7 signs your business is thriving (even when the market isn’t)

During challenging markets, it’s easy to wonder if your business is progressing or underperforming. But success leaves clues, and they’re not always found in the metrics you usually track.

Momentum isn’t about feeling busy; it’s about being intentional. These seven checkpoints will help you see where you’re winning, where you’re falling short and what you can modify to build a business that compounds over time.

1. You’re beating the market’s pace

You can’t control the number of homes sold in your market. But you can compare your production to your local market’s performance. For example: If your market is down 10 percent in transactions year-over-year, and your business is only down 5 percent, you’re winning. If your market is flat and you’re up 10 percent, you’re gaining serious ground.

Start this evaluation by utilizing MLS to see how many transactions there have been in your local market year-to-date. Then look back to see how many transactions there were in your local market for the same time frame last year. Using these numbers, calculate the year-over-year percentage change for your local market. Then, do the same for your personal transaction count.

If your personal production is outperforming the local market trend, your business is growing, even if it doesn’t feel like it is. Your market trendline gives context, but your business trendline tells the real story.

2. Your database is growing and engaged

The biggest indicator of future business is a healthy, growing and engaged database. This goes beyond collecting contacts. Are you consistently adding new people? Are those people receiving relevant updates? And are they interacting with your content? These are the real metrics of a growing and engaged database.

Every homeowner in your database should receive property updates when homes similar to theirs come on the market, go under contract or are sold. Every buyer should be getting alerts when homes come on the market that meet their criteria. And everyone should be receiving valuable, relevant info from you consistently.

Try this: Send a “Deal of the Week” email every week with a subject line like “[Your Area] Deal of the Week.” Include a compelling property and bullet points that highlight its appeal. Ask recipients to reply if they want full details. No address, no link, just bullet points of highlights. The ones who respond are raising their hands as potential buyers.

If your database is growing and you’re creating engagement, you’re setting the stage for continued business growth.

3. You have more than 2 consistent lead sources

One lead pillar is risky. Two is better. Three or more? That’s a business that can weather anything. If all your leads come from one platform or one strategy, you’re vulnerable to algorithm shifts, market changes or being priced out of that source of leads. Diversification is the secret to stability.

Some examples:

• Online leads
• Geographic farming
• Open houses
• Sphere and past clients
• Social media content
• Agent-to-agent referrals
• Direct mail campaigns

Think of lead sources like table legs. The more you have, the more stable your business will be. If you don’t have more than two consistent lead channels working, now’s the time to build them. Start with what plays to your strengths and commit to consistency.

4. You have 15+ online reviews

In today’s review economy, social proof sells. If a prospective buyer or seller Googles your name, what shows up? Make sure your Google Business Profile is fully built out and optimized. Then, consistently ask for reviews from past clients. 

Here’s a simple script:

“Everything in my business is built on trust. If you’d be willing to leave a Google review, it would mean the world to me. Here’s the link — thank you!”

Follow up. Make it easy. Consider a small thank-you gift. Your goal: 15-plus five-star reviews. That’s the tipping point where you have the ability to stand out, and buyers start trusting you before they ever meet you.

5. Over 50% of your business comes from listings

Buyers may keep you busy, but listings build your business. Listings give you leverage. They generate sign calls, online leads and neighborhood visibility. They keep you in control of your time. And they fuel long-term growth.

If more than half of your business comes from listings, you’re not just an agent; you’re building a business.

So ask yourself:

• Are you farming consistently?
• Are you creating seller-focused content?
• Are you positioned as a listing specialist in your market?

Shifting your focus from buyers to listings creates compound momentum. It’s the difference between chasing clients and attracting them.

6. You have a dialed-in system for buyers and sellers

Great agents don’t wing it. They follow a process. And they communicate their value clearly. Do you have a polished buyer presentation? One that explains your value, sets expectations and gets signatures?

Do you have a repeatable, practiced listing presentation that positions you as the obvious choice? If not, start there. Build scripts. Practice your delivery. Record yourself, and watch it back. Create a repeatable system you can refine over time.

A systemized agent is a scalable agent. And it’s a clear marker of someone playing above the average.

7. Closings are turning into repeat and referral clients

It’s not just about closing deals. It’s about creating raving fans. If every client you close disappears from your radar, you’re leaving future business on the table. But if you have a system for post-close follow-up, you’re planting seeds that will bloom for years.

Do you:

• Thank clients in a meaningful and personal way for their business?
• Stay in touch and continue to provide value after the sale?
• Invite them to community or client appreciation events?

One closing should turn into three. That’s how top agents build compound momentum and stay above average year after year.

You don’t need to hit all seven to know you’re making progress. But if you’re checking most of these boxes, you’re building a real estate business that’s designed to thrive.

So track the trends. Measure the metrics. And if you find a gap now, you know exactly where to focus. The market doesn’t determine your trajectory. Your systems, consistency and intentionality do. These are the signs you’re not just in real estate. You’re running a business that’s getting better every day.