If I had to generate 10 listings over the next four months, starting without a CRM, a database or an existing pipeline, what would I do?
I wouldn’t spend the next month designing a new logo. I wouldn’t rebuild my website. I wouldn’t obsess over how many likes my latest Instagram post received. I’d focus almost exclusively on activities that put me in conversations with homeowners, demonstrate my value and position me as the obvious real estate resource for a specific market.
7 steps for getting 10 listings
Here’s the plan I’d follow.
1. Send one unsolicited video CMA every day
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve probably heard me talk about unsolicited video CMAs. There’s a reason I keep talking about them. They work.
I’d begin by making a list of every homeowner I know, prioritizing anyone who has mentioned selling in the coming months or even the next couple of years. Then, every single day, I’d send one of them a personalized video update on the value of their home.
I’d keep it simple. I’d pull up their home on Google Earth, review the active, pending and recently sold comparable properties, and then show them an estimated seller net sheet. I’d talk through everything as if I were sitting across the kitchen table from them.
The key is that I wouldn’t ask them to list their house. I’d provide value. At the end, I’d simply tell them that I haven’t been inside their home recently, so I’m giving them a range. If they’re curious about exactly what their home would sell for, I’d be happy to stop by, and within five minutes I can tell them what their home would sell for.
When I was actively selling, I generated more than $11 million in listings during a 90-day period using this strategy. I’ve continued coaching agents across the country to use it because we’re consistently seeing these videos turn into conversations and listing opportunities.
One video CMA per day. That’s it. But do it every day.
For a full explanation on how to create these unsolicited video CMAs, check out this article.
2. Become the dominant agent in one neighborhood
If I were starting from scratch, I wouldn’t try to become the expert for an entire city. I’d pick one neighborhood and learn more about it than anyone else. I’d preview the active listings. I’d know what’s pending. I’d study everything that has sold. I’d learn the builders, floor plans, amenities, history and what differentiates the neighborhood from surrounding communities.
Then I’d become physically active there. I’d ask listing agents if I could hold their listings open. I’d ask permission to shoot walkthrough videos of their homes while clearly crediting them as the listing agent. I’d send homeowners useful direct mail pieces with neighborhood sales information and market updates.
I’d also create content around that neighborhood relentlessly. What’s selling? What does it cost to live there? What are the amenities? How does it compare with the neighborhood down the street?
We are entering an environment where being extremely specific can help both consumers and AI understand what you’re an expert in. Don’t just tell people you’re the neighborhood expert. Create enough evidence that there’s no question about it.
3. Answer the questions buyers and sellers are already asking
Next, I’d commit to publishing a video and/or blog post every day. Before you decide that sounds overwhelming, understand what I’m suggesting. I’m not talking about creating a Hollywood production every day. I’m talking about answering questions.
I’d use tools like AnswerThePublic and AI to identify the questions consumers are asking about my market. What should someone know before moving to my city? Which neighborhoods should they consider? What does $500,000 buy versus $700,000? What’s the cost of living compared with one of our feeder markets? What should homeowners know before selling?
Then I’d answer those questions through videos, LinkedIn articles, blog posts and social media. The goal isn’t simply views. The goal is to build a body of evidence that tells consumers, search engines and AI platforms that you are a person who knows this market.
4. Talk to at least 5 homeowners every day
There are dozens of things in real estate we can’t control. We can’t control interest rates. We can’t control inventory. We can’t control whether someone decides to sell this month or six months from now. But we can control conversations.
That’s why I’d make five real estate-related conversations with homeowners, at a minimum, a non-negotiable daily activity.
Those conversations could come from calling around an open house, following up with someone in my sphere, discussing a new listing in their neighborhood or simply checking in with a past client.
Five a day doesn’t sound dramatic. But five conversations a day, five days a week, for four months is roughly 400 conversations. You don’t need all 400 to sell. You just need 10.
5. Become the most helpful person in local online groups
I’d also spend a small amount of time each day in Facebook groups and other online communities focused on people moving to my area. But I wouldn’t jump on every post asking for an agent recommendation along with 50 other real estate agents. I’d look for questions I could answer.
Someone asks about neighborhoods? Help them. Someone asks about amenities? Help them. Someone who wants to understand the differences between two areas? Respond with a thoughtful, personalized answer. Don’t sell. Serve.
If your profile makes it clear you’re a local real estate professional, people will figure out what you do. Your job is to demonstrate how you do it. Generosity creates curiosity.
6. Use AI as your daily real estate coach
I’d spend 20 minutes every morning having a conversation with AI about my business. I’d give it context about my market and my goal. I’d ask what local topics I should discuss, what content I should create, what events might create conversations and what strategies could help me become better known among homeowners. Then I’d take action.
The next day, I’d come back and tell it what I did and what happened. What worked? What didn’t? What should I adjust today? This is where AI becomes much more valuable than simply asking it to write a social media caption. Used correctly, it can become a daily brainstorming partner and coach that helps you continually refine your activities.
7. Ask for referrals by giving first
Finally, I’d be intentional about asking for referrals, but probably not in the way most agents think. I’d start by asking people how I could help them. Do they own a business I can review online? Are they supporting a charity? Is their child raising money for something? Is there someone I could introduce them to? Lead with generosity.
Something interesting usually happens when you ask people how you can help them. They eventually ask how they can help you. That’s when I’d say something like, “The biggest thing you could do is simply keep me in mind if you hear about someone considering a move. A text introduction would mean the world to me.”
The law of reciprocity is real. Focus on helping other people, and you’ll be amazed how many people want to help you.
What I would stop doing
This part might be as important as everything I’ve already mentioned. I’d stop worrying about my logo. I’d stop trying to make every video perfect. I’d stop shooting the same video five times. I’d stop allowing likes and views to determine whether my marketing was working. And I’d stop confusing activity with productivity.
If 50 people see a piece of content and five of them are homeowners in the exact neighborhood I want to dominate, that content might be significantly more valuable than something that gets 10,000 views from people who will never do business with me. Focus on what matters.
My daily listing plan
Ultimately, strategies only matter when they become activities. If I had to generate 10 listings in four months, my daily scoreboard would be simple:
- Five real estate-related conversations with homeowners
- Two personal video texts to people in my sphere
- One social media video or carousel
- Two social media stories
- A 20-minute strategy session with AI
- One unsolicited video CMA. Every day.
Then each week, I’d add two open houses and one long-form YouTube video answering a specific question buyers or sellers are asking about my market. None of those activities by themselves will transform your business. The consistency will.
The bottom line
We spend a lot of time worrying about results we can’t control. I’d rather build my business around activities I can control. I can control whether I make five calls. I can control whether I send the video CMA. I can control whether I publish useful content. I can control whether I hold the open house. And I can control whether I do it again tomorrow.
If you execute this plan for the next 120 days, you’re not simply trying to find 10 listings. You’re building something much more valuable: a pipeline, a reputation and momentum. And once momentum starts working in your favor, 10 listings will just be the beginning.
