Louise Phillips Forbes built a remarkable career in real estate by focusing on people before transactions. Over more than 35 years, she has sold more than $6 billion in property. Her story offers a powerful lesson for every real estate agent: service, generosity, and genuine relationships can create a sustainable business in any real estate market.
On the Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered real estate podcast, hosted by James Dwiggins and Keith Robinson, Louise explained that buyers and sellers may come and go, but professional relationships can last for decades.
Start With Service, Not Sales
Louise entered the real estate industry after moving from Nashville to New York City to pursue dance. After an injury, she began selling homes with limited resources, no computer, and very little support. Her first year produced only $8,400.
Instead of focusing primarily on income, Louise changed her mindset. She decided to become an educator and be of service. That shift helped her stop measuring personal worth by commission and start concentrating on how she could help others.
For a real estate agent, this approach can be transformative. Rather than treating every conversation as a prospecting opportunity, agents can focus on being useful, generous, and dependable. If a transaction follows, that becomes a welcome result, not the only reason for the relationship.
Colleagues Are Allies
Louise also emphasized that colleagues are not simply competitors. Early in her career, she called other brokers to ask whether she could bring buyers to their listings. She honored agreements, shared opportunities, and built trust one deal at a time.
That lesson applies across every real estate brokerage, whether an agent works independently, with a real estate broker, or inside a real estate franchise such as NextHome or a NextHome real estate franchise. Cooperation can create opportunities that are impossible to find alone.
Transparency matters, too. Louise believes consumers benefit from access to real estate listings, but data is only useful when paired with experience. A portal may show real estate for sale, real estate prices, and current real estate trends, but it cannot always explain the history or context behind the information.
Stay Strong While Staying Generous
Keith Robinson asked how Louise balances service with strength. Her answer was candid: generosity does not mean becoming passive. A successful agent still needs boundaries, confidence, and the ability to close.
Louise acknowledged that she is restructuring her team’s compensation after recognizing that her previous structure had created complacency. Her willingness to reassess demonstrates why continuous learning matters. Growth may come through real estate courses, real estate books, real estate blogs, real estate podcasts, or real estate events investing communities.
Technology can help, but real estate technology cannot replace relationships. A CRM, artificial intelligence, or better access to data may improve efficiency, but trust still comes from human connection.
Five Meaningful Touches
Louise’s practical advice is simple: make five personal outreaches without asking for business. Agents should check in with people because they genuinely care, not simply because they want a referral.
That principle supports every part of a real estate business, from real estate investing and investing in real estate to real estate financing, real estate taxes, and real estate laws. Even searches such as “real estate agents near me” or “real estate companies near me” ultimately lead consumers to professionals they trust.
Louise’s career is a reminder that relationships are not separate from business. They are the foundation of it. Her example shows that real estate investing for beginners and real estate investment real estate brokerage professionals alike can build lasting success by putting service first. The central message from Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered is clear: business grows when people feel valued, respected, and genuinely supported.
