Real estate is a weird business right now. You’ve probably noticed the vibe in your office lately—half the people are staring at their phones waiting for the "old market" to come back, while the other half are quietly crushing it using tools that didn't even exist eighteen months ago. If you missed the Tom Ferry Summit 2025 in Dallas, you basically missed the blueprint for the next decade of this industry.
Honestly, it wasn't just another rah-rah event with loud music and expensive coffee.
The energy at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center was different this year. August in Texas is always a sweat-fest, but inside, the focus was surgical. Tom Ferry didn't just talk about "hustle." He talked about an identity shift. He introduced something called the COM-B Identity Shift Method, which is basically a fancy way of saying you can't be a top producer if you're still acting like a 2019 agent.
What Actually Happened at Tom Ferry Summit 2025
The three-day gauntlet from August 26-28 focused heavily on one thing: Agentic AI. Now, don't roll your eyes. This isn't just about ChatGPT writing a mediocre property description. We're talking about systems that actually do the work for you. Jason Pantana, who always seems to be living three years in the future, broke down how "Agentic" systems are moving past simple prompts.
👉 See also: USD to MAD Rate Today: Why the Dirham is Moving and What to Expect Next
Think about it this way. Instead of you telling an AI to write an email, the AI identifies which lead in your CRM is most likely to sell based on their recent behavior, writes the personalized message, and puts it in your outbox. It's kinda wild how fast this moved.
The Heavy Hitters
The stage wasn't just Tom’s. We saw Tim Grover—the guy who trained Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant—talking about the "unforgiving race to greatness." His session was intense. He doesn't care about your "why"; he cares about your "result." It was a stark contrast to the tech-heavy panels, but a necessary kick in the pants for anyone feeling a bit complacent.
Then you had Josh Altman from Million Dollar Listing. He told a story that really stuck with me. He once took on a $4,000 rental client—a deal most big-shot agents would laugh at. That one "small" client eventually turned into over $160 million in sales through referrals. It was a massive reminder that in this weird 2026 market, you cannot afford to be "too big" for any opportunity.
The AI Rockstar Panel was a Reality Check
There was this specific panel with "AI Rockstars" like Derek Caldwell and Beatrix Whipple. They weren't just theorists. Derek showed how he uses n8n software to automate his transaction coordination. He’s basically turned hours of soul-crushing paperwork into seconds.
Beatrix, on the other hand, is using AI to turn raw MLS data into actual insights for her sellers. Instead of saying "homes are selling in 30 days," she’s providing deep-dive analysis on why certain properties are stalling. It makes her look like a genius to her clients, even though the machine is doing the heavy lifting.
- Custom GPTs: Agents like Katie Day are using scripts to dominate Houston real estate on Instagram.
- Video Mastery: The focus has shifted from "high production" to "high value."
- Lead Pillars: Tom kept coming back to the "Core 4"—doubling down on what works rather than chasing every new shiny object.
Why the "Ready, Fire, Aim" Mindset is Winning
Josh Altman’s mantra for the summit was "Ready, Fire, Aim." Most agents spend months "getting ready" to launch a mailing campaign or a YouTube channel. They want it to be perfect.
Altman’s point? By the time you’re "ready," the opportunity is gone. He told a story about meeting Tyler Perry on a treadmill. He didn't have a pitch deck. He didn't have a plan. He just took the shot. That conversation eventually turned into an $11.25 million deal.
In the Tom Ferry Summit 2025 sessions, this was a recurring theme. The market is moving too fast for the "cautiously optimistic." You have to be "recklessly active."
The Communication Shift
Matthew Ferry (Tom’s brother) did a session that was low-key one of the most important of the week. He talked about "persuasive communication." He’s big on removing "vague language."
Stop saying, "We might want to think about a price reduction."
Start saying, "To get your home sold by the date you want, we need to adjust the price to X today."
It sounds simple, but the way agents are talking to clients in 2026 has to change. People are nervous. They need an advisor, not a "yes person."
The Truth About the 2026 Real Estate Market
We’re in an erratic spot. Inventory is creeping up, and buyers are being picky. At the summit, experts like David Childers and Ken Pozek didn't sugarcoat it. They basically said that the "order takers" are going out of business.
If you're relying on your "sphere of influence" and just waiting for the phone to ring, you're in trouble. The agents winning right now are the ones who are "hyper-local." They know the school board decisions, the new coffee shop opening on 4th Street, and the exact reason why the house down the road didn't sell.
Knowledge is the only currency that hasn't devalued.
Actionable Steps You Can Take Right Now
If you weren't there, you can still grab the "OnDemand" version of the summit, but honestly, just watching videos won't do anything if you don't change your daily routine. Here is what the top 1% are doing differently after Dallas:
- Audit Your Tech Stack: If you aren't using at least one AI tool for lead nurture or content creation, you're working 10x harder than you need to. Start with something simple like ChatGPT for MLS descriptions or Grok for market research.
- The 5-Year Vision: Tom’s COM-B method starts with envisioning your life five years out. Not just your bank account—your life. Who are you hanging out with? What does your Tuesday look like? Work backward from there.
- Stop Ghosting Your Database: The "AI Rockstars" emphasized that AI should free you up to have more human conversations, not fewer. Use the time you save on admin to actually call your past clients.
- Adopt "Ready, Fire, Aim": Pick one thing you've been procrastinating on—video, a geographic farm, a new CRM—and start it today. Not Monday. Today.
The Tom Ferry Summit 2025 wasn't a funeral for old-school real estate, but it was definitely a graduation ceremony. The industry has moved on. You can either learn the new rules or keep playing a game that doesn't exist anymore.
To stay ahead of the curve, your next move should be to perform a "Lead Pillar Audit." Identify your top two sources of business from the last year and find one way to integrate an "Agentic" AI tool to automate the follow-up for those specific channels. This ensures that while you're out in the field taking shots like Josh Altman, your business is still running in the background.