GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset: Recent Episodes
Brian Charlesworth, Sisu
The stories of real estate thought and technology leaders, team owners, and brokers on how they grew their business in a rapidly changing industry. Learn how to transform your brokerage and teams into a high performing and analytics driven business so you have a new and durable competitive advantage against disruption in your market.
A lot of team leaders are trying to grow right now, but very few know how to scale without burning out, losing culture, or drowning in problems that show up the moment the business gets bigger. That tension is exactly where Lindsay Stevens built her strength. And the way she talks about these challenges will make every real estate leader stop and think.
On this episode of the GRIT Podcast, Brian Charlesworth sits down with Lindsay, co-owner and team leader of Stevens Real Estate, to uncover how she went from overwhelmed agent to running one of the fastest-growing teams in her market.
The twist is that none of it came from perfect planning. It came from saying yes to uncomfortable moments, including being thrown onto a five-thousand-person stage with one week to prepare. She also breaks down the discipline required to survive New York’s long 120-day transaction cycle. It is the kind of cycle that forces leaders to either master their systems or get buried by them.
Lindsay talks about the seasons she had to fight through distractions, doubt, and long days that made her question whether she was even built for leadership. She shares a simple line that keeps her centered. "Life is hard. Real estate is hard. But the sun comes up tomorrow." It is the kind of line that hits differently when you hear the story behind it.
Brian and Lindsay also break down a moment that shifted their entire operation. Dialing in their Sisu stages, statuses, and tagging finally removed the chaos inside New York’s long transaction cycle, and it changed the way their agents performed. As she puts it, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
Top Takeaways:
(2:23) Saying yes to a 5000-person stage
(9:51) Breakthroughs after wanting to quit
(12:02) CEO vs. team leader roles in a business
(14:21) How Sisu rebuilt transaction flow
(21:08) The power of proximity and fast execution
(32:19) Scaling with leverage and a new COO
(32:12) Working on the business, not in the business
(37:58) Why systems come before 20 agents
(38:28) Micro commitments and predictable wins in Sisu
(42:21) AI as a business partner and coach
(45:00) Why AI will not replace relationships in real estate
If you want an honest look at growth, leadership, and the real work behind building a strong team, this episode with Lindsay will pull you in from the first few minutes.
About Lindsay Stevens
Lindsay Stevens is a Hudson Valley native and co-founder of Stevens Realty Group, featured on HGTV’s House Hunters. She led New Paltz as the top sales agent in 2017, 2018, and 2019 while growing the firm into a multi-million dollar real estate and property management company. With a background in Legal Studies and Business from UMass Amherst, she has worked in sales, marketing, and communications with companies like Edelman and Morgan Stanley. Lindsay is also a mother of two and an active runner who has deep roots in the Hudson Valley community.
Connect with Lindsay:
What does it take to go from solo agent to community leader? For Sandee Payne, the answer came from a single moment of saying yes before she was ready. A military spouse turned interior designer, Sandee spent years helping families feel at home across the world. That love for creating spaces eventually led her to real estate, where she built a thriving business centered on listings and design-driven marketing.
Early in her real estate career, Sandee noticed that agents often worked hard but lacked structure. Determined to change that, she tracked everything and shared what she learned. Her natural ability to teach became a foundation for coaching others. “I realized if I could do it, anyone could,” she said.
Her defining moment came on stage at a Tom Ferry event, when she was dared to sign 100 listings in 10 months. With 8,000 people watching, she accepted. The challenge forced her to focus, simplify, and prove what was possible through consistent effort. “I had to believe it before I could see it,” she recalled. Ten months later, she reached 103 listings.
That accomplishment sparked something bigger. Sandee created a Facebook group that grew into thousands of agents following her strategies. What started as one bet evolved into a full accountability platform, showing others how to set measurable goals and follow through.
In this episode, Brian Charlesworth talks with Sandee about turning pressure into performance, the power of public accountability, and how her Zero to 100 Listing Challenge is helping agents shift from reaction to intention. They also explore why systems, mindset, and community are now the backbone of her business.
Top Takeaways:
(3:48) Life as a military spouse and constant change
(6:28) From interior design to real estate
(8:58) Focusing on listings and early success
(10:49) How technology reshaped the industry
(14:07) Standing out through creative marketing
(15:58) The $10,000 bet that changed everything
(18:50) Bringing others along through accountability
(22:24) The power of focus and belief
(26:09) A $10,000 story of luck and persistence
(28:17) Visualizing success before it happens
(30:47) Why listing agents hold the leverage
(32:56) Building tools and community for agents
(34:43) The Zero to 100 Listing Challenge explained
Tune in now to hear how one bold yes turned into a movement that’s changing the way agents think about accountability.
Registration for the Zero to 100 Listing Challenge is officially live! Visit www.02100listingchallenge.com to join the 10-month race kicking off January 1, 2026.
About Sandee Payne
Sandee Payne is a Broker Associate and the founder of the Designed 2 Sell Real Estate Group in Central Texas. After 18 years as a Texas resident and military spouse, she combines her real estate expertise with decades of experience in interior design and home styling. Sandee began her career with Centex Homes in 2007 and has since helped countless families find and create their ideal homes. Her design work has been featured in major publications and on HGTV’s House Hunters Renovations.
Connect with Sandee:
Website
Many teams in real estate are struggling with how to grow without overspending on leads or losing control of profitability. At the same time, leaders are facing shifting interest rates, limited inventory, and the challenge of keeping agents productive in a competitive market.
On this episode of the GRIT podcast, Brian Charlesworth sits down with Robert Conway from the Jeremy Orton Group in Idaho. Robert leads both operations and sales, giving him a unique view of how to scale while keeping systems and people aligned.
Robert shares how he approached cutting lead costs, building a referral-based business, and using Sisu’s predictive models to forecast closings with precision. He explains why accountability is central to the culture of their team. “Accountability is the highest form of love,” he says.
With a team of 12 agents today and a goal to grow further, Robert talks about what it takes to bring new people into production quickly and why referrals remain their strongest growth channel. “It’s not the quantity of leads, it’s the quality and how you work it,” he adds.
Top Takeaways:
(4:40) Cutting lead costs without losing closings
(7:05) Using Sisu to forecast team growth
(10:39) Industry consolidation and AI ecosystems
(15:36) Explaining rates with “marry the house, date the rate”
(21:12) Will the U.S. hit 5M home sales again?
(26:03) Data, Sisu, and building accountability into culture
(28:37) Netting 18 agents before expansion
(33:46) How the team staggers new agent onboarding
(37:01) Fixing cracks in systems before they become canyons
If you are trying to figure out how to balance growth with profitability, and what to expect as the market shifts again, this conversation will give you practical insights you can apply to your own business. Tune in now to catch the full episode.
About Robert Conway
Robert Conway is the Director of Sales and Business Development at the Jeremy Orton Real Estate Group in Twin Falls, Idaho. He oversees both operations and sales for the team, which currently has 12 agents and is aiming to grow to 20. Robert has more than 15 years of management experience, with degrees in psychology, business, and human resources. He moved into real estate over three years ago to bring more flexibility to his life while driving the group’s growth and systems.
Connect with Robert:
Real estate is an industry where the market can change overnight, making it harder for agents to know how to stay consistent. Some try to solve this by chasing more leads or working longer hours, but that often leads to burnout instead of growth. What if there was a way to build a predictable business no matter what the market does?
That is what Zoocasa has been doing. Starting as a small brokerage in Ontario, Zoocasa built its own lead generation platform before joining eXp Realty in 2022. Today, they run one of the largest virtual real estate teams in North America with over 230 agents in their Agent Accelerator program. Their model provides the systems, coaching, and accountability that agents need to get into production and stay there.
Carrie Linton Lysenko, CEO of Zoocasa, shares how they built a platform that now powers lead flow and technology for thousands of agents. Brittany Kostov, the company’s first agent and now Director of Sales, talks about what it takes to lead a fully remote team at this scale. “It’s all about creating an environment where agents feel supported and challenged,” says Brittany.
In this conversation, Brian Charlesworth digs into how their team improved conversion rates from 2 percent to nearly 7 percent in just three quarters by using data and consistent coaching. Carrie explains how they hold leads longer and only pass them to agents when they are ready to take action. “Do the hard things until they aren’t hard anymore,” she says.
Top Takeaways:
(0:55) From local brokerage to joining eXp
(4:32) Zoocasa’s surprising tech origins
(8:32) Why real estate success is always local
(14:55) From 2% to 7% conversion growth
(19:43) Daily huddles that keep agents aligned
(21:16) Monday focus on objections and wins
(24:08) Doing the hard things every day
(30:36) Staying connected during tough times
(33:39) Comparing the US and Canadian markets
(35:29) Creating a culture of accountability
You will also hear how their daily huddles keep agents connected across different markets, how they build accountability without micromanaging, and why their approach works even when transactions are down nationally.
If you are trying to build a business that grows steadily instead of depending on market ups and downs, this episode is for you. Tune in now!
About Carrie Linton Lysenko
Carrie Linton Lysenko is the CEO of Zoocasa, leading its growth across Canada and the US. She has over 20 years of experience in marketing and digital business strategy. Carrie guided Zoocasa through its acquisition by eXp Realty and expansion into new markets. She oversees teams across product, sales, and operations to deliver scalable real estate solutions.
Connect with Carrie:
About Brittany Kostov
Brittany Kostov is the Sales Director at Zoocasa, managing agent recruitment and training. She supports agents with tools and processes to maintain high performance across the team. Brittany started as one of Zoocasa’s top agents, helping clients navigate buying and selling. She now focuses on building and developing the brokerage’s growing agent network.
Connect with Brittany:
Many agents are feeling the pressure as deals get harder to close and the market shifts. Some are waiting for things to improve, while others are putting in the work now to get ahead. The difference comes down to skills, systems, and long-term planning.
Jim Amen has lived through challenging markets before. He started in real estate during the 2008 housing crisis, first as an appraiser and later as a broker. What began as a small brokerage is now a 41-agent team in Sacramento. “You have to be willing to pivot when the market shifts,” Jim says.
In this episode, Jim talks with Brian Charlesworth about why his team has been able to grow year after year while so many others are falling behind. He explains the simple daily habits that drive results, including focused prospecting, clear expectations, and strong accountability.
Jim also shares how he built seven different revenue streams to protect his business and create new opportunities. From mortgage partnerships to flipping mobile homes, these extra businesses allow his team to scale without relying only on commissions.
They dig into how tools like Sisu and Battr help his team track data, hold agents accountable, and build a two-year pipeline instead of chasing short-term leads. “Building wealth comes from the work you do now, before the market turns,” Jim explains.
Top Takeaways:
(1:45) From marketing director to real estate team leader
(6:43) Growing while 71% of agents sell nothing
(7:53) Simple habits and expectations that drive success
(10:09) Taking market share before the shift hits
(12:56) Building wealth beyond just selling homes
(15:43) Lessons from losing $1M while scaling a team
(22:04) Why solo agents struggle to succeed today
(23:03) What joining a team really provides
(24:29) Turning client tracking into revenue with Sisu
(25:42) $150K in operations funded by TC fees
(27:09) Adding seven income streams to the business
(32:33) Four-step process to build a two-year pipeline
(34:58) Automating lead follow-up with Battr and AI
Listen in to learn how to prepare your team for the next big market shift and how to create a business that lasts.
About Jim Amen
Jim Amen is the CEO and Founder of Amen Real Estate, serving 14 counties across Northern California. With over 30 years of experience, including 20 years in real estate and 10 years in marketing, Jim brings a unique perspective to his work. He has completed over 4,000 home appraisals and has been part of multiple Realtor Associations for years. Jim also runs SOAR, a training company focused on coaching agents nationwide.
Connect with Jim:
Website
Some teams reach a point where the leader can step out of production without losing momentum. That usually takes years, but in under five, Brian Buckley grew his team from just a few agents to 35 and positioned himself to focus solely on building the business.
From his background in construction and development to leading one of the top teams at his brokerage, Brian has made systems, culture, and accountability non-negotiables. He put platforms like Sisu, Follow Up Boss, and Battr in place early, not after growth happened, but to drive it. “If I can control mortgage, title, and everything that can blow up a deal, I’ve got a much higher chance of getting it to the finish line,” says Brian.
In this episode, Brian Charlesworth talks with Brian about building a team that can scale without the leader in production, why controlling the client experience matters, and how data-driven coaching can turn weaknesses into wins.
Culture plays a big role in how his team runs. He calls out toxic behavior quickly, encourages daily “win of the day” updates, and makes sure agents back each other up without ego. Performance data is visible in the office for everyone to see, creating a natural level of ownership. “My job is technology and leads. Your job is closing deals and building our brand forward-facing,” he explains.
That clarity has fueled growth, along with smart recruiting. Brian openly shares what works in the brokerage community, believing that value given comes back in results. Moving into Zillow Flex and integrating Battr for automated follow-ups has helped keep leads from slipping away while freeing him from daily chasing.
Top Takeaways:
(1:27) Sisu as a growth driver from day one
(4:22) Why experienced agents return to teams
(6:45) Cutting toxicity and building real teamwork
(8:34) Recruiting by sharing what works
(11:35) Controlling the process to close more deals
(16:26) Treating agents like partners
(17:34) Coaching agents into ownership
(19:36) Using automation to boost follow-up
(23:50) Lower costs, higher ROI with the right tools
(27:08) Turning “bad” leads into closings
(30:05) Winning deals with smart concessions
(31:51) Skiing adventures beyond real estate
Listen in to learn how to scale a real estate business with systems, protect culture as you grow, and free yourself from the day-to-day without losing momentum.
About Brian Buckley
Brian M. Buckley is with LoKation Real Estate in Pompano Beach, FL, and has worked in real estate for over 25 years across Georgia and South Florida. He studied Communications and Advertising at the University of Georgia before moving into residential home building and commercial real estate.
Today, he focuses on helping clients with their home buying needs and draws on decades of industry experience. Outside of work, Brian enjoys snow skiing, scuba diving, and spending time in Lake Tahoe with his fiancée Terra and their dog Jennifur.
Connect with Brian:
Some real estate teams are growing even in down markets. And that is not because they have doubled headcount or dumped money into leads, but because they have doubled down on data, service, and systems.
That is exactly what Courtney Gauchman, COO at Wilson Group in Massachusetts, has helped her team do. With a background in the beauty industry and over a decade of operational leadership, Courtney now leads the systems and strategy that have fueled the Wilson Group’s growth, despite navigating one of the toughest markets in recent years.
And what is her approach?
Track everything, but focus only on what moves the needle. From managing three full-time operations staff to building custom dashboards in Sisu, Courtney ensures every agent has clarity on where their business comes from and how to grow it. “We basically attribute the 88 percent growth during three of the hardest years in real estate to the fact that we use Sisu,” says Courtney.
In this episode, Brian sits down with Courtney to talk about what it takes to run a referral-based real estate business, how to keep agents productive without burnout, and why they are starting to build an operations-as-a-service company for agents who do not want to manage staff. They also discuss how operational clarity impacts culture, conversion, and client experience!
Top Takeaways:
(1:38) From salon management to real estate ops
(4:14) Why are salon pros thriving in real estate?
(6:40) Building a business vs. slinging homes
(8:14) Growing 88% through post-sale follow-up
(9:26) Sisu dashboards built for ROI
(12:00) Deep conversations over cold calls
(14:34) $70M+ in referral-based volume
(15:43) Setting the referral expectation early
(18:57) Building a referral system inside Sisu
(22:42) Custom accountability for agent success
(26:43) Turning rental data into buyer leads
(31:41) Building an ops-as-a-service model from Sisu
(35:50) Reviewing past data to guide marketing
If you are still guessing where your next deal will come from, this one is worth a listen.
About Courtney Gauchman
Courtney Gauchman is the COO of the Wilson Group, a Keller Williams team based in Massachusetts. She brings 12 years of operations experience and a background in real estate sales. At Wilson Group, she leads the development of systems that support both clients and agents. Outside of work, she enjoys family time, outdoor activities, and experimenting with espresso martinis.
Connect with Courtney:
What happens when you stop building your real estate business the way everyone tells you to and start building it around who you really are?
On this episode, JD Reese shares how he rebuilt from that exact moment and what came next. He takes us inside Genuine Real Estate Group, one of the most consistent teams in Southern Utah, where 60 listings stay active and under contract, and agent turnover is nearly zero.
He breaks down how they keep that kind of performance steady without burning out. From pricing strategy and emotional sellers to tracking accountability and team culture, JD gets into the decisions that drive results. “You’ve got to be the best house and the best offering in the neighborhood,” he says. But that’s just the beginning.
JD also unpacks how his team uses tools like Sisu’s new product “Battr”, to track every step of the lead journey, flag breakdowns, and stay focused on what actually moves the needle. “It’s not about more leads. It’s about calling fewer leads more.”No outbound recruiting. No scripts. Just structure, speed, and real coaching. “If you're not converting anything into your name, your database is too small.” You’ll hear how they onboard new agents, use mentorship to drive growth, and create space for real conversations instead of surface-level tactics.
Top Takeaways:
(1:56) Listings sitting longer & seller strategy
(3:22) Pricing strategy that actually works
(7:26) Impact of interest rates dropping to 5%
(10:31) Lead gen strategy for every listing
(11:26) Sisu's new product “Battr”
(12:29) Tracking lead life from start to close
(18:24) Lead spending vs. accountability
(20:45) Training agents without scripts
(23:53) Using Sisu dashboards to coach agents
(28:05) Picky recruiting & low team turnover
(31:05) Builder partnerships through lead strategy
(33:58) Real estate and Porsche passions
(36:47) The 1% rule for long-term growth
If you’re trying to build a business that lasts and lead in a market where most are pulling back, this one’s worth your time. Hit play and dive in.
About JD Reese
JD Reese is the founder and CEO of The Genuine Group, a real estate team based in Southern Utah. With nearly a decade in the industry, he’s facilitated close to 1,000 transactions and continues to stay active in both sales and team leadership. Raised in St. George, JD brings local expertise and a strong focus on systems, follow-up, and agent development. He’s also a licensed general contractor and runs his business with a hands-on, practical approach.
Connect with JD Reese:
JD Reese - Instagram
The Genuine Group - Instagram
This week on GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, Brian Charlesworth is joined by Jace Gillies, team leader at Utah Life. They talk about growth, leadership, and building a team that performs with consistency. From closing 29 deals in his first year to now leading over 90 agents, Jace shares what it looks like to scale while keeping culture intact.
Jace talks about his start in real estate, coming from warehouse work and having no idea how to write a contract. A quick ask for help turned into joining a six-agent team and earning six figures in year one. “I thought I couldn’t make money on a team, but I had no idea what teams even offered,” he says.
The conversation moves into Jace’s transition from top producer to team leader and what it took to turn around the Salt Lake office. With systems missing and accountability lacking, Jace lost nearly half the agents in his first month. “They didn’t want to work. They didn’t want to be held accountable,” he explains. But with daily effort, recruiting, and buy-in, that office went on to close over $100M.
Brian asks Jace about recruiting, and Jace shares the script and mindset shift that helped him add 31 agents in one quarter. He highlights how he uses social proof, automation, and consistent follow-up to find the right people. “I finally believed we were the best place for agents. Once I owned that, everything changed,” he says.
They close out by discussing agent productivity and how Sisu plays a central role. From onboarding to coaching to contests, everything is built around tracking what matters. “I don’t know how to coach without numbers. Sisu gives us everything,” Jace adds.
Top Takeaways:
(4:16) Value of teams & shifting mindset
(9:35) Taking over the salt lake office
(14:09) Mental shift in recruiting
(18:24) Tracking for predictable closings
(25:57) Sales contests & team culture
(29:50) Leading by example in real time
(33:26) Impact of sisu on everything
If you're a team leader looking for structure or an agent trying to grow without guessing, this episode is packed with examples of how to do both. Tune in now!
About Jace Gillies
Jace Gillies leads the Salt Lake City expansion at Utah Life Real Estate. He entered the industry five years ago and now oversees sales for the entire team. Using Sisu, Jace coaches agents, tracks performance, and drives recruiting. His focus is on building a team where growth and results stay consistent.
Connect with Jace:
In this episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, Brian Charlesworth sits down with Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty, to talk about the journey from selling nearly 4,000 homes to leading one of the fastest-growing brokerages in the industry. Leo shares how he started in real estate at 19, thinking he would be an investor, and became one of the country's top agents.
Leo dives into how market cycles shaped his career, from making over $300,000 as a college student to nearly going bankrupt during the 2008 financial crisis. He explains how those experiences taught him to adapt and build resilience. "I thought I was that good. I wasn’t. I was just in a bubble," he admits. He also shares how these lessons now influence his leadership at eXp, where he focuses on staying ahead of industry shifts.
The conversation explores what it takes to scale in real estate. Leo discusses how he built one of the first teams to do over $100 million in sales and why understanding unit economics and market timing made the difference. He explains how the best agents and teams today focus on efficiency, lead generation, and knowing their numbers.
As CEO, Leo is now leading eXp 2.0, a new phase of the company focused on making everything faster, smoother, and more agent-centric. He breaks down how eXp is investing in better technology, faster payments, and deeper agent support to stay ahead. "My goal is to deliver so much value that it’s silly not to be with us," he says.
Leo also gets personal, sharing how he prioritizes family and work-life balance despite a demanding role. He tracks time with his kids, blocks out non-negotiable time for them, and keeps his schedule tight. "90 percent of the time you’ll spend with your kids is before they turn 18. Make it count," he shares.
Top Takeaways:
(1:53) Leo's real estate and tech journey
(6:22) Entering tech at the worst possible time
(8:32) The first big real estate win
(10:19) The two ways to scale in real estate
(11:27) Why should agents not copy top producers?
(13:38) The importance of relationships
(19:15) Why eXp changed everything
(20:49) Why franchises are dying
(21:53) What makes eXp 2.0 different?
(24:54) Real estate market growth predictions
(27:43) What agents should focus on now
(29:42) Adapting to change in business
(31:08) Controlling your own success
Don’t miss this episode if you want insight into scaling a business, navigating market cycles, and building a real estate career that lasts. Tune in to hear Leo’s perspective on the future of the industry and how the right mindset can make all the difference.
About Leo Pareja
Leo Pareja started his real estate career at 19 and became the #1 Keller Williams Agent worldwide by 28. Over 15 years, he sold around 4,000 homes before co-founding Washington Capital Partners in 2012, which grew into one of the largest private lending firms on the East Coast. In 2016, he co-founded Remine, a real estate tech platform that reached 80% market share and over 1.1 million users.
After exiting both companies, he joined eXp Realty’s leadership team and now serves as CEO. He has been featured in the Swanepoel Power 200 and co-founded the Pareja Family Foundation, providing scholarships for women and minorities to enter the tech industry.
Connect with Leo:
Website
In this episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, Brian Charlesworth welcomes Desi Williams and Elizabeth McNally, two high-performing team leaders who are breaking records in small markets. Desi Williams from Burley, Idaho, and Elizabeth McNally from Medicine Hat, Alberta, share how they've captured over 40% market share in communities where most agents settle for 20 deals a year.
Desi shares her journey of moving to Idaho and starting her real estate career with no sphere of influence. Her first big break came from courageously pitching a developer for a listing, which resulted in selling all 14 homes in the project. "I had to show I was willing to do the work," Desi explains, reflecting on how determination fueled her growth. Elizabeth, from Alberta, also built her business from the ground up by focusing on professionalism and innovation, introducing professional photography and staging to her market before these practices became the norm.
The conversation quickly turns to mindset and the habits that have fueled their success. Desi explains how consistency has been her superpower, maintaining 100+ conversations weekly to keep her business thriving. Elizabeth adds, "People often lose momentum after a big win, but that’s when it’s most important to keep going." Both agree that breaking through mental barriers, like fears of success or judgment, was essential to their growth.
Both leaders reveal their systematic approach to growth, with Desi noting a dramatic shift after implementing a CRM: "I went from 40 transactions to 89 that year." They discuss the importance of consistent follow-up, maintaining high conversation counts, and providing value-add services that differentiate them in their markets.
As the episode wraps up, the two discuss their upcoming mastermind for agents in small markets. "There’s not enough tailored advice for small communities, and we want to change that," says Desi.
Top Takeaways:
(4:02) How to build stamina for real estate success
(5:36) Why do some agents lose their edge?
(6:23) What happens when agents make their first $30k?
(8:39) What’s the “DoorDash” model for real estate?
(10:49) How do agents escape repetitive routines?
(14:18) Surrounding Yourself with the Right People
(17:56) Innovating in Small Markets
(22:55) How does staging impact listing performance?
(26:52) The Power of CRMs in Small Markets
(31:07) Overcoming Self-Doubt and Burnout
(36:02) The Impact of Networking and Growth Events
Tune in to discover how these innovative leaders have built multimillion-dollar businesses in markets others might overlook, and learn their strategies for maintaining exceptional performance regardless of market size.
About Desi Williams
Desi Williams is a Southern Idaho real estate broker committed to helping clients create their ideal home, whether it’s a starter house, a hobby farm, or a retirement property. As a mom of five, she understands the importance of finding the right space for every stage of life. With expertise in buying and selling, Desi provides stress-free transactions, marketing strategies for maximum exposure, and personalized financing recommendations. She’s passionate about guiding her clients every step of the way to ensure they achieve their goals.
Connect with Desi:
Website
About Elizabeth McNally
Elizabeth McNally is the team lead for Real Estate Collective in Medicine Hat, Alberta, proudly leading Canada’s #1 small team at Real Broker. Her journey into real estate began early, working alongside her parents on renovation projects and property management in SE Hill. With over 17 years of experience, Elizabeth combines her hands-on knowledge and passion for real estate to offer client-focused services. Her team provides staging, professional photography, and strategic marketing to ensure properties stand out. Elizabeth is dedicated to helping buyers and sellers find not just a home, but the home.
Connect with Elizabeth:
Website
In this episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, Brian Charlesworth talks with Veronica Figueroa, a leader in real estate team operations and growth. Veronica shares her journey from managing a complex business that sold over 2,200 homes a year to building a streamlined, sustainable model.
Veronica opens up about the challenges of scaling too quickly, explaining how a focus on simplicity transformed her team’s operations. "We realized the business was too heavy, and simplicity became our goal," she shares. Her insights into focusing on what truly matters, like clear leadership and sustainable growth, will resonate with anyone feeling overwhelmed by complexity.
A major part of Veronica’s transformation involved leveraging technology like Sisu to simplify processes and cut costs. "Every transaction starts in Sisu now, and it’s made a huge difference for us," she says, reflecting on how operational efficiency has allowed her team to focus on what matters most—culture, performance, and growth.
The conversation also dives into key lessons about recruiting and accountability. Veronica stresses the need to maintain high standards even when it’s difficult. "You can’t lower the bar just because someone doesn’t want to comply—it only hurts the team," she explains. She emphasizes that leadership requires balancing data with heart, ensuring every agent feels valued and connected.
As the episode closes, Veronica leaves a piece of advice for leaders tackling market shifts. "People need to know where they’re going and why they’re doing it," she says, adding that clarity and authenticity are essential for inspiring teams to thrive.
Top Takeaways:
(2:07) Simplicity and sustainability in real estate leadership
(3:58) The dangers of chasing shiny objects in business
(8:06) Why recruiting never stops in real estate
(8:59) Why team standards should never be negotiable
(10:29) The cost of becoming too transactional
(12:04) Can outsourcing leadership hurt your company’s culture?
(15:53) What happens when your team isn’t ready for a shifting market?
(20:01) How does a strong culture attract top agents?
(25:14) How Sisu eliminated redundancies and saved thousands
(28:15) Filling operational gaps with vision and talent
This is a must-listen for anyone looking to simplify operations, build a winning culture, and lead with purpose in today’s competitive real estate market.
About Veronica Figueroa
Veronica Figueroa is the CEO and Team Lead of The Figueroa Team at eXp Realty, recognized as one of the top-performing real estate teams in the nation. Her team has served over 2,000 families, achieving $646 million in sales volume in a single year. She has been a Zillow Advisory Board Member since 2016 and is known for her forward-thinking approach to real estate, including leading the I-Buyer movement.
As a sought-after speaker, Veronica has shared insights on leadership and business growth at major industry events such as Inman Connect, NAHREP, and the eXp Shareholders Summit. She is passionate about mentoring real estate professionals, helping them strengthen their leadership skills and scale their businesses effectively.
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The Figueroa Team
In this episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, Brian Charlesworth hosts Ken Hirschmann and Brandon Verlinden from Best Life & Co., a rapidly growing real estate team in Michigan. Ken and Brandon share their unconventional journey from managing grocery stores to leading one of the most productive teams in the state, highlighting how their background in high-accountability roles shaped their leadership style.
The duo dives into their focus on agent productivity over agent count, sharing how their disciplined approach and consistent coaching have driven the team’s success. “We’ve maintained a morning call every day since day one,” Ken reveals. “It’s the consistency that sets the tone and builds a strong foundation.”
They also discuss the pivotal role of Sisu in transforming their operations, moving away from manual spreadsheets to automated systems that provide real-time insights. Brandon adds, “The automated task lists keep us a step ahead in every transaction, helping us avoid hiccups and streamline the entire process.”
Ken and Brandon share a glimpse into their upcoming projects and offer practical advice for leaders looking to scale. As Ken puts it, “Growth is messy, and that’s okay—it’s where real progress happens.” Their forward-thinking vision and adaptable approach leave you excited for what’s next at Best Life & Co.
Top Takeaways:
(3:40) What happens when you step into leadership at 23?
(7:46) How did the grocery store experience help scale a real estate team?
(9:34) Can hiring a business expert beat hiring a top realtor?
(12:46) Why is making a million dollars now just the starting point?
(13:28) Is manual data entry holding real estate teams back?
(15:12) The chaos of manual data collection
(17:05) How did adopting Sisu solve major visibility issues in deal tracking?
(21:39) The power of daily training meetings
(22:30) The benefits of automated insights in coaching
(29:41) Combining Sisu and Follow Up Boss for results
(31:13) What’s the formula for a $10 million goal?
(34:02) Why are Thanksgiving pies part of the client experience?
(36:36) Why focus on quality over quantity in team growth?
(37:58) How does feedback shape team growth?
(39:05) Why is growth always messy?
Tune in to this episode for a candid look at what it takes to build a resilient, data-driven real estate business, with actionable advice on leveraging technology, fostering a winning team culture, and driving consistent growth. Discover how Ken and Brandon have doubled their transaction volume while maintaining high standards.
About Ken & Brandon
Ken Hirschmann, Broker/Owner, and Brandon Verlinden, President, lead Best Life & Co., a real estate team based in Royal Oak, MI. Despite a shrinking real estate market, they have consistently grown their business by 25-50% each year, capturing significant market share. Their approach includes strong client communication and effective use of tools like Sisu for better tracking and efficiency.
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Best Life & Co.
Ken Hirschmann
Brandon Verlinden
In this celebratory 150th episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, host Brian Charlesworth welcomes Jon Cheplak for a powerful conversation on mental resilience, personal accountability, and building a business that lasts. In this special episode, Jon dives into the highs and lows of his career and shares how his journey from addiction to success shaped his approach to life and work.
Jon discusses the critical role of mindset in today's market, emphasizing the power of discipline and responsibility. "Anything that you don't own, you can't change," he says, explaining why accountability is the first step to personal and professional growth. His story is a testament to the impact of daily habits, relentless focus, and a commitment to growth—even when the odds are stacked against you.
This episode uncovers Jon’s unique perspectives on leadership, his philosophy of “forced suffering” as a tool for mental strength, and the value of community in creating success. For him, success isn't about reaching the finish line but about who you are becoming along the way. “Forget about the outcome,” Jon reflects, “obsess over the person you are becoming every single day.”
Jon also discusses the importance of aligning personal values with business goals, emphasizing how this alignment drives lasting fulfillment and genuine connections with others. He shares how embracing vulnerability and humility has strengthened his relationships and contributed to his success. Building a brand that prioritizes authenticity and integrity, Jon believes success means lifting others up.
Top Takeaways:
(1:39) The role of mental toughness play in personal growth
(4:12) Can losing teach more than winning?
(8:46) How can hitting rock bottom ignite unstoppable growth?
(14:06) How do easy wins make agents unprepared for real challenges?
(17:08) How does owning your past lead to personal transformation?
(18:56) Why is "forced suffering" essential for true progress
(20:58) The role of personal values in breaking free from stagnation
(23:20) Why does "Who am I becoming?" matter more than achievements?
(26:21) How vulnerability makes you a stronger leader
(30:12) How does focusing on daily victories fuel personal growth?
(33:56) The true power of an abundance mindset
(36:02) How does teaching others make you an expert
(40:54) How visualizing others' happiness impacts work relationships
(43:46) The purpose behind creating real community in business
(45:49) How do events open doors for emerging leaders?
(47:35) Why do small style choices matter in building confidence
Join us for this inspiring 150th episode to learn what it takes to build unshakable resilience and celebrate this milestone with Jon’s remarkable story. Discover how to develop the mental toughness needed to transform your path forward.
About Jon Cheplak
Jon Cheplak is the CEO of The Real Recruiter and Founder & Coach at Cheplak Live, bringing over 27 years of hands-on experience in real estate. With a background as a successful agent and former executive of a multi-office company, Jon now focuses on coaching team leaders, brokers, and agents to achieve higher productivity and profitability. He has spent the past decade guiding real estate professionals across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, using a proven system to attract, develop, and retain top-performing agents, adding billions in sales volume to teams worldwide.
Connect with Jon Cheplak Today!
YouTube
The Real Recruiter
Cheplak Live
Join Brian Charlesworth on this episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset as he talks with Matt Smith, a real estate leader whose journey from managing a small team to becoming one of the top performers in the Missouri market offers invaluable lessons in leadership, strategy, and accountability. Starting with just 8-10 agents in 2018, Matt now oversees a team of 27, but his success hasn’t come without challenges.
Matt opens up about how using Sisu transformed how he tracks performance, sharing that one key metric – the appointment set-to-close ratio – helped him realize his team was missing out on $3 million in GCI. “We lost $3 million in GCI from one metric that we wouldn’t have known existed if it weren’t for Sisu,” he explains. He dives deep into why understanding these numbers is essential for any real estate team leader and how even small changes in performance tracking can lead to significant gains.
The conversation moves into how Matt built a foundation of accountability with his agents, explaining that quality is often more important than quantity. "The quality of the lead is determined by the skill and the will of the agent," Matt shares, emphasizing that success doesn’t come from flooding agents with more leads but from improving their ability to convert the ones they have.
Matt also reflects on the importance of simplifying business systems. He highlights how over-complicating processes can create unnecessary roadblocks and how focusing on the fundamentals allows his team to thrive even in challenging markets. He describes his recruiting and onboarding process as one that pushes agents to meet high standards from day one, ensuring that those who stay are fully committed to success.
Top Takeaways:
(2:31) The chaos that nearly cost $3 million
(4:55) Is better pipeline management the key to team success?
(7:45) Are agents getting out-scripted by their leads?
(10:24) How does willpower affect business outcomes?
(15:01) How do messy business breakups lead to owning your success?
(16:20) The power behind automating transactions with Sisu
(20:26) Why are spreadsheets holding back business growth
(26:07) What happens when agents don’t track their business numbers
(30:20) What’s the real focus of successful team leaders?
(33:42) What makes onboarding multiple people at once more effective?
(35:48) Why does building a five-agent team lead to a rollercoaster
(40:11) The must-have steps for onboarding new agents
(43:12) One activity that can win your day in real estate
If you're looking for strategies to streamline your operations, recruit the right talent, and drive your team to new heights, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Tune in to hear how Matt Smith uses Sisu to track the correct numbers and build a high-performing team that adapts to the ever-changing real estate landscape.
About Matt Smith
Matt Smith is the owner of Matt Smith Real Estate Group, based in Missouri, where his team of 27 agents leads the local market. His team’s success has earned them a spot on the Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies list, and they’ve held the #1 ranking in their marketplace for five consecutive years. Matt’s approach to leadership and metrics-driven performance has helped his team close hundreds of homes, including 100 homes in one month with just 18 agents. He also coaches real estate professionals across the country.
Connect with Matt Smith Today!
Matt Smith Real Estate Group
All or Nothing in Real Estate
Join Brian Charlesworth, founder of Sisu, as he interviews Steven Myers, the visionary owner of Urban Cool Brokerage. Steven shares his journey from corporate aerospace engineer to leading real estate investor and team owner in Wichita, Kansas. From selling his first property to growing a team of over 60 agents, Steven’s story is a testament to the power of grit and resilience.
In this episode, Steven discusses the challenges of leaving a high-paying corporate career and the risks he took to follow his entrepreneurial calling. Reflecting on his decision, he says, "I saw these people in their 60s still grinding away, and I thought, this isn’t the life I want for myself."
He talks about the systems he put in place, including Sisu, to track performance and build a scalable business. "If you’re not really understanding your numbers... you’re just not really doing a good service to your business," Steven emphasizes as he shares how he grew his team to over 60 agents and completed more than 500 transactions in just a few years.
With a unique perspective as a former "rocket scientist" and a real estate team leader, Steven offers listeners fascinating insights into growing a business by leveraging technology and effective leadership.
Steven also explains his strategy for building ancillary services, like mortgage and title, and why controlling the entire client experience has been key to his success. It's not just about selling houses—it's about managing every aspect of the client journey.
Top Takeaways:
(3:39) From aerospace projects to real estate success
(6:05) What happened when the corporate job said "no more real estate"?
(9:02) The shift from flipping houses to going all-in on sales.
(12:53) Why ditch spreadsheets to build a real business system?
(15:52) Building the right systems before scaling a team.
(18:49) How did this team grow from 0 to 60 agents in just 4 years?
(20:59) Why do systems only work if you have the right people?
(24:09) A $1.7 trillion opportunity that sparked a change
(29:52) How does Sisu’s data lead to a million-dollar difference?
(31:33) What do your metrics reveal about your business gaps?
(35:01) Spotting changes early to keep growth on track
(39:20) Why 2025 is about conversations and service.
(40:22) How does Sisu help deliver that "white glove" customer service?
(42:44) Why is spending on tech crucial for agent success?
Want to know how Steven overcame market shifts and learned from the challenges of running multiple businesses? Tune in to learn more about his journey and how you can apply his insights to grow your own real estate business.
About Steven Myers
Steven Myers is the CEO of Urban Cool Homes, a real estate business he founded in Wichita after realizing his passion for property went beyond his corporate career. After graduating at the top of his engineering class at Wichita State University, Steven climbed the corporate ladder to become a director of program management before transitioning into real estate. He has also worked as a realtor at eXp Realty and is the owner of Motto Mortgage Charged.
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Urban Cool Homes
This week on GRIT, host Brian Charlesworth welcomes Shahar Plinner, founder and CEO of Formations, to discuss an often-overlooked aspect of running a real estate business: taxes. Shahar brings decades of expertise in tax planning for the self-employed, particularly real estate agents and team leaders. From his roots in Israel to building one of Seattle’s top accounting firms, Shahar has always been driven by one goal—helping entrepreneurs keep more of their hard-earned money.
In this insightful conversation, Shahar reveals how real estate agents can save tens of thousands of dollars annually by structuring their businesses correctly. “Ninety percent of the agents who come to us aren’t set up as S Corps—and they’re losing significant money because of it,” he explains. Shahar walks through the process of shifting from a sole proprietor or LLC to an S Corporation, which allows agents to reduce their tax liability while still growing their business.
The episode also touches on how real estate agents often procrastinate tax planning until it's too late, leading to missed opportunities. Shahar emphasizes the need for intentional tax management throughout the year rather than scrambling at tax time. “The sooner you start thinking about your taxes, the better the outcome. It’s not just about saving on taxes; it’s about creating a long-term strategy that supports your business growth.”
Brian and Shahar also discuss the exciting new partnership between Sisu and Formations, offering real estate professionals a seamless integration between business performance tracking and tax optimization. This collaboration allows agents to have a holistic view of their business and finances in real-time, enabling smarter decisions year-round.
Top Takeaways:
(4:27) Why real-time financial planning beats last-minute tax fixes.
(9:47) Making sense of real estate taxes—Depreciation, aggregation, and more.
(11:19) How does having a dream team simplify real estate investing?
(12:27) The untapped tax benefits for 1099 real estate agents.
(18:10) Automating 90% of real estate tasks
(23:01) Why live financial data is the key to business confidence.
(24:21) Sisu and Formations—The integration every real estate agent needs.
(28:08) How to eliminate data friction with Sisu’s seamless integration.
(33:27) What are the benefits of S Corps for real estate agents?
If you’re looking to gain a better understanding of how smart tax planning can support your real estate business, this episode is a must-listen. Shahar’s expertise will change the way you think about taxes and how they can be used to fuel your success.
About Shahar Plinner:
Shahar Plinner is a tax and accounting expert with over 20 years of experience. After moving from Israel to Seattle, he built and sold one of the top tax firms in the area. Now, as the founder and CEO of Formations, he focuses on helping self-employed professionals manage their taxes and maximize financial efficiency.
Connect with Shahar Plinner
Formations
In this episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, Brian Charlesworth sits down with JD Reese, founder of The Genuine Group, one of Southern Utah’s rising stars in real estate. JD shares his evolution from selling over 1,000 homes as a builder agent to creating and leading a team that’s now ranked in the top five in just three years. How did he do it? JD credits much of his success to the systems and processes he built from the ground up.
JD takes us back to when he worked long days as a builder agent at Salisbury Homes, where he learned the value of grit and consistency. After experiencing significant changes in the builder market, JD decided to start his own team. In his words, "I realized I could make ten times the amount of money by doing my own thing, and that was eye-opening."
The episode dives deep into how JD created a strong foundation for his team, starting with using tools like Sisu and Follow Up Boss to manage accountability and streamline operations. He shares how his focus on building a repeatable system allowed him to transition smoothly into team leadership. JD also touches on his recruitment strategy, which emphasizes hiring young, trainable agents who align with his team's culture of hard work and innovation.
What sets JD apart is his hands-on leadership style. He continues to prospect daily alongside his agents, which has helped his team maintain high performance even in challenging markets. "I still prospect an hour to an hour and a half every single day, including Saturdays," JD explains, showcasing his dedication to staying connected with his team and clients.
Top Takeaways:
(2:29) The secrets behind selling over 150 homes a year.
(7:34) Can you hit your income goals by prospecting every day?
(13:29) Why the right CRM is your new best friend in real estate.
(17:20) Is data the key to a team that never drops the ball?
(18:00) What’s the real edge of 24/7 reporting for agents?
(25:26) What’s the real cost of wearing too many hats in real estate?
(29:43) How did training turn market challenges into opportunities?
(31:31) AI, PPC, and Facebook—How to use all to win.
(34:28) How do open house registrations boost conversions?
(36:07) How do proper SOPs transform lead management?
(38:41) Why Every Real Estate Deal Needs a "Pizza Tracker" System.
Don't miss this insightful conversation as JD explains how to grow a team, foster a winning culture, and consistently push the needle forward. Tune in to learn more about JD's journey and what it takes to build a high-performing real estate business.
About JD Reese
JD Reese is the owner of The Genuine Group and a Utah native, born and raised in St. George. With a background in new construction and experience as a general contractor, JD aims to provide a genuine experience for clients, whether they are buying, selling, investing, or building homes. He founded The Genuine Group to share his knowledge from nine years in real estate and to build a tech-driven, supportive team environment. In his free time, JD enjoys skateboarding, golfing, playing video games, and spending quality time with his wife and their pets.
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JD Reese - Instagram
The Genuine Group - Instagram
In this episode of the "GRIT" podcast, Brian Charlesworth sits down with Zach Geisendorfer, Director of Client Relations at FAM Realty Group, which started with five agents and is now at nearly 40 in Orange County, California. Zach shares the ups and downs of growing quickly, including the hard lessons learned about the need for solid systems and a strong team culture. “We thought we were on top of the world when we added 25 agents in two weeks,” Zach says, “but without a solid system, things fell apart fast.” This experience taught them that growth without structure isn’t sustainable.
Zach talks about his own journey, from making over 130,000 calls a year as an ISA to leading a team that has more than quadrupled in size. He jokes about his early days as a "cowboy," jumping from task to task without any real plan, and how that approach just didn’t cut it once the team started to grow.
They also chat about how the team is moving into the luxury market, using data to make smart decisions, and keeping agents motivated through friendly competition. Zach’s approach to training and accountability has made a big difference in their success. With Sisu, Zach says, “we’ve moved beyond spreadsheets and guesswork—it’s all about clear, actionable steps now.”
Top Takeaways:
(4:44) Why do team leaders with five agents often struggle?
(5:49) Can rapid growth really destroy your team?
(7:50) What’s the cost of being a ‘cowboy’ in business?
(9:28) How was a hot lead list created from cold contacts?
(13:03) The crash-and-burn after adding 30 agents.
(17:54) What’s the secret sauce in a 30-60-90 day plan?
(20:32) What happens when a whole team goes paperless?
(23:30) Turning leads into wins with the Sisu pipeline
(27:46) Roleplay, coaching, and conversions: a winning combo
(31:33) How did aggressive prospecting dominate the $5m market?
(36:42) What daily habits are driving massive success in sales?
(41:51) Turning accountability into a growth catalyst
If you’re looking to scale your real estate business or just want to hear how a team can grow and thrive, this episode is full of practical tips and insights you won’t want to miss.
About Zach Geisendorfer
Zach Geisendorfer is the Director of Client Relations at FAM Realty Group. With a strong background in sales, he began his career as an ISA, making over 130,000 calls a year before transitioning into his current leadership role. Zach has been instrumental in growing the real estate team from 5 to nearly 40 agents in Orange County, California, focusing on building solid systems and fostering a strong team culture.
Connect with Zach Geisendorfer Today!
In this episode of "GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset," Brian Charlesworth welcomes Glen Baker, founder of the MorrisAgent Team, for a conversation about growing a business when the odds seem stacked against you. Glen shares his fascinating journey from selling a tech company for $91 million to diving into real estate after a personal tragedy, driven by a passion for improving customer experience.
Glen opens up about the challenges of expanding into new markets like Massachusetts, where he had to overhaul his processes without losing the "magic sauce" that makes his team successful. He explains the importance of having a consistent customer experience across all locations, regardless of the specific state regulations or contracting processes. Glen emphasizes that building a business in multiple markets is not for the faint of heart—it’s like setting up a whole new company each time—but once it’s operational, consistency in metrics and performance is critical to success.
The conversation also delves into how Glen uses Sisu to not only streamline operations but also to predict market trends. By analyzing Sisu data, Glen can foresee shifts in the market, which allows his team to stay ahead and make informed decisions. This ability to anticipate changes has led to a stronger performance in the final quarter of the year, with some agents expected to do 75% more business than the previous year.
Top Takeaways:
(2:15) What life event triggered a drastic career shift?
(6:28) Why are clients more than just transactions?
(9:18) How did a simple portal transform client trust?
(11:09) What’s driving expansion when others shrink?
(15:14) How are videos transforming agent relations?
(16:12) How new agents are closing $700k deals instantly
(17:19) Three components that run an entire real estate business
(18:43) How to see market shifts before they happen
(20:30) 15 minutes that keep the team on track
(22:21) The must-have report for every agent one-on-one
(27:11) From Doordash to deals: the power of client portals
If you're looking for strategies to enhance your client communication, recruit top talent, and expand your business in challenging times, don't miss out on Glen's advice on why now is the perfect time to leverage technology and boost your value in the real estate market.
About Glen Baker
Glen Baker is a leading real estate agent in North Jersey and the founder of the MorrisAgent Team. He specializes in helping individuals, investors, and developers find properties in Morris, Sussex, and Bergen counties. With a reputation built on trust and consistent results, Glen has earned a place among the top .05% of agents nationwide and has been recognized with the Circle of Excellence every year.
His team’s footprint extends across New Jersey and Massachusetts, with plans to expand into Delaware and Florida, guided by the principle of "No Surprises, Ever!"—a commitment to consistency, reliability, and transparency. The team is known for combining advanced digital tools with a seamless customer experience, ensuring that every transaction is smooth and transparent. Glen’s business is largely built on referrals and social media, reflecting his dedication to building lasting relationships.
Glen is also committed to giving back to the community, contributing over $300,000 in Hero Rewards through the Homes for Heroes program, where he is ranked #1 in New Jersey. Beyond real estate, Glen has an entrepreneurial background, having sold his last company for $91 million and serving in C-suite roles throughout corporate America. He also actively serves as the Deputy Chief of the Boonton Fire Department, advocates for suicide awareness, and fosters dogs with over 65 pups under his care to date.
Connect with Glen Baker Today!
MorrisAgent Team
This week on the "GRIT" podcast, Brian Charlesworth is joined by Ryan Young, a third-generation real estate expert and the innovative mind behind Fello. Ryan's journey is anything but typical—from a burnt-out chef to leading a team selling hundreds of homes yearly. He looks back at how starting in a down market gave him the grit and know-how to tackle today's challenges.
Ryan dives deep into the current state of the real estate market, pointing out how it can mess with your emotions if you need to be more careful. He shares his thoughts on why agents who can manage these ups and downs will emerge stronger and more successful. From dealing with skyrocketing interest rates to the dwindling number of agents in the field, Ryan talks about how those who stick it out are likely to see big wins in the coming years.
Ryan also introduces Fello, the software that's helping agents turn their databases into treasure troves of listings. He breaks down how understanding your data can seriously boost your bottom line and make your life a lot easier.
Top Takeaways:
(4:42) Was 2010 really the hardest market, or is it now?
(7:11) Will the market shake out the weak agents?
(9:03) Could rising rates be a blessing in disguise?
(10:24) Is the market cutting agent numbers in half?
(11:54) Is the NAR’s influence fading fast?
(13:07) Are new agents facing a 2010-level challenge?
(14:21) Have agents forgotten how to hustle for leads?
(15:31) The high cost of cherry-picking leads
(16:22) Sisu: the power behind smart lead assignments
(19:08) Do you fear discussing compensation?
(20:36) Can 15 questions win more listings?
(23:32) The hidden dangers in your client database
(24:58) Are buyer leads hiding goldmines?
(26:45) Could missing data be costing you listings?
If you’re ready to learn how to keep growing in a crazy market and turn your leads into gold, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in for Ryan’s expert tips and a few laughs as you take your real estate game to the next level.
About Ryan Young
Ryan Young is the CEO of The Young Team, recognized as the #1 large real estate team in Ohio and #15 in the U.S. by WSJ RealTrends. In 2021, he founded Fello, a platform that transforms agents’ databases into 24/7 listing engines. Ryan comes from a family deeply rooted in real estate, being a third-generation professional in the field. His approach focuses on innovation and efficiency, helping agents thrive in a competitive market.
Connect with Ryan Young Today!
The Young Team
Fello
In this week's episode of "GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset," host Brian Charlesworth sits down with Quintavius Burdette, a top-performing real estate agent who’s breaking records and defying the odds. From humble beginnings in Mississippi, Q, as he is known, has made a name for himself in the real estate industry by selling over 900 homes in his first five years.
Q shares his incredible journey, from growing up in a family of 17 to choosing a path in real estate after realizing that corporate life wasn’t for him. He discusses the importance of hard work, setting public goals, and how his relentless drive led him to earn over $500,000 in his first year as a real estate agent.
The conversation also dives into Q’s innovative strategies, including targeting property owners with multiple homes and focusing on the often-overlooked lower-end market. These approaches allowed him to complete more transactions in less time, setting him apart from his peers.
Quintavius doesn’t stop there. He reveals how he manages his time, working just 2-3 hours a day, yet still pulling in significant income while maintaining a balanced life. His philosophy on time management dubbed the “Perfect 168,” is all about optimizing the 168 hours everyone has each week to achieve both personal and professional success.
Top Takeaways:
(3:05) How did growing up as one of 17 kids shape Q’s grit?
(9:01) The $500K Dream in a small market
(10:30) What happens when $100K is all you aim for?
(13:36) How does public accountability change the game?
(18:41) What’s the secret to selling 300 homes a year?
(21:47) How breaking down 168 hours changed everything
(29:03) What does it take to sell 300 properties in just three years?
(32:10) The sacrifices behind building a real estate empire
(35:44) What’s the real impact of waking up at 5 am?
Brian wraps up the episode with reflections on the invaluable lessons Q has shared, particularly the importance of consistency, grit, and a strong work ethic in achieving extraordinary results. Tune in to hear more about Q’s inspiring story and learn how you can apply these insights to your own real estate journey.
About Quintavius Burdette
Quintavius "Q" Burdette is a licensed Realtor at REMAX Experts with a background in accounting and athletics. Raised in Mississippi, Q excelled in both football and track at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), where he earned a master’s degree in accounting.
After a brief stint with a Big Four accounting firm, Q transitioned to real estate in 2019, quickly making a name for himself by closing over 725 transactions in his first four years. Known for his dedication and work ethic, Q is committed to delivering results for his clients.
Connect with Quintavius Burdette Today!
REMAX Experts - Quintavius Burdette
Join Brian Charlesworth, founder of Sisu, and George Laughton, founder of The Laughton Team. George shares his remarkable journey from entering real estate during the challenging 2007 market to building a team that handles over a billion dollars in transactions annually.
George discusses the importance of identifying market opportunities and adapting quickly. He emphasizes building a strong core business while remaining adaptable to capture bigger opportunities. "Every market presents its opportunities," he says.
Brian and George delve into the structure of The Laughton Team, with George explaining how he manages 250 agents across multiple locations. He describes his approach to team management, highlighting the need for strong leaders and effective delegation. "I always categorize my team as partners, projects, and problems," George explains, discussing the importance of alignment and knowing when to part ways.
The conversation also covers George's approach to personal development and maintaining a positive mindset. He shares his practice of meditation and gratitude, stating that these habits help him stay aware and positive.
Top Takeaways:
(2:17) Are you missing out on real estate goldmines?
(4:34) From 30 to 250: the journey of building a real estate giant.
(6:49) Is humility the secret ingredient in real estate success?
(7:51) Are humble, hungry, and smart the traits of extraordinary real estate hires
(8:54) The three pillars of real estate success
(13:49) What’s the secret to moving agents from level two to three?
(16:30) The impact of lead price points on real estate performance
(18:49) The correlation between business growth and leadership development
(21:12) Preparing for technological shifts in real estate
(24:49) The balance between shielding and informing real estate clients
(25:41) Are you utilizing client portals to their full potential?
(29:20) Shifting from fear to optimism in real estate
Tune in to learn how George's strategies and philosophies can help you navigate the real estate market, build a successful team, and maintain a growth-oriented mindset.
About George Laughton
George Laughton is the founder of The Laughton Team, one of the most successful real estate teams in the nation, ranking in the top 1% of all real estate teams in the United States. Established in 2007 in Peoria, AZ, The Laughton Team operates in multiple locations and has assisted thousands of families in buying and selling homes. George's leadership focuses on building strong client relationships through honesty and transparency, emphasizing core values such as integrity and excellence.
Connect with George Laughton Today!
The Laughton Team
Join Brian Charlesworth, founder of Sisu, as he interviews Desi and Tyson Williams, a powerhouse couple in the real estate world. They discuss their move from Orange County to Burley, Idaho, and how they turned a part-time real estate venture into a full-time success story.
Desi shares her journey from starting in real estate as a stay-at-home mom in 2013, selling homes as a hobby, to making a significant career move in 2019. Her decision to go full-time in real estate was driven by the desire to dominate the Burley market, a small town with about 20,000-30,000 residents and 450 home transactions a year. Desi’s ambition and hard work led her to sell 125 homes annually, showcasing her impressive market share.
Tyson, with his background in accounting, plays a crucial role in their success. He manages the operational side of the business, implementing systems and technology like CRM (Follow Up Boss) and Sisu to streamline their operations and track performance. His strategic thinking and tech-savvy approach were pivotal in scaling their business efficiently.
The trio discusses the importance of exceptional customer service and how it leads to natural referrals. Desi emphasizes the value of exceeding client expectations and providing a raving fan experience. Their unique methods, like delivering cookie packages and pizza gift cards, enhance their client relationships and generate consistent referrals.
The conversation also highlights their approach to balancing work and family life. Desi maintains a balance by being intentional with her time, ensuring she doesn't miss her kids’ events, and even coaching their sports teams.
Brian dives into their coaching program, "Dwell," which aims to help other agents and small teams implement successful systems and grow their businesses.
Top Takeaways:
(2:51) How did a hobby turn into market domination?
(6:28) Why is fear a bigger obstacle than failure?
(9:14) The hidden power of embracing technology
(10:08) How was a raving fan base built from scratch?
(12:43) The strategy behind client retention
(13:28) How does a cookie package secure more listings?
(18:06) Can simple tracking lead to higher productivity?
(22:54) Balancing real estate and family life
(25:42) What helps agents sell over 100 homes a year?
(28:42) Why is there no magic bullet in real estate?
Tune in to learn how Desi and Tyson's strategies can help you improve your real estate business and achieve a better work-life balance.
About Desi & Tyson Williams
Desi Williams started her real estate career in 2013, balancing her role as a mother of three. She became a full-time agent in 2019, helping clients find their ideal homes in Burley, Idaho. Desi focuses on customer satisfaction and strong client relationships. Tyson, with a background in accounting, supports the business operations. Together, they also run a coaching program, "Dwell," to help other agents grow their businesses.
Connect with Desi today!
In this episode of GRIT, Brian Charlesworth, founder of Sisu, talks with Jeff Glover of Glover U, Michigan's #1 realtor for nearly a decade. Jeff takes listeners on a tour of his daily life, managing a high-volume listing schedule while also leading one of the top real estate coaching programs in the nation. He discusses his entry into the real estate world and how he has managed to stay on top through both booming and challenging times.
At the Glover Agency, where a team of over 25 agents sells more than 1,000 homes each year, we asked Jeff about the secret behind their success. Jeff tells us it boils down to maintaining professionalism in every aspect of the work. From scheduling appointments to conducting follow-ups, and managing team structure, everything is streamlined and held to a high standard.
Throughout the episode, Jeff emphasizes the critical importance of maintaining a pipeline of potential listings and how he manages to secure multiple new properties each month. He shares detailed strategies for lead generation, client engagement, and closing deals, which have all contributed to his reputation as a leader in real estate sales. Jeff also discusses the importance of personal development and continuous learning, which he integrates into his coaching to empower other real estate professionals.
Top Takeaways:
(2:46) The two most important factors in a successful transaction
(3:32) What’s the one thing you must achieve every day as an agent?
(4:24) Why is having a daily goal important for real estate agents?
(5:13) How does dressing to impress impact your clients?
(8:04) Where do team leaders usually find their best recruits?
(9:30) How can real estate teams reduce turnover?
(13:39) How can buyer's agents attract more clients?
(16:07) What two changes led to a 75% conversion rate?
(22:45) Why our coaches are required to sell real estate actively?
(28:05) Why is the met-to-signed ratio crucial for listings?
(31:23) Anticipating the real estate market’s next big shift
(32:00) How to prepare for a surge in expired listings
Listeners will also hear Jeff's perspective on the future of real estate and how adapting to technological advances and market shifts is crucial for sustained success. His insights have actionable advice for both novice and experienced agents, making this a must-listen for anyone interested in elevating their real estate career.
About Jeff Glover
Jeff Glover has been Michigan's #1 realtor for nearly a decade, known for his deep understanding of the local market. He leads the Glover Agency, a top-performing team of over 25 agents that sells more than 1,000 homes annually. His team has been recognized as the "#1 Top Workplace in Michigan" by the Detroit Free Press and a "Cool Place to Work" by Crain's Detroit. Jeff is renowned for his strong negotiation skills, effective marketing strategies, and emphasis on building client relationships. He also focuses on empowering agents and fostering a collaborative team environment.
Connect with Jeff Glover Today!
Glover U
Join Brian Charlesworth, founder of Sisu, as he interviews Kelly Cardenas, a renowned speaker and former owner of Kelly Cardenas Salons. They discuss Kelly's fascinating journey from the beauty industry to becoming a keynote speaker and podcaster. Kelly shares his insights on the importance of focusing on people and creating a positive vibe in every interaction.
Kelly explains the philosophy his father taught him: the only true business is the people business. This belief has shaped his approach to success in various industries. Kelly introduces his triangle model, emphasizing heart set, mindset, and skillset. He says, "If you lead with your heart, your mind and actions will follow naturally."
The conversation shifts to the importance of building relationships. Kelly shares a personal story about writing daily letters to his daughter and how this practice strengthened their bond. He believes, "Writing these letters changed not only my daughter's life but mine as well." This practice was crucial during challenging times, like the pandemic, and it taught him the power of small, consistent actions.
Brian and Kelly also cover overcoming challenges by maintaining a positive belief system. Kelly shares his approach, stating that every experience, good or bad, is perfect for its time. They discuss how this mindset helps in both personal and professional life.
The discussion also touches on real estate. Kelly and Brian talk about why every transaction should flow through Sisu, the challenges in the current market with rising interest rates, and the importance of focusing on what drops to the bottom line. They agree that the top-line figures are less important than what is actually kept, a principle Kelly's father taught him.
Top Takeaways:
(4:19) What happens when you take the people out of the business?
(8:12) The key to aligning heart, mind, and actions.
(8:53) How does Sisu help team owners and brokers grow their businesses
(9:50) How are rising interest rates affecting real estate today
(10:21) Why do people focus on top-line figures in business
(15:37) How did a text message from my daughter change everything
(18:03) How can writing letters change your relationships
(19:26) Why is shiny new technology not always the answer?
(23:56) The qualities that make someone a true icon.
(28:58) How can a committed real estate agent become a high-earner.
Tune in to learn from Kelly's experiences and discover how to build stronger relationships, enhance your business, and maintain a positive outlook. Think about how adopting a positive belief system can transform your approach to daily challenges. Are you ready to lead with your heart?
About Kelly Cardenas
Kelly Cardenas has 29 years of experience in the beauty industry and is now a speaker and podcaster. He hosts a top-ranked podcast, co-hosts Secret Knock, and created the Vibe Room. Kelly's books provide insights on personal development and entrepreneurship. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on people and creating positive energy.
Connect with Kelly Cardenas
Website
Join Brian Charlesworth, founder of Sisu, and William Lam, founder of UPGRD®, as they explore the concept of upgrading the mind. They delve into William's journey with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and how it transformed his life and led to the founding of UPGRD®, a system designed to elevate the mental operating system of individuals worldwide.
William shares the four phases of the UPGRD® process, “Resolve, Evolution, Acceleration, and Omniscience,” highlighting how each phase is crucial in helping individuals become peak performers. The conversation touches on the importance of mindset in the real estate industry, how elite performers thrive even in challenging markets, and why changing your perception is vital for success.
William also discusses his vision of upgrading humanity. He outlines his long-term plan to create global harmony and attract benevolent civilizations while encouraging individuals to develop 90 to 1000 year plans to keep their eyes on bigger goals.
Top Takeaways:
(3:32) Is it possible to reprogram your mind in a matter of days?
(9:49) Can changing your mindset really lead you to your goals?
(12:56) How does money act as a chemical agent to manifest goals?
(16:43) What untapped potential lies within a mindset upgrade?
(18:29) Can misalignment between mind and reality lead to struggles?
(20:13) Why do people mistakenly accept struggle as normal?
(26:11) How can upgrading humanity lead to individual upgrades?
(29:17) Is a global data model the key to achieving peak performance for all?
(31:38) How can real estate professionals thrive despite market volatility?
(35:28) Why is surrounding yourself with winners essential for real estate success?
(38:08) Can a 1000-year plan help real estate professionals stay ahead?
Interested in learning how to overcome limiting beliefs and design a successful mindset? Tune in to this episode and gain insights into how the UPGRD® methodology can help you achieve your goals.
About William Lam
William Lam, founder of UPGRD®, is an American Board-Certified Hypnotherapy instructor and a certified trainer in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). His mission is to help people achieve their true potential by leveraging the power of their subconscious mind. He created UPGRD® as a movement to upgrade the mental operating system of elite individuals, including investors, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals.
Connect with William Lam Today!
UPGRD®
In the latest episode of the "Grit" podcast, host Brian Charlesworth shares a conversation with the team behind Speedy Offers: Coby Socher, Sharon Socher and Katy Goetz. The Speedy Offers team share their personal and professional journeys and how they transitioned to real estate investment. With diverse backgrounds, they share a unified goal of exploring untapped potential of real estate investment business.
The team talks about their joint efforts that have greatly advanced Speedy Offers, stressing the need for learning, adapting, and teamwork in reaching business goals. They also discuss the integration of Sisu, a real estate software platform, into their investment business, highlighting its transformative impact on their operations, making processes smoother, and improving communication within the team. Coby shares, “With Sisu, we're on track to double our business this year!” Now that’s huge!
This episode not only offers insights into how traditional real estate practices and investment work together but also shows the importance of mindset and technology in making better decisions and increasing efficiency in the competitive real estate investment market.
Top Takeaways:
(5:52) Can you grow a real estate business from scratch in today's market?
(10:31) How thin is too thin for a real estate commission?
(12:05) How does self-worth translate to net worth?
(14:19) Can hiring smart people solve the disorganization problem?
(15:15) What makes real estate more than just transactions?
(21:58) What advantages do newcomers bring to the real estate industry?
(26:40) How does shifting focus to investments alter a real estate business?
(30:40) Two pillars of marketing: dialers and direct mail
(32:14) The full circle approach to real estate education
(36:00) Can one platform address all real estate business needs?
(39:12) What inspired the creation of Sisu?
(40:25) The role that monday.com played in transitioning to Sisu
(42:57) What does Sisu bring to the table for team collaboration?
(50:54) How has Sisu doubled Speedy Offers' business pace?
(54:26) What makes Sisu's systems a foundation for scalable sales?
(57:58) Can real estate flipping be your path to wealth?
Coby shares, "If you want to grow massive net worth, I realized I had to have a massive amount of self-worth." This insightful comment prompts us to ponder the link between self-esteem and our professional achievements. Tune in now to get inspired by the Speedy Offers team's story and perhaps change your perspective on achieving your own goals.
About the Speedy Offers
Speedy Offers is a cash home buyer in Beachwood, Ohio, serving homeowners across Northeast Ohio with over twenty years of experience. This company specializes in making competitive cash offers and understanding the local market deeply to ensure homeowners get the best value for their properties. Speedy Offers’ team emphasizes transparency, integrity, and prioritizes its clients' needs, ensuring fast, smooth transactions.
Speedy Offers Website
Connect with the Team
Coby Socher, Founder and CEO
Katy Goetz, Executive Assistant
Sharon Socher, Talent Acquisition and Disposition Manager
Join Brian Charlesworth, the founder of Sisu, and Ieasha Larkpor, Managing Broker and owner of Thunder Team Realty, as they explore the resilience of the real estate world. All of us remember the famous crash of 2008. Well, Ieasha entered the scene right after it.
Instead of backing down, she saw an opportunity, and her story on the GRIT episode is all about bouncing back. With a background in a military family and having moved from Hawaii to Germany, she mastered adaptability, which became the key to her real estate success.
While market crashes can be daunting, and many give up, Ieasha didn’t! She immersed herself in real estate books, quickly grasping the industry's nuances. Despite the challenging market, her proactive efforts, such as hosting open houses, set her apart. She shares how she combined traditional methods like door-knocking with modern digital marketing techniques.
Brian genuinely admires Ieasha's journey and her Oklahoma City Real Estate Agency. Together, they dive into the impact of technology on property appraisals.
Reflecting on her past, she warmly recalls Honolulu and expresses her passion for reading. When asked for advice for struggling agents, she emphasizes discipline and the importance of sticking to a schedule.
Top Takeaways:
(7:19) Is now the time to exit the market?
(9:10) Surviving in a competitive market at 21
(10:23) What does it take to last in real estate?
(13:51) From 5 to 91 agents: The role of efficient systems
(15:54) The future of mortgage and title companies with Sisu
(20:10) Would you trust an agent who can't negotiate?
(21:43) Working on vs. in your business: Which are you doing?
(28:10) The real estate success formula
(29:40) When all seems lost, what should agents do?
Join Brian and Ieasha as they navigate the highs and lows of the real estate world. Dive deep into success stories, challenges, and innovations shaping the industry. Don't miss out on this episode filled with insights and revelations. Listen today and get inspired!
About Ieasha
Ieasha Larkpor, a Managing Broker and owner of Thunder Team Realty, has spent ten years in the real estate field. In 2017, she was honored with the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award by Mercedes-Benz and Perry Publishing. Additionally, she was highlighted in the Real Producers Real Estate magazine in Aug 2020.
With a diverse real estate portfolio, Ieasha excels in the residential, commercial, and leasing sectors. Having sold properties valued at over $130 million, her training methods are adopted by many agents. At the heart of her success is her commitment to creating a positive work environment for her team, ensuring both growth and harmony.
Connect with Ieasha Today!
Website
When Beth Matthews started in real estate in 2009, she explored both residential and commercial areas. But she took a different route for a while, getting into pharmaceutical sales. However, her love for real estate pulled her back.
Beth saw something missing in the Buffalo, New York, real estate market: a strong focus on excellence and customer service. Growing up, she learned the value of hard work and dedication. She wanted to bring these values into her business.
Beth decided to put her clients first and offer top-notch service. This approach helped her make a name for herself in the real estate world. It's impressive how she moved from pharmaceutical sales back to real estate, matching her previous income in just 15 months.
Now, Beth Matthews is the owner of Envision Real Estate. With four offices and a team of over 40 agents, they provide complete transaction support. They even have their own in-house marketing team.
Throughout her journey, Beth has always emphasized the significance of integrated systems. She particularly highlights the role of Sisu in her success, showcasing its impact on her operations and growth.
Top Takeaways:
(5:34) Manually inputting the number vs using automation
(7:02) Freedom, family, and flexibility in sales
(9:09) Is networking the key to perfect hiring?
(10:08) Why choose sales-driven agents?
(12:27) Difference between an agent and a salesperson
(18:03) Finding alignment with Sisu
(20:15) Is growing a business always profitable?
(21:51) Is hiring more the answer to burnout?
(27:50) How do leaders cope with growth pains?
(31:41) Is streamlining tech the key to scaling?
Embark on this journey with Beth Matthews and discover the highs and lows of the real estate industry. Listen today for a deep dive into success, challenges, and growth!
About Beth
Beth Matthews, a top-tier REALTOR® from Buffalo, New York, heads Envision Real Estate with her unwavering dedication to excellence and client service. Her expertise spans residential resales, commercial sectors, and new home developments. At Envision, Beth not only offers premium realty services but also mentors and invigorates her team of agents and staff.
Connect with Beth Today!
Website
Join Brian Charlesworth, founder of Sisu, and Melanie Meier, COO of the Atkinson Team at eXp Realty and Co-founder of Real Estate Growth Solutions, as they discuss Melanie's unique role in the Canadian Real Estate industry, sharing the intricacies of the Canadian real estate market, the transformative power of automation with Sisu, and the nuances of real estate coaching.
Melanie has a sharp focus on operations and systems, she bridges critical gaps in the industry. Her team's structured onboarding, enriched by a comprehensive LMS, provides agents with a robust foundation. Training spans a spectrum, from hands-on demos by co-founders setting appointments to strategies for dealing with buyers and sellers. This dual approach not only empowers their agents but also enhances the value they offer to their coaching clients.
Melanie also emphasizes the "We" philosophy, where team unity is paramount. This philosophy ensures that everyone has each other's back and contributes positively to the overall team dynamic. Also, she shares an interesting tidbit on working with a partner in real estate – clarity in roles and communication is vital.
A game-changer in their operations has been Sisu, which streamlined their processes. From transaction coordination to agent performance analytics, it's been indispensable. Further, automation's role can't be downplayed. With systems in place for tasks like client gifting, the agents can focus on what they do best: prospecting and closing deals.
Top Takeaways:
(2:39) Why is Canada's real estate market different?
(4:37) The secret behind Melanie's recruitment strategy
(7:21) Team dynamics: the "we" over "i" philosophy
(9:28) Can couples thrive in the real estate business?
(12:48) The Sisu impact on real estate operations
(15:47) The power of automation in real estate
(18:52) How to prepare for a slowing real estate market?
(20:19) What is "Real Estate Growth Solutions" all about?
(23:44) How to retain top talent in real estate?
(24:55) What is the hierarchy of priorities in your team?
(25:28) Are you doing enough in today's real estate economy?
(26:34) Importance of children's advocacy centers
Interested in gaining a fresh perspective on real estate coaching? Dive into this episode to understand the philosophy behind Real Estate Growth Solutions and the individuals driving its success. Their approach to growth, training, and client relationships offers invaluable lessons for anyone in the industry. Tune in and get inspired!
About Melanie Meier
Melanie Meier is the COO of the Atkinson Team at eXp Realty and a co-founder of Real Estate Growth Solutions. With a keen understanding of the Canadian real estate market, she has harnessed automation tools like Sisu to optimize operations. Melanie's background includes 8 years in private career colleges, showcasing her dedication to education and training.
Known for her meticulous attention to detail and organizational skills, she's recognized for her talent in fostering relationships and leading teams effectively. Melanie's expertise extends to crafting policies and strategies, and she's highly valued for her independent work ethic.
Connect with them Today!
Melanie Meier Atkinson Team
Real Estate Growth Solutions
In this engaging episode of "Grit: The Real Estate Growth Mindset" podcast, host Brian Charlesworth sat down with Kory Prince, the successful co-founder of CountryWide Real Estate Group, Canada. The pair delve into Kory's real estate journey, discuss the unique characteristics of the Canadian real estate market, share practical business strategies, and emphasize the value of maintaining a balance between work and personal life.
Kory Prince kicked off the conversation by tracing his path to real estate. He narrated his transition from a traditional role in a corporate job to his introduction to the real estate world. Intriguingly, he pinpointed a specific and transformational seminar as the catalyst that prompted his career change, marking the start of his fruitful journey.
The conversation evolved to address the intricacies and uniqueness of the Canadian real estate market. Kory offered valuable insights into the relationship between buyers and sellers in Canada, shedding light on how real estate transactions unfold differently compared to other markets. The duo highlighted the role of agents in acting as intermediaries, underlining the importance of an agent's involvement in negotiations to ensure smooth and successful transactions.
The duo then delved into crucial business strategies. Brian emphasized the necessity of focusing on income-generating tasks, cautioning against the danger of becoming side-tracked by less vital activities. Kory concurred, warning against the volatility of a 'heartbeat' business characterized by sharp highs and lows. He advocated for the consistent filling of the business pipeline, recommending a target of 20 to 30 potential clients. The episode concluded on a note of camaraderie and collaboration, with Kory offering his assistance to fellow real estate agents and encouraging open communication.
Top Takeaways:
(1:50) Kory’s journey to license and build a team
(5:33) Are buyers' actions influenced by interest rates?
(7:34) The market perception vs. reality
(9:24) Are traditional brokerages and solo agents becoming obsolete?
(9:50) Competitive advantage of specialist roles in teams
(14:47) The power of MLS listing and sold data in real estate
(16:52) Free, accurate property valuations as a value add
(18:06) Quick, standardized property valuation system
(20:12) How does showing care impact your client relationships?
(25:47) The role of Sisu in streamlining business processes
(26:49) Growing your business in the Canadian market
This episode of the GRIT podcast provides listeners with a wealth of knowledge about the Canadian real estate market, practical business strategies, and the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. Whether you're a seasoned agent or just getting started in real estate, this insightful conversation between Brian Charlesworth and Kory Prince offers valuable takeaways for everyone. So, tune in, listen carefully, and let this discussion inspire your next step in the real estate journey.
About Kory:
Kory Prince is the co-founder of Countrywide Real Estate Group, a successful real estate marketplace in Canada. Specializing in empowering REALTORS® to double or triple their annual income, Kory and his team are transforming the real estate landscape. Under his leadership, Countrywide Real Estate Group has become a one-stop shop for for-sale, sold, and rental listings, providing a platform for comparing home values and connecting with local professionals. Kory's work-life balance philosophy and advocacy for collaboration in the industry set him apart as a leader in the real estate world.
Website
In this week’s episode of Grit Podcast, host Brian Charlesworth converses with the dynamic duo of Josh and Dani Hampton, the founders of Dani Hampton Group. Sharing their entrepreneurial journey, the Hamptons disclose their lessons, strategies, and best practices for building a thriving real estate team.
Josh and Dani start the discussion by highlighting the vital role of systems and processes in their business operations. They credit their efficient systems for helping them maintain a balance between business and personal life. Notably, the Hamptons have implemented a three-pronged system for business growth, encompassing lead generation, lead conversion, and transaction management, which they attribute to their business's scalability and efficiency.
As the conversation unfolds, the Hamptons delve into the importance of proper team management. According to them, setting high expectations for their team and maintaining those standards has been a cornerstone of their business strategy. The Hamptons also focus on honing their leadership skills, implementing coaches, and investing in team training to provide a conducive environment for their agents' growth.
Towards the end of the conversation, the Hamptons reflect on their evolution as business leaders. They acknowledge that attending various events and masterminds, along with their coaching, has helped them realize the need for their team to grow. This shift in mindset led to significant improvements in their recruiting process, resulting in doubling their number of agents within a month.
Finally, the Hamptons share their long-term vision: creating a real estate business that isn't solely dependent on the agent who started it. They express their desire to help other agents recognize this potential and shift from being transactional agents to becoming business owners.
Top Takeaways:
(2:58) Are systems the key to real estate success?
(4:24) The struggle to scale: why teams fail to establish systems
(7:01) Breaking free from the endless agent role
(9:22) How to grow agents beyond personal sphere dependence
(11:22) How knowing your metrics drives business growth
(13:52) How Sisu transformed the client experience
(17:01) How a client portal provides a roadmap for success
(18:10) Empowering agents with task automation in Sisu
(20:13) How setting standards transformed the business
(23:03) Open houses vs. phone calls: which activity drives better results?
(29:54) How onboarding enhancements drive early transactions
(33:54) The role of coaching in real estate
This episode is a gold mine of insights for anyone looking to break barriers in their real estate journey. From refining business operations to cultivating team culture, this conversation offers a wealth of knowledge. So whether you're a seasoned real estate professional or just starting, do not miss this opportunity to learn from the experiences of Josh and Dani Hampton. Tune in now!
About Danny & Josh Hampton
Josh and Dani Hampton are the dynamic founders of the Dani Hampton Group (DHG), a team of qualified and experienced real estate professionals dedicated to assisting clients with their real estate needs. With deep knowledge of the Dallas-Fort Worth market, the Hampton duo has a proven track record of helping clients buy and sell properties seamlessly.
Their relentless drive and commitment to providing exceptional service have positioned DHG as a trusted resource in the DFW real estate landscape. Each team member brings unique expertise to the table, enhancing the group's capacity to support clients throughout the buying or selling process. Together, Josh and Dani are steadfastly committed to offering comprehensive real estate solutions, demonstrating their prowess in navigating the often complex real estate market.
Connect with them Today!
Website
In this intriguing podcast episode of the Grit Podcast, Brian Charlesworth welcomes Michael St. Jean, a real estate industry veteran and founder of Michael St. Jean Realty, based in Hamilton, Ontario. Michael takes listeners through his fascinating journey in the real estate sector, focusing on the evolution of his business, key strategies that contributed to his success, and the benefits of leveraging technology.
Michael dives into the fundamental strategies that have significantly driven his company's success. The discussion begins with a profound emphasis on the critical role of a recruiting-based model in the real estate business. He believes the constant focus on recruiting can lead to growth in team size and geographical coverage. However, it's important to note that while recruiting may be a critical aspect, other factors such as training, management, and the utilization of technology and data can also play significant roles in the success of a real estate team.
Expanding on the necessity of technology in real estate operations, Michael introduces Sisu, a data analytics and business automation platform that has transformed his real estate team's performance. The podcast explores how Sisu has been integral in their operations, emphasizing how it enhances team accountability, assists in visualizing the big picture of the business, and drives the implementation of a gamified culture within the team. The software allows for more precision, encourages healthy competition, and cultivates an environment conducive to success.
Delving into his current goals, Michael shares his dedication towards efficient recruitment, training, and preparing his real estate agents. He outlines his rigorous and effective selection process, discussing the transition towards group training and the digitization of their training modules. He candidly discusses the growing pains and stresses the importance of moving forward despite hurdles to foster growth.
Top Takeaways:
(6:25) From door-knocking to running a company
(9:17) What truly matters for real estate professionals?
(10:11) Sisu: The solution to the spreadsheet nightmare
(12:43) How Sisu's coaching double Michael's agent count
(13:45) The journey of 15 to 36 agents
(16:50) Overcoming mental barriers in team leadership
(24:27) How Sisu provides clarity and resources for goal achievement
(26:34 The power of scale and team growth
(32:20) Which accountability approach breeds tremendous success: positive or negative?
(34:14) How a supportive approach maximizes agent success
(40:46) Can systematized training accelerate success?
(46:42) The importance of leadership and accountability
(47:40) The transformation from agent to business owner
This podcast episode serves as a rich source of insights and practical advice for anyone in the real estate industry, especially those aiming to scale their operations. Whether you're an agent, a team leader, or someone aspiring to build a successful real estate business, you will surely gain valuable insights from Michael St. Jean's experiences and strategies. Don't miss this enlightening conversation; listen to the full episode today!
About Michael:
Michael St. Jean is the Founder and Team Leader of St. Jean Realty, where he has applied his expertise in the various aspects of real estate to help his clients succeed. His career is marked by significant achievements, including selling over 4,000 homes and representing more than 25 developments. His accomplishments in the industry have garnered him recognition, showcased through nearly 100 media interviews.
He has been repeatedly acknowledged for his contributions to real estate. This includes earning spots on REP Magazine’s "Young Guns" list for four years in a row and being named as one of Canada's Top 100 Agents and Top 100 Real Estate Teams. Furthermore, he ranks in the top 1% of all salespeople nationwide. His insights have been featured across various media outlets, demonstrating his respected position within the industry.
Connect with Michael Today!
Website
Let’s jump in to this weeks episode of "GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset", where we explore the intricacies of team development and leadership in the complex world of real estate. Host, Brian Charlesworth, steers an insightful dialogue with the distinguished figures in the industry, Brett Jennings and Beth Lazar.
In an era where effective leadership sets the pace for success, understanding how to lead with vision and influence becomes paramount. Brett, with his profound expertise and experience, gives us an inside look into his leadership style. He stresses the importance of emotional intelligence in guiding a team and fostering growth. This is a must-listen for those looking to take their team management skills to the next level.
Beth Lazar emphasizes the critical role Sisu played in transforming Real Estate Exploits. Initially underutilized, Sisu eventually became a vital tool in improving visibility, scalability, repeatability, and communication within the organization. The platform was instrumental in streamlining operations across departments and aiding in task management, all of which significantly contributed to the company's growth and resilience.
The episode does not shy away from addressing the crucial aspect of risk-taking either. Brett Jennings delves into how he embraced calculated risk-taking to fuel his business growth. Beth Lazar supports this sentiment, emphasizing that understanding and accepting risks is intrinsic to business growth. This part of the discussion is sure to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs to step out of their comfort zones and seize opportunities with grit and resilience.
Finally, Charlesworth wraps up this compelling conversation by reflecting on the powerful insights shared. This episode underscores the importance of understanding one's team, taking informed risks, and embracing the learning curve in real estate.
The insightful thoughts shared by Brett and Beth are a testament to the power of perseverance and learning in carving a successful path in the real estate world. Tune in to this episode of "GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset" for an inspirational journey full of practical wisdom and leadership insights.
Top Takeaways:
(2:12) The importance of purpose
(7:16) The path to a billion
(9:16) How a bold 10-year vision drove team growth
(19:30) What is the foundation of a real estate business?
(25:10) How to transform real estate business with insights from Sisu
(27:18) How to enhance agility through cross-functional data accessibility
(30:06) The shift toward systemization and saleability
(32:58) How to navigate industry challenges
(39:53) The transformative role of clarity and purpose in sustaining success
About Brett Jennings:
As the owner and founder of Real Estate Experts, Brett Jennings has carved out a niche for himself as an award-winning luxury home marketing specialist, armed with a negotiation certificate from Harvard Law. Garnering recognition from the Wall Street Journal in 2017, his team ranked among the top 1/10th of 1% of real estate groups in the United States. Combining his extensive background in real estate, finance, and life coaching, Brett exhibits a passion for facilitating transformative real estate decisions for his clients. Energetic and fully engaged, he extends his clientele access to over 250 off-market properties while utilizing a home-selling process that has proven successful in the market. Beyond his professional life, Brett is a long-time meditation teacher and an outdoor enthusiast who values spending quality time with his team.
Connect with Brett Jennings
About Beth Lazar:
Beth Lazar brings to the table a sterling 25-year record in innovation, sales, and marketing, underpinned by her unwavering integrity, energy, loyalty, and enthusiasm. She boasts academic credentials that include a BA in Economics and Management from Beloit College, an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and Executive Management Certifications from Harvard Business School. Adept in negotiation, Beth prioritizes establishing strong relationships, ensuring complete client satisfaction, and delivering valuable market insight. A native Californian and a devoted mother of five, Beth keeps active as an exercise enthusiast. Having bravely overcome cancer, she is committed to giving back to society, particularly showing a deep-rooted passion for supporting women and children.
In an era where client expectations are at an all-time high, creating meaningful experiences and delivering unparalleled service can make all the difference in the real estate industry. As market dynamics continue to evolve, agents who genuinely understand their client's needs and adapt swiftly are the ones who will thrive. But how can agents reshape the industry standards and redefine client experience? And what role does mindset play in all this?
In this episode, we delve into these questions with Zac Muir, the thriving VP of revenue, as he sits down for a chat with Brian Charlesworth, the Founder, and CEO of Sisu.
Zac discusses his transformational journey, sharing how he went from being unsure about his career path to eventually finding his calling in the real estate industry. Discover how a single book ignited a fire within him, setting him on a path of relentless growth and unending curiosity.
But a success story isn't merely built on passion alone. It requires clarity of vision, an understanding of numbers, and a tireless drive to improve. Zac emphasizes the significance of clear, quantitative goals that create a "winnable game," making business not only lucrative but also enjoyable.
Then we shift our focus to the hot topic in the industry today: The client experience. Zac presents a thought-provoking comparison between real estate operations and food delivery services like DoorDash. If ordering food can be so simple, transparent, and efficient, why can't buying a house be the same? With insights into Sisu's client portal, Zac proposes a solution that promises to revolutionize the industry, enhancing communication and transparency for clients.
So, what does it mean to deliver an incredible experience? And why is Sisu the game-changer in the realm of real estate? Join us in this exciting episode as Zac Muir and Brian Charlesworth discuss the roadmap to a successful real estate career, the power of a robust mindset, and the future of client experience in the industry. Don't miss this insightful conversation! Tune in now.
Top Takeaways:
(6:12) The power of loving your work
(7:51) The paradox of comfort
(11:12) Why external perspective is important
(13:24) The importance of balancing communication and personal satisfaction for a fulfilling life
(16:57) Embracing the connection between current execution and future success
(19:24) The role of leadership in real estate industry dominance
(23:12) Why is it crucial to align accountability with individual aspirations
(27:01) How to learn from customer-centric models for seamless transactions
(32:12) Why should we empower agents with a clear path to success
About Zac Muir
Zac Muir, the dynamic VP of Revenue at Sisu, carries an infectious passion for technology, innovation, and creativity. Alongside his love for the great outdoors, his dog Twix, and, most importantly, his family, Zac's been instrumental in steering successful innovations in the real estate SaaS space. With a proven track record of deploying game-changing strategies, he's transformed the performance metrics for real estate brokerages nationwide. Now, he's here to share his insights on the magic of quantifiable benefits in real estate tech and the path to doubling production in the industry.
Connect with Zac Muir
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-muir/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zmuir/
Website: https://sisu.co/team
In today’s ever-evolving market, real estate teams who fail to utilize their systems properly risk being left behind and losing market share.
That is why in order to scale and grow the business, and gain competitive advantage, fully leveraging systems is a must.
Because with a well-integrated system, teams can streamline their operations and workflows. Thus allowing them to focus more of their time and resources on building relationships with clients and closing deals.
And with the right systems in place, teams can work smarter, not harder – which will ultimately take the business to the next level.
In this episode, Erin Catron, Managing Broker, and Heather Lens, Sales Director, of Erin Catron & Company talk about how fully leveraging their systems allowed their business to achieve substantial growth.
Top Takeaways:
(03:42) One of the biggest challenge that every team owner has
(04:33) The value of providing growth opportunities for agents
(08:56) Three things to look for when hiring people
(10:20) What Erin and Heather love about Sisu’s Client Portal
(16:17) Who will succeed in today’s market?
(20:51) What is “Hello Week” and how it works
(27:24) What is their company’s sweet spot for agent attraction?
(30:16) The reality about following systems
(39:35) What Sisu Mastery is for
(41:49) How Sisu helped propel their business forward
Connect with Erin Catron and Heather Lens
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catronteam/
Website: https://www.tulsasharkbroker.com/
Phone: (918) 984-0994
Email: erin@tulsasharkbroker.com
heather@tulsasharkbroker.com
About the guests:
Erin Catron
Erin has been in the real estate business for over 15 years. Her innovative approach for utilizing systems and relationships has allowed her to scale her real estate team and achieve incredible success.
Her love for helping others has driven the success of her team and helped her to sell hundreds of homes every year. She's a best-selling author, podcast host, and a member of the Zillow Advisory Board, making her an invaluable asset to the real estate industry.
Heather Lens
Heather is one of the top performing agents on Erin’s team. With the amount of production she has under her belt and how much she has given back to the team, she was promoted to Sales Director where she now handles anything that has to do with the sales side of the business.
Nine months into the position, she prides herself on being an advocate for the team. And having been in the trenches has given her the mentality that she’s no different from the rest of the team, she just has a lot more responsibility now to help them all.
The traditional brokerage model typically found its strength in individual realtors working independently to manage their clients and transactions.But with the emergence of the full-service brokerage model has proven to offer several advantages over its conventional counterpart. By providing real estate agents the autonomy in building their businesses while providing “team-like” support, these full-service brokerages are able to keep and attract those agents who approach their production and trade like a business.And in a time when big-name brokerages are becoming less relevant, the full-service brokerage is helping agents leverage their time so they can do what they do best and provide top-quality service to their clients while still maintaining a quality lifestyle. In this episode, Winston Murray, CEO of Works Real Estate talks about how he built his real estate business, his vision for starting his own full-service brokerage, and why he believes that Sisu is essential for setting up real estate businesses for success. Top Takeaways:(06:26) Why Winston decided to start his real estate brokerage(08:08) How Sisu Client Portal works(10:49) What makes Works Real Estate different (20:23) The advantage of building an intentional referral-based business(24:43) Is it worth leaving your team or brokerage to work solo?(30:54) What does an agent need to do to be successful?(34:38) What separates Works Real Estate from a team or a traditional brokerage (37:08) What prompted Winston to start a sales challenge for his agents(40:49) Winston’s biggest WHY(43:49) A piece of advice to those running a real estate business
Connect with Winston Murray
Website: https://portlandworksrealestate.co/
https://www.workshousing.co/
Instagram: @winston_murray1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winston-murray-261458a9/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WinstonMurray123
About the guest:
At 20, Winston Murray got involved in some trouble and ended up getting a DUI. He decided to change his life and got totally sober. He then spent the next four years building and doing volunteer work for a nonprofit organization centered around helping youth who have struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. After passing the torch, he then shifted to real estate so that he can make money to support his family. Although Winston has been in the real business for 11 years, with the last 2 years building his own brokerage, his philanthropic entrepreneurial spirit never left him. He wants to sell real estate, learn the trade so much, and then eventually come back to the nonprofit world. Today, Winston Murray is the CEO of Works Real Estate and Works Housing, a nonprofit organization centered around agent resource education, and raising funds through community members and past clients to help other nonprofits who are already doing really good housing-related things in the Pacific Northwest.
The number of people in their 20’s who are living with roommates have more than doubled on a percentage basis over the last 30 years.As a result, people are going on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace to find rooms or roommates. But without a reliable background check, this process can be a major safety concern.What if there was a more elegant way to fine-tune the process and put technology on top of it to elevate the rental investing and home sharing process to a whole new-level?Brian Charlesworth joins Johnny Wolff, CEO and Founder of HomeRoom, as he shares how he started his company, the failures he encountered along the way, and how the lessons he learned from his experience has driven him to be more committed than ever to his mission.
Top Takeaways:(02:48) How HomeRoom was born(04:33) What does it take for real estate agents to stay in the game?(06:15) The first near-death blow that HomeRoon faced(10:30) How HomeRoom survived COVID(14:28) How technology helped set their company apart from their competitors(17:27) What is HomeRoom doing on the marketing side(19:52) How the current market situation has affected their business(23:44) One of Johnny’s main motivation(25:42) The seven steps to finding a home room(33:33) Johnny’s advice for someone starting or growing a business
Connect with Johnny Wolff
Website: https://livehomeroom.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnywolff
About the guest:
Johnny Wolff started his career in real estate investing in Silicon Valley ten years ago. In 2015, he was working at a bank, and realized that San Francisco real estate prices were going to be out of his reach for a long time. So he moved to Austin and started to invest heavily in real estate.He quickly bought a number of properties and rented out each of those homes by the bedroom. It was his first taste of property management. One positive thing he got out from that experience, other than learning real estate, is that when he shared his returns to his friends back in the Bay Area, they were really jealous. So much so that they wanted to invest themselves.In 2018, Johnny moved to Kansas City. He started buying other homes, renting them by the room, and also offering it to other investors. Thus HomeRoom was born.Today, Johnny Wolff is the CEO and Founder of HomeRoom, a Y Combinator-backed residential real estate marketplace that simplifies remote investing and streamlines affordable renting. Our marketplace connects rental property investors seeking a turnkey experience, with renters seeking quality and affordable coliving housing.Johnny is also an official member of the Forbes Business Council.
Cancer is one of the most brutal battles any person can face.Yet, the perseverance and determination to survive this battle can be channeled into developing skills that can help one become a successful entrepreneur.And as dreadful as this disease is, it also teaches us how to have the grit to overcome physical, emotional, and spiritual setbacks so that we can focus on the goal and reach elite levels in our business.Brian Charlesworth joins Josh Cantwell, CEO of Freeland Ventures and Strategic Real Estate Coach, as he shares his story as a pancreatic cancer survivor and how the lessons he learned from the experience made him realize the qualities of an elite entrepreneur.
Top Takeaways:(04:46) One of the best decisions Josh has ever made(08:23) The first lesson Josh learned from having pancreatic cancer(13:48) What cancer taught him about loading up on responsibilities(14:11) What it takes to be really successful in business(19:08) Why blaming others is one of the biggest mistakes any of us can make(21:56) What is a servant-leader?(28:46) The 9 traits of an elite entrepreneur
Connect with Josh Cantwell
Website: https://freelandventures.com/
Podcast: https://acceleratedinvestorpodcast.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVNm-95W5LkaFU2RPezl3xQ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AcceleratedInvestor/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshcantwell
About the guest:Josh Cantwell grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. So when he graduated from college in 1998, he chose to be his own boss and get into financial services instead of starting as an employee in the real world. In 2004, Josh took his knowledge of raising capital and the financial markets and started investing in real estate full-time. He combined his knowledge of financial investing with real estate to create a very successful business, quickly closing over 100+ wholesale and short sale deals per year. In turn, he began training and teaching apprentice partners and students. He founded Strategic Real Estate Coach in 2007 and has taught thousands of investors how to replicate his success. Josh has vast knowledge and experience in helping to coach clients and mentor students and borrowers from across the US in finding, structuring, negotiating, and closing various types of transactions for a profit.Today, Josh is the CEO of Strategic Real Estate Coach Freeland Ventures and Yellowjacket Properties. He’s a real estate investor and owns 4300 units. Josh is also the host of the Accelerated Investor Podcast, which has hosted past guests like Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Donald Trump Jr, Jack Canfield, Rod Khleif, and JV Crum III.
What makes a real estate team successful?Aside from the ability to generate leads and convert them into successful and profitable deals, high-performing teams must also be able to track their metrics consistently, be flexible with the changing market conditions, and remain focused on the goals of the organization.However, when it comes to determining how well a team performs, there is one key element that always comes into play – its people.Real estate is a people business. And for it to be truly successful, team leaders and owners must also concentrate on improving the lives of those within the team.Brian Charlesworth joins Jake Rockwell, Principal Broker and Owner of Rockwell Real Estate Group, as he shares the lessons he learned from starting several businesses to hitting rock bottom and how he rose up again to start a career in real estate and build the #1 selling real estate team in Southern Oregon. Top Takeaways:(01:49) How Jake started several companies and lost it all (04:41) Why Jake wanted to go into real estate(06:49) The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people(09:24) Some of the best decisions Jake made as a team owner(11:23) How to attract agents to your business(14:33) How Jake turned his weaknesses into strengths(18.28) How to find the right expansion partner(26:11) Jake’s take on the market(28:42) How to get your agent excited about working harder
Connect with Jake Rockwell
Website: https://www.rockwellrealestate.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-rockwell-25a7463/
About the guest:Growing up, Jake Rockwell had always been kind of an entrepreneur. In 2004, he started an e-commerce company selling pet products and billiards products to different websites online. He built that company up and it ended up becoming one of the top billiards online retailers in the country.Three years later, right before the market crashed in ‘07, he sold that company for a couple of million dollars. However, due to some bad decisions he made and the unhealthy lifestyle he had, he ran out and financially crashed after about five or six years.Then he saw a friend who was successful in real estate and decided to try it for himself. He got his real estate license and was determined to give it his best. He went to the office to make calls and lead generate every day and ended up selling 36 homes in his first year. Although he has achieved considerable success in the industry, Jake realized that it was taking up too much of his time. To get some of that time back for his family, he started hiring an assistant/buyer’s agent. His team continued to grow until he had 10 agents. Three years later he ended up leaving their brokerage and opening up their own.Today, Jake Rockwell is a Principal Broker and Owner of Rockwell Real Estate Group | eXp Realty, which is an innovative and technology-driven real estate company with a powerful team approach.
Real estate is a fast-paced, constantly-changing industry and it can be challenging for some to stay on top. And in order to keep up or even outpace the competition, one would think that they might need to spend all their time working in the business.Using automation can be the answer to streamlining some of the tedious tasks that comes with running a real estate business. By using technology, agents can free up more time for themselves and spend it on building relationships with clients to move their business forward. Brian Charlesworth joins Justin Benson, CEO & Principal at the Bara Agency, as they talk about Justin’s journey from being a computer nerd to building real estate teams from the ground up. They also discuss how his company is helping entrepreneurs implement automation strategies to put more time back in their hands so they can spend it on what matters most.Top Takeaways:(05:57) The importance of grit(07:07) The single most important thing entrepreneurs must have(07:49) How Justin made the shift from building technology to running a real estate team(15:35) What a Fractional Chief Technology Officer does(21:29) The difference between having two systems that communicate together versus five systems that don’t.(22:31) When to best introduce technology to a company(25:07) What Justin loves most about Sisu(29.29) How to help your transaction coordinator execute at a much higher level(33:12) What should real estate professionals do today to take market share?(35:18) How to get way ahead of everybody else in this down market
Connect with Justin Benson
Website: https://baraagency.com/
About the guest:Justin Benson was always interested in technology and seeing what he can accomplish or solve with it. Back in high school, instead of going to vacations like his friends did, he would spend money on taking computer classes and building his own stuff. In college, Justin tried to deviate from the path by getting a biochemistry degree. But eventually he got cold feet, pulled the plug, and started his own IT company that built cloud storage. He and his partner ended up selling the business to a smaller IT Company, who is now known as Dropbox. Justin then decided to get into real estate when a friend casually asked him about building a real estate team. So instead of taking a month off for his honeymoon, he spent it getting a real estate license and proceeded to build his team. Today, Justin Bara is the founder and leader of the Bara Agency. He has helped build hundreds of teams from the ground up, sold hundreds of houses, and created custom technology, systems, and strategies that their clients needed to scale along the way.
While top real estate agents may sell many homes, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have real wealth. In fact, many real estate agents today are chasing commission checks and are not focused on being truly wealthy. Building real wealth is a long-term game. And for most agents, it takes more than just selling many homes. It also takes a willingness to invest and build equity over time.Let’s explore some strategies you can implement to get scalable results and start your journey toward building your personal and business wealth.Brian Charlesworth joins Brett Tanner, Operating Principal at Tanner Capital Holdings, as he shares his take on the current market and how his company empowers entrepreneurs in the real estate space to be massively wealthy.Top Takeaways: (01:56) What Brett loves about Sisu(02:50) How Brett got into real estate(08:03) What makes a good deal?(15:28) Why Brett believes in investing in asset classes(16:38) How Brett realized that selling homes alone would not make him genuinely wealthy(18:21) How Be Wealthy came about(19:29) Why people in real estate should be the wealthiest people in any industry(20:31) Be Wealthy’s mission (20:55) The best way for people with not a lot of cash to dive into investing(21:42) The importance of finding a great deal(28.58) What real estate people should be doing in today’s market?(29:10) The value of knowing your numbers(30:22) The role of a leader
Connect with Brett TannerWebsite: https://bewealthy.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beawealthyagentbrett/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beawealthyagent
About the guest:
At 22, Brett Tanner was flipping homes and was having a blast. He especially loved the investment side of it. But reading the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad changed the way he thought about everything, and he realized he wanted to be in real estate.
Brett always looked at investments and retail as two separate businesses. Yet soon, he discovered that these played together well, and he didn’t understand why agents weren’t doing both.
Because of Brett's early success in real estate sales and investments, he was able to pursue more significant opportunities, which helped build the foundation for what is now Tanner Cap. In addition, his drive for perfection and desire to improve the client experience catalyzed him to establish and manage business operations in the real estate sector.
As Tanner Capital Holdings' operational partner, Brett has updated the family office approach to management and company expansion. As a result, Brett has accumulated his three greatest strengths—operational excellence, linear execution, and wealth management—under the Tanner Cap brand.
Today, Brett is in high demand as a national speaker and mentor in various industries focusing on entrepreneurship, business growth, and leadership.
There is no question that real estate agents who achieve million-dollar listing status are doing something right. But what exactly sets them apart from the rest of the pack? What traits and strategies do they use to achieve such impressive success?
In order to thrive in this business, you need more than just a license and a pulse. You need to be knowledgeable about the real estate market, have a strong network of contacts, and be able to close deals quickly and efficiently. And most importantly, you need to be hungry for success.
Let’s take a closer look at what it takes to become a million-dollar listing agent and explore some tips and tactics that you can use to help you reach this level of success in your own career.
Brian Charlesworth joins James Harris, Principal at The Agency, Bond Street Partners, and former cast of The Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles as he shares his story from quitting school at 16 to breaking numerous records in the real estate industry by specializing in multi-million properties in L.A.
Top Takeaways:
(04:49) How James started his business with his partner David Parnes (06:33) The difference between today’s economy and the one in 2008 (07:58) Why agents need to step out of their comfort zone (09:15) Why James thinks that the next 8 to 12 months will be rough for real estate agents (11:16) How James went from being new to the business to selling $120 million listings (13:09) What developers really care about (13:25) What James considers as the backbone of their business (14:32) The good thing about open houses (15:45) The biggest attribute to their success (16:50) Why James decided to keep their team relatively small (18:03) Why you need to bombard your open houses with signs (21:51) The advantage of getting a coach (23:28) How James’ casting in the Million Dollar Listing reality show came about (26:39) What does James’ team do to market multi-million dollars today (31:33) James’ advice to parents
Connect with James Harris LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbondst/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesBondSt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbondst/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesbondst/ Website: https://www.bondstreetpartners.com/
Subscribe to The Blueprint newsletter: https://www.readtheblueprint.com/
About the guest:
James Harris was born and raised in Central London. When he was a child, he suffered from extreme ADHD and was thrown out of every school. He then quit school altogether at 16. He found a job in real estate as a residential assistant within an agency. He worked his way up the ranks and moved into the commercial sector within the same company.
When James turned 21, he headed west to Los Angeles to broaden his horizon and ended up trading commodities. As the economy was getting back on its feet after the 2008 crash, James and his childhood friend, David Parnes, decided to set up their own real estate business.
Due to his determined work ethic, good relationship with clients, and a group of incredibly talented people, James and his team have reached a steady incline in sales year over year, with over $3 billion in sales since 2017. They have also broken numerous records including the sale of “The Manor” which is worth $120 million, setting the record for the highest sale in Holmby Hills, the 6th highest sale ever in Los Angeles County, and the 10th highest sale in U.S. history.
James and his partner were also part of the cast of the reality show, Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles for 7 seasons. They have recently left the show to focus on their business partnership.
Today, James Harris is the Principal at The Agency, Bond Street Partners where they specialize in high-end residential real estate and investment properties in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Sunset Strip, the Hollywood Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and the greater Los Angeles region.
Some say that the traditional brokerage is no longer sufficient, as teams are becoming the new standard for success. That’s why more and more people are adopting the team model to offer more opportunities for agents both professionally and financially.
While others say that brokerages are fighting back by shifting to a “teamerage” model where they are able to operate as a team while its compensation and support structure is still similar to that of a brokerage.
And to have a better understanding of where things currently stand and how to best prepare for what lies ahead, it’s best to get valuable insights from someone who owns a brokerage and runs a team as well.
Brian Charlesworth joins Ron Rocz, Broker and Owner at RE/MAX Nexus, as Ron provides an interesting take on the real estate market both from a brokerage and a team perspective, and what people should be doing today to thrive in this market.
Top Takeaways:
(04:08) Why every team leader should do their business planning in October (04:48) What planning for Nexus looks like (08:09) Why the traditional brokerage is dying (11:21) How interest rates are impacting the market (17:59) What are the things that one must do in this market to take market share (20:37) What it takes to remain in the real estate game (21:43) Why agents should focus on bringing value to the customer (24:04) The evolution of real estate (26:38) Why brokerages need to become a “teamerage” (27:03) What Nexus’ mission to innovate, inspire, and connect is all about (29:19) What agents should be doing to thrive in this market (32:27) The role of a leader
Connect with Ron Rocz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronrocz/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronrocz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronrocz
Website: https://ron.nexushomesearch.com/
Phone: 866-R-O-N-R-O-C-Z
About the guest:
Ron Rocz has been in the real estate industry since 2003 and has experienced great markets and also rough ones. And through the years, he’s developed blueprints to help guide him through challenging market situations.
In 2014, Ron earned his broker’s license ad founded RE/MAX Nexus, a team of realtors backed by Ron’s unmatched real estate experience and support structure dedicated to making everyone successful.
Ron has consistently been in the top 1% of Realtors Nationally. He was the only agent in Michigan selected to participate in the RE/MAX University Agent Advisory Panel where he helped steer the development of training programs and initiatives that now serve the entire RE/MAX global network. Ron has also been recognized for years by Hour Detroit Business magazine as one of the top agents in the Metro Detroit area.
Today, Ron is the Broker/Owner at RE/MAX Nexus, a full-service real estate company located in downtown Birmingham, Detroit.
It is crucial always to know your place and your vocation. For example, a great agent does not need to be part of a 200-agent team. Just because a team has 200 agents does not automatically mean the company is better than yours. Therefore, it is essential to know your strengths and engage in self-evaluation.
Brian Charlesworth joins Ryan O'Neill, The founder of the Minnesota Real Estate Team of RE/MAX Advantage Plus. In 2021, the team closed over 2200 transactions and 750 million in sales. With almost 200 agents, the team continues to be the Number 1 Selling Real Estate Team in Minnesota every year from 2006 through today.
Among the most crucial pieces of advice, Ryan emphasizes how he always encourages his agents, partners, and people to focus on what they can control daily. In addition, according to him, one of the most common problems that can affect performance is overthinking, which leads to a lack of confidence in being bold and taking action.
So, the more we focus on the efforts we put forth daily, rather than worrying about the noise, meaning the media, market conditions, and predictions, the better. This is what will make a difference in the long run.
Tune in to learn about the current real estate space and how you can maintain a strong position using Ryan’s insights.
Top Takeaways: (2:32) What actions can help you become different in the market? (4:54) The changes in the current market (5:44) How does fear affects production? (7:47) The traditional team model and the 50-50 split. (9:30) How are radio shows attracting more agents? (12:51) Working in the business vs. working on the business. (14:19) How Ryan entered the real estate industry (17:32) What should the agents do to compete in today’s market (19:59) How to hold your agents accountable (22:27) Advice for team leaders on how to grow in the current market (23:34) Why should you know your place and your vocation (25:18) What drives Ryan to his purpose (26:03) Why is it important to wish people well and be open to feedback
Connect with Ryan O’Neill
LinkedIn: Ryan O’Neill
Website: Ryan O'Neill & The Minnesota Real Estate Team
About the guest:
Ryan has dedicated, client-focused agents who help buyers and sellers with all types of real estate transactions: residential, investment property, first-time home buying, new construction, short sales, commercial and professional agents in each part of the urban, suburban, and greater Minnesota and Wisconsin regions.
In addition, he hosts two weekly real estate radio shows: Minnesota Home Talk, Saturdays 7-8 AM on Skor North Radio AM 1500, and The Minnesota Real Estate Show, Saturdays 10-11 AM on Twin Cities News Talk AM 1130. Furthermore, he offers free monthly seminars on real estate investing, first-time homebuyer tips, and tips for home sellers.
The journey to success in building a real estate team is never a straight line. Some start off in a conventional manner, while others take on a more interesting path.
And whatever path you choose for yourself, you’re bound to encounter failures along the way.
But as long as you look at failures as opportunities to learn from those experiences, you will keep moving forward and hopefully impart the lessons you have learned to those who are just starting out on their own journey in real estate.
Brian Charlesworth joins Trey Willard, Team Leader at Keller Williams Realty Inc. as Trey shares his journey from being an assistant to leading a team that has produced $126 million in pending and closed volume this year, and some tactical and strategic things people can implement in their real estate business today.
Top Takeaways: (02:33) What is an assistant to an agent? (06:26) Why 2017 was the worst year of real estate in Trey’s entire life (08:37) A lesson for top producers out there (09:28) Why hiring someone from outside the industry to handle the operations side could be a game changer (11:42) The good thing about failure (14:02) Who is running Trey’s expansion team? (15:56) How to create pathways for your agents so they can continue to grow inside of your organization (17:02) What is Trey’s team doing differently? (18:25) What Trey loves the most about Sisu (19:24) What have sales contests done for Trey’s business? (19:42) Why agents should stop focusing on the number of conversations and dials (23:08) The systems that Trey uses (28:23) The biggest challenge with working with family (32:48) How Trey’s team is being impacted by the massive shift happening now (33:47) Why Trey thinks the real estate industry needs a purge (36:03) Why it’s not always about agent count (37:35) Trey’s last words of advice
Connect with Trey Willard LinkedIn: Trey Willard Website: The W Group/ KW Geater Baton Rouge
About the guest:
Trey Willard graduated from LSU in 2007 and went to School for Business Communications and Technical Sales. He thought he’d be selling medical devices at that time, but then he realized that knocking on doors and getting in front of people wasn’t his thing.
Then a friend of his who was growing his real estate business decided to hire him as an executive administrative assistant. Two and a half months later, he got his own real estate license. In his first year with Keller Wiliams, he became Rookie of the Year and sold 33 houses.
In 2017, Trey decided to build his own team. However, this proved to be a painful experience as he watched his business account dwindle away. This became his wake-up call to start changing how he does things.
Fast forward to 2020, Trey hired a listing coordinator who eventually became his Operations Director. This is when his business started to take off.
Last year, Trey’s team sold 334 units amounting to $91 million in production. This year, they’ve already closed 367 units, with 61 pending, which equates to $126 million year-to-date.
A long time ago, a few people believed that teams were the future of the real estate industry. And now, the industry is starting to catch up and accept this as reality.
While everyone has their opinions on what teams are supposed to be, what team members should be looking for, or what issues they are experiencing, no one has really done a study on teams using actual data.
That’s why Workman Success Systems and Sisu have put together a study about real estate teams depending on the team size, generation, or positions to provide service and value to teams in the industry.
Brian Charlesworth joins Verl Workman, Workman Success Systems CEO, Business Consultant, and Master Coach, as they share some interesting insights and data about real estate teams and the different problems or issues they face today.
Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/r5nl8fSJ_D4
Top Takeaways: (02:22) The history behind this study on real estate teams (03:00) Why Verl loves Sisu so much (07:42) Why now is the perfect opportunity for team leaders to scale up their team (09:36) Why team owners should not be afraid to charge what they're worth (14:44) What should team owners do to ensure they're taking their share in today's market? (19:26) Why Verl thinks that accountability is love (19:46) Why 76% of real estate professionals say being on a team earns them a higher income (23:19) Why does the smallest team have the biggest conflict (24:50) Things you should do if you want to grow your team (30:18) The issue with great agents who now have team members working for them (35:45) The importance of training your agents (36:14) One of the problems with running a team (45.47) Why great companies are losing great agents (46:16) Why every single major brand should have a team solution that is real (49:38) The biggest threats for teams (52:16) How to make people in real estate stay in the business
Connect with Verl Workman https://workmansuccess.com/
About the guest:
Verl Workman’s personal goal is to create world-class trainers. It requires extensive screening and rigorous training but being a superb coach himself and setting the bar high is where it all begins.
In every business engagement, Verl contributes extensive real estate, leadership, and coaching expertise. His clientele includes top agents, teams, and brokers in the world. However, they didn't necessarily begin that way. He is able to assist his clients in reaching greatness by determining the "why" behind each objective.
Verl is one of a select group of presenters who have achieved the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) accreditation from the National Speakers Association. Verl is also a skilled speaker and presenter. He has educated and empowered professionals with his experience and knowledge of all facets of sales, marketing, promotion, management, and technology.
Mountain climbing is an intense and demanding activity, both physically and mentally. Much like building a successful business. Just as climbers need to pace themselves and be strategic in their ascent, entrepreneurs also need to take a measured approach when growing their companies.
In Mike Novak’s case, he was able to use his background in climbing and carry the lessons he learned from it to his life and in his business.
Not only has it enabled him to push through tough times, but he also learned how to take an unimaginably large challenge, break it down into smaller steps, and just simply put one foot in front of the other until you reach your goal.
Brian Charlesworth joins Mike Novak, Team Lead at The Novak Team brokered by REAL, as he shares his journey from owning several businesses to running a successful real estate team, the most impactful experiences he had, and lessons he learned along the way.
Top Takeaways:
(05:45) Mike’s type of Grit (11:04) Mike’s thoughts on where the industry is today (11:39) Who are the agents who will continue to win at a high level over the next years? (13:26) Why Mike decided to start recruiting and building a larger team (16:09) The mistake they made in their hiring process and how they fixed it (19:10) What Mike is most excited about this coming year (20:33) How to make agents stay within the team (23:10) Why you should play to win, not to survive (26:24) How to ensure that the agents you’re hiring fits your culture. (27:29) Why having a supportive spouse is important for those working in real estate (28:30) What Mike’s morning routine looks like| (30:09) The two sources of learning that have worked massively for Mike and his team (31:52) What Mike loves about Sisu
Connect with Mike Novak
Website: https://novakteam.com/
Email: Mike@NovakTeam.com
Phone: (360) 393-0396
About the guest:
When Mike Novak graduated high school, he got into the construction industry with his father who was a builder. That quickly turned into real estate development where they built condominium projects and a lot of single-family homes.
However, when the recession hit in 2008, their company suffered major losses and setbacks like most builders did. He lost almost $7 million of his own personal cash and holdings in that crash. What was left was a single-location bar and grill restaurant to keep him afloat.
From 2008 to 2017, Mike was able to grow the restaurant into seven locations, with over 400 employees, raking in $17 million a year in volume.
Unfortunately, in 2016, a law was passed to change the minimum wage in Washington space and he believed that was the nail in the coffin for their real estate business. They needed to have a backup plan real quick. That’s when he decided to get his real estate license.
Today, Mike Novak is the Team Leader and Top Agent of the Novak Team. He also ranks the #1 Real Estate Agent in all of Snohomish County for 2020 and 2021. Mike is considered a leading-edge thought leader in the Real Estate space and has been nationally recognized for his work with marketing, processes, and business track record throughout the industry.
It can be tough to move on from being a top-producing real estate agent to becoming a team owner or business leader. After all, you've likely found a formula for success that works for you, and stepping out of production can feel like a risk.
Yet, when you’re in production, it’s easy to get bogged down with the day-to-day transactions that you get sidetracked in achieving your goals for the team.
As a leader, you need to step back, look at the big picture, and stay laser-focused on your long-term vision and objectives. And to scale your real estate business and take it to the next level, you need to surround yourself with the right people and have the right systems in place.
Brian Charlesworth joins Andrew Lewis, Founder, Owner, and CEO of Performance Real Estate, as he shares tips on how to make the transition from being in production to scaling your own team, his take on where the market is headed, where his team is at, what his vision is for his business.
Top Takeaways:
(03:54) How to surround yourself with the right people (12:17) Why agents should consider looking into opportunities that will allow them to level up (18:38) Who are the people you need to hire today (19:30) Andrew’s take on the current market conditions (24:30) Why the future of real estate is real estate teams (28:36) Why this market is giving teams a massively unfair advantage over solo agents (30:30) The two things every real estate team must have in their business (31:04) Why tracking your numbers is crucial (33:10) Andrew’s last words of advice
Connect with Andrew Lewis
Website: https://performanceregroup.com/
Email: andrew@performanceregroup.com
Phone: (951) 237-0292
About the guest:
Andrew Lewis graduated from DeVry University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Small Business Entrepreneurship. Prior to entering the real estate world, He was a pharmaceutical sales representative for a Fortune 500 company. He also spent several years as a professional race car driver, racing in the upper divisions of NASCAR.
Andrew’s previous work experience allowed him to develop top-level customer service, innovative marketing techniques, and superior negotiating skills. These qualities help ensure his clients receive the best possible deals and the highest level of service and communication.
Today, Andrew Lewis is a top-producing Realtor® specializing in the sale of new and existing homes within Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties. He is also the Founder, Owner, and CEO of Performance Real Estate, the number one Digital Real Estate Group in Temecula Valley.
In today’s world, there’s a lot of pressure for entrepreneurs to succeed. And when they don’t meet their own high standards and goals, they end up feeling like failures.
But what if we all start celebrating our failures instead? What if we start seeing them as learning opportunities and stepping stones to even greater success?
Failures are a necessary part of the journey. And if we can view them in a different light, it will help us grow our businesses and make them even better.
Brian Charlesworth joins Hannah Bettenhausen, COO at BCrew Enterprises LLC., as she shares her journey from an ISA to becoming the Chief Operating Officer of a Mega Team, her team’s experience in expanding to ancillary businesses, and how her failures play an important part in how successful she has become today.
Top Takeaways: (05:17) How Hannah ended up in the real estate business (09:47) How they progressed from a real estate team to an enterprise (16:44) One of Hannah’s biggest failures (18:21) Why Hannah won’t build a title company again (19:05) What made them decide to start a construction company (21:09) The key to building multiple businesses (23:22) Why Hannah decided to start a podcast (24:38) Why it’s important to fail (29:18) Hannah’s one piece of advice
Connect with Hannah Bettenhausen Email: Hannah.Bettenhausen@eXprealty.com
About the guest:
Hannah Bettenhausen’s parents were missionaries, and she spent the first five years of her life in Zaire, Africa. Then, when the war broke out, they moved back to several places in the US and Canada until they settled in Minneapolis.
Her father always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He started a couple of non-profit organizations and then got into real estate. Hannah helped clean and painted the houses they were flipping. This experience exposed her to the real estate realm and showed her the potential for growth and opportunities.
She then ran a business development center for a Ford dealership for seven years. After that, she worked as an ISA as her department accounted for 30% of annual sales in the entire dealership.
In 2016, she shifted to real estate and applied for a license. A year and a half later, she moved into the operations manager role.
Today, Hannah Bettenhausen is the Chief Operating Officer at BCrew Enterprises LLC, a management company that owns and operates a real estate team, mortgage company, home flipping company, and construction company, along with several other businesses. She is also launching her own podcast, which is tentatively titled Unrisky Wealth.
In this week’s GRIT Podcast, Colton Lindsay, the CEO of WGR, joins Brian Charlesworth to discuss the current real estate industry and practices. Colton goes over the different economic seasons and explains the challenges faced during those times, specifically by real estate agents.
He also provides his insights regarding the stability of the real estate market. According to him, we can experience a real estate crash if people start to lose their jobs. Moreover, he talks about the four simple steps that make anyone in real estate money.
Colton also highlights the importance of adding value to people’s lives as that’s how relationships can be monetized. Then, moving forward, he elaborates on personal behaviors. For instance, if you’re chaotic, stressed, overwhelmed, or full of doubt, people will feel that and will not work with you. So instead, they’re going to work with the most certain person.
So, it’s crucial to invest in yourself and always be in control. This is the most skipped part in people’s lives, leading to many missed opportunities. Plus, we must be mindful that we are actually leaving the information age and moving to the influence age. And influence isn’t about information. So, you have to position yourself as a specialist with the right knowledge. That is how people will trust you.
Top Takeaways: (4:30) Three questions to ask when investing money (6:28) How business owners have become business operators (10:58) Different seasons of economic history (13:00) Inflation situation and 2024 predictions (14:00) The real estate crash (15:03) Recession in real estate (16:24) Why should agents be more certain? (17:35) Chances of success of new agents (22:01) The real meaning of fulfillment (28:11) Importance of breath work sessions
Connect with Colton Lindsay
Instagram: @thewgr
Website: https://go.thewgracademy.com/
About the guest:
At 28, Colton Lindsay was ranked in the Top 1% of his real estate market, averaging 75 homes a year, working four days a week. Lindsay is internationally recognized for his expertise in prospecting and as an inner game master.
Our guest is one of North America’s most exciting trainers whose YouTube Channel has empowered thousands of real estate agents to increase their confidence and skills drastically. He was featured in Top Agent Magazine as an agent “who doesn’t use a bag of tricks” and is the producer of the bestselling “Winning The Inner Game” - Audio Files.
His motto is “You can’t do a ‘half ass’ job in real estate sales,” with his unique ability to get agents to take immediate action and produce tremendous results. Colton Lindsay uses breakthrough techniques and “accelerated learning” technologies to help agents learn and remember more efficiently and effectively.
Growing up, children are told that for people to like them or to get what they want, they have to be nice. That’s why when someone goes into the sales profession or becomes a real estate agent, they think that in order to close the deals, they would need to be the nicest, most-liked person the client has ever dealt with.
Yet oftentimes, nice people tend to be more focused on gaining the approval of the person they’re talking to, over helping or providing value. So that if their prospect says they’re busy, nice people offer to email instead just so they wouldn’t bother them. This is just one of the reasons why most “nice” agents get out-sold.
However, it doesn’t mean that you have to be rude or obnoxious to become great at selling. There are ways to sell real estate while still being your nice, authentic self.
Brian Charlesworth joins Barry Jenkins, CMO of Better Homes and Gardens NAGR and Head Realtor in Residence at Ylopo, as he shares how his book, Too Nice For Sales, addresses this issue, how adapting to the “teamerage” model allowed his team to thrive in these changing times, and his take on what’s happening in the industry right now.
Top Takeaways: (03:18) How Barry’s business evolved from a brokerage to a “teamerage” (04:44) Why teams should not overvalue a lead (07:59) The problem that a lot of team owners get caught up in (11:19) How Barry ended up working for Ylopo (12:42) The systems that Barry had to put in place so he could step out of the business (14:57) Where the future of real estate is headed (15:37) Why most people don’t work on automation often enough (18:51) How Barry’s book “Too Nice for Sales” came about? (24:05) How nice people tricked themselves into no longer being helpful (27:22) The best advice for someone planning to write a book (28:25) Barry’s take on what’s happening in the industry now (32:41) How one’s ability to adapt is vital in these difficult times (33:51) What success is made of
Connect with Barry Jenkins
Email: barry@tooniceforsales.com
Website: https://www.tooniceforsales.com/
About the guest:
Barry Jenkins was 18 when he started his career in real estate which has spanned for almost twenty years. He currently runs a team in Virginia Beach, VA & he’s also The CMO of Better Homes and Gardens NAGR. His real estate team at this firm sold just under 900 units last year and is ranked #9 on the Real Trends to 1,000 teams in America.
Barry is also an author, speaker, coach, trainer, and a full-time Executive at Ylopo with the title of “Head Realtor in Residence” where he trains their customers, and assists with product development & platform evangelism for them.
Being an ordained minister himself, he is passionate about his faith and his company.
The average rate on a mortgage has recently gone up to 6%, the highest it has been since the recession in 2008. And most experts are saying that the housing market is experiencing a downturn right now.
If you’re running a real estate business, it’s crucial now, more than ever, to have your business operations in check, implement automation wherever possible, and make sure that you’re making wise decisions based on true numbers and analytics.
Brian Charlesworth joins Jamie Bledsoe of the Neal & Neal Team, as she shares how important it is to have the right systems in place to streamline and automate your business, especially now that we’re experiencing an economic downturn
Top Takeaways: (02:51) How Jamie got into real estate (05:29) Why Jamie says that selling is not her area of expertise (09:04) The systems that the Neal & Neal were using when Jamie first joined the team (18:05) How Sisu has impacted their business and allowed them to grow (23:26) Why Jamie says that their old systems didn’t really solve their problem of data (26:36) The beautiful thing about Sisu (28:29) How focusing on just one industry helped Sisu streamline and automate the real estate industry (29:00) How Sisu helped Jamie’s team address pain points from their previous systems (33:05) How Sisu allows tracking and managing income well (35:16) Why you should let Sisu be your brain (38:47) How are things taking off for the Neal & Neal team? (42:44) How will teams continue to take market share even when the housing market is down?
Connect with Jamie Bledsoe
Email: jamie@nealteam.com
About the guest:
Before joining the Neal & Neal team, Jamie Bledsoe took up architectural design. She then worked for a small architectural firm for 4 years and met her husband. After getting married, they transferred to San Antonio, TX, where Jamie found it challenging to get a job as an architect. She tried several jobs until she worked for a large HOA management company.
Jamie led and managed the closing department for that HOA company. Here, she got to work with many title companies and learned more about deeds and legal documents. This sparked her interest in real estate, and decided to start her career with the Neal & Neal team.
Today, Jamie Bledsoe has taken over the operations side of The Neal & Neal Team, and she has done a phenomenal job at streamlining and automating their business. Their goal is to have 750 transactions this year, and they are currently on track to surpass that number if conditions keep going the way it is.
According to Google, the most searched job in the US today is a real estate agent. Becoming your own boss and earning substantially through commissions are just some of the things that make real estate an attractive profession to many people.
Yet, if a career in real estate is that good, then why do almost 90% of agents end up leaving the industry after being in it for just 5 years or less?
Finding success as a real estate agent is easier said than done. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline, and above all, you have to love what you’re doing in order to overcome challenges. And when you have that passion, and a coach who believes in you and will help keep you on track, you can excel at the highest possible level.
Brian Charlesworth joins Monica Reynolds, Vice President of KW MAPS Coaching, as she shares her journey from being a teacher to running the largest real estate coaching company in the world, her insights on what’s currently going on in the real estate industry, and some valuable tips for real estate professionals today.
Top Takeaways: (04:04) How Monica got into real estate (08:17) Why do the most successful agents and team owners all have coaches? (14:07) What is the key to success for someone moving into this market? (15:49) The value of time-blocked lead generation (16:26) How Sisu can help your business thrive (16:46) The most important thing that team owners should consider (19:08) How does someone decide which is the best way for them to go about building a team? (20:45) How to build a sellable database (22:33) How Monica is helping other coaches net a million dollars (31:12) With interest rates rising, what will happen to the industry over the next few years? (33:15) Monica’s thoughts on the whole “getting rid of the agent’s commission” situation (35:05) Monica's one piece of advice (36:02) Why you need to fall in love with what you do
Connect with Monica Reynolds Email: monica@monicareynolds.com
About the guest:
Monica Reynolds has a background in teaching. However, she didn't last long as a teacher because she felt that it just wasn't her thing. After getting married, she went looking for a house to buy and met a real estate agent. He wasn’t really a great agent, yet he was making a lot of money and has a nice car. She thought that if that agent can do it, so can she.
She then went on to become a successful real estate agent with Century 21 and worked for Mike Ferry’s coaching company for years. She also became the President of the Heller Real Estate Group, one of the most successful real estate teams in the US.
Monica also got the reputation of being the only agent at that time to delegate tasks she wasn’t particularly fond of doing to several assistants. She ended up writing a book on how to multiply your success through the use of assistants. That’s when she caught the attention of Gary Keller who invited her to be a part of the kW MAPS Coaching.
Today, Monica Reynolds is the Vice President at kW MAPS Coaching. She has garnered national recognition as a real estate seminar and convention speaker, trainer, and author. She is regarded in the industry as the leader of innovative real estate systems and effective team-building strategies that sustain successful real estate careers.
Economic recessions are part of the business cycle. And as depressing as that may sound, recessions have an effect that the economy can benefit from. Just like how clearing the forest gives way for new growth.
That is why finding your grit is extremely crucial especially during a crisis such as market crashes or downturns. Because it allows us to confront challenges, pivot as needed, and keep moving forward.
Brian Charlesworth joins York Baur, CEO at MoxiWorks, as they share insights on what it takes to survive and thrive in a downturn, the role that the real estate industry has to play for its consumer, and why it takes an ecosystem of products that come together to provide the best customer experience.
Top Takeaways: (03:01) The importance of having grit (05:34) York’s advice for real estate business owners during these uncertain times (13:11) Why the real estate industry needs thought leaders for the consumer (14:34) Why you need to be greedy when others are fearful and be fearful when others are greedy (21:59) One of the biggest challenges that the real estate industry faces (23:33) The genesis of MoxiWorks (25:51) Why building technology for your own brokerage is a bad idea (29:17) The value of providing an open platform to bring the industry together (30:50) Why you should not confuse strategy with tactics and execution (35:48) What the real estate industry can learn from a Harley motorcycle
Connect with York Baur Email: York@MoxiWorks.com
About the guest:
York Baur has a degree in computer science and has been a technologist for most of his career. He has helped exploit technology for the betterment of businesses. Throughout the years, he has developed a strong passion for the science and automation that could complement the human element of selling and marketing. He believes that the key to a successful tech product is to have computers do what computers are good at so that the human can do the thing that only a human can do.
In 2012, York joined MoxiWorks, an open real estate platform for brokerages. Since then, he has grown the company 10X and expanded to over 800 brokerage clients and growing, serving over 400,000 agents that makeup approximately 40% of all residential real estate transactions in the U.S.
Convenience is everything in today’s real estate market. That’s why more and more brokerages and team owners today are moving into mortgage, title, home insurance, property management, etc. Not only does it make transactions a lot easier for consumers, but it also allows the team to have control over the entire customer experience, from pre-sale to closing and even beyond.
Another benefit of adopting ancillary businesses is its potential for additional revenue opportunities. And with commission compression affecting the industry nowadays, having a one-stop-shop that puts all these services under one roof can benefit not only the consumers but the real estate agents and broker-owners as well.
Brian Charlesworth joins Mark Pattison, Founder at PorchLight brokered by eXp, also considered as a leading-edge when it comes to branching out to real estate ancillary businesses, as they discuss the value of creating an “Amazon” for real estate and the importance of striving to always continue to grow and innovate.
Top Takeaways:
(04:35) The benefits of automation (07:21) When Mark decided to focus on ancillary businesses (11:05) How owning ancillary businesses affects commission per transaction (16:07) What was the idea behind the “home concierge” concept? (17:17) Why controlling the client’s experience is crucial (22:20) The biggest lesson that Mark’s family has taught him (23:10) Why it's all about implementation (24:16) What pivots are needed in today’s market? (29:43) Who is more likely to win in the real estate space: teams or solo agents? (34:56) Why agents should not focus on commission splits (38:46) The importance of taking action
Connect with Mark Pattison Website: markpattisonrealestate.com Instagram: @markpattisonshow
About the guest:
Mark Pattison was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, he learned the value of hard work and dedication in everything he does and the importance of having the desire to create more opportunities.
After graduating with honors from Seattle Universitys Albers Business School, Mark went on to work for a variety of prestigious companies before embarking on his real estate journey.
He started his real estate career in San Diego as a solo agent in 2014 and now has a team of over 100 agents and has sold 1,006 homes in 2021.
Today, Mark Pattison is the Owner and Founder of PorchLight Realty by eXp and he belongs to the Top 1% of Realtors in San Diego County. He is also the host of the Mark Pattison Show podcast. He is happily married to his husband Burke and they have two dogs, Luca and Ellie.
Every business has a unique culture. Some have a traditional culture that relies on hierarchy, while a common purpose drives others. Whatever culture your workplace has is critical to your business’ success.
If you have a culture-based business, you need to protect your culture and keep it positive no matter what. Even if that means letting go of people and nipping the “cancer” in the bud before it spreads further.
Brian Charlesworth joins Jack Lehr, President, and CEO of Tru AdvantageTeam brokered by ΓEA⅃, as they discuss how he ended up in the real estate industry, what a leader’s role should be in promoting a positive culture in the workplace, and why he thinks people should stop watching the news.
Top Takeaways: (01:39) How did Jack get into real estate? (08:26) What a culture-based business means (16:06) The systems you need to have to make your business repeatable and scalable. (17:40 ) Jack’s tech stack recommendations (18:41) The importance of tracking and measuring your numbers (19:32) Sisu’s mastery event (21:23) Why does Jack think that the news is B.S.? (24:11) Why now is NOT the time to sit on the sidelines (25:35) The two people we need to believe in us (26:54) Jack’s favorite source of learning
Connect with Jack Lehr
Email: Jack@truadvantagerealty.com Instagram: @coachjacklehr Facebook: Jack Lehr
About the guest:
Jack Lehr started a manufacturer’s rep agency almost immediately after graduating from college. Then, after building up some decent cash, he started buying real estate properties. One of which was a 102-acre farm with a 1790 farmhouse.
As he and his wife were renovating the house, they learned how harmful lead-based paint was (which was commonly used in these houses), especially to their newborn child, so they decided to sell it instead. They subdivided the property, and this became their first flip. John fell in love with the process and continued to flip, buy, and hold real estate properties from then on.
Today, Jack Lehr is the President, and CEO of Tru AdvantageTeam, brokered by ΓEA⅃. He is currently running teams in four locations in four different states. He’s also a real estate investor, coach, husband, and father to four sons.
We make decisions every day. And in some difficult situations, there are those who avoid making decisions altogether. Oftentimes, it’s because they worry too much about the outcome or that their choices might lead to failure.
Indecision is a decision in itself. And it is actually worse than making the wrong decision because it robs you of the opportunity and the chance to learn from your mistakes.
This was one of the things that Daniel Dixon realized as he was growing his real estate business. He knew that in order to make things happen, he just had to make a decision, get feedback, and then figure out what to do next whether the decision leads to success or failure.
This was the same formula he used when he wanted to control the customer experience by including ancillary businesses for his real estate team. The systems that he put in place weren’t always perfect and he encountered some failures along the way. But he understands that it’s part of the process, and there’s so much more to learn from your failures than your successes.
Brian Charlesworth joins Daniel Dixon, Owner/CEO of First Step Home Loans & The Dixon Group, as they talk about Daniel’s obsession with creating efficiencies in his business, the importance of coming from a place of contribution, and his passion for providing for the black communities and helping more people of color to get into the real estate space.
Top Takeaways:
(09:15) Daniel’s thoughts on doing expansion teams across the country (09:39) The biggest thing that Daniel learned that allowed him to grow (09:59) How should agents deal with “commission compression”? (10:23) The importance of having a coach to guide you (11:26) The one thing Daniel underestimated as he was scaling his business (14:15) The biggest problem most people have when it comes to failure (16:27) How knowing their numbers allowed Daniel’s team to constantly make pivots (19:35) Why agents don’t like to lead generate all day (23:25) Why you need to call with a purpose when you do your follow-ups (27:03) What’s great about their team culture (30:53) How to make your people stay with you longer (32:11) The value of putting systems in place (34:30) Daniel’s goal as he continues to grow in the industry (35:11) What the JLK Foundation is about
Connect with Daniel Dixon
Email: Daniel@DGdenver.com
Instagram: @Dixonsoldit
About the guest:
Daniel Dixon grew up in poverty. Raised by a single mother, they had to use food stamps in order to survive. Yet despite the circumstances, Daniel found a love for football and eventually grew up to become a good athlete. He dreamed of going to the NFL, but being 5'8" and 195 pounds at that time, he realized that this was not the prototype for NFL athletes.
When he stopped playing football, he felt kind of lost and didn’t know what to do. His best friend was working in pharmaceutical sales and told him that in order to get into that profession, he would need to have a college degree. This was the reason he went back to college.
In his last semester in college, he was taking 21 credit hours, and seven classes full-time. His son was also a year old so they were really struggling. He thought to himself that as soon as he gets that diploma, he will get a job and everything is going to be better. But it didn’t happen.
This became the lowest point and he hated his life. He remembered saying to himself that he will never be in the same position again and will work his absolute hardest to not have money be a thing that he or his family will ever have to think about.
Today, Daniel is the Owner/CEO of First Step Home Loans & The Dixon Group. Daniel was able to grow his company from a single agent to a mega team selling more than 900 homes with over $300 Million in home sales. The Dixon Group is now ranked as the #1 KW Real Estate Team in Colorado and in the top 50 KW teams in the United States.
Although Vija Williams was doing well financially running her own real estate team, she realized that she was miserable. She felt she had to do 17 different things to run a good team, but she wasn’t good at any of them. And her profit margin wasn’t high enough to support the number of staff she needed. So at 48 years old, despite having doubts about whether people would still hire her because of her age, the mom of three took a leap of faith and took on a role that she believes she’d be really good at, a leadership position in a corporate setting.
In 2018, Vija Williams became the Director of Growth with Ben Kinney Companies. For the last three and a half years, she has helped walk them through two acquisitions and grow the company from 1200 to 1700 agents. Today, Vija is the Head of Industry for PLACE, a tech and business services platform for real estate agents. Goldman Sachs, along with 3L, recently invested 100 million dollars into PLACE at over a Billion dollar valuation.
Brian Charlesworth joins Vija Williams as they talk about her journey from being a solo agent to being a successful leader, her insights on the value of leverage, what makes PLACE a very unique model, and why she thinks women from all industries become stronger when they come together.
Top Takeaways:
- (07:14) Why Vija felt miserable despite having a successful team
- (08:48) How Vija decided to shift her career to running brokerages
- (11:18) Why does the real estate industry need more women in the leadership role?
- (12:38) How Vija manages to juggle all her businesses
- (15:18) What it’s like to work with your spouse
- (22:04) What motivates Vija
- (24:54) What PLACE is all about
- (25:34) The vision of PLACE
- (26:45) The biggest challenge teams face as they’re growing
- (28:39) Why every agent needs to get at least 4 checks for each transaction
- (32:44) The three types of teams
- (35:32) Who is the right person to control the client experience?
- (37:31) What the future looks like for agents who aren’t on a team
- (43:28) How the women’s group Her Best Life started
Connect with Vija Williams
Email: Vija@place.com
Website: https://place.com/
Website: https://www.herbestlife.com/
Podcast: Empire Building Podcast
About the guest:
Vija Williams always knew she would go into real estate but her path to it wasn’t as straightforward. She graduated college, sold radio advertising, and worked for some builders and developers prior to becoming a real estate agent. She was 30 years and had her first child at that time, had her second child at 32, and her third at 39 years old.
She was making good money juggling her role as a mother and a real estate agent. But when the market crashed, it fried her and her husband to the point where they almost lost their house. Luckily they still had assets to sell to survive. When the markets turned, she switched brokerages and went from being a solo agent to building a team.
In 2012, Vija met Ben Kinney and he started coaching her. Her volume increased from 25 million to 70 million in just four years. Although she was extremely successful, Vijya felt unhappy. She wanted to try a leadership position in a corporate setting but she wasn’t sure if anyone would accept her since she was already 48 years old.
But with people supporting her, she was able to achieve her goal and became the Director of Growth for The Ben Kinney Companies. Today, Vija Williams is the Head of Industry for PLACE, President of the Brokerages Division at Ben Kinney Companies, Co-Founder of Her Best Life - a national women’s group, and co-host of the Empire Building podcast.
For most business owners, success means financial gain. And the more time and effort they put into their businesses, the more money they make. Yet, success in this business means getting more life back for some.
If your business requires you to have an active role in its day-to-day transactions, it becomes your job. Business owners should aim to build a business that they can one step away from and will generate long-term passive income for themselves.
Brian Charlesworth joins Jeff Cohn, Owner at kwELITE, as they talk about building businesses that will eventually require minimal active participation from the owner, how Sisu plays an important part in achieving that goal, and how to ensure brokerages thrive in the future by expanding into ancillary businesses.
Top Takeaways:
01:49 What Jeff loves about Sisu 07:29 Jeff’s greatest passion 11:05 How true leaders serve 11:48 Why he launched The Team Building podcast 13:19 What the Team Building Summit is about (and how to get $100 off on tickets!) 24:00 Three ways for individual agents to win 25:39 The evolution of ownership 26:48 Where is the industry going in the next five years 29:54 What brokers need to do to survive in the future 32:29 How to make consumers convert to using your ancillary services 33:22 What can small team owners do to start building ancillary businesses 35:58 The magic of getting agents to support ancillary businesses 37:43 The role of future agents
Get in touch with Jeff Cohn
Website: https://www.theteambuildingsummit.com/ Instagram: @JeffMCohn Podcast: The Team Building Podcast
About the guest:
Jeff Cohn got his real estate license right out of college in 2006. He spent his first six years selling real estate full-time. In 2011, he made more money than he had ever dreamed of, but he realized he wasn’t living his best life. He was spending too much time in his active role that he didn't have much left to do anything else. He learned that if he fired himself and replaced him with ten more people to do his role, he could make more money with less time and energy.
In 2014, Jeff stopped selling and built a team called Omaha's Elite Real Estate Group. The team grew from 70 to over 700 transactions a year in 6 years and was the #1 team globally at Berkshire Hathaway.
Today, Jeff is the Founder of Omaha's Elite Real Estate Group, now kwELITE with Keller Williams. His desire to provide outstanding service to his clients drove him to start auxiliary businesses in title, mortgage, insurance, and investing.
There are two ways to build a business in real estate. One, you can build a practice which you can grow, but then it dies when you decide to leave. Or, you can build a business which you can also grow and integrate processes and systems in it so that it will continue to thrive even after you’re gone from it.
If you want to build a business, you need to decide which way you want to go and how you want to do it. Then you need to choose if you want to do this by yourself or do it with someone who already has a team.
Whichever route you choose to take, don’t let your fear of failure take over you. Because in order to grow and be successful, all it needs is to have the courage to take the first step.
Brian Charlesworth joins Bobby Moats and Erin Leff of The Moats Team at Keller Williams as they talk about the difference between building a practice vs. building a business, what the Moats Mastery training is all about, the value of building an ISA team, and so much more.
Top Takeaways: 06:37 What does expansion network mean? 07:27 What is the key to their team’s growth? 09:53 The problem with hiring high-producing agents 10:37 Why the Moats Team highly prefers new agents 12:33 The single most important investment you can make 13:57 The hardest shift for most real estate business owners 17:13 Why top Rainmakers should figure out a way to get out of the day-to-day production 19:03 What does the Q1 numbers say about our current real estate market? 21:26 What should a real estate business owner do to stay ahead of the game? 23:50 How did the Moats Mastery Training came about 36:06 One of the challenges in building an ISA team 42:10 What the Onward Faster podcast is all about 46:28 Bobby and Erin’s last piece of advice for anyone who wants to build a real estate business
Get in touch with Bobby Moats and Erin Leff
bobby@moatsteam.com
erin@moatsteam.com
About the guests:
Bobby Moats is the Co-Founder of The Moats Team at Keller Williams and is the Director of Agent Labs for the KW Labs Team at KWRI where he works closely with KW Agents, the tech team, and Leadership to define and expand the agent lab experience, as well as to promote the agent lab discussion.
Erin Leff is the VP of Growth of The Moats Team at Keller Williams. She is highly regarded for her ability to address complex sales, operational, and internal challenges through well-defined plans, thus increasing revenue for the company. She has been promoted due to her strong leadership skills and sales management abilities.
What is the single most important factor to a real estate business’ growth? Is it having the best leads? Or having the best sales managers on the planet? How about having the most amazing systems and tech?
While having all these would be great, none of them would matter if you don’t have people. That is why focusing on human resource, human development, and human attraction is crucial for scaling a real estate business.
Brian Charlesworth joins Jon Cheplak, Real Estate Broker/Agent Speaker, Coach and Consultant at Cheplak Live and CEO of The Real Recruiter as Jon shares how he discovered that his superpower is understanding human behavior and what it takes to be a true leader.
Top Takeaways: 05:21 The 2 types of operators 08:45 Jon’s mission statement 14:12 The difference between Jon’s coaching organization, Agent Academy, and Cheplak Live 14:46 The good thing about anxiety 21:31 The value of giving 23:29 Why you don’t want to recruit based on your company’s culture 26:12 What Sisu is empowering team leaders to do. 29:42 How to overcome the challenge of getting yourself out of production 30:45 Why you should get into rooms where you don’t belong 34:03 The worst question to ask the person you look up to 34:34 What does “trust equals capacity” and “control equals fear” mean? 35:35 Why understanding must come from the heart 38:33 What should real estate business owners do to prepare for the impact of high inflation rates? 43:51 Why leaders should change their interview process 46:07 Why the future of the traditional brokerage is in trouble 49:58 Jon’s final piece of advice
Get in touch with Jon Cheplak
Website: https://cheplaklive.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joncheplak
About the guest:
After many years of success in his real estate sales and leadership career, Jon had a vision to change the real estate industry. He observed managers were thrown into a leadership position without proper training. The few training that existed then never focused on the growth of the leader as a human being and discovered what got in the way of their success.
Through his own growth process, Jon realized that growth has to come from the inside. Managers need to develop skills, but without doing the work on the inside first, results will fail to show on the outside.
This was when The Real Estate Recruiters was born. It is a company designed to serve, lead, and inspire leaders that want to have a positive life experience in the real estate industry and transfer that experience to their agents.
For the last 12 years, Jon Cheplak has served as a speaker, coach, and strategic leadership consultant to CEO’s, managers, and agents who are operating a highly successful real estate business throughout the US, Canada and Europe.
He is also an author in numerous publications including Real Estate South Africa, REM Online, CRB Magazine, Brokers Insider, Real Estate Professional, Realty Times, Frogpond, and author of the book Interrupt The Pattern.
Most people who come into real estate think it’s going to be fun. They’ll have the freedom to earn as much as they want and have control over their schedules. Yet, soon enough they realize that to be successful in real estate, you have to work all the time.
When Spring Bengtzen began to grow her business, she felt she had to be everything to everyone until eventually, she felt exhausted. She then had to decide whether she wanted to scale back or scale up.
That’s when Sisu came into the picture. Sisu was actually built for Spring to help her put systems in place to successfully scale her business.
As GRIT celebrates its 100th episode, Brian Charlesworth joins special guest, Spring Bengtzen, CEO and Owner of the Utah Life Real Estate Group & Associate Broker at REAL Broker LLC as she shares her journey, how Sisu helped transform her business, and what her new coaching company, Scale Up, is all about.
Top Takeaways: 02:20 How Spring discovered the power of choice 06:57 What was it like to be in the “messy middle”? 08:56 The most important thing to consider when you’re jumping from being an agent to business owner 10:19 How Sisu helped Spring put systems to build her business 14:55 The 2 “Who’s” to focus on when scaling your business 17:33 How Spring doubled her business 19:22 One of the biggest mistakes a lot of people make when they hire a VA 22:06 Why joining Real Brokerage was the best decision Spring ever made 26:41 What Scale Up is all about 28:29 What motivates Spring the most today 29:33 Why a lot of team owners are now considering going into the ancillary space 30:40 Spring’s words of advice 32:50 Sisu’s mastery workshop
Get in touch with Spring Bengtzen Instagram: @springbengtzen Website: https://springb.com/
About the guest:
When Spring Bengtzen was 20 years old, she had a terrible accident that left most of her body burned. Her condition was so bad that she wondered if she was going to die. Until a doctor told her that only she can decide whether she fights to live or give up and die. That’s when she realized the power of her choices. Once she made up her mind to keep fighting, that’s when she started healing.
Two years later, she went into real estate. She worked her way up and successfully grew her business. She was listed as one of REALTOR’s Magazine 30 under 30, and had the opportunity to join Keller-Williams. From 2010 to 2019, she built and grew her team to become the largest in Utah.
In 2021, Spring joined REAL Brokerage, a tech-powered real estate brokerage for agents and teams. She has also launched a coaching company called Start Up
Today, Spring Bengtzen is a successful Real Estate Broker, Mentor, Entrepreneur, CEO, and Owner of The Utah Life Real Estate Group, leads the top real estate team along the Wasatch Front.
Most real estate professionals have a sales background, which is critical especially in a highly competitive industry. While some have a knack for finding solutions to problems and implementing systems, which is essential in increasing a real estate business’ bottom line.
In Ty Voyles’ case, he had both. Though his journey was not as straightforward as most, he was able to combine his sales skills and passion for creating systems which resulted into a successful real estate career.
Join Brian Charlesworth and Ty Voyles, Co-founder and CEO of Fulcrum Properties Group, as they discuss how Ty’s entrepreneurial background played a role in his transition into the real estate industry, his insights on having good and bad leads, and what he thinks is the real solution that the entire real estate industry is driving towards.
Top Takeaways: 07:09 What made Ty decide to go into real estate 13:49 Why most real estate agents have businesses that don’t transition 16:40 Is there such a thing as a good or bad lead? 18:43 How does Ty's team generate leads today? 20:13 Why most agents have gone away from making open houses as their lead source 21:12 Why the team model is taking over the industry 22:01 Why the real estate space needs more specialization 25:56 Why Ty prefers to automate as much as he can 35:43 Ty’s advice to young team leaders who want to take their business to the next level 36:11 The single biggest factor that held Ty’s team from moving forward 37:21 The one thing to focus on to really double your business 37:49 Why building an ISA team is incredibly challenging 40:12 What people want when it comes to their home needs
Get in touch with Ty Voyles Email: ty@fulcrumpg.com
About the guest:
Ty Voyles came from an entrepreneurial family. He worked as a Yellow Page salesperson from high school until a year after college. After that, he started doing project management for a software company where they built systems that kept flight simulators and training manuals in line with production aircraft.
After 7 years, he left that job and worked at the Library of Congress. Eventually, he realized that this was not a career he’d like to pursue. So he started doing volunteer work building sustainable roof gardens.
Although Ty enjoyed what he was doing, he had to take a 60% pay cut to do so. And he realized that there are a lot more opportunities to make more in real estate. That’s when he decided to pick up his real estate license in 2009.
As an agent, has earned several designations such as a Five Star Real Estate Professional, a Zillow Premiere Agent, a Trulia Top 1% Agent, the Washingtonian's Best Agent of 2018, and a Washingtonian Top Agent every year since 2016.
Today, Ty is the Founder and CEO of Fulcrum Properties Group. Fulcrum has continually been on the top 10 Keller Williams teams in the country, as well as a top 100 team across all brokerages since 2019. Ty has also served as a Mastery Coach for KW MAPS, was a founding agent advisor for KW LABS, and has served on multiple Agent Leadership Councils.
Selling real estate is like an extremely strong contact sport. You need to go out there, talk to people, establish rapport, and build relationships with your contacts. And the more contacts you make, the better chance you have for a successful business.
For Gaurav Gambhir, making it in real estate proved to be more challenging. He was an immigrant who didn’t know many people at that time and English was his second language so he didn’t feel confident speaking in front of crowds.
Yet, he found a way to grow his clientele by managing people’s assets. He figured that if he can maintain a relationship with them, then he will be the top choice to get the opportunity once they decide to sell or rent their property.
Join Brian Charlesworth and Gaurav Gambhir, Co-Founder and Owner at The Condo Shop / TCS MGT / Rentphilly.com / Mega Realty / Go Commercial and Partner at Keller Williams Center City, as they talk about Gaurav’s journey from starting a small team of 4 agents up to now where he has 60 agents doing 1500 transactions and $365 million in volume.
Top Takeaways:
03:38 How Gaurav ended up in real estate 10:37 The competition you really need to worry about 12:35 Why would a team owner want to get into property management? 17:27 Gaurav’s plan to provide a “solution in a box” 21:45 Why you should always focus on providing a better experience to your clients 24:29 What does “serial entrepreneur” mean? 25:24 An overview of Gaurav’s team structure 27:27 Why Gaurav prefers to automate as much as he can 35:25 The importance of building an ISA team 39:25 The things you should focus on now to stay ahead of the curve 43:41 Why you shouldn’t look at teams as someone who takes things away 44:50 Why percentage means nothing
Get in touch with Gaurav Gambhir
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggambhir/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ggambhir1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ggambhir1/
About the guest:
Gaurav Gambhir comes from a family of entrepreneurs. He’s been doing support businesses on the side since he was 15 years old. So when he started working as an IT professional for a real estate company, he decided to try real estate during weekends to earn some extra money.
In 2007, he took a leap of faith, went into real estate full-time, and joined Keller-Williams as his first brokerage company. Eventually, he and a friend decided to start a new brokerage company and a property management division along with it. They were able to grow the company towards 70 agents in about 18 months.
Two years later, Gaurav had the opportunity to buy a company called the Condo Shop in Philadelphia. He then built TCS Group which services real estate investments, renovations, and property management.
Today. Gaurav is a partner and Operating Principle of Keller Williams Philadelphia. In total, he oversees 600+ agents and employees. His team is currently the ninth-largest Keller Williams team in the country.
Being an entrepreneur is a rewarding experience, but it also comes with many challenges. From marketing strategies, hiring the right people for the job, to finding systems and technologies to support the business’ growth, entrepreneurs today have to be resourceful to tackle these problems.
Yet some were able to overcome these challenges before and are willing to share their experience so others can learn from it. It’s only a matter of asking the right people for advice so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes they did.
Join Brian Charlesworth and Matt DeCoursey, CEO and Founder at Full Scale and Startup Hustle Founder and Host, as they talk about Matt’s journey from starting a business with no money or experience to launching several businesses that have generated millions of dollars in revenue. Matt also shares how he uses his podcast as a platform to help other people find success.
Top Takeaways:
02:07 Why Matt considers himself a “recovering” serial entrepreneur 05:15 How Matt got started as an entrepreneur 11:09 Why “knowledge in” is not meant to be kept 14:31 Matt’s definition of a startup 16:20 What the book: Balance Me is all about 24:56 Matt’s take on the importance of giving 29:38 The best advice Matt has received 31:57 The difference between being genius and being crazy 33:58 Matt’s advice to anyone who wants to start their own podcast 48:25 Top reasons why people turn podcasts off 54:54 Why you should make it easy for people to help you
Get in touch with Matt DeCoursey
Full Scale Website: https://fullscale.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fullscale-io/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullscalekc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullscalekc/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/fullscalekc?s=21
Start-Up Hustle Podcast: https://startuphustle.xyz/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-hustle-podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startuphustlexyz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startuphustlepodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/startupsxyz Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDXy14X95mzCpGSHyDvvoVg
About the guest:
Matt DeCoursey believes that he was born to become an entrepreneur. He used to paint address numbers on curbs in high school and do other entrepreneurial activities growing up. Matt had a pretty successful career until he was 30 years old when he found himself unhappy because his work needed him to travel a lot, so he decided to quit his job.
Thirteen years ago, he started a concert ticket buying and selling business online. All he had then was an extra room in his house that he could use as an office and a credit card with an $8,000 limit.
Yet, even without money or experience, Matt understood a market inefficiency when it comes to secondary ticket sales. He used this as an opportunity and built the business, which eventually generated $30 million in revenue over the next eight years. The business also enabled him to launch the businesses he has now.
Today, Matt is the CEO and Founder at Full Scale and GigaBook, Forbes Next 1000 Recipient, and co-host of one of the biggest podcasts for entrepreneurs out there, Start-Up Hustle. He is also the top-selling author of “Million Dollar Bedroom” and “Balance Me,” as well as the co-author of “The Realist’s Guide to a Successful Music Career.”
Matt’s passion is to talk about entrepreneurship, business, and commerce and has made it his mission to help other entrepreneurs become better versions of themselves and guide them to find success.
Some people go into real estate as sales people, while others are in it to build a business. And for those who choose the latter, most of them would agree that starting their own business is not for the faint of heart.
Yet, for those who have what it takes, building a real estate business is a very lucrative endeavor. Most especially for those who are able to scale at a massive rate in a short span of time.
In Kenny Truong’s case, he knew how to leverage technology and tools in such a way that he was able to scale his real estate business from 56 Million to over 670 Million in sales in less than 2 years.
Join Brian Charlesworth and Kenny Truong as they discuss the things that Kenny did in order to scale his business, and end up running FAST REAL ESTATE which is the #1 highest producing sales team at EXP Realty, the #1 fastest growing real estate company in the world.
Top Takeaways:
03:47 How Kenny first started in real estate 05:04 The story behind the FAST brand 06:57 Why he prefers to post on Instagram stories over any other platform 11:14 When did Kenny decide to build his real estate business 13:23 Most innovative agent of the year by INMAN 15:17 What Kenny does to attract agents to join his team 23:36 FAST REAL ESTATE’s org chart 35:59 How FAST REAL ESTATE is going to hit 300% growth this year 36:05 Why retention is key 42:16 Kenny’s last piece of advice to people who are building a business.
Get in touch with Kenny Truong
Website: https://www.fastagents.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenny_fast/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FastAgent/?ref=page_internal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fastagent/
About the guest:
Kenny Truong came into real estate fresh out of college 12 years ago. After working as a real estate assistant for a year, he got his real estate license and started working for a boutique company.
It took him over a year to make his first sales. After several months he was able to sell 24 homes. His number kept growing year over year that he quickly became the #1 agent in Washington State.
On his third year in business, he focused on marketing and branding and decided to post on social media using the hashtag #FASTAGENT. From then on, the name stuck and he was sometimes referred to as Kenny “FAST”, which became a fitting description to his straightforward approach in delivering results to his clients.
Kenny has ranked as the #1 agent in Oakland since 2011 and was named INMAN News’ Most Innovative Broker/Agent in 2015.
Today, Kenny Truong is the Founder and Team Leader at Fast Real Estate where they focus on surpassing their client’s expectations by leveraging local market knowledge combined with systems and technology to help them through their buying/selling journey.
Everyone has their own journey. From the outside, we can look at someone else’s journey and wonder why theirs seems easier compared to yours. Why is it that some people are more inclined to be successful, while others are doomed to fail?
Yet, the most successful people are usually the ones who have the biggest challenges and go through multiple failures before they came to where they are now.
As the saying goes, the success you see is only the tip of the iceberg. In Sajag Patel’s case, he had to go through struggles, changes, doubts, bankruptcies and so much more to be where he is today.
Despite the challenges thrown at him, Sajag never quit. He had a clear vision of where he was going and built a plan around that. But beyond achieving financial success, it is using the money he earned to serve other people and help change their lives for the better is what brings him happiness and inspires him to do more.
Join Brian Charlesworth and Sajag Patel as they talk about Sajag’s journey from being a software engineer who offered to work for free for the first three months so he could get the job, to being the Vice President of Segments for Keller Williams Realty Inc.
Top Takeaways:
03:21 How Sajag got his first intern opportunity 08:01 How he took a failing business that was doing $600,000 and turn it to $1.3M in 3 years 10:11 What led him to real estate 11:26 How Sajag came to Keller Williams 14:38 What is “Red Day” and what is its impact on Sajag’s life? 23:05 Sajag’s “crazy” daily routine 23:55 The book he considers his Bible 24:10 How he scaled from 5 doors in 2018, to 103 doors in 2022 31:44 What is an executive coach? 38:04 The value of having a coach 40:16 The greatest gift you can give someone 42:49 What’s it like to work with Gary Keller 46:07 What makes Sisu so powerful? 49:17 What does the future look like for KW? 51:16 Sajag’s one piece of advice
About the guest:
A former Senior Software Engineer, Sajag began his career in real estate with an independent broker in 2009. After 6 months, he transferred his license to Keller Williams and he became Rookie of the Year in his first year. Looking to take his game to the next level, Sajag went through the KW MAPS BOLD, and his business went up that year.
Sajag partnered with KW MAPS Coaching in 2015 to coach the top agents in the field. Since then, he has become an Executive Coach, as well as a Head Coach. In 2019, Sajag joined Monica Reynolds and Fritz Pollard to revolutionize MAPS with the mission of altering human trajectory and changing lives.
Today, Sajag is the Founder and CEO of BOLD Real Estate Consultants. He is also the Vice President of Segments for Keller Williams Realty Inc., where he is in charge of leading the growth and development of its established real estate market segments that include KW Luxury, KW Commercial, KW Land, KW New Homes, KW Military, KW Young Professionals, and KW Sports + Entertainment.
Louie Hamner grew up in Indiana in a farming community with 12 other siblings. Growing up poor, he came to a point in his life where he decided that it was not a life he wanted to live. So in the summer of the 6th grade, he started earning money for himself by catching fireflies for a penny.
He was able to pay for his school books and bought things for himself with the money he earned. At his young age, this taught him the importance of hardwork and grit.
Years later, Louie started his career in the title industry. But after a couple of unfortunate events, he ended up getting fired from 2 companies in 7 months. He remembers wanting to quit at that time but his father advised him not to unless he tries again someplace else.
From 2005 to 2012, he started to build his own title business. And in 2015, he merged with Keystone Title to create Vanguard Title.
Today, Louie Hamner is the Founder of Vanguard Title Insurance Agency, LLC. He also focuses on inspiring people through his motivational talks. He's also ventured into a new area of breathwork, which he shares with people in hopes of impacting their lives in a massive way.
Top Takeaways: 02:07 How Louie’s childhood plays into who he is today 11:09 How did he end up in the title business 11:53 What was the “career limiting move” that got him fired from Fidelity? 27:28 What he realized about people who love their job 34:25 What the merger with Keystone Title was like 36:04 How he came to terms with his limiting belief 38:48 The importance of practicing empathy 48:45 What other opportunities opened up for Louie after he sold his business 51:19 How practicing breathwork changed Louie’s life
Brett Jennings got into real estate right after the market crashed in 2008. At that time, he saw an opportunity doing short sales and foreclosures, which gave him the experience necessary to understand the value of leverage and importance of building a team.
Yet, Brett knew that he couldn’t do short sales and foreclosures forever. So even before the market turned a couple of years later, he was already looking for his next niche opportunity. That’s when he shifted his focus into building a real estate team.
He worked the real estate team model successfully for about 6 years until he started to recognize that it also has limitations. The people he hired, trained, and supported eventually wanted to get a higher split, have their own identity, and build their own brand.
Although the situation left Brett feeling frustrated and betrayed, he wanted to know if it’s possible to create a team environment for these people, and still be in a relationship with them. This ultimately led to the “teamerage” (team+brokerage) model.
Today, Brett Jennings is a Founder, Award-Winning REALTOR®, and Luxury Home Marketing Expert at Real Estate Experts. He is a best-selling author and is recognized as one of the top 1,000 agents in the country.
Let’s hear from Brett as he shares his journey from being a solo agent to building a team, then eventually landing on this hybrid model of a “teamerage”, which has enabled him to scale and grow his annual production from $124 million in 2019 to $1.2 billion in 2021.
Top Takeaways: 04:35 How Brett recognized the team model’s limitations 08:10 The most discouraging and frustrating moment in Bretts business career 11:37 What is the “teamerage” model? 12:38 The Brett Jennings Group’s value proposition 13:36 What made Brett decide to start the “teamerage” model 16:01 The changes Brett’s team had to go through to support an increase from 160 to 804 transactions 18:01 How Brett dealt with a painful business experience and how he managed to fix it 26:18 What are some of the key things that people should take advantage of to invest in themselves? 28:26 The power of a mastermind 31:07 How meditation changed Brett’s life
Brandon Hedges got into real estate by accident. He was in between a job and starting law school when a close friend convinced him to try selling real estate. He agreed thinking that he could pay his way through law school and make a little money while doing it.
Three and a half years later, he graduated from law school, worked in a law firm for a while and realized it was a lot more fun working in real estate and building the business. At that time, the industry was rapidly expanding and changing. And real estate was becoming more professional in a way that people were looking at it as a business entity.
Brandon, along with his friend, formed a real estate team and built their business around first time homebuyers. As they were trying to get established and grow their network, they realized that there was an opportunity to do the same thing using the internet and online tools. That’s when they decided to build websites to promote themselves and build their own IDX platform.
In 2014, they were looking for a provider for their real estate websites, who had a vision for the future, continuously innovating, and was someone they could partner with. That’s when they met the CEO of Sierra Interactive. Over the course of several years, they’ve developed a strong business relationship which eventually led to Brandon working at Sierra Interactive full time.
Today, Brandon Hedges is the COO of Sierra Interactive, a complete real estate technology platform, purpose-built to help agents, teams, and brokerages close more deals. Brandon works to oversee the company’s strategies, operations, and metrics.
Top Takeaways:
05:06 How Brandon evolved from selling real estate to working for a tech company that provides real estate tools to real estate agents. 11:04 How Brandon found Sierra Interactive 18:37 What sets Sierra Interactive apart from the competition 21:01 Who is Sierra Interactive’s ideal customer 22:43 The pain points that Sierra Interactive are facing right now 23:56 Why companies should focus their time and energy into coaching their people. 25:19 Why leaders should re-evaluate themselves on the job each year 30:25 What does the future look like for traditional brokerages? 31:34 Brandon’s one piece of advice to Real Estate Agents 32:52 The value of embracing the data
To get a hold of Brandon and to know more about Sierra Interactive, go to www.sierrainteractive.com
Tyler Smith was 19 when he went into real estate. After selling his first home, he was amazed at how much money there was to make. After eight months, he had sold 15 homes and was already making more money than his friends who had attended college. That’s when he decided to go all-in, double down on his referrals and build his own business.
Being ultra-competitive, Tyler always felt the need to be around better and more prominent people and soak up as much advice as he could from them. And what motivated him the most was proving people wrong - especially those who believed he would fail.
Tyler became hugely successful through a referral-based business. Yet, he found glaring inefficiencies in the administrative side of real estate. Thus, he created Skyslope, his transaction management solution that keeps tabs on real estate transactions to promote a paperless system. Today, Tyler Smith is the Founder and CEO of Skyslope. His achievements have earned him numerous accolades, including being named one of REALTOR Magazine's Top 30 Under 30 and one of the Wall Street Journal's Top 250 Teams. He is also considered an industry expert and innovator dedicated to helping Realtors, Brokers, and entrepreneurs achieve their goals.
Top Takeaways:
03:34 How his bad experience as a first-time homebuyer inspired him to become a Realtor 07:10 The life-changing moment that took him from a naive agent to making it big in real estate 17:32 How Tyler ended up in REALTOR Magazine’s 30 Under 30 20:05 How Skyslope came about 30:33 How Tyler got national brokerages to use Skyslope as a required system for their business 35:12 The story behind the Fidelity merger 41:13 What the next five years in real estate look like? 47:23 Who will be the true winners in the future in the real estate space 48:58 Why Realtors should focus on how to provide value to consumers 49:37 Tyler’s one advice to Realtors
When Ryan Flint got into real estate, he realized he wanted to deal with CEO’s and corporations rather than sell homes. That’s when he decided to go into commercial real estate.
He then learned pretty quickly that the commercial real estate brokerage community is pretty competitive. And to survive, you’d have to “eat what you kill”. He also noticed that this industry lacked a good customer service base. He found this difficult to accept because he grew up in a family where they were taught to do selfless acts for others and not just to think about their own gain.
Ryan wanted to do things differently. He thought, he may not be able to change how the commercial real estate world thinks, he can at least change the way he does things. By focusing on providing good customer service, he was able to develop key relationships that turned out to be a major factor in his success.
Less than a decade into the business, Ryan is now considered a rockstar of the commercial real estate industry. He’s highly respected and decorated across the country, winning several top-performing awards throughout his career.
Today, Ryan Flint, SIOR, is the CEO and Principal of the Ryan Flint Team. They’re one of the top commercial real estate teams in Utah and they primarily do office industrial land investment sales, offering 100% full service across the board.
Let’s hear from Ryan as he shares his journey and how implementing his own way of customer service and helping others helped his business thrive. .
Top Takeaways:
03:57 How Ryan became an expert at building solid relationships 06:33 What makes Ryan different from his competitors 16:15 The most powerful thing about customer service 17:41 Ryan’s advice to those in the residential real estate space 21:28 The biggest takeaway Ryan’s dad taught him 25:11 What makes the Ryan Flint Team special 33:35 Commercial real estate’s biggest challenge 37:47 The next step in Ryan’s life 42:17 What Real Estate Avengers is all about 43:36 How much value can you get from a mastermind group
To get in touch with Ryan Flint, check his Instagram page @the.ryanfint or email him at info@ryanflintteam.com. You may also check their website at www.ryanflintteam.com
In 2011, Josh Cunningham was working as a recruiter for a small boutique brokerage. He attended a Mike Ferry training event when he met Frank Klesitz, CEO of Vyral Marketing. Frank’s story of success inspired him so much that a few months later, he reached out to Frank to ask how he can work for him. This was when he decided to take a leap of faith and jump into the entrepreneurial world.
A couple of years later, a client he had at Vyral Marketing, Spring Bengtzen, shared that despite the work she puts into her real estate business, she just wasn’t seeing the results she wanted. At that time, a lot of people from the industry are attributing their success to the ISA model. Josh then decided to help Spring make her first ISA hire. Today, Josh Cunningham is the CEO and Founder of rokrbox, a premium real estate ISA company that connects serious buyers and sellers with highly reliable and successful Realtors across the US and Canada. To date, Josh’s team has managed more than two million Internet leads using his proven model.
Let’s hear from Josh as he shares his insights on the ISA model and the top 5 biggest mistakes agents are making with their leads.
Top Takeaways:
01:23 How Josh got started in the real estate industry 04:06 How rokrbox came to be 09:34 The formula they follow at rokrbox 10:18 What entrepreneurship is all about 11:06 The value of having a dedicated person to follow-up on your leads 11:27 What are the biggest mistakes agents make with their leads 18:47 How to hold a conversation with somebody without any local market knowledge 21:37 Why you should always communicate strong recommendations. 26:44 Why you shouldn’t waste all your time with leads who are not yet motivated 28:43 Josh’s take on where the real estate industry is going
Download the Top 5 Mistakes that Agents Make with their Leads: https://bit.ly/3JdZVDy
To get in touch with Josh Cunningham, email him at Josh@rokrbox.com Or check their website at https://rokrbox.com/
Joe Herrera comes from a long line of alcoholics and his family lived from paycheck to paycheck. With a lack of ideal role models in his family, Joe got terrible grades and he barely finished high school.
After graduation, he went on a 2-year mission with their church and this experience changed him as a person. Coming home, he knew he wanted to break those generational chains and make something of himself. He also knew he didn’t want to pursue college. Since he believed that he has a talent in sales, he decided to go into real estate.
Several years into the business, Joe decided to shift his focus and start a marketing technology company. Unfortunately, the app they developed was unable to reach the number of daily users they needed and they couldn’t raise the additional funds to keep going and the company eventually failed.
In 2014, Joe went back to real estate full-time. But this time around, he wanted to do something different. He took what he learned from running his marketing tech company, which is the power of social media, and used it as leverage to blow up his real estate career.
Today, Joe Herrera is the Owner/Partner at Joe Taylor Group. He is also the Owner of Love Local Real Estate, Brokered by ΓEA⅃ Broker. He believes that agents should focus on money-generating activities like building relationships and getting deals under contract. That is why they’ve built a system that handles the technology, lead generation, and transaction management side of the business.
Let’s hear from Joe as he shares his journey, his insights on the challenges that the real estate industry is facing, and how his failures led him to success.
Top Takeaways:
08:52 Why building a real estate business is not really a fun endeavor 09:44 Why Joe decided to build a marketing technology company 11:06 How failing at his tech company fueled his successful real estate business 12:17 What led Joe to start his own brokerage 13:37 Is it advisable to sell your independent brokerage? 17:36 The most painful loss his business went through 25:22 The number 1 pain point for broker-owners 27:30 Why they joined ΓEA⅃ Broker 33:23 How Sisu changed the way Joe looks at their team 36:12 Why do more teams today focus on ancillaries? 39:41 Joe’s most valuable possession
Guy Gal has always been a problem solver. Growing up, he liked to solve complex problems especially when they affect people he cares about. He also liked to do it for those who deserve to be helped because they were exploited or mistreated. This had a great impact on how he made decisions in his life.
Guy started his first company in college and what started as a little weekend project eventually grew into a company with hundreds of employees. Many years later, he realized that this was not how he wanted to live the rest of his life. He wanted to live his life more deliberately and find something that he will enjoy doing forever. It didn’t matter how difficult or complicated it was, as long as it’s worthwhile.
Then he remembered how he, as a consumer, had both good and bad experiences with real estate. He wondered where that inconsistency came from and asked an agent about it. He was told that no matter how much creativity, effort and hard work an agent puts in a transaction, it’s the brokerage that gets the credit. That’s why some agents prefer to have a company of their own without having to operate a brokerage to do it.
That’s when Guy had the idea of starting an “invisible” brokerage that will come in and do all the back-office work to serve the agent and his brand with no compromises whatsoever. Today, Guy Gal is the CEO and Co-Founder of Side Inc, the only real estate brokerage that exclusively partners with top-producing agents to help them operate, develop and grow their businesses. He is dedicated to transforming high-performing agents into market-leading boutique brands and believes that the future of real estate is local, boutique, specialized, and agent-owned.
Let’s hear from Guy as he shares his insights about the real estate industry, his mission to go against the monoliths in the business, and how his achievements paved the way for his company to earn the title - Company of the Year by INMAN.
Top Takeaways:
07:24 Why Guy chose the real estate industry 09:05 The magical “AHA” moment that started Side 13:08 Who was Side’s very first partner 21:35 Why Side only caters to 3 states 24:21 The most important question to ask when you’re building a business 24:40 What the real estate industry needs 26:12 The difference between a meaningful enterprise from a financially sound one 40:16 Why entrepreneurs need to start with the end in mind 42:27 Where is the industry headed to 3 to 5 years from now 44:13 How brokerages contribute to the commoditization of the agent 51:18 The most important statistic for Side 51:52 What Guy is most proud of about his business
To know more about Guy Gal, visit: https://www.sideinc.com/
When he was six, Rod Khleif and his family migrated from Holland and settled in Denver. They didn’t have much growing up. To put food on the table, his mother worked as a housemaid and did babysitting on the side. But his mom had an incredible work ethic and was a bit of an entrepreneur as well. With the money she earned from babysitting, she bought the house across the street from where they were living. Three years later, his mom was able to sell that house and make a $20,000 profit. He remembered his mom telling him that she made $20,000 in her sleep. This sparked his interest in real estate investing.
In his third year of being a real estate broker, he met a guy who taught him that up to 90% of our success in anything is our mindset and psychology. This thought led him to 10x his income that year. In 2006, his net worth shot up to $17 million - while he slept.
But all that changed when the market crashed in 2008 when he lost a staggering $50 million. His net worth dropped by more than 70% and he felt he had to throw in the towel. This painful yet valuable lesson reminded him that the key to recovering from his losses was to work on his mindset.
Today, Rod Khleif is an accomplished entrepreneur, real estate investor, author, mentor, and community philanthropist who is passionate about business, life, success, and giving back. He is also the host of the top-ranked iTunes real estate podcast: The Lifetime Cash Flow Through Real Estate Investing where he advocates creating lifetime cash flow through multifamily properties.
Let’s hear from Rod as he shares his life’s journey and why real happiness cannot be achieved by having the life you always dreamed of but by giving back to those who truly need it.
Top Takeaways:
06:04 How Rod lost $50 million 06:55 What makes cash flow so important? 10:18 The importance of failing your way to success 13:30 How being accountable for yourself helps you to move forward 15:32 Why you need to build cash flow other than real estate sales 16:56 Rod’s thoughts on Airbnb 22:24 The difference in investing in multi-family properties vs. single-family homes and other asset classes 24:50 How Tony Robbins influenced Rod 26:12 A step by step guide to Rod’s goal-setting strategy 32:07 The core emotion you need to get what you want in life 38:56 Why happiness comes from progress and growth 39:01 The biggest lesson Rod wants to share with the audience
To know more about Rod Khleif:
Visit his website: https://rodkhleif.com/ Listen to his podcast: Lifetime Cash Flow Through Real Estate Investing Rod Khleif Join his Facebook Group: multifamilycommunity.com
You can also join his Multifamily Bootcamp which is happening from Dec 3rd to 5th, 2021. To get a special discount, text multifamily to 72345 with the code: rodfriend
Although Andrew Franklin’s father had a successful real estate business, he was against the idea that his children would follow in his footsteps. Somehow, he believed that the real estate agent will be eliminated in the future. So Andrew worked in investment banking for 6 years, primarily on mergers and acquisitions.
But real estate runs in their family’s blood and Andrew didn’t just want to be his father’s son. He wanted to try and grow their business and not screw it up. This is why, eight years ago, he, his sister, and a third partner decided to buy his father’s real estate business.
Today, Andrew Franklin is the owner/partner at The Franklin Team where he has helped grow the business from having 3 to 4 agents doing up to 600 deals with $150 million in sales, to having 25 agents that will sell 1,800 homes for more than $600 million in sales this year. They have also successfully created ancillary businesses as part of their growth.
In this episode, we talked about:
04:52 How Andrew and his partners acquired the business from his father 06:50 What sets The Franklin Team apart 07:11 Why Andrew considers builder leads a very warm and predictable listing lead 15:30 Why it’s okay to rip off and duplicate business models in real estate 16:42 How The Franklin Team took out 99.99% of their competitors 24:55 What made them decide to start their own title company 26:54 Why they moved from REMAX to eXp 29:26 Where's Andrew thinks the industry is going over the next 3-5 years 32:23 The great thing about having ancillary businesses in real estate 32:49 Why Andrew thinks the real estate agent will continue to be around in some form or fashion in the future 34:13 The most important investment we can make. 37:23 Why Andrew’s father changed his mindset about coaching 43:41 Andrew’s one piece of advice for those who are striving to grow?
Here are ways to get in touch with Andrew: Phone: 281-248-8520 ext 107 Email: andrew.franklin@thefranklinteaminc.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-franklin-7482952/
Doug Gieck was managing ice cream shops when he got headhunted as a client care coordinator for a referral business under the REMAX Alliance brokerage. He didn’t know anything about real estate then but he was able to learn his way around by making appointments for real estate agents.
In 2009, the company Doug worked for started their own brokerage, 8z Real Estate. Here, he started as the manager of the client care team. Then he worked his way up each year until he became in charge of running operations for the brokerage.
Today, Doug Gieck is the Vice President of Production at 8z Real Estate. From having 30 agents, they have now grown to about 165 agents. They achieved $1.4 billion in volume doing 2,700 transactions last year. Their goal is to up those numbers to $1.75 billion with 3,000 transactions this year.
In this episode, we talked about:
06:22 What is 8z’s big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG)? 09:44 Doug’s advice to those building an ISA team 13:14 The most successful lead source 17:10 How to get your team to produce $1B in volume 23:27 What Doug thinks about running gamification in their business 24:03 How giving your agents recognition goes a long way 26:15 How to motivate agents and hold them accountable 29:15 8z’s core purpose 33:22 Why 8z signed up with Sisu 35:30 The true purpose of going into ancillary businesses 40:27 Doug’s one piece of advice in terms of innovation and automation 42:38 What Doug does daily to stay ahead of the curve 44:28 How having a calendar sets you free
To get in touch with Doug Gieck, check the links below:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-gieck-34b601a/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/douglas.gieck Website: https://8z.com/
When Chris Craddock graduated college in 2000, he worked as a staff for a Christian ministry where he earned $20,000 a year. After 3 years, his wife got pregnant and he knew he needed to earn more. This was when he looked into real estate investing and got the idea of talking to people who were in distress and offered to buy their houses. In the next four months, he ended up making 12 times as much as he did in a year doing his previous job.
Inspired by Gary Keller’s book, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, Chris decided to build his own team in 2014. In 2020, Chris’s team made 501 transactions, both on and off-market, for $167 million in sales volume. He has also expanded to several ancillary businesses including home insurance, title, and mortgage.
Today, Chris Craddock is the Founder and CEO of The Redux Group. He is a nationally certified Life Coach with a Doctorate in Leadership and is the driving force behind REI Revive which is an advanced online training that teaches how to turn dead leads into cash. He is also the host of the Uncommon Real Estate Podcast and entrepreneur who runs multiple successful businesses in the Washington DC Metro area (and Richmond, VA).
In this episode, we talked about:
03:59 The key to being a great leader 04:44 A great resource for anyone looking to recruit great people. 08:23 How Chris started his career in real estate 14:44 What Chris thinks of having a home insurance business 24:35 Why Chris got into coaching 25:18 A really good ancillary business that I think a lot of people miss 31:25 The problem with entrepreneurs 34:39 What was the idea behind the Uncommon Real Estate podcast? 35:23 Why every real estate agent needs to be an investor 36:58 What is Chris’ morning routine 38:49 Why we need to become corporate athletes
To get in touch with Chris Craddock, check the links below:
Instagram: Chris Craddock @craddrock Facebook: Uncommon Real Estate Podcast REI Revive: http://chriscraddock.com
Tamir Poleg started in the real estate industry as a construction worker 16 years ago. This experience allowed him to learn homes and construction from a fundamental level. After earning a degree in economics, he joined the tech world with a couple of start-up companies doing mainly sales positions in Europe.
In 2006, Tamir started his own real estate company in Houston, Texas. When the market tanked in 2007 - 2008, he saw the opportunity to invest in real estate and grew his portfolio, property management company, and construction company. Despite the odds, it turned out to be a good decision, and he ended up selling that company in 2013. A year later, he started Real, a technology-powered real estate brokerage, and this is where he’s been devoting his life to ever since.
Today, Tamir Poleg is the CEO at The Real Brokerage Inc. The company recently rang the bell at Nasdaq and is currently on a mission to make agents' lives better, creating financial opportunities for agents through better commission splits, best-in-class technology, revenue sharing, and equity incentives.
In this episode, we talked about:
03:36 Why Tamir decided to go into the real estate world? 07:22 How COVID gave way to in opening up the industry virtually 08:56 Why Tamir chose New York to start his own company 10:30 What was the vision for Real when they first started it? 15:13 When did the idea of building wealth through Real come about? 19:47 What sets Real apart from a traditional brokerage? 20:11 Why are agents attracted to Real? 22:49 How revenue sharing works at Real 24:16 What is the tech platform that Real uses? 25:11 The four main pillars of technology 30:15 Tamir’s most crucial piece of advice
In 2005, Rivers Pearce started doing e-commerce and lead generation for an ad agency in Atlanta and then moved to Charleston and South Carolina. Five years later, a real estate technology startup called BoomTown was looking for someone who can do search engine marketing and Rivers joined them as their 10th employee.
For almost a decade, Rivers helped grow BoomTown’s client base from 70 to well over 3000 clients by serving as their Director of Client Success, Director of Digital Marketing & Strategy.
With his vast experience working with operations and team/brokerage structures as well as the various technology, marketing, advertising, and operational components that support all of that, Rivers is considered a veteran in the real estate technology space.
Today, Rivers is the CEO & Co-Founder of W8less, a real estate and property technology consultancy that is focused on making people's processes better and ultimately creating an infrastructure to support their business’ success.
In this episode we talked about:
00:57 How Rivers came up with the weightless concept? 04:20 What does that mean to be “weightless”? 09:45 How Sisu’s way of automating processes helped operational efficiency for teams and brokerages 18:39 The key difference between Sisu and other transaction management platforms 20:24 What Rivers thinks anyone managing a real estate business should know 20:56 The value of looking outside the industry for your competitors 25:15 Why you should work with companies that can help you navigate the technology aspects of your business 26:23 What advice Rivers has for business owners moving forward
Growing up, Steve de Laveaga loved playing basketball. As a high school senior, he attended basketball camps at Cal Lutheran. Due to his athletic talent, he was offered a full academic scholarship and decided to take up Communications.
Through this course, he discovered that the key to creating great influence and wealth in any field is the ability to communicate your vision and passion to your network. As as he got older, he has made it his mission to make people’s lives better through his positive influence.
For almost a decade, Steve was the SVP and National Sales Manager for Fidelity National Title Group, encompassing multiple Divisions and overseeing 3,100 Sales Executives, and assisting over 200 sales managers across the US. Here, he assisted their partners and stakeholders in growing their business and bringing value to real estate companies.
Today, Steve is the Founder and CEO at Real Intelligent Sales Engagement (R.I.S.E.). Their main goal is to be the best business-to-business facilitator with clients and prospects in the real estate space. They also work with top producing teams and focus on helping agents develop into “sales savants” and be in their company’s top 10%.
Top Takeaways:
03:06 Why Steve has chosen to work with elite teams 09:54 How Steve came up with R.I.S.E 11:23 The 3 key things a team must have to achieve more closings 12:54 The value of follow-up 14:23 Why more agents don’t always mean more closings 15:42 Why you need to be accountable to the process and business of real estate 21:34 Where Steve sees the real estate industry ending up in the next 3-5 years 23:27 What Zillow and Open Door haven't figured out yet 24:28 What will happen if Google or Facebook goes into real estate? 27:11 Why you need to watch out for Keller Williams 36:38 What Steve loves about Sisu dashboards 42:38 Steve’s vision for consumer experience 46:08 What is Steve’s most important piece of advice?
To get a hold of Steve, you may visit https://salesisacareer.com/
Upon getting his real estate license in 2000, Michael LaFido worked as a part-time agent and full-time high school health and physical education teacher. But with a growing family, he felt he was spreading himself too thin. So in 2010, he decided to go into real estate full time.
Several years later, Michael did some real estate coaching and consulting where he developed a product called “The Ultimate Listing Blueprint”. This product led him to meet a gentleman who coaches top luxury agents who are having difficulty competing in their marketplace.
He found that most agents who deal with luxury properties think that the only way they’d be able to compete is if they become one of the cheaper agents in their market - which he doesn’t agree with. This was when he made the shift to luxury listings on his home selling side and his coaching/consulting side as well.
Today, Michael is the Founder & CEO at Luxury Listing Specialist Designation(LUXE) where he helps brokers and agents improve their luxury marketing strategies to help sell more luxury homes. His methods are considered “The New Standard” for marketing luxury homes today.
Key Takeaways:
05:20 The 3 things agents can do to make more money 07:28 What is a luxury listing? 09:22 The 4 primary price points in most markets 10:20 How to make the switch to luxury listings? 21:25 What trends does Michael see in marketing versus what everyone else does? 21:46 What does “fresh eyes analysis” mean? 25:56 Michael’s vision for the market 30:29 What’s the best method of learning for Michael 36:01 How to have a great year for your business 37:18 Michael’s most important piece of advice
To get a hold of Michael LaFido, you may email him at michael@marketingluxurygroup.com. You may also check his social media pages: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxurylistingspecialist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lafido Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikelafido/
Baseball has always been Robert Lucido’s dream and passion. At the age of 5, he dreamed of joining the big leagues. He played through high school, became an all-academic athlete in college, and played professionally for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers.
He was often the smallest guy on the team. But what he lacked in height, he made up for in hard work. As an athlete, he always believed in setting goals and making progress in achieving those goals. He brought the same passion and grit when he transitioned into the real estate world in 2018.
Today, Robert is the Director of Business Development for Lucido Global. He drives corporate strategy and innovation, intending to create an economic moat, scale, and efficiency across the Lucido companies.
In this episode, we talked about how the adversities he faced in his baseball career helped shape his character and what you can do to keep creating opportunities in your life and your career.
Key Takeaways:
03:18 How Robert started his baseball career
07:12 The importance of proper timing
11:31 What made Robert decide to leave baseball
16:10 The book that helped Robert get out of rock-bottom
20:09 The changes that Robert sees in the market
25:04 What are “forest agents”?
27:33 Who is the future of real estate: Teams or solo agents?
32:33 The key technologies people need to have in their real estate business
32:50 The value of time
34:02 How leveraging technology can affect your ROI
36:54 What does Lucido Global’s latest acquisition mean for their business
38:06 What benefits do team owners get when they join Lucido Global?
42:00 Robert’s most important piece of advice
To get a hold of Robert, you may email him at robertlucido@lucidoglobal.com
Brad Sugars has been in business since he was 15 years old. He has bought, sold, or started more than 50 companies. Throughout his 3-decade career as an entrepreneur, he has become a strong advocate for building a business that works without you.
Today, Brad Sugars owns 9 companies and is the CEO & Founder of the largest business coaching company in the world, ActionCOACH. He is also a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the #1 business coach in the world.
In this episode, we talked about the 5 Core Disciplines of Exponential Growth in Your Business and how his systematic approach to business has allowed him to spend more time doing what really matters to him.
Key Takeaways:
02:32 Brad’s goal as an educator 03:43 What the 30X Business Training is all about 06:29 Why Brad thinks that “hustle and grind” is the new stupid 07:19 The 5 Core Disciplines of Exponential Growth for Your Business 09:16 Why ActionCOACH and Sisu get along so well 12:43 A CEO’s number 1 job 14:41 The 4 complex areas of a business strategy 14:46 Brad’s definition of leverage 20:35 How important are ratings and rankings 21:54 How many times should you be posting on social media today? 24:52 Brad’s advice for people who run large team brokerages but struggle to recruit within their organization 28:11 Why people leave their jobs 29:47 The one thing Brad keeps coming back to when it comes to sales
To know more about Brad Sugars, go to https://bradsugars.com/ or visit https://www.actioncoach.com/ To check out Brad’s latest book, Pulling Profits out of a Hat, go to: https://www.audible.com/pd/Pulling-Profits-out-of-a-Hat-Audiobook/B07YSXPTWF
Kevin Flaherty has been in the real estate business for 33 years. He was a solo agent for a very long time and used to build custom web pages for homes in the ’90s. When MLS listings went online, he was already ahead of the curve. He thought of ways to further improve web pages by adding plans and videos with narration.
He then ran a team under iPro Realty Ltd. Brokerage for the past 11 years where he was the overall number one top producer for 10 straight years. Here, he offered cutting-edge real estate marketing to help sell homes.
Today, Kevin Flaherty is a Real Estate Broker at eXp Realty where he continues to provide clients his decades of experience, advanced marketing technologies, and direct exposure to thousands of successful real estate transactions.
In this episode, we discussed his high-end marketing model, his views on what the ideal real estate team structure should look like, and all the things he loves about Sisu.
Top Takeaways:
02:17 How does Video-narrated 3D animated online showing work? 11:34 What motivated Kevin to make the move to eXp Realty 15:13 One of the biggest misconceptions about eXp 18:26 How Kevin structured his team 22:35 How to get agents to do the activities they should be doing 23:59 How technology makes the hiring process more efficient 28:37 How does a team owner get their agents to focus on selling real estate 31:12 Kevin’s advice on how to get an ISA team up and functioning successfully 34:01 Why Kevin highly recommends Sisu 35:02 What every top producer should know 35:43 The enormous mistake that led him to find Sisu 38:18 What Kevin loves about Sisu
To get in touch with Kevin Flaherty, go to www.flaherty.ca. You can also email him at kevin@flaherty.ca or call 226-916-0595.
Spring Bengtzen started in real estate while she was only 22. A developer refused to hire her at that time because they thought she was too young. However, she was determined to prove herself, so she agreed to work for free for the first couple of months. After learning the trade, she was able to sell her first house just by transacting over the phone. This impressed the developer, and they decided to keep her.
She worked her way up to being their principal broker and sold thousands of properties while she was there. But when the economy tanked in ‘08, they filed for bankruptcy. At that time, Spring was listed as one of REALTOR’s Magazine 30 under 30, and she had the opportunity to join Keller-Williams. From 2010 to 2019, she built and grew her team to become the largest in Utah.
Eventually, Spring felt she was ready for something more. So in 2019, she started her own brokerage under Realty One. While she loved its branding and transaction model, she realized that she’s really not meant to be a broker-owner. She had to let go of her ego, sell her brokerage, and ultimately joined REAL Broker LLC.
Today, Spring is the CEO of the Utah Life Real Estate Group & REAL Broker LLC. at Real Broker USA. In today’s episode, we talked about her plans for building wealth, what she loves about joining REAL Broker LLC, and the biggest challenge she ever had to deal with in her life.
Top Takeaways:
02:47 The projects that Spring is currently working on 04:57 How Spring manages to continue to double her business every year 06:06 How you should do morning huddles 08:18 What one-on-one sessions look like in Spring’s business 11:24 How does “special agent attraction strategy” work? 16:36 Why Spring decided to buy a brokerage 19:34 What Spring loves about REAL Broker LLC 23:59 The value of having a plan for building wealth 28:07 How to achieve work-life balance when you and your spouse are both in real estate 31:35 How Spring’s determination helped her get to the next level 32:29 Why you need to believe that the worst day of your life has already happened 33:41 The worst trauma Spring had to deal with in her life 36:28 Why you should live your life as a choice
To get in touch with Spring, check her Instagram page @springbengtzen. You may also send an email to spring@liveutah.com or contact 801-641-1431.
Before coming into the real estate world, Brindley Tucker worked in the financial sector and sold country club memberships. She realized then that the best way to learn things is to become an assistant to someone doing it. So when she wanted to go into real estate in 2011, she decided to apply as a real estate assistant and ended up working as a KW Marketplace Director of Agent Services.
This was also the time where she went through massive personal challenges and had to make some major life decisions - one of which was to start her own transactions management company. She started as an independent operation, and in 3 years, she grew her team and was able to close 2,000 real estate transactions in a year.
Due to her success, Keller-Williams invited her to become a MAPS coach to teach and train other people how to do transaction management.
Today, Brindley Tucker is a licensed REALTOR® and the owner of Your Realty Leverage, Inc., a recruiting, training, and coaching firm where she specializes in unifying teams and helping agents increase leverage in their businesses.
In this episode, we talked about her journey, how an incident that happened during the darkest point in her life changed her, and how she viewed the world.
Top takeaways:
03:49 Brindley’s vision for her company 05:33 How Brindley went through the darkest part of her life and what it taught her. 12:47 What is Fail Forward Friday? 13:50 Why is Brindley called “The Queen of Leverage”? 15:40 The 5 things real estate agents should be doing from the time they enter the industry 24:33 How do agents determine their hourly rate? 26:21 How to make leverage work for team owners 28:40 The importance of regularly auditing your systems, technology, and people 37:21 What self-care should be all about 38:58 What is Brindley’s number 1 source of growth
To get in touch with Brindley, go to www.yourrealtyleverage.com
You may also reach her directly at 727-512-9098 or check her Facebook and Instagram page @brindleytucker
Hedda Parashos has been a real estate agent since 2006. Eight years ago, she started Palisades Realty with 14 agents. For the longest time, Hedda didn't want to grow her business mainly because she was afraid of growth. Eventually, a third of her staff left the company and in her mind, she felt stagnant.
That’s when she decided to change and do an overhaul of not just her mindset but of the entire brokerage as well. That’s when Raquel Rivas came into the picture. An in 2019, their brokerage experienced a tremendous amount of growth.
Today, Hedda Parashos is the owner and Raquel Rivas is the COO of Palisades Realty. From selling 136 units in 2019, they’ve projected to hit 250 units in 2020.
In this episode, we talked about Hedda and Raquel’s journey on how they took their business to the next level and how SISU has been an instrumental part of that.
Top Takeaways:
02:29 How to move on from your fear of growth to the next level 07:19 When did Hedda realize what her true problem was 11:48 What is Palisades Realty’s vision for 2021? 13:15 How Palisades Realty attract agents because of SISU 21:03 How to make agents love attending weekly meetings 25:32 How the competitive spirit of their brokerage has driven them to success 28:17 How competitiveness leads to lifting others up 28:56 The value of feedback
After going through a massive business failure almost 10 years ago, Chris decided to give real estate a try. He’s always been attracted to this industry because of the many different things one gets to learn from it and how there are no limits on personal growth.
Chris started doing really well as an agent. But eventually, he found that the work that needed to be done was taking too much of his time. He started to lose flexibility and freedom which are some of the main reasons why he went into this business in the first place. This led him to build his own brokerage in the summer of 2011.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as well as he had planned. From a profitability perspective, he knew he worked harder but he realized that he made less money now than he did a couple of years back. He ended up literally burning his business down to the ground and started to implement Gary Keller’s MREA model. Today, Chris is the founder of Watters International Realty which is one of the most respected teams in Central Texas.
In this episode, we talked about how Chris took his business to the next level and who are the first three key hires to hitting $1M in annual GCI.
Top Takeaways:
01:36 Why Chris got into real estate 02:12 What made Chris decide to build a team 05:55 How much do you need to make to afford leadership to help you run the business 07:16 The one skill you need to master to become wealthy in real estate 08:26 Who your first hire should be from a leverage perspective 13:36 The 3 things a listing agent should be focusing on 16:09 What are the 3 unique phases of the growth curve 21:09 One of the biggest mistake people make when hiring an agent 23:14 The 3 things to look for in candidates while within the 90-day probationary window 25:36 The value of creating a conducive environment to set people up for success. To get a FREE copy of Chris’ book, The Million Dollar Real Estate Team, go to https://www.themilliondollarrealestateteam.com/
Matt Mick started his own real estate team with 5 to 6 agents. However, year after year, they noticed that their sales slowed down, with only minor growth. In order to go to the next phase of their business, they knew they needed a better way to manage things in their team. That’s when they decided to jump on with Sisu.
Today, Matt is the Team Lead at Lincoln Select Real Estate Group - Nebraska Realty. From doing 130 transactions a year, they are now aiming for 500 this year. And after finishing with $50M two years ago, their closings and under contracts are currently at $60M with 6 more months to go before this year ends.
In this episode, we talked about:
(03:10) What Matt’s business looked like before they had SISU (04:44) What to love about having systems (06:00) The key to doing more transactions without having to hire more agents (06:44) The difference between hiring experienced agents vs. new agents (07:20) What are some misconceptions about teams (07:50) How important is transparency when it comes to commission splits with agents (14:22) How to deal with ISAs who want to transition into the agent role (18:00) Why do some team owners/leads prefer to select which agents get certain lead types (18:42) What does an agent have to do to get into the lead rotation (26:03) What are the 3-5 things that you absolutely must do to succeed as a new team owner (32:23) One of the biggest challenges that a leader must face (34:47) Why we must always keep learning
Michelle Seiler Tucker is the CEO and Founder of Seiler Tucker Incorporated. Michelle has sold over 500 enterprises and currently owns and operates a number of profitable companies. Michelle Seiler Tucker is a professional with the following distinctions and certifications: M&AMI (Master Intermediary in Mergers and Acquisitions), CSBA (Certified Senior Business Analyst), Best-Selling Author, and M&A Panelist.
Michelle is a foremost expert in buying, selling, fixing, and growing businesses, as well as boosting revenue streams. Michelle has sold hundreds of businesses and franchises over the last ten years. She continues to assist customers from all walks of life in achieving the American Dream, achieving financial independence, becoming their own boss, and improving their quality of life.
Her latest book, Exit Rich, is a must-have guide for business owners who are looking to sell their business now, and for those who are just starting to build their companies to sell for huge profits in the future.
In this episode, we talked about:
03:21 How Michelle got into buying, selling, fixing, and growing businesses 04:55 The biggest mistake that a lot of business owners make 07:19 What’s the GPS Exit Model 08:06 Why every business need an annual valuation 08:53 Events that can increase or decrease valuations 10:11 The 5 different types of buyers 11:33 How to reverse engineer your business to increase its value 13:26 The importance of having a powerful “why” in exiting a business. 17:01 The reason why some businesses go out of business after 10 years 19:01 Why businesses are not selling 24:02 Why business owners should stop designing processes around their own agendas 37:35 Michelle’s one piece of advice 38:10 Why business owners need to find a mentor
Exit Rich will be available on June 22nd To get a copy of the book Exit Rich. go to exitrichbook.com To get in touch with Michelle, go to seilertucker.com
Twin brothers, Clint and Shane Neal jumped into the real estate business right after they graduated from Texas A&M University in 2008. After spending 4 years as solo agents, they realized that although they are successful, handling everything independently has become difficult and they needed some leverage in order to take some time back to themselves.
That’s when they decided to build a team. In less than three years, the Neal & Neal Team has sold more than 500 homes per year. With the right people joining their team, they now focus on growing to become great leaders.
In this episode, we talked about:
05:44 How Clint and Shane shifted from working in the business to working on the business 07:18 The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people 08.06 What differentiates a great leader from the not so good ones 13:25 How Sisu helps agents with positive accountability 16:38 How to double your transactions in 24 months 18:54 How does the systems Shane and Clint use today differ from what they used 3 years ago 20:20 Does removing duplicate entries due to spreadsheets have a significant impact on their team’s efficiency 24:15 How to get over challenges in today’s market 30:31 What business advice does Shane and Clint have for anyone growing their business 32:15 How to set yourself up for success despite changes in the market 34:23 How Shane and Clint strike a balance in their lives 36:45 The role of virtualization in expanding businesses 38:56 Where does Shane and Clint plan to take their business 5 years from now 41:52 What is the biggest avenue of learning for anyone who wants to grow.
Brian Icenhower has been in the real estate industry for nearly 3 decades. His father was a real estate broker which got him exposed to this business at a young age. He went into law school and practiced for a couple of years until he realized it wasn’t for him. That’s when he decided to start a high producing real estate team in California and run a small boutique brokerage that later grew to a big brokerage. From then on, he opened a few more large brokerages in California and in the midwest, which he still owns today.
Along the way, Brian realized that his true passion is helping people succeed. So he decided to become a real estate coach and trainer where he focuses more of his time nowadays.
Today, Brian is the CEO and Founder of Icenhower Coaching & Consulting (ICC), which provides customized and structured coaching & training programs for real estate agents & team leaders, representing many of the top producing agents in North America. Aside from being an internationally recognized real estate trainer, speaker and coach, Brian is also a best-selling author. His most recent book, The High Performing Real Estate Team is due to be out in September, later this year.
In this episode, we talked about:
02:02 How Brian got into the real estate industry 04:12 The value of having a passion for something (other than money) that fuels you 06:20 What made Brian decide to write a book about real estate teams 09:05 Who has a better chance of survival? Solo agents or Teams? 14:44 How crucial is having a team dashboard to monitor activities that generate business 16:01True or False: Today’s market is the easiest market for buyer’s agents to operate in 19:56 The key you should be focusing on as an agent in this market 24:16 Why every agent should have their own dashboard 24:30 Why you need to focus on activities, not just results 26:32 How SISU helps in cultivating responsibility through public accountability 28:52 What Brian thinks of agents being replaced by iBuyers 35:13 The biggest missing piece for most agents
To get a FREE 30-minute consultation with top coaches from Icenhower Coaching and Consultation, go to www.icenhowercoaching.com
To pre-order Brian’s book: The High Performing Real Estate Team, go to: https://www.amazon.com/High-Performing-Real-Estate-Team/dp/1119801850
Get 1 FREE course of your choice from their site if you forward your order confirmation to books@icenhowercoaching.com
Jeff Quintin started his career in real estate in 1992. He established the Quintin Group in Southern New Jersey and since then it has expanded into Cherry Hill, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA, Jupiter, FL, and Outer Banks, NC. Jeff is considered one of the most successful real estate agents in the country and was recognized by The Wall Street Journal as #44 out of 1.2 million real estate agents for selling over $139 million in volume in a single year.
Today, Jeff is the CEO and Team Owner of The Quintin Group of Keller Williams Realty. The Quintin Group continues to sell over 250 homes per year amounting to over $120 million in sales. As a leader, Jeff is a firm believer of committing to your goals through discipline, hard work and passion.
In this episode, we talked about:
01:50 What is a “super team” 02:54 How do you motivate your team into having the discipline it takes to be a successful real estate agent 04:33 The 4 qualities Jeff looks for in an agent 07:22 How to turn your work into your passion 08:49 How to enforce positive accountability 15:21 What you need to become to win in today’s market 18:23 What Jeff thinks an agent should be doing in the next 12 to 24 month 21:12 How having the right skills can affect your income 22:20 How to identify weaknesses in the team and how to deal with it 40:12 The one book everyone in real estate should read/listen to
Todd Crockett has been in the real estate business since 1995. He is an instructor who trains fellow realtors across the United States. He's also a much sought after speaker for conventions and business seminars. Todd uses his education and experience to incorporate innovative concepts that give sellers a major marketing advantage in selling their home.
Today, Todd is a partner for The Crockett Team at Howard Hannah. He is also the Chief Encouragement Officer for TrainLaunch, a video presentation training technology. Currently, he’s into using video to revolutionize marketing.
In this episode, we talked about:
01:52 Why the leads you got during the pandemic, are the leads you’re going to keep 04:30 How Todd got into video advertising online 06:01 How Facebook allowed Todd to connect with talented videographers 10:42 Why sharing solutions for prepping a property enhances your client’s experience. 12:54 Why Todd does property prep at his own expense 16:03 What does “entertrainment” mean? 18:02 The importance of creating a memorable experience for the client and capture it in video 19:06 How making things fun and convenient can drive a referral business 20:05 How to create videos that make a difference 21:11 What are the key things that are going to take your business to the next level in 2021 24:04 The value of providing a fluid performance 24 42 Why it’s not always about transferring the title
David Anderson was born into a family of entrepreneurs. He first worked for their family-owned online travel business but after 13 years, he felt that he needed to do something different. That’s when he decided to start his own company. He went to an INMAN event which sparked his interest in the real estate industry. Then he went to different brokerages to see how they managed the business and found that the CRM they used at that time could use a lot of improvement. And being the entrepreneur that he is, he knew he could make it better.
Today, David is the Founder and CEO of LionDesk, a CRM designed for ease of use and systems integration that allows just one log-in for all business tools. It has been the CRM platform of choice for over 165,000 real estate and mortgage professionals.
Recently, David was also included in the 2021 Swanepoel Power 200 (SP200) report for the third consecutive year and continues to be part of an elite group of industry professionals who are recognized for their influence and leadership. In this episode, we talked about:
06:44 The difference of LionDesk from the other CRM platforms in the industry 10:43 The importance of video texting 12:40 Who will benefit the most from LionDesk’s products 14:14 What a Good CRM should do 14:55 Which tech companies are integrated into LionDesk’s platform 17:02 What drove David to leave a place of security and venture into building his own business 20:20 What failure truly means 21:40 The challenges that Liondesk faces today 22:40 Why you need to hire the best person possible who could fire you from your own job 25:30 What excites David the most about real estate 28:41 What David sees as the biggest change in the industry for the next couple of years 34:26 Things you can do to keep waking up happy/motivated 39:05 David’s advice to those who are planning to build a business
Terrence Murphy started from very humble beginnings and worked his way up to where he is now. He first became an entrepreneur mowing lawns for residential and commercial places when he was 12. He then tried different jobs to help his family - which also taught him the value of hardwork. Eventually, he had a very successful football career and was even drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the NFL draft. Unfortunately, an injury that left him paralyzed from neck below ended his football career.
In a situation where anyone would normally just give up on their dreams, Terrence's competitive nature and skills pulled him through. When he recovered, he decided to start his career in real estate and this became his main focus and passion.
Today, Terrence is the CEO, Broker & Founder of TM5 Properties. TM5 has been a part of LeadingRE since 2016 which consists of the world’s market-leading independent residential brokerages in over 70 countries. In 2018 & 2019, TM5 was recognized in INC 5000 as one of the 5000 fastest-growing privately held small companies in the U.S.
Terrence is a visionary and entrepreneur at heart. Other ventures and companies he has started in the community or become a partner in, include: Jones and Associates Insurance, Asset Hero Property Management and many more.
In this episode, we talked about:
04:50 How Terrence managed to negotiate contract at 12 years old 06:58 The importance of grit and having a growth mindset 07:46 How to turn hardships in life into something that makes you stronger 10:17 Why Terrence referred to real estate as his new Super Bowl 14:06 Why you should never let anyone dictate what you can or cannot do 15:00 How he started in Real Estate 18:21 The value of giving back and inspiring other people 19:20 Why Terrence started his own podcast 23:14 Why you should never stop learning 25:13 How Terrence ends up with mostly high-end/luxury listings 27:13 Why you always need to be willing to fail 32:45 What is an entrepreneur’s best asset
Eric used to be a full-time paint salesman where he also created customized paint colors for homes. This inspired him to venture into selling homes until he decided to upgrade his career into real estate in 2015. A year later, he was named as the #1 Selling Agent in the Ohio Valley Region. His team was also recognized as the #1 Selling KW Team in Indiana from 2017 to 2020.
Since his career trajectory was pretty fast as an individual and as a team, Eric saw the need for an efficient program to train new agents to backfill his business. One of the things he found most success in was taking in new agents without experience and teaching them how to be successful in real estate and to be effective in the first 12 months.
In this episode, we talked about:
(02:56) Why there is a need to train agents to become leaders (05:04) How does the FIRE immersion program work (05:20) The value of providing your agents a clear blueprint for success (08:31) How to keep your agents motivated (11:06) Why Eric prefers to train agents through problem solving activities (13:32) How SISU helped make meetings more meaningful and productive (15:32) Why you need to be clear on who you want to be in business with (16:52) The difference between value and price (17:23) The type of agent who are best suited for the immersion program (20:05) How third party recruiting companies work in the real estate industry (22:56) Best source of recruiting leads (24:57) How SISU helps simplify the real estate business
In 2006, Ricky and his wife got into the real estate business with just $2,000 between them. The first 2 years were treacherous and they needed to figure things out on their own. It’s a fact that very few agents survive the first 2 years and even fewer go beyond year 5. Despite this discouraging statistic, Ricky's biggest motivation was: to never say no to himself or his family, when they deserve a yes. This is what made him pull through and eventually find success.
As his business grew, he decided to create a team. He determined that it is his duty and obligation to provide opportunities for other people to be blessed by real estate the way he has. Today, he is the president of the Cain Realty Group - Keller Williams Realty- which has been awarded as America’s Best Real Estate Professionals for six consecutive years.
He is also the president of Cain Cares, a non-profit organization who serves clients of The Cain Team, their families and community in times of severe need.
In this episode, we talked about:
(2:58) The value of having a strong “why” (7:44) Finding purpose in your life (10:25) What is an impactful way to identify the core values for your team (13:55) How core values attract the right people you want to work with (17:15) What things you need to have in place when building a team (19:42) Why you need to hire for the position and not for the person (20:32) Ricky's three (3) favorite questions when hiring (21:53) Why you need to dig 3-layer deep when interviewing references (23:07) What are the benefits of shadowing (24:23) How important is it to get buy-ins from your agent’s significant others (26:28) How to determine an agent’s success through their trak records (27:07) Why leaders should also focus on their personal growth (27:48) What is the most important thing that Ricky is doing to ensure that 2021 will be a great year for his business
Peter Chabris has been a licensed real estate agent since 2002. Six year later, he started The Chabris Group and since 2013, it has become Cincinnati's top sales team. The Chabris Group was also hailed as the top KW sales team in the Tri-State since 2015, and one of the top 100 sales teams at Keller Williams worldwide since 2019.
Peter is a KW Mastery business coach for Keller Williams Realtors and Master Faculty for Keller Williams University as well. His specialties are systemizing customer experience, scaling business, sales skills mastery, and living an intentional life.
In this episode, we talked about:
(03:03) How did Peter’s team bridge the gap from 350 to 450 transactions last year (04:35) What was their “big switch”? (06:03) The importance of communication to the success of the team (06:52) What are the key items to having the trajectory of growth continue through 2021 (07:25) Teams vs. Brokerages (09:29) What convinced them to bring in ISAs to the team (10:37) The ISA model that works best for Peter’s team (15:16) How to get an agent transition into the role of an ISA (17:07) Who should be the first person you hire (18:02) The value of knowing your numbers (20:07) How to Compensate Your Inside Sales Agent (21:51) How do agent-ISA splits work (26:12) The key to get to the next level
Kyle Whissel has been in the real estate industry for almost 2 decades now. He worked in all aspects of the industry including property management, commercial real estate investing, distressed sales (REO & short sale), flipping and residential real estate.
Today, he is the CEO and team leader of Whissel Realty Group brokered by eXp Realty. They’ve been recognized as the #1 real estate team in San Diego by The Wall Street Journal and the #6 team in the state by Trulia and Zillow. He’s also a National Speaker and the #1 Real Estate Video Influencer by Bombbomb.
In this episode, we talked about:
(01:11) How to go big in 2021 (01:50) Why we need to have a different approach for different kinds of leads? (05:57) What activities do we want our agents to focus on (06:09) How does the 3-Part Funnel work? (13:33) The advantage of setting up a lot of appointments for agents (15:54) How do you find the right ISA and how to keep them around (18:09) What are “exempt” or “non-exempt” employees? (19:40) Why you should start paying ISAs based on closings and not on appointments set (23:03) How much does an agent/ISA need to earn before they consider themselves successful? (27:11) Kyle’s #1 source of hiring (27:40) How does the company make money as a whole (28:38) Why “speed to lead” is just as important as “speed to respond” (28:50) What’s the only thing better than a new lead? (30:23) What program does Kyle use to train his team
Kevin Kauffman started his real estate career in 2007 - right when the market was starting to crash. Despite his family and friend’s objections, he believed that this was an opportunity for him so he chose to follow his instincts. Though his experience has been rough, he gained the confidence and drive to succeed against the odds.
Today, Kevin is a realtor and the owner of the Group 46:10 Real Estate Network at eXp Realty which has expanded into 5 markets in 2018. Group 46:10 has been consistently named as one of “The Thousand” A-list of the top producing real estate agents and teams in the country. Kevin is also the host of the Kevin and Fred Show podcast (formerly known as Next Level Agents podcast).
In this episode, we talked about:
(06:31) What got Kevin interested in doing podcasts? (08:36) What is the MOO method? (09:12) The benefits of podcasting (11:14) What’s the deal with Clubhouse? (14:59) How creating your own media and content can be a powerful tool for your business (16:06) The value of having the right relationships (18:00) When to NOT take advantage of some social media platforms (19:02) What Zillow’s buying of Showtime could mean to the real estate industry (24:58) The importance of adapting to disruptors (25:32) Kevin’s insight on Gary Keller’s response to competition (39:40) Where is the industry headed to? (41:21) Why there will be fewer real estate agents in the future (42:36) Kevin’s advice to new agents
Eric Lowry started his real estate career in 1998 as a solo agent. As years passed, he has become “blissfully dissatisfied” in the path he has chosen and often found himself wanting to do more. He wanted to not just have a job, he wanted to build a business for himself. So in 2005, he decided to build his own real estate team.
Today, Eric is the Team Leader and CEO of The Lowry Team at eXp Realty in Cincinnati. His team has built a reputation based on honest and professional real estate service. He is now considered as an industry veteran who has earned multiple awards due to his commitment to providing personal service combined with cutting edge technology to help clients every step of the way.
In this episode, we talked about:
(03:55) The 5 elements that help power an agent’s success (06:00) How their team’s high-level custom agent training sets them apart from other brokerages. (09:16) What technology to use to keep track of a trainee’s progress (10:38) How Eric does his one-on-one coaching and how he makes it scalable (11:41) SISU’s role in identifying agents strengths and weaknesses (13:00) How the SISU dashboard helps refine an agent’s performance (16:20) What key things team owners should do to differentiate themselves from the competition (20:10) Why you should NEVER stop following up (22:20) The one thing a real estate agent needs to learn to thrive and survive (23:03) What’s the precursor to success in business and in life (27:33) The importance of using the best technology to help agents and clients (35:22 Why the language of business is in numbers and not opinions (36:02) What Eric wishes he had known as he was building a team (37:47) How does Eric gain his knowledge
After 12 years working in the hospitality industry, Mahala had the opportunity to work for a private equity firm where she was mostly involved with project management. Several years into her role, she discovered that she could make good use of her experience in project management, her interest in real estate development and her background on experiential sales if she jumps into the real estate world.
As they say, when stars align and a door opens, you have to walk through it. Which is why when she was introduced to Rachel Kendall of the Rachel Kendall Real Estate Team in 2014, she grabbed the opportunity and asked if she could be a member of her team.
Today, Mahala is the Managing Partner and Broker in Charge of the Rachel Kendall Real Estate Team. They have closed 450 - 500 transactions a year in the past 2 years and are ranked as 1 of the top 5 highest-grossing residential real estate teams in the country. In this episode, we talked about:
(02:10) What Mahala loves about SISU (03:35) How Mahala got into real estate (10:31) The core foundation to what makes their team really work (12:41) What is a common thing most powerful teams in real estate have in terms of lead generation? (20:40) What should an agent do if they hit that place of “What’s next”? (24:43) Why you need to take 1 step back to take 10 steps forward (25:42) How can team owners give agents opportunities for professional growth (33:23) The importance of client relationship (35:57) How to instill a culture of transparency, integrity and professionalism in team members (38:17) What to keep in mind when picking an operations system and how to run it efficiently (41:26) Why every real estate agent needs to know where their business are coming from (43:02) The 3 platforms that are absolutely essential for an agent to get their job done (44:37) The 1 piece of advice to someone who wants to take their team to the next level (47:36) Mahala’s favorite source of learning
Grier Allen developed his passion for the real estate industry early on in his life. His father was one of the top producing agents in the Charleston area which is why his upbringing helped shape the way he views this business.
After graduating with a computer science degree, he first worked as a consultant in the brokerage where his father worked. This is where he learned that consumers are migrating to the digital to find their next home but the industry at that time was unable to keep up with the demand. This made him realize that technology has a positive impact in terms of creating efficiencies in the real estate world.
Today, Grier is the Co-founder and CEO of Boomtown, which provides top real estate marketing software and technology. He is also considered as an industry leader and a contributor to the growth of real estate teams and the way it has taken over the industry today.
In this episode, we talked about:
(03:05) How Grier came up with the vision for Boomtown (15:46) The value of having the right team around you (18:27) Does Boomtown consider Top Producer as their true competitor? (20:39) What were the challenges they faced when building a company through turbulent times? (26:30) The first sign of success for Boomtown (27:47) How to create a balance between bootstrapping the company and supporting growth through hiring (29:32) How technology start-ups can cut down on expenses (30:32) How coaching companies became instrumental in promoting Boomtown (32:26) The key to elevate your game in this industry (33:26) The importance of bringing in people who share the same passion and values as you (35:52) Remain profitable and grow slowly vs. Raise capital to take market share (40:05) What challenges are they facing today (45:57) What is Boomtown focusing on now to set them apart from the competition
After 14 years in the technology sales and marketing industry, Sarita Dua decided to go into real estate. She quickly rose to become one of Portland area’s top producers. With her passion for helping people and by always putting the client’s needs first, she was able to build her real estate empire based on referrals and repeat business.
Sarita is also considered one of the most sought after real estate professionals in the world. As a speaker and industry trainer, she shares her industry knowledge and valuable tips to real estate agents around the world. One of the topics she is currently focused on is how to sharpen our tool kit so we can win in multiple offer situations.
In this episode, we talked about:
(02:47) How Sarita became the exclusive broker for the Ritz Carlton residences in Portland (05:12) How to train buyer’s agents to win in multiple offer situations (06:56) The importance of confidence in competitive buying (09:11) Why you need to know the basics of an offer (10:30) How to craft an appealing offer through great communication (17:07) The question to ask the listing agent to help you make a competitive offer (19:43) How adding creativity to the offer could mean victory for the buyer (26:49) What’s the best way to reach out to Sarita
Michael Hellickson has been selling real estate since 1991. At the height of his sales career, he and his team ranked as the #1 team in the country. Today, Michael is the CEO of Club Wealth®, an executive business consulting firm that offers coaching and training to business owners worldwide - and is the #1 coaching company in the team and brokerage space.
Michael believes that while most people relate success to monetary wealth, there is no success in the world that can compensate for failure in the home. There are options that can provide opportunities to make more money in less time. In fact, despite spending just 12 days a month working in his business, he and his team still ranked first, nationwide. Which is why he wants to share the top three things that agents need to focus on not only to double their income but spend less time working in the business as well.
In this episode, we talked about:
(04:59) What’s the #1 habit you need to implement and master at a high level? (05:24) What’s so great about SISU? (07:35) Why you need to diversify your lead flow (08:35) Why do the number of leads from SOI and repeat referral keep dropping in recent years? (09:41) How many lead sources should you have to make 6 to 7 figures net income? (13:46) Why having a 100% referral-based business is a terrible idea (16:03) Where to get cheaper leads that converts quickly (17:05) What’s the one thing that real estate agents suck at worse than lead generation? (21:46) When does following the lead of a drug dealer pay off? (22:26) What script to use to get leads hooked on you (23:35) How to get a copy of Michael’s 31 best lead sources (24:30) The single best thing to do to generate more referral-based business (25:00) How not to get overwhelmed by multiple lead sources
Shoshana Socher used to be a stay at home mom until her family went through bankruptcy in 2005. This motivated her to find ways to put money into their lives which is why she decided to get a license and start her career in real estate. Five years later, her son, Cody became her business partner and grew the Socher Team from there.
Currently, the Socher Team is made up of 6 real estate agents and last year, they brought in $42.5M in sales with 166 transactions, marking 2020 as their most productive year to date. They attribute their growth and success mostly to having systems in place such as SISU and by doing activities that encourage agents to produce more.
In this episode, Shoshana Socher, the Operations Manager of Socher Team, Alex Ryb, and I talked about:
(05:28) How the team produced at a higher level despite having the same number of agents from the previous year (09:01) Managing numbers vs. managing emotions (11:26) How working with spreadsheets compare to having SISU? (15:02) How morning meetings can shift your business (17:25) How to motivate agents through 1 on 1 meetings (19:28) The advantage of having an in-house Marketing person (22:26) The importance of market updates (25:50) What is Concierge Level Services? (27:54) What technology does The Socher Team use in their business? (31:23) The one thing that sets The Socher Team apart
In 1987, Erica started working for a magazine where she worked her way up from opening the mail to being editor-in-chief. Years later, she bought this magazine from her boss only to be hammered by major players in the industry. Her business went down in flames and she was in $750,000 debt. But this didn’t stop her and she daringly decided to start a new magazine. Two years went on and her publication proved to be a great success - this was when she was dubbed as “The Magazine Lady”.
One of her clients was a realtor and an ad she made for his marketing resulted in a $10 million deal. This paved her way into the real estate world. Her passion for professionalism and education led her to take up a master’s degree in real estate. She was one of the first people to hold this title in the country.
Today, Erica is the broker/owner of the Ramus Realty Group with multiple awards under her name. She is currently the 2021 President Elect of the Reading Berks Association of Realtors. Aside from these, she is also active in the community and her family hosts exchange students to live with them from all over the world.
In this episode, we talked about:
(05:41) Why Erica refers to her brokerage as “fiercely independent” (09:51) How a Masters Degree in Real Estate helps you understand the business at a different level (11:58) Which tech stack her brokerage uses for lead generating, tracking and contract to close (16:41) How being in production helps Erica inspire her agents (18:00) The strategy that resulted to having the best August, September and October in 13 years despite COVID (20:34) How to best motivate agents to keep dialling (22:29) The story behind “The Magazine Lady” (25:53) How Erica got started in real estate (28:12) How to have work-life balance and still have time to give back to those in need (29:39) What is Erica’s advice for those starting in real estate business (34:27) The importance of contributing to a higher purpose
To get in touch with Erica, visit the websites below:
www.Ramusrealty.com www.ericaramus.com
Derick Van Ness was making it big in real estate when the 2008 financial crisis hit. It also happened right when he was recovering from a snowboarding accident. He remembered laying in bed on painkillers while everything was going down the drain. That’s when he realized that he didn’t have a strong financial foundation which is why when the cash stopped flowing in, it started to quickly empty out his bank account.
From then on, figuring out financial models that work became Derick’s passion. He was determined to help people who, like him, are very good at making a lot of money but are quite bad at keeping it and making it grow. Today, Derrick is a wealth strategist and the founder of Big Life Financial which aims to help people reach their full potential through understanding tax strategies and finances.
In this episode, we talked about:
(02:09) How Derick got into managing money (05:25) The advantage of keeping a separate bank account for paying off taxes (07:26) What can you do with the money that you pay yourself (09:24) What you need to understand about life insurance (11:38) Why Derick thinks that the stock market setup is broken (14:29) Why investing in anything you don’t understand is a bad idea (16:22) What are the 3 rules in investing (19:04) Alternative investments with tremendous tax benefits for higher net worth people (21:58) How to get a massive tax write-off and do good for other people at the same time (23:05) How to get tax refunds through real estate research and development credits (25:07) What are the biggest financial mistakes people make (31:01) How to eliminate the fear of money (37:03) What is Derick’s best piece of advice
To know about Big Life Financial and the services they offer, go to https://www.biglifefinancial.com/
Greg Flanagan has been in the real estate business since 2006. Prior to that, he worked for the New York Department of Corrections for 17 years where he experienced talking to people who really didn’t want to talk to him. This taught him the valuable skill of listening - which he now uses to his advantage as a real estate agent.
Today, Greg is the team leader and CEO of the Flanagan Home Team LLC. He also founded Power Onward Mastermind and Coaching wherein as a growth partner, he aims to share the information he learned over the years and provide transformational training to help real estate agents grow their business and take it to the next level.
In this episode, we talked about:
(05:05) Why solo agents/small teams need to “list to last” (05:51) Which CRM Greg uses to track his leads (09:19) How Greg got through the impacts of COVID for his business (10:15) What Greg thinks of SISU’s program (12:01) The importance of understanding your P&L numbers (15:16) What Greg’s goal is for Power Onward Mastermind (19:18) How to eliminate the mindset of fear (21:25) How working in prison shaped Greg negotiating tactics (24:39) The book that turned Greg’s life around (30:58) The most important piece of advice from Greg
Visit www.poweronwardmastermind.com to know more about Greg Flanagan.
Jeff Glover has been in the real estate industry since 2003. He started his career at a young age of 19 and he was able to take 11 listings after just a few months of training and learning scripts. As a gifted salesperson, he quickly rose to the top of his team which led him to build his own team years later. He knew that apart from hard work, he also owes his success to the training he received. Which is why he made it his mission to make sure that every real estate agent he meets will have the same opportunity as he did.
Today, Jeff is still in production, selling 85 - 90 homes this year. He also handles a high-producing real estate team which sold under 1000 homes in Michigan. In addition to those roles, he is also the CEO of Glover U where they re-invent sales training for the Real Estate Industry. He finds that being on the ground himself makes him the best business coach.
In this episode, we talked about:
(05:19) How important is it to have your own ISA? (07:02) How to structure an ISA team (14:22) Why you need to be on appointments each and every day (15:13) How staying in production allows Jeff to become the best trainer (19:45) Jeff’s advice for mastering scripts (27:48) What you need to focus on to stay on top of the real estate industry (30:45) How to deal with iBuyers (34:45) What’s the most important thing a team owner should be doing now
Reach out to Jeff Glover at info@gloveru.com Join the Glover U Inner Circle Facebook Group
Paul Ross has been a speaker, author, teacher and trainer for 32 years. He is an expert master practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP and focuses on teaching techniques on how to use the power of language to persuade and get the results you desire. He is also the author of the book: Subtle Words That Sell where he shares revolutionary concepts and tools to get your prospects to convince themselves to buy.
Let’s join Paul as he takes a deeper dive into NLP, how to use it in sales and in our daily lives.
In this episode, we talked about:
(02:30) What is NLP? (07:45) How to do Subconscious Selling? (13:59) A phrase that you can use to induce a state of compliance (16:02) What’s the one thing you are actually selling regardless of what industry you’re in? (17:11) How do I make your clients feel good about their decision to buy (18:45) What is the power of using hypnotic language? (21:25) How to use language to destroy objections (28:20) How to implement NLP in your everyday living (34:10) How to eliminate limited self-belief and negative self-talk (40:26) What do they not teach you in sales training programs (47:14) The three things you need to balance to achieve success
Here are the links mentioned in this episode: Website: www.speakerpaulross.com/apply To read his book, go to www.paulrossbook.com To get in touch with him, email: paul@speakerpaulross.com
Since 2006, Anna Krueger has been an inside sales leader. In 2013, she joined the Haro Group as their first and only ISA at that time and her efforts resulted in 46% of 185 closings during her first year. Impressively, she was able to achieve this despite the fact that she was new to the team and didn’t know a lot of people from the area.
In 2015, she joined the MAPS coaching program as a mastery agent coach and she is now recognized as one of the thought leaders for ISAs in the nation. Today, Anna runs her own consulting company where they partner with teams, observe lead generating behavior and provide immediate feedback. She is also a huge advocate of language patterns and believes that learning the science of talking is vital especially in this industry.
Let’s join Anna as she shares her thoughts on finding the right ISA and her tips on how to build your own ISA team.
In this episode, we talked about:
(03:37) Why is it important to generate your own lead in today’s market? (07:49) What things can you do to sharpen your skills? (08:22) How to make people talk to you (15:07) Where do you go if you are looking to hire an ISA? (17:35) The personality traits to look for in an ISA (19:09) What is the proper compensation for an ISA? (23:35) Who should an ISA be calling to generate qualified leads? (27:50) Should an ISA focus only on inbound leads? (29:23) Must all incoming leads go to an ISA or should some agents get them too? (31:18) What are some simple things you can do to keep track of data? (32 34) What are the benefits of having in-house ISAs? (33:49) Why you should be okay with “boring”
Reach out to Anna Krueger, visit www.AnnasCoaching.com
Jennifer started her career as an educator. But after 5 years of teaching in middle school she felt the need to start doing her own thing. After her husband got involved in an accident that left him seriously injured, she felt like they were living their lives in chaos. But somehow, she was able to overcome that adversity and used that experience as her momentum to start her career in real estate.
Today, Jennifer is an Associate Broker and Vice President of Business Development at EXIT Realty United located in Nassau County, New York. She is the co-creator of the 7 Saturday's Agent Success Training Program for local real estate agents. With her background in education, she helps provide new agents the necessary tools for support as they transition to a full-time real estate agent. Jennifer is also the author of the book: Rockstar Real Estate Agent.
Let’s join Jennifer as she shares what the 7 Saturday’s Agent Success Training Program is all about and her tips on how to have a flourishing career in real estate.
In this episode, we talked about:
(08:39) What is Jennifer’s philosophy when it comes to recruiting? (09:09) How to create a message around culture with social media (12:33) What are the 7 steps to reach success? (14:15) How to know exactly what you need to do to get to your 100K goal? (16:33) How to use effective scheduling to achieve a successful routine (19:28) Why you should treat yourself as the CEO of your business (21:42) The importance to have a marketing game plan in place (25:01) How to use your own experience to create a natural attraction (26:19) The importance of having a holistic approach to your business (28:57) Jennifer’s tips on how to bring gratitude into our lives
If you want to download Jennifer’s book for free, go to: www.rockstaragenttraining.com
At the age of 19, Stacy started her real estate company, Catalyst Group. From then on, she continued to scale her business beyond the 7-figure mark to become one of the top performing real estate teams in the state of Idaho.
Stacy’s vast experience led her to create her own premier consulting program where she uses the “Inside Out Success Method” which aims to guide female change makers all over the world to discover inner freedom and fulfillment.
Let’s join Stacy as we take a deep dive on how the Inside Out Success Method works, and how it could help build a vision of a better life moving forward.
In this episode, we talked about:
(01:56) What is Stacy’s ultimate goal for her program? (06:56) What is the Inside Out Success Method? (08:53) How to integrate the Limitless Mindset Success Method into our business (12:02) How do we eliminate fear and go into the abundance mindset? (21:42) Where does the deep fulfillment come from? (22:15) The importance of having a “deep why”? (24:30) How can we not allow fear to limit us? (26:31) How do we train our subconscious to believe that we are capable of achieving greater things? (31:09) What is the Triple Threat System? (32:00) How to do conscious breathing? (37:10) The value of having a daily routine (44:20) Stacy’s most important piece of advice
Jeff began his career in real estate in 2006. Since then, Jeff and his team has closed over 5,000 in sales, totaling over $1 billion in volume. As founder of Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group, he led his team from 70 to 700 transactions in 6 just years. In 2019, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services awarded him the #1 team in unit sales in the world.
Today, Jeff is the CEO of a tech-powered Keller Williams market center in Omaha, NE. His objective is to offer the consumer a one-stop-shop customized experience that will provide access to the agent and all ancillary businesses, virtually and in-person.
Let’s join Jeff as he talks about his vision of 2021, what he is most excited about and his new tech-powered hybrid office of the future.
In this episode, we talked about:
(01:52) Why Jeff moved from Berkshire Hathaway to KW Elite (05:00) What’s the one thing that everyone should be focusing on for the next five years that’ll help their business for the good? (05:41) How to strategically market properties virtually to keep your clients safe (09:26) What should be the agent’s role in the future? (09:55) Why should agents be worried if their roles are replaced with digital technology? (10.30) What does a 100% virtual transaction look like? (12:06) What is the 6-Degree of Freedom Tech? (17:27) What strategies did Jeff implement to scale his business? (21:41) How can agents ensure that they stay in business for the next 2 years?
Tom Ferry is the founder and CEO of Ferry International, the real estate industry’s leading coaching and training company, He is also the #1 ranked Real Estate Educator by Swanepoel Power 200, best-selling author, a highly sought-after and renowned speaker. He is often referred to as the “Gary Vee” of real estate.
Let’s join Tom as he shares his insights on the most critical metrics and mindsets that will take you to your 2021.
In this episode, we talked about: (2:06) What is the one thing successful leaders have in common? (2:55) What is the mindset of the best people right now? (3:32) What will happen to real estate once the market normalizes in 2022? (5:21) Why your goals need to be big and sexy (8:05) Why you need to manage your business in line with the 3 goals most important to you (8:53) Why you should be making data-driven decisions moving forward (10:33) Why Tom Ferry loves SISU (19:00) Why the next 15 months is crucial (22:34) What are the things that make up your mindset (27:52) The things you can do to position yourself to help your clients win (32:08) Why appointment-setting competitions always work (35:13) The importance of having 90 minutes a day devoted to educating yourself
Frank Klesitz started Vyral Marketing about 11 years ago. Since then, Vyral Marketing has helped hundreds of professional clients (mostly from real estate) generate leads and get in touch with their existing database, through education-based video marketing.
Frank always keeps himself updated when it comes to the real estate industry. So if anyone wants to know what is happening in real estate and where it's headed to, he would surely make a great resource person. In fact, he is one of the few guests on the show that we’ve had the honor to interview twice. This goes to show the value he can provide for our listeners especially in these challenging times.
Let’s join Frank as he shares his insights on the current status of the real estate industry, what the future looks like and the importance of having an effective marketing strategy.
In this episode, we talked about: (1:49) What is going on in the real estate industry? (2:45) What does recovery look like for the real estate market? (5:08) What will the next 6 months look like? (5:36) 2 Big changes - Opendoor financing (7:41) What Frank thinks about Zillow having their own brokerage (15:13) What is the biggest disruptor in the real estate industry? (17:52) Why Frank believes that the money is NEVER in doing what you do (21:32) Two effective ways to get a Listing (24:50) Things to do to build your database (27:52) How do you win a listing with marketing? (32:08) How do I get business to my database (35:13) Why you need to double down on Matterport and virtual tours (35:52) What Frank thinks of the “giving all the options to the seller” trend? (45:36) What is Frank’s one piece of advice for anyone in the Real Estate business
Aaron Novallo started his career in Real Estate 14 years ago. He decided to take a deep dive into one slice of the business which is listing properties in high volume. He has done this consistently for 8 years in a row. He has listed up to 140 properties by himself, one at a time, which makes him a certified rock-star listing agent.
Aaron recognizes that he owes this success to having the right skills and hard work. Today, he coaches around 70 agents to help them step up their game and create success in their own business.
Let’s join Aaron as he shares why he believes that money is a by-product of excellence and what advice he can give to anyone who is getting into the real estate business.
In this episode, we talked about:
(02:08) How does Aaron list 12 homes a month?
(12:10) The 2 things Real Estate agents sell
(15:25) How important is pre-qualification?
(24:00) The value of being early to all your appointments
(25:31) How to include “assumptive closings” in your conversations with a client
(30:18) Why confidence is everything
(31:56) How to build trust through repetition
(33:00) How often does Aaron role-play?
(34:20) Why you should always be “sharpening the knife”
(39:27) How Aaron got started with his coaching company
(43:20) What’s the one piece of advice Aaron has for a new agent getting into the Real Estate business.
Jim started his career in real estate back in the 80’s. He was successful in it but eventually he found himself wanting to do more. He went on from owning several real estate firms to building teams of driven sales professionals. But it was his passion in helping people become the best version of themselves that led him to become a coach who is committed to transforming leaders who want to do the same.
Today, Jim is a national speaker, best-selling author, coach and consultant. His book VISION TO RESULTS: Leadership in Action belongs to the Forbes List of Best Leadership Books of 2019. In this book, he teaches how to create an actionable vision for your organization that brings everyone’s role into sharp focus.
Let’s join Jim as he shares his thoughts on why he believes in “data not drama” and how he thinks the world will get better through leadership.
In this episode, we talked about:
(02:23) What Jim is most passionate about today (06:27) Why you need to have technology to support the systems you placed in your business (08:59) What should be the most important asset in your business (12:42) How to divide your time for working in and on your business (14:18) Why you need to set a “thinking time” for yourself (23:29) Why it is important to track results on a daily and weekly basis (25:33) Why the activity for every “no” is just as important as the activity for a “yes” (27:14) What is the advantage of daily tracking? (32:34) Jim’s biggest piece of advice (37:16) How important is having a successful family life to having a successful business life?
Peter Schravemade used to be the operations manager for a hotel franchise, but he soon found himself spending not enough time at home so he decided to leave. When he saw an ad looking for a personal assistant for BoxBrownie, he went for it. At that time, BoxBrownie didn’t have any idea the direction they were headed to and they weren't making much profit yet. But six months after Peter joined the company, they have become financially viable.
Four and half years later, BoxBrownie has become the fastest growing property technology marketing platform in the world. Currently in 69 paying countries and growing by 2500 new clients each month, Boxbrownie.com continues to spread around the globe with the aim to solve the problem of poor property marketing everywhere.
Let’s join Peter as he shares his knowledge and expertise on how enhancing your images can help you improve the way you market your properties.
In this episode, we talked about:
(5:28) What is BoxBrownie (7:51) When is the best application to take advantage of BoxBrownie’s technology (8:29) What are the 5 things the purchaser wants to see (14:51) How to determine if a property’s image is professional (16:46) How to Ieverage BoxBrownie products to make sure my quality is best in its class (18:18) Why do you need a twilight shot of your property’s exterior (21:28) What to do if you are a poor copywriter (24:36) Why MLS listings need to have floor plans (29:20) The value of having a 360° camera for your virtual tours (35:06) The reward of delivering the 5 things a purchaser wants to see in each of your listings (36:50) Why BoxBrownie does not charge for subscription
Important links mentioned in the podcast: Health check: www.boxbrownie.com/health Blog: www.boxbrownie.com/b Tools/Assets/Pricelists: www.boxbrownie.com/pdf Contact Peter: peter@boxbrownie.com
If there were people who could show what it’s like to achieve success through determination and grit, Randy Carroll would be one of them. While in college, Randy worked as a radio station manager, was the sports editor of their school paper and became the president of their student body as well. He graduated cum laude in 2014 with a degree in Broadcast and Electronic Media. With just one day of rest after graduation, he was off to his first job for a staffing company.
Eight months later, he met the then president of CINC, Jason Hoback, who convinced him that he belonged in sales. And for the next 5 years, he worked at CINC as their National Manager and Director of Strategic accounts. Today, Randy serves as the Strategic Partner and Channel Manager for ChimeTechnologies Inc.
Join us as Randy shares his journey from being an impressionable student to working for what he considers to be one of the real estate industry’s best kept secrets.
In this episode, we talk about:
(4:59) What is it about the competitive nature of sports? (6:23) How does having a winning mindset impact your career? (8:12) Why the term “start-up” shouldn’t be limited to small tech companies start-ups (9:55) How Randy came to CINC (14:00) What you need to do to rise to the top (21:59) What prompted Randy to go to CHIME (25:52) What is CHIME? (28:50) A product from CHIME that Randy is really proud of (30:12) What’s one of the biggest pain points for Realtors
Scott Sillari has been in the Real Estate Business for a long time. He is a licensed real estate agent and used to be a certified appraiser as well. He worked at Vyral Marketing for 7 years as the Director of Business Development.
Today, Scott is the Head of Sales & Marketing for Real Synch. Real Synch is a task automation platform designed for Residential Real Estate Professionals using the smart “SynchBot” technology.
Join us as Scott shares how tech and automation can fit into the real estate business and how it can make teams more productive to create more revenue.
In this episode, we talk about:
(04:35) What are the most important things that people must be doing to grow their business in today’s environment? (13:12) How real estate agents can grow beyond being a great salesperson and take it to the next level? (16:35) What are the key technologies that people are doing to leverage their business? (17:55) The importance of creating a workflow of your systems so they become efficient (23:52) What are the new integrations that Real Synch is working on? (27:59) Why Real Synch is not Zapier and so much more
A nationally-recognized expert in local real estate, Kenny Klaus has dedicated himself to serving the East Valley community since 1999. He also specializes in HUD homes, Short Sales/REOs, as well as New Build and Traditional transactions. Kenny is a Certified Residential Specialist, a Certified Distressed Property Specialist, and an Accredited Buyer Representative.
Known as “The FedEx Guy” for 13 years, his understanding of the efficiency of having your own route made him a firm advocate of Geographic Farming. Currently, he serves as the Lead Listing Specialist to the Kenny Klaus Team and provides its strategic direction at the same time.
Join us as Kenny shares why he is a firm believer of going small to go big and what his thoughts are on having what it takes to build a successful team.
In this episode, we talk about:
(05:11) How big should the area be for geographic farming?
(08:23) What software does Kenny recommend for farming?
(10:06) What are the most important activities to make sure you have marketing success?
(20:14) The one thing Kenny loves about Farming
(22:09) What’s the most important thing in building a successful team
(28:07) Kenny’s resources for growth
(35:02) Why being “well-rounded” is a must to achieve success in this business.
Phil Treadwell is a top producing and independent mortgage banker who is a 16-year veteran in the mortgage industry. He was the top originator in a multi-state region with his own company during the financial crisis of ‘08 - ‘09. Between 2019 and 2012, he developed production and built branches through the South and Southeast regions of the US.
Currently, he is the VP of Development and Regional Manager for Mason-McDuffie Mortgage. He is also the Founder and Host of the Mortgage Marketing Expert podcast and Co-Founder of Industry Syndicate. Recently, National Mortgage Professional Magazine named him as one of “40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40”. Let’s hear from Phil the importance of podcasting and the value of effective marketing and having your own personal brand.
In this episode, we talk about...
(2:43) What is the true value of podcasting?
(6:27) Which is more engaging: Videos or Podcasts?
(17:19) How to attract your target audience to listen to your podcast
(24:41) The power of having a strong personal brand
(28:20) What is the formula for effective marketing?
(29:32) How important is it to have exposure on all mediums
(32:10) Social media platforms Real Estate Agents and Mortgage Experts need to be on
(34:22) Is Tiktok an ideal social platform for Business?
(38:34) What is Industry Syndicate?
(49:24) Phil’s most important piece of advice
As a teenager, Justin Nelson was always curious about who we are and why some people succeed and others don’t. Throughout his twenties, he had an amazing career yet he felt he was not living his life’s purpose. So when he turned 30, he went on a spiritual journey of self discovery that eventually led him to Tony Robbins. He became a speaker where he talked about things that matter most to him: emotional state, self image, belief system and identity.
Five years later, he moved back to Utah where he settled with his wife. This is also where he met Spring Bengtzen whom he partnered with in growing her real estate business. Let’s hear from Justin, what he is passionate about right now, and what his insights are on the importance of having a leadership mindset.
In this episode, we talk about...
- (05:00) What Justin and Spring did better than everyone else in the real estate industry
- (07:51) How to bring value in team meetings?
- (12:02) Why you need to approach everything as an amateur
- (13:07) The most powerful thing you can do for yourself and your team
- (13:57) What is positive accountability?
- (16:38) How to achieve a zero turnover rate
- (19:32) How to create the culture that you want
- (25:13) How to leverage SISU at a higher level
- (33:04) What’s the most challenging and daunting task that exists in real estate
- (45:59) Justin’s most important piece of advice
Spring Bengtzen began her career as a developer’s sales professional in on-site sales, and has expanded to general resales, short sales and foreclosures. Since 2004, she has been a top producing agent in both transactions and dollar volume in the Ogden Valley. In 2010, she received the prestigious “30 under 30”award from the National Association of Realtors and served on the board for the Young Professionals Network both locally and for NAR.
Today, she is the CEO of the Utah Life Real Estate Group and Realty One Group Areté at Realty ONE Group. The Utah Life Real Estate Group is Weber and Davis Counties top real estate team with over 85,000,000 in sales volume in 2019 & 250 families helped. Let’s hear from Spring on how she grew her business and how SISU was a key to help her achieve success.
In this episode, we talk about...
- (07:35) Spring's Recruiting Strategy
- (09:22) What is the importance of mindset?
- (11:47) How SISU helped Spring double her business this year
- (14:21) How SISU holds agents accountable for their goals
- (16:18) How having contests in the workplace completely changed their culture
- (21:01) What does mindset training look like?
- (25:49) Culture of Accountability vs. Culture of Productivity
- (27:38) How Spring made "fun" an essential part of their culture
- (32:26) Spring's one piece of advice on how you can double your business
- (34:26) How SISU's Task Management platform was the game changer for Spring's onboarding pro
Jim Remley entered the real estate industry at 19, and within a year he listed a record-breaking 150 properties. Within 2 years, he became part of the top 1% REALTORS nationwide. Today. Jim leads one of the most successful real estate firms in the US, John L Scott Medford and Ashland - a company that is ranked in the top 350 Real Estate firms by Real Trends.
In addition, Jim is a consultant, best-selling author, speaker and trainer. Let’s hear from Jim as he shares his expertise on how to create an attractive brand, marketing styles, how to adjust your business during a pandemic, his views on market disruptors and how to make A.I. work for you.
In this episode, we talk about...
- (05:20) The importance of building value in a brand
- (06:32) What's the key driver for culture?
- (08:47) What's the best kind of marketing you can possibly do?
- (14:32) How agents should deal with clients afraid to sell due to Covid
- (15:51) How to address clients who don't want to sell because they're afraid they'll end up homeless.
- (16:46) What's the most missed opportunity for most agents right now.
- (21:03) How big is your sphere right now?
- (21:43) What is the "engine" of your business?
- (28:20) Why should you make A.I. work for you instead of against you
- (31:08) Jim's Advice on how to make zero-cost marketing strategy for someone starting out
Show Notes
Robby T is the Coach & Lead Geek at Hatch Coaching. He has devoted the last five years to mastering the lead conversion game. He shares his thoughts within the Leads Geeks community, his coaching clients, our team, or anyone that is willing to listen.
Nathan Joens is CEO and Co-Founder of Structurely. A real estate technology company based in Ames, IA that builds Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) services for real estate businesses to scale personalized conversations with their online real estate leads via messaging.
With experience in Geographic Information Services (GIS), real estate, financing, urban planning, project management, and graphic design, Nate leads the product, engineering, and machine learning teams at Structurely to align with real estate customer goals.
Brian, Robby, and Nate discuss the background on both Hatch Coaching/Structurely, the importance of ISA’s, and how to utilize technology and software better in today’s market.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 2:17 - Robby T goes in-depth on his background and current role with Hatch Coaching
- 5:06 - The three C’s, what are they and how are certain aspects of it dying in today’s market.
- 12:30 - Nate Jones & Robbie T answer the most asked question of “How can we build and keep ISA’s in the ISA role?”
- 15:57 - Robbie explains why you have to leverage automation and how the effectiveness of a phone call continues to nosedive.
- 16:47 - Was this the greatest lead generation opportunities ever seen?
- 19:46 - Nate discusses Structurely existence, ISA’s, and technology in Real Estate.
- 26:33 - The Chat Bot, what is it and Structurely utilize it?
- 32:33 - Robbie talks about what technology they use in today’s market including SIsu.
- 38:30 - If you want to learn how to scale your business, start by doing things that don't scale.
- 41:25 - Let’s take a look at the hard numbers of Robby’s business.
Show Notes
Tom Ferry is the #1 ranked Real Estate Educator by Swanepoel Power 200 and the best-selling author of “Life! By Design” and “Mindset, Model, and Marketing!”
As founder and CEO of Ferry International, the real estate industry’s leading coaching and training company, Tom’s ever-growing influence impacts professionals in a wide variety of ways – including rigorous accountability coaching, the popular #TomFerryShow delivering free, fresh and relevant real estate tips weekly, highly engaging training events, two best-selling books, and his legendary keynote speeches.
Brian and Tom discuss the mindset of the current real estate industry and where it’s headed, his journey to where he is today, and how his approach to using Social Media has catapulted his business!
In this episode, we talk about...
- 3:45 - How social media has played a huge part in not only Tom’s business but his happiness as well.
- 9:20 - Gary Vaynerchuk provided early mentor strategy to Tom and it’s paid off big. Tom explains what he said!
- 13:19 - In a time where we are between the review economy and the trust economy, delivering trust with premium FREE content catapulted Tom’s business.
- 18:20 - Tom explains how being in a family business proved to have challenging tests right out of the gate and how he had to earn his respect.
- 21:45 - Are you thinking about attending college? You’ll want to hear Tom’s thoughts on a better alternative first.
- 25:40 - Tom shares one of the biggest reasons Agents struggle in Real Estate, see if his insight can help you succeed going forward.
- 34:18 - Similarities between Tom’s business and real estate. Here’s what they are and how you can use tom’s strategy to gain success in the future.
- 49:17 - The Tom Ferry Success Summit this is going to shock the industry and more, here is what you can expect from it!
Show Notes
Alvaro Erize is an entrepreneur and Operator with a passion for developing companies that add value to the world. He believes success comes from forming amazing teams, leading from the front line, and deploying operational excellence.
Brian and Alvaro discuss Alvaro’s background before CINC, industry changes during COVID-19, CINC’s quick growth and vision for the future, and some personal questions that you’ll enjoy!
In this episode, we talk about...
- 1:55 - Alvaro dives into his professional background and how the investment industry wasn’t his first choice.
- 6:43 - CINC, how this powerhouse came to be, and its story behind its success.
- 10:01 - What the experience was like for Alvaro & CINC to go through the Fidelity Acquisition process.
- 16:27 - These are the main benefits that set CINC’s CRM apart from everyone else.
- 22:37 - Alvaro answers a must-know question: How CINC grew so fast in a competitive industry?
- 26:04 - With COVID-19 changing world, Alvaro discusses his thoughts on how the industry will change in going forward.
- 35:56 - Here is the vision for CINC in the next 5 years.
Show Notes
Dan Corkill has a background in finance and has worked for a marketing company back in Australia. But, his career bored him and he had no plans of working for someone else for the rest of his life. So he decided to build his own business and become an entrepreneur.
When a friend suggested to him that they start a software company -- even if he had no tech background -- he went for it. Since his friend was a software engineer, they figured he could handle the technical side while Dan does the marketing side. Going into a business that he knew almost nothing about proved to be a struggle for Dan and his team.
Let’s learn from Dan on how he was able to achieve success for their self-funded, profitable company: Follow-Up Boss. We’ll also hear his advice for anyone who wants to go into a business venture regardless if they have background experience on it or not.
In this episode, we talk about...
- (04:11) What made Dan jump-in to starting his software company?
- (07:40) Why Dan chose the Real Estate industry to offer their software to
- (17:21) How did his company make their first sale?
- (20:35) What makes Follow-Up Boss different from other companies offering CRM?
- (20:35) Where does Dan see the Real Estate industry headed to?
- (30:00) Books that made an impact on Dan
SHOW NOTES
Veronica Figueroa, CEO and Team Lead of Figueroa Team at eXp Realty has been in the Real Estate Industry for 15 years and has grown obsessed with the business. Her initial dream was a career in Human Resources and her love for working with people has drawn her into Real Estate and used it as a platform to grow and evolve. She has also become a sought-after speaker and coach where she focuses on inspiring real estate agents to write their own stories of success.
Let’s hear from Veronica on how her passion helped her achieve success in this industry, how she values her team and the importance of being resilient and making your failures as learning opportunities to keep improving yourself.
In this episode, we talk about...
- (09:39) How Veronica and her team starts their day?
- (11:38) Why she partnered with SISU
- (13:43) Choosing customer’s experience over fairness within the team
- (16:13) Why competition among squads is highly recommended
- (20:35) How Veronica focuses on growing her leaders so they can grow others
- (26:03) Why Veronica partnered with Zillow
- (34:09) The value of finding a person who truly believes on your vision
- (35:09) Two books that changed Veronica’s life
- (39:48) Veronica’s most important advice
SHOW NOTES
Michael Hellickson has been a leader in the real estate industry, where he built a multi-million dollar business as a real estate agent, eventually becoming the Nations #1 real estate agent. During his career, Hellickson has spoken to and coached thousands of students and organizations nationwide. Michael has been featured on several national television and radio programs including:
- Glenn Beck
- CNBC
- The Dave Ramsey Show
- The Fox Business Network
- And many other local & regional programs
In this episode, Brian and Michael talk about how to make working virtually more productive, what adjustments agents can make to stay successful during COVID-19, and how Club Wealth has become the industry standard in profitability coaching.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 2:54 - Michael answers the need to know question of “will we go back to how things were before COVID-19, here’s what he says.
- 5:22 - With everyone being more productive virtually, this is how to work virtually and set up a virtual event for success
- 13:12 - It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, you can make these adjustments to stay successful and have the best months you have ever had.
- 23:38 - There are two types of thinkers: “Either Or” and “Both And”, but which one will still be successful in the next 24 months?
- 32:15 - How standing and moving can convey emotion and your message properly to clients over the phone.
- 36:13 - Club Wealth has set the standard on Profitability Coaching, here’s how they do an excellent job.
- 41:39 - The teams that are Jacks of all trades, master of none will see far less success than teams that segment buyers and sellers.
- 47:53 - Michael’s Final thoughts and advice
SHOW NOTES
Ricky Cain is one of the top agents at the world’s #1 real estate office for units sold. Ricky is also proud to serve on the Agent Leadership Council, at the Austin Keller Williams Southwest Market Center, along with the other top producing agents at his office. Ricky and his team are responsible for remarkable numbers. They've achieved 1.5 million in GCI and just under 60 million this year.
In this episode, Brian and Ricky talk about what Ricky has done to gain success in a crowed Austin, TX market, the effect Sisu has had on his business, and what’s his take on how the pandemic crisis is going to affect the industry and what we need to do to survive it.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 2:39 - Ricky speaks on the environment in Austin, TX, and how he became one of the top teams.
- 4:31 - These are the exact steps Rick takes with his team to keep their skills sharp in a skills-based market.
- 10:42 - Brian dives into a more in-depth look into Ricky’s team’s numbers
- 13:12 - With COVID-19 still in full effect, these are the adjustments the Kane Team has made to continue their success.
- 18:25 - How making the shift to Sisu’s automation software has helped Ricky’s business become efficient and effective
- 32:08 - If you hire the right first coach, and you're coachable, and you're willing to do whatever it takes the need for the other coaches, It's organic. This is how It’s not actually costing you anything.
- 33:45 - The Money Mindset and how using these tips could help you diversify your income.
- 39:26 - Ricks talks about his positive relationship with Gary Keller and what it’s been like to be mentored by him
SHOW NOTES
Tim Harris of Tim and Julie Harris Real Estate Coaching has been in the business for over 20 years. From being a top producing agent, he and his wife have become one of real estate industry's leading coaches. Also, they are the best selling authors of several books, one of which is the HARRIS RULES, Your No-BS Practical Step by Step Guide to Finally Becoming Free.
In this episode, Brian and Tim talk about how Tim and his wife got started in coaching, what sets them apart from other coaches, and what’s his take on how the pandemic crisis is going to affect the industry and what we need to do to survive it.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 03:33 How Tim and his wife Julie got into coaching
- 08:38 What is the biggest thing that sets Tim and Julie Coaching apart from their competitors
- 11:43 What is the current situation of the real estate industry and where is it headed for the coming months?
- 19:26 What should we be focused on amidst this crisis?
- 22:28 How to get the Ultimate Agent's Survival Guide
- 30:33 Why we need to hope for the best but prepare for the worst
- 50:31 What will the new normal look like?
- 54:02 How to make a profit at this time?
SHOW NOTES
Doug Gieck is a real estate professional specializing in operations and production for 8z out of Colorado. His efficiency has led to the success of 8z with 2665 transactions last year, 1.27 billion in volume, and 150 agents!
In this episode, Brian and Doug discuss how to ensure your business survives during COVID-19, the things you should be doing to hold your team accountable, and how Sisu has helped his business!
In this episode, we talk about…
- 3:20 - Doug gives insight on how his business survived in 2008 when most people were going out of business
- 7:57 - If you are struggling today as a leader, start by turning off your TV and the news.
- 13:51 - COVID-19 How to hold your team accountable, engaged and motivated while working remotely.
- 18:15 - 15 offices and a lot of data, this is how Doug structured his business to manage it!
- 24:31 - 8z's infrastructure is what has allowed them to recruit agents organically, but how?
- 28:10 - This is the most crucial time to try and keep your business afloat and Doug shares his thoughts on how to do so.
SHOW NOTES
George Morris is a dynamic, purpose-driven leader with over two decades of experience in the real estate sector. His leadership skills range from creating and managing small sales teams to owning and expanding large, multi-office residential real estate brokerages with added services in property management, commercial brokerage, relocation, and corporate services.
In this episode, Brian and George talk about rituals that could save your business during the COVID-19 pandemic, how to shift to a GRIT and growth mindset, and how to capture additional market share.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 3:41 - George’s take on the COVID-19 pandemic and is it affecting the real estate industry?
- 6:50 - The exact mindset we should have to take our business to the next level.
- 13:30 - Asking yourself “what is my structure” and getting serious about our business and personal lives.
- 19:45 - The things that we can be doing to make a difference in this market
- 25:02 - This is an amazing time to make contacts and George explains why!
- 26:19 - How Mike Ferry has played a huge role in George’s life and business.
- 34:20 - George shares his final remarks
SHOW NOTES
Dan Noma Jr has been working in Real Estate literally since birth. Dan is the son of a builder & developer and Real Estate has been in his blood for many generations. Dan is a graduate of Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ with a BA in both business and political science. Dan is one of the leading Real Estate professionals in all of Arizona under 30 years of age and has held his position among the top agents in the state in general. Dan’s experience has given him an extensive knowledge of today’s market in Arizona
In this episode, Brian and Dan discuss the developing consumer patience in the real estate market, how COVID-19 is affecting the industry, institutional investors, and removing consumer doubts with the iBuyer experience.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 3:35 - Consumer-thinking, how the idea of certainty has shaped and shifted the market
- 7:22 - How virtual reality systems will help more value in the real estate market.
- 14:01 - Will the current Interest rates increase in the near future and how should current buyers proceed?
- 15:35 - Dan talks about how he grew his network of institutional investors in real estate.
- 21:15 - iReal Estate Pro, what exactly it is and how it’s now the greatest acquisition tool in U.S history.
- 25:15 - Property management, how you can make a lot of money but how do you get into it?
SHOW NOTES
Gary Boomershine has worked in a variety of emerging growth markets for more than 24 years in Silicon Valley and India. He has been successful in emerging markets and public markets in a broad range of industries including Residential and Commercial Real Estate, Private Lending, Enterprise Software, New Media, and High Tech Manufacturing. His most recent venture, www.RealEstateInvestor.com, with their flagship platform "REIvault" made INC 500 Fastest Growing Company List for 2016 as #503 in the United States, #16 in Real Estate and #18 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In this episode, Brian and Gary discuss how this is an opportune time and what can a team-owner, a broker-owner, or someone who's running a real estate business do to really create wealth during this massive shift of wealth.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 3:10 - Gary talks about their new hybrid iBuyer model
- 6:32 - What exactly is an iBuyer and how are they working in this market shift and how you can capitalize now.
- 15:56 - From an investor's perspective, Gary talks about a new dynamic and opportunity for those looking for cash partners.
- 20:50 - With a huge inventory problem, Gary is able to see a long term buyer's market coming.
- 30:16 - With the COVID-19 taking a toll, how do landlord handle tenants not being able to pay rent?
- 34:05 - Gary explains how can agents create wealth for themselves using somebody else's hard money.
SHOW NOTES
Gabe Cordova is an expert in residential real estate with 16 years of sales success and famously sold over 800 homes in his last year as a real estate agent. After transitioning into Firepoint as President, Gabe quickly became the voice and visionary of the company where he consistently strives to help agents with team building, training, systems implementation, and ultimately shows them how to grow and scale their businesses.
In this episode, Brian and Gabe discuss what it will take for agents to be successful in the near future and how the growth of Firepoint's platform will change how the real estate industry uses its CRM for the better.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 2:30 - How did Gabe get started in the real estate world?
- 7:52 - Firepoint, the development and how the business has scaled over the years.
- 11:11 - What follow-up systems should you be using as an agent and how to not forget the service aspect of your business.
- 26:17 - The most important things agents can do to thrive in today's real estate market.
- 36:12 - Within 5 years these are the top changes Gabe see's coming in the real estate industry.
SHOW NOTES
Kristan Cole is an experienced Broker with a demonstrated history of working in the real estate industry and expansion of it. She is a strong finance professional skilled in Speaking, Leadership, Expansion, Negotiation, Luxury, Sales, Entrepreneurship, and Real Property. Her other leadership opportunities have included serving as President of Alaska’s branch of the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network, Director of Keller Williams Realty’s Commercial Leadership Council, and Talent Search Director for Keller Williams Realty’s corporate headquarters.
In this episode, Brian and Kristan discuss how Kristan has mastered the art of expansion to create success by using her grit, grace, growth, and giving core values.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 1:46 - Kristan Cole gives details on her professional background and how expansion has become her driver.
- 7:01 - With 44 expansion teams, how many units does Kristan’s network do?
- 12:23 - What are the key differences between a great leader and a good leader and why it’s important to know.
- 13:47 - How do you get an already successful person to join your business?
- 24:28 - Making the choice to find a mentor for your future success.
- 34:34 - Details on the upcoming Growthward Summit in April
SHOW NOTES
Dr. Hank Seitz is a recognized entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and award-winning author. He has helped thousands of people and hundreds of organizations, particularly in real estate, become their greatest possibility, grow their business and increase their wealth, Dr. Hank has been in the real estate industry for over 20 years. He has owned a mortgage company and for the last 10 years, has owned a real estate brokerage with over 420 agents.
In this episode, Brian and Dr. Hank discuss how to eliminate negative subconscious thoughts and how powerful the mind can be in our exploration of happiness and wealth.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 5:43 - Dr. Hank discusses his main purpose in Real Estate
- 9:30 - How did Dr. Hank become the happiest man alive?
- 15:05 - The power hour before bed and the subconscious mind
- 21:21 - Dr. Hank tells all in how he became a mental scientist
- 31:35 - How important is gratitude in our lives? See what Dr. Hank says
SHOW NOTES
Laurel Starks is a recognized expert in family law real estate and has sold over $180 million in sales volume, placing her in the top 1% of agents worldwide. In this capacity, she has advised, consulted and testified in hundreds of divorce cases, and serves as a court-appointed expert in the disposition of real property. Attorneys, judges and other legal professionals have come to rely on Laurel’s knowledge, judgment, integrity, as well as her ability to explain complex real estate matters to those affected by them.
In this episode, Brian and Laurel discuss the responsibility and importance of educating agents in the divorce niche and how Laurel has dominated this niche.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 1:13 - How did laurel become passionate about divorce?
- 4:16 - Laurel shares tips on how agents can get into the divorce niche now!
- 10:10 - Where do most of the divorce agents listings come from?
- 19:12 - Over 75% of students have gotten an ROI from the course investment with these methods.
- 23:20 - Closing remarks and strong advice from expert Laurel Starks
SHOW NOTES
Rich DeNicola currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the Realogy Expansion Brands portfolio, which includes Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate and ERA®. He is responsible for domestic and international business operations, financial management, franchise performance consulting, network engagement and brand growth strategy for the portfolio.
In this episode, Brian and Rich discuss Realogy’s growth, future expansion, and with the industry changing, what to look out for.
In this episode, we talk about...
- 2:15 - Rich talks about Realogy Holdings structure and the brands it consists of.
- 9:25 - A new relationship with Amazon, how it’s delivering high-quality leads to consumers.
- 20:30 - With iBuying sweeping the industry, Realogy’s “RealSure” is a game-changer.
- 26:55 - Rich talks about the biggest risks for the industry and where it will go in 10 years.
- 31:27 - Other than AI, these awesome technologies have caught Rich’s eye.
SHOW NOTES
Brad Sugars is a bestselling author and the #1 Business Coach in the world, according to Entrepreneur Magazine. Brad came from humble beginnings but has built a life and a business that many would cite as the very definition of success. Brad is the founder of the global business coaching franchise ActionCOACH, which has over 1000 offices in 81 countries, working with tens of thousands of business owners, delivering his simple yet powerful business growth techniques.
In this episode, Brian and Brad discuss how already successful business owners in the real estate world can find exponential growth with the power of learning.
In this episode we talk about...
- 3:23 - Brad’s Background, Life as a Father & Day-to-Day Activities.
- 8:24 - How exactly did Brad develop coaching into a successful franchise?
- 12:50 - “there are no secrets to success, just books you haven’t read yet”
- 15:35 - There are five basic core disciplines of business with exponential growth, what are they?
- 26:58 - They importance in understanding management.
- 33:55 - Brad owns eight companies, here are his tips on a great work/life balance.
- 38:50 - These are must-read books that have made the biggest impact on Brad's life.
SHOW NOTES
An entrepreneur, investor, and executive, Howard Tager has a successful track record of real estate technology, digital marketing, and investment with a focus on company growth, business development, online marketing, and strategic planning. In 2014, he co-founded a new “next generation” Software as a Service and digital marketing company called Ylopo. As one of the top 5 lead generation companies, it is Ylopo’s mission is to build the world's most intuitive online marketing platform to deliver “Do-it-Yourself” cross-platform digital marketing services to the real estate industry and beyond.
In this episode, Brian and Howard discuss how you can change your life through lead generation and top-notch digital marketing.
In this episode we talk about...
- 6:10 - How did Ylopo come to be?
- 16:31 - Changing agents lives, both as the individual agent and team leader.
- 23:42 - Where does Howard see the future of the real estate industry going?
- 29:17 - D.y.V.A
- 39:11 - "Video is the future!"
- 47:21 - What book does Howard suggest reading?
SHOW NOTES
Michael Hellickson has been a real estate agent for over 20 years, listing and selling over 100 homes/month, and carrying over 750 active and pending listings at one point. He began his real estate career in 1991 and has been among the top 1% of all agents nationally, before he even graduated high school! At the pinnacle of his sales career, Michael and his team were literally #1 Nationwide, out of over 1,000,000 real estate agents/teams! Today, Michael spends his time running Club Wealth and has built it up to become the #1 Coaching Company in the World in the Team space!
In this episode, Brian and Michael discuss how to become a top selling agent. From marketing to lead follow-up, it takes grit. Take the tips and advice that Michael has shared to one day become apart of the 1%!
In this episode we talk about...
- 1:51 - Let's go back in time to Michael's high-school days.
- 7:10 - "Coaching the highest number of transactions in volume"
- 11:19 - As an agent, what can you do to prepare for a market shift.
- 15:15 - WRITE THESE DOWN!
- 26:55 - What's the percentage that a client will work with me if I am the 1st agent to get in front of them?
- 30:49 - Let's switch gears and talk about brokerages and teams!
- 42:30 - Michael Hellickson's one peice of advice.
SHOW NOTES
Daniel Beer is the CEO/Owner of Beer Home Team of eXp Realty of California, Inc., one of the Top 150 Teams in the nation per The Wall Street Journal and Real Trends. While at Realty, Dan and his team were the #1 real estate team in Southern California. Dan and his team bring the highest class Real Estate service in the industry to sellers and buyers at every price point. The goal is to connect with the community, create a great place to hold real estate related conversations, and get to know San Diego sellers and buyers in a more intimate way than traditional websites allow.
In this episode, Brian and Dan take a deep dive into the Beer Home Team business and talk about the systems and tools that they useto be successful. Feel free to take this information with you and implement into your business!
In this episode we talk about...
- 2:00 - Meet Dan Beer!
- 10:15 - How do you respond to sellers who want to up the price of their home?
- 15:36 - The key elements of a marketing package.
- 20:31 - Keeping ISA's happy in their role.
- 24:00 - What is Dan's focus for 2020?
SHOW NOTES
Greg Harrelson has been selling Real Estate full time for over 20 years in South Carolina is in the top 1% of all Realtors nationwide. In 1999, he opened his first Century 21 franchise in Myrtle Beach, SC and is now the proud owner of 4 different locations with a team of agents that average roughly 30 deals per agent and closing over 2000 transactions. Greg's team has consistently been ranked the #1 Sales Team in Myrtle Beach since their inception.
In this episode, Greg and Brian discuss how to run an effective brokerage with a team of real estate agents along with the metrics of spending on marketing, generating, and converting leads.
In this episode we talk about...
- 4:40 - How did Greg Harrelson transition his team to his brokerage?
- 7:15 - The cost of generating leads.
- 13:32 - Creating a culture with multiple agents and offices.
- 17:09 - How does Greg recruit and coach his agents effectively?
- 27:37 - Acquiring a brokerage.
- 36:31 - How to address the agent when they are not converting leads.
SHOW NOTES
Tristan Ahumada Realtor has been in real estate since 2004 and focuses primarily on building relationships with clients and focuses in Luxury Real Estate. He also teaches and speaks throughout the year at different events, to small groups and larger groups of up to 20,000 people. Tristan teaches how to have a higher lead conversion through long-term follow-up and building deep relationships with clients. He is the creator and co-founder of the largest closed facebook Real Estate group in the United States called Lab Coat Agents.
In this episode, Tristan and Brian discuss how to diversify your life and business as a team leader/owner and take them to the next level.
In this episode we talk about...
- 3:30 - How Tristan got Lab Coat Agents to over 100,000 members on Facebook.
- 12:10 - Here's some advice for the yound agents who have just started to build their business using social media.
- 18:00 - What is the purpose of Lab Coat Agents Today?
- 23:19 - Real Estate Agents have adopted technology faster than before.
- 25:28 - Tristan's one piece of advice!
SHOW NOTES
Jeff Quintin has serviced customers and clients since 1992, helping them find their dream homes.The Quintin Group is consistently selling over 175 homes per year, equivalent to over $70 million in sales. Jeff himself, has sold over 4,000 properties in his career. His passion for his customers has only grown over the years as he continues to set the standard for real estate agents nationwide.
In this episode, Brian and Jeff discuss what it takes to be a successful team leader and how to expand a team effectively.
In this episode we talk about...
- 2:15 - From New Jersey down to the Carolinas.
- 9:15 - What is the key to success with expansion teams?
- 17:56 - CRM's and Contact Stash.
- 24:32 - What advice can Jeff gives to other team leader?
From everyone here at Grit: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, we hope that you had an amazing Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a joyous Holiday Season with loved ones! Now, let's get back to business.
SHOW NOTES
Watters International Realty is one of the most respected teams for buying and selling in Austin and has Watters International Realty is one of the most respected teams for buying and selling in Austin and has successfully closed over $100+ Million in sales and helped hundreds of families in the purchase or sale of a home. Chris Watter's othre ventures, investments, and advisory roles include Mint Title, WHD Investments Inc, WIR Publishing Inc, and #RealDeal.
In this episode, Brian and Chris talk about what it takes to build your team with the right tools and systems and how to handle lead management.
In this episode we talk about...
- 6:19 - This idea was an epic failure.
- 12: 50 - What is the "why today"? At some point, it's not about the money.
- 33:34 - How to organize lead sources.
- 38:42 - Agent retention and compensation.
- 50:15 - "The Million Dollar Real Estate Team"
SHOW NOTES
Jeff Cohn has been in the business for 13 years is known for abnormal results, obsessive tracking, and a relentless drive to be elite in every area. He is the founder of Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group, Nebraska’s #1 selling residential team. Last week, Jeff revealed that he is leaving Berkshire Hathaway and lauching his new business, KW Elite, and expanding 100 locations across the country in 2020!
In this episode, Brian picks at Jeff's insights of what his vision is for the future of real estate since he is on to bigger and better things.
In this episode we talk about...
- 2:30 - How advancement in technology is challenging the individual real estate agent's role in the transaction.
- 6:12 - Big angencies, like KW and Berkshire Hathaway, will work together and previal over Zillow.
- 8:38 - What is the value of the agent?
- 14:37 - The 2 things that Jeff focuses on.
- 15: 55 - What exactly drove Jeff to launch Keller Williams Elite.
- 21:00 - How to take your team and life style to the next level.
SHOW NOTES
Kyle Whissel has been in the real estate industry in San Diego since 2002. Since then, he's worked in all aspects of the industry including property management, commercial real estate (apartments and retail), investing, distressed sales (REO & short sale), flipping and residential real estate. Whissel Realty Group has also been recognized as the #1 real estate team in San Diego County by The Wall Street Journal and the #6 team in California by Trulia and Zillow.
In this episode, Kyle and Brian discuss how you can leverage your time and resources so that you can focus on more income producing tasks.
In this episode we talk about...
- 5:00 - Time vs. Money
- 10:32 - Finding the best use of your time
- 18:00 - Open House Strategy
- 41:17 - How to get from 350 units this year to 1,000 units next year
SHOW NOTES
Rick Davidson is the former CEO of Century 21. In his 11 years of leadership, he help the company rejuvenate their system, putting in place a comprehensive plan to create excitement about the brand throughout the industry, drive brand pride, foster loyalty within the system and drive growth. He is now returning to his roots and becoming a C21 Franchisee.
In this episode, Rick and Brian discuss where the real estate is going and with 30 years of experience, they have seen it all and have been able to survive each uphill battle.
In this episode we talk about...
- 9:57 - Where do you see real estate being 5 years from now? Where is it going?
- 14:28 - The agent is the glue of buyers and sellers.
- 21:45 - Inovation or disruption, how to leverage your technology.
- 30:30 - Owning a real estate business, mortgage, & title.
- 35:41 - What are the opportunities with Realogy?
SHOW NOTES
Rivers is a strategic advisor and consultant primarily working in the real estate and real estate technology sector. He is based in Charleston, SC. He has over 12 years experience in the online marketing and advertising space, working with numerous Fortune 500 companies across the e-commerce, travel and real estate verticals. In early 2010, he came to BoomTown to start their Search Engine Marketing department. Applying many agency best practices, he helped scale BoomTown’s client base from 70 to well over 3000 clients by serving as their Director of Client Success, Director of Digital Marketing & Strategy, and now, founder and CEO of w8less; a real estate and property technology consultancy.
Brian discusses with Rivers where he came from and how he has taken his experience from BoomTown and applied that knowledge to the real estate industry by picking apart the market to see where it is going and how to navigate the waters.
In this episode we talk about...
- 5:45 - What are some of the key things that we are seeing in the industry? For starters, call your leads...
- 9:30 - The pay of the agent is now changing.
- 13:18 - Real estate has all the data and tools to track the market, you have to embrace it.
- 16:01 - What is w8less? How do agents and teams bring technology into real estate?
- 24:51 - What different types of technology make a difference? Example: tracking calls!
- 30:34 - Understanding and tracking your leads.
- 34:45 - According to Rivers, these are the key things that you need to stay efficient and not get left behind in today's industry.
SHOW NOTES
Frank Klesitz is an entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of Vyral Marketing – a done-for-you video marketing firm helping entrepreneurial professionals in all industries increase new client generation and existing client retention with education-based video marketing. Vyral Marketing helps hundreds of professional clients worldwide, publishing over 800 client videos a month and 4 million client emails a year.
Frank and Brian chat discuss Frank's evolution from an interest in real estate sales to building his real estate marketing company - Vyral Marketing to his new pillar of real estate investing.
In this episode we talk about...
- 3:36 - Is therapy the same as coaching? Mike Ferry and Frank Klesitz see a lot of correlation.
- 5:35 - "I will only tell you want you want to hear... because that is all you will accept." 🤔
- 8:15 - What is the new disruption in the real estate industry? How Zillow is getting seller leads and what you need to add your website.
- 13:08 - The 3 things that a real estate team needs on their website.
- 14:30 - Are you taking your skills from the "Red Book" and using them in the "Blue Book"?
- 20:40 - Are you leveraging a BRRRR strategy for real estate investment? 🥶
- 23:40 - Are you prepared for an upcoming recession and are you ready to capitalize on it?
- 27:44 - What is the one piece of advice that Frank wants to share with the group? You might be surprised.
SHOW LINKS
- The Million Dollar Real Estate Agent, Gary Keller
- The Million Real Estate Investor, Garry Keller
Show Notes
Patrick Lilly wears many hats: successful New York City real estate broker, educator, transformational life coach, speaker and world traveler. Curious by nature, Patrick likes to explore other ways of thinking, feeling, living and being, which ultimately allows him to serve his clients’ best interests.
Patrick has sold over 1,200 properties worth more than $1.35 billion worth of property in his 34 year career.
This strong sales success has resulted in many national honors, most notably the Keller Williams Pinnacle Award which is presented to just 20 exceptional agents across all North American firms. Additional distinctions include being named one of The Wall Street Journal’s Top 250 Agents in the nation and Inman’s 101 Most Influential Agents in North America. He was also featured in “The Billion Dollar Agent” by Steve Kantor.
Through his organization Real Estate Success Rocks, Patrick hosts an annual conference and a weekly podcast for agents. He is also the founder of Real Estate Vision (REV), an educational and networking group for top producing agents. Patrick is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars throughout the world. A consistent theme in his talks is the creation of practices that nurture both your soul and financial well-being.
Patrick shares his path into real estate and how he has redefined his goals from top line revenue growth to redefining his goals focused on net profitability personal and real estate team growth.
In this episode we talk about…
- 8:08 – New real estate industry compensation models, and how Patrick moved towards salary based realtor teams.
- 13:14 – Candid discussion on goal setting. Are you setting your goals based on external significance and perception or based on your own goals setting?
- 16:11 – Whatever has provided you with the most trauma in your life can provide you with the most meaning.
- 18:34 – How did Real Estate Success Rocks and Real Estate Vision (REV) start.
- 22:30 – Are there moments in your life when you feel compelled to talk to someone? Patrick, discusses how important it is to not let those moments pass you by.
- 26:30 – What are the opportunities in a down market? Patrick and Brian discussed wealth building strategies – even in a down turn economy.
- 34:40 – What is the most important business advice for a team? Patrick shares his most important nugget of advice.
SHOW LINKS
- “Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul”by Shawn Askinosie
- Real Estate Success Rocks
- Real Estate Vision (REV)
