How to get out of a sales slump (and win your next listing)
A practical reset plan when listings and momentum have stalled
When you're in a slump and wondering how to get yourself out of it, you don't need inspiration - you need direction.
If you're reading this, chances are you're in one of two places: You're doing the work - calls, door knocking, follow-ups - but nothing is sticking. Or you feel like you're busy, but not productive.
Either way, the worst thing you can do in a slump is drift.
When sales slow down, your brain fills the gap with stories: "The market's cooked" or "Other agents are getting all the listings" or "I'm doing everything I can."
This guide is designed to cut through that noise and give you a clear diagnostic framework. No hype. No false optimism. Just levers you can actually pull.
Step 1. Count the people you're actually contacting
The first question to ask - and the one most agents avoid - is this: How many people are you having a marketing connection with each week?
Phone calls and door-knocking are great. This is still a face-to-face business. But you need to be putting up massive numbers if you're relying solely on these methods.
Be prepared to door-knock 100-200 people a week and call 30-40 people a day, especially if you don't have much traction already. If you don't have any listings, lack a strong track record in your area, or you're a new agent starting out, understand that relying on only these two tools means you'll need to put in substantial work.
Most agents simply aren't doing that volume, especially when confidence is low. That's not a character flaw. It just means your activity mix is broken.
You need 4-5 listing activities, not one or two
A healthy listing pipeline is never built on one channel. The agents who stay consistent, even in tough markets, spread their effort across primary activities (high trust, low scale) and secondary activities (high scale, lower effort).
Ideally, any marketing plan to generate listings should have 4-5 activities working simultaneously.
Primary activities (do these weekly)
These are your relationship builders - and they matter, but they cap out fast:
10-20 face-to-face interactions per week. These could come from door knocking, meeting potential referrers for coffee, visiting previous clients to see how they're doing, or connecting with property managers, accountants, and local business owners who deal with buyers and sellers.
10-20+ phone calls per day. Call your database, past open home visitors, and potential vendors you've met. If you're running short on contacts, call withdrawn listings or use a tool like RPNZ to target specific streets. Do whatever it takes to find people to call.
For opening call scripts and ideas, check out this guide:
Andrew Duncan
Secondary marketing is where momentum comes from
If you're not busy, you must add leverage. You should be aiming for 500-1,000 secondary touches per week.
This includes emails, flyers in your farming area, posted newsletters, buyer letters, and text messages.
This is where most agents fall down. Not because it doesn't work, but because it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar.
Weekly email newsletter (non-negotiable)
If you have even a modest database of 300-500 people, you should be emailing every single week.
The email doesn't need to be fancy. It just needs to be useful, consistent, and positive.
Include:
- One or two recent sales (yours or your office's)
- A "buy of the week" - your favourite property currently on the market (doesn't have to be your listing)
- One Agent Monday Content Club article targeting sellers or investors
That's enough.
Printed marketing still works - if you do it right
If your database is small, print becomes more important.
A simple, effective rhythm: 400-500 flyers, every fortnight, same area.
Use an Agent Monday article on the front, recent sales on the back, and your details at the bottom. That's it.
You're not trying to win the listing today. You're trying to be remembered when the decision gets made.
For access to a pre-made Canva letterbox drop template and targeted homeowner content, check out this guide:
Andrew Duncan
Buyer letters: one of the fastest ways out of a slump
If you want movement, buyer letters are one of the most effective tools available.
The concept is simple: Take a motivated buyer you're working with, describe exactly what they're looking for, and send that message to homes that fit the criteria.
You can do this precisely using RPNZ or Property Guru - or you can do it broadly in your local area.
Even a basic version works: "We have a buyer looking for a home like yours. If you're considering selling, we'd love to talk."
It's old school. It's effective. And it targets people who are already halfway there.
Hint: It's the most effective direct mail tool I have ever seen. And I've been in this business for 23 years.
Remove the barriers you're hiding behind
Every agent in a slump has a list of reasons they can't do certain activities: "Email systems are too hard" or "I don't know how to design flyers" or "I'm not technical" or "I tried that once and it didn't work."
These are self-imposed barriers holding you back from reaching your potential.
Ask yourself: Who could help me solve this? What would this look like if it were simple? What happens after I solve this once?
Most of these problems, once solved, stay solved.
The legacy benefit of overcoming one barrier is immense. Once you set up an email newsletter process, imagine how busy you'd be with it going to 800 people every week - educating them, helping them make good real estate decisions, demonstrating proficiency, keeping your name front of mind.
Whatever the stumbling block, do what you need to do to get past it.
For more on overcoming tech barriers, check out this guide:
Andrew Duncan
Demonstrate proficiency everywhere
Staying in touch is not enough. People must believe you can get the job done.
If you don't have listings right now, that doesn't mean you can't demonstrate credibility.
If owners look you up online and see no listings, they'll question whether you can get them the best price for their home.
Counter this by ensuring every single marketing piece demonstrates proficiency:
- Flyers should feature recent office sales: "door-knocking"
- Emails should include recent sales and market insights
- When door-knocking, mention recent sales: "We just sold one around the corner. Would you like to know what it went for?"
Every flyer, email, conversation, and door knock should include something that shows competence.
If you don't have your own listings, leverage your office's sales. You're part of that team. If you can't leverage your office's success, you're in the wrong office.
Know your stats and work them into conversations:
Andrew Duncan
Mindset is not optional - even when it's hard
When sales dry up, confidence leaks out whether you want it to or not. The public can feel it.
And here's the brutal truth: People do not refer work to someone who sounds like they're struggling.
Consider every potential referrer in your marketplace. When someone in their family is thinking of selling, who do they want to hire? They want to refer to someone who's successful, enjoying their work, and eager for more business.
If your energy says "This market's tough" or "I'm finding it really hard" or "Nothing's selling" - you are quietly disqualifying yourself.
Reframe without lying
You don't need to bullshit people. You just need optimism.
"It's a challenging market, but there are still great opportunities. I'm working with some very motivated buyers right now."
That tone alone changes how people see you.
Embrace a positive mindset. Every person you meet is a potential client or referrer. When someone asks about the market, smile and find language that fits your personality:
"There are lots of opportunities. I can really see the market improving. We have fantastic buyers eager to find a house. If you know anyone thinking of selling, please let me know."
This attitude generates referrals. That energy will come through in all your meetings and appraisals, helping you win more business until things turn around.
Don't go into appraisals alone when confidence is low
When you're in a slump, listing opportunities feel heavy. You need them, which makes it harder to perform well.
This is the time to take your manager with you, or partner with a top agent and split the deal.
Yes, you earn less on that listing. But you dramatically increase your chance of getting it.
And one listing creates open homes, new database contacts, and more seller conversations. Work creates work. You just need to get that first one.
Practice before you perform
If you haven't done an appraisal in weeks or months, don't practice on the public.
Role-play with your manager, a colleague, or a real estate buddy. Run through price objections, commission questions, and "Why should we choose you?"
Every appraisal is worth thousands of dollars. Practising is not optional - it's commercial common sense.
When I was doing 5-10 appraisals a week, I became extremely good at those conversations. The more presentations I did, the more I converted into signed listings because I had practice.
If you haven't had recent practice, acknowledge that. Take someone along or role-play beforehand.
Go where the motivation already is
If you need listings quickly, start here:
Past clients
Your past clients already know, like, and trust you. Many are closer to selling than you think.
A simple check-in often reveals: "Funny you called - we've been thinking about selling in the new year. Can you come around?"
For past client check-in scripts, click here.
Opposition listings
One of the most underused sources of immediate opportunity.
Targeting opposition stock is a hugely untapped resource. While some agents have reservations, it's a fantastic way to secure business that's currently on the market, primed and ready to sell.
These owners have already tested the market at a higher price without success. The agent they currently have has likely lost interest and stopped making an effort. You can step in with fresh energy and a new approach.
If you target properties that have been on the market for nearly 90 days, you could have a listing within a week. Few other sources offer this kind of quick turnaround.
The real fix: contact more people, with better structure
Most slumps come down to one thing: not enough quality contact.
Set clear weekly targets:
- Increase your contact numbers. As a baseline, aim for 5-10 client meetings per week, 30-50 phone calls, and 500-1,000 secondary touches. More if you are in a hurry to succeed. Review in three months and increase if needed.
- Always demonstrate proficiency. People need to believe in your ability to get the job done.
- Protect your mindset. Be positive in all interactions with the public.
- Take your manager or a top agent with you to appraisal opportunities until you rebuild your confidence.
- Target opposition listings for quick commission opportunities.
Final thought
If you're in a rut, it doesn't mean you're bad at this job.
It means too few people know you, too few people are being reminded of you, and too few people understand how good you actually are.
That is fixable.
Increase volume. Increase leverage. Protect your mindset.
And remember: momentum always comes back to the agent who stays visible long enough for it to find them.
You know what you're doing. Owners are fortunate to have you sell their home. You just need to ensure more members of the public know who you are and what you're capable of.
Would you like a weekly accountability scorecard which you can personally use or share with your team to track progress? Simply reply to this email or contact 'andrew@agentmonday.co.nz'
