The #1 Skill Every High-Performing Real Estate Team Fosters

By Andy Mulholland

He has a background in leading a top real estate team for over a decade and an understanding of the critical role of clear financials, Andy, along with his wife Ellyn, a seasoned real estate CFO, co-founded Simple-Numbers.

The Real Estate Team OS recently asked me in our interview about the most critical characteristic of a high-performing team. After years of working with teams in different stages of growth, my answer has not changed.

Clear communication is the foundation of consistent performance. Without it, even the most capable teams struggle. With it, problems are solved faster, trust strengthens, and execution improves.

Many leaders believe they communicate effectively. But, in reality, their messages are incomplete or inconsistent. They avoid addressing problems directly, assume instructions are understood without confirming, and they rush through updates while juggling other priorities. I have made these mistakes myself, and the outcome was predictable. This resulted in slow progress, multiple errors, and weakening of trust over time.

Clarity is not limited to internal conversations. It must extend to every relationship connected to the business, including customers, agents, administrative staff, and vendor partners. If communication breaks down in one area, it creates operational friction everywhere else. Your vendors may deliver the wrong product, your staff may prioritize the wrong tasks, and your customers may misunderstand expectations. The entire system suffers from a single point of confusion.

One of the most effective ways to strengthen clarity is through numbers and data. Financial reports, performance metrics, and measurable goals provide a shared reference point for everyone. Numbers strip away emotion and opinion because they present facts that cannot be misinterpreted. When the team, leadership, and partners all operate from the same factual baseline, alignment becomes easier to maintain.

The real challenge for most leaders starts before the first word is spoken. Communication breakdowns often begin with a lack of personal clarity. If the leader has not defined the exact message, the reason behind it, and the intended outcome, the message will be unclear to others. Early in my career, I frequently spoke to my team without fully knowing the direction we were taking. My uncertainty was obvious, and the team mirrored it. Performance slowed, and accountability weakened.

The cost of unclear communication is significant. Misunderstandings lead to rework, vendors missing deadlines, and customers losing confidence in the process. This causes internal tension to rise. Correcting these issues takes more time, energy, and resources than preparing a clear message from the start. Now, here are four key steps to improving communication, which start with discipline and structure.

• Gain complete clarity with yourself before speaking.
• Deliver specific, detailed instructions.
• Support your message with measurable data.
• Ensure all audiences receive the same information in the same way.

High-performing teams are built on trust, and trust grows from clarity. If your team is underperforming, review how and what you are communicating. Clarity at the leadership level creates alignment at every level of the organization. That alignment is what turns a group of individuals into a high-performing team.

Building a high-performing team is difficult without clear communication. Once you establish it at every level of your business, alignment improves, trust grows, and results follow. If you would like to review your communication approach or have questions about strengthening it, feel free to schedule a strategy session with me today, and I’ll be glad to help you gain the clarity your team needs.