From the NFL to the closing table: Peyton Thompson’s 7 best motivation hacks

Do you ever have days where everything seems to just… work? You breeze through two dozen cold calls before lunch, without getting hung up on. You have a price reduction meeting with your seller, and, miracle of miracles, they not only agree immediately but also thank you for your strategic advice. It all feels so effortless. You feel charmed. Blessed. Lucky.

Was it just a lucky day? Maybe. But performance psychologists like Doctor John F. Murray, AKA “The Freud of Football,” would say you were in what they call a flow state — the holy grail of peak performance. They would also tell you there are simple mindsets you can adopt to get there more often. Sounds too good to be true, right?

Peyton Thompson is living proof that it isn’t. A former safety for the Chicago Bears, among other teams, Thompson hung up his cleats to become a luxury developer and Realtor in Austin, Texas. We recently sat down with Thompson to learn how he applied the science-backed peak performance training he received in the NFL to building and selling houses.

Peyton Thompson: By the numbers

• Market: Central and West Austin, Texas
• Niche: New construction and luxury listings
• 2024 volume + sides: $13,002,550 + 8 sides
• Highest ROI software: Monday.com
• Primary lead generation strategy: Referrals and networking

Hack 1: Focus on what you can control today — ignore everything else

In my New York City brokerage office in the mid-aughts, it seemed like every other agent had a dog-eared copy of Gary Keller’s “The One Thing” on their desks. I did too. Here’s why: We thought a self-help book written by the founder of Keller Williams would have all the advice we needed to succeed in real estate. Incredibly, we were right. It did, and it still does.

Haven’t read it? I can summarize it for you in a sentence. When you wake up tomorrow morning, ask yourself this question: “What’s the ONE thing I can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

It’s also the same ethos that Thompson learned in the NFL, which he credits for his meteoric rise in the industry. Here’s Thompson:

“Today, I’m focusing on controlling what I can control. Let’s keep the main thing the main thing. What’s the main thing today—my clients. What’s the main thing tomorrow—lead gen. What’s the main thing on Friday—marketing.”

The science: A Stanford University study shows that multitasking is killing your productivity. Stop.

Hack 2: Feed praise, starve negativity

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. This sounds like advice I learned in third grade! Is this really what elite athletes are trained to do? Yes, you’re right. This is the same advice I received from Mrs. Goldstein at Dickinson Avenue Elementary School. It’s also the guidance that NFL performance psychologists drill into every new draft pick from day one.

There is a simple reason why: it works. If it didn’t, they would try something else until they found something that did. Remember, the difference between winning and losing can mean hundreds of millions of dollars for an NFL team.

“I had success and felt a boom in my career when I just started applauding everybody around me. I was really positive, and I just didn’t entertain anything negative.”

The science: A study at The University of Chicago shows that positive self-talk increases academic performance.

Hack 3: Eat the frog, every morning

“I’ll do it tomorrow” kills more real estate careers than anything I can think of, and I’ve been obsessing over how agents can perform better for my entire career. I get it. You’re the boss. Sometimes you feel icky or just really want to go to the beach instead of picking up the phone and dialing. You worked hard yesterday. You deserve a day, or maybe even three or four, off.

Lucky for you, there is a simple productivity hack that nips procrastination in the bud: eat the frog. The idea is to tackle the task you really, really don’t want to do first thing in the morning. For Thompson, that means hitting the gym hard:

“If I damn near whoop myself or get whooped by the trainer at 7 a.m., whatever’s coming for the rest of the day is all downhill.”

The science: A recent Harvard study indicates regular exercise can boost your memory and critical thinking skills.

Hack 4: Time-block like a pro baller

Imagine you’re a boat. The first few tips are your motor, pushing you toward your goal. This tip will be your rudder, helping you stay on course and avoid hitting the rocks. And yes, this advice is just as simple (and just as effective) as the first three tips. If you want more complicated advice on staying motivated, ask the lowest-selling agent in your office what they do. Simple works.

As a rookie, Thompson’s days were strictly time-blocked, another peak performance strategy he applied early on in real estate and continues today:

“They time block your whole day—at 5 a.m. you’re here, at 7 a.m. you’re here, at 9 o’clock you’re here, at 11 o’clock you’re here, 1 o’clock you’re here, all the way till 7 p.m. You don’t have free time until seven to midnight, and then you gotta be back up the next day.”

The science: Summarizing decades of research, The Harvard Business Review calls time blocking “possibly the single most important skill or practice you can develop as a modern professional.” If this doesn’t convince you to start time blocking, nothing will.

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Hack 5: Stop winging it – create a plan and stick to it

Shiny object syndrome is a deadly epidemic among real estate agents. I don’t blame them; learning viral TikTok dances and how to prompt AI can help you sell more houses. Kina Desantis built an $89 million real estate team with leads she generates on TikTok. So yes, it does work.

The problem comes when you start to ignore your one thing to “work” on going viral, or “learn” AI. It’s a slippery slope. Making memes is fun. Picking up the phone when you don’t want to isn’t a good idea. Twenty minutes can become thirty, thirty minutes can become an hour, and then your whole day is gone. Creating short- and long-term game plans for your success makes it far easier to just say no to distractions.

Some of you might live and work by Mike Tyson’s famous axiom: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” I do too. Your plans will fail more often than they work. But here’s the thing: if you don’t have a plan, you won’t even get in the ring to get punched.

The science: Research from Columbia University reveals that strategic planning has a positive impact on return on capital and long-term financial performance for Fortune 500 companies.

Related articles

The TikTok strategy that helped one agent build an $89 million business in four years

11 real estate social media marketing strategies that actually work

31 real estate social media post ideas to engage your audience

Hack 6: Talk to movers and shakers, not other agents

When the conversation shifted to networking, Thompson didn’t mince words. His advice? Stop hanging around with other agents and start networking with people who have a 30,000-foot view of your market. Developers, brokers, lawyers or anyone else whose income is determined by knowing where the market is, and, more importantly, where it’s going. Here’s Thompson:

“Stop hanging out with other agents. If you’re hanging out with just buyers all day and going to happy hours with other Realtors and just opening doors, you’ve got no idea what’s coming in your market. You’re just reacting.

If you’re getting into real estate, you need to attach yourself to movers and shakers. I started by taking CEOs and business owners to coffee. I just asked them to tell me their story. Those early connections gave me critical insights that served as the foundation for my career. Hanging out with people who are doing things 10x what I’m doing makes me feel like the least I can do is my stuff in brokerage.”

As if to further underscore his dedication, Thompson chuckled when discussing his early morning coffee meetings. He was recovering from multiple knee surgeries at the time, so he was hobbling to each meeting on crutches. “I’m humbled at all times,” he told us.

The science: A Harvard Business Review write-up summarizing the research on professional mentorship 75% of executives credit their success to mentors, and 90% of employees with mentors report being happy at work.

Hack 7: The brokerage you join matters more than you might think

It won’t get you a listing you’re not qualified to represent, but if the seller’s choice is between you and another agent from a brokerage with a website that looks like it was designed in MS Paint, it just might give you the edge you need. When asked, Thompson was quick to point out how the award-winning branding and marketing that came from associating with The Agency helped his career:

“Attach yourself to a brand that needs no explanation. You shouldn’t have to sell your brokerage or its tools to earn a listing. If you’re sitting at the table, the client already likes you. From there, your ability to speak with clarity, confidence and complete command of the content should make the decision simple. The goal is to leave no doubt in the client’s mind that you’re the one to manage the transaction.”

The science: Contrary to what NAR studies show, multiple studies from the prestigious School of Hard Knocks confirm that your brokerage’s brand can help you get your foot in the door, literally.

The full picture

Know an agent who is thriving despite the odds and has actionable insights to share? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us here: [email protected].