The Moments We Walk Past

This morning, I was at the gym when something small and deeply human unfolded in front of me.

An elderly woman walked in and stood out immediately. Not because she was doing anything wrong, but because she was clearly out of place. Older than everyone else. Slightly unsure. A little lost.

She climbed onto a treadmill and began pressing buttons. Nothing happened. She looked left. Then right. Her eyes lingered on the younger people beside her, searching, quietly, for help.

She even said, “Excuse me,” to the person next to her.

They made brief eye contact… and then looked away.

Headphones on. Eyes down. Back to their own world.

I watched it all from across the room. Part of me expected someone closer to step in. Surely someone would notice. Surely someone would help.

No one did.

She kept pressing buttons. My concern grew that she might accidentally start the treadmill at a speed that could cause her to fall. So, I stepped off my own machine and walked over.

“Can I help you with this?” I asked.

The relief and gratitude in her eyes were immediate.

She explained that she’d recently moved to the area after her husband passed away. She’d joined this gym because it was close to home and because coming here made her feel healthier and less alone.

The gym wasn’t just about exercise.

It was about connection.

Once the treadmill was set, she smiled, thanked me, and got on with her workout. A small moment. Thirty seconds, perhaps. But it mattered.

And it got me thinking.

We live in a world full of people… and very little presence

Nobody in that gym was unkind. No one was intentionally dismissive. They were simply absorbed, in their music, their screens, their routines.

And that’s the risk of modern life.

We can be surrounded by people and still walk past the moments that matter most.

We’re busy. Distracted. Focused on our own targets, timelines, and tasks. Often not because we don’t care, but because we don’t notice.

Real estate is full of these moments

January is a time when people put themselves into unfamiliar environments. New routines. New goals. New gyms. New homes. New agents. New property managers.

And just like that woman on the treadmill, many of our clients feel unsure, overwhelmed, or embarrassed to ask for help.

They don’t always articulate it clearly.

They look for cues.

They test the waters.

They hesitate.

And they notice, very quickly, whether we step toward them… or look away.

The finest experience in real estate is rarely delivered in the big, scripted moments.

It’s delivered in the small ones.

The pause.

The extra explanation.

The call made without being prompted.

The willingness to step out of our own world for a moment and step into someone else’s.

Leadership often looks like interruption

Good leadership isn’t always about vision statements or performance metrics. Sometimes it’s about awareness.

It’s about noticing when someone is struggling, a client, a colleague, a tenant, a buyer, and choosing to engage rather than avoid the discomfort of interruption.

Those thirty seconds of attention can change how someone feels about:

• your service

• your brand

• your leadership

• and themselves

  
  

In an industry built on trust, those moments compound.

The question worth asking

As we move through another busy year, chasing goals and managing pressure, it’s worth asking:

• Who are we walking past?

• What signals are we missing because we’re too focused on our own momentum?

• And where might a small act of presence make a far bigger difference than we realise?

  
  

You don’t have to do the big things to change someone’s day.

Sometimes, stepping off your own treadmill is enough.