The Sunday Setup: One Decision That Solves a Thousand Problems
Why agents and brokerages stuck in decision fatigue are asking the wrong questions
The average person makes about 35,000 decisions a day. If you’re an agent or broker, you can probably double that. Have kids? Triple it.
No wonder you’re drowning in decision fatigue.
Which CRM should you use? What marketing services should you offer? Should you chase that lead even though something feels off? Should you lower your commission to compete? What training should you invest in? Which tools are worth the money, and my personal favorite - where are my AirPods?
Here’s the thing that nobody tells you: you’re asking the wrong questions.
I had a conversation this week with a director of operations at a successful brokerage. They evaluate services constantly—should they keep this tool, cut that offering, invest in something new? But here’s what struck me: they rarely agonize over these decisions. You know why?
Because they made one big decision years ago: this is the kind of brokerage we are, and these are the agents we serve.
That one top-line decision—staying on brand—makes a thousand downstream decisions simple. They’re not trying to offer every tool for every agent. They’re offering the right tools for their agents, the way those agents actually work.
Agents and brokerages have the exact same problem.
The Arms Race Nobody Wins
Most brokerages are stuck in what I call the arms race. Offering the same tools, the same trainings, the same everything as the competition. They’re trying to be all things to all agents. And the result? Decision fatigue. Agents don’t use 99% of what’s offered because it wasn’t built for how they actually operate.
Sound familiar? Because agents do the exact same thing.
When you position yourself as an interchangeable service provider, you chase every lead without asking if they actually need what you naturally provide. You adopt best practices without asking if those practices fit who you are. You compete on commission because you haven’t given anyone a reason to choose you based on fit.
This is commodification. For brokerages and for you.
But here’s the good news: there’s a way out, and it’s simpler than you think.
One Decision, A Thousand Answers
In my work with agents and brokers through Identity Ops, I’ve watched this pattern repeat: when someone finally claims their identity—when they answer “who am I and what problem am I wired to solve?”—everything else gets easier.
Not easy. Easier.
Your marketing writes itself because you know who you’re talking to. Your pricing becomes defensible because you can articulate your specific value. Your client selection becomes obvious because you know who’s the right fit and who isn’t.
One big decision—your identity—solves a thousand small decisions.
This is exactly how successful brokerages operate. They decided who they are. They decided which agents they serve. And now when a new service or tool crosses their desk, the question isn’t “is this good?” The question is: “is this right for us?”
That’s the difference.
This Week’s Action Step
Here’s how you’ll know if you’ve truly made that one top-line decision about your identity:
Pick one tool, tactic, or method you’re currently spending money on (or considering spending money on). It could be your CRM, a marketing service, a training program, a lead generation platform—anything.
Now write three sentences:
Who I am and what I solve:
How this investment supports my claim:
Why this is right for my brand:
If you can’t clearly articulate how that investment supports who you are and what you’re wired to solve? That’s a flashing hazard light. You haven’t gotten clarity on the one big decision first.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you can’t justify how a tool supports your identity, you’re probably making decisions the same way most brokerages in the arms race do—asking “does everyone else have this?” instead of “is this right for us?”
Stop spending money on things that don’t support your claim. Start investing in things that operationalize who you actually are.
One big decision. Everything else gets easier.
