How to reset, refocus, and win your fall market

Let’s call it what it is – this year hasn’t gone as planned for a lot of people. Some of you started 2025 with big goals and high hopes, but here we are heading into August, and many of those goals are sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

And it’s not just you. We are in one of the toughest economies we have seen in 20 years. Buyers are cautious, sellers are stuck in the past, and motivation across the board is fading. The market’s been frustrating. But none of that changes the fact that the fall market is coming – and what you do right now will dictate how you finish the year.

If you’re feeling behind, stuck, or just tired, this is your reset point. Not next week. Not September. Right now!

Here’s how to take back control, reset your focus, and walk into your fall market ready to win.

Get real about where you’re at

The biggest mistake most people make when they’re behind on their goals is pretending they’re not. They try to catch up without looking at what actually went wrong. That’s not a strategy. That’s avoidance.

So let’s be blunt: if your numbers aren’t where you thought they’d be by now, stop ignoring it. Own it. Audit it.

Ask yourself:

• How many conversations have you had?
• How many appointments have you booked?
• How many listings or offers have you actually written?
• And how much of your day is going toward the things that create those results?

You don’t need to feel bad about where you’re at – but you do need to be honest. Because nothing changes without clarity first.

Action step: Open your calendar and your CRM. Review the last 30 days. What were you actually doing? What made an impact for you? What didn’t?

Stop waiting for motivation – build structure instead

If you’re relying on motivation to push you forward, you’ve already lost. Motivation is unreliable. It’s emotion-based. Some days you’ll have it, most days you won’t.

What you need is structure.

You need a daily schedule that isn’t built on how you feel – but on what needs to get done. If your schedule is reactive, you’re going to burn out. If it’s intentional, you’re going to win.

Start with your priorities: business development, client follow-up, marketing. Block time for those first. Then fit everything else around them.

And no, this doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t need a 12-step morning routine. You need a system you’ll actually stick to.

Action step: Build your schedule the night before. Know who you’re calling, what you’re posting, and when your lead gen is happening before your day even starts.

Audit your marketing – then simplify it

One of the fastest ways to feel overwhelmed is to try doing too much with your marketing – and most people are doing way too much with zero consistency.

You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be effective.

So here’s the move: audit what’s working. Cut what’s not. Double down on the things that have actually created leads or opportunities for you.

That might be your email list. It might be social. It might be door-knocking, events, farming, whatever. But pick your lane and get consistent.

Action step: Ask yourself: where did your last five deals come from? If you can’t answer that, you’re not tracking the right metrics. Fix that now.

Get in front of your clients before the market does

Fall is a critical window. It’s the last stretch of the year where people want to make moves before the holidays hit. But they’re not going to do it unless someone gives them a reason to.

That means you need to be the one setting expectations – early.

Your buyers need to know exactly what they can afford. No more guessing. No more “seeing what’s out there.” If they’re serious, they need to be pre-approved and clear on their budget.

Your sellers need to know what their home is actually worth – not what they wish it was worth. That means tough conversations, backed by data. And that means you need to stop being afraid of telling the truth just because you want the listing.

Action step: Schedule five client update calls per week for the next month. That could be active clients, past clients, warm leads – anyone. The goal is to re-engage, reset expectations, and put yourself back in a leadership role.

Focus on inputs, not just outcomes

This is the time of year where agents get stuck staring at their numbers. They say, “I’m behind,” and then start scrambling to make up for lost ground. But they skip the one step that would actually help: looking at what they’re doing every day.

You can’t control how many deals close this week. But you can control how many people you talk to. You can control how many emails you send, how many videos you record, how many conversations you start.

Those are the things that drive results. Not simply the goals written on your whiteboard.

Action step: Track your activities every single day for the next 30 days. Calls made. Conversations had. Content posted. Listings booked. Don’t just track the big wins – track the actions that lead to them.

Final words

You don’t need to overhaul your life to finish this year strong. You just need to stop spinning, stop waiting, and start doing the things that actually move your business forward.

So here’s your checklist to hit the ground running this fall:

• Get real about where you’re at. Audit everything.
• Build a schedule you can actually follow – and stick to it.
• Simplify your marketing. Stop trying to do it all. Just do what works.
• Reconnect with your clients. Set expectations now.
• Focus on your actions. The results will follow.

There’s still time to hit your goals. There’s still time to grow your pipeline. But only if you take control right now.

This market isn’t going to wait for you. So stop waiting for the perfect plan. Show up consistently. Stick to the system. And finish the year the way you were meant to – with momentum.

Remember, MindShare = market share!