Real Trends: Real Trending

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Stuart Sim, the Vice President of Industry Development at Lofty. Stuart joins us to talk about the impact of the NAR settlement on agents’ business and marketing strategies. Now that the new regulations are in practice, what can real estate professionals do to market themselves effectively? Stuart believes in automating your business and differentiating yourself with new and existing technology in this evolving, post-NAR settlement market. He also discusses how you can use data analytics to better understand customer preferences and market trends, and how to engage meaningfully with past clients. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: There are a lot of new opportunities for real estate agents in the current market. Utilizing technology platforms to their fullest potential can greatly enhance an agent's efficiency and effectiveness. Data analytics can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and market trends, allowing agents to stay a

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Ryan Michaelis, the Chief Growth Strategist at Worth Clark Realty. Ryan shares his journey in real estate and discusses Worth Clark Realty's growth plan and how its strategy has evolved over the past few years amid changing market times. Ryan explores Worth Clark's strategies for recruiting and retaining agents, the impact of the NAR settlement on buyers and sellers, and how their flat fee model has evolved over the years. He also talks about Worth Clark's approach to providing tailored support and resources to agents and shares some of the key leadership lessons he's learned along the way Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: How Worth Clark Realty's growth plan is fueled by solid agent support and resources. Recruiting and retaining agents may be challenging, but is often the driving force for growth. The flat fee model now offers more support and appeals mainly to agents working on growing their businesses. The NAR settlement may confuse buy

This week on the RealTrending podcast, we sit down with Ilan Bracha, a seasoned real estate broker and investor. Now leading IB Global and The Bracha Team with Corcocan in New York City, Ilan shares his insights on navigating market shifts, the trends he’s seeing working with family offices and how he is preparing for the next business cycle of real estate.. Ilan discusses his current strategies for matching buyers and sellers in New York, his investment funds focused on properties in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Hamptons, and the role of family offices as key investors. He also offers leadership lessons learned during the financial crisis, providing actionable advice on how to future-proof your business in today’s rapidly changing market. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Family offices are a key audience for investment funds, as they often seek to diversify their portfolios by including real estate assets. Anticipating and preparing for market cycles is essential to capitalize on emerging opportuniti

Today, we are bringing you a special crossover episode with the Power House podcast and featuring a great conversation between HousingWire’s CEO Clayton Collins and someone many of you recognize: Anthony Lamacchia, the founder, CEO and broker of Lamacchia Companies. Anthony shares his career journey from working in his father’s landscaping business to building Lamacchia Realty. He talks about the importance of strategic marketing and branding, content creation, and learning when and when not to delegate tasks. He also discusses his M&A and recruitment strategy, opportunities for market expansion, and what’s up next for industry challenges like the commission lawsuit. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The importance of marketing, branding, and consistent content creation for attracting clients and media attention. Strategies for delegating responsibilities, hiring experienced professionals, and executing a successful M&A strategy for business growth and market expansion. Effective marketing and recruit

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Chandra Etienne, the broker-owner of The Core Real Estate Advisors in Miami, Florida. She is also the elected secretary at Miami Realtors and serves as a Director for Florida Realtors and the National Association of REALTORS. Chandra has built her career and network on the belief in the power of being involved in not just your industry, but in your community. She talks about how engaging with your fellow agents, brokers, and larger industry and community leaders can provide invaluable experiences to elevate your own real estate business and connect with others. They also talk about how you can best be flexible and anticipate upcoming changes to real estate in a way that serves your business and clients in the long run. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: It’s important to be be flexible and open to change in the real estate industry It might be time to have those tough conversations with sellers about offering concessions and compensation to bu

Navigating the impending commission changes can feel confusing, frustrating, and downright impossible. However, it's not impossible. Today on the RealTrending podcast, we spoke with Mark McLaughlin, the Chief Strategist of Compass. He originally joined Compass back in 2018 when the brokerage purchased his firm, Pacific Union for $80 million. He left the Company back in 2021 to pursue other ventures and then returned in June of 2023 as Chief Strategist. In this episode, Tracey and Mark dive deep into how Compass is navigating the upcoming changes and what brokers and agents should be aware of as we move forward. Mark explains Compass's growth strategy, including the mixing of organic growth and M&A, and some of their other unique practices and upcoming developments. These views and voice are of Mark A. McLaughlin and not necessarily Compass policy or opinion. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Agents need to be prepared for the upcoming August 17 deadline and the potential impact on their business practic

On today’s episode, we sat down with Rylie Schroeder, an inspiring real estate professional and 2024 honoree of National Association of Realtors 30 Under 30. Rylie is the team lead of Schroeder & Co Real Estate of Compass, which practices out of Houston and Austin. Rylie joins Tracey to discuss the importance of building and nurturing relationships and how she uses a successful 36-touch system for client connections. She also talks about lessons learned from a failed partnership and how both new and seasoned agents should be leveraging technology and social media. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Building relationships and nurturing the sphere of influence are key to success in real estate. Joining a team can provide valuable support, training, and leads for new agents. Using technology and staying up-to-date with industry changes are essential for remaining successful. Focusing on branding, marketing, and providing a great client experience can set a team apart. Expanding the team and making a pos

On today’s episode of RealTrending, we are joined by Christine Hansen, the broker-owner of Century 21 Hansen Realty, which has been serving the South Florida area for over 38 years. She is also the 2025 first vice president of the National Association of Realtors. Today’s episode discussion focuses on what we can gain from not only our successes but also from our failures. Christine talks about the hardships and bankruptcy that she went through during the Great Recession, and what those experiences taught her about running her brokerage today. They also talk about the upcoming goals for NAR and its leadership team for the next year and the opportunities she sees for Realtors in this market Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The goals of the 2025 leadership team are to keep NAR at the forefront of advocacy efforts. Realtors should showcase their value by communicating the challenges they overcome on behalf of buyers and sellers. Self-care, positive mindset, and gratitude are essential for overcoming cha

This week, we welcome Travis Robertson to the show! Travis is a real estate coach and the CEO of The Don’t Settle Group, a sales and executive training and coaching company.  Travis believes in the importance of treating real estate as a fully realized business, not just a practice or side hustle. He and Tracey talk about the need for agents to understand and communicate their value to clients and maintain a long term relationship with them outside of the business transaction. They also talk about marketing, strategies for staying ahead of trends, and how to navigate all of the impending policy and practice changes happening post-settlement, Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Treat real estate as a business and understand your value as an agent. Set clear expectations with clients and communicate regularly to build strong relationships. Stay informed about industry trends and adapt your strategies accordingly. Utilize modern strategies such as advertising and lead acquisition for consistent and predic

On today’s sponsored episode, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jason Mitchell, the founder and CEO of JMG Real Estate, one of the top mega teams on the 2024 RealTrends Verified Rankings. JMG is a B2B brokerage that works diligently with big brands to drive worthwhile business into their company and give their agents high-quality referrals.  Tracey and Jason talk about JMG’s strategy when building a network of referral partners and the careful consideration that they take when assessing not only the value that the agent brings to them but also the value that they bring to the agents. He also talks about policy changes, holding agents accountable for productivity goals, and managing relationships with large referral partners. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Providing value to agents and helping them build their book of business is crucial in the real estate industry. Being consistent, proactive, and focused on providing value to clients leads to success. Partnerships and relationships with orga

Today, we welcome Howard Lorey to the show! Howard is the Executive Vice President and Brokerage Manager of Nourmand & Associates with 24 years of real estate experience. He and his team at the LA-based Nourmand & Associates closed over 380 transactions this past year with a total sales volume of over $693 million to date.   Tracey and Howard discuss how he transitioned from being a professional musician to working under his father in real estate, and the interesting similarities he's found that have helped further his real estate career. They also talk about recruitment and training strategies, the future of agent compensation, and balancing pursuing consolidation and developing your existing assets. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Transitioning from a career in music to real estate requires a similar approach to branding and business development. Attracting talent involves identifying underutilized or underappreciated individuals and offering personalized business development support. Real estate

This week, we are bringing you a fantastic chat with Michelle Berman-Mikel, the owner and founder of Berman Media PD and the developer behind a program called Beyond the Method, which teaches real estate professionals how to use Instagram in a way that helps them grow their business. She and Tracey do a deep dive into how to use and leverage Instagram and other social media to turn superficial follower engagement into a full-blown lead-generation tool. Michelle has what she calls the “Four Pillars of Engagement” and gives some great insight into how to make and stick with meaningful Instagram content that will help you stand out. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Instagram is a powerful platform for real estate marketing, but many agents don’t use it to its potential. The four pillars of success on Instagram include value series, testimonials, listing day, and lifestyle content. Outbound prospecting is about creating opportunities and building relationships within the community. The 'black line appro

In today’s episode, we have a fantastic chat with Jim D’Amico, the CEO and president of Century 21 North East. Jim is a 2020 RealTrends Gamechanger, touting an impressive transaction growth rate of 179% between 2014 and 2018. Jim shares the one small change that he made early in his career that led to massive growth in his professional and personal life. Jim also discusses his specific approach to acquisitions, the inherent value of continuing education for agents, and much more. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Acquisitions have played a key role in the company's growth strategy, with a focus on cultural fit and opportunities that align with their goals. It’s important to say ahead of industry changes and adapting to market dynamics. Agent education is a top priority, with a focus on providing training and resources to help agents navigate industry changes and better serve their clients. Personal setbacks often come with lessons, including the importance of humility and personal growth. The future

In today’s episode, we speak with the co-founder & CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), Gary Acosta. Gary is a real estate and mortgage entrepreneur, public policy advocate, investor, and advisor, who has served on boards for several Fortune 500 companies including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and JP Morgan Chase. Tracey and Gary’s conversation focuses on Gary’s career passion: the health of Hispanic and Latino homebuyers in today’s market. They discuss the impact of the NAR settlement on Hispanic agents and homebuyers and how broker cooperation benefits first-time homebuyers. They also talk about takeaways from NAHREP’s State of Hispanic Homeownership Report and the priorities that NAHREP is focusing on as they see more opportunities in the changing market.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The NAR settlement and potential changes to broker cooperation could have a disproportionate impact on Latino real estate agents and first-time homebuyers. The Latino communit

Today we welcome Sharran Srivatsaa, the president of Real, to the RealTrending podcast! Sharran joined Real in 2022 and has personally overseen the onboarding of over 13,000 agents while Real has moved up to #6 from #11 by transaction sides in the 2024 RealTrends Verified brokerage rankings. He brings over two decades of business and entrepreneurial experience to today’s conversation from several companies across the real estate, finance and technology sectors. In today’s conversation with Tracey, he talks about Real’s strategic growth plan on a granular level, including his personal commitment to showing up for his agents even in the most unexpected of places. He also talks about how they’re navigating industry-wide changes amid the commission lawsuits, and how brokers can best provide building blocks for their agents to build out their unique businesses. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Deploying goodwill and generosity is a powerful strategy for growth in the real estate industry. Showing up in une

On today’s episode of RealTrending, we talk to the newly appointed CEO of eXp Realty, Leo Pareja. He has over two decades of real estate and entrepreneurial experience, and it was just announced last month that Leo was to move from his role as Chief Strategy Officer into the role of CEO, which was previously held by Glenn Sanford. Sanford moves to Chairman of eXp Holdings. In today’s conversation, Leo shares eXp’s plan for future growth, how they are educating agents on the terms of the NAR settlement and how technology at the company is evolving. He and Tracey talk about the importance of proper agent support systems, the challenges happening during the transition of compensation models, and how eXp is embracing generative technology to aid in long-term growth. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: There is a need for real estate agents to treat buyers and sellers as valued clients and provide full support throughout transactions. There is a paradigm shift in the real estate industry with compensation mod

On today’s episode of RealTrending, we welcome Jason Mitchell, the founder and president of the Jason Mitchell Group. In 2023, JMG had over 8500 transaction sides and almost $4.2 billion in transaction volume according to RealTrends verified data. Jason offers insight into the impact of the NAR settlement on the industry as well as the lack of transparency in the settlement agreement. JMG’s model focuses not only on buyer leads from lender referrals, but also a lot of veteran buyers, which he believes will be much more negatively impacted by changes in the commission model. He also talks about the Real Estate Agent Pledge, a commitment to educating clients about cooperative compensation and promoting transparency in the industry. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The NAR settlement will require buyer-broker agreements, which can create more loyalty between consumers and agents. The lack of transparency in the settlement, particularly regarding cooperative compensation, is a concern. Low-income buyers,

On this week’s episode of RealTrending, we welcome two industry figureheads: Thad Wong and Mike Golden, the co-CEOs of Christie's International Real Estate and founders of @properties. Thad and Mike have been in business together for 27 years and are an extraordinary duo. During the conversation, the two talk about their business arrangements and how they’ve managed to get along after almost three decades. They also talk about some insights gleaned from Christie’s recent luxury real estate report, including the rise of luxury markets in university towns, Gen-Z buying trends, and long-term strategies to adapt to an evolving market. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: University towns are becoming hotspots for luxury real estate due to the presence of educated populations, vibrant culture, and better quality of life Gen Z buyers prioritize eco-friendly features and low maintenance living, and Christie's is adapting its offerings and marketing to meet these preferences Malta and Nicaragua are attractive em

In today’s episode of RealTrending, we welcome Jason Waugh, the President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, who, despite just recently starting in this position some eight months ago, brings to the table many years of brokerage experience at another brand. Waugh talks a lot about the importance of empathy and understanding, specifically when it comes to the challenges of making tough decisions that may negatively impact people but are necessary for the long-term success of the organization. He also talks about their growth-driving strategies used to unify the franchise and company-owned sides as they work on becoming the premier provider of home ownership and commercial real estate services. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Empathy and understanding are crucial for leaders in the real estate industry to support brokers and sales professionals. Making tough decisions that may negatively impact people is necessary for the success of the organization. Collaboration between the franchise and company

On this week’s episode of the RealTrending podcast, we welcome Michael Repka, the CEO and managing broker of DeLeon Realty, a Palo Alto-based brokerage with a unique business model of salaried agents.  In this conversation, Mike and Tracey talk about DeLeon’s brokerage model and its place in the market post-NAR commission lawsuit settlement, as well as scalability and sustainability of the salaried agent model. They also talk about what the future holds for buyer’s agents and what agents need to do to demonstrate their value to consumers. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: DeLeon Realty is structured differently from traditional brokerages, with all agents being salaried and the commission going to the buyer's side. Value-added services, such as providing legal and contractor support, can set a brokerage apart and offer additional value to clients. The recent NAR settlement may lead to the emergence of new business models and services. Buyer's agents may need to demonstrate their value and offer uniqu