Todd Shively, founder and managing partner of Ensemble, a Seattle-based real estate brokerage built around collaboration and community, has been such a wonderful supporter of my business and our Lock In endeavor. So when he invited Marguerite Martin and me to bring our business planning class and Power Hours to Ensemble, we were thrilled!
Why Real Estate Business Plans Don't Always Stick
Our 60-minute Lock In training focused on a problem we see all the time: real estate agents make ambitious business plans, start the year feeling motivated, and then somewhere around spring, those plans fall by the wayside.
After years of coaching and training real estate agents, Marguerite and I have seen firsthand how easy it is to fall into the same business planning traps year after year. And most agents don't need another business planning worksheet. They need to understand why their previous plans haven't worked and what they can do differently.
During our class, we covered some of the most common mistakes agents make when planning their businesses, including:
Setting goals without meaningful direction
Creating complicated systems that are difficult to maintain
Overlooking the importance of accountability
We also talked about how to create a business plan that supports the life you want to live and set goals that actually matter (the visioning process is so important!). Because really… what's the point of building a successful real estate business if it doesn't support the kind of life you want to have?
Putting Our Plans into Action with Lock In Power Hours!
After our training, it was time to get to work! ⚡️
We followed up with two hours of Lock In Power Hours, a facilitated work session designed to help agents move beyond talking about their business goals and start putting real plans into place.
Through focused work sprints, we guided agents through some important business planning activities, including reviewing their 2025 numbers, identifying where their best clients came from, and taking a closer look at their marketing efforts. Knowing where you’ve been will help you decide where you’re going. The goal was to get clear on what was working, what wasn't, and which marketing activities they wanted to start, stop, or do more of in 2026.
It's the kind of work that is SO important to running a successful business, but it's also incredibly easy to put off when you're busy taking care of clients and managing everything else on your plate. Marguerite and I are big fans of the Power Hours format. It's dedicated time to focus, make decisions, and actually get things done!
Thank You, Todd & Ensemble!
A big thank you to Todd Shively and everyone at Ensemble for welcoming us! ❤️ To all of the agents who joined us, thank you for bringing your energy, ideas, and willingness to roll up your sleeves and get to work. I hope you left feeling a little more focused, organized, and excited about what's ahead.
Want to keep that momentum going? That's exactly what Lock In is all about! Marguerite and I created this immersive retreat and coaching experience to give real estate agents the time, tools, and support to make meaningful progress in their businesses.
You can learn more at LockInAgents.com.