New Inman contributor Erin Ward writes that agents know what generates business: conversations, follow-up, and day-to-day activities. But when there is a gap between what you know and what you do, production is disrupted.
Many real estate team leaders blame the market for inconsistent production, which is a simple but incorrect explanation.
It’s hard to admit what’s really going on.
Many teams were built in a time when the market did most of the work, deals were easy to find, schedules were short, and production made up for the lack of structure, including leadership structure. Now that the market is demanding skills again, the gap is clear.
I saw this firsthand recently when I reset expectations across my team during an internal leadership challenge. So we had to look carefully at not just what we were saying, but what we were actually enforcing.
This is where the real problem appears.
The real problem is not the market.
This problem can be seen in inconsistent production floors, busy agents who never get their work done, and teams who can’t explain why their results are dropping. This is not a lead problem or a market problem. It’s a question of consistency driven by activity and accountability.
Agents already know what generates business. Conversations, follow-ups, and daily responses are always the driving force. But production is disrupted because there is a gap between what is known and what is done.
What has changed is the margin of disagreement, and that margin is much smaller than before.
Why conversations are more important than leads
With our team, there is no confusion about what is important. We have 75 real estate conversations scheduled each week, and it’s very clear what that means.
These are real conversations about buying and selling, timing, and decision-making, not quick check-ins and surface-level messages. Because you can’t get to the closing table without talking to people.
This number is not random. It creates predictability. When agents hit consistently, the pipeline is stable and closes continue within a predictable range, but when they don’t, production is inconsistent regardless of talent.
We also focus on how conversations are handled, since the amount of conversations alone doesn’t solve the problem. Skills matter, and how you ask questions, handle objections, and set next steps will determine whether your activity becomes a real business or not.
Activity and skill must exist at the same time.
Where leadership is broken
We’re quick to say that if an agent can’t convert, there’s a skill problem. The same standards should apply to leadership.
If an agent does not take action, it is not a question of motivation. It’s a leadership issue and often comes down to a reluctance to set or enforce expectations, coupled with ego and the desire to be liked.
Ask me how I know. I had to face this, make changes, hold a mirror up to my own leadership and raise the bar.
It may be uncomfortable to admit, but it’s also a solvable problem.
Some leaders in the industry are still clinging to the model that worked during the 2020-2022 surge, when the market took over production and skills, including leadership skills, were less important than they are now.
The market is changing now, and the differences are clear. Momentum wanes while standards are maintained, so you can see which teams are built on structure, accountability, and development, and which are built on momentum.
5 Leadership Changes Driving Consistency Now
Set clear activity standards: Define exactly what is expected each week and make sure it is specific and measurable. Track conversations, not just leads: Conversations drive business, but leads without action produce no results. Focus on quality, not just quantity: Conversation skills determine whether an activity leads to a closing. Consistently enforce accountability: Standards only work if they are upheld in the same way across the board. Build around behavior, not motivation: Motivation changes from day to day, but structure creates consistency.
What’s really driving consistency right now?
For me, this season means tightening everything down to what actually works, which means clear expectations, clear activities, consistent accountability, and no gray areas as to what will deliver results.
Leaders need decisions. You either build around what produces results or you allow inconsistency to take over, and those paths lead to very different outcomes.
The moments when leadership is tested are when it is easy to lower expectations, and that is precisely when direction is most important.
Set the standard, hold the standard, and build from there.
Erin Ward leads HRVA Homes in Norfolk, Virginia. Connect with us on Instagram.
