Managing Market Shifts Like a Pro

Hey there market makers! Back-to-school traffic is in full swing, the NFL preseason is well underway, and everyone seems to be squeezing in one last lake day. Perfect time to tighten strategy while others coast.

Today we’ll tune your budget for choppy markets, expand your referral bench with partners who actually send deals, and do a quick gut-check on complacency so “good enough” does not sneak into your playbook.

We’ll also keep pressing on The Compound Effect, because tiny upgrades made now turn into a stronger Q4, even if August feels sleepy.

Grab a cold brew, open your dashboard, and let’s make mid-August the moment you shift from reacting to anticipating.

— Steve

ACCOUNTANT ANGLE

 Adjusting Budgets in Volatile Markets

Volatility is not a verdict. It’s a signal to plan in layers.

Start with a tiered budget: Core, Growth, and Pause. Core covers non-negotiables like MLS, E&O, and your CRM. Growth funds ads, video editing, and open-house extras. Pause is everything nice-to-have that you can cut for 30 days without hurting client experience.

Next, switch to zero-based thinking for one month: every expense must re-earn its place. Build a 13-week rolling cash forecast that updates each Friday with new pipeline intel. If showings slow, automatically trim Growth by 10 percent and move that cash to a micro reserve. When new contracts hit, release funds in 2-week increments instead of all at once.

Finally, lock a weekly 15-minute “budget huddle” on your calendar.

Rapid, small adjustments beat late, dramatic ones and keep your mind calm when headlines are noisy.

BUSINESS BOOSTER

Expanding Your Referral Network

Your next listing probably sits one introduction away.

Build a focused partner circle that meets a client before you do. Start with adjacent pros who hear life changes first: estate planners, divorce attorneys, financial advisors, HR relocation leads, property managers, senior-move specialists, organizers, and insurance agents.

Offer a simple exchange. You host a “Move-Smart” workshop with two partners, they invite their lists, you give a short market update and a home-prep checklist, and everyone leaves with a co-branded guide.

Create a partner page on your site that spotlights each pro with a one-line value statement and a scheduling link.

Track referrals like deals: log source, speed to response, and conversion. Send quarterly thank-you stats so partners see the impact of their introductions.

Cap the circle at a manageable number and communicate consistently. A small, trusted network that shares wins will outperform a giant, silent directory every time.

COACHES CORNER

Avoiding Complacency: Always Be Growing

Complacency does not arrive as laziness. It starts as comfort.

Run a quick audit using three questions. Where am I coasting, where am I experimenting, and where am I avoiding stretch? Pick one “plus one” upgrade in each lane.

For skills, add one weekly rep: a pricing workshop, role-play, or script rewrite. For service, add one tiny delight: a same-day recap text after appointments or a one-page prep sheet for inspection day. For sales, raise the bar by a hair: two more prospect touches per day or a faster first-response target.

Set 14-day checkpoints and look for evidence, not feelings. If results do not nudge, adjust the input, not the ambition.

Growth is rarely dramatic. It’s usually a quiet series of small, boring improvements that compound into a reputation clients talk about.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

“The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy

Plateaus feel like failure, but they are often proof your current inputs have reached their ceiling.

Darren Hardy’s fix is small, sustainable tweaks. Try the “two percent rule.” Reduce one friction point by two percent each week. Maybe you shorten your listing prep checklist, pre-write three pricing emails, or create a 30-second intro video that saves a minute on every call.

Pair that with a habit ladder. If daily prospecting at 30 minutes keeps breaking, start at 10 minutes but never miss. After two weeks, bump to 15. After four weeks, bump again.

Track only the streak and the micro upgrade, then let the math work. You will not feel much in week one. By week six the curve bends. By week twelve you will swear you got lucky. You did not. You compounded.

☝️ Go ahead and click the image to order the book from Amazon ☝️ 

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Three out of Four Metro Areas Posted Home Price Increases in Second Quarter of 2025 — National Association of Realtors

Why You Should Read: Strength in many markets shapes pricing guidance and seller expectations.

New-home Purchase Mortgage Demand Kept Growing in July — HousingWire

Why You Should Read: Builder momentum affects inventory mix and buyer options.

Investor Sentiment Rebounds From Two-Year Low — Real Estate News

Why You Should Read: Returning investors can influence competition and cash offers.

TO-DO LIST

Your Next Move — Turn Insights into Action

✅ Build a tiered budget and label one expense to Pause for 30 days.

✅ Invite two adjacent pros to co-host a 30-minute “Move-Smart” webinar next week.

✅ Add one tiny delight to your client experience and test it on your next appointment.

✅ Start a two percent improvement target and log the first tweak today.

✅ Share one article above with your clients along with a local take.