Part of being a top agent is knowing what is happening in the market. One day you may be focused on sellers and the next day you may need to switch to focus on buyers. You just never know where the market will lead you. You have to stay on your toes and keep up with the trends if you want to be on top.

In the current market there has been a lot of focus on REO and short sales. Maybe you have been focusing your efforts in this market. There has been a temporary drop in volume in REOs and this has proven to be hurting many agents who have not adjusted their sales methods to accommodate this change.

Another thing to watch for is the coming wave in REO and foreclosure. This is anticipated to be a nice wave, but what you may not know is that it is likely to be much bigger than what we just saw. You should be working towards moving efforts that direction so you can capitalize on it.

You also should be aware that with the current trends in real estate, some markets may never fully recover. Homeowners have been hit hard by the economic conditions and that has led to a rapid change in many markets across the country. These changes may mean some markets may never regain their value.

These are just a few things that are happening and that may happen in the near future. You have to stay sharp and know what is going on if you want to reach top agent status. Keep up with trends and do your research so you are not wasting time focusing in on markets or segments that are not profitable.