Real Estate Agents Are Devaluing Their Representation.. Here’s How to Fix It w/ Susan Nicolson
Release Date: 05/08/2025
How to Succeed If the Market Doesn’t Get Better
The 13% Podcast
For the last few years, this industry has been hoping for things to “go back to normal.” We’ve been waiting for rates to drop, inventory to come back, and transactions to pick up. Agents want this business to feel the way it used to. And now that it’s a new year, a lot of that hope has reset again. People believe that this will be the year things finally turn around. But what if what’s happening isn’t just a bad stretch? What if uncertainty really is the new normal? How do we stop asking if the market will get better and start focusing on succeeding if things stay...
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The New Real Estate Opportunity Most People Aren’t Talking About w/ Jack Miller
The 13% Podcast
Most of us spent 2025 focused on what got harder in real estate. But while everyone was focused on survival, a massive new opportunity was coming into focus. Technology has evolved and stacked to remove the limits that agents, teams, and brokerages have faced for decades. AI and new platforms now allow us to do things that used to be really hard, flat-out impossible, or took years to pull off. In 2026, new capabilities will reshape market share for agents who are willing to adapt, test, and move early. Scaling our businesses (even across states) is more affordable. We can use team...
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Why Great Marketers Are Beating Great Agents Right Now w/ Jimmy Mackin
The 13% Podcast
Do you believe that winning in real estate is about working the hardest or being in the business the longest? Well, today’s market is proving otherwise. An okay agent who’s great at marketing will beat a great agent who’s bad at marketing. Their message travels farther, faster, and lands with more people, and that creates leads, appointments, and closings. Effort isn’t the differentiator anymore; consistent visibility is. We’re in an era where speed-to-decision matters more than perfect strategy. Many of us obsess over “what if,” waiting for 90% certainty before we make a...
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The Social Media Metrics That Actually Matter in Real Estate w/ Tessabella Jelten
The 13% Podcast
Social media is one of the most powerful tools in our business… and also one of the most confusing. We’re constantly told to post more, stay consistent, and put ourselves out there, But most of us are still trying to figure out what actually works, and what actually turns content into conversations, and conversations into clients. The truth is, so many of us are doing social media the hard way. We obsess over how polished our posts look, whether we said the perfect thing, or whether we’re “on trend,” but almost none of that is what actually moves the needle for us. We get...
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How to Turn Your Conversations into Higher Conversions w/ Justin Benson
The 13% Podcast
Conversations are the heartbeat of our business… and also the biggest blind spot we have. We live and die by the quality of what our people say on the phone, in a consult, or across a kitchen table, yet it’s the one part of the job we almost never see. We can track dials, leads, pipeline, and appointments all day long, but the real work, the tone, the timing, the questions, the confidence happens in a space we’ve never had true visibility into. And we feel the pain of that every time an agent swears their listing appointment went “great,” only to walk out without the...
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Why Real Estate Agents Become Extinct (and How to Stay Relevant) w/ Wendy Shaw
The 13% Podcast
In this current market, every real estate agent’s deepest fear isn’t losing their next commission; it's extinction, being replaced, or getting forced out of the industry. Whether it’s because of lawsuits, AI, or market shifts, can our businesses survive when the playbook that worked for years suddenly feels outdated? What no one tells you is that this isn’t just a new-agent problem. Even seasoned agents with decades in the business go through the same gut-punch moment when they wake up and realize: “I don’t know how to win in this market anymore.” One day you’re the...
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Reducing Risk, Raising Professionalism: How NAR Is Strengthening Real Estate w/ Kevin Sears
The 13% Podcast
Every real estate agent today is living through a moment that will shape the next few decades of the industry. Commissions have been challenged in courtrooms. Lawsuits have changed how buyers and sellers think about representation. Across the board, both agents and associations are being pushed to evolve fast. But this isn’t the first time real estate has faced disruption, and it definitely won’t be the last. NAR has always been at the center of that evolution. Balancing policy, professionalism, and public trust, and adapting to every new challenge the market brings. The...
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The Legal Landmines Agents Step on Every Day (And How to Avoid Them) w/ Mandy Neat
The 13% Podcast
In real estate, there are everyday habits that feel routine, even harmless, but behind the scenes, many of them cross legal lines most agents don’t even know exist. It’s handshake agreements instead of written ones. It’s a “my client said so” text instead of a signed instruction. It’s forgetting that being someone’s friend isn’t the same as being their fiduciary. Most agents don’t realize that our “normal” often contradicts the very statutes that govern our licenses. And when a market correction, a class action, or a client complaint hits, ignorance won’t protect...
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Stop Chasing More: The Truth About Scaling a Real Estate Business w/ Alan Kushmakov
The 13% Podcast
In real estate, everyone talks about scale like it’s just a matter of adding agents or buying more leads. But the truth is, most leaders never really scale. They just build a bigger version of their own job. They’re still carrying all the weight, doing all the production, and wondering why their team is failing to thrive. The deeper problem is that most leaders confuse activity with growth. They chase five strategies at once, dabble in new lead sources, and hire quickly without clarity. What they end up with is a revolving door of agents, wasted money, and no leverage. ...
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The Emotional Side of Real Estate and Why Only 13% Survive w/ Dana Malstaff
The 13% Podcast
In real estate, everyone talks about the wins: the closings, the volume, the big paydays. But just as much a part of this business are the challenges. The clients who reject you, the seasons where business is slow, or the moments when life gets in the way, whether it’s parenting, loss, or personal struggle. And that’s the real difference between the 87% who quit and the 13% who last. The 13% treat those challenges differently. They don’t hide from them; they’re transparent about them. That honesty not only makes them more authentic. It also attracts clients who resonate...
info_outlineAt 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 consistent effort, hard work, and a focus on providing exceptional representation, even when the market is uncertain or challenging.
When things are going well, it’s easy to get comfortable. Complacency can creep in, and agents may start to forget the fundamentals that made them successful in the first place.
But markets rise and fall. And when the inevitable downturns come, those who haven’t kept up their standards or value proposition will feel the impact.
The top 13% of agents know that the market will always shift. They don’t bury their heads in the sand when things change.
Instead, they stay alert, adapt, and look for opportunities to pivot.
So, how can agents avoid devaluing their work? How can we continue to uphold the high standards our clients deserve?
In this episode, we’re joined by Susan Nicolson, Commissioner of the Arizona Department of Real Estate.
She shares insights on the habits that top-performing agents maintain, how to stay adaptable during challenging times, and the work she’s doing to keep the real estate industry strong and credible.
Guest Bio
Susan Nicolson is the Commissioner of The Arizona Department of Real Estate. In February 2023, after 28 years working in the real estate industry, serving clients and growing her businesses, Susan inactivated her real estate license, closed up shop at her real estate school, and transferred ownership of my brokerage to a longtime friend and colleague. She became deeply involved in the industry, serving the local, state and national associations of REALTORSⓇ in various leadership roles. Connect with Susan on LinkedIn.
About Your Hosts
Lance Billingsley is a seasoned real estate professional with over a decade of experience in agent development and business coaching. Since January 2021, he has served as the Vice President of Agent Development at Navi Title Agency, where he leverages his extensive industry knowledge to mentor and support real estate agents. Before his tenure at Navi Title, Lance co-owned a top-performing real estate team at Realty ONE Group, achieving recognition as one of the company's top five teams. He also served as a business coach for Tom Ferry.
Dave Richards is a well-respected business coach working with CEOs, entrepreneurs, mortgage and real estate professionals, and others. With over 25+ years of executive leadership experience, he coaches and consults with the top professionals and organizations in their respective industries. Capitalizing on his certifications in Human Behavior, he specializes in building and optimizing high-performance teams and tackling difficult decisions that hold his clients back. He easily connects with entrepreneurs to help identify and communicate their vision, define their culture, and increase their profits and growth in today’s dynamic marketplace.
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