If you’re a real estate agent in the Cape Coral, Fort Myers, or Naples area right now, you’ve felt it:
- Buyers are hesitant.
- Listings are everywhere.
- Every headline seems designed to make you doubt everything.
The market has shifted into a more deliberate phase. That means agents can’t rely on old scripts, generic strategies, or someone else’s system. You need something more solid:
- Understanding how you work best
- Motivation that isn’t tied to your next commission
And oddly enough? That starts with a lesson from a long-extinct predator.
Adapt or Go Extinct: What the Dire Wolf Didn’t See Coming
Here’s a fun fact: the idea that wolves howl at the moon? That’s a myth. Wolves actually howl to communicate, defend territory, and stay connected with their pack. They howl with purpose.
That’s a pretty solid metaphor for successful real estate agents too. In uncertain times, some agents feel like they’re howling at the moon, unsure if their efforts are reaching anyone. Others are tuned in, communicating clearly, and surrounded by the right team.
Even today, scientists at Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotech company, are studying dire wolves, a species that went extinct around 10,000 years ago. They’re not just looking at them as a window into the past, but as a guide for the future. They’ve brought dire wolf traits back through genetic engineering, using this research to explore how species respond to extinction pressures and what that means for adaptation in an ever-changing world.
The dire wolf flourished in a specific environment, one full of massive prey and predictable seasons. But when the climate shifted and prey species declined, the dire wolf’s size and specialization became its downfall. It had no backup plan.
Meanwhile, smaller, more flexible predators like the gray wolf survived. They adapted. They diversified. They endured.
In today’s real estate market, agents who rely on outdated tactics or a one-size-fits-all strategy are facing the same fate. The world has changed. Buyers have changed. The business has changed. Are you adapting with it?
How CliftonStrengths® Helps You Adapt
In real estate, how you show up to your work and who you surround yourself with matters more than ever. Just like wolves use howling to communicate clearly, defend their space, and stay connected to their pack, agents thrive when they operate with intentional communication, protect their time and energy, and find the right team to grow with.
When the market shifts, the answer isn’t to just do more of everything—it’s to focus in on what actually works for you…and then do more of that!
CliftonStrengths® helps you understand how you build trust, solve problems, and deliver value. It answers questions like:
- What kind of conversations energize you?
- How do you naturally influence others?
- Which parts of the process feel easy (and which always drain you)?
The agents who adapt fastest are the ones who know themselves best. That’s what makes their work dependable, especially when the market shifts.
If you’ve ever wondered why a certain strategy felt off even if it “worked” for someone else, your CliftonStrengths® likely hold the answer. Knowing your strengths builds confidence and gives you direction. Learn more about how to boost your sales by listening with your strengths here.
Motivation 3.0: The Fuel for Consistency
Daniel Pink’s “Motivation 3.0” model tells us what actually drives human performance in the modern world. Watch Daniel Pink’s Ted Talk – the Puzzle of Motivation. In real estate, chasing recognition, status, or the next commission might feel good in the short term—but it rarely leads to lasting drive. Real motivation comes from something deeper:
- Autonomy: The desire to control your work.
- Mastery: The urge to keep improving.
- Purpose: The sense that your work matters.
When there’s uncertainty swirling around you, these internal drivers keep agents grounded and moving forward. They turn dry weeks into foundational ones. They make lead follow-up feel purposeful instead of painful.
When you understand your strengths and stay motivated by the right things, you’re more likely to keep showing up. And when you show up consistently, your business starts to build real momentum.
Together, CliftonStrengths® and Motivation 3.0 help you build a business that reflects you. It’s based on what works for you, not what’s trending or expected.
Why This Matters Now
Buyers are more deliberate. Sellers are more cautious. The whole process feels more intentional.
This isn’t the time to double down on the things that lead to burnout. It’s time to work in a way that makes sense for how you’re wired. To know your strengths. To stay connected to what fuels you. And to keep showing up in a way that’s true to who you are. Read more about how to make your Life List here.
Because in the real estate business, just like out in the wild, it’s not the strongest who survive in the long run. It’s the ones who know how to adapt.
Want Help Getting Clear?
We help agents at Worthington Realty uncover their strengths, build personal brands that reflect who they are, and create consistency in any market.
If you’re tired of chasing someone else’s model, we’ll help you build one that fits. Schedule a conversation today and let’s talk about what that could look like for you.
