With changes in commission costs, rapidly evolving AI, and ever-changing algorithms, there’s no doubt that 2025 has been a year of adjustment for real estate agents. If you felt like you were playing catch-up all year, you weren’t alone.
As head of Inman’s Contribution Program, I have the privilege of reading all the smart, practical strategies our contributors see, use, and share with our readers.
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At Inman, we want to ensure you start the new year off right, armed with strategies to improve your business results in 2026. That’s why we’ve put together some of the best advice we’ve published over the past year, including many of our top 10 advice articles of 2025, organized by category for easy reference.
26 tips to future-proof your company in 2026
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Kanva
1. 7 Proven Ways to Breathe New Life into an Ad Without Lowering the Price
A price drop isn’t your only option if the market is slow or the quote is outdated. Darryl Davis offers strategies to restart and relaunch that property.
2. 6 Low-Cost Listing Strategies That Actually Work in Today’s Market
Jimmy Burgess and Listing Leads co-founder Jimmy Mackin now offer budget-friendly strategies for generating listing leads.
3. 6 Tech Tools to Take Your Listing Presentation to the Next Level on a Budget
Would you like to get the listing? Marketing expert Alyssa Stalker offers tech tools to help you make a big impression on potential customers.
4. I lost a listing to AI. This is how I ensure it never happens again
After a painful conversation with potential sellers, discover how real estate agent Josh Ries renewed his commitment to personal communication.
AI
5. Do you want AI to recommend you when searching online? Do these 7 things
SEO isn’t dead, but generative engine optimization is changing the rules of engagement. Jimmy Burgess shares strategies for standing out online.
6. 7 AI Prompts That Will Help Brokers Make Big Profits by 2026
The agents who embrace artificial intelligence, build local authority and deepen their value will dominate the next market cycle, writes Jimmy Burgess.
7. The ChatGPT Prompt Every Agent Needs (But 99% Will Never Use It)
What if the fastest way to break through your biggest blocks was to ask AI to snap you out of them? Real’s Drew Thompson explains how.
Lead gene
8. Text Your Way to Momentum: 5 Messages Agents Should Send
Start, don’t wait, to build momentum in your business, writes Jimmy Burgess. Here he offers five texts to send and see the results.
9. 7 Ways to Generate High Intent Leads (Without Paying a Cent)
You don’t have to feed the machine to succeed, writes coach Darryl Davis. All you need is a smart lead generation strategy, a service-oriented mindset, and a little side hustle.
10. 5 Copy-Paste Emails That Will Shake Up Your Database (and Fill Your List with Mentions)
These five emails will spark the right conversations with the right people, writes Jimmy Burgess, and they’re ready to go to work for you right away.
11. 9 Lead Generation Mistakes in the Real Estate Industry That Negatively Impact Your ROI
Profitable lead generation for real estate agents is about understanding timelines, systems, communication and conversion, writes Josh Ries.
12. Breaking ‘phone phobia’: 5 practical shifts to boost conversion
Cure phone phobia by combining accountability, goal-oriented training, warm-up strategies, value-first outreach and real conversion metrics, writes Josh Ries.
Marketing
13. How to Spy on Your Real Estate Competitors (To Improve Your Listings)
It’s okay to spy on your real estate competitors, writes Josh Ries, not to copy what they’re doing, but to understand how to differentiate your message.
14. Why your real estate email campaigns aren’t converting (yet).
If your database feels cold or your emails aren’t converting, try one or more of these five strategy shifts from Josh Ries. The results may surprise you.
15. Here’s the real secret to increasing your lead conversion rates
If you want better lead conversion rates in your real estate business, stop chasing volume and start delivering real relevance, writes Josh Ries.
16. Your city just got ranked. Now put it to work for your business
Buyers pay attention to “best-of” rankings. Are you? Troy Palmquist teaches you how to use this leverage to boost your real estate business.
17. 5 Ways to Save on Your Marketing Spend (Without Losing Leads)
Josh Ries offers strategies to help you create a leaner, more efficient real estate business without hindering your lead generation or stunting growth.
Social media
18. 5 Types of Social Posts Currently Filling Agent Pipelines (with Examples to Copy)
Model your social media content marketing on these examples for real estate lead generation that’s useful, local and human, writes Jimmy Burgess.
19. How I script, edit and subtitle real estate videos FAST using AI
Once you structure your process with AI, you can focus on storytelling instead of logistics, writes Josh Ries.
20. Main Instagram: You’ll miss out on reach if you don’t do these 5 things
Instagram rewards the people who adapt, experiment and show up consistently, writes Jimmy Burgess. Use it to build momentum in 2026.
To use
Andrea Izzotti / Shutterstock.com
21. 6 Bad Habits Good Realtors Avoid (and What to Do About It)
Ready to change your life and your business? It starts, writes Jimmy Burgess, with changing the negative patterns you have fallen into.
22. 7 Real Estate Strategies That Died (But Realtors Still Use Them)
This is a good time to take a closer look at your daily activities and see if you can make adjustments that will lead to greater success, writes Jimmy Burgess.
23. The 9 podcasts agents should be listening to right now
Great podcasts create better ideas and consistent inspiration, writes Jimmy Burgess, two things every real estate agent needs in 2026.
Real talk
Kanva
24. 7 No-BS Steps to Grow Your Real Estate Business by 2025
Ready to grow in the new year? Jimmy Burgess shares practical, actionable strategies to help you achieve your goals.
25. 13 Negotiation Questions Every Agent Should Learn to Ask
Instead of telling your customers what you think they want to hear, Bernice Ross writes: Ask the right questions and let them talk about what matters most to them.
26. 10 Ways to Pave the Way for Offers That Actually Win
Writing a winning bid isn’t rocket science, writes team leader Carl Medford, but it does require attention to detail, an understanding of best practices and a willingness to communicate.
Would you like to become a contributor at Inman? Contact Dani Vanderboegh.
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