In this episode, Eric Thompson interviews John Zickert about how he has grown his real estate team while staying true to Ninja Selling principles. John shares how his team increased production from $55.6M and 120 transactions in 2024 to $66.6M and 151 transactions in 2025, not by chasing new tactics, but by becoming more consistent with the Ninja Nine, improving team alignment, and deepening their commitment to value-driven relationships.

John explains the structure of his team, the role clarity within it, and the "definitive purpose" that guides everything they do: to create value for others. He walks through their flow systems, including newsletters, postcards, local business highlights, client appreciation events, personal notes, and a thoughtful weekly team meeting rhythm. He also discusses how coaching, business planning, mindset habits, and consistency have helped him become more purposeful as a leader.

The episode is ultimately about building a team the Ninja way: with strong mindset, simple but consistent actions, community focus, and a commitment to people over shiny objects.

• A strong team starts with a clear purpose. John's team filters decisions through one simple idea: Does this create value? That clarity helps them stay aligned and avoid distractions.Growth often comes from consistency, not reinvention.Their 20% year-over-year growth did not come from a major new initiative. It came from doing the fundamentals more consistently over time.

• Flow works best when it is both personal and valuable. Their newsletters, postcards, local-love features, Z Crew events, and handwritten notes are all designed to genuinely serve clients and community, not just market to them.

• Great team meetings are intentional. John's weekly team meeting includes gratitude, word-of-the-year reflection, pipeline review, marketing updates, Ninja teaching, idea sharing, and a positive close. It is designed to build both culture and clarity.

• Mindset is still the foundation. John credits much of his success to a disciplined morning routine built around gratitudes, affirmations, life-list review, reading, exercise, and meditation. For him, mindset is non-negotiable.

Memorable Quotes

• "If we focus on creating value, we'll have all the business we need."

• "Anything we do in our business meetings—if it's not going to create value, we're not doing it."

• "We'd rather do the Ninja Nine 85% of the time than try to do it 100% of the time and only hit 50%."

• "We're very careful not to look for the new shiny object."

• "That morning mindset is so critical. It just keeps me focused."\

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/
• John Zickert: https://jonzickert.realestateone.com/vp/AgentServlet?SITE=REO&tp_Usage=AgentPersonalWeb&context=AGENT_PAGE&cd_Agent=289214&cd_Web=jonzickert&REQUEST_HOST=jonzickert.realestateone.com

Rob Nelson and Eric Thompson break down one of the most repeated phrases in Ninja Selling: "Flow fixes everything." The discussion begins with a question from a new Ninja who wondered what Auto-Flow really is and where to start. Rob and Eric use that question to explain how flow works and why it is essential to becoming the Realtor of choice.

Flow simply means frequency of interaction. In Ninja there are two types: Live Flow and Auto-Flow. Live Flow is two-way communication, such as conversations, calls, meetings, and personal interactions. Auto-Flow is one-way communication, such as emails, newsletters, postcards, social media posts, or gifts that go out automatically. Both play different but complementary roles. Live Flow deepens relationships and builds trust, while auto flow maintains visibility and demonstrates expertise when you are busy or not actively connecting.

They also explain the concept of the decision window. People often think about buying or selling real estate for 9 to 21 months, but they typically choose their agent in just 1 to 3 days. The agent who has been most consistently in flow during that period becomes the natural choice. Because most people know multiple Realtors, consistent flow is what separates the professional who gets the call from the one who is forgotten.

The episode closes with a simple framework for implementing Auto-Flow. Three value-add touches per month, typically two digital and one print, mixing both art (heart-focused touches) and science (market expertise). When combined with Live Flow, this system keeps you top of mind and reinforces both your relationship and your professional credibility.

Flow means frequency of interaction and is the mechanism that keeps you top of mind

Live Flow builds relationships while Auto-Flow maintains visibility and expertise

The real estate decision window is extremely short even though the buying process is long

Three value-add touches per month, combining art and science, create a simple auto flow system

Auto-Flow should support relationships rather than replace live interactions

Authentic communication always works better than generic marketing

Real Estate Reviews are a powerful tool because they convert Auto-Flow into Live Flow conversations

Only 6% of agents consistently stay in flow after a transaction.

"Flow fixes everything."

"People on average know twelve realtors."

"Live Flow builds the relationship. Auto-Flow maintains the presence."

"You're either visible or invisible."

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/

Rob Nelson and Peter Parnegg explore the idea that fun should not be the reward for success but the fuel for it. The conversation begins with Peter sharing a 30 year life list goal he is about to achieve, a father son heli skiing trip in British Columbia. That story opens a broader discussion about how many professionals postpone joy until "someday" while building businesses that quietly consume their lives.

Rob and Peter suggest that fun requires intention and planning. If it is not scheduled, work will always take its place. They contrast bucket list thinking, which often waits until later in life, with life list thinking, which prioritizes meaningful experiences now. The episode also connects fun to productivity, arguing that energy, presence, and joy improve performance rather than distract from it. Whether through small daily moments or major life list experiences, the message is clear: success should include a life you are actively enjoying, not just building.

Fun should be treated as fuel for success rather than something postponed until later

Meaningful experiences require intention and scheduling or work will consume the time

Small joyful moments can be just as powerful as big life list events

Energy and consciousness are the most important professional tools and fun helps renew both

"What if fun is actually the fuel for success?"

"Fun requires intention."

"Happiness is not the result of a sale. A sale is a result of happiness."

"When there's that moment of should we do it or not, the answer is yes."

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/

In this episode, Eric Thompson interviews Ryan Craig of Traverse City, Michigan, along with his Ninja Coach Mark Johnson, to explore a powerful transformation: pivoting from a cold lead centric business to a relationship based Ninja business. Ryan previously ran a high pressure lead generation operation with a large team and roughly 35,000 dollars per month in overhead, including about 10,000 dollars per month spent on cold internet leads. The model produced transactions, but it also created constant stress, fragmented attention, and a life where Ryan was physically present with his family but mentally tied to the phone.

After discovering Ninja Selling while listening to the book with his wife, Ryan realized there was a different way to build a real estate career, one centered on relationships rather than relentless lead conversion. In 2025 he fully committed to the Ninja approach with coaching support from Mark Johnson. The result was dramatic: Ryan produced 722,000 dollars in gross commission income from 47 transactions and 34 million in volume, while simultaneously reducing his monthly overhead by about 25,000 dollars.

Ryan credits the transformation to mindset, structure, and consistent implementation of the Ninja Nine habits. Instead of chasing cold leads, he began focusing on handwritten notes, proactive relationship calls, gratitude, and intentional conversations with people who already knew and trusted him. Mark helped him slow down, eliminate unnecessary commitments, and prioritize meaningful interactions over constant activity. The shift not only improved his income but restored balance in his life, allowing him to be present with his wife and five children. Ryan's story illustrates how focusing on relationships, consistency, and purpose can produce both better business results and a better life.

Cold lead generation can create a false sense of productivity while increasing stress and reducing meaningful relationships

High overhead business models often hide the true cost of lead driven systems

Pivoting to a sphere based business dramatically increases income per hour and reduces overhead

Relationship calls feel very different from cold lead calls because the trust already exists

Handwritten notes and proactive conversations create compounding opportunities

Consistent Ninja Nine habits create momentum and confidence

Coaching provides clarity, accountability, and perspective during major business transitions

Slowing down can actually accelerate growth by focusing energy on the right activities

Addition through subtraction is often the fastest way to improve both life and business

Fragmentation and constant responsiveness create anxiety, while proactive systems restore control

Real estate success does not require working constantly, it requires working intentionally

Relationships that already exist are often the most overlooked source of business

"I bought the book for my wife and it turned out to be mine."

"The cold lead style of business is an illusion."

"You can only go so far before you run out of gas."

"I felt like a robot being told where to go and what to do."

"My kids would try to tell me about their day and I'd hold up one finger and say one more minute."

"I realized 87 percent of my business had always come from people I knew."

"My phone used to ring nonstop. Now it hardly rings at all."

"I used to feel fragmented. Now everything feels intentional."

"Addition through subtraction changed everything."

"The more things I cut out, the more the right things showed up."

"Doing the work consistently is what made the difference."

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/
• Ryan Craig: https://www.christiesrealestate.com/us/real-estate-agents/ryan-craig/32877/

In this bonus episode, we're sharing a recording from our live Ninja Sales Meeting, held the first Monday of every month, after many of you asked to hear these sessions on the podcast.

Peter Parnegg delivers an energizing and practical message focused on one core idea: if you want to quickly build your business, master the subtle skills that create real connection.

Drawing on insights from Sarah Blakely and the Ninja principles, Peter explores how entrepreneurship exposes our fears and how many of us avoid live conversations because of discomfort, guilt, or fear of "feeling salesy." In reality, marketing creates awareness, but relationships create business. And relationships are built through consistent flow.

This episode is a reminder that nothing happens until something moves and that authentic, emotionally intelligent outreach will always outperform sales pressure.

If you're ready to overcome hesitation, reconnect with your people, and create opportunities, this conversation will give you practical tools you can implement immediately.

And if you'd like to join us live for future Ninja Sales Meetings, tune in on the first Monday of each month at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time on the Ninja Selling YouTube channel.

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/

Rob Nelson and Don Tennessen discuss Principle Two of Ninja Selling: Stop Selling. Start Solving. It's built on a simple truth that people love to buy, and they hate to be sold. They explore why most sales approaches push people away, triggering defensiveness and avoidance, and how Ninja flips that dynamic by creating value, asking questions, and building relationships that naturally attract clients.

Rob and Don clarify that the goal is not to avoid a process or abandon structure. The goal is to redefine what selling is, to become the trusted guide who helps people decide. They draw a sharp contrast between persuasion and clarity, emphasizing that confidence is built through communication, anticipating needs, reducing surprises, and making the transaction feel "greased" so the focus can stay on the human experience.

A major theme is that real estate is uniquely emotional and complex because it is layered on top of life events like career changes, marriage, divorce, children, and moving routines and memories. That makes "fabled service" less about technical excellence and more about how clients feel during uncertainty. Don shares personal examples from selling rental properties and from a longtime doctor relationship to show what people remember most, the moments that communicate, I care about you, and I've got you. The conversation ends with a practical reset. If you feel yourself selling, you likely stopped solving, and the fastest pivot is to ask a question and re-center on the client's next chapter.

Key Takeaways

People move away from sales pressure and move toward value, so the first goal is to stop pushing people away

Stop selling is really about attracting clients instead of chasing them

A Ninja mindset focuses on what you can give rather than what you can get

The job is not to make people buy, the job is to help them decide

Reputation replaces persuasion because what clients say about you is more powerful than what you say about yourself

Value creation has two lanes, what you do during the transaction and what you do between transactions

Clients want information, a clear process, consistent follow up, and fewer surprises

Real estate is more complex than other financial transactions because it stacks on top of life change and emotion

Fabled service is less about technical perfection and more about how you make people feel

A moment of truth is when a client touches your process, so anticipate stress points and communicate proactively

If you feel like you are selling, you probably stopped solving and started thinking about yourself

The best pivot out of sales mode is to ask a question and return focus to the client and ask questions

Strangers are only strangers as long as you let them be strangers, one meaningful conversation changes that

The transaction is not the goal, it is the consequence of consistent relationship and service

Memorable Quotes

"People love to buy and they hate to be sold."

"Our job isn't to make people buy. Our job is to help them decide."

"The mindset of a salesperson is to get something from someone. The mindset of a Ninja is what can we give."

"Reputation replaces persuasion."

"What do I have to do so they don't have to lay awake at night?"

"A moment of truth is when your client comes into contact with your process."

"You build confidence through clarity."

"If I'm solving, then I don't have to sell. If I'm selling, I've probably stopped solving."

"The transaction is not the goal, it's the consequence."

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/

Eric Thompson interviews Ryan Wentworth and Michael Parsiola of Reve Realtors in New Orleans, Louisiana, who experienced a dramatic turnaround after realizing they had been running their business "on accident." After dropping from 20 million in volume to 13 million in a challenging market shaped by rising interest rates and skyrocketing insurance costs, they consciously decided to rebuild their business on purpose.

The shift was not about chasing more leads. It was about returning to fundamentals, implementing consistent flow systems, and intentionally structuring their partnership. In 2025, they produced 29 million in volume, a 123% year-over-year Increase, while the market grew only 3%.

They share how they streamlined operations, eliminated inefficiencies, and recommitted to consistent client touches including just sold mailers, newsletters, market reports, and highly creative live flow events like Saints football games and architectural cycling tours. They also discuss how they divide responsibilities within their partnership to maximize clarity and efficiency, with one focusing on listings and the other on buyers, while maintaining unified communication.

At its core, their breakthrough came from moving from reactive to intentional, from accidental production to systemized flow, and from perfection paralysis to consistent action.

Being "on accident" often means managing incoming business without proactive flow systems

Market shifts expose weak systems and force clarity

Rebuilding from the ground up creates stronger, more efficient processes

Intentional flow beats accidental momentum

Mailers and market reports work when consistent and visible

Auto flow creates visibility even when you are busy

Invitations are as powerful as attendance for generating connection

Creative, authentic flow tied to personal interests increases engagement

Partnership clarity prevents confusion and builds client trust

Clearly defined roles create efficiency and confidence

Coaching provides accountability, fresh ideas, and perspective

Perfection is the enemy of good and progress beats paralysis

Consistency compounds, even if it feels small in the moment

"We were managing the business that was coming at us, not on purpose."

"We need to go back to basics."

"We needed to know how the sausage is made."

"Just sold cards were all in my head. Clients loved them."

"We didn't want them to feel passed off."

"Perfection is the enemy of good."

"Look at where you were two years ago."

"We're not a 10, but we're a 7, and that's way better than a 2."

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/
• Ryan Wentworth: Website
• Michael Parsiola: Website

This episode opens with a simple question that hits home for many agents: Do you struggle with consistency? Rob Nelson is joined by Larry Kendall and Eric Thompson to review the pattern they found while researching Ninja Coaching clients who had their best year yet in 2025. Across different personalities, markets, and business styles, the common denominator was not a specific lead source or marketing tactic. It was consistency, and the clearest measurable indicator of consistency was turning in a weekly scorecard.

They share that 87% of the "Best Year Yet" Ninha Coaching clients consistently turned in a weekly scorecard, making it the strongest correlation they found. The scorecard is positioned as the truth teller and the ultimate tool for tracking, gamifying, and sustaining the Ninja Nine habits over time. Rather than chasing results, the conversation emphasizes managing activities, because activities repeated over time create predictable outcomes.

Larry and Eric walk through what the scorecard is, why it works, and how it has evolved, including modern enhancements like daily personal text messages and tracking open house conversations. They explain the five pathways to consistency, track activities, gamify, join a group, hire a coach, and find an encouragement partner, and show how the scorecard supports all five. They also discuss realistic targets and the idea that perfection is not required. A score of 70 out of 100 is the acceleration point where business becomes consistent, while missing one week is a mistake and missing two is the start of a new habit.

The episode closes with practical guidance on how to restart after falling off, how to plan for 45 full on weeks and seven recharge weeks, and why keeping scorecards in a binder becomes a powerful way to measure progress and diagnose a slump. Larry reinforces the message with a personal example, his long running pushup log, showing how tracking drives consistency, and consistency drives results.

Consistency is the common denominator behind best year yet results, even when the specific business style varies

Turning in a weekly scorecard is the strongest measurable correlation, with 87 percent of best year yet coaching clients doing it

Scorecards shift focus from results to activities, which restores control, reduces frustration, and creates momentum

The scorecard supports five ways to stay consistent, tracking, gamifying, joining a group, hiring a coach, and using an encouragement partner

Missing one week is a mistake, missing two is the start of a new habit, so the goal is to avoid the second miss

Managing activities is more effective than managing production, and it is especially useful for managers and sales leaders

Modern enhancements include personal text messages with a FORD question and tracking open houses as a major buyer entry point

Plan for 45 full on weeks and seven recharge weeks to build consistency with grace, sustainability, and real life flexibility

Do you struggle with consistency

The number one correlation between having a best year yet is that they turn in a weekly scorecard

Most people do not fail because they do not know what to do, they fail because they do not do what they know consistently

The answer may be you are not keeping score

If you do the activities, the production takes care of itself

Stop trying to manage production and start managing activity

The scorecard is the truth

You can miss one, that is a mistake, but if you miss two, that is the start of a new habit

Two weeks at a hundred and ten weeks at zero is not the same as twelve weeks at seventy

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/
• The Ninja Flow Scorecard: http://www.ninjaselling.com/scorecard

In this Best Year Yet episode, Eric Thompson interviews Derek Walden, a Wichita, Kansas–based agent with At Home Wichita, who more than doubled his business in 2025. Derek closed 56 transactions for approximately 15 million in volume while raising a large family of eight children, with another on the way. He shares how shifting away from a lead heavy, grind based team model and embracing the Ninja approach transformed both his results and his quality of life.

Derek describes his early years on a lead generation focused team as a hamster wheel that did not align with his values or his family priorities. Discovering Ninja Selling introduced a relationship centered model built on service, trust, and depth rather than volume and pressure. In 2025, Derek produced his best year yet by staying persistent, tracking his numbers closely, prioritizing meaningful live conversations, and building business with people who know, like, and trust him.

A key theme of the conversation is depth over small talk. Drawing from his military background, Derek explains how he naturally gravitates toward substantive conversations and emotional connection, which has become a differentiator in his real estate business. He focuses on long, intentional one on one interactions rather than high frequency surface level contacts, creating an integrated business that feels natural rather than exhausting. With the support of Ninja Coaching and Coach Mark Johnson, Derek also shares how coaching helped him live more on purpose, stay inspired, and remain accountable to the fundamentals that drive consistent growth.

• Relationship based business scales better than lead based grinding when aligned with your values and life priorities.
• Persistence compounds over time and momentum builds like adding cars to a train year after year.
• Deep conversations outperform small talk by creating trust, emotional connection, and long term loyalty.
• Tracking your numbers creates clarity and confidence in decision making and business planning.
• Live conversations do not need to be high volume if they are meaningful, intentional, and unhurried.
• Auto flow can be simple and personal through consistent mail, newsletters, and authentic updates.

"If you work hard and do the right things, good things will happen."

"I hate small talk."

"When it's a friend calling, it doesn't feel like work."

"This year didn't feel like a treadmill."

"I believe an integrated life is a powerful life."

"I was created to love and serve others."

"Just relax, take a deep breath, and focus on what you can control."

"Coaching helped me move from living on accident to living on purpose."

"I've never had a conversation where I wished I hadn't had it."

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/
• Derek Walden: https://www.athomewichita.com/agent/derek-walden/

In this Best Year Yet episode, Eric Thompson interviews Belle Caplis, a Brooklyn based Compass agent on the Bateman Fields team. Belle shares how she grew from 9 million in sales volume to 23.6 million in 2025, increasing from 11 to 25 sales transactions, while also expanding rentals and referral business. Belle's story is especially compelling because her real estate career began in March of 2020, just days before New York City shut down. With the city locked down and her new career uncertain, she found structure and community through a Compass recovery meeting that led her to Ninja Selling and a powerful accountability practice called the 10 at 10. Three times a week, Belle joined a Zoom session, started with gratitude, then turned cameras off and called 10 people using FORD questions before regrouping to report back. That early rhythm gave her confidence, listening skills, and the ability to build trust fast, which later made her highly effective even with Zillow leads, where she routinely stayed on calls 30 to 40 minutes to deepen connection.

Belle explains that her 2025 growth came from two main shifts. First, she became much better at follow up after open houses, using specific, personalized follow up tied to what the person said and continuing to deliver value through listings, pricing strategy, and education rather than generic check ins. Second, she leaned fully into education and service across her sphere by giving real estate advice freely, offering to find answers when she did not know them, and becoming the person people consult for clarity. Belle's approach is rooted in what she calls rigorous honesty, transparency, and risk analysis. She promises clients she cannot control outcomes, but she can control how honest and clear she is, and she builds deep trust by pointing out both pros and potential risks so clients can make confident decisions. She closes by encouraging listeners to be imperfect, take small steps, be honest about what they are not doing, and start again tomorrow.

Accountability creates momentum and Belle's early 10 at 10 practice built confidence, consistency, and relationship skills fast

FORD questions are a business builder because they shift the focus to people, create trust, and help you listen for what matters

Attraction over promotion works because you do not need to announce you are an agent, you just lead with curiosity and care

Trust building beats pretending and the phrase "I'm not one hundred percent on that, so I'll get back to you very soon" protects credibility and creates natural follow up

Longer first conversations create faster trust and Belle's ability to stay connected for 30 to 40 minutes helped her convert leads at a higher level

Open house follow up is a growth lever when it is specific, personal, and value based rather than generic check ins

Education is a referral engine when you freely explain pricing strategy, negotiation, and why listings sell or do not sell

Service creates opportunity because you never know where the next referral will come from, so treat everyone like they matter

Define your A list as the people you are rooting for and call them to reset your mindset and get out of your own head

Humor and personality can be part of flow and Belle uses memes, "real estate gossip," and stories to stay top of mind while reinforcing expertise

Rigorous honesty builds lifetime clients and Belle's promise is transparency, not outcomes she cannot control

Risk analysis is a differentiator because clients feel protected, informed, and confident in their decisions

Progress matters more than perfection and small daily improvements compound into big years

"I onboarded at Compass on a Wednesday in March of 2020 and on Friday the entire city shut down."

"I don't know how to do real estate, but I know how to go to a meeting."

"This is attraction, not promotion."

"I'm not one hundred percent on that and I don't want to answer until I am, so I'm going to get back to you very soon."

"My goal was to gain trust before I got off that phone call."

"I'm not a gatekeeper."

"My A's are the people that I am rooting for."

"The fastest way for me to reset to factory settings is to focus on other people."

"I'm going to tell you no way more than I'm going to tell you yes."

"I give you permission to not do it well today. Just do it."

"Make one or two baby steps of progress today, then start over tomorrow."

Links:

• Website: https://ninjaselling.com/ninja-podcast/
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 1-800-254-1650
• Podcast Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNinjaSellingPodcast
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NinjaSelling
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninjasellingofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninjaselling
• Upcoming Public Ninja Installations: https://NinjaSelling.com/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=183&tribe__ecp_custom_2%5B0%5D=Public
• Ninja Coaching: http://www.NinjaSelling.com/course/ninja-coaching/
• Belle Caplis: https://www.compass.com/agents/belle-caplis/
• Belle's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belleclosing