Why Every Agent Should Think Like an Investor

Last week, I joined my friends @stephaniegshares and @_lexiecarlson, the VP and broker at @az_compass, for their weekly call with nearly 200 local Compass agents to talk all things investing.

It was an incredible conversation. Stephanie and Lexie are absolute pros when it comes to understanding the greater Phoenix market — not just from a transaction standpoint, but from a true investment perspective.

What stood out to me on that call was this:

Most agents have a front-row seat to wealth creation in real estate… but they’re sitting in the audience instead of playing the game.

The Opportunity for Agents in This Market

The Phoenix market has shifted.

Deals take longer. Margins are tighter. Buyers are more cautious.

But that’s exactly when investors start to find their edge — because they’re not reacting to emotion, they’re reacting to math.

And that’s where real estate agents can win too.

Agents who understand how investors think — how they underwrite, what returns they target, how they structure financing — immediately become more valuable to their clients and more empowered to invest for themselves.

When you can speak the investor’s language, you stop being a salesperson… and start being a strategist.

Three Mindset Shifts We Talked About

1. From Transactions → Portfolios Don’t just chase the next deal. Start thinking in terms of long-term portfolio construction — for your clients and yourself. What mix of assets builds durable cash flow and equity over time?

2. From Commissions → Capital Allocation Every commission check is an opportunity to buy time or buy freedom. The agents who build lasting wealth treat their income as deployable capital — not just income.

3. From Hustle → Leverage The best investors use systems, partnerships, and financing to scale. Agents already understand leverage in deals — they just need to apply that mindset to their own investments.

The Bigger Picture

Whether you’re an agent, lender, or operator, the people who win long term are the ones who think like allocators — not just earners.

That’s why I’ve shifted so much of my personal focus toward building 42 Solutions, my private lending business here in Arizona.

It’s the next evolution of the same mindset: controlling capital, managing risk, and positioning myself on the side of the table where my money works as hard as I do.

My Takeaway

If you’re in the real estate world right now, this is your time to start thinking differently.

The next decade of wealth in Phoenix won’t just be built by agents closing deals — it’ll be built by those who own equity, control capital, and think strategically. 

That’s the real Capital Edge