When listings stall, most agents blame the market. The best ones take control.

In this episode of The Leads Are Sh*t, Andrew Fogliato and Taylor Hack break down what they call The Price Change Playbook, a system that helps agents decide when to adjust pricing, how much to move and how to communicate it without losing trust.

Here are the key takeaways from the conversation.

Start with data, not instinct

The best agents don’t guess. They gather evidence. Track showings, online impressions and market activity. Compare performance to competing listings in the same price range. When you can point to clear data, sellers see logic instead of pressure. The goal is to make the conversation about market movement, not personal opinion.

Make decisions using the Goldilocks Method

Too high, too low or just right. Keeping it that simple helps clients understand trade-offs fast. Present three clear options and explain which one aligns best with their goals. Clients make better choices when they can compare options instead of reacting to a single recommendation.

Time your move strategically

Timing affects how the market responds. A price change that goes live on Thursday or Friday catches buyers preparing for weekend showings. That’s when listings see the biggest jump in views and alerts. Smart agents plan these updates like campaigns, not random adjustments.

Small changes rarely matter

A minor reduction rarely triggers new attention. Most systems need at least a one per cent change to count as a real adjustment. Beyond that, the reduction should move the listing into a new buyer bracket. A $550,000 home dropping to $545,000 doesn’t change the audience. Moving to $535,000 might.

Build trust before the tough talk

The easiest price change conversations happen when clients already trust the plan. Set expectations during the listing presentation. Explain that pricing is a tool that can evolve with market conditions. Consistent updates keep clients informed and prevent surprises later.

The takeaway

Price changes are not failures. They are course corrections. The professionals who handle them best use data, clear communication, and timing to lead their clients through uncertainty.

The full conversation covers how to combine data, empathy and strategy to handle price adjustments with confidence and consistency. Watch or listen to the full episode:

Don’t miss the next episode of The Leads are Sh*t!

The leads aren’t the problem, the strategy is. Leads Are Sh*t is your weekly deep dive into smarter real estate marketing to help you attract, convert, and close more deals.

📅Live every Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. 🎥 Don’t miss out! Click here to secure your spot.

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In this month’s market call, we break down everything shaping Canada’s real estate landscape heading into late 2025. From the upcoming Bank of Canada rate decision to national housing trends, here’s what every real estate professional, investor, and homeowner needs to know.

🏡 Topics Covered:

• Bank of Canada interest rate forecast and 5-year bond yield trends
• Mortgage delinquencies and credit tightening across lenders
• Population growth slowdown and what it means for housing demand
• Inflation, rent data, and shelter costs in CPI
• Job losses, recession risks, and how employment impacts home sales
• Forecasts from Oxford Economics, RBC, and BMO on price direction
• Investor opportunities and risk management in today’s market

📊 Whether you’re advising clients, investing, or simply following the economy, this deep dive provides a data-driven look at where the market is headed and how to prepare for what’s next.

Watch the replay below!

Join us live every month for The Canadian Real Estate Market Breakdown as REM columnist Daniel Foch delivers expert analysis on the latest CREA stats and national housing trends.

🎥 Don’t miss the live breakdown—save your seat.

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​Every agent faces the same moment eventually: a listing sits on the market, showings slow down and the seller starts to lose confidence. The question isn’t whether it will happen, it’s how you handle it when it does.

In the latest episode of Leads Are Sh*t, Real Estate Magazine publisher Andrew Fogliato and Edmonton team leader Taylor Hack break down how top Realtors keep their composure when a listing stalls. The discussion focuses on diagnosis over emotion, clear client communication and turning a quiet listing into a moment of leadership.

1. Diagnose, don’t panic

When listings don’t move, most agents start guessing. They blame the market, the buyers or the clients. Professionals step back and look at data.

Hack explains that every listing’s success depends on three things:

1. Price – Is the value aligned with what today’s buyers expect?
2. Show experience – Does the property feel right when someone walks through?
3. Awareness – Are enough people even seeing the home?

By reviewing these factors objectively, agents remove the emotion and focus on what the market is telling them. As they put it on the show, “A slow listing isn’t failure. It’s feedback.”

2. Ask the right questions

Many agents collect surface-level feedback that doesn’t help. Hack outlines a better system built around three questions:

1. How did your showing go?
2. Did your clients like it?
3. Would you consider this property in your client’s top three?

Those questions quickly identify whether the issue is price, presentation or marketing. If a listing consistently makes the “top three” but isn’t getting offers, it’s a timing issue. If it never makes the top three, it’s a pricing issue. This approach gives agents clarity instead of frustration.

3. Treat price changes as marketing

This reframes price adjustments as a marketing tool rather than a sign of failure. Each price point attracts a different group of buyers, like separate pools in a stream. Moving from $600,000 to $575,000 might reach an entirely new audience.

Most agents see price changes as losing, but it’s really about shifting where your bait is in the water.

When positioned this way, a price change becomes part of a strategy, not a reaction.

4. Keep sellers engaged

When sellers disengage, listings die quietly. Hack shares a system that keeps communication consistent and proactive:

• List on Thursdays to maximize weekend exposure.
• Send BombBomb video updates every Tuesday summarizing showings, competition and market shifts.
• Always send updates to both decision-makers to prevent mixed messages.

These updates build trust and keep sellers grounded in the process instead of reacting emotionally.

5. Lead through the slow moments

When listings don’t sell, it’s easy to lose confidence. The best agents turn those moments into proof of their professionalism. They rely on evidence, not excuses. They guide clients through difficult conversations without losing trust.

As Hack says in the episode, “Selling real estate isn’t about avoiding tough conversations. It’s about mastering them.”

Watch the full episode

The full Leads Are Sh*t episode goes deeper into:

• How to prepare clients for price changes before they happen
• Why 4.9-star agents outperform “perfect” ones
• How to turn a slow listing into a referral opportunity

Watch it on YouTube to see how calm, confident Realtors turn silence into strategy.

Watch the full episode below:

Don’t miss the next episode of The Leads are Sh*t!

The leads aren’t the problem, the strategy is. Leads Are Sh*t is your weekly deep dive into smarter real estate marketing to help you attract, convert, and close more deals.

📅Live every Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. 🎥 Don’t miss out! Click here to secure your spot.

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Every week, we talk to agents who tell me the same thing: “The leads are sh*t.”

Sometimes they’re right. Most of the time, it is not the leads. It is the system.

The latest episode of The Leads Are Sh*t, co-hosts Andrew Fogliato and Taylor Hack break down the real difference between agents who consistently close deals and those who keep fighting their CRM. 

The conversation took some turns, especially when Ado Topuz from AgentLocator dropped in with the results of a $50,000 test comparing forced and non-forced registration leads. It all circled back to one thing: success comes from clarity, consistency, and systems.

Here are the biggest takeaways worth applying right now.

1. Don’t spend on ads until you know your conversion math

Before you start “getting more leads,” you should know exactly what happens when you already have them.

If ten people reach out, how many respond?

If ten appointments happen, how many turn into clients?

If you cannot answer those questions, ads will only multiply confusion.

As Taylor put it:

“You shouldn’t spend a ton on ads until you know what happens when more people come through your system.”

Start with data. Track your own ratios for 30 days. Once you know your baseline, then scale.

2. Forced registration isn’t the enemy. Lack of follow-up is.

Topuz’s test was simple. He spent $50,000 on Google Ads, half driving to a forced registration site and half to a non-forced one.

The result?

The forced registration version produced far more revenue. Why? Because his client actually followed up. When you have systems for immediate response, forced registration works. When you do not, every lead feels like a waste of money.

Before you worry about which platform to use, fix your response time.

Speed always wins.

3. Match your marketing to your muscle

Some agents thrive on referrals. Others are built for the grind of lead follow-up. Both are valid, but they demand different systems.

If more than 70 per cent of your business comes from repeat or referral, cold internet leads will frustrate you. You are used to trust being handed to you. Online leads require you to earn it.

That means shifting focus from getting leads to nurturing them with emails, retargeting, and genuine communication. Or, as was said in the episode:

“You might be talking to the wrong people or saying the wrong things to the right people.”

Know which problem you actually have.

4. Use content as the quiet closer

The agents winning long-term are not just buying attention. They are building authority. They use YouTube, newsletters, and local guides to make clients say,

“You’re the one I already trust.”

Think of content as the long-game version of forced registration. Every piece teaches people how to trust you before you ever meet. Start with one question you hear weekly, like “Should I buy or sell first?” or “How do I price my home in this market?” Record a short, honest video answering it. Then repeat.

Twenty of those will do more for your business than most lead services ever will.

5. Build systems before you buy leads

Forced or non-forced. Facebook or Google. Cheap leads or high-intent leads.

None of it matters if you do not have a process to handle what happens after the click.

• Map your response sequence (text, call, email).
• Automate what you can.
• Measure your follow-up attempts per lead.
• Train yourself or your team to close the gap between “interest” and “conversation.”

Topuz said it best:

“If you’re paying for traffic, you can’t afford not to have forced registration, but only if you actually follow up.”

Final thought

The agents who win are not better at generating leads. They are better at owning their process.

If you finished this article thinking, “Okay, I can tighten that part of my system,” good.

That is the point.

But if you want to hear the full conversation, including Topuz’s test data and how we would each build an online lead machine from scratch, you will want to watch the full episode.

Watch here:

Don’t miss the next episode of The Leads are Sh*t!

The leads aren’t the problem, the strategy is. Leads Are Sh*t is your weekly deep dive into smarter real estate marketing to help you attract, convert, and close more deals.

📅Live every Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. 🎥 Don’t miss out! Click here to secure your spot.

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The best real estate lessons rarely come from textbooks. Sometimes they happen live — under bright lights, in front of judges, and with three minutes to prove your worth.

That was the case in Halifax, where The Leads Are Sh*t hosts Taylor Hack and Andrew Fogliato, owner of Real Estate Magazine, recorded their first-ever live episode from the Re/Max Nova office. The two broke down what happened during a high-stakes listing pitch competition and what every Realtor can take away from watching top agents perform — and sometimes stumble — under pressure.

Here are the highlights.

Authenticity beats polish

On stage, agents had three minutes to convince a panel of judges — and the audience — that they deserved the listing. Some froze, others thrived. The biggest difference wasn’t experience level or production volume. It was authenticity.

The contestants who dropped the script and spoke like real people connected faster. They didn’t hide behind jargon or rehearse-perfect phrasing. They acknowledged nerves, joked about the setup, and let their personality come through.

In real estate, clients don’t hire a pitch — they hire a person. The more human you sound, the faster people trust you.

Preparation wins when pressure hits

A few contestants had the advantage of hearing early feedback from judges before their turn. Others went in cold, discovering the property only moments before stepping up to the mic. The takeaway? Those who had trained their fundamentals adapted fastest.

Practice doesn’t make you robotic; it makes you reliable. The same applies to listing appointments. You can’t predict every objection, but if you’ve rehearsed how to tell your story, explain your process, and handle curveballs, you’ll stay composed no matter what happens.

As Andrew put it, “You can’t fake the reps.”

Every pitch is a test of empathy

The Halifax competition used a celebrity property — Connor McDavid’s home — as the scenario. Contestants had to tailor their pitches around discretion, privacy, and reputation.

That twist revealed a truth about real estate: every listing requires emotional intelligence. Not every client wants visibility. Some value privacy over exposure. Some want reassurance, not marketing buzzwords.

Top agents read the room quickly and adjust their tone. The best listing presentations feel customized because they are.

Sell the process, not the promise

One of the lessons that came up repeatedly was that agents who outlined how they work — their process, their preparation, their steps — outperformed those who focused only on results.

Sellers aren’t just looking for the highest price; they’re looking for confidence. They want to feel that you’ve done this before, that you have a roadmap, and that you’ll guide them through each stage without surprises.

Certainty sells better than superlatives.

Win at the kitchen table

While the pitch battle was entertaining, the real magic still happens at the kitchen table. The agents who stood out most weren’t the most theatrical — they were the ones who could make you believe they’d earn your trust across a coffee mug, not a microphone.

That’s the key difference between performing and connecting. Stage presence might win applause, but real connection wins listings.

Sharpen your skills before you need them

One of the best takeaways from the conversation was to practice pitching in different scenarios: the divorcing couple, the downsizing retiree, the overwhelmed first-time seller. Each requires a different rhythm and language.

The goal isn’t to memorize scripts — it’s to build range. When you can empathize with any situation, your confidence shows up before you do.

The takeaway

The Halifax pitch competition was more than entertainment — it was a masterclass in what makes real estate agents compelling.

The agents who stood out:

• Showed authenticity instead of perfection
• Prepared deeply so they could pivot under pressure
• Adapted with empathy to the situation at hand
• Sold process, not promises

As Taylor and Andrew put it, the business isn’t just about who can speak best on stage — it’s about who can build trust fastest at the table.

The next time you prepare for a listing presentation, remember: you don’t need to win a competition. You just need to make the seller feel like they’ve already chosen the right person.

Watch the full conversation on The Leads Are Sh*t:

Don’t miss the next episode of The Leads are Sh*t!

The leads aren’t the problem, the strategy is. Leads Are Sh*t is your weekly deep dive into smarter real estate marketing to help you attract, convert, and close more deals.

📅Live every Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. 🎥 Don’t miss out! Click here to secure your spot.

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The traditional listing presentation is evolving. Sellers today are more informed, more cautious, and more emotionally invested in the process than ever before. Winning their business is no longer about who can talk the fastest or show the flashiest comps. It is about who can build trust in the shortest amount of time.

In the latest episode of The Leads Are Sh*t, Andrew Fogliato and Taylor Hack explored how agents can rethink their pitch, whether in a living room, on stage at a competition, or online in front of thousands.

Here are the key takeaways:

Lead with story, not data

People remember stories, not spreadsheets. A seller is more likely to trust you when they hear about a family like theirs. It might be parents who needed more space, downsizers worried about timing, or a couple navigating a divorce. Storytelling creates empathy, which builds the foundation for trust long before numbers enter the conversation.

Certainty is more persuasive than price

Most agents default to talking about price. Sellers are not looking for a number as much as they are looking for certainty. They want to know you have guided people like them through uncertain markets before. When you show a clear, step-by-step process backed by results, the specific number becomes less important than the confidence you inspire.

Sell the experience, not the features

Marketing plans and checklists do not win clients. What sellers care about is how the experience will feel. Will they be surprised? Will they be stressed? Will they be supported? The best presentations make it clear that there will be no guesswork, no black holes of silence, and no confusion. Sellers want to know what is coming before it happens.

Turn presentations into assets

A listing presentation does not need to happen only in the living room. Record a version once, polish it, and publish it where sellers can watch before they ever meet you. That way, the pitch begins long before the appointment. Instead of repeating the same talk over and over, your presentation becomes a scalable marketing asset that warms leads before you walk in the door.

Win hearts first, then back it with proof

Sellers make decisions emotionally, then justify them logically. A great presentation acknowledges their stress, their hopes, and their urgency. Once that connection is made, back it up with case studies, reviews, and results. “We have done this before” lands much more powerfully when it comes after “We understand what you are going through.”

The takeaway

The future of listing presentations is less about price charts and more about positioning yourself as a trusted guide. The agents who win will be the ones who:

• Tell stories that resonate
• Provide certainty in uncertain markets
• Make sellers feel understood
• Leverage content at scale
• Balance emotional connection with credibility

Done well, a presentation is not just about securing the listing. It is about creating a relationship that carries all the way through to the sale and beyond.

Watch the full conversation on The Leads Are Sh*t:

Don’t miss the next episode of The Leads are Sh*t!

The leads aren’t the problem, the strategy is. Leads Are Sh*t is your weekly deep dive into smarter real estate marketing to help you attract, convert, and close more deals.

📅Live every Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. 🎥 Don’t miss out! Click here to secure your spot.

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Missed the live session?

Catch up on REM’s Monthly Market Breakdown with columnist Daniel Foch, where he unpacks the forces shaping Canada’s housing market. From falling interest rates, bond yields, and rising unemployment to mortgage delinquencies, household debt, and affordability challenges, Daniel breaks it all down with clarity and insight.

He also tackles big-picture issues like the ongoing trade war, the potential CUSMA renegotiation, and their impact on real estate.

Perfect for Realtors who want to stay ahead of the curve and give clients informed advice in a rapidly shifting market.

👉 Watch the replay below!

Join us live every month for The Canadian Real Estate Market Breakdown as REM columnist Daniel Foch delivers expert analysis on the latest CREA stats and national housing trends.

🎥 Don’t miss the live breakdown—save your seat.

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Realtors often measure success in deals and awards. But too many discover that hitting those milestones comes at the expense of their health, relationships, or happiness.

That’s where Braden Wheatcroft offers a different perspective. As a broker-owner of multiple Re/Max offices on Vancouver Island and a longtime coach with Richard Robbins International, he has helped launch the careers of more than 200 agents. His message: growth is good, but only if it supports the life you want to live.

In his conversation on The Leads Are Sht Podcast*, Wheatcroft laid out frameworks and practical advice for building a sustainable business. Here are the highlights.

Want to hear the whole conversation? Scroll to the bottom for the replay.

Experience is about mileage, not years

Clients don’t care how long you’ve been licensed. They care about your actual mileage. If the average Realtor sells four homes a year and you sell 16, you’ve built four years of experience in one. Wheatcroft encourages newer agents to frame it that way with clients—it builds confidence and credibility fast.

The sophomore slump is real

Year one is often easier than year two. That’s because agents have been “pre-marketing” to their network while getting licensed. By year two, that warm list is gone. Many agents hit a wall here. The solution: put real systems in place to keep your pipeline full.

Leads vs. conversion

Wheatcroft makes it clear with his Five-Part Flywheel, which shows where businesses leak energy:

1. Lead generation
2. Lead conversion
3. Client experience
4. Transaction management
5. Post-sale service

The goal is to track ratios at each stage and improve them over time. For example, how many leads turn into consultations? How many consultations turn into clients? How many clients actually close? Most agents never measure this and lose opportunities as a result.

Research vs. decision phase clients

Not every lead is ready to buy or sell today. Wheatcroft distinguishes between:

• Research phase clients, who are exploring options and may be six to 24 months away.
• Decision phase clients, who are ready to act now.

If you treat a research client like a decision client, you’ll come across pushy and tone deaf. If you treat a decision client like they’re still researching, you’ll seem aloof and inattentive. The key is to quickly identify which stage someone is in and tailor your service to match.

Define success on your own terms

Chasing bigger awards and higher deal counts won’t necessarily make you fulfilled. Wheatcroft recommends setting anti-goals: rules that protect what matters most to you.

“I want to sell 100 homes, but not at the expense of missing my kids’ sports or ignoring my health.”

His Financial Fulfillment Formula looks beyond commissions and awards:

• Your ideal lifestyle cost
• Your future savings goals
• Taxes
• Giving back
• Your ideal business structure

This creates a target that’s about more than trophies.

Eliminate, automate, delegate

Wheatcroft’s “Breakthrough Method” helps agents buy back their time:

1. Eliminate what doesn’t matter.
2. Automate repetitive tasks.
3. Delegate draining work to others.

For example, don’t load all short-form video work onto an assistant who isn’t trained for it. Instead, hire a fractional video editor who owns the process for a few hours a week.

The bottom line

Success in real estate isn’t just about how many homes you sell. It’s about building a business that lets you thrive in every area of your life. Wheatcroft’s advice is a reminder that growth without balance is just another form of burnout.

Watch the full episode of The Leads Are Sht Podcast* below for the complete conversation:

Don’t miss the next episode of The Leads are Sh*t!

The leads aren’t the problem, the strategy is. Leads Are Sh*t is your weekly deep dive into smarter real estate marketing to help you attract, convert, and close more deals.

📅Live every Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. 🎥 Don’t miss out! Click here to secure your spot.

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​Taylor Hack and Andrew Fogliato live-tested Apple’s new call screening and broke down exactly how agents should adjust.

We live-test Apple’s new AI call screening and break down what it really means for real estate prospecting: how to get picked up more, what to say in the screen, when to turn it on/off, and the exact scripts that convert. We also hit AI’s true role in your business (editors vs. replacements), event insights (Royal LePage, Buffini vs. Ferry), and where agent communication is headed.

You’ll learn:

• How AI call screening actually behaves (live demo)
• The 3-line screen script that gets prospects to answer
• When agents should disable screening (and when it helps)
• Text vs. call vs. email. Permission-based outreach that works
• Using AI as your editor (not your operator) to ship faster, better

Missed it live? Watch the replay below.

Don’t miss the next episode of The Leads are Sh*t!

The leads aren’t the problem, the strategy is. Leads Are Sh*t is your weekly deep dive into smarter real estate marketing to help you attract, convert, and close more deals.

📅Live every Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. 🎥 Don’t miss out! Click here to secure your spot.

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​In this episode of Leads Are Sh*t, Taylor Hack sits down with Ray Ellen, founder of Pixel Properties and team leader at Real Broker, to unpack proven strategies for winning listings when conditions get challenging.

Ray shares how lessons from the 2008 crash apply today, why “aspirational pricing” no longer works, and how agents can use CMAs, absorption rate analysis, and competitive positioning to price homes that actually sell. They dive into negotiation tactics, marketing systems that turn expireds into wins, and the importance of asking better questions so sellers make confident decisions.

If you’re a real estate agent who wants to sharpen your skills, win more listings, and deliver results in a shifting market — this episode is for you.

What you’ll learn:

✅ How to price listings with CMAs + absorption rates
✅ Why negotiation skills matter more than ever
✅ Marketing tactics that get sellers to choose you
✅ Lessons from the ’08 crash that still apply today
✅ How to position yourself as the agent who gets results

Missed it live? Watch the replay below.

Don’t miss the next episode of The Leads are Sh*t!

The leads aren’t the problem, the strategy is. Leads Are Sh*t is your weekly deep dive into smarter real estate marketing to help you attract, convert, and close more deals.

📅Live every Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. 🎥 Don’t miss out! Click here to secure your spot.

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