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Even in challenging markets, somebody is having their best year ever. So what are they doing? Trey Willard and the W Group Real Estate Team have used systems and mindset strategies to build momentum while others are struggling. With over 100 homes closed and nearly 200 under contract, Willard’s systems and mindset are a masterclass in service and execution.
“We’re in the action economy now,” Willard told me during our recent conversation. “Information’s everywhere, but what matters most is who’s taking action on it.”
Here’s how Willard and his team are winning in today’s market and how you can apply the same frameworks in your business.
What is the action economy?
Willard defines today’s market as one where ideas are cheap, and execution is everything.
“Agents are paralyzed by too much information. AI gives you the answers. But if you don’t do something with it, it’s just noise,” he said.
Instead of trying to outthink the market, Willard and the W Group lean into disciplined action, focusing on conversations, appointments and follow-through. He focuses on simplicity over complexity. He said one key idea he tries to stay focused on consistently is: “Simplicity scales. Complexity kills.”
Conversations still close deals
Willard’s team doesn’t chase vanity metrics. Instead, he and his team focus on five key performance indicators (KPIs). They include:
- Appointments set
- Appointments met
- Buyers or sellers signed
- Homes under contract
- Closings
He doesn’t even track conversations directly because, as he said, “If you’re meeting with people, the conversations are already happening. You can’t get to a closing without a conversation. So that’s where everything starts.” Whether you’re a solo agent or team leader, the principle holds: Track what matters, and reverse-engineer your activity to hit your goal.
Daily discipline builds momentum
Willard credits much of his consistency to mindset work. He believes how you start your day sets the tone for how your day will go. He stated he’s developed his own version of Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning.
His daily routine includes:
- Quiet time and devotionals
- Affirmations and visualizations
- Reading and reflection
- A momentum-building call to a friend or past client
That first easy win through a call to a friend or past client creates a rhythm that he rides into more difficult calls. This is a technique he encourages his agents to follow.
Creating a culture of accountability
Each Monday, Willard’s team gathers around their scoreboard, which is a live dashboard of set and met appointments, contracts and closed units. It’s all grounded in the principles from the book The 4 Disciplines of Execution:
- Set a wildly important goal: This is your main focus.
- Act on the lead measures: What are the activities that, if consistently carried out, lead to success?
- Maintain a visible scoreboard: Keep a running total on your KPIs to know where you stand in relation to your goals.
- Build a cadence of accountability: Regular meetings or overviews with a coach, team leader or accountability partner to help maintain momentum.
And that last one is where many team leaders fall short, according to Willard. “If there’s no cadence, it’s easy for agents to fall behind. And once they fall too far behind, they check out.”
In addition to Monday meetings, his team runs Tuesday roleplay sessions, Thursday new agent accountability calls, Friday expansion check-ins and quarterly one-on-one reviews. This helps his team maintain a level of accountability few others match, which leads to the success they are having.
The 2-a-week formula for 40+ closings
One of Willard’s simplest yet most effective productivity hacks is to just meet with two people about real estate each week. He calls it “Do the Two.” And if agents follow that formula for 48 weeks, he noted, the numbers start to stack. This is how he sees the numbers playing out over the year:
- 96 appointments per year
- 60 percent to 70 percent of those sign
- 70 percent to 80 percent of those close
Even with fall-throughs factored in, that still lands most agents in the 40-plus deal range if they just stick to the process.
Staying in production for the right reasons
While many team leaders pull back from production, Willard remains active and intentional about it. It keeps him sharp while modeling the consistency for the team, and it builds profitability. His team is involved in the Zillow Flex program, and he explained that for most Zillow Flex deals, his team nets just 30 percent to 35 percent of GCI. But when he closes a sphere-based deal himself? Nearly 100 percent flows through to the business.
The modified 36-touch system that gets results
Willard follows a version of the 36-touch model taught by Keller Williams, but he keeps it simple and human. He utilizes social media to supplement the purposeful touches he makes.
These include four quarterly mailers (home value offers, team wins, Saints/LSU magnets, holiday cards) and four personal touches (birthday videos, equity check-ins, client events, quick “thinking of you” calls). He consistently connects with his database on social media and shares social proof of how they are helping their clients achieve their goals.
The team also hosts client appreciation events. These include multiple invite touchpoints, which lead to top-of-mind reminders whether they attend the events or not.
With every touch made, he wants to lead with value, not the typical checking-in calls many agents make. “If every time I call you, I’m giving something, not asking for something, my call will always be welcome.”
His keys to success: Take action. Track it. Repeat
Willard and the W Group are a model of how consistency and accountability lead to success. Whether you’re a new agent or a seasoned agent looking to build momentum, following his model will work for you.
Willard closed out my conversation with him with four simple instructions for agents and team leaders:
- Pick three lead sources and go all in.
- Track your appointments and conversations.
- Stay accountable to your goals.
- And most importantly, just show up.
Trey Willard and the W Group Real Estate Team serve Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana, markets. Connect with Trey on Instagram.
