Last week, I wrote about running a “cliff inventory,” a simple process that helps you cut through the noise and get clarity on what’s really happening in your market. You pull active listings from the MLS, group them by price point, and look for the drop-off in inventory. That drop-off is your cliff — the line where the market shifts from saturated to lean.
And once you’ve done that, once you’ve seen how inventory behaves across different price bands, you suddenly have something you didn’t have before: direction. You stop guessing at what’s going on. You stop relying on headlines or vibes, and you start leading again.
But data by itself doesn’t convert leads. It needs to be translated into language that people can understand and act on.
That’s where message and method come in.
Gary Keller introduces this idea in SHIFT, and it’s a framework I come back to often.
Your message is what you say.
Your method is how you get that message out.
Both have to shift as the market shifts. And both have to be rooted in your market, not the national conversation or someone else’s script.
For example, if your cliff inventory shows that the $500–700K range is flooded, your message to sellers in that bracket isn’t “It’s a great time to sell.” It’s something more like, “We’re entering a crowded space. If we want to win, we need to be strategic from day one — with price, prep, and positioning.”
But if homes between $850K and $1M are moving quickly, that message changes:
“Inventory is limited in your range, and buyers are acting fast. This may be your strongest window to make a move while competition is still low.”
That’s message. It’s contextual, specific, and grounded in fact.
But even the clearest message falls flat if the method doesn’t support it.
And this is where I see a lot of agents stall out.
They think they need to build a new lead funnel. Or record polished videos. Or run paid ads to strangers. And while all of those can work, none of them are necessary — especially if they pull you away from what already works.
Your method doesn’t have to be new.
It just has to be intentional.
If you’re a strong writer with an active email list, use that.
If you show up consistently on social, go there.
If you have a tight sphere and still do well with 1:1 calls or pop-bys or mailers, keep doing those — but sharpen the message.
You don’t need to change your entire communication strategy. You need to adapt it to reflect the moment you’re in. That also means making a decision: what part of your market do you want to focus on?
You now know which price ranges are sitting and which are moving. You also know what kind of clients you enjoy working with: who listens to you, who takes action, who stays loyal. So use that information. Choose the segment of the market that aligns with your strengths and your strategy. Then tailor your message and method to meet those people where they already are.
This is the work of a professional in a shifting market: not chasing what’s shiny, but communicating clearly and consistently, in a way that reflects the actual landscape.
You don’t need to do more. You just need to make better use of what you already know, and say it in a way your people can hear.