The Two Majors of Real Estate Success: Mastering Follow-Up and Follow-Through

There is a painful pattern I have watched play out hundreds of times in Real Estate.  

An Agent does the Hard Work. They Knock on Doors. They Make the Calls. They attend the Networking Events. They find a Qualified Lead -- someone who genuinely needs to Sell or Buy in the next twelve months. 

And then? They walk away. They Wait. They Hope. And Do Not Convert. 

I recently sat down with my friend and fellow coach Erica Nasby to have an honest conversation about this epidemic in our industry. What emerged was a Video Conversation that we believe every Real Estate Professional should consider hearing; whether you are brand new or have been in the business for decades. 

🎥 Watch the full video training:

The Two Majors: Prospecting AND Follow-Up

Erica said something early in our conversation that was insightful: "There are two majors in this business, Right? Prospecting -- you have to be doing that -- and Follow-Up. You have to be doing that. And those two are the magic recipe for being Successful in Real Estate." 

Most agents understand the first major. They know they need to Prospect. Some invest in lead generation. Some learn scripts. They push themselves to make contact with potential clients. 

But Follow-Up? That's where the wheels fall off. 

As Erica put it: "It is amazing to me how many people will go out and do the hunt, but then they drop the ball and they won't do the Follow-Up." 

The irony is devastating. The very action they avoid; Consistent Follow-Up -- is the only thing that would secure the lead in the first place. 

The Mindset Shift Needed in Real Estate

Here is a mindset shift that could transformed how you think about this business: We're Not selling ice cream. 

If we were, someone would walk in, hand us two dollars, receive their cone, and walk out. Transaction complete. Finite. Done. 

But Real Estate doesn't work that way. This idea that you can have one conversation and it will result in a sale is simply Not the business we are in. 

People need time to absorb information. They need to trust you. They need to feel educated and confident before making one of the largest financial decisions of their lives. 

This is why Follow-Up requires a minimum of five touches; sometimes eight to ten -- before a prospect says, "Okay, we are ready to make this move, and we are going to work with you." 

One conversation is Not enough. One door knock is Not enough. One phone call is Not enough. Consistency over time is everything. PS: Thinking about putting together a Strong Real Estate Playbook for Getting Listings, consider the upcoming 6-Week Training Program.  

The Education Approach: Stop Selling, Start Teaching 

One of the most powerful reframes Erica and I discussed is the shift from transactional to educational. When you follow up with a lead, your primary purpose is Not to close them. Your primary purpose is Education. 

Here's what this looks like in practice: 

• A home sells in their neighborhood? You reach out: "Hey, I noticed 32B Wick just sold. Here's how it compares to your home." 

• A listing expires? You explain why: "This property was overpriced by about 8%. Here's what the market data shows."  

• Interest rates shift? You share the impact: "This change could affect your buying power by approximately $XX,XXX." 

Over time, you are Not just staying in touch; you are conducting a listing presentation on the doorstep, one touchpoint at a time. As Erica explained: "Most agents think, 'I've got to get out there and do the CMA right now.' No, you don't. You just have to collect the information and give them little crumbs as you go over the period of time between where you qualified them and when they're actually selling." 

By the time they are ready to list, they already Know their price point. There's No struggle, No fight, No argument -- because you have educated them along the way. 

Your CRM: The Follow-Up Command Center 

Let's get practical. You cannot execute Consistent Follow-Up without a system. 

If you are only working with a few dozen people, your brain can handle the connections. But we need to follow up with hundreds of people. Each year, you should be adding 50 to 100 people to your pipeline. 

This is why a CRM isn't optional -- It is Essential. 

But here's where most agents go wrong: they treat their CRM as a digital Rolodex. Name, number, email address, done. A CRM is so much more than contact storage. It is a living document of your relationships. 

Every time you interact with a contact, you should:

1. Memorialize the conversation >>> "Met with Erica on January 26. Discussed market conditions in her neighborhood and her timeline for selling in Q3." 

2. Create the next action >>> You are Not just recording what you did; you are scheduling what you will do next. 

3. Connect to your calendar >>> Your CRM should generate reminders. "Today you call Julie. Today you send Steve a market report." Your job is simply to execute. 

As I told Erica during our conversation: "Most agents open their email all the time. And I ask them, 'Why aren't you opening your CRM as well? Why aren't you spending time there? Those are the people. Email is communication. Your CRM is your people.'" 

Discipline, Consistency, and Choosing to Make It Fun 

I won't pretend this is easy. Follow-Up requires Discipline. But here's the Good News: you only need to be disciplined for about 1 to 2 hours a day. That's it. One focused hour of CRM work, research, and outreach. You don't need to maintain this intensity all day -- just for that dedicated block of time. 

The best discipline is Self-Discipline. And the very best discipline is the one you lean into -- you accept it rather than resist it. Stop thinking like someone's making you do something. Choose it. Own it. And here's a radical idea: Choose to make it fun.  

Erica said something that really resonated with me: "When you're consistent and you are disciplined—which is the secret to success in the real estate industry—you will start to enjoy what you're doing. It may start off hard and feel cold at first, but we can do hard things. And on the other side of that hard, it becomes flow and easy and things start to thrive."  

Your Follow-Up Action Plan

As you head into this Spring Market, I challenge you to ask yourself three questions: 

1. How Organized is my CRM? Is it a living system or a neglected database? 

2. How much time am I actually spending on Follow-Up each week? Be honest. 

3. Am I Committed to being Consistent and Disciplined so my business can truly thrive? 

Follow-up isn't glamorous. It doesn't produce instant gratification. But it is the discipline that separates agents who struggle from agents who succeed year after year.  

Show Up. Follow Up. Follow Through. Your future clients are waiting for the agent who won't disappear. Be that Agent.  

---  Some Quotes and Affirmations to consider below Graphic:

"The Best Discipline is the one you Lean into and Embrace. Stop Resisting what will Transform your business. Choose it. Own it."

Reflect on these Quotes and Affirmations -- I invite you to write a few of your own -- share article link:  

Quote: “Your purpose is Not to close people; It is to Educate them. When they feel informed and safe, they will always choose you.” 

Quote: “When everyone else disappears, You Remain. When everyone else forgets, You Remember. This is the quiet power of Showing Up Consistently.” 

Affirmation: “I am Excellent at Follow-Up, and I Build Relationships that create lasting Success in my Business.” 

Affirmation: “I Lean into Discipline with Joy, and my Consistency rewards me with clients who trust me.” 

Affirmation: “I Show Up for my clients when others disappear, and they Remember me when it matters.” 

Author: With over two decades of experience, Key Yessaad is a Dynamic Real Estate Trainer and Production Coach specializing in Activity-Based Coaching. Key’s signature programs - including the “6-Week Prospecting Trainings” and “3-Month Production Boot-Camps” - equip Agents and Brokers with Practical Skills in Time Blocking, Prospecting, Script Mastery, Listing Presentations, and Getting Listings. By instilling Accountability, Self-Discipline, and a Mindset of Action over Theory, Key empowers professionals to achieve measurable, lasting success in today’s competitive Real Estate landscape. 

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Your Real Estate Prospecting Activities Have a Real Dollar Value

Real Estate is a Numbers Game. You have heard me say this a thousand times, but let’s dig deeper into what it truly means. Many Agents and Brokers don’t ask for business consistently - Not because they lack intelligence, but because they lack a clear way to measure the value of their activities. Without seeing direct results immediately, they lose motivation, become hesitant, and start negotiating against themselves.  

What if you could put a clear dollar value on every single prospecting attempt you make? What if every phone call or door-knock had a measurable value, regardless of the immediate outcome? Let’s talk numbers, because numbers don’t lie.  

Prospecting Math: The Power of Daily Attempts

Imagine you are a Full-Time Agent, and you commit to these simple Daily Activities:  

• 15 Intentional Phone Call Attempts per day (calls to sphere, follow-ups, past clients, new leads, etc.) I am Not including calls you receive -- I am focused on your Dials, your Deliberate Calls to generate business. 

• 25 Door-Knocking Attempts per week (neighborhood canvassing, open house invitations, market reports, etc.) 

• Let me give you a brief Key Definition of Intentional: You select the person you plan to call; you make sure they are in your CRM with good notes; you have Scripts in front of you that you have rehearsed; you know how to Zig and Zag over Objections; you are relaxed in your delivery and never desperate; you always end calls in an upbeat manner; you take Good Notes during the call to add to your CRM if a conversation occurs; you leave clear Voice Mails followed by text messages; you schedule your next follow up call with each person; and you always make sure you ask for business at some point during the Real Estate Conversation. For Door Knocking you select the streets you will be door knocking that week and follow the same parallel ideas as the Intentional Phone Calls.  

• PS: If you know of someone who wishes to be properly trained on the Fundamentals of Real Estate Prospecting, consider my Upcoming Boot-Camp. 

Here is what happens when you consistently follow this plan every week:  

• 75 call attempts per week will typically lead to 15-20 conversations, of which 3 to 4 become meaningful Real Estate Dialogues. 

• 25 door-knocking attempts per week typically lead to 6-8 conversations, of which 1 to 2 are Quality Interactions. 

• Together, these efforts consistently generate 1 to 2 Good Appointments per week. That’s all you need to become widely Successful – let me show you how the numbers add up. 

Think about what this means over a full year (which, by the way, I measure as 44 weeks of intentional work, giving you plenty of time off):  

• 220 to 264 meaningful Real Estate Conversations per year

• 44 to 88 Quality Appointments Annually

• With proper training and follow-up, these activities generate a minimum of 20 Closed Deals per year. 

The Dollar Value: Each Attempt Counts - Now, let’s put real $Dollar Values on these activities.

The current Median Home Value in North America is about $419,200. I am going to be conservative and choose $250,000 as a base Value from my Calculations. I am focused on Local Inventory Production, in other words Listings, and the current Compensation is 3 to 3.5%. The conservative Gross Commission is therefore: $250,000 x 3% or $7,500. After 30% Split and Fees you end up with a Net Compensation to the Real Estate Professional of about $5,000.  

Question: is a Full-Time, Highly Focused Real Estate Professional capable of 20 Deals a year, or a Deal every 2 weeks? Yes. That’s a Conservative $100,000 Net to them. 

Question: Does it require Training, Discipline, and Daily Implementation? Yes.  

Let’s do some simple Algebra: 

Let’s call C: The Dollar Value of an Intentional Phone Call Attempt. (I am not including Calls that come to you, I am only counting the Phone Calls you make to generate Business: Sphere; Follow Up Calls; Referrals; New Leads; etc.) 

Let’s call D: The Dollar Value of an Intentional Door Knock Attempt.  

So, we get that: (75 x C + 25 x D) x 44 Weeks = $100,000 Net to the Agent per Year. 

Or: 75 x C + 25 x D = $100,000 divided by 44 weeks or about $2,273 per Week.  

Remember that a Door Knock Attempt is 3 times as Valuable as a Phone Call Attempt. Your Personal Physical Presence builds Name and Face Recognition and Branding; so, it is an important Long-Term investment in your Real Estate Career. So, we have: D = 3 x C.  

This leads to: 75 x C + 25 x (3 x C) = $2,273 or 150 x C = $2,273 or C = $15 and D = $45. 

In Plain English: The $Dollar Value of an Intentional Phone Call Attempt is about $15. The $Dollar Value of an Intentional Door Knock Attempt is $45.  

Allow me to really drive this point: If you run your Real Estate Business seriously and realize that you are first and foremost a Prospector of Business, Not an Order Taker; then each time you pick the phone and call a potential lead or client, even if they don’t respond, or worse they hang up on you – you have banked $15 in future income. Each time you go Door Canvassing while being prepared and Intentional, even if No one opens the door – you have banked $45 in future income.  

This is a hard concept to understand for those who have Not embraced being an Entrepreneur in Real Estate. Real Estate is a Numbers’ Game, and you have to Stack your Prospecting Activities on a Daily Basis, Week in and Week out, without any Excuses, Distractions, and with lots of Discipline.  

Notice I never talk about Phone Canvassing without looping in Door Canvassing and vice versa. Don’t Put all of your Eggs in one basket: Some of you maybe thinking to select one over the other – that would be a huge mistake. You want to Master both Phone and Face to Face Canvassing and balance your efforts in both realms. Your Confidence is built by tackling both arenas on a Weekly basis.  

Here’s the mindset shift: You are Not being rejected when someone says "No" - you are banking $15 toward your future success. You are not failing when a door doesn’t open right away - you are investing $45 into your future listings.  

Accountability and the Paperclip Method: How do you stay disciplined and consistent? You use visual, measurable accountability strategies. One powerful tool is the "Paperclip Method":  

• Start your week with two containers: one filled with 100 paperclips, the other empty. 

• Every time you make an Intentional Prospecting Attempt (phone call, follow-up, door-knock), move a paperclip to the empty container. 

• Don’t Stop until you have moved all 100 paperclips. 

• If you fall short, commit to donating $50 to charity that week. 

• This simple yet powerful visual accountability tool transforms your mindset. It moves you from “waiting for business” to “creating business.” It is a tangible way to measure your daily commitment to prospecting.  

• A Huge PS: When you commit to this Rigorous Prospecting Strategy with proper training, your phone will start to ring with clients wanting to do business with you. You become a Hot Commodity – don’t let it seduce you into quitting your Prospecting; Stick to the Strategy and you will always control your destiny in Real Estate.  

Confidence is a Skill – Not a Trait: Many agents don’t prospect consistently because they fear rejection or lack confidence. But here’s the truth: Confidence is Not something you are born with; it is a Skill you develop through consistent practice. By mastering your scripts, practicing daily, and tracking your activities, you build genuine confidence. Confidence emerges naturally when you know exactly what to say, when to say it, how to deliver it, and you have the measured numbers to back you up.  

Embrace the Doing Over the Knowing: Stop waiting for perfect conditions or magical solutions. Listings are earned, Not given. Your daily prospecting activities are how you earn your listings, build your confidence, and secure your financial future. Commit to your daily actions. Measure your activities. Trust the numbers. Because in Real Estate, consistent daily activities turn into measurable production—and measurable production leads directly to profitability.  

Take Action Today: Here is my challenge to you:  

• Print out a Weekly Accountability Sheet. 

• Commit to 15 call attempts daily and 25 door-knocks weekly. Call them your Minimum Activities.  

• Track your progress for one month using the Paperclip Method. 

• Remember: You only have to commit 2 Hours Daily to do all your Prospecting – but it must become a Daily Grind; Not something you squeeze in when you feel like it. 

• Celebrate every attempt as a deposit into your future bank. 

Your future success is not created by a single big action, but by the cumulative power of small, disciplined, daily activities. Start now. Your future self will thank you.  

Remember: “Drive and Discipline will take you where Ambition alone cannot. Success follows Action, Not just Intention.”

---  Some Quotes and Affirmations to consider below Graphic:

Can you put a $Dollar Value on Prospecting Activities? Yes… Learn what each Attempted Call and each Attempted Door Knock are Worth to your Business.

Reflect on these Quotes and Affirmations -- I invite you to write a few of your own:

Quote: “Listings aren’t given – they are Earned. Every Call and Door Knock is an investment in your future bank, regardless of today's outcome.” 

Quote: “Drive and Discipline take you where ambition alone cannot. Show up Daily, make every attempt count, and transform effort into measurable results.” 

Affirmation: “Every call I make deposits $15 into my future success - each knock on a door grows my listing bank. I earn my listings with relentless action.” 

Affirmation: “I am a Proactive, Confident listing agent - my Daily Effort, no matter the immediate outcome, creates a measurable foundation for lasting success.” 

Affirmation: “I choose Action over perfection. My Deliberate, Daily Prospecting fuels my Confidence, builds Discipline, and brings me closer to each coveted listing.” 

*Don’t Forget the May-July 2025 Boot-Camp Registration is Now Open

Author: With over two decades of experience, Key Yessaad is a Dynamic Real Estate Trainer and Business Coach specializing in Activity-Based Coaching. He believes in the power of Action over Theory, focusing on “the doing” rather than just “the knowing.” Key's Programs, including the "3-Month Production and Listings Boot-Camps" and "All-Day Strategy Workshops," equip Agents and Brokers with Practical Skills like Time Blocking, Prospecting, Script Development, and Getting Listings. By instilling Accountability and Self-Discipline, Key helps Professionals translate potential into Measurable Success, ensuring they thrive in today's Competitive Real Estate Landscape.  

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