What if you woke up tomorrow morning and had to relive the same real estate day for the next thirty days?
Not just any day. That day when you have five solid leads to follow up with, and every single one of them hits you with those four words that haunt every agent’s dreams:
“I’ll think about it.”
At first, the idea seems almost exciting. Unlimited chances to perfect your approach? A consequence-free environment to test every strategy you’ve ever learned? This is what you’ve secretly wished for! A chance to finally master the art of conversion without the fear of burning leads.
Day 1
Brutal reality hits you.
Lead: I think I need some time to think about it.
You: Oh… um, okay sure. Yeah, just… give me a call if you want to talk more about it I guess?
Lead: Alright, thanks. *click*
You hang up and cringe. Four more calls to go, each one as awkward as the last. But tomorrow’s another chance, right?
Day 2
Day 2 brings a strange revelation.
Knowing you get another attempt doesn’t make rejection any easier. Each ‘no’ still stings. Each fumbled response still haunts you. The reset button doesn’t erase the memory of failure. It just guarantees you’ll face it again.
Day 5
Today you’re convinced the problem is knowledge, so you’re going to try something different.
You spend hours studying market reports, memorizing interest rate trends, and analyzing comparable sales. Your calls start to sound like economic briefings.
Lead: I need to think about it.
You: Did you know that homes in this area are appreciating at 6.8% annually? With current interest rate trends…
Lead: (Interrupting) That’s interesting, but I still need time.
You: But the market analysis clearly shows…
Lead: Really, I have to go.
Day 10
More information isn’t working. So today, you’re deep-diving into technique.
You study every sales book, watch every training video, and memorize every closing strategy.
Your delivery is perfect. Your timing is immaculate.
Lead: I’ll think about it.
You: I understand that, and I respect your need to make an informed decision. But let me ask you this, what’s the real reason you’re hesitating?
Lead: (Defensive) I told you, I just need time.
You: Is it time you need, or is it certainty? Because if I could show you…
Lead: I need to run. *click*
Something isn’t adding up. You’re getting better at sounding like a real estate agent, but people are pulling away faster. It’s like trying to get a cat to come to you. The harder you chase, the quicker it runs.
Day 15
Today brings the first real breakthrough.
Lead: I need to think about it.
You: (Exhausted from trying) Yeah… you know what? You should think about it. It’s a big decision.
Lead: (Pause) Really? Most agents try to push me to decide right away.
You: Well, maybe they shouldn’t. What’s actually on your mind about all this?
For the first time, the conversation continues instead of ends.
It’s not much, but it’s something different. Like finding a loose thread that, when pulled, starts unravelling everything you thought you knew about sales.
Day 30
Fast forward to your last day, and everything has changed.
Lead: I think I need some time to think about it.
You: Of course you do. Anyone who doesn’t need time to think about a decision this big probably isn’t taking it seriously enough.
Lead: (Surprised) Really? Most agents try to push me to decide right away…
You: That’s exactly why you should take time to think. The fact that you want to be thorough tells me you make smart decisions. I’m curious though, what’s your usual process for making big decisions like this?
Lead: Well… I usually like to sleep on it, maybe discuss it with my partner…
You: That makes perfect sense. Would it be helpful if I put together a simple summary of everything we discussed? That way you have all the key points in front of you when you’re reviewing it later?
Lead: Yes, actually, that would be really helpful.
You: Great. And just so you can think about this without any pressure – what’s the best way for me to follow up? Would you prefer a call or text, and should I check back tomorrow or give you a couple of days?
Lead: Could you call me Thursday? That gives me time to talk it over with Sarah.
You: Thursday is perfect. I’ll call you then, and I’ll send over that summary within the hour. And hey, thanks for being so upfront about needing time. It’s refreshing to work with someone who takes this seriously.
Lead: You know what? This is the first comfortable conversation I’ve had with an agent. Everyone else just tries to force a decision…
You: Well, we’re not making a decision today. We’re just figuring out the best way for you to make your decision. Big difference.
Look at what just happened in that conversation. While most agents treat “I’ll think about it” like an objection to overcome, you did something radically different. You made it safe to think about it.
It’s like finally realizing you’ve been trying to force open a door that pulls instead of pushes. The door wasn’t locked.
You were just adding effort to something that should be effortless.
What Do Masters Know?
The time loop shows us something profound. Mastery isn’t about accumulating more techniques to handle “I’ll think about it.”
It’s about understanding why people say it in the first place. They say it because they don’t feel safe saying anything else.
Think about this for a moment.
When a client says “I need to think about it,” they’re actually telling you something profound about the conversation.
They don’t feel safe saying “I’m not sure about you yet” or “Something doesn’t feel quite right” or “I have concerns I’m not comfortable sharing.”
Why? Because most agents have trained clients to expect that any hesitation will be met with resistance. Every doubt will be countered. Every concern will be “overcome.”
So “I’ll think about it” becomes their only safe exit, the universal password to end a conversation without conflict.
This is why trying to overcome this response with more information or better techniques actually makes things worse. Each time you push back against their need to think, you’re confirming their fear that it’s not safe to be honest with you.
Look at how you handled it differently after living it for 30 days straight.
Instead of treating their need to think as a problem to solve, you treated it as valuable information. You showed the client that hesitation wasn’t just acceptable, it was respectable.
This is the ultimate irony of sales. The moment you make it truly safe for someone to say no is the moment they become more willing to say yes.
But you don’t actually need 30 days in a time loop to have this revelation.
You just need to recognize that every time someone says “I’ll think about it,” they’re really telling you exactly what they need – a safe space to make their decision without pressure.