Why Most Agents Fail Before They Ever Get Momentum: Insights from Debbi DiMaggio of Corcoran Icon Properties

Most sellers think the market decides whether their home sells fast or sits for months. It doesn't. Preparation does. A home that's staged right, priced right, and reported on ahead of time will move even when rates are high and buyers are cautious. A home that isn't will sit no matter how "hot" the market is supposed to be.

That's exactly the conversation I got to have with Debbi DiMaggio of Corcoran Icon Properties on an episode of my podcast, Why Do I Suck as a Real Estate Agent? Debbi is a top 1% agent nationwide, a partner at her Piedmont, California brokerage, and the bestselling author of the books Real Estate Rules! and Mindset in Motion. She's also currently training to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, which tells you everything you need to know about how she thinks about limits.

During our conversation, we talked about prepping homes to sell, why she chases market share when other agents run and hide, and the five-step framework that got her across the LA Marathon finish line and now shapes how she coaches agents through their worst years in the business.

Here’s a preview of that episode:

Why I Had This Conversation

I started my podcast because I kept meeting talented, hardworking agents who were still struggling, and I wanted to figure out why. Most of the time, it isn't a skills problem. It's a mindset problem.

Debbi was the perfect person to unpack that with. She's spent decades in the trenches as both a listing agent and a buyer's agent, she's written two books on real estate success and one specifically on mindset, and she's living proof that reframing a limitation can change what you're capable of. 

When she told me about training for a marathon on ice and adrenaline while processing her son's decision to join the Marines, I knew this conversation was going to be about a lot more than open houses.

Watch the full episode here:

Prepping a Home to Sell in Any Market

I asked Debbi how she preps a listing when rates are up and inventory feels like a mess, and her answer wasn't complicated. It's about removing the excuses buyers use to walk away.

She starts with the basics: refinished floors, fresh paint, real staging (not just virtual), and small upgrades like light fixtures and cabinet knobs that cost little but change how a room feels. "Lighting is jewelry for the home," she told me, and it's one of the cheapest ways to help a buyer bond with a space rather than just tour it.

Sellers have two paths here: they either pay out of pocket for the refresh, or they use a concierge program that covers the cost upfront and gets repaid at closing. And before any of that, Debbi always pulls home valuation and inspection reports ahead of time, because renegotiating mid-escrow over a roof or a sewer lateral is a problem you can avoid entirely by knowing about it first.

Chasing Market Share When Everyone Else Runs and Hides

When the market slows down, most agents pull back. Debbi does the opposite, and she calls it chasing share.

"When the market is tough, you've got to be positive. You've got to uplift. But I also truly believe people are buying houses in good markets and bad markets, and when it's down, this is the perfect time for a buyer to step in."

That's not just a pep talk. It's real estate networking logic applied to timing: less competition means better terms for the buyers who show up. She told me about young clients in their early thirties who bought during a down market and are now sitting on serious equity, simply because they didn't wait for the herd.

The Five-Step Mindset in Motion Framework

Debbi walked me through the five steps behind her Mindset in Motion framework, which is the same method that got her across the LA Marathon finish line without ever telling a soul she was training.

The steps are goal, believe, internalize, share, and activate. She set a crystal-clear goal, believed she'd finish without knowing how, visualized herself crossing the line, shared the goal only with people who'd strengthen her belief instead of doubting it, and then activated by actually training instead of waiting to feel ready.

That last step is where most agents get stuck, and it's a mindset coaching for real estate agents conversation Debbi has constantly. People say they're too busy or don't know how, when the tools and coaches and communities are more available than ever.

Building a Business That Runs on Referrals, Not Cold Leads

I wanted to know how Debbi builds consistent business without chasing every lead that comes through the door, and her answer came back to one word: connection.

She's been active in BNI for two years, and what she loves about it is the structure. One meeting a week, one realtor per chapter, and a system built entirely around referring people you trust. Most of her closed deals now come from referrals, either into her business or out of it to trusted partners in other markets.

"I don't serve a commission or a transaction. I lead from the heart. I lead by helping. Whether I'm helping a buyer or a seller, it doesn't matter. I'm helping people, not a price point."

That philosophy is also why she works both sides of the table as a buyer's and listing agent instead of picking a lane. It keeps her sharp on both ends of every negotiation, and it's part of what makes her referral-based real estate business sustainable instead of feast-or-famine.

What Changed for Me After This Conversation

Talking with Debbi reminded me why I started Take Action Realty Group in the first place. Agents don't fail because the market turns. They fail because they stop taking action when it does.

"I do everything from the heart, and what I do has to align with giving to someone else or some group. That's the goal, and staying consistent is how you activate it."

Her point about chasing shares instead of hiding from a slow market is something I'm applying directly to how I coach my own team right now. When conditions get harder, the agents who keep showing up, keep networking, and keep helping clients understand selling your home the right way are the ones still standing in twelve months. The ones who wait for the phone to ring usually don't make it that long.

I also walked away thinking differently about resilience itself. It isn't a personality trait some agents have, and others don't. It's a method, and Debbi DiMaggio of Corcoran Icon Properties proved that with a marathon she trained for entirely in her head before she ever trained for it with her legs.

Want to hear my full conversation with Debbi on why most real estate agents fail before they ever get momentum?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Mindset in Motion framework?

It's a five-step method Debbi DiMaggio developed after training for and completing the LA Marathon: set a crystal-clear goal, believe you'll achieve it, internalize it through visualization, share it only with supportive people, and activate through consistent, deliberate action.

How should I prepare my home to sell in a slow market?

Start with the essentials, such as refinished floors, fresh paint, and real staging rather than virtual-only staging. Small upgrades, like light fixtures and cabinet knobs, make an outsized impact for the cost. Pull inspection reports early so nothing derails negotiations later.

Why should real estate agents work with both buyers and sellers?

Working both sides keeps you active in the market from every angle, builds broader experience faster, and lets you serve people rather than chase a single type of transaction. It also gives you more referral opportunities in both directions.

Apply as a Guest on Why Do I Suck as a Real Estate Agent?

If you've built something real in this industry, whether it's a system, a mindset, or a business model other agents can learn from, I want to hear about it. My show exists to help agents who are struggling see what's actually possible when the right strategy meets the right mindset!