Ask Me Really with Pauline Donnelly

Pauline answers an agent who freezes when trying to post on social media due to discomfort on camera and fear of judgment. Drawing from her own experience and what she sees in her brokerage, she argues the issue is rarely technology and is instead a vulnerability problem tied to being seen publicly. Pauline notes that successful agents aren’t posting perfect, highly produced content; they show up in their own voice repeatedly, building trust over time. She recommends practicing by recording without posting, choosing one platform based on where clients are, and starting with consistent, useful content—such as one market observation weekly—even if it’s just text or a photo. The key is starting before feeling ready and continuing despite discomfort.
 
Topics
00:18 The Social Media Freeze
01:10 Why It Feels So Hard
02:06 Vulnerability Not Tech
03:21 Handling Judgment Fears
04:24 Getting Comfortable on Camera
05:47 Start Small and Consistent
07:10 Easy Content Ideas
08:01 Final Takeaway and Next Steps

Pauline answers a question from a new agent who feels lost, has no business yet, and worries about seeming desperate when talking to potential clients. She explains that clients won’t focus on how new you are as much as how you carry yourself, how prepared you are, and how seriously you take the work. Pauline recommends structuring days like a busy professional with time blocked for prospecting, market research, and sphere follow-up, and responding thoughtfully before committing to meetings to signal that your time has value. She emphasizes knowing the market deeply, dressing for success even without appointments, and being honest about being new while leading with integrity, responsiveness, and commitment. New agents can also leverage their advantage of complete focus and presence, build relationships early, attend broker opens, learn inventory, and absorb experienced agents’ expertise.
 
Topics
00:19 The New Agent Question
01:13 Confidence Without a Track Record
02:35 Look Busy With Structure
03:38 Know Your Market Cold
04:18 Dress Like a Pro
05:24 Be Honest and Build Trust
06:25 Use Your Focus as an Edge
06:53 Action Steps and Closing Mindset

Pauline responds to an agent who feels jealous and resentful of a friend and colleague whose real estate business is thriving while theirs has stalled. She normalizes the emotion, calling it the “competitive doldrums,” and explains how obsessively tracking the colleague’s listings and closings feeds a costly spiral that steals time and energy from business development. She challenges the assumption that the colleague’s success is luck, arguing it is usually the result of unseen, consistent work, and urges the agent to honestly assess their own effort. Her counterintuitive advice is to call and sincerely congratulate the colleague, which reduces resentment and strengthens reputation in a relationship-driven industry. Then, stop monitoring the colleague, identify specific actions to move the business forward, set goals, and get back to prospecting and follow-up.
 
Topics
01:46 Why It Feels So Bad
02:33 The Comparison Spiral
03:33 Luck vs Hard Work
05:11 Ask Yourself Honestly
05:31 Congratulate Them
06:43 Refocus on Your Business
07:32 Competitive Doldrums
08:03 Final Takeaways

Pauline answers a question from an agent whose qualified buyers keep browsing listings online for months but won’t tour homes, saying it’s likely not the market or the buyers but the agent stepping back from the driver’s seat. She argues that automated alerts and waiting for clients to choose showings hands the search to buyers who can only react to photos, which are designed to attract attention and can misrepresent properties in both directions. Buyers can’t truly understand a home until they stand inside it, so eliminating options from the sofa isn’t a reliable process. Pauline advises agents to be proactive by previewing properties themselves, deciding what’s worth the buyers’ time, and calling (not texting) with a clear read and recommendation, while also resetting expectations that online photos are only the beginning.
 
Topics
00:00 Buyer Search Stalled
01:35 Who Drives the Search
02:24 Reclaim Expert Role
03:17 Why Photos Mislead
04:51 Be Proactive Advisor
05:10 Preview Then Call
06:22 Reset Buyer Habits
07:34 Takeaways

In the inaugural episode of Ask Me Really, Pauline answers an agent’s question about a seller who wants to list $200,000 above a CMA-supported price to “leave room to negotiate.” She explains the seller’s strategy is based on a misunderstanding of buyer behavior: buyers search within pre-approved price bands and overpriced homes aren’t negotiated down—they’re filtered out and never seen by the right buyers. Overpricing attracts higher-budget buyers who have correctly priced alternatives, leading to days on market, stigma, seller anxiety, and eventual price reductions from a weakened position; overpricing is presented as the riskiest move, not a conservative strategy. Pauline recommends framing the discussion as education rather than argument, using clear language and buyer examples, and focusing on helping sellers make an informed decision. If a seller insists, she suggests a conditional agreement: list high but pre-commit to a 14-day reassessment and immediate price change if showings or serious interest don’t materialize, potentially written into the listing contract.
 
Topics
00:00 Seller Pricing Dilemma
01:42 Credit for Holding Firm
02:28 Why Overpricing Fails
03:37 Buyers Filter It Out
04:46 Days on Market Fallout
05:39 What to Say Script
07:31 Stories and Examples
07:58 Conditional Pricing Plan
09:50 Wrap Up & Key Takeaways