By: Marcelo Steinmander
January has a way of amplifying intention. Across the world, the start of a new year signals a collective pause: a moment to reflect, reset and aim a little higher than the year before. This is the time of year that people take inventory of their lives and recommit to habits and figure out where they want to put their energy when it comes to priorities. It’s also a time to strive for growth professionally and personally.
As real estate professionals, we’re no different. We begin the year visualizing our goals, looking for ways to propel our businesses forward and hoping to make this our best year yet. But in the push to optimize systems and strategies, one simple but powerful habit is often overlooked: reading with intention.
The books we choose to spend time with shape how we think. They can influence how we respond to pressure. And reading can enhance how we understand others. In a profession that is built on trust, patience, and long-term relationships, the wisdom of a good book can become a silent advantage.
As the year unfolds, here are four books I believe every agent should consider reading. Some are practical. Some are philosophical. One is fiction. All have the potential to make you better.
“Meditations” – Marcus Aurelius
A timeless classic and the book I return to most often, “Meditations” has stayed with me since I first read it more than a decade ago. In an industry defined by emotion and uncertainty, the writings of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius serve as a reminder to remain grounded, disciplined, and internally composed.
The book doesn’t suggest avoiding hardship. It suggests approaching hardship with perspective. As an agent, this has been an invaluable lesson. I can’t control market shifts, clients’ reactions, or timing, but I can control my preparation, my character and my resolve.
Most importantly, what makes “Meditations” especially powerful is the fact that it can be revisited time and again. Each reread, at different stages of my life, reveals lessons that feel newly relevant.
“It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be” – Paul Arden
Short, unconventional and unapologetically direct, Paul Arden’s book is a celebration of grit. The book is about how good work turns into mastery through the culmination of three nonnegotiable forces: ambition, energy and desire. In real estate, where rejection is the norm and progress is rarely linear, that message resonates.
At only 128 pages, this book is brief and goes straight to the point. I found it filled with sharp, illustrated reminders that desire, combined with energy, can change the future. Gifted by my parents, it has served me well as an antidote to burnout.
“The Compound Effect” – Darren Hardy
What “Meditations” did to sharpen my mindset, “The Compound Effect” did to sharpen my routine.
Its message is simple but significant: Progress comes from small actions taken consistently over time. It helped me instill a doer’s mentality: deliberate less, execute more.
Real estate rewards steady effort. One more call to follow up, one more hour learning your market. One more week, sharpening your skills until those small actions compound into greater outcomes.
“Little Apples and Other Early Stories” – Anton Chekhov
Even when time is limited, fiction and storytelling deserve a place in our lives and on our bookshelves. After all, our work isn’t just transactional, it’s human. “Little Apples,” and books like it, are what I reach for when I just want to read a great story.
Nineteenth-century writer Anton Chekhov’s short stories are remarkable studies of human complexity. They explore unspoken motivations, longings and fears, and the subtle ways people search for meaning in their lives. These themes often mirror the emotional terrain we navigate as real estate professionals, as we guide our clients through the major life decision that is homeownership.
Not every book we read needs to be self-help or instructional to be meaningful. A well-written work of fiction can change our lives by widening our sense of what’s possible. In fact, studies have proven that reading fiction improves our social and emotional intelligence: two important skills in the real estate business.
As you plan the rest of your year, consider setting goals not just around what you earn, but around how you grow. Reading with intention is one of the simplest and most impactful ways to begin.
Marcelo Steinmander is a real estate professional in Miami, Fla. His diverse background and fluency in English and Spanish made this an ideal field to build and retain long-lasting relationships. In 2020, Marcelo was recognized as a Top 20 Under 40 by the Miami and Chicago Mainstreet Organization of Realtors. He was also a Top 100 Agent in the Southern United States by NAHREP. By the end of 2021, Marcelo became the #1 individual producer in Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty based on the total number of homes sold, and in 2022 an honoree for the National Association of REALTORS® 30 Under 30. Find him on social on Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.