If you're feeling worn down by 2025, you are so very not alone. If you're thinking, this feels weird, what is happening? so are a lot of other agents. Let's talk about some of the factors tripping people up this year, and what you can do to set yourself up success in the coming months.

 

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Mortgage rates are hovering around 6.5-7% these days, well above the sub-3% rates of 2021. To the surprise of no one, that is a pretty big deterrent to potential buyers. Why trade in your nice pandemic-era rate for one twice as high? So now, in what would normally be the busy season, things are quiet. Some experts do expect rates to moderate, closer to 6%, later in the year, but until rates actually dip, the holding pattern continues.

 

For much of the past year, the market’s big problem was a lack of inventory. Signs show this is gradually improving. As supply increases (thanks to new construction and sellers slowing gaining confidence), home prices are calming down a bit. After years or 10-20% price jumps, home prices are balancing out: they’re starting to keep pace with people’s income levels. That means fewer bidding wars, and more breathing room for buyers. Which is good for the market in the long run, but it will take many agents time to adjust to a calmer market than they’re used to.

 

The overall US economy is gaining some positive momentum. Inflation is easing up a bit, job growth is slow but steady, and consumer incomes are rising. We’re coming to an inflection point: a housing rebound is plausible, assuming that rates relent.

 

All of which is to say, we’re set for improvement. But that doesn’t mean real estate agents can feel it yet. It might feel like you’re working twice as hard for half the results. Of course that’s discouraging. That’s why Q3 is so important. This is your time to build momentum going into Q4 and Q1 of 2026.

 

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Your effort now will shape your winter. You need to plant seeds now if you want to harvest them later.

 

Change is coming for the real estate market this year. The smart agents will get ahead of it, not lag behind.

 

This is the time when many agents disengage or slow down in their business. Frustration, distraction, the holidays: there are a million reasons why people tend to coast through the end of the year. Take that opportunity to be proactive and fill that empty space.

 

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Nurture your relations, double-down on lead generation and sphere cultivation. Stay visible, stay present, stay top-of-mind. 

 

Work on your business itself. Take time to pull weeds, and water and fertilize any of those crops you’ve forgotten. Update your CRM, refresh your marketing materials and your website, check things off that “for later” to-do list, spend time sharpening your skills. Organize, plan, and make sure the seeds you plant have what they need to thrive.

 

Your crops will not tend to themselves. Inaction now = no paychecks later. But momentum compounds. Keep watering, keep weeding, keep fertilizing. Every day. Future you will thank you for it.

 

By the time the snow flies, you want to have active clients in your pipeline. That will be a huge stress relief to you. Every future commission check has to start in Q3. So show up consistently. Even if potential clients aren’t ready to move forward for several months yet, position yourself as their agent now.

 

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And in the midst of all of this, don’t neglect your mindset. Positive momentum starts with a positive mindset. So:

 

 

 

 

 

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Sources & further reading:

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