Real Estate Systems Reset — Fix What Broke in 2025

Feeling scattered, reactive, or like you’re starting from scratch every transaction? You’re not broken — your systems are.

In this episode, we’re walking through a full CEO-level systems reset to help you:

• Identify what broke (and why) in 2025
• Understand the 4 levels of real estate business systems
• Set realistic systems as a newer agent (no fancy tools required)
• Simplify your weekly CEO habits, client experience, and marketing
• Fix your most frustrating system — step-by-step

This isn’t about making things prettier. It’s about making your business smoother, simpler, and more supportive in 2026.

Let’s clean it up — and build a business that actually works for you.

*****************************************************

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (01:08):
Hello, friends.
Happy Christmas week for thosewho celebrate.
I know it is like peak chaos inmy house right now with my three
kids.
They are just rip roaring andready to go.
We are continuing our end of theyear series, and today we are
going to be talking aboutsystems, which is literally like

(01:32):
I just can't even express to youhow much I love systems.
They're like what keeps megrounded and keeps me running.
So I want you to look back onyour 2025, and how many times
did you say, oh, I meant tofollow up with that person, but
I forgot yet again, or they fellthrough the cracks?

(01:53):
My CRM is not updated.
I was not consistent in mymarketing.
I just posted when I felt likeit, or I just sent something
when I felt like it, or everytransaction felt like I was
winging it, or like I wasstarting from scratch.
And if you have said anything ofthis nature to yourself, it is a

(02:14):
red flag or a little hint thatyou need some systems.
And it is not your fault.
No one really teaches realestate agents how to build
systems.
Like we focus so much in thisindustry on lead generation and
marketing that we do not talkabout systems and how to build
support so you can show upconsistently in your business

(02:37):
and not lose your mind whiledoing it.
So today I am going to give youa CEO level systems reset to
clean up maybe what's broken,definitely rework what's clunky,
and hopefully make 2026 feelsmoother, lighter, and more
supported, which is what we'reall about.
I want to talk about why systemsbreak in the first place.

(02:59):
So if your business felt clunkyin any areas or exhausting or
maybe reactionary, there is areason.
Systems typically break, or theneed for systems typically
arises when you grow, when yougrow faster than expected, or
maybe you're in a season of yourlife that's draining your time

(03:19):
and your energy.
Like you had a new baby.
Maybe you have to take care ofan aging parent.
Maybe you're just burned outfrom growing faster than you
expected, or could just bemoving.
Like maybe you actuallyphysically moved.
So whatever caused yourbandwidth to be limited, that is
a place where systems cansometimes break.

(03:40):
Maybe you've been working toomuch in your business and not on
your business, which happens toso many real estate agents.
Like we're putting out fires, weare dealing with like the client
stuff that comes up.
Um, the other is that you'venever built a rhythm, you
haven't built a cadence, youhaven't built a routine, and
you're just running on fight orflight.

(04:00):
You're just winging it by theseat of your pants.
Um, or honestly, what I wassaying earlier was like, we just
have never learned what a realsystem even looks like.
And that's not your fault.
Like you just haven't beentaught.
And I feel like systems aren'tnecessarily something that
reflects your worth, but they'rejust a reflection of like the

(04:22):
season of life you're in.
Like sometimes you need themmore than other seasons, and
that's totally fine.
And they're something thatyou're always going to be
tweaking.
So before we fix anything, wehave to name it and dive into
it.
So I want you to ask yourself in2025, what felt chaotic?
Just like what felt insane?

(04:43):
Pants on fire, hair on fire inyour business.
Um, what did you keep avoiding?
That's a really big one.
Like, what did you keepprocrastinating on?
What kept coming up for you?
Like I the shoulds?
What did you should all overyourself about?
Like, I oh, I should do this,and then it just never happens.
Um, what did what kept slippingthrough the cracks?

(05:03):
Again, this kind of leans backto shoulds, but no matter how
many times you promised youwould do it or you'd fix it, it
just didn't happen.
Or what felt like you were doingit for the first time every
single time?
So here's some of the commonculprits that I see with real
estate agents is this is wherebasically your systems are
breaking down.
It could be your lead follow-up,your CRM habits.

(05:27):
So either using it or keeping itup to date, content batching,
showing up consistently withyour marketing, um, transaction
management, that's a big one.
Client communications, are theyinconsistent, or is it just
reactive, not proactive?
Money tracking.
So this could be mileage, yourreceipts, your profit and loss.

(05:49):
Um, how about just time blockingor time management?
Like really just figuring outwhen you can show up for your
business.
And again, I'm not a huge fan oftime blocking in the traditional
sense, but like making time forthe things that are important in
your business when working onyour business.
And then lastly, delegation.
Maybe it just was non-existent,or maybe you didn't delegate
enough.

(06:09):
So, really taking a look atthese areas because this is
typically where you are going tosee that you need systems.
I want to introduce you to theconcept of the CEO systems
pyramid.
There are four levels.
So the first level isfoundational systems, second
level is client experiencedsystems, level three is your

(06:31):
growth systems, and level fouris your scaling systems.
So let's get into each one ofthose.
Level one foundational systems,these are your lifelines.
These are really what is goingto keep you on track on your
day-to-day, your week to week,your month to month.
So there are four things that Ihighly recommend.
It's your weekly CEO hour.

(06:52):
If you can only do 30 minutes,that's totally fine.
But this is where you are goingto review all of the different
aspects of your business, yourpipeline, your leads, whatever
is going to keep you on top ofyour business for that week.
If you can't do it weekly, do itmonthly.
But having intentional time towork on your business, not in

(07:13):
your business, is crucial.
The next foundational system ismoney.
Money check in.
So this is reviewing your profitand loss.
This is all the stuff we talkedabout in the money episode.
So if you want to go back twoepisodes, you can go do that
one.
But checking in on your money.
The other is reviewing yourcalendar.
Like, where did it get away fromyou?

(07:34):
Where do you have pockets oftime?
Um, where do you need to showup?
Like, what's important for youto show up and making time for
that?
So reviewing your calendar.
And then my favorite is a weeklyplanning ritual.
So this is outside of your CEOhour, but this is taking time on
Sunday night or Monday morningand intentionally planning your

(07:55):
week every single week.
This has been something I'vedone for years, and it honestly
really helps me show upconsistently and not like my
hair is on fire in my life andmy business.
Now, level two of the pyramid isyour client experience systems.
So, this is what makes yourservice to your clients smooth

(08:18):
and scalable.
So, we're talking about havingbuyer guides, we're talking
about having seller guides, CMAtemplates, or a way that you do
your CMAs, anything that is adeliverable or enhances the
experience to your client.
This could also be showingtemplates, offer templates,
literally anything that istemplated or collateral or

(08:41):
marketing that is part of yourclient experience.
Also, templating, your weeklyupdate emails, any kind of
emails that you're sending toyour client on a consistent
basis, making sure you havethose templates ready to roll.
Also having an actual system foryour post-close follow-up.
This could include gifts if youwant, but you at least have your

(09:04):
check-in points in yourcalendar, in your CRM, whatever
you're going to use to beorganized.
And then really just like anychecklists.
So this could be your buyerprocess, your seller process,
but having all of those clientexperience systems in place so
that every client gets the sameconsistent experience because

(09:28):
that is really crucial togetting referral-based business.
Now, level three of the pyramidis growth systems.
And this is what keeps yourpipeline full throughout the
year.
It removes that like peaks andvalleys.
Now, yes, we are always going tohave seasonality in our
business, but having arepeatable marketing rhythm is

(09:51):
super important.
And this is showing upconsistently and making sure
that if you commit to sending amonthly postcard, that monthly
postcard is going out.
If you are committing to amonthly or weekly newsletter,
that newsletter is going out.
So that is really important.
Having that repeatable marketingplan for the year.

(10:13):
The next is your hot, warm leadtouch points.
So having a process or a systemfor staying in touch with your
pipeline, making sure that thosepeople who have come in are
being nurtured and you're reallyhelping them get to the next
logical step towards buying orselling a home.

(10:33):
And then the other growth systemis your referral system.
So this is not gettingreferrals, this is acknowledging
referrals.
So this is your thank yousystem, your gratitude system,
your VIP system.
So anyone who sent me a referralis on my VIP list.
And so my VIP list has aseparate nurture plan or

(10:54):
appreciation plan.
So your growth systems are justas important as your client
experience and also as yourfoundational.
Now, level four of the pyramidis your scaling systems.
So when you start to feel likeyou have too much business that
you can't service at all, thisis your support squad.
So delegation, this is a bigone.

(11:16):
And you can start with one pieceof marketing.
You could start with hourly, youcan start with whatever, but
starting small is wonderful andit gives you practice.
It gets your training wheelsgoing on starting to release
control.
Now, this can be your marketing,transaction coordination, admin
support.

(11:37):
But delegation can also beshowing agents.
It can also be people who helpyou with inspections, it can be
listing prep.
Um, so like think about thinkthrough your business and really
think about where could youstart delegating that would not
only free up your time andenergy, but would help you show
up consistently.

(11:58):
I also think another piece ofdelegation or scaling systems
are your automations.
So this could be emailsequences, it could be just data
input.
Um, with AI, I feel like there'sso many things that are helpful
with automation.
Um, this obviously can getpretty advanced, but if there
are any automations like yourcalendars, um, sending out

(12:21):
birthday texts, sending outbirthday cards, like explore
automations because that canalso help save so much time.
So this is a quick pause foragents who are maybe newer in
the business.
So you may not know where tostart with systems, and you
maybe just haven't been taughtto build your systems yet.
So you might be like one or twoor three years in the business,

(12:42):
but here's where I want you tostart.
So this is your system starterkit.
The first is you need to setaside your weekly CEO hour to
work on your business.
The next is just start trying toimplement a really simple CRM
habit.
So this means entering all ofyour contacts and setting
follow-ups.
So start building that habit ofusing your CRM or even a

(13:06):
spreadsheet.
It could be as simple as aspreadsheet.
Um, or if your brokerageprovides a CRM, great, use that.
The next is coming up with yoursimple buyer-seller process
checklist.
And there are so many out there,but making your own buyer-seller
experience checklist is superimportant.
And part of that can includethose email templates that you

(13:27):
can work on.
The next is set a consistentmarketing rhythm.
Start with one thing, getconsistent at it, and then add
another thing.
Newer agents, and I meanhonestly, experienced agents
tend to really just bite offmore than they can chew.
And so getting consistent withone thing, let's just say it's
an email newsletter, really getconsistent with that, and then

(13:49):
add on maybe a monthly postcard,or maybe it's social media post.
But getting consistent on yourmarketing is super crucial to
building your systems.
And then maybe a post-closetouch point.
So this could be your thank youfor working with me, or like a
check-in after they move.
Um, but really getting somethingsystematized, so like getting it

(14:13):
so you're doing it consistently.
If you haven't like picked thisup, systems are really about
just being consistent.
Um, you do not need fancy.
So you don't have to necessarilyspend money, if at all, but it's
really just about making surethat it's easy to repeat your
process, like make it easy toshow up consistently.

(14:34):
Because once it is out of yourhead, that is when you can
actually scale it and you canstart really showing up on a
consistent basis.
All right.
So let's get into the fivequestions that I like to ask on
how we can fix something.
So pick one system thatfrustrated you the most this

(14:55):
year.
Let's just say it's your CRM.
So what actually broke?
Like what happened?
Did you just not use it?
Um, why did it break?
Why did that system break?
And just be honest, maybe it'slike you don't know how to use
it.
That is totally honest, and youneed some training.
What's the simplest fix?
You gotta get some training andactually start using it.
Maybe you can automate ortemplatize it.

(15:17):
So ask yourself, can I automatethis?
Can I templatize it?
And the fifth question is whatcan you delegate even if it's
just part of it?
Maybe there's someone you canoutsource your CRM to.
So the questions are whatactually broke?
Why did it break?
What's the simplest fix?
What can I automate ortemplatize?
And then what can I delegateeven if it's just a little part
of it?

(15:39):
Another example is clientupdates once they're under
contract, or listings onceyou've signed a listing
agreement and gone live.
So what broke?
There's no consistent clientupdates.
And why did it break?
You got busy.
You forgot.
You forgot.
That is honestly like a big one.
Um, what's the fix?
Add a weekly update reminder toyour calendar, like block a time

(16:02):
where you're just gonna get itdone.
Um, what can you automate ortemplatize?
Template it.
Have a template that youliterally just fill out, or you
could send it via email or avideo.
Um, and then what can youdelegate?
Maybe you could delegate this toyour TC if it's possible.
I know a lot of TCs will providethose weekly updates.
So this is how systems start.

(16:23):
They're simple, they'rerepeatable, they're realistic.
They are not necessarilycomplicated.
And I think that that is,whenever people hear systems,
they think, ugh, complicated,but it really is not.
So I have some homework for you.
Pick the most important systempriority that you have for Q1
and really dive into how you aregoing to fix it because it

(16:45):
really is just as simple aspicking one piece of your
business and making little babysteps and improving it.
I mean, I am like 22 yearsalmost into this business.
And I will tell you, I am alwaystweaking, always refining my
process.
But having a process to tweakand refine is where you are
going to get started.

(17:07):
Systems are here to support you,not necessarily stress you out.
And the more consistent and themore repeatable your business
becomes, the more it frees youup to do other things, whether
that's work on your business orhonestly just enjoy your life.
So let's go make 2026 moresmooth, more systematic, and

(17:29):
hopefully make you feel morelike the CEO of your business.