Markets are cyclical. What they never are is easy.
Over 20 years in real estate, I’ve heard agents say, “I can’t wait for a seller’s market” or “I can’t wait for a buyer’s market.” Both miss the point. A market is always two sides competing for the best outcome.
The agents who thrive understand how to create value regardless of which side has leverage.
Market knowledge is your advantage
Coming from the securities markets, where access to inside information is highly regulated, I’ve always viewed one of a real estate advisor’s greatest advantages as firsthand market intelligence.
When you’re constantly negotiating offers and speaking with buyers and sellers, you know things public portals can’t tell you. Right now, I know of sellers — not my clients — who would accept more than $500,000 below their asking prices. That information comes from being active in the market, not studying it from a screen.
Protip: If you’re negotiating significantly below list price, consider a price reduction. It can motivate the existing buyer while signaling opportunity to the broader market. I’ve seen the buyer who prompted the reduction ultimately lose the property when someone else stepped in at a higher price.
Keep moving
Our number one rule is simple: keep moving. In slower markets, staying close to properties and people is how you build an informational advantage.
Set a weekly minimum for showings, open houses and client meetings. Spend time inside active listings. Talk to buyers, sellers and other agents. You will learn things about buyer energy, pricing and sentiment that you’ll never get from listing photos or market statistics.
Protip: Don’t sit in the office. Sit in an active listing. Take a client to breakfast. Stay in communication with real people — and have a short, confident answer ready when someone asks, “How’s the market?”
Put in the work when others pull back
Slow markets create opportunity precisely because other people tend to retreat. The work you do during difficult periods is what positions you to gain market share when activity returns.
Use the downtime to sharpen your listing presentation, improve your CMA, determine how you’ll fund marketing and aggressively pursue listings. There are buyers in every market; the job is to price honestly and create transactions.
Protip: When competitors pull back, lean in. The market will turn again, and the groundwork you lay now determines whether you’re positioned to benefit when it does.
Be an advisor, not just an agent
In any market, clients are trying to make the best possible decision about one of their largest assets. They don’t need another person repeating what they can find online. They need context.
That’s why we publish resources like our 2026 Mid-Year Market Report. It turns daily conversations, negotiations and market intelligence into useful guidance for clients and agents.
But knowing the market isn’t enough. You have to be willing to communicate what you know — even when that means having a difficult conversation about pricing or expectations.
Protip: Clients want an informed, honest opinion. Sharing your perspective clearly and consistently is what transforms market knowledge into trust.
Play the long game
Patience in luxury real estate isn’t passive; it’s strategic. Relationships compound.
In a market like Steamboat Springs, buyers and sellers often move in overlapping circles, and your reputation travels faster than your marketing. A showing that doesn’t convert, an offer that falls apart or an uncomfortable pricing conversation can still build a relationship that generates business years later.
Protip: Focus less on the individual transaction and more on the relationship surrounding it. Check in after closing. Remember the details. Show up when there’s nothing immediately in it for you. The goal isn’t simply to close a deal — it’s to become the advisor your clients wouldn’t consider replacing.
