How to have conversations that actually get deals done 

Let’s be real—this market isn’t hard because there are no deals. It’s hard because too many people are operating with false expectations, and not enough real conversations are happening to fix it.

Buyers are chasing homes they can’t afford. Sellers are living in the past—stuck on 2021 prices. And agents are burning time, energy and emotional bandwidth showing properties that were never realistic from the start. It’s a recipe for frustration – not for closings.

If you want to move deals forward in this market, you need to lead. And leading means having the tough conversations—early, clearly and without sugarcoating it. These conversations aren’t optional. They’re the difference between spinning your wheels and actually doing business.

Let’s break down the three conversations every Realtor needs to be having right now.

 

1. The buying power conversation

 

Before you show another home, your buyer needs to know exactly what they can afford. Not what they think they can afford, and definitely not what they hope they can afford. With mortgage rates changing, renewals looming, and affordability stretched thinner than ever, most buyers don’t actually know where they stand.

Here’s a real example:

One of my coaching clients had a buyer with a budget of $1.2 to $1.3 million. Solid budget. Then they walked into a listing at $1.69 million—and the buyer loved it. Called it a 12/10. Checked every single box and then some.

The problem is, they couldn’t afford it. And now what? Keep looking at houses that are way out of range? Try to manifest an extra $400,000? Waste more time?

No. I told my client to stop everything. Send that buyer back to their mortgage broker or bank. Get the actual number. Get the truth. And then move forward—strategically.

If the number comes back lower, great. We stop chasing. If it comes back higher, maybe we’ve got room to negotiate. Maybe we can write an offer. Maybe we actually get a deal done.

But none of that happens without clarity first.

Action step: Don’t show another property until your buyer has updated numbers from a lender. Make it your standard. Buyers need facts, not fantasy. Clarity saves everyone a ton of frustration.

 

2. The seller expectation reset

 

Sellers still believe their house is worth what it was in early 2022. They think it should sell fast. They think they can name their price.

But that’s not how this works—not anymore.

Markets shift. Values move. And your job isn’t to tell people what they want to hear. Your job is to tell them the truth, backed by data, market insight and your experience.

This is where most agents lose the listing, or worse, waste six months trying to sell a property that was never priced to move. If you want to protect your time and your reputation, this conversation has to happen at the very beginning.

Action step: During the listing presentation, talk about expectations. What do they expect from you? What do you expect from them? And what can they realistically expect from today’s market?

Even better—include a “seller expectation sheet” in your process. Something simple. Something they sign. This gives you documentation that the conversation happened and puts everyone on the same page from day one. Selling is not emotional. It’s strategic. And setting that tone early makes all the difference.

 

3. The motivation check before lowering the price

 

When a listing isn’t moving, the gut reaction is often, “Let’s just lower the price.”

But price isn’t always the issue. Motivation is.

Before you make a move, ask the hard questions. Why are they selling? What’s their timeline? What’s the number that actually matters to them?

Then, look at the data:

• How many showings have there been?
• What’s the feedback been like?
• What else is available at that price point?
• How does this listing actually compare?
• Is the seller really ready – or just testing the market?

Sometimes, the seller isn’t ready to sell. They just want to see if they can get “their number.” Sometimes, it’s an emotional decision, not a financial one. But if they don’t need to sell, why are you hustling so hard to force a deal?

Action step: Don’t drop the price just to chase a sale. Talk to your seller. Reassess their motive. Make the right move based on facts—not fear.

This is about protecting your client’s best interest, not just protecting your next paycheque.

 

Here’s why all of this matters

 

This article isn’t about one buyer or one overpriced listing. This is about the state of the market right now.

Buyers are unclear about what they can afford. Sellers are unclear about what their homes are worth. And too many agents are afraid to have the tough conversations that would clear all of that up.

Here’s the part that too many people forget: avoiding these conversations doesn’t protect your clients; it hurts them. It hurts your business, too.

When you skip the buying power talk, you waste time showing the wrong properties. When you avoid the seller reset, you waste months on listings that won’t sell. When you slash the price without a strategy, you hurt your client’s equity and your credibility.

These aren’t small things. They’re the reason deals stall. They’re the reason agents burn out. And they’re completely avoidable if you’re willing to lead.

 

Lead or lose

 

The agents who are getting deals done right now aren’t promising miracles. They’re not tiptoeing around the truth.

They’re leading.

They’re guiding buyers with hard numbers, not hopeful guesses. They’re educating sellers with real data, not inflated dreams. And they’re asking the tough questions before making big decisions.

This market demands clarity. It demands leadership. And if you want to win, you need to step up and own that role.

 

Final steps to put this into practice

 

1. Before your next buyer showing, confirm their financing.
2. At your next listing appointment, reset expectations—and put it in writing.
3. When the thought of lowering the price comes up, reassess their motivation first.
4. Track how many of these conversations you’re actually having. If the number is low, you already know why the results aren’t there.

The agents who lean into these conversations right now will win this market. The rest? They’ll keep spinning their wheels, chasing listings, and wondering why nothing’s closing.

Lead the conversations. Lead your clients. And you’ll lead the market.