In this episode of the Real Trending podcast, Tracey Velt interviews Julie Harris, co-founder of Tim and Julie Harris Coaching. Harris has deep insights into what agents are struggling with right now (inventory!) and offers solid ways to find more listings. 

She also explores trends in the industry, such as the value of expanding one’s center of influence and emphasizes the importance of focusing on fewer, more meaningful goals and breaking them down into daily and weekly tasks. By whittling down weekly goals and consistently taking proactive actions, agents can make significant progress in their business. Julie shares pivotal moments in her career and offers three to-dos for agents to change their business.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• The lack of inventory is a major challenge for real estate agents, but being proactive and creative in finding inventory can lead to success.
• Real estate commission lawsuits are causing uncertainty in the industry, but agents can navigate this by being more professional and transparent in their buyer representation.
• The most successful agents are those who are proactive, stay educated, and focus on expanding their center of influence.
• Pivotal moments in a real estate career can include making strategic pivots, such as targeting luxury markets or returning to basics that have proven to work in the past.
• To change their business, agents should focus on generating new business daily, staying educated, and expanding their center of influence. Focus on fewer, more meaningful goals and break them down into daily and weekly tasks.
• Consistently take proactive actions to make progress in your real estate business.
• Invest in personal development and maintain a healthy lifestyle for overall success.
• Whittling down weekly goals helps agents stay focused and avoid overwhelm.

Here’s a small preview of today’s interview. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity:

Tracey Velt: We also have the uncertainty of the commission lawsuits. The Sitzer one has been adjudicated, it’s being appealed, but we have a ton of copycat lawsuits all over the country. It’s got agents and brokers on edge. How are you coaching through that fear? What are your recommendations for agents and brokers moving forward?

Julie Harris: The first thing to remember is that this is not going to make changes overnight. It’s unlikely for everyone to wake up and have a completely changed world. That is unlikely. We have to remember that we literally have hundreds of years and millions of transactions and millions of real estate professionals who have done things in a way that made sense for a really long time. And to try and just change that suddenly is highly unlikely.

When Sitzer was decided, some of the first calls I had wanted to make sure I had my facts straight. Yes, it’s more negotiable, but it has not markedly changed. They have to have more transparency. They’re being more careful with their buyers. They’re doing a radical thing called a buyer presentation. We’re used to listing presentations. All of our coaches have used a buyer presentation since day one.

The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch.