Busy Isn’t the Same as Effective

[Rob Bergeron]

I was listening to an interview with Curt Cignetti https://x.com/jamespruch/status/2007494886346625337?s=20,the Indiana football head coach, and it stuck with me in a way that felt refreshing. He kept coming back to time spent inside the work — inside coaching, inside preparation, inside the craft. Not posturing. Not talking about effort. Just doing the work where it actually matters.

He’s very much one of one. Highly disciplined. Pragmatic. Respectful of time. One point that really landed was how intentional he is about not wasting time — his coaches’ time and his players’ time. Reasonable practice lengths. Clear expectations. A real focus on keeping players healthy, sharp, and available.

That’s how great cultures are built. Respect people. Respect their time. Do the work well.

He also talked about people. Working with the right kind of people — the ones who believe in the systems, trust the process, and commit to it — changes everything. And as he put it, "winning helps a lot." Momentum matters. Belief compounds.

That applies perfectly to real estate.

In this business, it’s easy to sound busy. It’s much harder to be effective. The people who win long-term aren’t telling stories about the grind — they’re quietly executing the boring, repeatable actions that compound.

Bringing real value.
Making the calls.
Following up when it would be easier not to.
Sending offers.
Relationships nurtured without expectation.
Spending time learning new skills — and then actually applying them.
Taking action.

That’s the difference.

Flexible schedules are one of the gifts of this industry, but flexibility only works when it’s paired with discipline. The hours still matter. Time spent thinking, calling, learning, refining, and following through still matters. Stack enough focused hours over enough days, and momentum becomes unavoidable.

Cignetti’s turnaround is proof of what disciplined execution and healthy culture can do. Indiana went from one of the weakest programs in Division I college football to a legitimate powerhouse in just two seasons — including beating last year’s national champion.

Now they’re one of the final four teams left in the College Football Playoff, getting ready to take on Coach Will Stein’s Oregon offense. Should be a great game this weekend.

That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when the right people buy into the right systems — and then start winning.

These are exciting times.

If you’re excited, lean into it.
If you’re not, time to figure out why and do something about it! 

There are 3,060 active listings right now, and 956 of them (about 31%) have been on the market 90+ days. In multifamily, 39 of 92 listings (roughly 42%) have been sitting that long. Those owners are very likely motivated. Get something in front of them and make them say no. Why not? 
30-year mortgage rates are sitting at 6.01% today, down a bit from yesterday.