Let’s be honest—rejection is just part of the job in real estate. Whether it’s a client going with another agent, a listing that doesn’t convert, or a buyer who ghosts after a consultation, we’ve all felt that sting. Back in March, we talked about three ways to handle rejection. Today, I want to offer you three more strategies to help you not only survive rejection but use it to build confidence and momentum.
1. Desensitize Yourself to Rejection
If you’ve ever seen an allergist, you know one of their go-to techniques: micro-exposure. They expose you to tiny amounts of what triggers your allergy so your body learns to handle it better. The same principle applies to rejection.
Try this: go knock on a few doors or make a few cold calls. You’ll probably hear a few “no thanks” or maybe get ignored completely. But when you walk away, you’ll realize something powerful—you’re still here. You’re okay. It wasn’t personal, and it didn’t define your value as a professional. The more you do it, the less scary it becomes. This is how you build resilience—one “no” at a time.
2. Learn to Love the Word “No”
It may sound counterintuitive, but some of the best agents I know love hearing the word no. Why? Because they understand that every “no” is just a stepping stone to a “yes.”
Back during the Great Recession, when I was heavily focused on calling expired listings, I knew that statistically, I had to hear nine no’s to get one yes. That ‘yes’ was a listing appointment—and often a paycheck. So I reframed every rejection as progress. It wasn’t personal. It was just math.
When you adopt this mindset, rejection becomes less of a threat and more of a signpost: you’re moving in the right direction.
3. Celebrate the Wins
This one’s big. Real estate is a grind. And sometimes we’re so focused on where we should be, we forget to acknowledge how far we’ve come. Let me speak from experience—I used to skip right over my wins, thinking they weren’t big enough or didn’t count yet. That mindset drained me.
But here’s the truth: when you don’t celebrate the wins, you rob yourself of the energy they’re meant to give you. So yes, fist pump after you book a buyer consultation. Smile when you convert a cold lead into a hot one. Dance it out after a great open house. You earned that. Just do it after you’re off the phone.
Celebrating the win reinforces the behavior that got you there. It builds momentum. And in this business, momentum is everything.
Let Rejection Work for You
Rejection will always be part of the game—but it doesn’t have to be the part that drags you down. When you desensitize yourself to it, reframe it as a path to yes, and celebrate every hard-earned win, you take back control. You start to own your journey, one interaction at a time.
Let’s keep moving forward together—and as always, reach out if I can support you in any way.
