Re-Up or Opt-Out: How To Decide If You Should Stay in Real Estate w/ Kimberly Ryan
Release Date: 01/02/2025
The 13% Podcast
New or experienced, top producer or middle-of-the-road agent, it’s been a complex and challenging time to be in real estate. But in any market, some agents seem to have an unfair advantage. How do they keep growing when everyone else is stagnant or even contracting? The secret isn’t rocket science. These agents just outwork everyone else - they over-index on the activities that lead to results. Because in any sales business, it’s all about the volume of relationships you have, the sincerity of those relationships, and the intensity of your efforts. Here’s the truth: when...
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What does it take to become a 13% real estate agent? One who can outlast market shifts, interest rate hikes, inventory dips, and legal changes, without burning out or giving up. Over the past year, we’ve posed this question to top agents, brokers, coaches, and industry leaders. Their answers have revealed a clear truth: Success in real estate isn’t about surviving one transaction at a time. It’s about building a business that’s resilient, referral-driven, and rooted in long-term value. This week on The 13%, we’re celebrating one full year of these game-changing conversations by...
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Phoenix is officially in a buyer’s market, and for the first time in over a decade, agents are feeling uneasy. Gone are the days of multiple offers and sellers in control. Today, buyers have more power, more options, and more room to negotiate. For agents who built their business in a seller’s market, this new reality can feel like uncharted territory. Showings are down. Homes are sitting. Clients are asking tougher questions. And just when you need clarity the most, you're hit with a wave of stats that feel like they’re meant to scare you. But stats don’t have to be scary. In...
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With all the recent shakeups in real estate, some are saying the MLS is on its way out. Heated debates around Clear Cooperation and growing interest in listing segmentation, have left agents wondering if the future of the MLS is up in the air. Is it just a relic of the past? Is it still useful to agents or consumers? The MLS isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s about to become more powerful than ever before. It’s not just a database of listings. It’s a massive data engine that tells the real story of a market. It’s the perfect foundation for layering on...
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At a time when the value we provide is in question, the last thing an agent can do is devalue the representation we offer. Unfortunately, many agents unknowingly undermine their own value by falling into habits that erode the trust and professionalism clients expect. Whether it’s getting complacent in a hot market, neglecting client communication, or cutting corners to close deals quickly, these actions send the wrong message about the quality of service we provide. The reality is that a successful real estate business doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of...
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Many real estate agents have finally started dipping their toes into AI. But if you’re only using it to write listing descriptions and emails to clients, you’re just scratching the surface. That’s so 2023! From role-playing scripts and dialogues to crafting the perfect presentations, there are countless ways we could be leveraging ChatGPT to enhance our skills. We can even use AI for personal development by tapping into its ability to learn from our behavior and preferences! AI might feel overwhelming or like it’s just another shiny object distracting us from our...
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Between legal battles, market slowdowns, tech disruptions, industry shakeups, and shifts in public perception, real estate agents are facing one of the most uncertain times in real estate history. Many are asking the same questions: What’s really changing? Will I still be relevant in 5 years? How can I protect my business and elevate the profession? And where does the association fit into all of this? In this special bonus episode, recorded live at the Arizona Association of REALTORS Leadership Conference, 4 powerhouse voices from across our state (and beyond) shared raw, timely, and...
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In real estate, everyone’s chasing high volume—more deals, more leads, more dollars. But the harder we push for it, the more it seems to slip through our fingers. Funny enough, the top 13%? They’re not obsessed with the numbers—and that actually works in their favor. Here’s the truth: When we get too wrapped up in transaction counts and dollar signs, we lose sight of what really matters. That kind of pressure doesn’t just hurt our performance—it burns us out. The more emotionally tied we are to every deal, the more chaotic things get. Success comes from stepping back. It’s...
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The troubling statistic that 75% of new agents are out of the business in 12 months doesn’t end there. By year 5, half of that remaining 75% is also gone. Why do so many agents (even talented, hardworking ones) fail to have staying power in this industry? The goal of this industry shouldn’t just be to hold onto the people who survive. We should also aim to increase their number so that perhaps the 13% can be the 20% and even higher. The biggest biggest reason many agents fail to stay in this business isn’t a lack of leads or even a lack of leadership. It comes down to the...
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Ever since the NAR settlement, real estate agents have been worried about the consumer paying them less. What they don’t realize is: most consumers think great agents don’t get paid enough. Buyers and sellers are hungry for exceptional customer service, and they’ll happily throw more dollars to an agent who provides it. If you want to win the consumer over and grow your business, you have to take a consumer-centric approach in all you do. It starts with building a foundation of trust, putting out the right content, and creating the most frictionless buying/selling...
info_outlineThe end of the year is upon us, and for many real estate agents, that means one thing: it’s time to renew your license. But if 2024 was a tough year for you—if you barely closed any deals—you might be wondering, is it even worth it to stay in real estate?
Should you push through another year, hoping for a turnaround, or is it time to hang up your license and explore something else? If you’re on the fence about your future, now is the perfect moment to step back and reflect.
The truth is, real estate is always evolving, and it’s never without its challenges. But here’s something to consider: agents who have thrived long-term didn’t succeed because it was easy. They made the choice to adapt and pivot when the market got tough.
So, how do you reignite your passion when the industry feels more challenging than ever? What can you do to equip yourself for the inevitable ups and downs? In this episode, we’re joined by real estate broker, strategic business coach, and Real Broker’s growth leader, Kimberly Ryan. We’ll explore what it really takes to stay in the game, even when things get tough.
Guest Bio
Kimberly Ryan is a real estate broker, strategic business coach, and the growth leader at Real Broker.
Follow @kimberlyryan.joinreal on Instagram.
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