Many team leaders aren’t prepared for what’s coming. While economists and housing analysts continue to debate what’s next, the data are crystal clear: the days of easy deals and double-digit price gains are over in most markets. They might never come back.
The looming market slowdown — or full-blown recession, if you believe the doomsday pundits — will rattle even the most seasoned agents. If you are a team leader or broker, it can feel like an existential threat to your business. If you want not just to survive, but thrive, keeping your agents motivated should be your first, second and third goal as a manager.
To help, here are seven science-backed strategies to support your agents in staying motivated when leads and deals dry up.
1. Track and celebrate your agents’ small wins
The Science: The Harvard Business Review
Why it works: Real estate is a game of inches. The small weekly wins compound into big results. Every cold call, email send or postcard campaign might be the one that gets your agent to the closing table. When deals are scarce, focusing on closed deals can be frustrating for agents.
Instead, track and celebrate small weekly wins such as the number of cold calls made, contacts added to their CRM, or any other mission-critical win. Announce the winner each week in your sales meeting and reward them with a small gift, such as a bottle of wine or a Starbucks gift card.
2. Start a professional development reading group
The Science: American Educational Research Association
Why it works: Starting an office reading group accomplishes two key goals: it helps your agents hone their skills while also building a sense of community and camaraderie in your office. As any experienced manager will tell you, both are essential for keeping agents motivated.
You can read evergreen productivity or business classics, such as Atomic Habits by James Clear or Influence by Robert Cialdini, or real estate-specific books like Gary Keller’s The One Thing. Buy several copies on Amazon to lend out, thereby maximizing the number of agents who join the group. Then, schedule biweekly discussion sessions at a local coffee shop where agents can discuss what they have learned and how they might apply it to their businesses.
3. Lead by Example
The Science: Frontiers in Psychology
Why it works: Servant leadership, where managers focus on how they can help rather than how they can control, is a popular buzzword in management circles for good reason: it works. Almost all team leaders practice some form of servant leadership. After all, they have a direct financial interest in their agents’ success.
Team leaders who are in the trenches working with clients and handing them off to junior agents are far more effective motivators. This is partly why Mauricio Umansky, founder of The Agency, still regularly lists homes. The results speak for themselves. Mauricio’s team was ranked 15th in the nation by volume in our 2025 small team rankings.
4. Host team-building exercises or excursions
The Science: Small Group Research
Why it works: Teams that play together, stay together. The office friendships agents form on the job can be powerful motivators. It’s much easier to face setbacks with friends than alone. Of course, playing social matchmaker isn’t easy, which is why team-building exercises are so effective. They give your agents a safe space to vent, bond and grow as a team.
Trust falls at a local campground and whitewater rafting are the cliches, but the science shows they really do work. Many companies offer on-site team-building workshops, but you can achieve excellent results by running them yourself with a bit of research. Here are 45 ideas to get you started.
5. Highlight new market opportunities
The Science: Dr Ellen Langer
Why it works: Shifting your agents’ mindsets to focus on market opportunities that arise in market downturns can be a powerful motivator. Helping your agents see the opportunities that often come along with market downturns is a potent example of mindfulness, a well-studied psychology strategy that has proven benefits for focus, performance and motivation.
Distressed properties and pre-foreclosure leads are just two examples of potentially lucrative market niches agents can work during a downturn. Hire a broker or coach with experience working in these niches to help train your agents.
6. Have an open-door policy for agents who need your help
The Science: Harvard Business School
Why it works: Letting your agents know they can always reach out to you for help builds what psychologists call psychological safety. It’s a crucial building block for empowering your agents to take risks — a critical skill for thriving when leads are scarce.
Here are a few easy ways to create an open-door policy for your agents:
- Hold regular “office hours” when agents are encouraged to seek out your advice
- Give agents your cell phone number and encourage them to reach out over text, or a phone call — this is useful for agents who are rarely in the office
- Set aside the last ten minutes of your sales meeting for a Q&A with you or your managing broker
7. Run weekly in-office or online training
The Science: Mckinsey Why it works: Regular training from real estate coaches or top-producing agents is one of the most effective ways to motivate your agents. They give your agents actionable, practical strategies to work smarter, not harder. The best part? Even if they spend most of the session scrolling TikTok, your agents will have living proof that it’s possible not only to survive but thrive in a market downturn.
