Why Real Estate Agents Fail. And How to Stop the Bleeding Fast. Part 2 of 5

In Part 1, we talked about the “stats war.” Zero deals. Typical agent. Everyone arguing in the comments like it is the Super Bowl of spreadsheets.

Here is the truth.

The market does not care what the internet thinks.

What matters is whether you are building a pipeline. Or watching your business slowly leak out while you stay “busy.”

Today is about the first bucket. Failing.

Not as an insult. As a diagnosis.

Because if you can diagnose it, you can fix it.

First, let’s define “failing”

Failing does not mean you are a bad person.

Failing means one or more of these are true right now:

• You are not having enough real conversations to create opportunities.
• You do not have enough money runway to stay in the game long enough.
• You do not have a follow-up routine that runs even when life gets messy.
• You are spending your best hours on low value tasks.

And yes, there is a difference between being new and being failing.

New is normal.

Failing is staying stuck in the same pattern for months.

The five reasons agents fail

1) They do not have a runway

This one is brutal. And it is rarely discussed honestly.

Real estate is not a paycheck job. It is a commission business with random timing.

If you start with two months of savings, and you need a closing by week six, you will do desperate things.

Desperation makes you chase the wrong leads, say yes to bad clients, and spend money on “leads” that promise miracles.

You are not building a business. You are trying to survive.

Fix it. Build a simple runway plan.

• Know your monthly nut. Mortgage, rent, food, car, insurance, everything.
• Cut the vanity expenses for 90 days.
• Stop buying new tools until you are consistently booking appointments.

If you do not have a runway, you must treat this like a part-time startup with a part-time income source. That is not glamorous, but it is real.

2) They avoid conversations

This is the quiet killer.

They will do anything except talk to people.

They will redesign a logo. They will tweak a website. They will “research” neighborhoods. They will create a content calendar that no human will ever see. They will watch 47 videos on reels. They will do open house flyers in Canva until midnight.

But they will not make the calls.

Think about this. In most markets, your income is directly tied to the number of real conversations you have with people who can buy, sell, or refer.

Not likes. Not comments. Not “engagement.” Conversations.

Fix it. Track conversations, not tasks.

Your goal is not “work hard.”

Your goal is “talk to enough people to create appointments.”

3) They do not follow up long enough

Most agents follow up like this:

Day 1. Text. Day 2. Email. Day 3. “Just checking in.” Day 4. Silence forever.

Then six months later they complain that leads are trash.

Leads are not trash. Follow-up is trash.

Most people are not ready now. They are ready later.

And later belongs to the agent who stayed in touch.

Fix it. Put follow-up on a schedule.

• New lead. Fast response, then daily touches for a few days.
• Warm lead. Weekly touches for a month.
• Nurture lead. Monthly touches for a year.

This is not complicated. It is just boring.

Boring is where the money is.

4) They do not have a simple offer

If someone asks, “What do you do,” and your answer is a three minute monologue about the market, you have lost them.

People want clarity.

You need one sentence that makes it obvious why someone should talk to you.

Examples:

• “I help Bay Area sellers price and position their home so it sells fast and for top dollar.”
• “I help first-time buyers in Contra Costa get approved, find the right home, and win without overpaying.”

Then you ask a question.

• “What are you looking to do this year.”
• “How is your housing situation right now.”
• “What would need to happen for you to make a move.”

Fix it. Write your one sentence offer. Use it for 30 days. Do not change it every Tuesday.

5) They try to be good at everything

They want buyers, sellers, investors, luxury, probate, seniors, relocation, and land.

So they become memorable to nobody.

You do not need a niche tattooed on your forehead. But you do need a primary lane.

Fix it. Pick one lane for 90 days.

• One lead source.
• One primary audience.
• One weekly rhythm.

You can expand later. First you need traction.

The Minimum Standard. The “I’m not messing around” plan

If you are failing, you do not need motivation.

You need a baseline.

Here is a realistic minimum standard you can run even when you are busy.

Daily

• 10 real contacts. Calls, texts, DMs, voice notes. Real two-way attempts.
• 5 follow-ups. People already in your pipeline.
• 1 piece of pipeline work. CMA, showing follow-up, pre-qual check-in, next step.

Weekly

• 2 appointments set. Coffee, Zoom, listing consult, buyer consult, open house meeting.
• 1 open house. If you are new, this is your cheapest lead machine.
• 1 database touch. Email, video, market update, neighborhood note.

If you do this for four weeks and nothing changes, you can blame the market.

Until then, blame the plan.

A quick script that works

You do not need to sound slick. You need to sound human.

Here is a simple check-in that opens doors.

“Hey [Name], it’s Jerry. Quick question. Are you staying put this year, or is there a chance a move could be in your future.”

Then stop talking.

If they say “maybe,” you ask:

“What would need to happen for that to become a yes.”

That is it.

No pressure. No pitch. Just clarity.

Your assignment before Part 3

If you want to move out of failing, do this over the next seven days.

1. Make a list of 50 people you know.
2. Call 10 per day for five days.
3. Ask the question. Staying put, or is a move possible.
4. Write a note in your CRM for each call. Next step, date, and a tag.

If you do not have a CRM workflow yet, do it in a notes app. Do not use “I need the perfect system” as an excuse to do nothing.

We will handle the CRM in Part 5.

What is next

Part 3 is about the second bucket. The one I see the most.

The agent who is busy all day, but the income does not match the effort.

Busy all day. Broke all year.

Sound familiar.

Finish strong.