Most agents and business owners are busy with lead generation—but busy doesn’t always mean effective. If you feel like you’re constantly grinding but your results don’t reflect your effort, there’s a good chance you’re spending way too much time on the wrong things.
Enter the 80/20 Rule—also known as the Pareto Principle.
Eighty percent of your results come from twenty percent of your efforts. Meaning? Most of what you’re doing doesn’t actually move the needle. Some lead gen activities drive massive results, while others just keep you feeling productive while your bank account sits there, unimpressed. The key is figuring out which activities are in your twenty percent and doubling down on them.
Step 1: Audit Your Past Successes
Before you waste another minute on a strategy that doesn’t work, take a step back and look at where your business actually came from last year. Not where you think it came from—where it actually came from.
- Where did your top ten clients come from?
- Which lead sources led to the smoothest, most profitable transactions?
- What activities generated your highest conversion rates?
Chances are, you’ll see patterns. Maybe it was referrals, expired listings, open houses, or a specific niche of social media content. Maybe it wasn’t the thing you’ve been spending all your time and money on. Whatever it is, that’s your twenty percent zone.
Step 2: Identify Your Time Wasters
Now, let’s talk about where you’re throwing time down the drain.
- Are you making cold calls every day with little return?
- Running Facebook ads that generate leads but never closings?
- Posting on five different platforms when none of them are actually producing business?
If you’ve been hustling in areas that aren’t bringing in real revenue, congratulations—you’ve been working hard for free. That ends now.
Step 3: Go All In on What Works
Once you’ve identified your highest-performing lead sources, it’s time to stop dabbling and start dominating.
- If most of your business comes from referrals, build a stronger client nurture plan.
- If open houses bring your best leads, make them your non-negotiable weekly strategy.
- If content marketing drives conversions, go all in on creating high-value content.
And if something isn’t working? Cut it loose. The goal is to trim the fat—cut out what’s not working and reallocate that energy into what actually moves the needle.
Step 4: Track, Adjust, and Refine
This isn’t a one-and-done process. Every quarter, ask yourself:
- Are my top lead sources still performing?
- Have market conditions shifted what works best?
- Am I spending time where it actually counts?
The most efficient business owners aren’t doing everything. They’re doing the right things, consistently.
So before you dive into another lead gen activity today, ask yourself—does this actually work, or am I just keeping myself busy? Because at the end of the day, results pay the bills. Busy work doesn’t.
