How You Can Grow Your Business by Taking Some Downtime
“You will be so much happier later if you listen now. The only way to be the next one sold is to be the best price, best value, best condition in your area.”
- Dan Rochon
Episode Summary
Working as a real estate agent is rewarding—and it can also be frustrating when the money doesn’t match the effort. I’ve lived both. That’s why I built Teach to Sell and the No Broke Months system: to replace selling with leading and to give you Consistent and Predictable Income (CPI).
Recently I sat down with Maria Quattrone (RE/MAX @ Home), a powerhouse with 25+ years in sales and branding. We talked about something counterintuitive: growing your business by using downtime wisely—and by telling clients the hard truth about pricing.
Here’s the simple path that works right now.
By the end, you’ll be able to…
Understand why price–value–condition is the lever that gets you “next one sold.”
Create a daily “micro-wins” plan to book more appointments today.
Develop a low-tech video system that warms leads, reduces no-shows, and increases trust—without paid ads.
1) Price • Value • Condition: Tell the Truth (Kindly)
When inventory rises or buyers get picky, the listing that sells next is the one that wins on all three:
Best Price (for the market today)
Best Value (features vs. comps)
Best Condition (move-in ready beats “project”)
If you want to be the guide your clients need, lead with data and courage:
“Here’s the number we’ll try for two weeks. If the market doesn’t bite, we adjust. Quickly.”
Case in point: During rising inventory, Maria told sellers what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear. The clients who listened lost less and sold faster. That’s leadership.
2) Micro-Wins Beat Mega-Plans
The last five years were weird—cheap money made order-taking look like selling. Today, you can’t do what worked then and expect the same result. Do more of the right things, every day.
Your Micro-Wins Scorecard (today only):
Conversations: 12 (expireds, past clients, sphere)
Appointments set: 1–2
Follow-ups revived: 3 (from 30–90 days ago)
Past-client check-ins: 3
In my last year, I took 79 listings from 93 appointments. Not to brag—to model what consistent micro-wins can do.
3) Video: Your Low-Cost Superpower
No fancy gear needed. Your phone is enough.
One-to-Many (7–10 minutes):
Daily tip for buyers/sellers (“Top 5 ways to win an appraisal,” “How to price to be next one sold”).
Post to your socials. Email to your list.
One-to-One (30–45 seconds):
Pre-appointment stick: “Looking forward to 1:00 pm today—see you soon.”
Post-appointment trust: “Great meeting you at 123 Main. I’ll send the next steps today.”
Birthday/anniversary: A simple face-to-camera message stands out more than 500 text DMs.
Result: Higher show rates, warmer conversations, faster decisions—because people hire humans, not logos.
Teach to Sell Application
Connect energetically: Be present. Match tone and pace.
Ask adept questions: “If we priced at X and had no offers in 14 days, what would you want me to recommend?” (Pre-frames price reductions.)
Actively listen (for energy): When you hear fear (“I’m not worthy”), guide them to data, options, and action.
Teach to Sell Exercise (10 minutes)
Open your MLS. Pull 10 sold comps + 10 expireds in your farm.
Write a one-line lesson for each: “Homes under $600k with new kitchens sold in <14 days.”
Record a 60-second video: “How to Be the Next One Sold in [Your Area].”
Send to 10 sellers in your database. Ask: “Would you like a 15-minute pricing huddle?”
Real-World Examples
Expired Play: One of Maria’s agents booked an expired appointment and won the listing the same day with a clear 2-week test + rapid-adjust plan.
Buyer Grind: My agent Lucia wrote 12 offers before a win. We didn’t quit; we tightened criteria, shifted terms, and stayed in service. Persistence plus process wins.
Your 45-Minute Downtime Growth Plan (Do this today)
15 min: Micro-wins outreach (12 quick conversations).
10 min: Script a 60-second local “Next One Sold” video.
10 min: Pre- and post-appointment video messages (2–3 clients).
10 min: Price audit on two active listings; send “two-week test” update.
Commit or Quit Challenge
For the next 5 business days, do the 45-minute plan above. If you don’t feel more momentum by Day 5, message me what blocked you—and we’ll fix it together.
Chapter Summary
Truth sells: Price–value–condition wins.
Today matters: Micro-wins > mega-plans.
Video scales trust: One-to-one and one-to-many.
Lead, don’t chase: Teach to Sell turns pressure into clarity.
CTA: Get the Playbook I Use
If you want No Broke Months and Consistent, Predictable Income, get my book Teach to Sell: Why Top Performers Never Sell—and What They Do Instead.
👉 Buy it here at TeachToSellBook.com
