s not a market issue. This is a relationship issue and the time to address it is now, not after the situation has improved.
Agents with deep relationships don’t start from scratch when the market turns. They’ve already started the conversation, they already know who’s gearing up, and they already have the trust to close the deal quickly.
what does this mean
None of these signals require a market recovery. Leaders can study behavior, identify who is growing and why, eliminate friction, protect team energy, and reinforce the importance of long-term relationships.
Leaders who perform well throughout the cycle don’t necessarily predict when things will get better. These are the people who have built habits of being there for the business during difficult times, asking better questions, and enabling their teams to move quickly when the window opens.
Waiting doesn’t pay in uncertain markets. They reward attention.
