Your Success Starts Today
Why past performance isn't always (or even usually) an indicator of future success
May I make a suggestion? When you see the Wall Street Journal headline this week, don’t panic.
“U.S. Home Sales in 2024 Fell to Lowest Level in Nearly 30 Years” (WSJ, 1/24/25)
It’s true.
But it’s also irrelevant.
Why? Let me tell you a story.
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If you want to be successful, start being successful
Years ago I asked my mentor, “How can I become a keynote speaker?” I had been a workshop speaker up until then.
He said, “Start delivering keynote speeches.”
“But I have never delivered keynote speeches before,” I asked.
“Then you’d better get started,” he said. “Clients won’t hire you to deliver keynote speeches until you start delivering keynote speeches. What you did before won’t matter to them.”
The lightbulb went off in my head.
If I want to be a successful anything — speaker, salesperson, CEO, photographer, writer, teacher — it doesn’t matter what I did last year. I can start doing what I want to do this year, because times have changed —
Because you can change.
Successful salespeople sell every day; whether the market is up, down or sideways. The same goes for everything: What you did last year was last year’s results; it doesn’t determine your future outcomes. It’s simply what happened with what you had in the times you worked.
By tomorrow or a year from now, it all will have changed.
The same is true for markets
There is no amount of home sales (or car sales, or any activity) that is “supposed to be reached” in any given year.
Whatever gets sold will be what was “supposed” to be sold. Sales levels are not static. The amount depends upon actions, conditions, and people. Nobody knows whether 4 million or 6 million or 1 million is the “right amount” for any given year —
Who would have thought we’d sell 6 million homes in the middle of a global pandemic!?
1988 vs 2005 vs 2021
Furthermore, “more or less” isn’t the same as “better or worse.” Quantities aren’t judgements. They’re just numbers. It’s how you use them that matters.
You can use them to motivate yourself or demotivate yourself. (And your customers).
Annual home sales depends on dozens of variables: the overall economy, interest rates, consumer demographics, confidence, legislation, weather, technology — even whether real estate agents prospected for listings rather than buyers.
And lots of other stuff.
The final number of home sales is ALWAYS the level it’s supposed to be. One year’s level has absolutely no bearing on next year’s levels. Nor does it depend upon what happened decade ago. We were told that the “Millennials were coming” in 2000; in 2024, the typical home seller was 63 years old. In 1988 we were having a great 10 year high, but by 2005, the number was nearly TWICE as high, and in 2021 everyone called the market insanely hot, although it was 1 million units lower than 2005.
There is no mirror
Economists and journalists made a big deal out of the numbers; but you shouldn’t.
Because even when markets look alike, they aren’t identical.
Nor is there a level that, once achieved, is supposed to become the “norm” forever.
Any measurement is merely an arbitrary comparison point on a chart; for an analysis or an article or an awards ceremony.
But not really for your future: Nothing buyers or sellers did last year will limit what your clients can do today or tomorrow, with your help.
Or how high you can go.
In every “worst market” ever, someone had their “best year ever.”
Past performance is no limit on future outcomes.
During the “lowest market” in 30 years, whoever needed to move, moved.
This year, it will happen again, millions of times. More or less or just the same.
Not because of what happened the year before. Simply because they made it happen.
If you want this year to be your best year ever, 350 million “local” consumers who can help you make it happen. During the best year in the last thirty, we only made 7 million sales. Think you can get your 10 or 25 or 50 or 100 sales?
Piece of cake.
In 2024, over 12,500 homes sold a day.
That’s over 575 an hour —
Almost 9 per minute.
If that’s not enough for you, then talk to your manager or coach or headhunter.
Success is within your grasp. But the solution has nothing to do with “last year’s market.”
You’ve got this!
—M
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Your INvaluable Proposition (video) https://mferrara.substack.com/p/invaluable
You Don’t Sell Real Estate: You Sell You! https://mferrara.substack.com/p/yousellyou
Email Strikes Back https://mferrara.substack.com/p/dosubstack
Your Sphere of Success https://mferrara.substack.com/p/sphere
Want more ideas on how to make this year your best ever? Five of my favorite tips below! 👇
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