For many seasoned professionals in real estate and home finance, traditional sales tactics evoke a particular nostalgia. It’s a story of sheer determination, intense labor, and long days pounding the pavement to close deals.
But in today’s market, the “hard way” no longer guarantees success, especially in an industry that has transformed from transactional to relationship-based. That’s one of the reasons our co-founder Dan Harrington wrote Authentic Intelligence. We need a new way to approach the job of selling mortgages to consumers.
When Dan was starting out, back during Denver’s booming economy in the early 1980s, he had the chance to see this change actually taking place.
His sales journey began almost by accident, during a blizzard that forced him to wait out traffic at a bar in the Denver Tech Center. A chance encounter there led to a job selling homes for a successful Irish-born builder named Ivor McClellan, a man known for his gregarious nature and knack for sales.
Their conversation that snowy evening was a turning point, marking the start of his real estate career.
The Way Sales Used to Work
Over the next five years, Dan would go on to sell over 400 homes in a thriving market, driven largely by traditional advertising. At that time, the formula seemed simple: blast ads on radio and TV, promote in newspapers, and create urgency with weekend events. Sales poured in.
This boom-time approach was effective and lucrative, giving the impression that success in real estate was primarily about getting potential buyers in the door.
Yet, as the oil-fueled economy cooled and the housing market in Denver plummeted, he discovered the limits of the “hard way.”
Traditional “hard way” sales—characterized by high-pressure tactics and single-minded goals—often fail to nurture the customer’s trust. Especially in real estate, the stakes are high; clients are making some of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. Without trust, even the most aggressive sales techniques can feel impersonal or even predatory, pushing clients away rather than drawing them in.
With homes being repossessed en masse, his sales methods had to change.
A Better Way to Approach the Sales Process
During this period of hardship, Dan realized that relying solely on transactional sales techniques was unsustainable. Instead, success in a challenging market required a shift towards trust-building and genuine relationships.
Over three difficult years, he honed his ability to connect with clients, empathize with their needs, and position himself as a trusted advisor rather than just a salesperson. Each sale became less about the product itself and more about solving problems and establishing trust.
This evolution in mindset laid the foundation for what we now recognize as relationship-based sales.
In real estate—and indeed in any industry that relies on human interaction—success today depends less on aggressive tactics and more on the ability to connect meaningfully with customers.
Clients have come to expect more than pitches; they want advisors who understand their unique needs, offer transparency, and advocate for their best interests.
For professionals who cut their teeth in the trenches of traditional sales, adapting to a relationship-based approach may feel like stepping out of their comfort zones. But those who embrace it often find a sense of fulfillment and loyalty that extends far beyond the next transaction.
Today, sales teams are moving away from scripts and formulas and focusing instead on listening and personalizing solutions. They treat every client as a partner, taking the time to understand their goals, concerns, and aspirations.
But that doesn’t mean you still can’t automate much of the work that must be done before you can get across the table from your prospect. To find out how easy that work can be, reach out to us today.
For more information about Dan’s book, Authentic Intelligence: The Other AI, click this link.
