I want to tell you a quick story.

Years ago, a friend of mine took a trip to a small Italian town where the roads were like spaghetti thrown on a plate.

Twisty, confusing, and packed with locals who knew every shortcut, every alleyway, every backdoor route to beat the tourists and get where they needed to go.

Now my buddy?

He rented a car and tried to figure it out on his own.

No map. No guide. No GPS.

He was technically in the same town as the locals…

But he didn’t see what they saw.

He didn’t know what they knew.
He didn’t go where they went.
He missed out on the best food, the hidden beaches, and the real experience of being in that place.

That’s EXACTLY what happens to agents who don’t have the TRIS Framework installed in their business.

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They’re “in the business,” yeah.
They can drive around.
They can search the MLS.
They can even show a home or two.

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But when it comes to uncovering real opportunity?

They’re just tourists in a town run by locals.

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Which brings me to this week’s “Script of The Week,” and a concept that separates the professionals from the pretenders:

👉 The Seller Universe 👈

Now stay with me, because if you actually want to get your buyers the home they want—at the price and terms they want—you need to be able to explain this to buyers this like your paycheck depends on it. (Spoiler alert: It does.)

Let me break this down for you in plain Cody & Vikram-speak:

There are four kinds of sellers in every market.

Most agents only look for one of them.

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We break ‘em into four quadrants:

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1. Active Sellers We Know
This is what the average agent sees. Listings in the office. “Coming soons.” The obvious stuff. Nothing special here.

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2. Passive Sellers We Know
Now we’re getting somewhere.
These are pocket listings and conditional sellers—people who aren’t on the market but would sell under the right conditions.
These deals are invisible to your competitors… unless you know the right people. (Spoiler: We do.)

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3. Passive Sellers We Don’t Know
This is gold hidden under the dirt.
Expireds. Withdrawns. Failed sales. Curious homeowners who don’t want a circus but would sell quietly for the right offer.
Most agents don’t know how to reach these folks—or even that they exist.

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4. Active Sellers We Don’t Know
FSBOs. Builders. Friends of clients. Homes technically “for sale” but not on the radar of most agents. This quadrant is pure opportunity… if you know how to tap into it.

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Here’s the ugly truth most agents don’t want to admit:

If all you’re doing is “search and show,” you’re not a pro—you’re a glorified Uber driver for real estate.

Because inventory is down and if you’re waiting for Zillow to tell you what’s for sale, you’re already too late.

That’s why TRIS isn’t just a framework—it’s a weapon. It gives you access to the entire seller universe… not just the 10% floating at the top.

It’s how we win deals no one else knew existed.

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It’s how we create inventory when everyone else says, “There’s nothing out there.”

And it’s how we give our buyers VIP Access to the homes they actually want, instead of just what’s on display.

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The Takeaway?

If you don’t have the TRIS Framework in your business…

You’re flying blind.

You’re losing listings. You’re letting your clients settle.

But with TRIS?

You become the local in the small Italian town.

You know the roads.

You see the shortcuts.

And you unlock deals the rest of the market can’t even imagine.

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Want to see what it looks like in action? Hit reply and write me back TRIS, and I will get you access to our TRIS TOP AGENT POWER PACK.

To winning the hidden game

Cody & Vikram
Founders of Sheridan St. & TRIS
Hosts of The RE Agent Podcast

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