Pat Zaby's
DIGITAL EDGE FOR REALTORS
Strategies that keep your clients coming back—and referring more. Tips and tools to strengthen your real estate connections.

Monday, November 24, 2025

As the CEO, Chief Everything Officer, of your real estate business, the phrase "If it is to be, it's up to me" rings true every day. Your role spans everything from prospecting and presentations to marketing, negotiations, business planning, and follow-up. You're working long hours, juggling back-to-back appointments, and often feeling like there's never enough time to focus on the activities that secure your future—like building a steady, predictable pipeline of buyers and sellers.

The reality is that lead generation must be a nonstop effort—24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. But when you're constantly putting out fires and navigating the demands of your business, it's easy for prospecting to slip down the priority list. "I'll get to it tomorrow" turns into next week... and then next month. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to regain momentum.

Procrastination is the enemy of progress, especially in prospecting. Once you understand that consistent lead generation is the lifeblood of your business, it must become non-negotiable. If nothing else gets done today, your prospecting will. Identify the most productive time of day for you, block it on your calendar, and protect it fiercely. Use this dedicated time for personal outreach, especially phone calls, to your high-value contacts: past clients, repeat clients, and those who have referred you business.

Remember, it costs five to seven times more to attract a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Staying in front of your sphere through consistent, meaningful communication is one of the smartest business strategies you can deploy. A well-rounded, multi-channel plan, anchored by an email newsletter and active social media presence, keeps your name top of mind and reinforces your value as their go-to real estate professional.

But you don't have to do it all alone.

InTouch Systems   is designed to help you stay connected with your sphere automatically and professionally. Our service supplements your personal outreach with high-quality content marketing across email and social platforms so even when you're busy closing deals, your brand stays visible, consistent, and top of mind. You'll never have to worry whether your clients are hearing from you...they will be.

The key is consistency. If your name isn't the one that comes to mind when someone thinks "REALTOR®," it's likely someone else's will. Don't let a lack of time cost you relationships, referrals, and repeat business. Commit to a lead generation plan that works even when you're too busy to work it yourself. And let  InTouch Systems  help make sure your message is always reaching the people who matter most.

Take the 14-day Free Trial  or schedule a demo so you can see for yourself how it will help you.

Monday, November 10, 2025

A single transaction can be the start of something far more valuable than just one commission check; it can be the foundation of a lifetime client relationship worth $139,390* in income over the course of your career.

Based on the projection, a buyer who starts with a $400,000 home with 3% appreciation and moves up every 10 years, over a 30-year period while working with the same agent, can generate over $6.6 million* in closed volume. And it all happens because you did two simple but powerful things: You stayed in the business, and you stayed in touch.

When you treat each client not as a one-time deal, but as a long-term relationship, you position yourself as their go-to, trusted advisor for life.

Additional Benefits of Adopting This Strategy:

  • Predictable, Repeat Business: You reduce the need for constant lead generation by working with a loyal base of repeat clients.
  • Referrals Multiply: Clients who feel valued and supported will refer friends, family, and coworkers, often resulting in exponential growth.
  • Brand Reputation Grows: You become known not just as a real estate agent, but as a trusted community resource.
  • Less Pressure, More Profit: Working with past clients requires less marketing effort and often results in smoother, more enjoyable transactions.
  • Business Stability: In shifting markets, loyal clients provide consistent opportunities and income you can count on.

Building and maintaining a strong sphere of influence turns your business from a series of one-time wins into a long-term, compounding asset. With the right systems in place, like consistent outreach, educational content, and personal touches, you create career equity that grows with every year you're in the business.

Many agents have misunderstood how to use digital marketing to grow their business. It's a common mistake to expect immediate results from a single email, social post, or ad. That's a myopic view of how these tools really work. The true value of digital marketing is in building trust and brand recognition over time, so when someone in your sphere needs real estate help, you're the first person they think of.

To achieve this, your content must be educational and informational, not just promotional. The most effective strategy is an 80/20 mix:

  • 80% helpful, relevant content that speaks to homeownership, real estate trends, and practical advice.
  • 20% product or personal promotion to highlight listings, sales, or achievements.

    This approach positions you as a knowledgeable resource and trusted advisor, not just a salesperson, so you can earn lasting relationships, repeat business, and steady referrals.

    Turning one sale into a lifetime relationship doesn't happen by chance...it happens by staying in front of your sphere with consistent, valuable communication that keeps you top of mind. That's exactly what InTouch Systems is designed to do.

    InTouch helps residential agents build and maintain lasting relationships by delivering educational, informational, and consumer-friendly content automatically through multiple digital channels. Our service keeps you visible and valuable, not just when clients are buying or selling, but throughout all the years in between.

    Here's how InTouch helps you turn past clients into lifelong customers:

  • Email & Newsletters...professionally written content is sent automatically on your behalf, sharing homeowner tips, market insights, and timely advice that builds credibility and keeps you connected.
  • Social Media Posts...five days a week, your Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X accounts are updated with a mix of engaging graphics, short videos, and articles, all branded with your contact info, so you're always part of the conversation.
  • Website Consumer content...information guides, financial calculators, blogs, and other resources are provided for your website to boost SEO and give your clients a reason to come back for trusted real estate information.

Everything Is Done for You...no writing, posting, or designing needed. Just set it up once, and your content flows consistently keeping your name in front of your sphere and positioning you as the knowledgeable, reliable professional they can count on for the long haul.

InTouch isn't just marketing, it's the foundation of a referral-driven business built on trust, familiarity, and lifetime value. With InTouch, you're not just staying in touch...you're building a career.

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Most people get into real estate because they love the thought of helping people buy and sell homes. And while that's the part that produces the commission check, it's far from the whole job.

There's a story about a new agent who received a referral from their broker. The agent worked diligently, found the perfect home, and closed the sale in record time. When the broker congratulated them, the agent smiled and said, "Thanks! I could sell another home this week if you'll give me another referral."

That story highlights an uncomfortable truth: selling the home isn't the hard part; finding the next client is.

Agents aren't paid generous commissions because it's difficult to match a buyer with a home, negotiate terms, or get the transaction closed. Any conscientious agent can do that. The real challenge lies in the inefficiencies of the business, the time and effort it takes to find people who are ready, willing, and able to buy or sell today.

That's why the best agents have systems to develop leads and nurture them over time. Because in real estate, the gestation period between the first contact and an actual transaction can stretch from a few months to as long as five years.

Here's the reality check: if you earn a $9,600 commission from 20 hours of client-facing work, your hourly rate looks like an impressive $480 per hour. But if you only sell six homes a year and work a full-time schedule, say, 40 hours a week, that same income translates to $28.80 per hour once you factor in all the prospecting, follow-up, and administrative time it took to get there.

So, how do top producers close the gap between $28.80 and $480?
They focus relentlessly on the activities that lead to the next sale, and they delegate or automate everything that doesn't.

When you step back and rank the hierarchy of tasks in a real estate business, the order becomes clear:

  1. Selling a home ... the highest-value activity that directly generates income.
  2. Developing leads ... the second-highest-value activity, because it fuels every future sale.
  3. Servicing leads and marketing ... essential but can often be automated or systematized.
  4. Administrative work ... necessary, but it produces the lowest return on time.

In other words, the next most valuable activity after closing a sale is developing the next one. Every minute invested in building and nurturing leads is a down payment on future commissions.

The agents who build consistent pipelines, stay in touch with their sphere, and leverage systems to stay "InTouch" don't just sell homes, they build businesses.

Ready to reclaim your time and focus on what really pays?  Visit InTouch Systems  and take the free trial to see firsthand how automated lead development can work for you.  Or, if you'd prefer a guided tour, schedule a demo to discover how InTouch Systems can simplify your marketing and grow your business.

National Trainer Pat Zaby

Pat Zaby is a distinguished leader in the real estate industry, serving as a charter member of the Residential Real Estate Council (RRC) and a past national president. With a career spanning over five decades, he has been a senior instructor since 1983, earning recognition as a national speaker, author, and developer.

His extensive contributions have established him as a respected authority in the field. As the co-owner of InTouch Systems, a digital marketing company, Pat continues to provide valuable insights and resources to real estate professionals, helping them thrive in an ever-evolving market.

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Achievements

  • Lifetime Achievement Award 2024 – Residential Real Estate Council
  • Over 200 articles published in national real estate periodicals
  • Senior instructor for the Residential Real Estate Council
  • Convention speaker at the NAR® and numerous franchise and state associations of REALTORS® for over 25 years
  • Past President, Residential Real Estate Council
  • Past President - REALTORS® National Marketing Institute®
  • Recipient of Omega Tau Rho, National Association of REALTORS®
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