What is Open House Mastery?

A four-week live training that helps real estate agents show up confidently at open houses, connect naturally with visitors, and follow up with clarity. Taught by real estate mentor, Chrissy Valentine.

Do I need experience with open houses?

No. The course meets you where you are. Whether you host open houses often or are just getting started, the focus is on connection, confidence, and consistent action.

Is this course region-specific?

No. The principles work in any market. While examples may reference Arizona, the approach applies to all real estate markets.

What if I miss a live class?

Replays will be available. The course emphasizes applying what you learn, at your own pace.

Will this help me gain more confidence?

Yes. Confidence is one of the key focus areas of Open House Mastery. You'll learn how to prepare, how to connect with visitors naturally, and how to follow up without feeling salesy.

What does “branding” really mean for a real estate agent?

Branding is how people experience you. It is the clarity you bring to conversations, the confidence in your voice, and the feeling people get when they interact with you. It is not about logos, it is about connection.

Do I need to be polished or perfect to have a strong brand?

Not at all. Strong branding comes from authenticity. People connect with agents who are real, grounded, and consistent, not perfectly curated.

How can I become more confident in how I show up?

Confidence grows from clarity. When you know who you are, what you bring to the table, and how you want people to feel around you, your presence becomes more natural and confident.

How do I build more visibility in my business?

Visibility is not about doing more. It is about showing up consistently in a way that feels aligned with who you are. When you communicate clearly and connect with people honestly, visibility naturally grows.

What makes an agent memorable?

Your presence. Your calm confidence. Your ability to make people feel understood. People remember how you make them feel, not your marketing style.

Is this something new agents can work on?

Yes. New agents and experienced agents both benefit from clarity, confidence, and connection. These skills support every stage of your business.

Does this connect with Open House Mastery?

Yes. The way you show up, communicate, and create connection is a core part of hosting an engaging open house. Branding and visibility support every conversation you have.

Do I need to be on social media for visibility?

No. Social media can help, but it is only one tool. In person conversations, open houses, follow up, and community connection all build visibility in meaningful ways.

Is this about creating a visual brand?

This is about creating a personal presence. Clarity, confidence, communication, and connection are the deeper work behind the visuals.

How do I stay consistent as a real estate agent?

Start small. Choose a few key actions that matter most in your business and commit to doing them on a regular basis. Consistency grows from simple, repeatable habits, not from trying to do everything at once.

Do systems have to be complicated to work?

No. Simple systems are often the most effective. A clear checklist, a basic follow up routine, and a weekly review can support you more than a complicated setup you never use.

What if I struggle with follow up?

Many agents feel this way. A gentle, structured follow up plan can make it easier. When you know what to do and when to do it, the resistance starts to fade.

Can I still be flexible if I use systems?

Yes. Systems are there to support you, not control you. They give you a steady base so you can adjust when life and business shift.

Is this only for experienced agents?

No. New agents and mid level agents both benefit from consistency and simple systems. These skills help at every stage of your career.

How does this connect with Open House Mastery?

The more consistent you are with your preparation, follow up, and weekly rhythm, the more powerful your open houses become. Systems help you carry the benefits of each open house into the rest of your business.

What if I feel overwhelmed by starting systems?

Start with one thing. One small habit. One simple routine. You do not need to build it all at once. It is okay to go slow and steady.

Is the Arizona real estate market really picking back up?

Yes. We are seeing more showings, stronger offers, and listings that sat for months receiving new activity. Lower rates and buyer demand are shifting the market.

Are multiple offer situations happening again?

Yes. Well priced and well presented homes in certain areas are starting to attract more than one offer as the market becomes more competitive.

Why are lower rates affecting the market so quickly?

Even small rate cuts improve affordability. More buyers qualify for loans, re enter the market, and begin searching for homes, which increases activity quickly.

Is it a good time to buy a home in Arizona?

It depends on your situation. With competition returning, running your numbers now can help you understand your current buying power and the best timing for you.

Is it a good time to sell my home?

Possibly. Homes that were not moving earlier this year are now gaining traction. Pricing strategy and presentation are key in capturing new momentum.

Should I wait for rates to drop more?

Waiting may help, but it can also increase competition. The best approach is to review your real numbers today and compare buying or selling scenarios.

Why is the buyer broker agreement important?

The buyer broker agreement outlines responsibilities, protects both parties, and provides a clear roadmap during tense negotiations or compensation discussions.

How Ego Impacts Real Estate Negotiations | A Reset for Agents

Even with the best training, the best intentions, and the best mindset work, our ego still has a way of slipping into the room. Sometimes quietly. Sometimes loud enough to take over.

And recently, I had to check mine — hard.

🌟 A Negotiation That Brought My Ego Front and Center

I was helping a buyer write an offer on a home we both loved.
We did the work.
We ran comps.
We wrote a strong, thoughtful offer.
Everything aligned.

Then the counter came back…
and the seller had lowered my commission.

My immediate reaction?

“How dare they. Not in this market. Don’t they see how much work I’ve put in?”

The spiral was REAL.
And here’s the truth:

It wasn’t about the house.
It wasn’t about the offer.
It wasn’t about the client.

It was about me.

My ego.
My money story.
My sense of worth.

All of it took over in seconds.

🪞 The Coaching Call That Reset Everything

Thankfully, I had a coaching call planned for the same day.

I vented.
My coach listened.
Then she cut through everything with one line:

“The counter is not about you. The seller probably needs a certain net. And don’t you already have a buyer broker signed?”

Ouch.
But the kind of “ouch” that brings clarity with it.

She was right.
The compensation conversation had already happened — and not with the seller.
It happened at the buyer consult, when my client and I reviewed the forms, the expectations, and the buyer broker agreement.

The offer simply asked the seller to contribute to what my client and I had already agreed upon.

Once I remembered that, everything shifted.

I went back to my client, explained the counter clearly, and they chose to cover the difference.

We moved forward, closed the deal, and everyone walked away whole.

🌟 The Lesson: It’s Not About Proving Ourselves

Negotiation isn’t about:

proving we’re worth it
winning for the sake of pride
reacting out of frustration
trying to “teach the other side a lesson”

It’s about:

centering the client
presenting information clearly
removing our ego from the equation
honoring our fiduciary duty
letting clients make decisions that serve them

Our clients hire us for our clarity, not our emotional reactions.

And even when we’ve done mindset work, ego and money stories still sneak in — especially in a business with this much intensity and this much pressure.

🪞 Where Ego Shows Up in Subtle Ways

Sometimes it’s loud, but often it’s quiet:

“I’d never buy this house.”
“I wouldn’t pay that much.”
“I’d want all of this repaired.”
“I don’t think this is a good deal.”

But here’s the thing…

Those thoughts aren’t about the client.
They’re about us.

Our preferences.
Our opinions.
Our personal relationship with money, value, and negotiation.

And none of those belong at the center of the client’s experience.

⭐ Our Fiduciary Duty Is Very Clear

Article 1 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics says:

“When representing a buyer, seller, landlord, tenant, or other client as an agent, REALTORS® pledge themselves to protect and promote the interests of their client. This obligation to the client is primary.”

Our personal preferences don’t belong at the center.
Our client’s goals and decisions do.

And that relationship is established long before the negotiations begin — at the buyer consult, when responsibilities, expectations, and compensation are reviewed, discussed, and put into writing.

🔑 The Tool That Saved My Deal (and My Sanity)

The buyer broker agreement.

It remains one of the most important tools we have — especially after the NAR settlement changes.

Here’s why:

It creates clarity from the beginning
It outlines responsibilities and expectations
It removes guesswork when things get tense
It gives you and your client a roadmap when emotions rise
It protects your value without needing to defend it mid-negotiation

In my situation, it was the anchor that kept everything steady.
Without it, the deal could have gotten messy fast.

⭐ If You Struggle With How to Present the Buyer Broker…

You’re not alone.

I get asked this all the time, which is why I outlined my full approach in a past newsletter.

You can grab it two ways:

👉 Read it now
👉 Email me and I’ll send it to you

Keep it handy.
It’s one of those resources that pays for itself every single time — both in client relationships and in the way you confidently stand in your value.

🌟 Final Thought

Ego will always try to creep back in.
Money stories will always try to take over.
That doesn’t mean something’s wrong — it means you’re human.

The work is in catching it.
Resetting.
And coming back to the truth:

This job isn’t actually about us.
It’s about the people we serve.
And the clearer we are on that, the stronger we become as agents.

Curious as to how you might become a stronger agent? Let's chat today!

Looking to get your systems in check? Learn More!

See how I show up at Open Houses!

FAQ:

Why does ego show up in real estate negotiations?

Real estate is emotionally intense and financially high stakes. Ego shows up when our sense of worth feels challenged, or when we attach our value to the outcome instead of the client’s goals.

How can agents stay centered during negotiations?

By returning to the client’s goals, relying on the buyer or listing consult, and remembering their fiduciary responsibilities. Clarity lowers emotional noise.

What are “money stories” and why do they matter?

Money stories are the beliefs we carry about worth, value, and compensation. They can influence how we react to counters, commissions, and negotiations if we’re not aware of them.

What does fiduciary duty require from real estate agents?

Fiduciary duty requires agents to protect and promote the client’s best interest — not their own preferences or emotional reactions.

How should agents talk about compensation with buyers today?

The compensation conversation should happen early and clearly during the buyer consult. The buyer broker agreement sets expectations and reduces conflict during negotiations.

Why is the buyer broker agreement so important?

It provides clarity, outlines responsibilities, and protects both the client and the agent. When negotiations get tense, it becomes the roadmap for moving forward.

Real Estate News, Insights, and Growth

It’s Not About Us: A Reset for Agents Navigating Ego, Money Stories, and Fiduciary Duty