The Sunday Setup: Which Model Did You Actually Run? (Most Haven't Answered)

The one question that turns complacent agents to confident ones in 2026

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

You’ve heard the models. You know compliance isn’t enough. You’ve listened to the podcast. You’ve nodded along.

But here’s the question to answer as recruiting season heats up and 2026 stares you down:

What happened over the last twelve months? What’s true today? Which model did you actually operate in this year?

Not the one talked about around the office.

When the pressure was palpable.

When money was on the line.

When the client/agent asked why they should choose you.

Which model did your behavior align with?

What did you do?

Most agents haven’t answered that question. Most brokers haven’t either. Seldom do we slow down long enough to reflect and take a 30,000-foot view of what happened and why, much less articulate it.

And that gap—between what we say we do and what we actually do—is where businesses stall, culture erodes, and the best talent walks out the door.

The Work: Getting Honest

This isn’t about judgment. It’s about clarity.

If you operated transactionally this year—great. Own it. There’s nothing wrong with high-volume, high-immediacy work if that’s the life you’re optimizing for. But if you’re telling yourself you’re building a brand while chasing Zillow leads and wondering why you feel exhausted and interchangeable? That’s a problem.

If you leaned into systemic work—reach, frequency, consistency—and it’s serving you? Keep going. But if you’re following someone else’s playbook and still can’t articulate what makes you different when asked? That’s a signal - and as your competition has answers, and you don’t, that will be more than a signal - it’ll keep you from getting hired.

And if you’ve been building an identity-based brand—low immediacy, high trust—the clarity and confidence shift happens fast. But the strength is the ROI (return on investment). That builds like your most trusted friendships: not in a single conversation, but through consistent presence that compounds into unshakeable trust. The question isn’t whether you’re frustrated—it’s whether you’re committed to letting it compound.

The IBRE Connection

This is where The Law of Business Evolution shows up in real time:

“Owners (agents) are responsible for growing and evolving their own brand. Generic sales tactics and ‘copy-and-paste’ cultures create sameness. True success requires evolving beyond standard selling systems, so keep growing.”

And The Law of Guide Evolution:

“Transform from selling to solving, from chasing to attracting, from hero to guide. This evolution requires you to identify your specific problem-solving abilities and the courage to claim them publicly.”

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Your competitive edge takes innovation, and innovation doesn’t come from comfort. It comes from that wobbly uncertainty of trying something new. If you’re not actively changing something right now—your training, your positioning, your boundaries, your operations—you’re already behind.

And if you’re a broker reading this? Be prepared for agents to ask harder questions during recruiting or year-end meetings. “What do you offer that’s different?” isn’t answered with “a good tech stack.” It’s answered with: “We train you to build the life you want inside a business you love.”

But don’t say it, unless it’s true. Unless you actually deliver on the promise.

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Your Work This Week

Before you plan 2026, get honest about 2025.

Reflection:

Which model shaped most of your decisions this year? Write it down. If you can’t name it, that’s your answer.

Decision:

Which model actually builds the life you want? Not the life you think you’re supposed to want. The one that lets you sleep at night and show up consistently excited, refreshed, and happy to be helping someone realize a dream.

Action:

If there’s a gap between where you are and where you want to be, what’s one uncomfortable conversation you need to have this week? With your broker? With yourself? A spouse? Reflect on 2025 and start aligning your actions.

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p.s. three hot takes for 2026:

1. On tech: the firms that win in 2026 may not be the ones with the best tech (don’t get me wrong- it’s vital, but it’s evolving so fast - tech teams will be fighting to keep up and pull agents forward - plus, some agents don’t know how to leverage the tech you’ve already given them).

2. On recruitment: The recruiting juggernauts will be the firms who train differently and help agents differentiate inside megafirms. Those who help agents operate with clarity about what they’re actually building.

3. On agent success: The agents who thrive won’t be the ones with the most leads. They’ll be the ones with the most confidence. The ones who aren’t thirsty - they’re thoughtful, intentional, and operating like SEAL Team Six - more income with fewer transactions due to their ability to justifiably increase their fees, resulting in better net incomes. Yes - that life does exist.

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