How to become a successful real estate agent

There’s no magical app, CRM, or morning routine that makes someone a top-producing real estate agent.

The agents who consistently hit six figures (and more) don’t have any secret sauce. They just know how to focus on what moves the needle.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything but still spinning your wheels, this article is for you.

Being a productive agent isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things consistently.

So let’s break down what high-producing real estate agents do differently, and how you can build a system that works for you, not someone else’s Instagram highlight reel.

1. Know your numbers and work backward

Before you can build a $100,000 business, you need to know what that looks like in your market. Top producers reverse-engineer their goals. Here’s an example of how to break it down if your goal is to make $100,000 this year:

• Average home price: $500,000
• GCI (you charge a 2.5% commission): $12,500
• After broker split (60%): $7,500 net per deal
• Goal: $100,000/year → That’s ~14 deals per year
• Assuming 15 warm leads per deal, → You need ~210 leads per year.
  
  

That’s just 5 leads per week. When you see it like that, it suddenly feels doable, right?

Figure out your own numbers. What’s your average deal worth? How many weekly leads do you need to hit your income goal?

2. Focus on income-generating activities (IGAs)

A lot of real estate agents waste time on "busy work" that feels productive but doesn’t actually bring in clients. High performers know the difference between what’s urgent and what’s important.

Here are some IGAs worth your time:

• Schedule CMAs or buyer consults.
• Send market updates to your sphere.
• Host open houses and capture contacts.
• Connect with FSBOs and expired listings.
• Record quick listing or tip videos for social media. Follow up with leads (even the “unresponsive” ones).
• Check in with your SOI or past clients to see if they have any friends or family who may need your help.

Tweaking your logo or scrolling through real estate agent Facebook groups won’t move the needle. Block 2 to 3 hours daily for IGAs, and schedule everything else around that.

3. No shiny object syndrome

High-producing real estate agents don’t spend their time comparing themselves to their peers. Just because someone in your office is cold-calling 100 people a day or going viral on TikTok, that doesn’t mean that’s what YOU should do.

You need to find a strategy you can stick to and do it consistently.

Are you better at in-person relationships than social media? Focus on open houses, community events, and referrals.

Maybe you’re more of a content creator. Start batching reels and educational posts weekly. There’s more than one way to do it.

Audit what you’re currently doing. Are you doing it because it works for you, or because you think you “should”?

This Top Producer's Productivity Planner can help you stay on track so that you can be sure you're sticking to the activities that are most likely to bring in money.

4. Build follow-up systems and nurture relationships

The difference between a lead and a client is follow-up. Top agents don’t just capture leads, they nurture them. Whether it’s through email drips, personalized notecards, market updates, or good old-fashioned phone calls, they stay top-of-mind. And the best part about it is that most of this can be automated!

• Create reusable email templates.
• Batch content creation once a week.
• Use your CRM to schedule check-ins.
• Send handwritten cards on key dates.
  

You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be consistent. Choose one follow-up system you want to improve this week. Email, phone, text, or social media. Make it easy to repeat!

5. Create a structure that supports your personality

High-performing real estate agents don’t follow someone else’s “perfect morning routine.” They create workflows that align with how they work best.

If you’re not a morning person, don’t force 6 AM prospecting sessions. If you need visual cues, use a whiteboard calendar. If you hate CRMs, simplify it to a spreadsheet you actually check.

Productivity isn’t about being rigid, it’s about reducing friction.

Identify where you resist your current system. What would make it more fun, visual, or frictionless?

Main takeaway

You don’t need to grind 12-hour days to be a high-producing agent. You need consistency, systems, and a clear sense of your numbers. Most importantly, you need permission to build a business that works for you, instead of the other way around.

Choose your tools, time blocks, and 3 to 5 IGAs. Then rinse and repeat. You’ve got this.