Explore every episode of the podcast X-Factor Marketing With Wendy Forsythe

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Mari Arellano moved to a new city with no sphere, no network, and no local connections in 2018. She started posting on social media and built her entire real estate business from scratch. Today she runs Momentum Real Estate Group at eXp Realty in Southern California, raises six kids with her husband and business partner George, and has been generating real clients from social media every single year. In this episode, Mari breaks down why visibility builds trust, how she turns comments into CRM contacts, why human response always beats automation, what her full conversion system looks like from post to closed client, and how she manages all of it with a 4:30am alarm and two school drop-offs before 8.

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: Mari Arellano, CEO, Momentum Real Estate Group
 0:45 - Where You Start Does Not Determine Where You Finish
 1:30 - A Day in Mari’s Life: 4:30am, Six Kids, Two Drop-offs, and a Business
 2:15 - Why Time Blocking Is Non-Negotiable
 3:00 - Starting Social Media in a City Where She Knew No One
 3:45 - Her Very First Client From Facebook
 4:30 - You Are the Business. You Are the Product.
 5:15 - Brand Building vs. Lead Generation: How to Think About Both
 6:00 - What Actually Works in Her Market (Ranch Homes and Unique Properties)
 6:45 - The Call to Action System That Turns Comments Into Clients
 7:30 - Why She Stopped Using ManyChat and Kept Humans in the Loop
 8:15 - How to Move Someone From Instagram DM to CRM Contact
 9:00 - The Misconception That Social Media Alone Is Enough
 9:45 - Getting the Phone Number: The Most Important Step
 10:30 - What Happens When a Post Gets 200,000 Views
 11:15 - Being a Trendsetter Instead of a Trend Follower
 12:00 - Husband and Wife Content That Converts
 12:45 - Her X Factor: Building Genuine Relationships at Scale
 13:15 - How to Find Mari and Follow Her Work
 13:30 - Final Advice for Agents Feeling Discouraged on Social Media

Key Takeaways
You are the business. You are the product. Treat your personal brand accordingly.
Stop chasing views and viral moments. Focus on connecting with the right people.
Social media is the front door. Your CRM is where the business actually lives.
Human response beats automation. People can feel the difference.
Every post needs a call to action. You are not posting because you have free time. You are posting to find out who is watching.
The goal of every comment conversation is to get a phone number.
Building your brand is building your business, even when the results are not visible yet.
Don’t get discouraged. It can take years. Keep showing up.

Get my FREE AI Visibility guide with all the strategies, a full 90-day action plan, and a monthly checklist. 👉 https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Real estate agents are no longer the first call. According to Vija Williams, consumers now arrive armed with data from Zillow, ChatGPT, Claude and cash offer platforms before they ever talk to an agent. The agent's new job is to be the last opinion: the trusted advisor who helps a client choose the right exit strategy from six or seven options, not just "list it or don't." Vija Williams has seen this industry from every seat. Solo agent. Team leader. Franchise operator. Corporate executive. Second-generation Realtor whose dad started his company in the late '70s. Today she's Chief Growth Officer at Realty.com, and she's building a team from scratch again.

On this episode of X-Factor Marketing, we talked about why this moment is unprecedented, what a "post-AI agent" looks like, how to build a team that actually works, and why it doesn't have to be hard.
Key takeaways:
Agents have moved "from the first call to the last opinion." Consumers do their research first and come to agents for discernment.
A post-AI agent needs six to seven exit options for every seller, from iBuyer cash offers to assumable mortgages.
Great team leaders dominate at least one primary lead source and own the full conversion system around it.
Most agents shouldn't lead a team. A solo agent with strong admin support often earns more.
Cash offer seller leads became Via's single best seller lead source, even in a high-priced coastal market.
Multiple income streams, including revenue share, create a financial baseline while you build.
Bet on yourself at any age. And it doesn't have to be hard.

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: Vija Williams, Chief Growth Officer at Realty.com
 0:45 - What Does a Chief Growth Officer Actually Do?
 1:30 - Why Most Brokerages Are Having the Wrong Recruiting Conversation
 2:15 - Headcount vs. Production: The Metric That Actually Matters
 3:00 - Recruiting Is a Sales Process
 3:45 - What a Real Recruiting Pipeline Looks Like
 4:30 - The Value Proposition Most Brokerages Cannot Articulate
 5:15 - Follow-Up Cadence and Why Most Leaders Drop the Ball
 6:00 - Culture Is the Product Not a Perk
 6:45 - Why Agents Really Stay (It Is Not the Split)
 7:30 - Building Retention Intentionally
 8:15 - How AI Is Changing the Recruiting Conversation
 9:00 - Where the Real Leverage Is in AI Recruiting Tools
 9:45 - What the Best Growth Leaders Do Differently
 10:30 - Realty.com and What Vija Is Building There
 11:15 - Advising Brokerages, Teams, and Growth-Minded Agents
 12:00 - The Coaching Work and Who It Is For
 12:45 - What Vija Would Tell a Brokerage Leader Struggling With Growth Right Now
 13:30 - Her X Factor: Believing in People Before They Believe in Themselves

Get my FREE AI Visibility guide with all the strategies, a full 90-day action plan, and a monthly checklist. 👉 https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Gogo Bethke came to the United States from Hungary with $6, no English, and no professional network. She is now one of the most recognized names in real estate social media, with $80 million in production and a coaching company called Gogo's Real Estate built to help agents build what she built. In this episode, Gogo breaks down the mindset that built everything (nobody is coming to save you), why consistency on social media is the only strategy that has ever worked for her, how a mentor early in her career changed the trajectory of everything, and what she is most focused on building next. Her X factor? She genuinely loves people. Every single one of them.

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: Gogo Bethke, The Social Media Queen of Real Estate
 0:45 - Coming to America From Hungary With $6
 1:30 - No English, No Contacts, No Plan
 2:15 - The Decision That Changed Everything
 3:00 - Getting Into Real Estate and Finding the First Mentor
 3:45 - What That Mentor Did That Nobody Else Did
 4:30 - Nobody Is Coming to Save You
 5:15 - Building a Social Media Presence From Zero
 6:00 - Why She Posts Every Single Day
 6:45 - Consistency Over Perfection Every Time
 7:30 - $80 Million in Production Built on Social Media
 8:15 - What Gogo's Real Estate Is and Why She Built It
 9:00 - Who Gogo's Real Estate Is For
 9:45 - What She Teaches Agents About Social Media
 10:30 - The Content Strategy That Actually Works
 11:15 - Being Yourself Is the Strategy
 12:00 - What She Would Tell a New Agent Today
 12:45 - Find a Mentor Before You Need One
 13:30 - What She Is Building Next
 14:15 - Her X Factor: She Loves People

Key Takeaways:

Gogo came to America with $6, no English, and no contacts and built an $80M real estate business.
Nobody is coming to save you. The decision to figure it out is available to anyone at any time.
Post every single day. Consistency builds trust. Trust builds business.
If you disappear from social media for two weeks, people forget you exist. If you show up daily, you become their agent before they even need one.
Content does not have to be complicated. Your life, your listings, your personality. That is the strategy.
Find a mentor. The right person at the right time can compress years of trial and error.
Gogo's Real Estate exists to give agents what Gogo wished she had when she was starting out.
Her X factor: she loves people. Genuinely. And they feel it.

Tracy Taylor was fired from her Zillow Flex team on Halloween. Instead of joining another team, she went solo — and hit eXp Icon status and her best financial year in nearly 12 years in the business.

In this episode, Tracy breaks down exactly how she built a client-first business without scaling a team: her "Real Talk Real Estate" brand, the open house playbook that skips sign-in sheets entirely, and the nine-day fight to get her Google Business Profile reinstated after Google shut it down overnight.
If you've ever felt pressure to build a bigger team instead of a better business, this one's for you.

🎧 What you'll learn in this episode:
Why going solo can outperform scaling a team — and the math behind it
How Tracy turned her own empty-nester experience into a profitable niche
The exact open house setup she uses instead of sign-in sheets
What really happens when Google suspends your Business Profile (and how to get it back)
Tracy's biggest lie in real estate: "you have to scale to succeed"

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: Traci Taylor, Realtor, eXp Realty, Northeast Ohio
 0:45 - What Traci Specializes In: Sellers and Rightsizing in Northeast Ohio
 1:30 - 12 Years in Real Estate, Three Brokerages, One Clear Favorite
 2:15 - Why She Briefly Left eXp in Early 2025
 3:00 - The KW Director of Sales Opportunity That Sounded Perfect
 3:45 - Within 30 Days She Knew It Was Wrong
 4:30 - They Recruited Her Voice and Then Tried to Change It
 5:15 - Calling Her Broker and Coming Back to eXp
 5:45 - No Lapse in Coverage. No Lapse in Her Cap. Welcome Back.
 6:15 - What That Moment Told Her About eXp
 7:00 - The Google Business Profile Crisis
 7:45 - Years of Reviews Gone Overnight
 8:15 - Cases Closed With No Resolution
 8:45 - Taking a Chance and Writing to CEO Leo Pareja
 9:15 - Same Day Response from Chief Innovation Officer Seth Siegler
 9:45 - Her Profile Was First in Google's Queue
10:15 - eXp's Direct Relationship With Google Search
 10:45 - Not Customer Service. Leadership.
 11:15 - The Ohio State Broker Who Has Never Been Unavailable
 11:45 - What Real Brokerage Support Actually Feels Like
 12:15 - Cloud Brokerages Are Somehow Less? My Experience Is the Opposite.
 12:45 - More Committed to eXp Than Ever Before
 13:15 - Not Because Everything Went Perfectly. Because the Right People Showed Up.
 13:45 - Traci's Niche: Helping Sellers Rightsize With Confidence
 14:15 - The Emotional Weight of Selling the Family Home
 14:45 - How Traci Shows Up for Her Clients in Those Moments
 15:15 - What Is Your X Factor, Traci?

Key Takeaways:

Traci wrote directly to CEO Leo Pareja during a Google Business Profile crisis and received a same-day personal response from the Chief Innovation Officer.
Her profile was first in Google's queue and eXp leveraged its direct relationship with Google Search to fix it.

She briefly left eXp in 2025 for a KW Director of Sales role and came back within 30 days.
They recruited her voice and style and then tried to change everything about her that had attracted them.

Coming back to eXp: no lapse in coverage, no lapse in her cap, no questions asked.
Her Ohio state broker has never been unavailable to her. Not once.
She has waited less time for a response at eXp than at any brick and mortar brokerage she has ever been affiliated with.

Get my FREE AI Visibility guide with all the strategies, a full 90-day action plan, and a monthly checklist. 👉 https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Steve Farber has spent decades making the case for what he calls the most dangerous idea in business. Love is a business strategy. Not as a metaphor. Not as a brand value. As a genuine, practiced commitment to the people you lead and serve. In this episode, Steve breaks down the LEAP framework (cultivate love, generate energy, inspire audacity, provide proof), the concept of Greater Than Yourself, and why real estate agents are uniquely positioned to be extreme leaders in the most important moments of people's lives. This is a different kind of leadership conversation and one of the most honest and philosophical episodes of X-Factor Marketing to date.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro: Steve Farber, Extreme Leadership Speaker and Author
 0:45 - What Is Extreme Leadership and Where Did the Idea Come From?
 1:30 - The Most Dangerous Idea in Business
 2:15 - Do What You Love in the Service of People Who Love What You Do
 3:00 - Why Love Is Not a Soft Concept
 3:45 - The LEAP Framework: Cultivate Love
 4:30 - Generate Energy: Leadership Is a Force Not a Title
 5:15 - Inspire Audacity: Taking the Bold Leap
 6:00 - Provide Proof: How Trust Is Actually Built
 6:45 - Greater Than Yourself: The Most Important Leadership Idea
 7:30 - What Greater Than Yourself Looks Like in Practice
 8:15 - Imagine a Community Devoted to Making Each Other Greater
 9:00 - Why Real Estate Agents Are Uniquely Positioned as Extreme Leaders
 9:45 - The Most Important Financial Decision of Someone's Life
 10:30 - Performing Leadership vs. Living It
 11:15 - What Stops Leaders From Embracing Love as a Strategy
 12:00 - The Courage It Takes to Actually Take the Leap
 12:45 - Steve's Books and Where to Find His Work
 13:30 - What Is Your X Factor, Steve?

Key Takeaways
Do what you love in the service of people who love what you do.
Love is not a soft concept. It is the most powerful business strategy there is.
The LEAP framework: cultivate love, generate energy, inspire audacity, provide proof.
The best leaders do not exist to be great. They exist to make the people around them greater.
Greater Than Yourself: identify someone you are committed to elevating and give them everything you have.

Imagine a community where everyone is devoted to making everyone else greater than themselves.

Real estate agents are already in the business of changing people's lives. The infrastructure for extreme leadership is already there.

A real estate transaction is not just a transaction. It is the most important financial and personal decision of someone's life. That is leadership.

The most dangerous idea in business is also the most important one: love belongs here.
Proof is what turns a message into a movement.

Get my FREE AI Visibility guide with all the strategies, a full 90-day action plan, and a monthly checklist. 👉 https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Jessica Nieto is a relationship cultivator, team leader of the Connect Team at eXp Realty, and co-founder of We Connect LA, a community for women in Los Angeles built around authentic connection without pressure or pitch. In this episode, Jessica breaks down the Zara strategy for turning genuine curiosity at pop-up events into real estate clients, what it means to show up as the luxury brand, why she built We Connect LA when the community she wanted did not exist, and how a career built entirely on intentional relationship building becomes the most sustainable business model in real estate. Her X factor? She sees people. Really sees them. And they feel it every time.

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: Jessica Nieto, Relationship Cultivator and Co-Founder of We Connect LA
 0:45 - What Does a Relationship Cultivator Actually Do?
 1:15 - The Connect Team at eXp Realty
 1:45 - The Origin of We Connect LA
 2:30 - Building the Room You Could Not Find
 3:00 - What We Connect LA Looks Like Today
 3:45 - Fashion as Personal Brand and Showing Up Intentionally
 4:30 - You Are the Luxury Brand
 5:15 - The Zara Strategy: Pop-Ups, Curiosity and the $10 Bracelet
 6:00 - How Genuine Interest Converts to Real Estate Business
 6:45 - People Feel When You Are Really Interested in Them
 7:15 - Community Events as a Business Development Strategy
 8:00 - Create the Table if No One Is Inviting You
 8:45 - Introducing People With Intention
 9:15 - Following Up Without Pitching
 9:45 - Relationships Are the Revenue
 10:30 - Building a Referral Network Through Community
 11:00 - We Connect LA Events and What to Expect
 11:45 - The Energy of a Room Without an Agenda
 12:15 - What Great Connection Actually Looks Like
 13:00 - Her X Factor: She Sees People
 13:45 - How to Find Jessica Nieto and We Connect LA

When your next client asks ChatGPT "who is the best real estate agent in my city" — will your name come up? In this solo episode, Wendy Forsythe breaks down exactly how AI tools decide who to recommend, why it works completely differently from traditional search or advertising, and what every real estate agent can do right now to build the kind of digital presence that gets noticed. Wendy covers the five-part AI Visibility Formula (clear identity, local relevance, demonstrated expertise, third-party trust, and accessible information), walks through 12 practical strategies from Google Business Profile optimization to writing for recommendation questions, and lays out a clear 90-day action plan to get started. Plus there is a free guide with everything covered in this episode. 

Timestamps
0:00 - Hook: Someone Just Asked ChatGPT for the Best Agent in Your Market
 0:45 - The Big Idea: How AI Recommendations Work Differently Than Google
 1:30 - AI Is Doing Research on You Whether You Are Ready or Not
 2:00 - The AI Visibility Formula: Five Things AI Looks For
 2:45 - Strategy 1: Consistent Digital Identity
 3:05 - Strategy 2: Google Business Profile
 3:25 - Strategy 3: Claim the Profiles AI Uses as Sources
 3:45 - Strategy 4: Your Website Needs to Answer Five Questions
 4:05 - Strategy 5: Local Content That Builds Real Authority
 4:25 - Strategy 6: Authentic Reviews That Mention Specific Outcomes
 4:50 - Strategy 7: Third-Party Credibility Beyond Your Own Website
 5:10 - Strategy 8: Technical Website Accessibility
 5:30 - Strategy 9: Structured Data
 5:50 - Strategy 10: Write for Recommendation Questions
 6:10 - Strategy 11: Fair Housing Compliance and AI Visibility
 6:35 - Strategy 12: Measure Your AI Visibility Monthly
 7:00 - The 90-Day Plan: Days 1 Through 30
 7:20 - Days 31 Through 60: Demonstrate Local Expertise
 7:40 - Days 61 Through 90: Strengthen Your Authority
 8:00 - You Cannot Force AI to Recommend You. But You Can Do This.
 8:30 - Where to Get the Free Guide

Key Takeaways
AI tools are becoming the new front door for how buyers and sellers find their agent.
There is no form to fill out and no check to write. AI pulls from what it can find, understand, and verify about you.
The AI Visibility Formula: clear identity plus local relevance plus demonstrated expertise plus third-party trust plus accessible information.
Consistent digital identity across every platform is the foundation.
Google Business Profile is non-negotiable. Claim it, complete it, respond to every review.
Claim all the profiles AI uses as sources including Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Zillow, Realtor.com, and LinkedIn.
Your website needs to immediately answer who you are, where you work, who you help, what you specialize in, and why someone should trust you.
Publish specific local content based on what your clients actually ask.
Authentic reviews that mention city, outcome, and challenge are significantly more useful than generic ones.
Third-party mentions from local media, podcasts, and community organizations build credibility AI rewards.
Check technical accessibility. If AI crawlers cannot access your site, none of the content matters.
Write content around the actual prompts people type into AI.
Fair Housing compliance is not just ethical, it is directly connected to AI visibility.
Measure monthly. Use a private browser, type recommendation prompts for your market, and track what comes up.
The agents who move on this first are the ones who show up first.
Download the Free Guide
All twelve strategies, the full 90-day action plan, and a monthly checklist: [INSERT LINK]

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Michele Roderick has been living with multiple sclerosis for 30 years. She had her first symptoms at 19, built a top one percent worldwide pharmaceutical sales career, helped build a brokerage for a decade, and then co-founded Now Nation with Courtney Twiss inside eXp Realty two and a half years ago. In this episode, Michele breaks down the ideal week framework for designing a business that works for your life first, why no is a complete sentence and how to say it without apologizing, where the deals are already hiding in the contacts on your phone, and what great co-leadership actually looks like when two people know their strengths and set their egos aside. Her X factor? The ability to connect with people. This conversation is warm, practical, and one of the most honest coaching conversations I have had on the show.

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: Michele Roderick, Co-Founder of Now Nation
 0:41 - Business Today: Supporting Now Nation's 100 Agents
 1:13 - What Now Nation Is Inside eXp Realty
 1:21 - MS Diagnosis: 30 Years Living With Multiple Sclerosis
 2:31 - First Symptoms at 19 and the Road to Diagnosis
 3:00 - How MS Fueled Her Drive to Succeed
 3:29 - Pharmaceutical Sales Top One Percent in the World
 3:59 - The Hustle Culture Problem in Real Estate
 5:03 - Coaching the Actions That Break the Hustle Cycle
 5:48 - The Ideal Week Framework: Start With 168 Hours
 6:10 - Deduct Your Non-Negotiables First
 6:53 - What Are Your Four Working Hours Really Worth?
 7:28 - Stop Attending Things Just to Make an Appearance
 8:00 - Expending Energy You Do Not Have
 8:29 - There Is Nothing Left for the People You Love
 8:54 - Design Your Ideal Week on the Front End
9:24 - You Do Not Owe Anyone an Explanation
 9:44 - Has It Gotten Easier to Say No?
 10:19 - How to Say No Without Apologizing
 10:22 - No Is a Complete Sentence
 11:11 - Coaching an Agent on Declining an Invitation
 11:30 - Setting Boundaries With Clients Too
 12:01 - Partnership With Courtney Twiss: 12 Years Together
 12:30 - Integrator vs. Broker: Playing to Your Strengths
 13:16 - What Great Co-Leadership Actually Looks Like
 13:34 - We Innately Feel Like We Have to Do It All
 14:06 - Know Your Strengths and Set Your Ego Aside
 14:28 - Setting Your Ego Aside Is a Leadership Superpower
 15:05 - Ask for Help Inside Your Partnership
 15:30 - There Are Deals in That Phone Right Now
 16:10 - How Many Contacts Do You Have?
 16:44 - Are They in Your CRM?
 17:10 - Go Get the Deals. Call the People.
 17:39 - The Challenge to Every Agent Listening
 18:35 - What Is Your X Factor, Michele?
 18:55 - The Ability to Connect With People: A Beautiful Spirit
 19:15 - Social Media From Zero to Fire in Two and a Half Years
 20:10 - How to Find Michele Roderick: Ask the General

Key Takeaways
Michele has been managing MS for 30 years and built multiple successful careers alongside it.

Design your ideal week on the front end, not around what is left over.
Start with 168 hours. Subtract sleep, family time, and non-negotiables. Build your business inside what remains.

No is a complete sentence. You do not owe anyone an explanation.
The right response to an invitation you cannot accept: I looked at my calendar and unfortunately that does not fit this week.

You do not need to apologize for having boundaries with clients either.

The deals are already in your phone. Open your contacts. How many do you have?

Get them into your CRM. Start calling. The business is right there.

Great co-leadership requires knowing your strengths and setting your ego aside.

Setting your ego aside is a leadership superpower.

Ask for help inside your partnerships. That is part of what makes them work.

Michele's X factor: the ability to connect with people.

She built her entire social media presence from zero in two and a half years.

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Google Business Profiles across eXp Realty were being suspended and deleted without warning in 2026. Years of hard-earned client reviews gone overnight. Google support telling agents their cases were closed or that they were not even eligible to have a profile. In this episode, Seth Siegler, eXp's Chief Innovation Officer, breaks down exactly what happened, why it was happening to virtual businesses across the industry, how eXp escalated directly to a leader at Google Search to get a fix in place, and what every affected agent needs to do right now. The fix is real, it is working, and no eXp agent should have to accept a suspended or deleted profile as a final outcome.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro: The Google Business Profile Crisis
0:31 - What Was Happening to eXp Agent Profiles
1:00 - Years of Reviews Gone Overnight
1:20 - Why Google Was Doing It (Bots and Fake AI Businesses)
2:00 - The Pendulum Swung Too Far
2:30 - Google Support Was Giving Wrong Information
3:00 - eXp Escalates: Leo and Seth Get to Google Search Leadership
3:45 - Why Scale and Partnerships Matter in Moments Like This
4:30 - The Fix: A Direct Line Above Google Support
5:00 - The Five-Minute Form in The Hub App Store
5:45 - Profiles Coming Back to Life
6:15 - What Every Affected Agent Needs to Do Right Now
7:00 - No Agent Has to Accept a Closed Case
7:30 - It Is Good to Have Scale

Key Takeaways

Google Business Profiles were suspended due to a crackdown on AI-generated fake businesses, not anything agents did wrong.

Any virtual business including every eXp agent is eligible for a Google Business Profile.

Google support telling agents they are ineligible is incorrect.

eXp escalated directly to Google Search product leadership, bypassing support entirely.

There is a five-minute form in The Hub App Store. Search for Google and fill it out.

The form goes directly to the Google team handling eXp agent profiles.

Profiles are actively being reinstated.

Do not accept a closed case. Reach out to eXp directly.

It is good to have scale. Use it.

Glenn Sanford built the first version of The Hub himself using AI tools and zero traditional coding. Seth Siegler, eXp's Chief Innovation Officer, took it from there. In this episode, Seth breaks down the full story of how The Hub came to be, what it is today, and how to access it. He also walks through the Google Business Profile crisis that hit eXp agents earlier this year, how eXp went directly to Google Search leadership to get a fix in place, and what every affected agent needs to do right now. Plus Seth shares the two mental frameworks he uses for every innovation decision and why the barrier to building AI native business systems is basically gone.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro: Seth Siegler, Chief Innovation Officer at eXp Realty
 0:45 - The Hub: How It Started (Workplace Retired, Slack Was Not Enough)
 1:30 - Glenn Sanford Heard the Agents and Built the Solution Himself
 2:15 - Vibe Coding: Building With Lovable, Claude Code and AI Tools
 3:00 - The First Version Unveiled at DXP Fall 2025
 3:30 - Tell It to the Robot: The Right Way to Think About AI Building
 4:15 - The Hub Today: App Store, Feeds, Groups, Referrals
 5:00 - How to Access The Hub (exprealty.com Login)
 5:30 - The Hub Is a Platform With an API, Not Just a Tool
 6:00 - Customizable Feeds: Up to Four Different Views
 6:45 - The Hub App Store: Canva, House Canary and More
 7:30 - Google Business Profile Crisis: What Happened
 8:15 - Profiles Suspended and Deleted, Years of Reviews Gone
 9:00 - Why Google Was Doing It (AI Bots Flooding Business Profiles)
 9:45 - Seth and Leo Escalate to Google Search Leadership
 10:30 - The Direct Pipeline Fix: A Form in The Hub App Store
 11:15 - Profiles Coming Back to Life
 12:00 - What Any eXp Agent With a Suspended Profile Should Do Now
 12:30 - Switching to Innovation: What Seth Is Most Excited About
 13:00 - Sim.AI and the Accessibility of Agentic AI Systems
 13:45 - If I Were Starting Over Today: The First Framework
 14:30 - Who Would Be My Worst Competitor: The Second Framework
 15:15 - The Barrier to Building With AI Is Basically Gone
 15:45 - Real Estate Is Ahead of Every Other Industry in This Conversation
 16:15 - eXp Is Ahead of Real Estate

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Tom Bohn is six months into his role as CEO of Inman, and what he is building for the next chapter of real estate's most iconic media brand is worth paying attention to. Recorded live at Inman Connect, his first as CEO, Tom breaks down Inman 2.0 (the Bloomberg Terminal for residential real estate), a new AI tool that turns any Inman article into a localized video script agents can ship straight to their socials, a mission to recruit 1000 citizen journalists from every street corner in the country, what has surprised him most about the real estate industry, why AI doom and gloom is clickbait, and the one thing he believes defines his X factor as a leader.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro: Tom Bohn at His First Inman Connect as CEO
0:34 - How Is It Going? First Impressions of the Community
0:51 - Wendy's History with Inman: 25 Years and Counting
1:19 - What Drew Tom to the Inman Opportunity
1:43 - Going Into Great Brands That Think Their Best Days Are Behind Them
2:09 - Building on Brad Inman's Foundation
2:51 - News Is a Commodity Now: The Problem Inman Is Solving
3:06 - Inman 2.0: What Does That Actually Mean?
3:52 - The Bloomberg Terminal for Residential Real Estate
4:25 - Five Things You Need to Know Every Morning
5:04 - The AI Green Screen Widget: Turning Articles Into Local Video Scripts
5:56 - You Green Screen Inman Articles? Let's Make It Easier.
6:00 - The Bloomberg Terminal Deep Dive
6:58 - What Does This Mean for the Everyday Agent?
7:34 - The Citizen Journalist Mission: 1000 Storytellers on Every Street Corner
8:04 - Why Agents Know Things No Newsroom Can Know
8:44 - The Call to Arms: Everyone Said Yes
9:39 - Changing Culture One Person at a Time
10:47 - Sometimes Leadership Means Making Hard Decisions
11:34 - Obsessed with Serving the Local Agent
11:39 - What Surprised Tom Most About Real Estate
11:47 - The Collaboration That Shocked Him
13:05 - Agents Share Their Playbooks (And Why That Works)
13:50 - Inman 2.0 as an Online Community
14:28 - Rapid Fire: Podcasts Tom Listens To
14:51 - UFOs, Near Death Experiences and Area 52 Podcast
15:32 - Tom's Son: Actor, Executive Producer, Horror Film
16:44 - Thoughts on Gen Z Work Ethic (He Disagrees With the Critics)
17:19 - Tom's Take on AI (Hint: Doomsday Is Clickbait)
18:34 - AI Breakthroughs in Health, Environment and Technology
19:01 - What Tom Wants the Industry Saying About Inman in 12 Months
19:30 - The Last Question: What Is Your X Factor?
19:44 - I Know What I Do Not Know: Humility as a Superpower
20:10 - Wendy's Book: Leverage Your X-Factor

Key Takeaways

News is a commodity. Inman 2.0 is the answer.

The Bloomberg Terminal vision means one platform agents live in all day, not just check occasionally.

The AI green screen widget turns any Inman article into a localized video script for your market.

Inman wants 1000 citizen journalists on every street corner telling the stories no newsroom can.

Culture changes one person at a time. Sometimes adding. Sometimes subtracting. Always intentional.

Real estate collaboration surprised Tom more than anything. No one said no.

Agents are more entrepreneurially sophisticated on social media than any other industry.

AI doom and gloom is clickbait. The breakthroughs coming are bigger than anything in our lifetimes.

Tom's X factor: knowing what he does not know and believing his next day will always be better than his last.

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Optimized YouTube Description
Courtney Twiss opened her brokerage six weeks after her third daughter was born, built Twiss Realty Group into one of the top brokerages in the Yosemite foothills, co-founded Now Nation, and along the way picked up a lending company, a commercial fencing business, and a boutique hotel that started as an $84,000 duplex. In this episode, Courtney breaks down the entrepreneurial mindset behind all of it, why she pivoted away from a ten year plan to dominate California, what it means to build a network without ego or noise, how she uses Claude to filter email and connect to Canva through AI integrations, and why becoming visible to AI search is the next frontier for real estate agents.
Timestamps

0:00 - Intro: Broker, Investor, Hotel Owner, Now Nation Co-Founder
 0:56 - From Lending to Real Estate: What the Banking World Taught Her
 1:50 - Starting as a Realtor in 2007 (The Short Sale Years)
 2:18 - Knowing She Wanted to Be a Broker from Day One
 3:13 - Being a Young Mom and Teaming Up to Find Flexibility
 4:05 - Opening Her Brokerage Six Weeks After Her Third Daughter Was Born
 4:20 - Growing to Multiple Offices and Joining eXp in 2023
 4:34 - Meeting Don Yocum Through Vistage
 5:37 - The Pivot: Letting Go of the Ten Year Dominate California Plan
 6:48 - Helping Others Get Clarity on Vision vs. Fulfillment
 7:03 - People Have to Be Willing to Let Their Egos Go
 9:10 - What Is Now Nation and How Did It Start
 10:11 - Local Expert With Global Reach (Not an Or, an And)
 10:59 - No Ego, No Pressure, No Noise: Why That Positioning Matters
 12:30 - The Entrepreneurial Spirit Beyond Real Estate
 13:01 - Four Companies: Fencing, Lending, Hotel, Real Estate
 13:57 - The $84,000 Duplex That Became a Boutique Hotel
 14:30 - Advice for Entrepreneurs: Go for It
 15:36 - You Have to Be Willing to Fail More Than Others Even Try
 16:29 - Women in Leadership: Stop Putting Yourself Last
 17:14 - Invest in Yourself, You Will Be a Better Leader for Everyone
 17:50 - Strong Female Leaders Attract Strong Female Leaders
 18:01 - Instagram Strategy and Content Creation Systems
 19:15 - Getting Over the Cringe and Learning to Fly a Drone
 20:04 - Using Claude to Analyze Instagram Content
 21:08 - Claude Integrations: Canva Pro, Email Filtering, Brand Kit
 21:36 - Becoming Visible to AI Search (Not Just Google)
22:16 - Courtney's X Factor: Not Being Afraid to Fail and Go for It
 22:51 - How to Find Courtney: All Things Twiss on Instagram

Key Takeaways
Opening a brokerage with a six-week-old is possible if you know what you want and go for it.
It is not an or, it is an and. Local brand plus eXp equals local expert with global reach.
Let your ego go. The vision you set at the start line may not be the right one for where you are now.

You have to be willing to fail more than other people even try.
Women put themselves last. Investing in yourself is not selfish. It is leadership.
Strong female leaders attract other strong female leaders.
Use Claude to filter email, connect to Canva Pro through integrations, and create content without opening the app manually.

AI search visibility is the next frontier. Agents who optimize for it will have a real edge.
Now Nation is five states, 100 agents, and growing with no ego, no pressure, and no noise.

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Zillow processes more real estate leads than almost anyone on the planet. But knowing what to do with a lead once you have received it is a completely different skill. Jimmy Miller, Zillow's agent enablement expert, spends his days inside that exact problem. His job is helping agents actually convert the opportunity sitting in front of them. In this episode, Jimmy breaks down his core philosophy (make the right thing to do the easy thing to do), the green dot real time browsing signal, how Zillow Pro connects buyer activity data directly into your CRM, the difference between generative and agentic AI explained simply, why the home value conversation is the most underused tool in any agent's database, and what separates agents who thrive on platforms from those who just show up on them. Plus Wendy shares her go-to content recommendation and Jimmy turns the tables with a great question at the end.

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: What Is Agent Enablement and Why Does It Matter?
 1:04 - Jimmy Miller: More Good Days Than Bad Days
 1:53 - Enablement Is Not Even a Real Word (But It Means Everything)
 2:38 - Make the Right Thing the Easy Thing to Do
 3:32 - A Day in the Life of Agent Enablement at Zillow
 5:13 - Book Smart vs. Agent Smart (Hood of the Car Moment)
 6:48 - What Is Zillow Pro and Why Does It Matter for Agents?
 7:35 - 70% of Buyers and Sellers Use Zillow During Their Transaction
 8:49 - What Is My Agent and How Does Lead Exclusivity Work?
 10:18 - The Timer Problem (And How Zillow Pro Solves It)
 11:46 - No More Countdown Clock. Your Lead Is Yours Permanently.
 14:13 - Real Time Signals: The Green Dot Strategy
 15:44 - How to Use the Green Dot Without Being Creepy
 16:48 - Tenured Agents Know What to Do Next. Here Is How to Get There Faster.
 17:22 - Generative AI vs. Agentic AI Explained Simply
 20:23 - Smart Messages: AI in Your CRM That Knows Your History
 21:39 - The Grocery Store Problem (And Why It Matters)
 22:56 - The One Thing Agents Leave on the Table Most Often
 24:00 - Always Tell People What Their Home Is Worth
 25:35 - The Win-Win Home Value Conversation
 26:07 - What Is Your X Factor, Jimmy?
 26:29 - Say Yes to Everything People Suggest You Consume
 27:25 - How to Find Jimmy Miller and Zillow Academy
 29:49 - Jimmy Turns the Tables: Wendy's Recommendation (Neil Patel)

Key Takeaways:
Make the right thing to do the easy thing to do. That is agent enablement in one sentence.
70% of buyers and sellers in the U.S. use Zillow during their transaction.
My Agent removes the countdown timer and makes a lead yours permanently on Zillow.
The green dot means a lead is actively browsing right now. That is the moment to reach out.
Tenured agents know what to do next. Smart tools give newer agents that same confidence.
Generative AI is the back and forth you have with ChatGPT or Claude. Agentic AI is like hiring a VA and letting it work in the background.
Smart messages let AI draft follow-ups using your full conversation history, including email, calls, and texts, all in one place.
The most underused conversation in any agent's database is telling people what their home is worth.
Best case it becomes a listing. Worst case the client feels great. There is no downside.

Jimmy's X factor: say yes to every book, show, or podcast anyone recommends. The things you do not love teach you why other people do.
Zillow Academy courses are free. Log in with your Zillow account and start there.

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Sean Soderstrom, founder and CEO of Courted, has built one of the most quoted data sources in real estate — and his numbers tell a story most brokerages aren't tracking closely enough. The average outgoing agent's production was $2.11 million. The average incoming agent replacing them produced $1.44 million. That's a 46% productivity gap. In this episode, Sean walks through his path from joining Compass when it had just 10 agents to co-leading McKinsey's residential real estate practice to founding Courted, why headcount is the wrong metric for brokerages to chase, why the sales manager might have the hardest job in the industry, why middle-tier producers are the most profitable (and most overlooked) segment of any roster, and what the data says about where brokerage M&A and agent migration are heading next.

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: Sean Soderstrom, Founder & CEO of Courted
1:12 - From Compass to McKinsey to Founder
2:04 - The Moment Recruiting Became a Data Problem
3:50 - Taking the Leap into Entrepreneurship
6:23 - Starting with Data, Not Workflow
8:05 - Predictive Analytics Before It Was Called AI
8:58 - Early Pivots: Listening to the Wrong VC Feedback
10:55 - The Hammer Looking for a Nail
12:25 - Macro Pivots vs. Micro Pivots in Building Tech
13:40 - An AI Company Building AI Products for AI Users
14:06 - Why Recruiting and Retention Are Treated as Separate Strategies
14:48 - The Sales Manager: Hardest Job in the Industry
16:55 - Net Recruited Volume vs. Headcount Goals
17:58 - The 46% Production Gap (The "In and Out" Report)
18:51 - Why Losing Two and Hiring Two Isn't a Win
19:29 - Headcount Doesn't Tie to the P&L
20:10 - The Fixed Cost of Every Agent ($5K-$12K/Year)
21:09 - Team Leaders Make the Same Mistake
22:08 - Why Middle-Tier Producers Are Most Profitable (and Most Overlooked)
23:13 - Hot Topics: Mergers, Consolidation, and Industry Trends
24:50 - The Economics Behind Brokerage Profit Margin Decline
25:42 - Why Well-Capitalized Companies Are Acquiring Now
26:46 - Will M&A Continue Through the Year?
27:47 - Agent Migration Trends Within "Houses of Brands"
28:35 - Top 100 Brands Only Account for 59% of the Market
29:35 - Why the Agent Gets Chosen Before the Brand
30:42 - How to Find Sean Soderstrom and Courted

Key Takeaways
Average outgoing agent production: $2.11M. Average incoming: $1.44M. A 46% gap.
Headcount doesn't tie to the P&L — net recruited volume does
The sales manager is effectively the CFO, COO, CHRO, and CRO of their office
Every agent carries a fixed cost of $5,000–$12,000/year, even non-producers
Middle-tier producers are the most profitable — and most overlooked — segment
High-split top producers are often less profitable than they appear
Recruiting and retention should be one strategy, not two
Brokerage M&A is likely to continue due to declining margins and rising team economics
Top 100 brands account for only 59% of the U.S. market
Consumers choose the agent first, the brand second
The right way to build a product: get sharp on the problem before talking solutions

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Amanda Miller did not enter real estate the way most people do. She came from a corporate retail career — eight years at Gap Incorporated and a director of training and development role at Tilly's — before making the leap into real estate in 2018. Four months into her new career, her business partner had a health emergency and stepped away. She inherited 37 pending transactions and a full pipeline. She called it the duck strategy: gliding on top of the water, paddling furiously underneath. She figured it out — and that experience became the foundation of everything she has built since. Today Amanda is a broker associate at EXP Realty, founder of Valley Real Property in Fresno, California, and the newly appointed chair of the EXP Pride Network inside OneEXP. In this episode, Amanda talks about building 13,000 Instagram followers through authentic humanized content, her equity-focused business philosophy (all her favorite EQs: equality, equity, and emotional intelligence), why she stepped into the Pride Network chair role, and her belief that change happens with movements, not moments.

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: Amanda Miller, Broker Associate, EXP Pride Network Chair
1:00 - From Retail to Real Estate: The Background
2:30 - Single Mom, Corporate Climb, Gap and Tilly's
4:00 - Allowing Yourself the Space to Adopt the Risk
5:15 - Shadowing Warren: Pitching a Job Before Getting Licensed
7:00 - The Duck Strategy: 37 Pending Transactions in Month Four
9:00 - Building a Name in the Local Market
10:30 - Why Instagram? Using a Tool You Can Use Well
12:00 - Professional and Polished + Humanized on Repeat
13:30 - Cold Chicken and Watermelon: 30 Comments by Morning
15:00 - Authentic Content Outperforms Polished Every Time
16:15 - Community: The Personal Board of Directors
17:45 - Equity Strategy: All Her Favorite EQs
19:30 - Equality, Equity, and Emotional Intelligence
21:00 - The EXP Pride Network: Why Timing Felt Right
22:30 - Raising the Rainbow Flag as Visibility and Responsibility
24:00 - Change Happens with Movements, Not Moments
25:30 - Open Dialogue Over Defense
27:00 - Meeting People Where They Are: Amanda's X Factor
28:30 - How to Find Amanda Miller

Key Takeaways
The duck strategy: gliding on top, paddling furiously underneath
Make yourself visible before you feel ready — that is what opens every door
Pitch the role that doesn't exist yet — Amanda did it twice in corporate and once in real estate
13,000 Instagram followers built on professional content humanized on repeat
Cold chicken at 8pm got 30 comments — authentic beats polished every time
All her favorite EQs: equality, equity, and emotional intelligence
Equity in relationships, community, and physical assets — her full business philosophy
Build a personal board of directors — eliminate draining and negative energy intentionally
Change happens with movements, not moments
Open dialogue and education create more change than argument and defense
Meeting people where they are is both a relationship skill and a business strategy
X factor: external perspective and gaining trust by acknowledging where someone is

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

What happens when an accomplished woman in real estate decides her career isn't the whole of who she is? She competes in a pageant. And she wins.

In this episode of X-Factor Marketing, I sit down with Qadra Evans — a leader and connector I've known for years in the real estate industry — who recently won the title of Mrs. Montana 2026. Now she's heading to Mrs. America, and she's sharing everything: the preparation, the discipline, the platform, and the mindset that made it all possible.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like their job title was starting to swallow their identity. It's proof that you can be excellent at your career and still have room to chase something else — something that's purely, boldly yours.

In this episode, you'll hear:
Why Qadra Evans decided to compete — and why she did it for herself, not for anyone else
How she managed a high-demand corporate career alongside 5:30 AM gym sessions, pageant prep, and social media batching
The hardest part of the whole process (hint: it wasn't the swimsuit competition)
Her platform, The House That She Built — and why she's reading books to kindergartners about women in the trades
What Mrs. America actually looks like: 10 days, three outfits a day, and the Super Bowl of pageants
Her X-Factor: being a cheerleader — and what that really means

Resources mentioned:
The House That She Built by Molly Elkwin — available on Amazon
Follow Qadra Evans' journey: @MrsMontana2026 on Instagram
Qadra Evans' website: MrsMontana2026.com
Leverage Your X-Factor by Wendy Forsythe — on Amazon (all proceeds benefit Extend a Hand)

Connect with Wendy:
Instagram: @wendyforsythe
LinkedIn: Wendy Forsythe
Book: Leverage Your X-Factor on Amazon

Timestamps:
0:00 — Introduction
1:40 — Why Qadra Evans decided to compete in Mrs. Montana
3:30 — The preparation: gym, interview practice, and time management
6:00 — The decision and the five months of prep
7:00 — The hardest part: learning to tell your own story
9:30 — Tips for answering questions and pitching yourself
11:00 — What Mrs. America looks like
14:00 — Her platform: The House That She Built
17:00 — Growing up and losing the spark — and what we can do about it
20:00 — Her X-Factor: being a cheerleader

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

In this episode of X-Factor Marketing, I'm giving you a front-row seat to one of the talks I'm most proud of — my keynote at HousingWire's The Gathering: "The Table Wasn't Built for Us: Stop Asking for a Seat."

I open with the story of Anne Boden — a woman who spent 30 years in UK banking, rose to COO of the country's largest bank, pitched a transformative idea twice, and was ultimately told to retire at 54. Her response? She founded Starling Bank — the UK's first digital bank — which later sold for a billion dollars.

Anne's story is proof that "too late" is a lie we tell ourselves. And it's the entry point for three moves I believe every woman in leadership needs to make right now.

In this episode, you'll learn:
Why fighting for a seat at a table that wasn't built for you is a strategy that's never going to work — and what to do instead
The critical difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and why women need to sponsor each other more aggressively
How to be bold before you feel ready — and why waiting for the perfect moment is costing you opportunities right now
The data behind the gender gap in real estate and mortgage C-suites — and why it's not a pipeline problem
What Anne Boden's story really teaches us about confidence, timing, and building something great

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro: A Different Kind of Episode 
1:15 - Meet Anne Boden: COO to Billion-Dollar Founder 
3:30 - The Middle of the Story Is Where the Lessons Live 
4:45 - The Reality: Talent Pipeline Is Full, C-Suite Hasn't Changed 
5:30 - The Lie We Tell Ourselves (Imposter Syndrome) 
6:15 - 53% of Female Founders Start Outside Their Background 
7:00 - Move 1: Build Your Own Table 
8:30 - Move 2: Advocate for Sponsorship Over Mentorship 
10:15 - The Difference Between a Mentor and a Sponsor 
11:30 - You Can Sponsor from Any Level 
12:00 - Move 3: Be More Bold 
13:30 - We Fight Hard for Everyone Else 
14:15 - Figure It Out on the Go: One of Our Greatest Strengths 
15:00 - Conclusion: Be Like Anne Boden 
16:00 - Leverage Your X-Factor Book + Extend a Hand Charity

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔️ The table wasn't built for us — stop fighting for a seat, build your own room 
✔️ Anne Boden was told to retire at 54 and founded a billion-dollar bank instead 
✔️ 53% of female founders start businesses outside their background 
✔️ Female founders over 40 are creating extraordinary opportunities 
✔️ Mentorship guides — sponsorship opens doors 
✔️ A sponsor says your name in rooms you're not in 
✔️ You can sponsor from any level — advocacy changes things 
✔️ We negotiate fiercely for others but not for ourselves 
✔️ Ask for the opportunity before you feel ready — that's how you get it 
✔️ You don't need the perfect plan — figure it out on the go 
✔️ Fight for yourself with the same gusto you fight for everyone else

Russ Laggan did nine events in nine weeks. Thousands of agents. And the one idea he kept hearing from the best speakers in the room? Use AI to free up time to be a better human. In this episode, Russ — VP of Training at EXP University, author of Be Followable, and one of the most energetic voices in real estate training — breaks down exactly how agents should be thinking about AI right now. Not as a tool to replace relationships, but as a tool to protect time for them. Wendy also shares her daily digest workflow, how she uses Plod as a wearable AI note-taker, and why getting meeting notes off the shelf and into action is one of the highest-leverage moves you can make.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro: Russ Laggan Is on a Tear
1:33 - The One Big Idea from Nine Events in Nine Weeks
2:13 - Use AI to Free Up Time to Be a Better Human
3:49 - The Mindset Unlock for Agents Hesitant About AI
5:23 - The Rob Story: Stop Rebuilding Every Form, Go Have Lunch with a Human
6:15 - Find the Tool That Solves the Problem That Opens Up More Time
6:45 - Market Update in 12 Seconds (Voice Prompting)
7:18 - Wendy: I Just Talk to My Robot
8:30 - Ask AI What You're Missing (Claude + Lovable Story)
9:45 - The Scheduling App That Will Save 50 Interactions a Month
10:50 - Where Should Agents Start with AI?
11:30 - The $500/Hour vs. $20/Hour Activity Test
12:20 - Anything You Do Over and Over Should Be Automated
12:50 - Wendy's Daily Digest Workflow (Plod + End-of-Day Prompt)
15:00 - The Wearable Note-Taker and Its "Interesting" Observations
16:00 - Ask Your Robot How to Do It — It Will Tell You
16:48 - EXP University Train the Trainer Program
18:30 - What Train the Trainer Actually Looks Like
19:30 - AI Prompts Embedded in EXP University Playbooks (Recipes)
20:15 - Lean Into Being the Best You
21:00 - Authenticity as Your Brand Strategy
22:10 - Woodworking vs. Barbecuing — The Big Russ Laggan Question
23:30 - Neighbor Care Packages and Lollipop Chicken
24:45 - How to Find EXP University (expuniversity.com)
25:30 - How to Connect with Russ Laggan
26:00 - RussLaggan.com and the Communicator Assessment
26:30 - Russ's X-Factor: Verbalizing Passion + Making Things Simple

Bennett Richardson came from Google, Politico, and Semaphore to become the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Less than a year into his role, he was promoted to CMO. His job: Market to three stakeholders at once - 1.5 million realtor members, Capitol Hill and policymakers, and the American consumer. And rebuild trust. In this episode, Bennett breaks down his philosophy that "building trust with a brand is just like building trust with a person," how NAR communicates at scale without hitting the unsubscribe button, the NAR Influencer Program (1,200 realtors and growing at nar.realtor/influencers), humanizing the brand by getting real people on camera, Think Again by Adam Grant and the importance of pivoting, and why his X-factor is simply loving people and keeping it human.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro: The Real Estate Industry Doesn't Hand Out Easy Moments 
1:20 - Bennett Richardson: From Google to NAR 
2:26 - Realtors Show Up Every Day Unemployed 
3:52 - Three Stakeholders: Members, Capitol Hill, Consumers 
5:05 - Putting Members First: Know Your Customer 
6:28 - Diverse Communications for Diverse Membership 
8:51 - Consumer Ad Campaign Launched a Month Ago 
9:08 - If You're Telling Them Everything, You're Sending Too Much 
10:38 - Personalization and Diversification Strategy 
11:07 - Launching Broker-Specific Newsletter 
12:34 - Humanizing NAR: Getting Real People on Camera 
13:13 - NAR Influencer Program (nar.realtor/influencers) 
15:08 - Building Trust: It's Just Like Building Trust with a Person 
16:37 - How Do You Build Trust at Scale? 
17:30 - Nikia Wright's Tour and Leadership 
19:04 - Promises Made, Promises Kept 
20:38 - How Do You Build Trust at Scale? (Deep Dive) 
21:04 - Accountability-Focused Communications 
22:29 - Kevin Brown Hadn't Been Home in Six Weeks 
23:40 - Not Leaving Anyone Out or Anyone Behind 
24:54 - Not Being Afraid to Pivot 
25:58 - Think Again by Adam Grant 
27:17 - Bennett's X-Factor: I Love People 
28:39 - Keep It Human and Keep It Friendly

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔️ Bennett came from Google, Politico, Semaphore to NAR as CMO 
✔️ Three stakeholders: 1.5M realtor members, Capitol Hill, American consumers 
✔️ "Building trust with a brand is just like building trust with a person" 
✔️ Show up when you say you will, do what you said, follow through 
✔️ Promises made, promises kept = foundation of accountability 
✔️ If you're telling them everything, you're sending too much 
✔️ Solution: Personalization, diversification, segmentation 
✔️ NAR Influencer Program: 1,200 realtors at nar.realtor/influencers 
✔️ Humanizing the brand: real people on camera (economists, researchers, advocates) 
✔️ Sharing the microphone with membership voices 
✔️ Kevin Brown (NAR president) 6 weeks on the road showing up for members 
✔️ Think Again by Adam Grant: importance of pivoting mid-strategy 
✔️ "Realtors show up every day unemployed - re-earn that business each transaction" 
✔️ Bennett's X-factor: loving people, keeping it human

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Brittany Hodak is the author of "Creating Super Fans" and she just gave one of the best presentations I've ever seen at eXpCon Vancouver. In this episode, Brittany Hodak breaks down the SUPER framework for turning clients into advocates (Start with your story, Understand their story, Personalize, Exceed expectations, Repeat), tactical ideas like contracts for kids at listing appointments and Legos at open houses, the gap between intention and action (80-90% say they'll refer you but only 40% actually do), live polling data showing 70% of agents say post-transaction is where they struggle most, the compound interest of superfans (one customer creating two more = 63 customers in 5 years), why "I don't care how many contacts you have in your database—I care how many have you in theirs," Scott the exterminator story, Mentimeter.com for audience engagement, and why fine is forgettable but advocacy overpowers apathy.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro: What a Privilege (Recording at eXpCon Vancouver) 
0:53 - What Is a Superfan? 
1:11 - The SUPER Acronym Framework 
2:19 - U = Understand Their Story 
2:27 - Example: Listing Photos the Normal Way vs. Superfan Way 
3:12 - Family Photos During Listing Shoot + Dinner Gift Cards 
4:00 - Creating Experiences Around Micro-Moments 
4:47 - Different Recipes for Different Customers 
5:15 - Every Micro-Moment Is a Shareworthy Opportunity 
5:52 - Contracts for Kids at Listing Appointments 
7:04 - Legos at Open Houses (Building the House They Want) 
7:49 - Controlling the Controllables to Tip the Scale 
8:15 - Be Creative, Think Outside the Box 
8:49 - Live Polling with Mentimeter.com at eXpCon 
9:52 - Mentimeter.com Is FREE (Data Capture Tool) 
10:46 - Using Menty for Webinars, Open Houses, Presentations 
11:15 - Segmentation: Team Size, Time with eXp, Biggest Challenges 
11:59 - What Surprised You from the Polling Data? 
12:19 - 70% Said Post-Transaction Is Where They Have Most Room to Improve 
13:02 - We Spend Money BEFORE, But Let Relationships Fizzle After 
13:09 - Repeat vs. Referral Business (Stats Don't Match) 
13:55 - Lifetime Value Exercise from Mastermind 
14:38 - Compound Interest Analogy (One Customer → 63 in 5 Years) 
15:34 - Apathy: One of the Most Dangerous Things in Business 
16:06 - The Gap Between Intention and Action 
16:41 - Recency Bias (Every Movie Is His Favorite) 
17:10 - "You Were Easier to Forget Than You Were to Refer" 
17:27 - "I Don't Care How Many Contacts You Have. I Care How Many Have You." 
18:23 - Vanity Metrics Don't Matter—Advocacy Does 
18:46 - Fine Is Forgettable (Advocacy Overpowers Apathy) 
19:11 - Scott the Exterminator Story 
21:28 - "My Loyalty Lies with You, Not Your Company" 
22:00 - Connecting with What the Customer Cares About 
22:22 - Real Estate Transactions Are Infrequent (Challenge) 
23:06 - Care Less About Repeat, More About Refer 
23:24 - The Opportunity for Referrals Is Tremendous 
23:35 - Dating Analogy: The Summer Fling, Then Dropped Like a Hot Potato 
25:20 - The "You Up" Text Problem (Desperate Outreach) 
25:42 - We're All Stretched—That's Why We Need Systems 
26:23 - Post-Transaction: Biggest Opportunity 
26:31 - Brittany Hodak's First Home Purchase (Loan Kept Getting Sold) 
27:16 - Agent Who Stayed in Touch with Helpful Tips 
28:08 - Neighbors Listed House—Brittany Hodak Texted Agent for Help 
28:28 - That's What Advocacy Looks Like 28:44 - How to Find Brittany Hodak

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔️ Superfan = "a client who's creating more clients for you" 
✔️ SUPER framework: Start with story, Understand their story, Personalize, Exceed expectations, Repeat 
✔️ Contracts for kids at listing appointments (rewards if they hold up their end) 
✔️ Legos at open houses ("Build me the house you want to move into") 
✔️ Family photos during listing shoots + dinner gift cards 
✔️ "I don't care how many contacts you have. I care how many have you in theirs." 
✔️ 80-90% say they'll refer you; only 40% actually do (gap between intention/action) 
✔️ Recency bias: "You were easier to forget than you were to refer"
✔️ 70% of agents say post-transaction is where they have most room to improve 
✔️ Fine is forgettable—advocacy overpowers apathy 
✔️ One customer creating two more = 63 customers in 5 years (compound interest) 
✔️ Care less about repeat, more about refer (7-9 years, they could tell 100 people) 
✔️ Mentimeter.com for live audience polling (FREE tool) 
✔️ Scott the exterminator: ultimate superfan example 
✔️ Every micro-moment is a shareworthy opportunity

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe
James Rembert - you might remember him as the "Zillow Killer" - is now one of the sharpest voices in real estate on AI. He's telling agents to completely stop using ChatGPT and switch to Claude. "The hallucination capabilities are just too high. It's not built for business. Not at all." Even the Pentagon uses Claude. ChatGPT just integrated with Claude because they recognized Claude is superior. In this episode, James breaks down the middle button on Claude desktop that will change your life, what RAG agents are (virtual employees excellent at one thing), the Dispatch feature that lets you control your computer from your phone, MCP connectors, and why AI is unfamiliar (not complicated). Plus: the origin story of the "Zillow Killer" brand - it was an accident, and he never talked bad about Zillow at all.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro: The Zillow Killer Returns with AI Secrets 
1:31 - James's Pivot from Ad Agency to Agent Lab 
1:51 - Why James Transitioned to Teaching Agents AI 
2:54 - Profile of Agents Who Excel with AI (Entrepreneurial Spirit) 
4:15 - AI Feels Like Crushes: ChatGPT → Gemini → Claude 
5:54 - Understanding Tools vs. Software (Large Language Models) 
7:33 - Why Claude Is the Dominant LLM for Business Right Now 
8:30 - Stop Using ChatGPT (James's Direct Message to Agents) 
9:16 - Claude Has Given Us Tools (MCP Connectors, Skills, RAG Agents) 
10:13 - What Are RAG Agents? (Retrieval Augmented Generation) 
11:14 - RAG Agents = Virtual Employees Excellent at One Thing 
12:05 - The Middle Button on Claude Desktop (Co-work Feature) 
12:28 - How to Set Up Claude Desktop Version 
13:10 - Dispatch Feature: Control Your Computer from Your Phone 
13:35 - Time-Starved Agents: How to Convince Them to Adopt AI 
14:42 - "AI Isn't Going to Replace You, But the Agent That Uses It Will" 
14:54 - The Zillow Killer Origin Story (It Was an Accident) 
15:20 - Creating Anchors in Your Branding 
16:08 - James Never Talked Bad About Zillow (Just Got Attention) 
17:21 - How to Find Agent Lab and The Hub Group 
18:13 - One Thing Agents Should Do Today: Explore and Migrate to Claude 
18:46 - James's X-Factor: Patience ("I Meet People Where They Are")

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔️ Stop using ChatGPT - it's not built for business 
✔️ Claude is the dominant large language model for real estate 
✔️ Even the Pentagon uses Claude (not ChatGPT) 
✔️ ChatGPT integrated with Claude because they recognized Claude is superior 
✔️ The middle button on Claude desktop = Co-work (pre-built agent) 
✔️ You need desktop version to access Co-work and advanced features 
✔️ RAG agents = virtual employees excellent at one thing 
✔️ RAG agents can handle phone calls, auto-responding, prospecting, marketing 
✔️ Dispatch feature = control your computer from your phone 
✔️ AI is unfamiliar, not complicated - you can't break it 
✔️ Agents with entrepreneurial spirit excel with AI (regardless of age/gender) 
✔️ MCP connectors, skills, prompt structure = Claude's tools 
✔️ "Zillow Killer" was an accident (easier to remember than his name) 
✔️ Anchors are what makes you memorable 
✔️ James never talked bad about Zillow - just showed up and delivered value 
✔️ AI isn't going to replace you, but the agent that uses it will

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Episode Summary:
In this episode of X-Factor Marketing, I'm sitting down with Krista Mashore — former top-1% real estate agent, digital marketing pioneer, bestselling author, and founder of a $72M coaching empire built entirely from scratch.
Krista spent 17 years selling over 100 homes a year as a solo agent before making the pivot that changed everything. She walks us through the scary decision to leave behind an extraordinary career, the marketing strategies that made her brand impossible to ignore, and the mindset tools that keep her going even when self-doubt shows up — which, she'll tell you, it still does.
Whether you're a real estate agent looking to differentiate yourself in a crowded market, an entrepreneur ready to scale, or a woman in business who's ever underpriced her own expertise — this episode is going to hit home.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why Krista left a $1.8M real estate career to start over at 47 — and how she made that decision
The "Stop, Snap and Switch" mindset technique for rewiring negative self-talk in real time
How to build a brand so strong you win the deal before you ever walk in the door
The "learn, implement, master, repeat" philosophy behind Krista's $72M business
Why chasing AI tools and shiny objects is costing agents real money — and what to do instead
How to charge premium prices with confidence (especially if you're a woman entrepreneur who has historically undervalued herself)
Krista's upcoming book, The Thinking Effect, and what it teaches about getting control of your mind

Timestamps:
00:00 — Introduction: Who is Krista Mashore? 
01:22 — The pivot: from single mom to 69 homes in year one 
02:30 — How marketing became Krista's secret weapon from day one 
04:09 — Why she left a $1.8M career after 17 years 
05:31 — The scary part: crying in the kitchen and pushing through it anyway 
07:01 — Investing in coaches, masterminds, and the right rooms 
08:17 — Stop, Snap and Switch: breaking the cycle of negative self-talk 
09:43 — Imposter syndrome and why even successful people battle it 
11:20 — The $72M business: how it actually happened 
13:00 — Learn, implement, master, repeat — the framework behind everything 
15:32 — The danger of chasing shiny objects (including AI avatars) 
17:21 — If you're starting a brand online today, do this first 
21:01 — Why women underprice their expertise — and how to fix it 
22:50 — The Thinking Effect: Krista's upcoming book on mindset 
24:48 — Krista's X-Factor: what she believes she was put here to do

She left a $1.8 million real estate career to start over from zero — and built a $72 million business in less than a decade. Here's exactly how Krista Mashore did it, and what real estate agents and entrepreneurs can learn from her playbook.

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe
Episode Summary:
In this episode of X-Factor Marketing, I'm sitting down with Krista Mashore — former top-1% real estate agent, digital marketing pioneer, bestselling author, and founder of a $72M coaching empire built entirely from scratch.
Krista spent 17 years selling over 100 homes a year as a solo agent before making the pivot that changed everything. She walks us through the scary decision to leave behind an extraordinary career, the marketing strategies that made her brand impossible to ignore, and the mindset tools that keep her going even when self-doubt shows up — which, she'll tell you, it still does.
Whether you're a real estate agent looking to differentiate yourself in a crowded market, an entrepreneur ready to scale, or a woman in business who's ever underpriced her own expertise — this episode is going to hit home.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why Krista left a $1.8M real estate career to start over at 47 — and how she made that decision
The "Stop, Snap and Switch" mindset technique for rewiring negative self-talk in real time
How to build a brand so strong you win the deal before you ever walk in the door
The "learn, implement, master, repeat" philosophy behind Krista's $72M business
Why chasing AI tools and shiny objects is costing agents real money — and what to do instead
How to charge premium prices with confidence (especially if you're a woman entrepreneur who has historically undervalued herself)
Krista's upcoming book, The Thinking Effect, and what it teaches about getting control of your mind

Timestamps:
00:00 — Introduction: Who is Krista Mashore? 
01:22 — The pivot: from single mom to 69 homes in year one 
02:30 — How marketing became Krista's secret weapon from day one 
04:09 — Why she left a $1.8M career after 17 years 
05:31 — The scary part: crying in the kitchen and pushing through it anyway 
07:01 — Investing in coaches, masterminds, and the right rooms 
08:17 — Stop, Snap and Switch: breaking the cycle of negative self-talk 
09:43 — Imposter syndrome and why even successful people battle it 
11:20 — The $72M business: how it actually happened 
13:00 — Learn, implement, master, repeat — the framework behind everything 
15:32 — The danger of chasing shiny objects (including AI avatars) 
17:21 — If you're starting a brand online today, do this first 
21:01 — Why women underprice their expertise — and how to fix it 
22:50 — The Thinking Effect: Krista's upcoming book on mindset 
24:48 — Krista's X-Factor: what she believes she was put here to do

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Jesse Dau went from nearly broke to building a $100 million real estate business—not through cold calls or door knocking, but through a camera and a YouTube strategy. He took out a $30,000 loan from his 401(k) as a last-ditch effort. Closed 24 deals his first year doing open houses and FSBOs. Burned out his second year working 20-hour days. Then he discovered the keyword gap: "cost of living in Portland" had 30,000 searches on Google and 300,000 on YouTube. That insight built Channel Junkies—a framework that's helped 4,300 agents worldwide generate $750M+ in gross commission income from organic YouTube content. In this episode, Jesse breaks down the undercover call-to-action, 30-second retention strategy, YouTube algorithm secrets, AI + Claude projects for natural scripts, and why sphere always comes first.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro: From Nearly Broke to $100M Through YouTube 
2:08 - The $30K 401(k) Loan: "If This Doesn't Work, I'm Out" 
4:01 - Everyone Was Doing Ego-Based Video Content 
5:02 - The "Living In" Keyword Discovery (30K vs 300K Searches) 
7:18 - Google's Cease & Desist Letter (How Channel Junkies Got Its Name) 8:16 - The Undercover Call-to-Action Strategy 
11:44 - YouTube Title & Hook Formulas 
12:39 - 30-Second Retention: Keep 70% of Your Audience 
14:45 - Triple Hook Strategy (RV Bay, Tax Rate, Price) 
16:10 - AI + Claude Projects for Natural Scripts 
17:47 - Hiring AI Tutors on Upwork (Alex Hormozi's Strategy) 
18:31 - Building Memory Banks with YouTube Transcripts 
20:00 - Natural Language Scripts (Third-Grade Reading Level) 
21:23 - Jesse's Advice: Sphere First, Do More of What's Working 
22:28 - Jesse's X-Factor: Identifying Opportunities & Staying Consistent

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔️ Jesse took out a $30K 401(k) loan as his last chance in real estate 
✔️ "Living in" keyword discovery: 30K Google searches vs 300K YouTube searches 
✔️ Channel Junkies = 4,300 agents, $750M+ in commissions from organic YouTube 
✔️ The undercover call-to-action: Make deposits before you get a withdrawal ✔️ 30-second retention: Keep 70% of audience in first 30 seconds 
✔️ Triple hook strategy: RV bay size, tax rate, price 
✔️ YouTube algorithm: Browse (homepage), Suggested (next video), Search ✔️ AI + Claude projects: Download transcripts, convert to markdown, build memory 
✔️ Load filler words into AI scripts for natural language 
✔️ YouTube throttles AI-detected voice and imagery 
✔️ Sphere first, then add incremental revenue 
✔️ Don't get distracted—do more of what's working

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

I've been trying to get Beverly Jackson on the podcast for almost a year. Worth the wait. Beverly leads marketing, brand, and channel integration at Zillow—one of 350 marketers working on a brand that's become culture itself. Not just part of culture. IS culture. In this episode, Beverly pulls back the curtain on "Someday Starts Today"—Zillow's newest platform (not campaign, platform) that launched during the Grammys. She shares her marketing framework (Data → Insight → Story), why emotional storytelling beats transactional marketing, and how agents can build sustainable businesses using Zillow's tools. Plus, Beverly's X-factor: authenticity. Marketing is art + science—the art is the authenticity you bring.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro: Beverly Jackson, Zillow
1:00 - Zillow Is Culture (Not Just a Brand) 
2:42 - Building the Next 20 Years on Solid Shoulders 
4:53 - "Someday Starts Today": Platform, Not Campaign 
8:45 - Launching During the Grammys (Full Circle Moment) 
9:05 - Why a Platform vs. a Campaign? 
11:54 - Meeting Customers Where They Are 
13:21 - The Story Behind the Transaction 
14:52 - Beverly's Framework: Data → Insight → Story 
17:51 - Real Estate Agents Know Their Communities 
20:06 - How Agents Should Use Zillow Tools 
22:53 - Beverly's X-Factor: Authenticity

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔️ Zillow isn't just a brand—it IS the cultural zeitgeist 
✔️  "Someday Starts Today" is a platform designed to meet every customer where they are 
✔️  Marketing framework: Data → Insight → Story (push past data to breakthrough insights)
✔️ Focus on the story behind the transaction (humans, not just metrics) 
✔️ Launched during the Grammys (Beverly's full-circle moment from her Grammys days) 
✔️ Zillow tools help agents build sustainable businesses (not just generate leads) 
✔️ Beverly's X-factor: Authenticity (marketing is art + science) 
✔️ "Nobody wants too much Beverly all the time" - but show up as yourself

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe
Mike DelPrete wrote an article that dropped Zillow's stock 9% in one day. What did he discover? Google was testing full real estate search embedded in their platform—actual listings with filters, agent contact info, the works. The industry freaked out. In this episode, Mike and I unpack what's really happening with Compass, Zillow, Rocket, Redfin, Google, and AI—and what it all means for agents building sustainable businesses. His theme for 2026: Everything is changing, nothing is changing. The fundamentals haven't changed. Agents are still the center of the transaction. Personal connections can't be replaced. But you need to compete where you can win.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro: Mike DelPrete, Industry Strategist & Observer 
1:00 - Is the Industry at a Tipping Point? 
3:02 - Mike's Advice: Stop Going on the Internet 
4:43 - Compass vs. Zillow: The Exclusive Listings Battle 
6:48 - The Redfin/Rocket Partnership: What It Means 
9:02 - Mega Brokers & the Agent's Role 
13:03 - The Holy Grail Race: Owning the Entire Transaction 
16:45 - Is Bundling Better for Consumers? 
19:11 - Who Should Be Your Dance Partner? 
20:11 - The Article That Dropped Zillow's Stock 9% 
22:40 - Google's Crystal Ball: What's Next? 
25:12 - The Last Mile: Where Agents Win 
27:42 - Mike's X-Factor: Pattern Matching

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔️ "Everything is changing, nothing is changing" - Mike's 2026 theme 
✔️ Stop going on the internet - best advice for cutting through noise 
✔️ Private exclusives are "so 2025" - Compass has 10K listings, accept it and move forward 
✔️ Google tested full real estate search (dropped Zillow's stock 9%) 
✔️ The Holy Grail race: Zillow and Rocket want to own the entire transaction 
✔️ Compete where you can win - you're the last mile solution 
✔️ 50% of online leads go ignored - massive opportunity gap 
✔️ If someone calls you, pick up the phone (they've done everything to avoid calling)

🏠 ABOUT MIKE DELPRETTE
Mike DelPrete is an industry strategist, writer, consultant, and one of the most respected observers in real estate. His research and analysis literally moves markets—one of his articles dropped Zillow's stock 9% in a single day. He has an uncanny ability to see patterns before anyone else and connect dots from a distance. Mike's writing and insights are followed by industry leaders, investors, and agents worldwide.

🎤 ABOUT WENDY FORSYTHE
Executive Leader | Marketing Innovator | Author & Podcast Host
Wendy Forsythe is the Chief Marketing Officer of eXp Realty, one of the largest real estate brokerages globally with over 83,000 agents. With 25+ years of experience driving growth and brand transformation across real estate, she's recognized as a HousingWire 2025 Woman of Influence and appears on the 2025 Swanepoel Power 200 list.
​Wendy is the host of the X-Factor Marketing podcast and author of Leverage Your X-Factor: The 6-Step Framework to Scale Your Real Estate Business and Reclaim Your Life, a #1 new release on Amazon. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, she leads with authenticity, purpose, and a people-first approach to building what's next.

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

I wrote a book in 2025. And I almost didn't finish it—not because of time, but because I got stuck between 80% done and 100% perfect. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the entire process of writing Leverage Your X-Factor: the when, the how, the why, and the 6-part framework that helps agents scale smarter and avoid burnout.
Here's the truth: We're being pulled on both ends of a rope right now. AI has made everyone a "perfect marketer," so your uniqueness needs to shine brighter than ever. And the industry is in chaos—regulations, lawsuits, tough markets. Without a framework? You'll burn out.
This is the behind-the-scenes story you need to hear.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQK38L6P

📖 THE X-FACTOR FRAMEWORK
Focus • Action • Community • Technology • Operations • Resilience
A proven system to scale smarter, live better, and build businesses that last.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔️ Say your goals out loud to other people (accountability is everything)
✔️ Find a coach when you're doing something new
✔️ The writing process: 30 minutes/week, interview → record → transcribe → edit → repeat
✔️ Don't get stuck in the perfectionist trap between 80% and 100%
✔️ Your uniqueness matters more than ever in the AI era
✔️ Build a framework or you'll burn out

📚 GET THE BOOK: LEVERAGE YOUR X-FACTOR
All proceeds support eXp's Extend a Hand charity, which helps agents during disasters and medical crises.
Grab your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQK38L6P

🎤 ABOUT WENDY FORSYTHE
Wendy Forsythe is the Chief Marketing Officer at eXp Realty and host of the X-Factor Marketing Podcast. With 30+ years in real estate, she's helped thousands of agents build sustainable, fulfilling businesses through personal branding, strategic marketing, and authentic leadership.
Named a 2024 HousingWire Marketing Leader and 2025 Woman of Influence.

SPECIAL THANKS
Noor Marzook (Book Editor)
Jenny Berger (Book Cover Design)
Mindy Grubb (Extend a Hand Executive Director)

#RealEstateMarketing #PersonalBranding #XFactorMarketing #BookWriting #AgentEmpowerment #eXpRealty #LeverageYourXFactor #RealEstatePodcast #MarketingStrategy #Entrepreneurship #WendyForsythe #ScaleYourBusiness #AvoidBurnout #RealEstateCoach
Mindy Grubb (Extend a Hand Executive Director)

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

No script. No filter. Just real talk about building a real estate business.
Gina Kirschenheiter from Real Housewives of Orange County sits down with me at Inman Connect NYC for a rapid-fire Q&A you won't want to miss. We skip the corporate speak and get straight to what actually matters: Does platform equal clients? How do you thrive in uncertainty? What wins with luxury clients?
Spoiler: This got honest fast.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
✔️ Does having a celebrity platform make real estate easier? Gina has 1M+ followers. Here's the truth about platform vs. actual clients (it's not what you think).
✔️ What's Gina's real estate superpower? She only knows uncertainty—and why that's her competitive advantage.
✔️ What should agents focus on in 2026? My three predictions (mergers, lawsuits, uncertainty) and why RESET is my word for the year.
✔️ How do you win luxury listings? Why preparedness beats Chanel bags every single time.
✔️ What social media trends are working in 2026? Netflix-style listing videos, AI storytelling (like Glenda Baker's AI grandma), and why we need to "up the Annie."
✔️  How do you build a personal brand authentically? "Who you are IS your brand. Just start showing up and showing who you are."

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction: Rapid-Fire Q&A with Gina Kirschenheiter
0:22 - Where Are the Husbands? (New York Adventures)
2:06 - Gina's Favorite Podcast: Legally Brunette
2:50 - How Gina & Emily Simpson Batch Content
3:47 - Favorite Inman Panel: eXp CEO Leo Perea Killed It
5:17 - Why eXp Leadership Works (They're Actually Realtors)
6:33 - Wendy Needs a Hype Song (Help Us Out!)
8:30 - Wendy's 3 Predictions for 2026
9:52 - Wendy's Word for 2026: RESET
10:25 - What to Reset in Your Business Right Now
10:56 - Gina: I Only Know Uncertainty (It's a Superpower)
11:30 - If You Can Win in Uncertainty, You're in for the Long Haul
12:27 - Consistency: Doing the Job Over and Over
12:47 - Social Media Ideas for 2026
13:05 - Netflix-Style Listing Videos Trending
14:32 - Glenda Baker's AI Grandma Story (Mind-Blowing)
15:43 - Gina's Take on AI: Great Tool, But Creepy
17:24 - Wendy's Highest Sale & Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
18:42 - Starting in Your 20s: The Impostor Syndrome Challenge
20:00 - Win in Your Head Before You Win at the Kitchen Table
20:08 - Preparedness Over Chanel Bag (Always)
20:43 - Educate Yourself on How Money Works
21:22 - Building The Gated Group: What Surprised Gina
22:02 - Platform Doesn't Mean It's Easy
22:37 - Buyers and Sellers Aren't Just Lining Up
22:51 - Most Business Is Referral Business
23:24 - "I Get Those Listing Appointments (Platform Doesn't)"
24:15 - Personal Brand Revolution Question
24:45 - Who You Are IS Your Brand
25:28 - AI Has a Place, But Don't Replace Yourself
26:32 - Just Show Up and Show Who You Are

➡️ Connect With Wendy https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy
  / brandwendy

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Street credibility. Performance credibility. Referral credibility. The three things you need to get on real estate stages.
In this episode, Kendall Bonner breaks down the credibility gap that prevents agents from turning speaking opportunities into career-changing moments. She also shares the launch of two major projects: Climber (a free community that hit 700+ members in launch week) and Industry Speaks Academy (teaching aspiring speakers how to get on stages).
Plus: the hard conversation about women in leadership and why women need more sponsors, not just mentors.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
✔️ The 3 credibilities you need to get on real estate stages (and why most speakers are missing 2 of them)
✔️ Why event organizers don't book speakers—they book TOPICS
✔️ The #1 mistake speakers make when sending samples (hint: podcasts don't count)
✔️ How to build performance credibility BEFORE you get on stage
✔️ Why "I can speak on anything" kills your opportunities
✔️ What Climber is and why 700+ agents joined in launch week
✔️ The difference between mentorship and sponsorship for women in leadership
✔️ Panel etiquette: why you should never look at the moderator when responding

KEY QUOTE:
"Don't chase likes and comments. The business happens in a DM. Social media isn't a strategy for business—it is a tool." — Kendall Bonner

➡️ Connect With Wendy
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy

Are you exhausted by the real estate industry's toxic "hustle culture"? In this special deep-dive episode, we are pulling back the curtain on Wendy Forsythe’s brand new book, Leverage Your X-Factor: The 6-Step Framework to Scale Your Real Estate Business and Reclaim Your Life.

If you feel like you are working harder than ever but spinning your wheels, this episode is for you. We break down the proven 6-pillar X-Factor blueprint designed to help you step out of the frantic "Agent" role and into the empowered "CEO" mindset. Stop trying to mimic the competition and learn how to uncover your unique X-Factor to build an aligned, highly profitable, and sustainable business.

📚 GET THE BOOK: Grab your copy of Leverage Your X-Factor on Amazon today!
💛 Giving Back: All proceeds support eXtend a Hand, eXp Realty's official charitable foundation that supports agents and their families during times of medical emergencies, natural disasters, and crisis. 👉 Order Here

🔑 WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Crisis of Clarity: Why being busy is not the same as being productive, and how to find your true "superpower".
• The 6-Pillar Framework: A breakdown of Focus, Action, Community, Technology, Operations, and Resilience.
• The AI Advantage: The critical difference between being "AI-Generated" (forgettable) and "AI-Enhanced" (unforgettable).
• Ditching the 12-Month Plan: Why annual business plans are dangerous and how 90-day sprint cycles create massive momentum.
• Resilience as a Strategy: Why protecting your energy and scheduling rest before business is the ultimate key to longevity.

🤝 CONNECT WITH WENDY:

• Instagram: @brandwendy
• Website: wendyforsythe.com
• Learn more about the charity: extendahandcharity.org

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to the channel for weekly strategies on mindset, storytelling, and building an unforgettable real estate brand that the market can't ignore!

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

She left a stable job when her kids were little with no master plan. Just passion, a good reputation, and a phone call to her husband. 13 years later, Katie Lance has helped thousands of real estate agents crack the code on social media — and just crossed $1 million in course sales on Kajabi. She breaks down the Focus 5 system she's been teaching for years that takes five minutes a day and actually moves the needle, why most agents are overthinking their content strategy, how to use AI without destroying the trust you've spent years building, and why "done is better than perfect" isn't just a cliché — it's the whole strategy.

➡️ Timestamps

0:00 Why real estate is still a relationship business — no matter what changes
2:10 The Focus 5 system: 5 minutes, 5 posts, meaningful comments
5:30 Why you have to create a lot of bad video before the good stuff comes
11:20 How to figure out which platform your clients are actually on
17:15 Katie's hot take on AI avatars and why trust is at an all-time low
33:00 Leaving Inman, betting on herself, and diving in before she was ready
41:20 Katie's X factor: making overwhelmed agents feel like they can actually do it

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

She once fought with her husband over a $3 guacamole charge. Now she's managed $200 million in ad spend. Ashley Brock went from scarcity mindset and three failed businesses to building a near 8-figure company in under three years — all by betting on the one thing she'd done her whole career. She breaks down exactly why most small business owners think about ad spend completely wrong, how to pick the right platform for your business, why your mindset about money is the first thing that needs to change before you ever run your first ad, and the three things she's always paid for — skill, speed, and energy — that turned every investment into a 10x return.

➡️ Timestamps

0:00 From $3 guacamole fights to $200M in ad spend — Ashley's story
2:35 Why Ashley's been in advertising since day one out of college
3:17 Why people are scared to spend money on ads
4:37 The floating analogy — why you just have to do it
5:35 The first thing Ashley addresses with every new student: money mindset
6:04 Why "build it and they'll come" is killing your business
6:29 The bad date analogy — one bad ad isn't a reason to quit
7:02 How to figure out where to actually spend your ad budget
19:24 Cost per lead by platform and why Google leads cost more
20:26 The Chipotle guacamole fight that changed everything
22:21 Three failed businesses before going all-in on paid ads
23:11 Paying for speed: how her first investment led to a six-figure day
24:07 Pay for skill, pay for speed, pay for energy
26:04 Ashley's X factor: seeing possibility in people before they see it themselves

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

418 pumpkin pies, 10 pickup locations, zero ad spend—60 organic leads in 90 days. Yvonne Ku partnered with a local bakery, got three home builders to host pie pickups at their model homes, and turned a Thanksgiving giveaway into a lead generation machine. The bakery blasted her campaign to 10,000 people for free, one location refilled three times, and a hockey mom connection landed her on local TV. She breaks down exactly how she built the campaign from scratch, why the "no sales pitch" rule is everything, and how to replicate this for any holiday with zero budget.

➡️ Timestamps

0:00 418 pies, zero ad spend—Yvonne's Thanksgiving lead gen strategy
1:15 Why Thanksgiving is the least commercial (and most powerful) holiday
3:42 Partnering with a local bakery: how she pitched it cold
5:28 Using new home builders as pie pickup locations
7:51 One location refilled three times in a single day
10:19 The "no pitch" rule: just say enjoy your pie
12:47 How a hockey mom connection led to a local TV segment
15:23 60 referrals in 90 days: leveraging your partner's database
17:55 Start small: why you don't need the full operation on day one
19:38 Yvonne's X factor: give value first, business follows

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Neymar Lopez got her real estate license without speaking English. Sold her first house in Boulder, Colorado without a driver's license. Closed 7 transactions in her first 6 months—and hit 38 deals last year while serving on the DMAR Board of Directors and getting appointed to the NAREP National Board.

Neymar breaks down how she built a business where 90-95% of clients come from the Latino community, why she mixes personal and business content on one Instagram account, and how connecting with governors, mayors, and nonprofits created trust before she ever asked for a listing. You'll learn her "camera ready every day" rule, why being a "secret agent" kills your business, and how she tells buyers NOT to buy when the timing is wrong.

If you want to build a real estate brand rooted in community, leadership, and showing up loud—this conversation is your blueprint.

➡️ Timestamps

0:00 What's your X factor?
1:07 Neymar's business today: Denver, Boulder, and 90% Latino clients
3:05 Board positions: DMAR and NAREP National
4:02 Origin story: no English, no driver's license, passed the test anyway
6:26 7 transactions in 6 months without speaking English
7:09 From 7 deals to 38: building community in Denver
8:07 How connecting with governors and mayors built instant trust
10:32 "If you're a secret agent, you're in trouble"
13:24 Stories over posts: why daily content wins
14:25 One account vs. two: mixing personal and business
15:45 Coaching first-time buyers through high interest rates
17:58 When Neymar tells buyers NOT to buy
18:24 Her X factor: top producer with her heart
19:47 Why she left her old brokerage for eXp

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Discover how Rafael "Ray" Reyes turned Instagram into his #1 lead generation tool—racking up 300K views per video, landing properties in Cardi B's hands, and expanding globally without spending $3,000/month on Zillow.

Ray breaks down his exact content formula: the 3-second hook rule, why trending audio matters more than production quality, and how collaboration unlocked international opportunities. You'll learn why his father's passing became the catalyst for going all-in on social media and why his philosophy is simple: stop overthinking, just jump.

If you want to turn social media into actual revenue—this conversation is your blueprint.

➡️ Timestamps

0:00 What's your X factor?
1:15 How Instagram became Ray's #1 lead source
3:42 The viral AI video: 300K views in 24 hours
5:28 How Cardi B bought a house from Ray's video
7:51 Expanding globally through Instagram collaborations
10:19 The 4 pillars: cold calling, mailers, social media, networking
12:47 Ray's listing video formula: hooks, trending audio, staging
15:23 Copy and paste: why perfection kills progress
17:55 The "just jump" philosophy and immigrant hustle
19:38 Ray's X factor: jumping into what you don't understand

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Discover how Holly Mabry went from a small-town Arizona brokerage to becoming Chief Brokerage Officer at one of the fastest-growing real estate companies in the world—by refusing to let anyone count her out. In this interview, Wendy speaks with Holly about her 27-year journey in real estate, the mantra that shaped her career ("I'm going to be so good you can't ignore me"), and what it takes to lead through one of the most disruptive periods the industry has ever seen.

You'll learn how Holly's grandmother taught her to deliver hard truths with kindness, why being authentically yourself is the ultimate competitive advantage, and how eXp is staying ahead of industry changes by building tools and resources that help agents win. From joining eXp when they had just 11,000 agents to now overseeing brokerage operations nationwide, Holly breaks down what separates agents who thrive from those who get left behind.

If you want to build a real estate career rooted in service, authenticity, and long-term thinking—this conversation is your playbook.

➡️ Timestamps

0:00 What's your X factor? 
1:22 Being yourself as the ultimate competitive edge
2:28 Grandmother's lesson: truth delivered with kindness
2:57 Holly's role as Chief Brokerage Officer at eXp
3:29 Joining eXp at 11,000 agents—the coolest ride
4:29 Family roots in Arizona real estate since the 70s
5:31 Overcoming "you're from a small brokerage" dismissals
5:49 The mantra: "Be so good they can't ignore me"
7:06 Navigating industry changes and the current pivot
19:44 Why taking care of the consumer is everything
21:00 How eXp stays proactive on compliance and forms
22:49 The Volkswagen obsession: buses, beetles, and "the thing"
25:50 Mountain biking, e-bikes, and chickens named Rosie, Dolly & Pants
26:38 Closing advice: 30-day cycles and being unapologetically yourself

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Discover how one Austin agent generated $75 million in sales using Facebook groups—no paid ads, no Zillow leads, and zero cold calling. In this interview, Wendy speaks with John Michael Perez, who built a lead generation machine by creating niche community groups that have nothing to do with real estate.

You'll learn the exact Facebook group playbook John uses to attract warm leads, build local authority, and convert strangers into clients. From his weekly content schedule to his "Business Tuesday" hack that keeps his face at the top of the feed, to getting sponsors to fund his events for free—this episode breaks down the full system step by step. If you want leads coming to you instead of chasing them, this is your blueprint.

➡️ Timestamps

0:00 Why cold calling didn't work for John
1:47 The mindset shift to becoming a "lighthouse"
2:35 How $75M in sales came from Facebook groups
3:00 Why your group should NOT be about real estate
4:51 The secret sauce: in-person events that capture leads
6:23 How Facebook recommends your group to the right people
7:43 The weekly content schedule that builds trust
10:23 Business Tuesday: the algorithm hack that keeps you visible
12:10 How to leverage client testimonials for instant credibility
14:01 How to run events for "free 99" using sponsorships

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

I'm breaking down two strategies that explode engagement without paid ads: trendjacking and newsjacking. These are proven plays I run on my own content and for EXP's brand account that consistently go viral. Trendjacking means jumping on popular trends and making them your own. Newsjacking is straight from the PR playbook: green screen yourself over news articles and become the instant local expert. I show exactly how to spot trends in your daily scroll, use CapCut's teleprompter feature, and turn comments into listing conversations.

➡️ Timestamps

0:00 Two strategies to explode reach
0:38 What is trendjacking?
3:08 Trendjacking examples (perching, phone drop, What's Going On)
6:04 Official apology trend for EXP
7:01 How to spot trends to jack
8:28 The 80-20 content mix
9:05 When trend content turns into deals
9:28 What is newsjacking?
10:08 Green screen strategy from PR world
11:03 Using CapCut teleprompter
12:14 Jared James case study
13:00 Local newsjacking opportunities

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

#TrendJacking #NewsJacking #RealEstateMarketing #SocialMediaStrategy #OrganicEngagement #ContentCreation #InstagramReels #RealtorTips #GreenScreenStrategy #ViralContent #EXPRealty #LocalExpert

Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Discover how top real estate agents are generating 100% inbound leads using YouTube long-form videos—no paid ads, no Zillow leads, and no cold outreach. In this interview, Wendy speaks with Ally the Agent, a two-time ICON agent who sells 30+ homes a year from a channel with just 1,200 subscribers.

You’ll learn the exact YouTube video ideas, SEO strategy, lead funnels, and content playbook Ally uses to attract high-intent buyers, build trust, and convert clients consistently. If you want to grow your real estate business with organic lead generation, this episode breaks down everything—from video length to pros & cons videos to lifestyle content buyers actually care about.

Timestamps
00:00 – Why buyers don’t care about market stats
01:12 – How Ally sold 48+ homes a year with YouTube
03:30 – The power of long-form content for realtors
05:18 – Video topics that attract real buyers
07:05 – Ally’s YouTube playbook for real estate agents
09:42 – Lifestyle content vs. “boring” real estate videos
12:20 – How to create converting feeder videos
14:55 – The #1 step to start your own YouTube channel

Connect With Wendy
https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

#realestateagent #realestatetips #realestateleads #organicleadgeneration #youtubemarketing #realestateyoutube #realtortraining #realtorlife #youtubeforrealtors

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Andy Griesinger reveals how he closed 100+ transactions with zero paid ads using one simple truth: Instagram is your billboard. His strategy blends heavy networking, real relationships, and daily content that builds TLC trustworthiness, likability, and credibility.

He breaks down why personal posts spark real conversations, how staying top-of-mind creates organic leads, and why the “post I almost didn’t post” often hits hardest. Andy shows exactly how clients judge your page instantly and how to make that moment count.

➡️ Timestamps
0:00 Trusted realtor 
0:46 Building TLC
1:49 100+ transactions
2:50 Instagram is my billboard
5:01 Turning views into conversations
6:12 Power of personal posts
9:35 The post I almost didn’t post
11:17 Key tips
12:13 We're here for it

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

#OrganicLeadGen #InstagramRealtorStrategy #BuildTLC #RealEstateMarketing #InstagramForAgents #RealtorTips #NetworkingRealtor #SocialMediaForAgents #EXPRealty #OrganicMarketing #LeadGenerationTips #RealEstateLeads

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Three years ago, Camryn Cisneros was driving trucks in the Army. Today, she's reshaping what belonging means in real estate—and proving that identity isn't just personal, it's profitable.

In this episode, Wendy Forsythe sits down with Camryn to explore how she went from military service to purpose-driven agent, and how One eXp is turning community into a record-breaking business advantage. This conversation goes deep on imposter syndrome, the critical difference between mentors and sponsors, and why building relationships isn't just culture—it's strategy.

If you've ever felt like you don't fit at the table, Camryn's message is clear: build the damn table. That mindset shift might be the most profitable move of your career.

➡️ Show Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camryncisneros/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camryn.cisneros.7/

➡️ Timestamps

01:12 — Why belonging is good for business
05:00 — From military service to entrepreneurship
08:20 — When success feels lonely
13:01 — Breaking records with One eXp
15:23 — You're one yes away from changing your life
21:38 — Mentors vs. sponsors—and the fear of asking
25:32 — Thank you to our One eXp leaders

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

#OneeXp #eXpRealty #RealEstateCommunity #BelongingMeansBusiness #CamrynCisneros #RealEstateLeadership #RealEstatePodcast #RealEstateGrowth #AgentSuccess #IdentityIsPower #WomenInLeadership #MilitaryToEntrepreneur #ImpostorSyndrome #BuildYourOwnTable

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Most agents are busy. Few are strategic. Matt Spangler is here to fix that.

In this episode, Wendy Forsythe sits down with Matt Spangler—a marketing strategist with two decades of experience helping real estate professionals cut through the noise and build brands that actually generate business. No fluff, no busywork—just clarity on who you serve, creativity that stands out, and systems that move the needle.

Matt breaks down why niche focus beats broad appeal, how pillar events create compounding visibility, and what kind of content actually gets noticed in a crowded feed. Then the conversation shifts to AI—and how agents can use it to think sharper, ask better questions, revive cold leads, and spark new deals in minutes.

If you're ready to stop marketing like everyone else and start building something that works, this one's for you.

➡️ Show Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmattspangler/

➡️ Timestamps

00:00 — Matt Spangler's two decades in marketing
01:12 — Welcome to X Factor Marketing
04:17 — Real estate branding requires two things
09:06 — Focus weekly time on your core customer
14:15 — The power of pillar events
18:36 — Content creation that actually gets noticed
26:02 — How AI helps agents think, prospect, and close

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

#RealEstateMarketing #AIForAgents #PersonalBranding #NicheMarketing #RealEstateContent #PillarEvents #AgentGrowth #MarketingStrategy #ContentThatConverts #RealEstate2025 #XFactorPodcast #WomenInLeadership

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

What happens when you trade chef whites for content calendars—and accidentally build an 8-million-follower empire rooted in therapy jokes and group chat chaos? You get Gina Tash.

In this episode, Wendy Forsythe sits down with the co-founder of @MyTherapistSays to unpack one of the most unconventional entrepreneurial journeys you'll hear. Gina shares how she went from culinary school and catering gigs to monetizing Instagram anonymously, hiring her most passionate fans, and turning viral memes into Gucci collabs, Met Gala moments, and a fiction TV deal currently in development.

If you're navigating burnout, imposter syndrome, or trying to scale something authentic in a noisy digital world—this conversation is your blueprint.

➡️ Show Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginatash/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGinaTash/

➡️ Timestamps

00:15 — Welcome & Introduction
01:26 — From culinary school to 100M+ impressions per month
03:50 — Why culinary school was the hardest thing she's ever done
04:25 — The entrepreneurial mindset: "If I do it, I do it properly"
07:10 — Monetizing at 5K followers—how brands started paying early
09:03 — Growing pains: delegating, hiring, and protecting brand voice
14:21 — Dream collabs: Gucci, Valentino, and the Met Gala
16:36 — The viral content formula: "We know in 5 seconds if it'll blow up"
18:34 — Consulting brands on viral social strategy
20:15 — Why Gen Z wants messy, real, behind-the-scenes content
25:17 — Decision-making: "Majority wins or we debate it out"
26:41 — What's next: TV, books, and infinite growth
27:32 — Gina's X Factor: making women feel less alone

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

#WomenInLeadership #MindsetMatters #FemaleEntrepreneurs #FeminineEnergy #BurnoutPrevention #ConfidenceGap #ViralContentStrategy #MentalHealthMemes #EntrepreneurialMindset #AuthenticBranding #ContentCreatorTips #WomenEmpowerment #LeadershipMindset #PivotYourCareer #InstagramGrowth #TherapyHumor #MyTherapistSays

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Homes.com CMO Chris Mumford (ex-GEICO, creator of GEICO Caveman & Hump Day campaign) reveals how Your Listing Your Lead is disrupting Zillow & real estate marketing. 

Discover challenger brand strategies behind Super Bowl 2024 with Dan Levy & Heidi Gardner, why brand personality beats metrics, talkability marketing grows brands 2.5X (McKinsey), and non-lead diversion delivers true agent leads.

➡️ Show Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homesdotcom/
Website: https://www.homes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homesdotcom/?ref=_xav_ig_profile_page_web#

➡️ Timestamps:

0:18 GEICO legacy & iconic campaigns
1:18 What is a challenger brand?
2:37 Early career: UPS vs FedEx, GEICO 2006
4:05 Innovation under pressure
5:19 Brand personality is the ultimate asset
6:30 Shift from TV to omnichannel
8:26 Know your identity → know your risks
9:09 Homes.com: Mission-driven challenger
10:58 GEICO innovation: 3–4 storylines in TV
13:05 Homes.com = Robin Hood fixing lead models
13:55 “Your Listing, Your Lead” explained
14:38 Zillow model vs Homes.com (never sells leads)
15:02 Agent-first: Faster sales via internet power
16:01 Super Bowl 2024 launch breakdown
16:25 Dan Levy + Heidi Gardner inject personality
18:06 Acquired & flipped to non-lead-diversion
18:30 Super Bowl = massive exposure play
20:01 Top-funnel → mid-funnel education
21:18 Old channels reborn: Direct mail, email
22:09 Agents: Layer your brand on Homes.com
23:30 Myth: Talk = 2.5X growth (McKinsey)
24:44 Not all PR is good PR
25:10 Create cultural conversations
26:37 X Factor: Extreme competitiveness

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

#HomesCom #YourListingYourLead #Zillow #ChallengerBrand #SuperBowl2024 #DanLevy #HeidiGardner #GEICOCaveman #HumpDay #RealEstateMarketing #AgentLeads #BrandPersonality #Talkability #McKinsey #NonLeadDiversion #ChrisMumford #RobinHoodBrand #Omnichannel #DirectMail #XFactorMarketing

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

How do you build a lasting brand in a noisy, fast-changing world?
By doing the work, leading with purpose—and letting your story become your strategy.
In this powerful episode, Wendy Forsythe sits down with Andrea Ocampo—creator, innovator, and architect of influence—to explore how courage, curiosity, and community can transform your career and your confidence.

Andrea’s story takes her from NFL sidelines to the boardroom, where she’s helped brands and leaders communicate authentically and build influence with impact.
Together, we dive into storytelling, leadership, AI, and what it means to lead with heart in the digital age.

➡️ Timestamps

00:00 — Welcome & Introduction
01:00 — Andrea’s journey from cheerleader to creator
04:30 — Building a brand through community, not campaigns
07:15 — The power of storytelling in leadership
10:05 — How to overcome fear and “fail forward”
13:20 — AI as your research partner (not your replacement)
17:00 — Courage, authenticity, and women leading differently
22:45 — The Miami Women Dinner Series and community building
26:00 — How to overcome on-camera nerves and show up confidently
29:00 — Andrea’s personal X Factor

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

#WomenInLeadership #RealEstate2025 #MindsetFitness #ConfidenceGap #SpeakUp #AskForHelp #FeminineEnergy #EXPRealty #XFactorPodcast #RickyMendeece #WomenEmpowerment

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Ricky Mendez isn't your typical motivational speaker—he's an implementational force who transforms mindset into measurable action. From directing over half a billion dollars in sales to working with global brands like Costco, Home Depot, and lululemon, Ricky discovered something profound: without feminine energy, he was burning out. Now, as a rare male champion of women's empowerment, he's on a mission to help women shatter the confidence gap through his Mindset Fitness framework—gratitude reframing, energy conversion, and "pointing thumbs not fingers." His message to women? "Do not let weak-minded men tell you what you can or cannot do." Whether you're facing judgment or fear of speaking up, Ricky's tactical hacks—like his gratitude poem and "I Am Great" photo album—will rewire how you show up and lead.

➡️ Timestamps

00:00 Welcome + Why Mindset Matters for Women in Leadership
01:26 What Is Mindset Fitness? Ricky’s Powerful Definition
03:18 Feminine Energy & Burnout: The Hidden Power Shift
04:17 The Confidence Gap: Why Women Hold Back
07:38 Speaking Up Isn’t Optional—It’s a Responsibility
09:01 Judgement, Fear & Visibility: How to Build Real Confidence
11:55 Facing Harsh Criticism as a Woman? Here’s the Reframe
15:56 The Framing Technique That Will Change Your Mindset
20:41 Wendy’s X Factor & The Power of Sponsorship Over Mentorship
27:08 Final Takeaways: Ask for Help, Speak Up, and Lead Boldly
24:08 Mentorship vs. Sponsorship: The Key to Advancing Women Leaders
26:19 Reactive vs. Proactive: A New Approach to Supporting Women

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

#WomenInLeadership #RealEstate2025 #MindsetFitness #ConfidenceGap #SpeakUp #AskForHelp #FeminineEnergy #EXPRealty #XFactorPodcast #RickyMendeece #WomenEmpowerment

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Maria Wendt transformed Instagram into her stage and built a multi-million dollar digital empire—not with gimmicks or shortcuts, but through raw vulnerability and relentless consistency. From watching her dad start a business at age 7 to coaching thousands of entrepreneurs on scaling with integrity, Maria reveals the courage it takes to build trust when your "fingers are shaking" before you hit post. As a single mom running an eight-figure business, she's cracked the code on batching content, repurposing strategically, and making millions from the 1% while giving insane value to the 99%. Her mission: help women make money and build businesses that give them freedom. If you're in the messy middle of scaling, Maria's systems and unfiltered honesty will show you the way.

➡️ Show Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maria.wendt/
Website: https://www.mariawendt.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariafwendt/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Maria-Wendt-Official-100090621002736/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/mariafwendt

➡️ Timestamps

00:00 Maria Wendt, From $63 to 7 Figures
01:27 Entrepreneurship Lesson at Age 7
03:11 Moving to Instagram and Building Trust Through Vulnerability
06:33 Blue Ocean Strategy: Go Where Everyone's Afraid
08:34 Finding Courage: If Your Fingers Aren't Shaking, Post It
09:43 Content Systems: Batching 40 Reels and Repurposing 85%
16:34 Mission to Empower Female Entrepreneurs
20:00 Challenges Women Face as Cultural Expectations Shift
23:00 Advice for the Messy Middle: Consistency Over Perfection
25:49 X Factor: Kindness Opens Doors

➡️ Connect With Wendy

https://x.com/brandWendy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Seth Siegler went from real estate agent to Chief Innovation Officer at EXP Realty, leading AI transformation for 90,000+ agents worldwide. As a self-taught coder who sold two startups, Seth reveals how AI won't replace agents—it'll make them exponentially better. From meeting EXP founder Glenn Sanford at a hackathon to getting early access to OpenAI and Google's latest tools, Seth shows how "citizen developers" are building custom software without coding experience. His mission: democratize AI so every real estate professional can scale their business beyond what they thought possible.

➡️ Show Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethsiegler/

➡️ Timestamps

00:00 Seth Siegler, Innovator in Real Estate Tech
00:04 Chief Innovation Officer at eXp Realty
00:12 Agents Worry About Being Replaced by AI
00:18 AI Enhances, Doesn't Replace Real Estate Professionals
00:32 Building iBuyer Systems and Luna 2.0 Chatbot
01:25 From Real Estate Family to Agent and Tech Founder
02:36 First Startup Tech for Brokerage Gained Traction
03:07 Meeting eXp's Glenn Sanford at a Hackathon
04:48 Role as CIO Forward-Thinking, Applying Emerging Tech
11:33 AI Training Helping Agents Use AI for Business Growth
17:40 Citizen Developers Non-Coders Building Software with AI
23:57 Rewarding Projects Evangelizing AI's Potential for Agents

➡️ Connect With Wendy  

https://x.com/brandWendy/  
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/  
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/

➡️ Download the FREE "Content Creation Realities & Lessons: A Guide to Smarter Strategy": https://stan.store/wendyforsythe

Gina Kirschenheiter was packing lunches at 5 AM for six kids when she realized reality TV fame wasn't forever—but the platform it gave her could build something lasting. After eight years on Bravo's Real Housewives of Orange County, she and partner Travis Mullen made a bold leap into real estate, launching The Gated Group at EXP Realty with a mission to protect clients like a "gate around them throughout the entire journey." What started as Travis pushing Gina toward real estate ("I never saw that coming") became a powerhouse team that's already closed $8.5-10M in sales, gets houses into escrow in a week or less, and proves that with authenticity and hustle, you can turn celebrity into meaningful business success while staying true to who you are.

➡️ Show Links  

Gina's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginakirschenheiter/  
Travis's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travis.mullen.85/  
The Gated Group: https://gatedgroup.com/

➡️ Timestamps  

00:00 From Reality TV Spotlight to Real Estate Arena  
02:29 Six Kids, 5 AM Lunches, and Work-Life Balance  
03:21 The Transition: Using Platform to Create Something Else  
04:35 "We're Really Doing the Work" - Beyond the Celebrity  
05:19 Making Yourself Approachable Despite Fame  
06:27 When Perception Works Against You  
07:40 "We Are the Most Powerful Marketing Team"  
08:52 "Be the Celebrity of Your Own Market"  
09:43 One Brand Strategy: Personal + Professional  
11:19 The Gated Group: Building Something Bigger Than Names  
12:52 The Gate Symbolism: Keeping Clients Safe  
15:16 Why EXP Realty Was the Right Fit  
17:10 Each Other's X-Factors: Connection vs. Problem-Solving  
21:56 Partnership Advice: Stay in Your Lane  
25:18 Future Vision: Quality Over Quantity Team Growth  
27:09 Being a Tool in Other Agents' Tool Belts

➡️ Connect With Wendy  

https://x.com/brandWendy/  
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyforsythe/  
https://www.instagram.com/brandwendy/