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: