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Team Howe Weekly
4 September 2026
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The Weekend Edition · Real Insight Weekly
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Lower North Shore · Principles
When the Market Tests You
Results rise and fall.
Principles determine who you become.
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Dear Readers,
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| A softer market tests everyone — buyers, sellers and real estate agents. Expectations collide with evidence, difficult decisions must be made and financial pressure can bring out both the best and worst in people. |
| Real estate is a business filled with ego, rejection, pressure and money. This is exactly when our principles matter most. They stop difficult circumstances from turning us into someone we are not. |
| I have experienced good markets and bad ones, some loyal clients and others not, deserved wins and unfair losses. We cannot control everything that happens, but we can control how we behave when it does. |
| Here are eight principles that have served me well. |
1 |
A clear conscience is worth more than a commission. |
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| Before making an important decision, ask: can I explain it honestly, stand behind it publicly and still sleep well tonight? If the answer is yes, you have probably made the right decision — even if it costs you money. |
2 |
Tell the difficult truth early. |
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| Delaying an uncomfortable conversation rarely makes it easier. In real estate, false hope is not kindness. Honest advice before a campaign begins can save a vendor months of disappointment later. |
3 |
Judge yourself by your conduct, not every result. |
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| You can give excellent advice and still lose the listing. You can run a strong campaign and still encounter poor timing or a difficult market. Judge yourself first by the quality of your preparation, advice and conduct. |
4 |
Lose the listing, not your dignity. |
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| If a seller chooses another agent, let them go respectfully. Do not argue, become bitter or wish them failure. There is always another opportunity. One lost listing should never compromise how you approach the next one. |
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Let go of the anger, but keep the lesson. |
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| Letting go does not mean pretending nothing happened. Understand the lesson, improve your process and strengthen your boundaries. Forgive the incident, but do not waste the education. |
6 |
Do not confuse kindness with weakness. |
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| Being principled does not mean allowing people to repeatedly take advantage of you. You can remain courteous while saying no. Goodwill without boundaries eventually becomes resentment. |
7 |
Remember that reputation compounds quietly. |
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| A commission is temporary. A reputation for honesty, consistency and courage is built over decades — and can be lost in a single poor decision. Many of the decisions that built your career may not have looked profitable on the day you made them. |
8 |
Stay calm and keep moving. |
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| Anyone can behave well while everything is going their way. Character is revealed when the listing is lost, the buyer withdraws or someone behaves poorly. A setback deserves reflection, and then a comeback. Take the lesson, close the door and make the next call. |
| You cannot control every outcome, but you can control whether you acted with honesty, courage and decency. If you can go home and sleep well, you have not lost. |
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Lose the listing if you must. Lose the commission if you must. But never lose your principles trying to hold on to either.
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| On the numbers behind that discipline this year: we have just passed 1,000 listings for 2026, and 59% of them — 597 properties — have already sold. Consistency shows up in the data as much as in the conduct. |
| Wishing everyone a great weekend. |
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36
New listings
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10
New sales
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8
Auctions tomorrow
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597
Total sales 2026
59% of 1,004
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165
Withdrawn 2026
16% of 1,004
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242
Current listings
24% of 1,004
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1,004
Total 2026 listings
100% of 1,004
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David Howe
Partner Agent · Raine & Horne Lower North Shore
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Charles Tang
Team Howe · Raine & Horne Lower North Shore
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Lower North Shore
140 Sailors Bay Road, Northbridge NSW 2063
The Weekend Edition · Real Insight Weekly
© Raine & Horne Lower North Shore. You are receiving this because you have previously been in touch with our office about Lower North Shore property.
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