The noise in real estate is constant. New tech, changing markets, and the endless pressure to “be everywhere.”
But as I watched the world’s best tennis players battle it out recently, I was reminded that the secret to a legendary career isn’t found in a new trend or a silver bullet. It’s found in a 54% win rate.
Roger Federer didn’t dominate by winning every point; he dominated by sticking to his process.
For agents looking to build longevity, the lesson is clear: it’s time to stop overcorrecting and start sticking to your knitting.
Across his entire career, Federer won just 54 per cent of the points he played.
Not dominance. Not perfection. Barely more than half.
Yet from that slim edge, he built one of the most successful and respected careers in sport.
Twenty Grand Slam titles. Years as world number one. Longevity that outlasted generations.
That statistic matters because it cuts through a dangerous idea we see far too often in business: that success is about winning every point, every listing, every deal, every week.
It isn’t. A great friend of mine said something to me recently that stuck: “stick to your knitting.”
Do what you know works. Do it consistently. And don’t let the noise drag you off course.
Federer’s message was simple. Even at the very top, you lose, in fact, you lose a lot.
The difference is elite performers don’t emotionally spiral when they do. They reset quickly. They trust their process. They play the next point again and again.
Real estate is no different.
There will be weeks you lose listings. Campaigns that don’t land. Deals that fall apart late.
Commentary from the sidelines about how things should be done.
The temptation, especially under pressure, is to overcorrect and to chase shortcuts, change direction, or abandon fundamentals in favour of whatever looks good in the moment.
That’s where most people come unstuck.
They start reinventing the wheel. New scripts every week. New strategies every month.
A constant search for the next silver bullet, rather than committing to the basics that actually work.
The best operators do the opposite.
They stay disciplined. They focus on prospecting, service, follow up, and standards.
They understand that winning isn’t about the highlight reel, it’s about stacking small advantages over time.
They also understand something else: what happens when no one is watching matters most.
When the spotlight’s off, they sweep the sheds. They tidy up systems. They sharpen culture. They hold the line on behaviour and ethics.
They do the work no one sees, because that’s exactly what shows up when the pressure is on.
Federer didn’t build a great career by trying to win every point.
He built it by winning enough points and responding well to the ones he lost. He never went missing!
That’s the lesson for real estate, and for leadership more broadly.
You don’t need to win every listing. You don’t need every campaign to be perfect. You don’t need to chase every trend or react to every opinion.
What you do need is consistency. Emotional control. A clear process you believe in, and the discipline to stick with it when results temporarily wobble.
Ignore the noise.
Do what you know works.
Stick to your knitting.
Success is rarely loud when it’s being built – but it’s usually very close when you stay the course.
