What is Jobs to Be Done theory, and how does it apply to real estate? Jobs to Be Done theory says people don’t buy products or services for what they are. They hire them to make progress in their lives. In real estate, that means clients don’t hire you to sell a house. They hire you to get from where they are to where they’re trying to go.
The idea comes from Competing Against Luck by Clayton M. Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon and David S. Duncan. I’m Morgan Earnhart, Director of Growth at Keller Williams Kansas City North, part of the WIN Network of Keller Williams offices in the Kansas City area. In this week’s Coaching Chronicles, I break down how Jobs to Be Done changes the way real estate agents should think about marketing, their bio and their listing presentation.
Key takeaways
- Clients don’t hire us for what we do. They hire us for the progress they’re trying to make.
- The transaction is what’s happening. The progress is the real job to be done.
- Your biggest competition isn’t always another agent. Sometimes it’s a client who decides to do nothing.
- Your production, awards and systems are evidence. They aren’t the story. Your client is the story.
Table of Contents
What is Jobs to Be Done theory?
Jobs to Be Done theory is the idea that people hire a product, a service or a person to make progress in a specific situation. The “job to be done” is that progress, not the thing being bought. For real estate agents, the job is rarely “sell my house” or “find me a three-bedroom.” It’s the life change underneath it.
That matters because most agents market themselves by describing what they do. I help people buy and sell homes. I’m a top producer. I have 15 years of experience. I provide great communication. I negotiate hard for my clients. I know the market.
None of that is bad. But it describes you, and the client is thinking about themselves. They’re asking one question: can you help me get from where I am right now to where I’m trying to go? That question is the job.
The book also makes the point that the situation tells you more than the person does. Two clients with the same age, income and price point can hire you for completely different jobs. One is relocating and needs speed and certainty. Another is downsizing and needs patience and options. When you know the situation, you know what to say.
Jobs to be done in real estate: what are sellers really hiring you for?
Sellers say they want to sell their house, but selling usually isn’t the real goal. The goal is the next chapter. Here are the kinds of jobs a seller may actually be hiring you to do:
- They’re having another baby, and the house suddenly feels too small.
- The kids have moved out, and they’re tired of maintaining 4,000 square feet.
- They’re going through a divorce and need to get through a painful transition without making it harder.
- They’re relocating, and they’re terrified of carrying two mortgages.
- They’ve worked for 30 years, they’re ready to retire, and they need to know whether selling gives them enough to start that next chapter.
The transaction is the thing happening. The progress is the job to be done. When you talk to the progress, sellers feel understood instead of sold.
What are buyers and investors really hiring a real estate agent to do?
A first-time buyer might say, “I’d like to buy a three-bedroom house.” What they may actually mean is one of these:
- “I’m tired of feeling like I’m throwing money away on rent.”
- “I want to finally feel like I’m building something for myself and my family.”
- “I’m scared I’m going to make a terrible financial decision because I’ve never done this before.”
An investor may be hiring you to find the right property, but the real job is building wealth, creating cash flow and, eventually, financial freedom. Each of those jobs calls for a different message, a different first conversation and a different kind of follow-up.
Who is a real estate agent’s real competition?
Your competition is sometimes the agent down the street, another brokerage or the team with more social media. But Christensen’s argument is that businesses misread their competition because they misread the job the customer is trying to get done. Real estate agents do too.
Often your competition is doing nothing. It’s the seller who decides, “We’re going to wait another year.” It’s the buyer who decides renting isn’t as bad as they thought. It’s the platform selling the lead, or the uncle who has his license and has sold three houses. And sometimes the competition is simply fear.
That’s why understanding the job matters. Once you understand the progress someone is trying to make, you can market directly to it, and your marketing gets much clearer.
How to rewrite your real estate marketing around the job to be done
Start with one line of your marketing, like your bio or the headline on your website, and rewrite it around progress instead of credentials. Here are two examples:
- Instead of: “I’m a real estate professional with 12 years of experience serving the Kansas City metro.”
Try: “Selling the home where you raised your family can feel overwhelming. My job is to help you understand what it’s worth, what you’ll actually net and what the next chapter could realistically look like before you make that decision.” - Instead of: “I specialize in first-time home buyers.”
Try: “Buying your first home shouldn’t feel like taking a financial test you’ve never studied for. I help first-time buyers understand the numbers, avoid expensive mistakes and know exactly what to expect before they ever write an offer.”
Notice that neither rewrite drops your expertise. It puts your expertise to work on the client’s situation. Your production, awards, brokerage and systems are evidence. They aren’t the story.
3 questions to find your ideal client’s job to be done
Ask yourself these three questions about the client you most want to work with:
- What situation are they in when they’re looking to hire someone like me?
- What progress are they hoping to make?
- What anxieties or obstacles might prevent them from moving forward?
Write the answers down. Most agents can answer the first two quickly. The third question is the one that explains the seller who waits another year and the buyer who keeps renting.
Where Jobs to Be Done should show up in your business
Those three answers should become the foundation of all your marketing. People pay attention when they feel understood, so put the job to be done everywhere a client meets you:
- Your website: the first paragraph should name your ideal client’s situation before it names your awards.
- Your listing presentation: ask what’s making this the right time before you open the comparative market analysis.
- Your videos and social media: talk about the progress your clients want, not just the homes you sold.
- Your follow-up and database: check in on the life change, not just the market update.
How do I know if my real estate messaging names the job?
Look at your Instagram bio, the first paragraph of your website, your last five social media posts and your listing presentation. Then ask: does this mostly explain what I do, or does it clearly communicate the progress my ideal client is trying to make?
If someone landed on your page today and knew nothing about you, could they quickly say, “This person understands someone like me”? That’s the test.
Most of our marketing never says that, so we built a free Brand Messaging Assessment to help you check yours. It shows whether your messaging names the job your clients are hiring you for. Take the free Brand Messaging Assessment this week.
Watch the full breakdown: Why Clients Really Hire You | Competing Against Luck on YouTube.
Keep reading: Last week’s breakdown asked whether the Kansas City market is really why your business is slow. Browse every book breakdown in Coaching Chronicles.
What is Jobs to Be Done theory in simple terms?
Jobs to Be Done theory says people hire products, services and people to make progress in their lives. The “job” is the progress they want, not the thing they buy.
What is an example of Jobs to Be Done in real estate?
A seller whose kids have moved out isn’t really hiring an agent to list a house. They’re hiring an agent to help them stop maintaining more home than they need and move into the next chapter of their life.
What book is Jobs to Be Done theory from?
Competing Against Luck by Clayton M. Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon and David S. Duncan explains Jobs to Be Done theory and why businesses that understand the job can compete on purpose instead of relying on luck.
What should a real estate agent’s bio say?
A real estate agent’s bio should name the situation your ideal client is in, the progress they want to make and how you help them get there. Experience and awards belong in it as proof, not as the main message.
Why don’t my experience and awards win me more clients?
Your production, awards, brokerage and systems are evidence. They aren’t the story. Clients choose the agent who shows they understand where the client is, where they want to go and how to get them there.
About the author
Morgan Earnhart, Director of Growth at Keller Williams Kansas City North, part of the WIN Network of Keller Williams offices in the Kansas City area.
Morgan hosts Coaching Chronicles, a weekly series that breaks down one business or personal-growth book for real estate agents. She works with agents across the WIN Network offices on growth, leadership and business planning.