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. 

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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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