There’s no shortage of real estate agents trying to stay busy in 2025. But staying busy and actually building momentum are two different things.
In a recent YouTube video, Byron Lazine and Ryan Serhant broke down what’s really separating the top 1% of agents from everyone else—and what most agents are still getting wrong.
If you missed it, the conversation covers everything from lead flow to asking the right questions to market mindset. The clear takeaway is that too many agents are still operating without a plan, hoping someone reaches out.
That approach isn’t just outdated. It’s costing them money, time, and credibility.
Mistake #1: Waiting for the Market to Change
Too many agents are still hoping the Fed will do their marketing for them. They’re sitting back, telling themselves that business will pick up once rates come down.
Byron called this out directly:
“What matters is what happens with hiring, and we haven’t seen that break, so we can’t expect to see the rates come down. They’re not just going to naturally come down.”
Top agents know better. Instead of waiting on interest rate shifts, they’re watching the labor market, interpreting data, and communicating what it actually means for buyers and sellers in their market.
Ryan summed it up in a phrase worth posting on your wall:
“Markets don’t dictate your income. They dictate your strategy.”
Mistake #2: Relying on Referrals Alone
There’s nothing wrong with referrals. But in 2025, they’re not enough to build a predictable business.
Byron explained:
“Every agent in the top 1% is investing in lead flow. Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re buying Zillow or Realtor.com or what have you. They are investing on generating leads. They’re not just a salesperson who’s waiting for someone in their community to be ready to act through a connection, through word of mouth.”
Top agents don’t leave growth to chance. They’re building systems, whether through paid ads, SEO, community events, or Google Local Services.
And those systems generate consistent conversations week after week.
Mistake #3: Using a Static Listing Presentation
If your listing presentation hasn’t changed since 2020, it shows.
As Byron pointed out, the agents winning right now make it a priority to both update and personalize their listing presentation strategy:
“They haven’t built a listing plan three years ago that is static, that they keep whipping out the same PDF. They are tweaking it and changing it almost on every pitch to customize and personalize the experience for that particular customer and their journey.”
Sellers can feel when something’s recycled. The best agents are adjusting their pitch regularly, even per appointment, to reflect what’s happening in the market right now.
Mistake #4: Leading with Pressure Instead of Clarity
Old-school scripts don’t land the same way anymore. Consumers today are more well-informed, and that comes with a measure of skepticism.
Ryan explained how real urgency is built: focus on the fear or problem you’re there to solve.
“If you do not buy or if you do not sell, what problem is not being solved? Are you going to be homeless? Still living with your ex-wife? Missing out on the equity appreciation you have?”
Urgency isn’t about pushing people to act. It’s about helping them uncover what’s really holding them back and walking with them toward a solution.
That should come with a healthy dose of curiosity. In Byron’s words:
“The conversations have to be led with questions… When you frame it with a lot of questions that start with ‘What,’ we can go deeper into where their hesitancy is. Because it doesn’t take longer than a five-minute conversation for them to come to the realization that they’ll be dealing in a higher demand environment if they wait with everybody else.”
That same drive to understand your clients and their motivations better should also inform your content strategy.
Find out what they need from you, and focus on delivering that via all six communication channels.
What the Best Agents Are Doing Instead
They’re not doing one big thing differently. They’re doing everything a little better:
- Investing in lead flow they can control
- Adapting their messaging to today’s consumer mindset
- Leading with education and smart questions
- Treating every client interaction as an opportunity to build trust—not just close
They’re not waiting. They’re working strategically, consistently, and with purpose.
Final Thought
The agents winning in 2025 aren’t sitting on the sidelines. They’re taking action, backed by data, driven by clarity, and focused on service.
Don’t get left behind.
Join us at our free virtual summer event, BAM BBQ, where Ryan Serhant will be one of three speakers breaking down what’s working for the agents who are crushing it in 2025. And if you’ve ever attended a BAM event, you know this one will deliver more value (and entertainment) per minute than should be legally allowed.
