Real estate professionals across Dallas-Fort Worth and Southlake are bracing for a slower market over the next 12 to 24 months, but Justin Nimergood, who leads the Top Gun Team at Epique Realty, is taking a contrarian approach: instead of cutting back, he is doubling down on his team’s infrastructure and client outreach. “It’s our belief that the next 12 to 24 months in the real estate market is going to be tough,” Nimergood said. His strategy echoes Warren Buffett’s principle of investing when others retreat, and he believes agents who pull back during the slowdown will be poorly positioned when the market turns.
A key part of Nimergood’s plan is to deepen client relationships before the first conversation. The team is launching a new website featuring individual agent pages, a mortgage calculator for buyers and sellers, and an AI-based home valuation tool. For homeowners seeking a low-pressure starting point, the team’s property valuation tool exemplifies that approach. “We want them to know us almost before we even have that first conversation with them,” Nimergood said. The idea is that people who already know, like, and trust an agent are more likely to reach out when they are ready to move. The practical takeaway for agents: use extra time during a slowdown to consistently share local market insights, explain the process, and let people get to know you—work that pays off when activity picks up.
Nimergood also warns of burnout. “I think a lot of people are going to face burnout next year,” he said. Slow markets push agents to work longer hours for fewer deals, so his team is structured so agents can cover for one another. One Top Gun Team agent will spend most of November in India, and the team will keep her clients moving while she is away. Nimergood himself has a cruise planned for next May and is not worried about stepping away. The lesson for any agent is to decide now who can back you up—a trusted colleague, a team, or a clear handoff plan—to rest without letting clients down. Without such a plan, many agents end up choosing between burning out and pulling back from their business.
For buyers and sellers, a tougher market does not eliminate the need to move; job changes, growing families, and downsizing still happen. What changes is how much they benefit from an agent who is steady, informed, and still investing in the work. Nimergood’s goal is clear: survive the next 12 months, but more importantly, use that time well enough that the team comes out ahead when the market turns. His approach suggests that the agents who thrive in the downturn will be those who build relationships, prepare for burnout, and invest in their teams rather than retreat.
