Explore every episode of the podcast RealTrending

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Luis Carrion, the CEO and Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, California Properties and a 2024 RealTrends GameChanger. In 2022, Luis acquired and took over the firm from the family of the late Bruce Malhern. He and Tracey talk about the growth and restructuring of the company under his leadership these past two years, and the importance behind building strong, personal relationships with agents. He outlines his ambitious growth plan for BHHS, which includes M&A opportunities, increasing agent productivity, and strategic recruiting. Luis also talks about the challenges that he faced during the transition, including the larger impact of COVID-19 on his business and the industry, as well as other valuable lessons he has learned along the way. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The lessons learned during transition periods are crucial to organizational growth. The pandemic years shined a light on the need for change and adaptability in real estate. A well-rounded growth plan should include mergers and acquisitions, agent productivity, and recruiting. Related to this episode: Luis Carrion | LinkedIn Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, California Properties 2024 RealTrends GameChangers HousingWire | YouTube More info about HousingWire Enjoy the episode! The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch.

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Stuart Sim, the Vice President of Industry Development at Lofty. Stuart joins us to talk about the impact of the NAR settlement on agents’ business and marketing strategies. Now that the new regulations are in practice, what can real estate professionals do to market themselves effectively? Stuart believes in automating your business and differentiating yourself with new and existing technology in this evolving, post-NAR settlement market. He also discusses how you can use data analytics to better understand customer preferences and market trends, and how to engage meaningfully with past clients. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: There are a lot of new opportunities for real estate agents in the current market. Utilizing technology platforms to their fullest potential can greatly enhance an agent's efficiency and effectiveness. Data analytics can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and market trends, allowing agents to stay ahead of the competition. Agents should proactively engage with past clients and identify opportunities for future transactions. Related to this episode: Stuart Sim | LinkedIn Lofty HousingWire | YouTube Enjoy the episode! The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch.

On today’s sponsored episode, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jason Mitchell, the founder and CEO of JMG Real Estate, one of the top mega teams on the 2024 RealTrends Verified Rankings. JMG is a B2B brokerage that works diligently with big brands to drive worthwhile business into their company and give their agents high-quality referrals.  Tracey and Jason talk about JMG’s strategy when building a network of referral partners and the careful consideration that they take when assessing not only the value that the agent brings to them but also the value that they bring to the agents. He also talks about policy changes, holding agents accountable for productivity goals, and managing relationships with large referral partners. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Providing value to agents and helping them build their book of business is crucial in the real estate industry. Being consistent, proactive, and focused on providing value to clients leads to success. Partnerships and relationships with organizations and decision-makers are key to generating referrals and growing a real estate business. The real estate industry is evolving, and agents need to adapt by finding opportunities to work with teams or brokerages that can help them close more deals. Being transactional and closing more deals leads to a larger client base and more opportunities for referrals. Related to this episode: Jason Mitchell Group Jason Mitchell Group | LinkedIn Jason Mitchell | LinkedIn HousingWire | YouTube Enjoy the episode! The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch.

Today’s RealTrending podcast features Bobby Bryant, CEO and co-founder of Doss, a real estate brokerage and technology company that offers a flex model and an artificial intelligence assistant. Doss is a Google Start Up company and recently received funding from Amazon, as well.This episode is sponsored by Keeping Current Matters. Keeping Current Matters makes it easy to be the market expert so you can spend more time on what matters most: your clients. Check them out here.

Today’s RealTrending podcast features Sarah Reynolds, CEO of EmpowerHome, a real estate industry solutions provider supporting Realtors, mega teams, and core services companies. Sarah talks about her unique business model and the lead pillars that drive her success.

Today’s RealTrending podcast features Spencer Rascoff, founder of Pacaso, Hotwire and Zillow among other companies. Rascoff is also the CEO of 75 & Sunny, an investment company. Rascoff discusses the next wave of real estate technology as well as the challenges ahead for the traditional brokerage model.

Today’s RealTrending podcast features Rainy Hake Austin, president of The Agency. Rainy discusses how their boutique-feel brokerage is able to scale that model using brand consistency.

Today’s RealTrending podcast features Rick Haase, president of United Real Estate. Rick discusses what they look for in a brokerage acquisition, the current real estate technology landscape and lessons learned building an in-house tech platform.

Today's RealTrending podcast features Nick Ron, CEO of House Buyers of America, which buys renovates and resells homes. Ron discusses the difference between his company and an iBuyer and how important it is to have a personal touch.

Today’s RealTrending features features Rivers Pearce, chief marketing officer, and Dustin Gray, founder and CEO of Milestones, a homeowner portal that just raised 10.3 million in Series A funding. They discuss how real estate agents can move away from being transactional and move to being more intentional in building relationships.

Today’s RealTrending features Michael Scanlon and Jake Fugeman, team leaders for Axon Group, powered by eXp Realty and based in Chicago. After investing in real estate themselves, the duo decided to start a real estate practice working with investors.  While they've expanded their niche to all buyers and sellers, they still work heavily with smaller investors. Here's who they did it. 

Today’s RealTrending features Mike Lane, president of ShowingTime. Mike shares the latest on ShowingTime's evolving platform post-Zillow acquisition and offers some market trend on which real estate markets are still hot based on their data. 

Today’s RealTrending features Tim Heyl, founder of Homeward and of The Heyl Group  of Keller Williams Realty in Austin. The Heyl Group is ranked number two large team by transaction sides and number five by sales volume in the 2022 RealTrends, The Thousand rankings. Heyl discusses the new financing options for consumers, why teams aren't competition for brokers and the innovation in the real estate industry.

Today, we welcome Howard Lorey to the show! Howard is the Executive Vice President and Brokerage Manager of Nourmand & Associates with 24 years of real estate experience. He and his team at the LA-based Nourmand & Associates closed over 380 transactions this past year with a total sales volume of over $693 million to date.   Tracey and Howard discuss how he transitioned from being a professional musician to working under his father in real estate, and the interesting similarities he's found that have helped further his real estate career. They also talk about recruitment and training strategies, the future of agent compensation, and balancing pursuing consolidation and developing your existing assets. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Transitioning from a career in music to real estate requires a similar approach to branding and business development. Attracting talent involves identifying underutilized or underappreciated individuals and offering personalized business development support. Real estate will see more consolidation, streamlined transaction mechanics, and a continued focus on the agent-client relationship. Leadership in real estate involves continuous learning, perpetual growth, and a focus on developing and retaining talented agents. Related to this episode: Howard Lorey | LinkedIn About Howard Lorey | Nourmand & Associates Nourmand & Associates HousingWire | YouTube Enjoy the episode! The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch.

Today’s RealTrending features Marnie Blanco, vice president of industry for Pacaso. Marnie shares how the company is tweaking its strategy, trends in co-ownership and what brokers and agents can do to compete in today's market.

Today’s RealTrending features Anna-Marie Ellison, managing partner of ERA King Real Estate in Alabama, and a RealTrends GameChanger.  Anna-Marie talks about how she's investing in boosting agent productivity and the tactics she's using to do so.

Today’s RealTrending features Brian Bair, founder and CEO of Offerpad. Brian talks about the future of iBuying, if the company strategy may change due to the market shift and what they are doing to streamline the process.

Today’s RealTrending features Long Doan, CEO of Realty Group LLC in Minneapolis. Doan was named a 2022 RealTrends GameChanger for achieving 292% growth by transaction side percentage over the past five years. Coming to the U.S. as a 13-year-old refugee during the Vietnam War, Doan had an aha moment. "The first night I was at the refugee camp, it hit me. I found a spot on the beach and I remember crying all night. I was a 13 year old boy, alone. I thought to myself, 'Wait a minute. Am I lucky, or am I unlucky?' The sun was coming up, and I remember telling myself that, 'Just put your big boy pants on and go to work,' because I decided that I was a victor, not a victim. I actually was lucky, not unlucky. And your mind is powerful. When you decide something, you are right."

Today’s RealTrending features Steve Murray, senior advisor to RealTrends and a partner with RTC Consulting. Murray recently research more than 730 real estate firms to find out the leaders in growth over the past 10 years. The report, The Secrets of Top-Growth Firms, is available now.

Today’s RealTrending features Corey Hasting, broker/owner of Engel & Völkers in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. His firm was a top mover in the 2022 RealTrends Nation's Best rankings, doubling transaction sides to 1,488 between 2021 and 2022.  Hasting was a defensive starter for Ohio State University and the Cinncinatti Bengals before becoming the youngest brokerage owner in Engel & Völkers history at age 27. Hasting talks about running a brokerage and how his focus on training has resulted in increased agent productivity.

Today’s RealTrending features Rod Watson and Rob Hite, both former professional basketball players and founders of the sports and entertainment real estate firm Aston Rose, powered by SIDE. They talk about how athletics prepared them for real estate, the expansion of their real estate firm and the systematic and highly focused way they go about serving customers.

Today's RealTrending features 2022 RealTrends GameChangers, JW Webb, Founder, and CEO, and John Anderson, President, of Professional Realty Services International in Spokane, Washington. Their brokerage grew 217% over the past five years by transaction side percentage based on RealTrends 500 data.  JW and John talk about how they did the unthinkable — halted recruiting — last year to ensure the agents they already had were getting the service and tools they needed. 

Today’s RealTrending is a United Wholesale Mortgage-sponsored episode discussing partnering with an independent mortgage broker. Traci Nicodemus, owner of RE/MAX Cross Country Advantage Legacy and Trinity in Texas discusses mortgage brokerage partnership dynamic, how it's working for her firm and the importance of partnering with someone who shares you values.

Today’s RealTrending features Nathan Klutznick, CEO, and Jonathan Lickstein, Managing Broker for LoKation Real Estate in Pompano Beach, Florida. The executives talk how they believe the flat-fee model is the future, competition for market share and the importance of transparency and availability to retain agent.  The brokerage is ranked No. 47 by transaction sides, and No. 77 by sales volume in the 2022 RealTrends 500 ranking. 

This week, we are bringing you a fantastic chat with Michelle Berman-Mikel, the owner and founder of Berman Media PD and the developer behind a program called Beyond the Method, which teaches real estate professionals how to use Instagram in a way that helps them grow their business. She and Tracey do a deep dive into how to use and leverage Instagram and other social media to turn superficial follower engagement into a full-blown lead-generation tool. Michelle has what she calls the “Four Pillars of Engagement” and gives some great insight into how to make and stick with meaningful Instagram content that will help you stand out. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Instagram is a powerful platform for real estate marketing, but many agents don’t use it to its potential. The four pillars of success on Instagram include value series, testimonials, listing day, and lifestyle content. Outbound prospecting is about creating opportunities and building relationships within the community. The 'black line approach' is a strategy for success, inspired by Michelle's swimming career, and emphasizes focus, discipline, and trust in the process. Related to this episode: Michelle Berman-Mikel | LinkedIn  Michelle Berman-Mikel Instagram Can you have a “presence” on Instagram without being “present” | HousingWire Berman Media HousingWire | YouTube Enjoy the episode! The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch.

Today’s RealTrending features Smokey Garrett, operating partner for Keller Williams Go Network, ranked No. 11 by transaction size, and No. 15 by sales volume in the 2020 RealTrends 500 rankings. Smokey talks about the upcoming market change, what brokerage leaders can do to prepare and the actions he took during the Great Recession to help his network through industry challenges. 

Today’s RealTrending features Rob Hahn, better known as Notorious ROB. Rob is managing partner of 7DS Associates, which is a Las Vegas based real estate strategy and consulting firm. Hahn offers his straight-shooter take on commission lawsuits, the future of the industry and what real estate leaders should be doing today to prepare for possible industry changes.

Today’s RealTrending features Rick Davidson, CEO of Cairn Real Estate Holdings. Davidson's real estate services company acquired JPAR, has plans to acquire title and mortgage. Davidson talks how his business model works and plans for future growth.

Today’s RealTrending features Justin Bailey, CEO of Realty Executives Associates in Knoxville, Tennessee. Bailey changed his internal messaging and made several key moves to scale his real estate brokerage growth. Find out how he strengthened his culture when he grew to 750 agents.

Today’s RealTrending features Khrista Jarvis, founder of the Khrista Jarvis team of Coldwell Banker Realty in California.  Her team is ranked nationally as the No. 5 medium-sized team by volume in the 2021 RealTrends The Thousand. The 2022 rankings will be released this summer. Khrista's 11-person team is small but mighty. She discusses lessons learned building her team and offers advice for agents and team leaders on hiring, firing and growing a business.

Today’s RealTrending features Steve Murray, senior advisor to RealTrends and Tracey Velt, editorial director of RealTrends talk about the future of independent brokerages and offer an analysis of the RealTrends 500 and Nation's Best rankings.

Today's RealTrending podcast features an exclusive interview with Bob Corcoran of Bob Corcoran & Associates in Florida. Bob's been coaching high performance real estate teams for over 30 years and has helped multiple team leaders sell their businesses. Bob discusses how real estate teams and independent agents can build viable exit strategies when they are ready to move on.

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Gary Malin, chief operating officer with Corcoran Group in New York City. Gary leads Corcoran's senior sales executives and the recruiting and nurturing of top talent and builds alliances with key real estate entities and professionals. He shares key insights into successful brokerage recruiting and building a recruiting team. 

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Kristan Cole, founder and CEO of the Kristan Cole Real Estate Network of Keller Williams Realty. Cole's team is ranked No. 27 mega teams by volume and No. 18 by transaction sides in 2021 The Thousand top agents and team nationwide. The 2022 rankings will be out this summer. Cole talks about the challenges growing a multi-state expansion team, how she approaches her business and the impact Business Coach John Maxwell has had on her personal and professional growth.

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Adam Brown, vice president of business development for Propy.com. Brown removes the mystery and confusion surrounding crypto, NFTs and the blockchain and its potential impact on real estate. 

In today’s episode, we have a fantastic chat with Jim D’Amico, the CEO and president of Century 21 North East. Jim is a 2020 RealTrends Gamechanger, touting an impressive transaction growth rate of 179% between 2014 and 2018. Jim shares the one small change that he made early in his career that led to massive growth in his professional and personal life. Jim also discusses his specific approach to acquisitions, the inherent value of continuing education for agents, and much more. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Acquisitions have played a key role in the company's growth strategy, with a focus on cultural fit and opportunities that align with their goals. It’s important to say ahead of industry changes and adapting to market dynamics. Agent education is a top priority, with a focus on providing training and resources to help agents navigate industry changes and better serve their clients. Personal setbacks often come with lessons, including the importance of humility and personal growth. The future holds organic growth, attracting top agents, and continuing to provide resources and support for their team. Related to this episode: James D'Amico | LinkedIn James D'Amico, III, CENTURY 21 Real Estate Agent in Everett, MA Century 21 REAL Trends Game Changer: Jim D'Amico, President of Century 21 Northeast in Massachusetts HousingWire | YouTube Enjoy the episode! The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch.

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Ryan O'Neill, team leader of the 170-agent mega team, the Minnesota Real Estate Team of RE/MAX Advantage Plus. Ryan's team is ranked No. 14 mega teams by transaction sides in 2021 The Thousand top agents and team nationwide. Ryan talks about the steps he took to grow his team, what action made the biggest difference and how he's been able to scale the team for greater growth.

In this special edition of RealTrending, Senior Real Estate Reporter Matthew Blake talks to @Properties Co-founder Mike Golden. Since speaking with RealTrending in September, @properties has bought international luxury brand Christie’s as it eyes more acquisitions and expanding its franchisee network with investment partner Quad-C. But the company is deliberate in its growth and is avoiding opportunities such as an initial public offering. Golden also candidly discussed the challenges of COVID 19 for brokerage, and the future of a historic high-demand, low inventory real estate market.

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Errol Samuelson, Chief Industry Development Officer for Zillow Group. A longtime leader at Zillow, Errol is responsible for the company's real estate industry strategy and business-to-business product development. Errol talks to RealTrends about the demise of Zillow Offers, and how the firm plans to develop a "housing super app."

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Christy Budnick, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Christy talks about the new direction of the franchises, how to be both client- and agent-driven and the addition of services to the brokerage.

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Chris Bentley, founder, broker, and owner of Bentley Fine Properties in Texas. Bentley’s 14-agent office serves the Dallas area. He talks to RealTrends about how he’s overcoming growing pains while trying to increase his agent count to 40 agents in 2022.

Today’s RealTrending features an interview with Brett Jennings, team leader of Real Estate Experts, powered by SIDE real estate. Jennings will share the roadmap he used to reach the goal he set for his team 10 years ago. That roadmap includes the different stages of success, key hires and the tools necessary to push you through that stage to the next.

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Lane Hornung, CEO and founder of 8Z Real Estate and proptech company zavvie. The original “disruptor,” Hornung talks about the evolution of the real estate industry, the new disruptors and how real estate brokerages must continue to adapt to a new way of doing business.

Today’s RealTrending podcast features Steve Murray, senior advisor to RealTrends discussing Realtor Association membership and the correlation with agent productivity, real estate industry innovation and the dangers.

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Ryan Serhant of SERHANT, a New York-based brokerage. Serhant founded his real estate brokerage in September 2020. He speaks frankly to RealTrends about his opinion of the iBuyer business model, his ideal real estate agent, the future of real estate teams and more.

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Robert Reffkin, CEO of Compass. While not backing off recruiting, Reffkin talks about a new focus on agent productivity as well as the firm’s commitment to core services as a profitability center and value-add for agents and consumers.

In today’s episode, we speak with the co-founder & CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), Gary Acosta. Gary is a real estate and mortgage entrepreneur, public policy advocate, investor, and advisor, who has served on boards for several Fortune 500 companies including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and JP Morgan Chase. Tracey and Gary’s conversation focuses on Gary’s career passion: the health of Hispanic and Latino homebuyers in today’s market. They discuss the impact of the NAR settlement on Hispanic agents and homebuyers and how broker cooperation benefits first-time homebuyers. They also talk about takeaways from NAHREP’s State of Hispanic Homeownership Report and the priorities that NAHREP is focusing on as they see more opportunities in the changing market.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The NAR settlement and potential changes to broker cooperation could have a disproportionate impact on Latino real estate agents and first-time homebuyers. The Latino community has shown resiliency and has rising income and education levels, making them an important demographic for the real estate industry. The NAHREP Homeownership Report highlights the increasing homeownership rate among Hispanics and their mobility to affordable markets. NAHREP's priorities include housing affordability, access to credit, and diversity in the industry. Opportunities in the real estate market lie in the changing dynamics of the industry, such as remote work and advancements in technology. Related to this episode: Gary Acosta | LinkedIn NAHREP Gary Acosta | NAHREP State of Hispanic Homeownership Report | NAHREP HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode! The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch.

Today’s RealTrending podcast features Steve Murray, senior advisor to RealTrends discussing brokerage priorities using Jim Collins’ “Good to Great” philosophy and business lessons learned.

Today’s RealTrending features an exclusive interview with Adam Hergenrother, CEO of Adam Hergenrother Companies and founder of Livian in partnership with Keller Williams Realty. Adam talks about the blurred lines between brokerages and teams, the race to become the “Amazon” of real estate and how lead generation is evolving. 

Today’s RealTrending features an interview with Tommie Wehrle, co-chair of the LGBTQ+ REALPRIDE Realogy Employees Relations Group, Coldwell Banker Realty instructor and a broker-associate at Coldwell Banker Realty in Milford, Connecticut. Wehrle, also a member of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, offers advice on how to build diversity and inclusion into your brokerage firm.