What a Recent Real Estate News Headline Teaches Us About Becoming a Listing Agent
Success in Real Estate isn’t built on shortcuts or hope - it is earned through Daily Prospecting for Listings, Unwavering Discipline, and the courage to ask for business, every single day. Read more…
This recent Real Estate News Headline: “Opendoor sheds more employees following Nasdaq delisting threat” has lessons for all Real Estate Professionals. Let’s not sugarcoat it: Opendoor is facing: another 40 layoffs, nearly $2.8 billion in losses over 18 quarters, a stock price languishing at $0.60, and the looming threat of Nasdaq delisting - this isn’t just another headline - it is a blaring siren for every Real Estate Professional who still believes there is a shortcut to a sustainable career. This is the wake-up call I have been sounding in every Real Estate Training Workshop and Boot-Camp: If you do not become a Listing Agent, there is not much of a career you can create in the future.
A Little Reality Check
Opendoor, once the poster child of the iBuying so-called revolution, is now scrambling for survival. Their “targeted restructuring” is just the latest in a series of pivots, layoffs, and desperate attempts to find profitability. The company that promised to “revolutionize” real estate by buying, rehabbing, and flipping homes at scale has run headlong into a truth that every seasoned Listing Agent already knows: There are No shortcuts in Real Estate.
And here’s the kicker: Opendoor is now talking about “asset-light” revenue streams - meaning, they are looking to generate income through agent referrals. Pause and let that sink in. A company that spent billions trying to replace agents is now depending on agents for its very survival. That’s not irony; that’s the fundamental truth of our industry, laid bare for all to see.
The Fundamental Truth: Listings Create Careers
While some have spent years and fortunes searching for shortcuts or trying to automate the real estate process, the agents who are truly building sustainable careers are doing it the old-fashioned way: by Prospecting Daily, Building Relationships, and - most importantly - Securing Listings.
Here is what this story teaches us:
Technology Cannot Replace Relationships: No algorithm can replace the trust between a homeowner and their Listing Agent. No app can provide the Local Market Expertise, Negotiation Skills, and emotional support that sellers need during one of the biggest transactions of their lives.
Relying exclusively on Buyers in this climate of high mortgage rates and historically low inventory is a recipe for struggle, not survival. With affordability squeezed and fewer homes on the market, buyer opportunities are shrinking while competition intensifies.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Agents who master the art of Getting Listings consistently generate 20–30 transactions annually through a single skill set. Listings create multiple revenue streams - the listing itself, neighborhood recognition for future listings, related buyer leads, referrals, and repeat business.
Why Listings Are Your Competitive Advantage - and Require Discipline
Becoming a successful Listing Agent isn’t about hoping for leads or waiting for referrals. It requires the same discipline I teach in my Training Programs. You MUST remember: Listings are earned through UNWAVERING DEDICATION - Nobody gifts success to you.
Daily Prospecting and Face-to-Face Engagement: You must commit to no less than 2 hours of Prospecting, Follow-up, and Engagement - both on the Phone and Face-to-Face. This is Not Negotiable. Every call, every door-knock, every follow-up is a deposit into your future success.
Accountability: Track your activities, measure your results, and never negotiate against yourself. Use tools like the “Paperclip Method” to ensure you hit your minimum weekly prospecting goals. Accountability isn’t a punishment - it is your insurance policy against complacency and drift.
Scripts and Systems: Master your Listing Presentations, Objection Handling, and Follow-Up Procedures. Scripts are not cages - they are launchpads for meaningful conversations. Practice them until they become second nature, then adapt them to your authentic voice.
The Choice Is Yours: Ask yourself: Are you building a business based on gimmicks and shortcuts, or are you developing the fundamental skills that create lasting success? The agents thriving in today’s market aren’t the ones waiting for the next tech solution - they are the ones who embrace the Production Mindset, commit to Daily Discipline, and understand that Listings are the foundation of every successful Real Estate career.
--- Some Quotes and Affirmations to consider below Graphic:
The Professionals who thrive are Not Waiting for the next big thing - they are building their careers on Fundamentals: Daily Disciplined Prospecting, Accountability, and the Mastery of Getting Listings.
Reflect on these Quotes and Affirmations -- I invite you to write a few of your own -- share article link:
Quote: “Every Call, every Door Knock, every Follow-Up is a deposit into your Future. Listings are not given - they are earned through relentless action and Intentional Engagement.”
Quote: “Every “No” you hear is a step closer to your next “Yes.” Embrace the journey, stay Accountable, and let your Actions speak louder than your intentions.”
Affirmation: “I am a Listing Agent by Decision, Not by chance. Every day I Prospect, I am building a business that thrives on Discipline, Action, and Authentic Relationships.”
Affirmation: “I choose Action over excuses. My commitment to Daily Prospecting and Accountability transforms my ambition into measurable results and lasting career growth.”
Affirmation: “I am Not waiting for the market or technology to create my future. I create it through Consistent Action, Focused Prospecting, and the courage to ask for business.”
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 “6-Week Prospecting Training,” “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 achieve Measurable Success in today’s Competitive Real Estate Landscape.
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