As I reflect on my 40 years in the real estate business, there are countless lessons that come to mind. Some were learned through success, others through failure, and many through simply paying attention to the people who have crossed my path along the way.
One lesson rises to the top of the list.
Nothing of lasting value is built without trust.
The longer I am in business, the more I appreciate that trust is the foundation upon which every meaningful relationship rests. It is the invisible thread that connects clients, agents, employees, leaders, friends, and family members. Without it, relationships become transactional. With it, they become enduring.
What makes trust so remarkable is that it is rarely earned through a single act. Rather, it is built gradually over time through consistency, reliability, and a genuine commitment to others. It grows when people learn that your words and actions align, that your promises mean something, and that they can depend on you when it matters most.
In our profession, we are entrusted with responsibilities that should never be taken lightly. Clients invite us into some of the most important moments of their lives. They share their financial concerns, their family circumstances, their hopes for the future, and often their fears about the decisions they are facing. In many cases, they are placing one of their largest assets into our hands and trusting that we will guide them wisely.
That level of confidence is both humbling and extraordinary.
The same principle extends far beyond our clients. Employees place their trust in leaders. Leaders place their trust in their teams. Colleagues trust one another to follow through on commitments, offer support when needed, and act in a manner that reflects positively on the organization as a whole.
When you think about it, trust surrounds us every day. We rely on it so naturally that we sometimes forget how difficult it is to earn and how easy it can be to lose.
Over the years, I have come to believe that trust is established in the small moments far more often than the big ones. It is built when we return the call we promised to return. When we meet a deadline without being reminded. When we tell the truth, even when it is uncomfortable. When we choose integrity over convenience. These actions may seem insignificant in isolation, but together they form the basis of how others perceive us.
A person’s reputation is rarely shaped by what they say about themselves. It is shaped by whether others believe they can count on them.
One of the great rewards of living and working with integrity is that trust tends to compound over time. The more consistently people experience reliability, honesty, and follow-through from us, the more confidence they place in us. That confidence often opens doors, creates opportunities, strengthens relationships, and establishes a foundation that can withstand challenges when they inevitably arise.
Conversely, trust rarely disappears because of one catastrophic event. More often, it erodes gradually through a pattern of missed commitments, broken promises, and inconsistent behavior. Small disappointments, repeated often enough, can weaken even the strongest relationships.
As I look back on the people who have had the greatest impact on my life and career, the common denominator is not talent, intelligence, or success. It is trust. They were people whose word carried weight. People who followed through. People who could be counted on when circumstances became difficult.
This week, I would encourage each of us to reflect on the trust that has been placed in our hands. Whether it comes from a client, a coworker, a friend, or a family member, trust is one of the most valuable gifts another person can offer.
Let’s continue to earn it through our actions, protect it through our integrity, and never take it for granted.
TERRY Talks 