Why Interest Alone Is Not Enough
Choosing a general area inside real estate that you care about is the starting point. But caring about something does not automatically make it marketable.
You might love talking about first-time buyers. Or staging. Or market trends. That’s good.
But agents do not get traction because something is interesting. They get traction because something feels frustrating, confusing, or misunderstood to buyers or sellers.
People do not respond to “I love real estate.”
They respond to “I keep seeing buyers mess this up.”
If you need proof of why this matters, look at why broad topics get ignored. Specific wins stand out because people recognize themselves in them. This is exactly why Why Specific Wins (and Broad Topics Get Ignored) matters at this stage.
Your goal here is to stop thinking in terms of topics and start thinking in terms of struggle.
Start With What People Are Already Stuck On
You do not need to invent a clever specialty.
The best angles already exist in the conversations you are having every week.
They show up as:
buyers saying “I don’t know what to offer.”
sellers asking “Why hasn’t my home sold?”
clients confused about inspection reports.
homeowners unsure if renovations are worth it.
This is why listening comes before building. If you skip this step, you end up guessing instead of responding. Listen Before You Build and Mining Online Conversations for Course Ideas both explain how to spot these patterns before you commit to anything.
If people are already struggling, motivation is already there. You are not convincing them to care. You are helping them make sense of something they already care about.
Broad Topics Hide the Real Problem
Most agents stay too high level.
“Buying a home.”
“Selling strategy.”
“Market education.”
These sound legitimate. But they hide the real friction.
People do not struggle with “real estate.” They struggle with:
not knowing what offer will win
being afraid of overpaying
worrying their home will sit
feeling overwhelmed by inspections
not understanding local price shifts
Your job is to move one layer deeper.
This is where Your Course Should Fix Something becomes relevant. If your focus does not fix a specific problem, it is too abstract. When you narrow your angle, you make it easier for the right people to recognize themselves quickly.
The 10 Second Clarity Test
Here is a simple test.
If someone lands on your page, can they decide in ten seconds whether this is for them?
If you say, “I help people buy homes,” that is too broad.
If you say, “I help first-time buyers avoid the three most common offer mistakes in this market,” that is clear.
If someone has to think, reread, or translate what you are saying, the focus is still too wide.
If they have to think, reread, or translate what you are saying, the focus is still too broad. Can They Say ‘Yes’ in 10 Seconds? walks through this exact idea and why speed of recognition matters more than clever language.
Clarity often feels boring to the person creating it. That is normal. Boring usually means clear.
Crowded Does Not Mean Wrong
A crowded space inside real estate is not a red flag. It is proof that money and attention already exist there.
There are thousands of agents talking about buying and selling.
But very few are known for something specific.The problem is not competition. The problem is vagueness. A Crowded Niche Isn’t the Problem show why clarity and positioning matter more than being first.
You are not trying to reach every buyer or seller.
You are trying to reach the ones who immediately feel seen.
You Are Solving One Thing, Not Everything
This is important.
You are not claiming to be the ultimate authority on real estate.
You are not promising to fix every part of the transaction.
You are choosing one struggle you understand well and can explain clearly.
Being one step ahead is enough if the step matters. Why Being One Step Ahead Is Enough to Teach reinforces why this approach works and why people trust it.
What This Lesson Is Really About
This lesson is not about locking yourself into a forever niche.
It is about choosing a starting point that creates traction.
When your angle is clear:
people recognize themselves faster
your content becomes easier to create
your future product has a reason to exist
You can expand later.
But you cannot build momentum without anchoring to a real struggle.
If you are unsure whether your angle is strong enough, revisit Is Your Course Idea Worth Teaching? for a reality check before moving forward.
What Comes Next
Once you have narrowed your focus to a real, specific struggle inside real estate, the next step is critical.
Are people already talking about this without you prompting them?
That is what Lesson 3 is about.