Mauricio Umansky’s Playbook For Breaking Through Plateaus

Every real estate professional knows the feeling: Your business is humming along, deals are closing and referrals are steady. But then, without warning, the momentum slows. The calls aren’t coming in as fast. Growth feels incremental at best. You’ve hit a plateau.

Especially in the housing market slowdown we’ve experienced over the past two years, many agents have felt this stagnation. Volume is down, competition is fierce and the old playbook doesn’t always work in today’s environment.

The truth is, plateaus are natural in business and in life. But what separates those who stay stuck from those who break through is their willingness to reexamine how they work and build the right systems to support their growth.

Over the course of my career, both as an agent and CEO of The Agency, I’ve seen firsthand how the right structure, talent and mindset can move you from plateau to peak performance.

Talent is everything

You cannot scale alone. Early in my career, I tried to do it all: negotiate, market, manage the back office and handle every client personally. I quickly realized this was a recipe for burnout, not growth. 

My breakthrough came when I surrounded myself with the right people. That began with my long-time assistant, Jane, who has been by my side for more than a decade, and expanded to include talented marketing specialists, transaction coordinators and, most importantly, my family. 

From the very beginning of The Agency, my father and daughter Farrah have been there, helping shape the foundation of our business, and now my daughter Alexia is learning and rising through the ranks. 

By allowing everyone to focus on what they do best, I’ve been able to focus on what I do best: advising clients, building relationships and serving as a market expert in the communities we represent. 

At our brokerage, we’ve applied the same principle on a global scale. Hiring the right talent has been key to our expansion. Every office we open is anchored by local leaders who embody our values and elevate the brand. 

For agents, the lesson is simple: invest in building your team. Hire the right people sooner than you think you need them, and you’ll unlock capacity to grow. And one key metric I revisit every quarter is simple: If you’re spending more than 20 percent of your time on tasks that don’t generate business or deepen relationships, it’s time to bring in support.

Build systems that scale

Talent alone isn’t enough. Without systems, your business can’t sustain growth. For me, that meant creating repeatable processes: how listings are marketed, how client communication is handled, how transactions are tracked. These systems ensured consistency and allowed us to deliver a luxury experience at scale.

At our brokerage, we’ve invested heavily in marketing, technology and training systems that empower our agents. Our PR division, creative studio and digital platforms give agents tools that would be impossible to replicate on their own. 

The same applies to an individual business: a powerful CRM, a standardized marketing checklist or a well-documented onboarding process for new team members can free up bandwidth and reduce friction. Don’t confuse being busy with being productive. Systems allow you to step out of the weeds and focus on growth.

Stay a student of the business

Another reason agents plateau is complacency. The market changes, client expectations evolve, and yet, too many agents keep doing the same thing they’ve always done. Growth requires constant learning and adaptation.

I’ve always believed that curiosity is a competitive advantage. From studying architecture and design trends, to exploring proptech innovations, to surrounding myself with industry leaders at conferences like Inman Connect, I never stop learning. That curiosity led to our evolution from a boutique brokerage in Beverly Hills into a global brand with nearly 150 offices worldwide.

My one word of advice is to commit to learning something new every quarter. Whether it’s mastering a new social media platform or taking a negotiation course, continuous learning keeps you and your business sharp and relevant.

Lead with vision and values

Perhaps most importantly, sustained growth requires clarity of vision. Our vision has always been to redefine real estate through collaboration, marketing innovation and culture. That vision has guided every hire, every expansion and every campaign.

Agents who plateau often lack a North Star. Without a clear vision for your business, you risk spreading yourself too thin, chasing every opportunity and burning out. When you articulate who you are, what you stand for and what kind of clients you want to serve, growth becomes intentional.

My advice to any agents who are trying to gain clarity is to write down your three guiding principles. Let them shape your daily decisions and long-term strategy.

Finally, remember that the key is making systems work for you. Know your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the needs of your clients, and adapt your programs and processes accordingly. A plan that doesn’t align with your style or the reality of your situation will never be sustainable. When you bring clarity of vision together with systems tailored to your reality, growth becomes both achievable and lasting.