If you've followed me for a while, you'll know I've spoken a lot about the transition from technician/salesperson to visionary/leader. In my 2026 business goals, I even committed to capping my sales at 20 per year.

The reasoning behind that hasn't changed: the visionary/CEO seat is a full-time role. It's the classic ‘work on the business, not in the business’ principle.

But I recently had a realisation that made me rethink how rigidly I apply it.

What staying on the tools gives me

Selling properties keeps me close to the sales team, our clients, the market and our revenue. That closeness makes me a better decision-maker, because I'm not detached from the day-to-day operations and targets. I pick up on what the team needs and what's happening in our community, which creates more congruence and strengthens our culture.

There's also the relationship equity I've built over 18+ years as an agent. I get to support families across generations and life stages, which is one of my favourite parts of real estate.

It shows up in the numbers, too.

Where a new agent might need 50 calls to secure an appraisal, I might need five. That comes down to relationship equity, domain knowledge, and a strong local profile. There's no better way for my team to understand what that looks like than seeing it in action.

The new plan

I've lifted my sales target to 25-30 per year.

We've made this decision from a position of strength, not desperation. Our sales team hit budget for the second year in a row. We're growing not by headcount, but by helping each salesperson level up, and a big part of that is connecting their personal goals to what we do at Nitschke.

It's part of our culture, but it's also an intentional retention strategy. When the business wins, we all win.

How to find the right balance as a real estate principal

If you're wrestling with the technician vs. visionary question, here's how I'd approach it.

  1. Audit your week honestly. Track your time for two weeks and sort every activity into three buckets: Leading and strategy, selling and client work, and admin you should delegate.
  2. Decide what ‘on the tools’ is for. Selling for the sake of it leads to burnout. Selling to stay close to the market, model best practice and keep your relationships alive is strategic.
  3. Set a cap and a floor. A target range (mine is now 25-30 sales) gives you flexibility without letting selling take over your calendar. Review it quarterly.
  4. Protect your CEO time first. Block your strategy, team and planning time in the diary before you schedule listings and appointments. Sales fills the gaps; leadership time needs to be protected.
  5. Delegate the transactional, keep the relational. Hand off (or automate) admin, marketing coordination, and paperwork. Hold on to the conversations where your experience and relationships add the most value.
  6. Make your selling visible to the team. Share how you prepare for appraisals, handle objections, and follow up with past clients. Your team learns more from watching you work than from any training session.
  7. Check your decision from the right place. Ask whether you're choosing this from strength or from fear. If you're selling because the business needs you to cover a gap, that's a different conversation from selling because it makes you a better leader.
  8. Stay flexible. Your ideal role will change as your business, team, and market do. Review it regularly and don't be afraid to change your mind.

The takeaway

Staying on the tools doesn't undermine my ability to lead. It's made me a better mentor, both to my team and to the principals I coach 1:1.

If you’re a real estate principal or property leader and you're struggling with the balance between technician and visionary, book a free 15-minute strategy call and let's see where you're at.