Pop quiz! When someone asks “How’s the market?” do you launch into interest rates and inventory stats, or do you paint a picture of what’s actually possible for them right now? Your answer to that question is either filling your pipeline or killing it, and we’re breaking down exactly why.

In this episode, Chelsea and Kayla discuss the most underrated (and completely free) marketing tool you have: your words. Because the way you talk about your business, the market, and real estate in general is literally shaping whether people want to work with you or run in the opposite direction.

The Summer I Turned Pretty Finale Recap (Because We Had To)

Of course we’re starting here. Would it even be an episode if we didn’t?

So Conrad went to Paris, had his little emotional awakening, and he and Belly finally realized they don’t owe anyone an explanation; they can just be together.

Steven and Taylor got together (we called it, by the way). And somehow Jeremiah became this world-renowned chef, which felt a little rushed, but when you jump ahead months like they did, you lose some things.

Chelsea was Team Jeremiah for seasons 1 and 2, then switched to Team Conrad in season 3, which made watching the finale very confusing. But ultimately, the Conrad soulmate thing just made more sense. He’s more mature, fits Belly’s personality better, and Jeremiah was out there making out with random girls to handle his sadness, which… everyone’s different, we guess???

Overall, we were satisfied with the ending. We’re so glad Belly didn’t end up alone or with that guy from Paris. That would have been unforgivable!

How the Words You Use Are Shaping Your Reality and Business

The words you use matter. Like, really matter. And not in a manifestation, woo-woo kind of way (though we’re not against that). We’re talking about the actual psychological impact your words have on your outlook, your clients’ decisions, and your bottom line.

It’s called the mere exposure effect. When you start telling yourself things like “the market’s really hard” or “no one’s buying right now” or “there are just so many agents, it’s so saturated,” that becomes your truth. Your brain starts looking for evidence to validate it.

You notice the negative. You reinforce the negative. And then you project the negative onto everyone around you.

But if you flip it, if you start telling yourself things like “someone woke up today with questions I can answer” or “there are people who would consider buying if they knew these offers existed,” all of a sudden you’re noticing opportunities everywhere. You overhear someone at lunch talking about moving. Your friend mentions they’re thinking about selling. Your brain is wired to find what you’re looking for.

Stop Reinforcing the Negative (The NAR Settlement Post That Never Should Have Happened)

Remember when the NAR settlement happened last year and every agent wanted to post about it?

Chelsea was basically screaming into the void: please don’t post about that!

Here’s why. The general public knew very little about it. If they heard anything, it was vague and probably a little concerning. But for most people, it wasn’t even on their radar. And as agents, our intention was good — we wanted to clarify, to explain, to show the positive side of it.

But what actually happened was that agents brought attention to something that created skepticism. For someone quickly scrolling through Instagram, all those posts did was make them think, “Ooh, that feels a little scary. I’m gonna stay away from that right now.”

Regardless of the market, regardless of any lawsuit or headline, how can we show up as the leader who says, “I’m here to help you”? Not “the market’s a mess and here’s why you should be scared.”

Speak Their Language, Not Real Estate Robot

People talk a TON about real estate. Once you hit 25 and up, your life becomes: Are you a Sam’s Club or Costco member? When did you buy your first house? What’s your rate locked in at?

In your marketing and in real life, how are you responding and leading that conversation? Because even if they’re not specifically asking you a question, they’re waiting for you to speak up. They want your insight.

So when someone says, “How’s the market?” and you respond with, “Yeah, it’s really hard right now” — how do you think that makes them feel? It verifies their fears. It tells them to stay put. They’re not going to sell their house, even though they hate it.

You teach people how to talk about your business by the words you choose.

Let’s look at an example. If someone owns a candle business and the economy isn’t great, they could think, “Well, who’s going to buy candles right now? It’s not an essential item.” Or they could market it as: “While you’re staying home and trying to spend less money, make your home feel cozy and like a safe place.” That triggers completely different emotions and can actually prompt people to buy.

It’s all in how you phrase it.

Also, we see many agents using industry jargon that no one else uses, like, “I love referrals!” But guess what? In real life, no one says, “I have a referral for you.” They say, “I told my friend to call you.” So why are we using this fancy word that’s not even super clear? Most of the general public probably thinks a referral is agent-to-agent, not client-to-agent.

Using their words gives you so much more clarity. It’s speaking their language, which makes them stop scrolling and think, “Wait, what is this? This is for me.”

The same goes for how you talk about your listings. Instead of saying, “This is a 1,300-square-foot, three-bedroom home,” say, “This is a great starter home” or “Finally get into this community for only this much a month.” When you say things like, “This is the best kitchen for hosting birthday parties in your home” instead of just “the kitchen’s been remodeled,” you’re painting a picture of the lifestyle. You’re making it about them.

Permission Slip Marketing vs. Guilt-Trip Content

Chelsea did a post a while back that said something like, “It’s okay if you’re still renting.” And members always tell us that people love those posts because there’s no pressure. You’ve seen all the posts that say things like “You’re paying someone else’s mortgage” or content that makes someone feel bad for their current situation.

Content that makes someone feel bad doesn’t work as well as content that makes someone feel good.

If you can make someone feel good now, even if they’re going to keep renting for a year or two, they’re way more likely to refer their friend to you than the agent who made them feel guilty. It’s not like anyone’s thinking, “I can’t wait to keep paying someone else’s mortgage.” No one wants to do that. But they do want to see what’s possible for them. They want you to meet them where they’re at.

The Sticky Words That Make People Remember You

If you can come up with a really short, sticky way to describe what you do and use those words over and over again, people will start associating those words with you.

Instead of saying, “I’m a real estate agent,” what if you said: “Buying a home can feel overwhelming, complicated, or stressful. I guide you through every step so you feel confident and at peace with your decision.”

Now, you’re not going to walk up to someone at a party and say all of that. But what you could do is pull out those two words (confidence and peace) and use them everywhere in your marketing. In your buyer emails. In your Instagram captions. On your website.

“I help you buy with confidence through these steps.”

“I help you feel at peace with your decision.”

“I help you understand and navigate the market so you’re not overwhelmed.”

When you use those words consistently, they become associated with working with you. And that makes people less likely to say, “Well, what does Bob over here charge to list my house?” Instead, they think, “No, I want to feel confident. I want to feel at peace. That’s what Chelsea gives me.”

It’s how you give people the words to say about you when they refer you.

How to Write Calls to Action That Actually Work

The last words people hear determine if they act.

So whether it’s the last thing you say in a reel, the last thing in a video, or the PS of your email (and yes, the power of a PS in an email is real; people scroll and see it first), you need to give people a clear call to action.

Weak call to action examples:

• “Let me know if you ever need anything.”
• “Let me know if you’re looking to buy or sell.”
• “I’m here if you need me.”

These are the death of your business!

Strong call to action examples:

• “DM me the word GUIDE and I’ll send you five things you need to know before buying.”
• “DM me the word SHOWING and I’ll send you my seller prep checklist that shows you exactly what to do to make this easy.”
• “All you have to do to get started is schedule a 15-minute mini consult with me on Zoom. No obligation. Comment the word CONSULT and I’ll send you details.”

See the difference? It breaks it down, makes it bite-size and doable.

Kayla’s favorite example of this is from Donald Miller. He spoke at a college class, got up on stage, and said, “Okay, I want everyone to grab your stuff and follow me.” Everyone followed him outside, all the way out of the building to the sidewalk. He stood by the corner, and as everyone gathered, there was a little box there. He stood on the box, pulled out a megaphone, and said, “People will go where you tell them to go. Let’s go back inside.” And they all went back inside.

It is that simple. People aren’t buying from you because you’re not telling them to. People aren’t hiring you to list their house or buy their house because you haven’t said, “Hire me.”

You’ve spent time on your business, you’ve spent time on your systems, you know the market, you’ve done your homework, and you know you’re able to provide a great service.

When that’s true, it’s so much easier to tell people to hire you. Kayla remembers when she first started, looking at people and thinking, “Well, they could hire someone else, but honestly, I know I can help them the most. I know they’re going to want to talk to me when they get negative feedback on their house. They’re going to want to talk to me when something comes up with an inspection. They would rather talk to me and get my encouragement versus someone else.”

When you know that you have the answer for somebody, you tell them. If someone says, “Oh my gosh, my dog won’t stop chewing on this,” and you have a product that helped your dog, you’re going to tell them. That’s just how it is.

You have to get confidence in yourself. Tell yourself that you are the right agent for people. You do have something valuable to offer, and they are going to be very grateful that they hired you. When you believe that and say it to yourself, it’s going to be so much easier to put it out there. And then people are going to sense that confidence.

Your Five-Filter Checklist for Better Marketing Words

Before we wrap this up, here’s your little checklist for making these word shifts. Use this as a filter when you’re adjusting your bio, your website, your email campaigns, your Instagram captions… anywhere!

1. Benefits before features.

Think about this in house terms: “You’ll finally have room to host both sides of the family at Christmas” versus “Four-bedroom, three-bath.” For your business, what’s the benefit of working with you? What is someone going to get as a result of hiring you?

2. Value, not price.

Focus on the transformation. If you’re talking about getting on your email list or downloading a free resource, why would they want that? What’s the value?

3. Show, not tell.

Paint a picture of the result. Use your Instagram Stories to show little clips of what it’s like to work with you. “Here’s what I told my client today.” “Here’s what I texted my seller.” “Here’s how I put out this fire.” “This is what my client said about me.” These are little reminders of what it’s like to work with you.

4. Emotion over logic.

People buy with emotion. They want that house because they want more room for their family, or they want a dog, or they want to paint the walls purple. They don’t want it because interest rates are X percent. Lead with the emotion.

5. You, not I.

Make your ideal client the hero, not yourself. Not “Call me if you’re looking to buy or sell” or “I know real estate.” Instead, frame it around them. Even just using the word “you” in your content is powerful. Amazon does this so well: “Book recommendations for you based on what you previously read.”

So instead of thinking you need to do another round of postcards or come up with a new pop-by for Halloween or plan an in-person event, maybe you pause and think, “You know what? I’m going to start saying it this way.”

Report back and tell us how it worked for you. It might take a little bit for people to catch on, but the more you repeat these phrases and explain things this way, we know it’ll have a huge impact on your bottom line.

Words are free, but they can cost you everything. So choose them wisely!

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.