Lessons Learned from "Hoosiers" (RIP - Gene Hackman)

Last week, the world lost an incredible actor. Gene Hackman passed away at the age of 95 in his home in New Mexico, with his wife and dog. At this time, we don’t know how or why—but what we do know is that his legacy will live on in his unforgettable performances.


One of my favorite movies of all time is Hoosiers. Hackman’s role as Coach Norman Dale is, in my opinion, one of the best performances of his career. He also nailed it in The Replacements with Keanu Reeves and in multiple John Grisham adaptations. But today, I’m not here to play the role of a news anchor—I’m here to share how one scene in Hoosiers shaped my perspective, not just in life but in real estate.

The Scene That Changed My Mindset

There’s an iconic moment in the film where Coach Dale’s small-town Indiana basketball team faces off against a powerhouse school from Indianapolis. His team is the ultimate underdog. The opposing school has thousands of students; his school barely has 60. The pressure is immense, but Hackman—true to form—has a plan.

He hands his players a measuring tape and has them measure the distance from the free-throw line to the hoop and from the floor to the rim. The players call out the measurements. Coach Dale then calmly tells them, “It’s the exact same dimensions as our gym back home in Hickory.”

His point? The fundamentals don’t change. The mechanics don’t change. Sure, there are external factors—crowds, opponents, expectations—but at the end of the day, the game is played the same way on both sides of the court.

What This Has to Do with Real Estate

Growing up, basketball was my sport. I played through junior high and high school until—brace yourself for some teenage wisdom—I decided I knew more than my coach. He wanted us to focus on fundamentals. He drilled us with conditioning, sprints, and suicides. But I thought I was above all that, so I quit the team and just played pickup games for fun. Ironically, a few years later, I ended up joining the cross-country team. (Go figure.)

Looking back, I see my mistake. The fundamentals matter. And real estate is no different.

The Year I Went Back to Basics

The best year I ever had in my real estate career was the year I joined Keller Williams and made a conscious decision to return to the basics. I followed the systems and models laid out in The Millionaire Real Estate Agent book.

Now, let me be clear—this isn’t a book about Keller Williams. This is a real estate business book that outlines how to scale your business to any level you desire using proven systems and models. When I first read it, I had been in real estate for ten years and had hit a plateau. I was selling around 100 homes a year. I was comfortable, and my limiting beliefs had me convinced that this was my ceiling.

But that book changed everything. It opened my eyes to what top agents were doing across the country, and I realized I could replicate their success in my market. The following year, I closed 132 transactions—an increase of roughly 33% in just one year.

How Did I Do It?

  1. I Stopped Thinking I Knew Everything. I had been the #1 agent in my firm for four years. Then I moved to a different company, hoping to learn more—but the culture was all wrong. It was more like a hotel lobby: everyone was nice, but no one truly collaborated. The environment was driven by scarcity, and agents weren’t willing to share their “secrets.” So, I left.

  2. I Surrounded Myself with the Right People. I joined a learning-based company that encouraged masterminding with top agents from across the country.

  3. I Hired a Coach. A great coach shortens your learning curve and helps you see blind spots in your business.

  4. I Created a Real Business Plan. My coach and I mapped out a structured, strategic plan to grow my business.

  5. I Took Action. As Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” I stopped running in circles and started implementing new strategies.

  6. I Tracked My Numbers. I analyzed where my business was coming from and invested in the highest-ROI sources.

  7. I Invested in Myself. While other agents balked at the cost of seminars and conventions, I viewed them as an investment. Every time I attended an event, I walked away wealthier—not just with knowledge, but with referral partners and new opportunities.

The Fundamentals Will Set You Free

If you’re an agent who feels stuck or like you’ve hit your ceiling, I get it. I’ve been there. But let me tell you—just like in Hoosiers, the fundamentals in real estate don’t change. The market may shift, technology may evolve, but the core principles remain the same.

So, ask yourself—are you playing pickup ball, thinking you know it all? Or are you willing to get back to the basics, train with a winning team, and level up your career?

If you’re ready to surround yourself with top talent, get coaching, and follow proven models that work, let’s have a conversation. Your best year in real estate could be right around the corner.

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