Episode 766: Show Up Better: 4 Habits That Win Clients in 60 Seconds - Your Daily Real Estate Podcast with Tristan Ahumada

Summary4 min read

Episode Overview

Episode Title: Show Up Better: 4 Habits That Win Clients in 60 Seconds
Host: Tristan Ahumada
Date: January 4, 2026
Podcast: Your Daily Real Estate Podcast
Length: ~5 minutes

This episode dives into Tristan Ahumada’s top four habits for making clients feel significant within moments—skills critical for winning trust and business in real estate. Drawing on his experience with clients, major corporations, and extensive industry coaching, Tristan shares practical tips to help agents, teams, and brokers "show up better" and form stronger, more authentic connections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance of Making People Feel Significant

[00:05] Tristan sets the stage by observing how agents often lose business simply because they don’t make potential clients feel like they matter.
- “They don’t make them feel significant, they don’t make them feel like they matter.” — Tristan [00:05]
Emphasizes that success in real estate (and any business) hinges on showing people their importance.

4 Habits to Show Up Better

1. The Phone Down Protocol

[01:25] Distractions, especially from phones and smartwatches, undermine presence.
- “Nothing screams you’re significant louder than you putting the phone upside down or even better, putting the phone away.” — Tristan [01:30]
Recommendations:
- Silence and put away devices before meetings or conversations.
- If an emergency requires phone access, disclose this upfront.
- “If…you look at your watch, iPhone watch and it’s sending alerts…I kind of felt bad.” — Tristan [01:45]
- “Probably the best thing you can do.” — [02:15]

2. The Specific Echo Technique

[02:20] Many people listen to reply, not to understand.
- “To make someone feel significant though, you have to prove that you heard them.” — Tristan [02:25]
How to implement:
- Repeat back or paraphrase what the client said.
- Ask clarifying questions or take visible notes (e.g., “Did you mean this, Joe?”).
- Use the client’s own words to echo their meaning, showing attentiveness.
- “They also know that I understand them. In fact, I repeat it in the words they use, right? They feel heard and they feel valued.” — [02:50]

3. The Non-Real Estate Note

[03:10] Agents are good at remembering details about properties, but real significance comes from recalling small, personal details.
- “The significance lies in the small personal things.” — Tristan [03:20]
Habit:
- Listen for throwaway comments unrelated to business (e.g., a child’s soccer game, pet surgery, favorite books).
- Record these details and follow up later via text or handwritten note referencing them.
- “When you do that, they know that they’re significant to you. You listened, you paid attention to the details.” — [03:35]

4. The Zero Agenda Call

[04:05] Check in on past clients or sphere of influence with no business agenda.
- “Zero agenda call means you’re just going to call your past clients to see how they’re doing. You’re not going to bring up real estate.” — [04:20]
Avoid tacking on a request for referrals at the end.
Genuine outreach fosters deeper relationships; even a simple “Was driving by your neighborhood and thought of you” suffices.
- “The point is to get you in a better direction, to connect with people. Because sometimes we forget that this is a relationship-based business and it’s all about making people feel amazing.” — [04:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

[00:05] “They don’t make them feel significant, they don’t make them feel like they matter. And in this business and in any business, you’ve got to make people feel that.” — Tristan
[01:30] “Nothing screams you’re significant louder than you putting the phone upside down or even better, putting the phone away.”
[02:25] “To make someone feel significant though, you have to prove that you heard them.”
[03:20] “The significance lies in the small personal things.”
[04:20] “Zero agenda call means you’re just going to call your past clients to see how they’re doing. You’re not going to bring up real estate.”
[04:55] “Because sometimes we forget that this is a relationship-based business and it’s all about making people feel amazing.”
[05:15] “Your job is to make people feel significant, make them feel amazing. I’m not saying don’t have hard conversations…but to connect with them…they have to know that they mean a lot to you. And this is how you start, this is how you do it.”

Timestamps of Key Segments

00:00–01:20 — The problem: Not making people feel significant.
01:21–01:50 — The Phone Down Protocol
02:21–03:09 — The Specific Echo Technique
03:10–04:04 — The Non-Real Estate Note
04:05–05:15 — The Zero Agenda Call and closing insights on relationship-building

Summary Takeaways

Make people feel significant by being present and attentive.
Four practical habits:
1. Put devices away—eliminate distractions.
2. Echo back what you hear—prove you understand.
3. Remember & follow up on personal details—show you care beyond business.
4. Reach out with no hidden agenda—build trust with genuine connection.
Real estate is fundamentally about relationships and making people feel amazing—be a “dopamine dealer” for your clients!

For further resources or the summarized list, Tristan invites listeners to message him on Instagram or inquire about coaching.

End of Summary

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
I've seen agents lose business just for one simple thing, and that's they don't make the people that they're talking to that they want to connect with, that they want to win over. They don't make them feel significant, they don't make them feel like they matter. And in this business and in any business, you've got to make people feel that. They have to know that to them you're important, you're important to them and you need to show up better that way. So today I've outlined four simple things that you can do when you're in front of your clients to make you show up better. Because I've also been, I've also not been the greatest at showing up at certain times and I've learned from it. So these things are things that I've put into place that allow me to, to show it better for my clients and to show it better for people that I'm trying to win over. Whether it's in real estate or in other businesses where I'm sitting in front of these multi million dollar companies, billion dollar companies. And I've got to win them over. I've got to show up my best self. And these are the four things that I want you to pay attention to. I'm Tristan. This is your daily real estate. It's a podcast, it's a show we're on year two now. Pretty crazy, right? It's almost the best kept secret. And I've been running lab coat agents now for 12 years at the companies. And I want to help you. I want to help you get to that next stage, whether it's just with this podcast or in our coaching. So today, let's go over these four simple things that have helped me show up better to make the person that I'm talking to feel like they're important. Number one, the phone down protocol. I'm just going to read them off of the list that I have here because I wrote it down on my notes. The phone down protocol. Nothing screams your significant louder than you putting the phone upside down or even better, putting the phone away. Right? Because if it buzzes and it's on the table, you're going to look at it. If I've been guilty of this. If you're looking at your watch, iPhone watch and it's sending alerts, I had somebody say, tristan, do you have to take that? I'm like, ah, I kind of felt bad. I was like, no, it's just a, it's just an alert that told me I Needed to work out. So listen, the watch too. Don't look. Are you late for something? Right. So when you're in front of a person, if you're going to be looking down on your phone because you're the only one that, that your kids can get a hold of, then tell them that, say, hey listen, I'm going to put my phone away. But if by any chance I look at it or I have to look down at it or I have to get it, it's because my son is home alone or nobody can pick up my son. So I'm just waiting for a call if that's the case. And there's no problem with that because you disclosed it. Now, other than that, you shouldn't be looking at your phone if there are no other emergencies out there where people can or have to get a hold of you. So face down in your pocket, put away. Probably the best thing you can do. Number two, the specific echo technique. Ready for this? Most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. You've heard this multiple times from different people all the way back to the Bible, the ancient Greeks, the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment. People have said it throughout. To make someone feel significant though, you have to prove that you heard them. That means in some cases you may have to repeat what it is that they said. Or you may ask for clarity or like I do, you may take notes. Did you mean this, Joe? Or what do you mean by that? Because I'm writing it. I just want to make sure I've got it down. And when I look down to write, they now see that I'm writing and paying attention. They also, when I'm repeating if I'm not writing, they also know that I understand them. In fact I repeat it in the words they use, right? They feel heard and they feel valued. That's the thing. Number three, the non real estate note agents are great at remembering square footage. Yes, that thing we never use. And bedroom counts. I'm good at that. But sometimes we forget the human details. Ready? The significance lies in the small personal things. Here's what I've got for you. Listen to. Listen for a throwaway comment. I'm going to read you what I wrote to myself. Listen for a throwaway comment. Tristan. Unrelated to the house, daughter, soccer game or tournament, their love for vintage sci fi books or fantasy books. They love Lord of the Rings or maybe their dog just had surgery or is going to go into surgery. Write it down and then send them a text later, a handwritten note referencing it. The point is when you do that, they know that they're significant to you. You listened, you paid attention to the details. That becomes really big. I know because I screwed up a few times on that and I learned, and now I apply it number four. And look, there are way more than four. But today we ended four, the zero agenda call. This was a good one. And I had to learn it again the hard way because I would call up some past clients in Sphere and I'd be like, hey, Joanne, it's Tristan. I'm just calling actually to see how you're doing. That's it. No, no agenda. But then this is how I'd end it. I would end it with, oh, Joanne, by the way, if you know anybody that wants to buy or sell real estate, you know I'm right here for you, right? And then that would convolute the call. What I mean by the no or the zero agenda call means you're just going to call your past clients to see how they're doing. You're not going to bring up real estate. It can be as simple as, hey, I was driving by the neighborhood and I just remembered you. And I'm sorry, it's been like six months. Just wanted to say hi, how's it going? How's your husband? That's it. Or how are you doing? Or how's work? And that's it. In fact, it could even be a text. A call is better, but it could be a text. Now the point of this is to, is to get you in a better direction, to connect with people. Because sometimes we forget that this is a relationship based business and it's all about making people feel amazing. Right? Again, I don't know how many times I've said it in the last few weeks, but you're a dopamine dealer. You're. Your job is to make people feel significant, make them feel amazing. I'm not saying don't have hard conversations when they need to be had, but to connect with them on social, to connect with them by text, in person, on media marketing, you've got to make people feel amazing. They've got to connect with you and they have to know that they mean a lot to you. And this is how you start, this is how you do it. Anyway, if you need this very short list, just message me on Instagram. And if you are thinking, tristan, I think I need to go further into this, Tristan, I think I need coaching. Just reach out to me. We will gladly place you with either one of our coaches in group coaching or I can do it. I only take on very few, so whichever one that works, great. And I will talk to you again tomorrow. Have an awesome January 2026. Crazy, right? Can't believe we're already here.