September Update!
- George Laughton
- Sep 30
- 5 min read
Good Afternoon Team! Hope everyone is wrapping up the month strong!! - GL
Early in my real estate career, Jen and I had one simple rule that kept us grounded and focused. It dictated how much we prospected, how much we spent on lead gen, and, quite literally, whether or not we could pay the bills. I started teaching it when our team was just eight people, and to this day, almost every single one of them still uses some version of it.
I called it the 10 x 10 Rule.
The first 10 is simple: I had to keep a physical list of 10 people most likely to transact in the next 90 days. And no, this wasn’t just adding a “hot” tag in our CRM and feeling good about myself. It was a real list. For me, it was a whiteboard. I even emailed myself the list every night just to have it pop up at 6 a.m. the next day. Others used notebooks, some used phone notes, but the key was this: there always had to be 10 people on that list. If someone went under contract, listed, or their timeline shifted, I had three days to replace them. No excuses.
The second 10 is a little tougher: Jen and I had to keep at least 10 deals in escrow. That meant fighting to get the next contract signed before the current ones closed. If three or four were about to wrap up, we knew we couldn’t wait for the pipeline to run dry….we had to create urgency before we were staring at an empty pipeline.
Now, if you’re a solo agent, I’d tweak it to a 10 x 5 Rule. Keep your list of 10 prospects, but aim for 5 in escrow.
Here’s the point: in this market, it’s easy to look around at headlines, interest rates, or other agents chasing the next shiny tool and think, “I’ll wait.” Don’t. Success is built in the consistent daily choices you make.
Set non-negotiables for yourself. Keep it simple. And remember, even if your list looks messy, or you have to email yourself like I did just to stay accountable. It’s those habits that build the business you want.
The Last 30 days
It’s time to take what we’ve built internally (the trust, the wins, the loyalty)and make sure the market feels it too.
Social media isn’t just part of the brand…it is the brand. And we’re entering a whole new era with a network-first approach that makes our feeds feel like walking into one of our open houses: welcoming, real, and unmistakably branded.
Here’s what’s been happening behind the scenes:
Hannah and Julia have been architecting the roadmap. Think “digital farm,” not just a feed.
Godsey Creative is officially on deck as our media partner. You’ve seen the content that stops the scroll and fills the calendar. If you haven't let me share with you the video that hooked us.. Click if you want to cry
And most importantly, some of our agents are stepping up in the UGC program launching next month.
The goal?To turn social for the team into a lead engine, not just a like button. And to make the first touch clients have with us feel as authentic as the last.
This rollout connects directly to our 2025 goals:
2,000 homes sold
650 listings closed
But more than that, it connects to the heart of what we do: build trust at scale through real stories, hyper-local wins, and a brand presence that actually converts.
We’ve created content in September. Launching in October. And by Q4, this train will be moving fast!
The next 30 days
For the next 30 days, I’m challenging myself to take a break from social media. I’ve noticed that the more I scroll, the more my energy gets hijacked. Headlines about the doom of our industry, lawsuits, or the division in our country. And while it may feel like “staying informed,” I’ve realized it often just makes me show up differently, both at home and in the business, in ways I don’t like. Protecting our mindset is just as important as protecting our pipeline.
I encourage you to take a look at your own habits and ask: What’s shaping my mindset? What’s fueling me, and what’s draining me? We can’t control the noise, but we can control what we let in and how we respond. At the end of the day, growth happens when we double down on the things that we can control…our discipline, our energy, and our consistency.
Yes, Zillow has been in the news again with more lawsuits. But here’s the truth: this isn’t new in corporate America. Much of it is posturing or litigation being used as a competitive weapon. What matters is this, Zillow shares our same North Star: the client. That’s where our focus will always remain. Our job is to show up for our clients, to give them options, and to be the steady hand in a noisy world.
October All Agent Meeting
Where: Skysong - 1365 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
When: October 14th @ 10am
Guest Speaker: Amanda Walker - Business Coach
Amanda Walker is a Certified Master Coach and the creator/host of the Best Damn Coach podcast and program. With 25+ years of coaching experience, she specializes in helping service professionals translate their know-how into simple, signature frameworks that drive client results and revenue. For our October meeting, Amanda will share practical ways to tighten your agent workflow—think clearer buyer consults, sharper listing presentations, and a repeatable client journey from lead to close.
Must Watch:
Success in real estate isn’t found in the excitement of launching your career or the celebration of a big closing. It’s won in the quiet middle where the hard, consistent work happens.
Must Follows:
Meet Alyssa Curnutt! I had the pleasure of meeting Alyssa at BAM Camp last week. She was one of my favorite speakers. When I envision what local social content looks like for a real estate agent, she nailed it.
Get this, she has only been in the biz 2 yrs and hit $389k in GCI from social alone.
I am in the works of getting her booked for our November All Agent. Stay tuned!
Krys was another great speaker at BAM camp! Give him a follow…I already told him I was R&Ding all his content.
In the News:
I will offer an opinion on this one…but it also falls along the lines of noise.
For a hot take on this, I couldn’t have said it any better than our friends at 1000Watt
Compass buying Anywhere may sound like a “350,000 agent giant,” but the reality is much messier—real estate is too decentralized, with independent contractors, franchisees, and teams all running like mini-brokerages. Think python eating a deer: it’s an impressive feat, but the digestion will be slow, painful, and far from game over for MLS, Zillow, or smaller competitors.
Just for Fun
Don’t wait...procrastination is a business killer. Keep moving!
GL
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