Eprofessor of Real Estate

How should I present a CMA so a seller actually reads it and trusts me? Build it around how that seller takes in information, not around what impresses you. Ask whether they want the big picture or the details, and bring the pages that fit.
Justin Letheby printed a 65-page color CMA from a new MLS tool and took it to a client who ripped through 97% of it and looked at about three pages. The client was an economics professor, a high C, and he wanted the data. This episode is what Justin learned from that: the CMA was built for him and the tool, not for the reader.
From there: why the CMA is no longer the hard part, why his own appointments are sometimes four or five pages ("not pretty, but extremely effective"), how each DISC style takes in information (D wants the point, I wants to talk, S wants the process, C wants the data), how AI can help build a version for each style while you decide what goes in, and how to pivot when you can see it isn't landing.
The leadership tip: leadership is influence, and it starts with understanding how someone takes things in. Ask before you assume. The one action: before your next CMA, ask the client how they like to look at information, the big picture or the details, and build around the answer.
For Realtors in their first three years.
Chapters
00:00 The CMA a client barely looked at
00:30 Why the CMA isn't the hard part anymore
01:34 Build it for the reader, not for yourself
01:55 How long should a CMA be? Sometimes four or five pages
02:51 The 65-page CMA and the three pages he read
05:06 What DISC showed me I had missed
07:20 How each DISC style takes in information
08:34 Using AI to tailor the CMA presentation
09:52 How to explain a CMA when it isn't landing
11:10 Leadership tip: ask before you assume
11:35 One action before your next CMA
12:22 The 90-Day Breakthrough

How do I get past imposter syndrome as a new realtor? You stop waiting to feel confident and start collecting proof. Confidence doesn't come first — proof does, and the feeling gets quieter once you've done the job.

Justin walks through why imposter syndrome shows up for almost every new real estate agent, the one distressed listing appointment that settled the question for him, and three things that actually help: collect proof instead of pep talks, trade bluffing for honesty, and stop going it alone.

In this episode:

- Why "why would they hire me?" is the most common thought in a new agent's first year, and what the research says about how widespread it is
- The NAR numbers that explain it: a median income of $8,000 for agents with two years or less, and a median age of 45 among newer members — most new agents are beginners again, not beginners for the first time
- The door-knocked neighborhood that turned into his first real listing appointment, and why he walked out knowing he was hired
- Using AI as a role-play partner before an appointment, and as the collector of proof you're too close to see — including the keynote he prepared for entirely on a 45-minute drive
- Why "fake it till you make it" doesn't survive this business, and the exact honest line to use instead
- The morning call block with four other agents, and what he learned sitting next to the biggest producer in the room
- Leadership tip: people don't need a different message, they need it from someone they know, like, and trust

Your action this week: write down three things you've done that a brand-new agent couldn't, then put yourself in one room with people further along than you.

For Realtors in their first three years.

## Chapters

```
00:00 Why would they hire me?
00:42 You're not the only one
01:53 Feeling new isn't proof you don't belong
02:20 I came in confident and still froze on the phone
04:37 The one transaction that changed everything
06:23 Collect proof, not a pep talk
07:14 AI as your role-play partner
08:28 Let AI collect the proof you can't see
09:47 Why "fake it till you make it" fails here
11:06 Don't go about this alone
12:01 The morning call block
13:18 What I learned sitting next to the power hitter
15:10 Subscribe
15:32 What if I really don't know enough?
15:59 Leadership tip: know, like, trust
16:26 Your action for the week
17:19 90-Day Breakthrough

What's the best lead source for a new realtor? It's the one you'll still be doing a year from now. Door knocking, cold calling, expireds, online leads — they all work. The difference is whether you have the energy to keep showing up long enough for it to pay off.
Justin Letheby has tried all of them, and this episode is what that taught him. Calls worked and still left him stressed, carrying stories in his head about bothering people. Door knocking worked, with his dog along as the conversation starter, until he got busy and paid someone else to drop the flyers — at which point it stopped working, because it wasn't him out there anymore. Online lead generation he's good at and still uses, and it buried him once when his systems couldn't keep up and the leads he referred out went nowhere.
The data underneath it, from NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers: 43% of buyers were referred by a friend, neighbor, or relative, 15% used an agent they'd worked with before, 67% of first-time and 76% of repeat buyers hire the first agent they talk to, and 80% of sellers contact only one agent. They don't hire the best agent. They hire the one they're talking to.
From there: how to pick by energy instead of hype, including the 40-year veteran whose network was the whole business; how to make a source repeatable with the same route, script, and follow-up; why most agents quit at month three or four right before it pays; and a prompt you can hand AI to find the pattern you're too close to see.
The leadership tip: leading yourself means managing your energy, not just your time. Discipline gets you started. Energy keeps you going.
For Realtors in their first three years.
Chapters
00:00 I tried them all, and they all work
00:32 How buyers actually pick an agent
00:54 They hire the one they're talking to
01:18 The best source is the one you'll still be doing
02:19 Why it takes about 12 months
03:05 The calls that worked and still stressed me out
03:58 Door knocking with my dog
05:16 I paid someone to drop my flyers, and it stopped working
05:45 Online leads, and the systems problem underneath
06:56 Pick by energy, not by hype
07:46 The 40-year veteran who never needed social media
08:47 Ask AI which one you'll actually keep doing
09:37 Same route, same script: why it sounds authentic
10:51 Give it 12 months, and keep the hard thing
11:47 Most people quit at month three
12:42 Leadership tip: manage your energy, not just your time
Links
Commit to one for the next 90 days: https://go.thejblteam.com/90-day-breakthrough-904795
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/rn8VJXqJBJo

What do I do when a client says they'll think about it? Treat it as fear of getting the decision wrong, not a no. Name what's behind the stall, narrow the options, and never let silence be the last word.
Justin Letheby had a client who kept saying "we're not ready yet." He gave them space, waited, and the next time he reached out they had gone with someone else. This episode is what he learned from that: the stall was never a no, and it was his job to help.
The research behind it: Dixon and McKenna analyzed 2.5 million sales conversations for The JOLT Effect and found 40 to 60% of lost deals weren't lost to a competitor but to no decision. In about 56% of those stalled deals, the buyer actually wanted to move forward. Most deals don't die from a no. They die from a maybe that nobody helped with.
From there, three moves: figure out what's behind the stall, using DISC (D's stall when the payoff isn't clear, I's when it gets slow or impersonal, S's under pressure, C's when the information is vague) and AI as a clarity check on the client's emails, never as the writer of your reply; give a recommendation and narrow the options, two listings instead of ten; and make it safer by never ending on silence, tying it to a story, and answering every question from a stalled client within a day.
The leadership tip: staying quiet when someone is stuck isn't respect, it's absence. Pressure pushes people toward your decision. Leadership helps them reach their own.
For Realtors in their first three years.
Chapters
00:00 "We're not ready yet" and the client who left
00:48 Why deals die from a maybe, not a no
02:33 What "I'll think about it" really means
03:28 The client I waited on too long
06:31 Figure out what's behind the stall (DISC)
08:43 Using AI to read a stalled client
09:34 Give a recommendation and narrow the options
10:53 Make it safer and never end on silence
12:52 Leadership tip: pressure versus leadership
13:56 The AI Starter Pack
Free AI Starter Pack, with the prompts: https://go.thejblteam.com/starter-pack

Why isn't AI recommending me when someone asks for a realtor in my area? Because AI recommends the agents it can explain, not the agents who are biggest. Clear, consistent, specific information beats years and volume, which is why a first-year agent can compete here.
Justin Letheby asked AI who the top real estate tech trainer in Illinois is. He's the tech guy. He wasn't on the list at all. This episode is what he found when he started asking AI why — including that he was doing good things but not necessarily the right things.
The numbers behind it: a Realtor.com representative said this summer that 82% of home shoppers are using AI in their home search, and a study of 334 ChatGPT questions across 197 markets found a median of six agents named per city, with bigger markets getting no longer a list. Six names, and no page two.
From there, the five things he's testing: get your information into the two places AI actually looks, your website and your Google Business Profile; say the same thing on every platform, including the listings you didn't create; make reviews descriptive enough to be usable; build an FAQ page and a blog, because answer engine optimization means these tools are hunting for answers; and fix the back end of your site, meaning schema markup, meta tags, page descriptions, and your sitemap. Plus the prompt that tells you where you stand: ask AI why it picked the agents it picked, then ask why it didn't pick you.
The leadership tip: when he wasn't on the list, the easy move was to blame the tool. Comparison asks why them and not me. Curiosity asks what they're doing that I'm not.
For Realtors in their first three years.
Chapters
00:00 I'm the tech guy and AI didn't list me
00:52 AI is the new search engine for Realtors
01:19 Six agents per city: what the study found
02:01 AI recommends the agents it can explain
03:39 What I found when I asked AI why
05:21 SEO isn't enough: AEO and GEO explained
05:42 Should you still be on Zillow and Realtor.com?
06:08 Where AI actually looks: your site and Google Business
07:33 Say the same thing everywhere
08:28 Reviews that are specific enough to use
09:20 Why you need an FAQ page and a blog
10:08 Schema, meta tags, and your sitemap
11:25 Ask AI why it picked them, and why not you
11:54 Leadership tip: comparison versus curiosity
12:41 Your one action this week
Links
Free AI Starter Pack, with the prompts: https://go.thejblteam.com/starter-pack

Sources
Omni Eclipse, 2026 Real Estate AI Search Report (334 ChatGPT responses across 197 markets, April–May 2026): https://omnieclipse.ai/blog/real-estate-ai-search-report-2026
82% of home shoppers using AI in their home search: stated by a Realtor.com representative at a July 2026 training session.
Justin Letheby, The JBL Team. Leading Forward Together.

How do I get my team to actually buy into my vision? You let their vision change yours. A vision that only ever runs in one direction, yours to them, never becomes a team. It stays an audience.

Justin Letheby starts with the leadership role he was sure his degree had earned him, and didn't get. He was stuck on the first of John Maxwell's five levels, Position, with none of the relationships or results behind it. Years later, chairing a volunteer technology committee, he pitched a run of 30-minute tech videos. The team bought the vision but not the execution, so he listened, and they built one-minute tech tips instead. That worked, and the 30-minute videos followed a couple of years later.

From there: why most leaders inherit a vision rather than set one and have to carry it down, what the volunteer president's chair taught him about getting past the congratulations and back to work, how to build the right team at the right time instead of delegating to people who already agree with you, and why you cannot get bigger than yourself alone. Plus an AI tip: hand your vision to AI and ask it to challenge you and be the "no" person before you take it to the room.

The leadership tip: believing something isn't a problem, carrying it alone is.

For Realtors, broker owners, association leaders, and small business owners.

## Chapters

00:00 I thought the degree earned me the job
00:57 The committee, and the 30-minute videos I pitched
01:25 They bought the vision, not the execution
02:15 One-minute tech tips: what the team built instead
03:09 Stuck at level one: the title
04:29 Other people were more qualified, and that's fine
04:58 Most leaders inherit the vision, not set it
06:01 Two lessons: the title, and making it about them
06:28 Speaking gets less scary when you care more
06:57 What the president's chair taught me
07:52 A day to celebrate, then back to work
09:36 You cannot get bigger than yourself alone
10:32 The right people at the right time
11:26 A one-way vision isn't a team, it's an audience
11:52 AI tip: make it your critical thinking partner
12:48 Leadership tip: carrying it alone is the problem

In this episode Justin shares a personal story about buying powerful marketing software he never used and the costly lessons that followed. He explores why tools can become crutches, the importance of focus and follow-through, and how AI can expose weaknesses in your systems.

Justin gives practical advice: pick one tool and commit to it, ensure it solves a real communication or business problem, build systems before buying tech, and lead yourself and your team through the boring work after the initial excitement fades.

 

Free AI Starter Pack: https://go.thejblteam.com/starter-pack
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/cUGhcTTbzAM

Why do I set goals every year and never hit them? Because the runway is too long. Shorten it to 90 days, pick the one action that moves the needle, and you find out fast whether your systems work.

In this episode, Justin Letheby shares his own path with 90-day goal setting: from office goal sheets he filled out as a checkbox, to Think and Grow Rich with the John Maxwell Team, to the 12 Week Year, to the 90-Day Breakthrough he built for himself and his coaching clients. He covers how to choose the one thing for the next quarter, why you should evaluate yourself on what you control rather than conversions, why motion beats motivation, and how to use AI as a critical thinking partner to get clear on your goals and the systems behind them.

Two takeaways to carry into your next quarter: a shorter timeframe creates results and reveals how good your systems really are, and you are only going to be as good as your goals are clear.

For Realtors, broker owners, association leaders, and small business owners who are tired of setting goals that never land.

## Chapters

00:00 Why goals get set and never hit
01:00 My story: goal sheets, Think and Grow Rich, and a runway that was too long
03:34 Discovering the 12 Week Year and building the 90-Day Breakthrough
04:47 Why a 90-day horizon keeps you focused
07:01 Pick the one action that moves the needle
07:53 Evaluate what you control, not conversions
08:50 Short horizons reveal your systems
09:19 Motion is lotion: don't wait for motivation
10:54 Using AI as a critical thinking partner for your goals
11:46 Leadership tip: shorter timeframes and clearer goals
14:06 Aim too low and hit: goals that make your toes tingle
14:51 Tell me your goal

You don’t need another tool.
You need better judgment.

In this episode, Justin Letheby breaks down why so many professionals feel overwhelmed by software, AI, and “the next big thing” — yet still feel stuck. Drawing from a real story early in his real estate career, Justin explains the difference between tools that move your business forward and tools that simply make you feel productive.

This is a practical, honest conversation about:
• Tools vs. crutches
• Why busy isn’t the same as productive
• How to decide what technology actually belongs in your business
• And how to think more clearly before buying your next platform

If you’ve ever felt buried under tech but underwhelmed by results, this episode is for you.

Most agents think the only way to hit bigger goals is to work longer hours. But what if the real answer isn’t hustle—it's structure?

In this episode, Justin shares how real estate professionals can double their production without doubling their workload. Through smarter planning, systems, and energy management, you can scale your business and protect your sanity.

In This Episode:

• Why Most Realtors Burn Out

  • They chase “more” with more hours, not more strategy

  • Everything feels urgent, so nothing gets done

  • No systems to track and manage progress

• Justin’s 4-Step Framework to Doubling Without Burnout

  1. Shift Your Mindset – Stop asking how to work more. Start asking how to work smarter.

  2. Use 90-Day Sprints – Apply the 12-Week Year model to create urgency and clarity.

  3. Systematize with Tech & AI – Automate follow-up, daily prospecting, and review routines using CRMs and AI tools.

  4. Protect Your Energy – Schedule regular rest: weekly days off, monthly weekends, and yearly vacations to recharge and avoid burnout.

The Challenge:
Take your current 90-day goal, imagine doubling it, and then ask:
“What would need to change in my systems, not my hours, to make that possible?”

Call to Action:
Justin invites you to:

• Join his upcoming Goal Planning Webinar for a step-by-step 90-day planning session

• Stay tuned for the launch of the Real Estate Success Blueprint, a complete system for building a scalable, stress-free business

Final Thought:
You don’t double your success by pushing harder—you do it by getting clear, getting focused, and building smarter systems that serve your goals and your life.