In this 35‑year‑veteran real‑estate investor’s talk, Chris Prefontaine argues that the reason some investors consistently close deals while others do not is not luck, money, intelligence, or experience, but repeatable behavior. He outlines a "success formula" that consists of concrete habits: talking to more sellers, solving seller problems, extending follow‑up, asking more questions, staying coachable, using nightly accountability, and engaging with the community. He emphasizes that success is boring and repetitive, likening it to "repetitious boredom" that breeds results. Prefontaine stresses that investors must first build themselves—adopt the mindset, skills, and daily routines of a systematic deal‑maker—before the deals and money follow. He promotes the free, hands‑on "Deal Lab" sessions, private mastermind rooms, and the broader coaching ecosystem (including coaches like Derek) as the environment where these habits are cultivated. He directs listeners to smartrealestatecoach.com/getgoing for free books, strategy calls, and other resources. Throughout, he frames success as a predictable, controllable process that leaves clues before any cash flow appears, urging listeners to shift their focus from "when will I get a deal?" to "who do I need to become to make deals inevitable?" The talk ends with invitations to upcoming live events and regular content like Deal Structure Sunday.
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Okay. Can I be blunt here? As usual, after 35 years in this business, I don't think most investors have a deal problem. I really don't. I think they have a behavior problem. Please don't ever take this as personal stuff, right? It's just reality. And if it hits a chord, great. And if it doesn't, maybe next week's will. Because every single month I watch students come into our community every month. Same market, same interest rates, same pivots in real estate always happening, same economy, same opportunities. Yet all that's going on, one student closes a deal, another closes 5, another one just never gets started. They have reasons why that they think are valid. Sometimes in the exact same market, in the exact same month. Why? Well, I'll tell you, it's not, uh, I've, I've learned in the last 15 years or so coaching just this community. It's not intelligence, it's not money, it's not experience. It's certainly not luck. What the heck is it then? It's behavior. The success formula is boring, right? Everybody wants the secret. Newsflash, as I always say, there isn't one and there's no quick route, right? The people getting deals, Do what then? Well, so for starters, they talk to more sellers, right? We do one of two things. We help sellers solve a problem or we help them accomplish a goal the market's not. They follow up longer. They ask more questions. Super important when you're buying one of their most valuable assets they've probably ever touched. They stay coachable. They utilize our nightly accountability system that we have. They utilize our family community. They get uncomfortable, but they keep moving. That's it. It sounds boring, right? Because success usually is. In fact, I remember after the crash, for me, things being really, really bad, really tight. And I would call nonstop and I would affirm over and over again, writing, because I'd be so bored as the phone was ringing. Repetitious boredom breeds success. Repetitious boredom breeds success. And come to think of it, I think it was a Michael Jordan book that I pulled that out of or something close to that. So this isn't about building deals. This is about building you. This is about building yourself. This is where I think most people miss it. They miss the boat here big time. You are building yourself into what? And they think they're trying to build a deal. No, you're building yourself into what? Into the type of investor who naturally, predictably, systematically, and profitably can create deals. At, at will. Every seller conversation changes you. Every one of them does. If you put yourself in that environment, every negotiation changes you. Every coaching session definitely changes you. Every Deal Lab that we run here and we invite you to definitely changes you. By the way, it's free at every level in our company. You should be here. If you haven't attended at least one Deal Lab yet, what are you doing? Are you serious about having success? Like really serious because the Deal Labs are free. Very expensive, free. Anyway, eventually the investor you've become starts attracting results the old version of you never could. So you got to change you before your life and your finances change. That'll follow. You got to change and grow before your bank account grows. It's not, it's actually not optional. So what are you doing right now to grow you? If you just focus on that and get rid of all the other stuff that's distracting you, the finances and the other stuff you want will follow you. By the way, speaking of Deal Lab, here's what I saw at our most recent one. I watched students helping each other. I watched people ask questions they wouldn't have asked just 6 months ago in their journey. I watched confidence growing to the roof. I watched limiting beliefs like literally get taken down, disappear. I watched investors in the room becoming operators, like just different. We only run it for 2 and 3/4 days. I watched transformations in the private mastermind that we do when we separate the 2 small rooms. And one of our coaches, Derek, takes the immersion higher down the hall, and I work with the brand new people here for 3 or 4 hours, quite privately. It's very hands-on. I'd love to be working with you. I promise you that you couldn't afford that outside of this environment. The Steel Lab that we do, it gives you the opportunity to be here for free and have access to 4 or 5 of us. And here's the interesting part. Not sure where to get started? Go to smartrealestatecoach.com/getgoing for free books, strategy calls, and a whole bunch more. We're going to help you get going the wicked smart way. We've been after this for over a decade doing exactly that. I usually can tell and the coaches can tell who is getting the checks or the wires next? In other words, who's going to win next? Who's going to be that next story that I alluded to earlier? Because success leaves clues long before it leaves wire transfers or checks in your bank. Once you understand that and you know that you can control it with clarity and predictability, it's more than pretty cool. It's awesome. It, you know, I could keep going with that, but let's work on you and let's wrap that piece up and then you'll have a different lifestyle. Suggestions here as I wrap. Stop asking, when will I get my first deal? Start asking, who do I have to become to make that next deal absolutely inevitable? Like, what skill sets do I need? What mindset training do I need? Think that way versus the deal. The deal will come. We'll show you how to do that. Because once you become that person, the deals follow. The deals, not the deal. And it's not the other way around. And if you've ever been with us for a while, keep doing the work. If you've been around for a while, if you're new, well, we got a lot more to come. We got a lot more we can help you with. I can't wait to do that with you. I can't wait to meet you in person at the next Deal Lab or live event, the 3 Paydays live event. We'll see you next week on the next Deal Structure Sunday.
