Your Sphere Is Your Most Valuable Lead Source—Are You Using It This Summer?

By Tammy Northcutt

Tammy Northcutt is the Operating Principal of Keller Williams Realty Preferred in Orland Park and CEO of The Wexler Group Team.

We’re in the thick of the busiest stretch of the real estate year. The question worth asking isn’t whether the market is moving; it’s whether your sphere is actually working for you.

The agents who stay busy through the summer and into the fall aren’t the ones chasing cold leads. They’re the ones who built a system to stay visible, so their name is the first to come up when someone says, “I’m thinking of buying or selling.”

That system is the whole game, and it’s exactly what we coach our agents on every day at Keller Williams Preferred Realty.

Here are three ways to make your sphere work harder this summer.

1. Put the summer market to work for you. Summer is peak season, and the numbers back it up. Summer is one of the most active times of the real estate year, and the numbers back it up. Historically, June is among the strongest months for sales activity and pricing. More activity means more opportunities—but only if your sphere knows what’s happening in the market.

The agents who win right now are sending quick, genuine market updates: what’s selling, what it went for, and a recent “just sold” story from the neighborhood. It keeps you visible, and it positions you as the person who actually knows what’s happening. That kind of consistent communication is something we help our agents build a real rhythm around, so it happens every month rather than whenever you remember.

2. Lead with value, not with a pitch. The truth every good agent already knows is that people don’t want to be sold to; they want to be helped. You stay top-of-mind by being genuinely useful, not by reminding people you sell houses.

In the summer, that’s easy. A curb-appeal tip, a seasonal maintenance checklist, and a roundup of what’s happening around the neighborhood all give people a reason to hear from you. And pay attention to life events, because summer is full of them. Graduations, weddings, families relocating before the school year starts — those are often what trigger a real estate decision in the first place.

When you show up for the milestone instead of the transaction, you build the kind of relationship that sends referrals for years. Having a team and a system behind you is what makes that consistency possible, not just another thing on your to-do list.

3. Refresh and reignite your social media. Nearly half of buyers begin their home search online—but most still rely on an agent to complete the process. In fact, 88% of buyers and 91% of sellers use a real estate agent. That gap is your opening: showing up online isn’t about competing with Zillow, it’s about being the agent people already trust when they’re ready to call someone.

So spend the summer sharpening it: update your bio and contact info so people can reach you, post your success stories and just-listed and just-sold updates, and engage with the people already in your world. Staying visible is staying in front of the people most likely to hire you. We give our agents the templates, coaching and accountability to stay visible without having to do everything alone.

Staying in touch with your sphere isn’t luck—it’s a system, and it’s much easier with the right people around you. That’s what a strong market center should provide.

If you’re wondering whether your current brokerage is actually helping you grow, or you just want to compare notes on what’s working right now, we’d love to talk through what it’s like here at Keller Williams Preferred Realty. You’ll walk away with a clear read on where your business stands and what a real support system could add.

Call or text us at 708-906-6377, email us at tammy@our1thing.com, or visit growth.our1thing.com.