The Mirror Principle: Renovating Real Estate Through Intentional Design
How Agents Mirror What They're Taught and Why Intentional Design Matters
As I see it, agents and brokers are operating in one of three ways: working by default, in deliberation, or by design. Most are operating by default - a critical mistake that limits both personal fulfillment and professional success.
The Three Paths of Business Building
Suzy Welch's framework for life can be applied to our industry and how real estate professionals approach their careers:
By Default: Following industry conventions without questioning them. Running your business a certain way just because it’s always been done that way.
In Deliberation: Constantly analyzing options but rarely making decisive moves.
By Design: Intentionally creating a business that reflects your authentic self and serves clients in ways aligned with your values.
What Shapes Your Real Estate Voice
Then there’s the Five Voices framework we can also apply:
Nature: Your innate talents and personality traits that influence how you naturally connect with clients.
Nurture: The training you've received and the environments that have shaped your understanding of the business.
Choice: The accumulated decisions that have led you to your current approach – conscious or not.
Three Business Models in Real Estate
Combining/reshaping these frameworks for our industry led me to categorize our business in three ways.
Transactional: Brokers and agents focused solely on the numbers (things like response times, volume, or transaction count). How far, how fast, how many make up most days. Consider this the “default” model most are shown.
Systemic: “Built for you” relational processes that optimize for consistency but lack the real personal connection behind the “relational” approach. Can leave agents feeling isolated and conflicted about what their relationships are really about. Consider this the “deliberation” method that tries to straddle both worlds.
Identity-Based: Centered on who you are, leveraging your authentic self to attract ideal clients. Agents are aligned and confident, but this model takes time and truth (authenticity). Consider this designer-level haute couture.
The Call to Intentional Design
Broker/owners and agents must recognize where they are today and make conscious choices about the businesses they're building.
The industry doesn't need more default operators.
Our industry needs intentional professionals (my humble opinion).
It’s how we truly renovate the industry.
There’s a place for everyone. Each model, built by design with clear expectations and deliverables. I look across the industry and see brands that are already known to be one of these models. Their agents? They’re a mirror. A reflection of what we’ve taught one another.
Which one are you today?
Which one would you like to be tomorrow?
What kind of industry do you want to participate in?
It’s up to us.
