Here’s what happens in most real estate businesses when the market changes.

When things are going well, process gets thrown out the window. Sales come easy. Your team hits targets without much effort. You might even take that holiday to Hawaii.

Then the market shifts.

Sales drop. Agents leave. Cashflow tightens. And suddenly you’re back to being a selling principal instead of a business leader.

Sound familiar?

2024 proved something we see time and time again. When markets soften, businesses without systems crumble. When markets improve, those same businesses get lazy.

The pattern is predictable.

One agency we worked with in Tasmania saw sales volumes declining across their market. Their competitors were making fewer sales. The external conditions were tough.

But this business took a different approach. They implemented structured systems for real estate operations. They focused on vendor management, client feedback loops, and accountability frameworks.

The result? While their market contracted, they increased their sales volume significantly. They grew market share when others were shrinking.

When markets are strong, anyone can sell property. That’s not leadership. That’s luck.

The mistake most principals make is thinking they don’t need process when things are going well. They stop holding their team accountable. They let high performers call the shots. Before long, new team members pick up those same bad habits.

Then when the market turns, everything falls apart.

We’ve seen this pattern repeatedly. A business implements strong systems, sees growth, then abandons those systems when the market improves. They become victims of external conditions again.

Years later, we return to find sales down, agents gone, and the principal back to selling instead of leading.

Great businesses understand something crucial: systems work in all market conditions.

When you have solid accountability frameworks in place, you grow market share faster than competitors regardless of market direction. Up or down, your business performs.

Average businesses rely on market conditions. Great businesses rely on process.

The changing market toolkit we use covers eight core steps. It starts with a mini assessment that shows leaders how reliant their business is on external market conditions. Most principals are shocked by what they discover.

The assessment reveals the gaps in their vendor management processes, their feedback systems, and their team accountability structures.

Here’s a truth most real estate mentor relationships uncover: agents shouldn’t dictate your business performance.

But that’s exactly what happens in most agencies.

High performers start making demands. They choose what they will and won’t do. New team members see this and follow suit. Before you know it, your entire team is reactive and process is optional.

A real estate agent coach worth working with will tell you this: your role as a leader is to hold your team accountable to process. Not when it’s convenient. Not when the market is tough. Always.

Think about elite athletes. They don’t train hard only when competition is near. They maintain discipline year-round. That’s why they win.

Your real estate business is no different.

Systems for real estate operations work because they’re consistent. They’re not dependent on market conditions, agent moods, or your energy levels.

When you implement vendor reporting frameworks, they work in upmarkets and downmarkets. When you build strong feedback loops with clients, they prepare you for changing conditions before your competitors even notice.

The businesses that maintain these systems don’t just survive market changes. They thrive during them.

Conferences promise silver bullets. Podcasts sell magic formulas. Everyone wants the shortcut.

But there is no shortcut to building a high-performance business.

What works is implementing proven systems, holding your team accountable, and maintaining consistency regardless of external conditions.

The real estate principals who understand this don’t panic when markets shift. They don’t abandon process when things improve. They stay disciplined.

And that discipline gives them a massive competitive advantage.

2024 saw a market downturn. As this is being written, conditions are improving. But here’s what every real estate business leader needs to understand: another downturn is coming.

The question isn’t whether the market will change. It’s whether your business is ready when it does.

Are you relying on external conditions? Or have you built systems that perform regardless of market direction?

Are your agents following process? Or are they calling the shots?

Are you leading your business? Or is the market leading it for you?

The businesses that grow during market changes aren’t lucky. They’re prepared.

They have vendor management systems in place. They maintain accountability frameworks. They don’t let agents dictate business performance.

They understand that when markets are strong, that’s when you double down on Process. Not abandon it.

If you’re ready to build systems for real estate operations that work in any market condition, stop relying on external factors. Stop looking for quick fixes.

Start implementing proven frameworks that give you control over your business performance.

Ready to build a business that performs regardless of market conditions? Book a brainstorm call and let’s assess where your systems are letting you down.