There’s a belief that shows up every time the market shifts:
Opportunity dries up.
It doesn’t.
It moves.
And that distinction matters.
Because while some agents pull back, wait for conditions to improve, or spend their energy blaming the market… the strongest agents do something different.
They reposition.
And that has always been the difference.
When a market shifts, it doesn’t remove opportunity for real estate agents—it redistributes where it comes from.
The better question isn’t “How bad is this market?”
It’s:
Where has opportunity moved right now?
That’s the question productive agents ask.
The Sweet Spot in Every Market Shift
One of my favorite quotes from Winston Churchill is:
“Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
I’ve always taken that to mean:
There is a sweet spot in every crisis. It’s your job to find it.
I learned this decades ago.
Early in my career, I made a habit of having lunch every month with a top producer. It was one of the best growth strategies I ever adopted.
Just after a major hurricane came through Raleigh, I met with an agent whose business centered in a neighborhood known for its oak trees.
Most of them were down.
Many were lying on houses.
I offered condolences for what it must have done to her business.
She smiled and said:
“Oh honey, I just picked up my business and moved it to the eastern part of the county. There’s no trees out there.”
That stayed with me.
She didn’t mourn the disruption.
She looked for where opportunity had moved.
That’s repositioning.
And that’s what great agents do.
What Great Agents Do When Others Retreat
When markets tighten, average agents often become reactive.
Great agents become strategic.
While others retreat…
They look for overlooked opportunities.
Here are four places opportunity often expands in shifting markets.
1. Expired Listings Often Increase in Tougher Markets
(Keyword support: expired listings prospecting)
A large percentage of agents still struggle with pricing.
Too often they accept the seller’s number instead of creating a pricing strategy.
And rarely have I seen a seller underprice a home.
The result?
More expired listings.
And expireds can be fertile ground.
I used to love working expired listings because the conversations were often easier.
Why?
Because the market had already given the seller feedback.
There was humility.
There was openness.
There was a real problem to solve.
And that creates opportunity.
In a shifting market, expireds often grow while competition for them shrinks.
That should get your attention.
[Internal link suggestion: See my post on pricing strategy and why homes don’t sell]
2. For Sale By Owners Become More Motivated
(Keyword support: FSBO opportunities in shifting markets)
FSBOs show up in hot markets when sellers think:
“Everything sells. Why pay commission?”
But they also emerge in shifting markets for another reason:
Pressure.
Some owners are trying to preserve equity.
Some may owe more than they expected.
Some are simply trying to reduce losses.
That creates a very different conversation.
I passed a FSBO sign in Asheville yesterday and immediately thought:
That may not be a commission objection.
That may be a financial stress story.
And that changes how you show up.
Opportunity often hides inside motivation.
3. Distressed Properties Can Create a “Sweet Spot”
During the Great Recession, many agents built meaningful businesses around distressed properties.
Why?
Because they leaned into complexity others avoided.
They got educated.
They developed expertise.
Some built entire businesses there.
Some built wealth there.
That’s the pattern worth noticing.
When others avoid complexity…
Opportunity often lives there.
Another sweet spot.
4. Double Down on Your Sphere of Influence
(Keyword support: sphere of influence real estate marketing)
Let me be clear:
This is always your best prospecting source.
Always.
And yet many agents underwork it.
Why?
Mindset.
They don’t want to sound pushy.
They worry bringing up real estate makes them transactional.
But if someone in your sphere needs help buying or selling—
that is not intrusion.
That is service.
And they deserve to know someone they trust can help.
In uncertain markets, people move for all kinds of reasons:
- Life changes
- Financial pressure
- Job shifts
- Downsizing
- Opportunity relocations
Uncertainty creates movement.
Movement creates opportunity.
But only for agents paying attention.
When markets get harder—
Go back to your sphere.
Build a plan.
Work it intentionally.
Double down there.
The Reposition Most Agents Miss
Here’s what I want agents to understand:
When markets shift, you do not have to chase fewer deals.
You have to reposition around where more opportunities are emerging.
That is a very different mindset.
And a much more productive one.
Because when you focus on where opportunity has moved—
You stop chasing deals…
And start positioning yourself where they already exist.
And doesn’t that sound a whole lot better?
Final Thought: Opportunity Hasn’t Left—It’s Hiding
Shifting markets don’t eliminate opportunity.
They reveal where it has been hiding.
Pay attention.
Get clear.
Adjust how you show up.
Look for the sweet spot.
Because the agents who grow in changing markets usually aren’t working harder than everyone else.
They’re simply looking where others aren’t.
And that’s a skill worth building.
See the full Real Estate Market Shift playlist here: https://youtu.be/XWEb9w74vVU
