By Mike Bodeen · 23 June 2025
Last week we asked the question about which agents will survive the current turndown. I shared about how I was able to do this through the decades, and it wasn’t easy. Now, with a down market, and new commission rules in place, things just got more complex.
Things will not change as much for seller’s agents, but commission-based buyer’s agents will be going the way of the dodo. In the past, the way someone got their foot in the door was to find buyers by doing open houses. Not much was required, especially if the one who walked into the open house wanted to buy that open house (not often). And if not that one, the agent could line up other homes for the buyer to see and begin a solid business relationship.
The other way is that the agent is a natural “salesperson.” One who will take every opportunity to talk with everybody about how great home ownership is, and “Oh, by the way, do you own a home? No? I can change that for you😊”
The other way is that the agent is a natural “salesperson.” One who will take every opportunity to talk with everybody about how great home ownership is, and “Oh, by the way, do you own a home? No? I can change that for you😉”
The current state of the market is moving from solo agents to “teams.” This could make the most sense for a beginner in the business. But this will depend on whether or not the “leader’ can supply good “leads” for the team member, which in this market is almost non-existent. Not only are you giving a percentage of the commission to the company you’re connected with, but you’re also giving your team leader a chunk of your commission dollars. But hey, there’s not many choices.
All the above is to buy time while the new agent transitions to a seller’s agent – which will be the primary source of the Realtor’s success. So, which agents can survive in the future in this industry?
The following traits are both historical and future:
* A Congenial Personality
* A Listener with empathy goes a long way here
* A Problem Solver (I take great enjoyment in this, but son Jonathan supersedes me)
* Integrity (The positive built-in “fabric” of a person’s nature)
* Honesty (will not withhold truth from a client, especially when it may kill a deal)
* Living a great life outside the career (true for all professions)
* Willing to put in the long and sometimes demanding hours when necessary
* Along with the above, a family that buys into the career
Is there more? Yep, just getting started:
* Seller’s Agents (Buyer’s agents need not apply)
* The ones who have a significant sphere of influence and/or an existing book of business (referrals and repeat clients).
* They have present income, or;
* Their spouse works, or;
* a stash of cash to hold them for 3-5 years
Even being a seller’s agent in this market is no guarantee of success. Correctly pricing, staging and marketing a home is now more important than ever, as many listing languish on the market unsold. (See Listing Success Chart below)
There is much current turbulence with real estate companies not just individuals. We don’t know what the future holds. All that any professional can do is to summon their years of experience, to address the market today to the good of their client. And yet, that is good enough – for now.