Keeping It Real Podcast • Secrets Of Top 1% REALTORS ® • Interviews With Real Estate Brokers & Agents

Lexi Belland Perez of The Belland Team at Lepic Kroeger in eastern Iowa is 27 years old and closed almost 20 million last year in production. This year she’s on pace to close over 30 million! In our conversation Lexi talks about the importance of being present, proactive and involved in your community – that’s […]

Welcome to our BRAND-NEW monthly feature, Social Bootcamp With Gogo Bethke! Tired of boring “just listed” and “just sold” Instagram posts? Let’s take our Instagram game to the next level through Instagram Stories. In this episode, social media expert Gogo Bethke walks you step-by-step on how to use Instagram Stories to partner with local businesses for […]

Welcome to the March episode of our Learn With A Lender series with Joel Schaub! Interest rates have dropped again! In our episode, Joel Schaub from Guaranteed Rate discusses how to best position yourself to reach out to past and prospective clients. In addition to the obvious refinance opportunities, there are more buyers out there […]

Marlene Rubenstein and Dena Fox of the Rubenstein Fox Team at Baird & Warner are a top 1% team in Chicago. In addition, they’re also top 1% in Chicago’s North Shore and also top 1% at their brokerage. In our episode this dynamic mother-daughter team leaders discuss how they built their business and continue to […]

Chih-Hao Yang from Prospect Equities realizes that buyers were once sellers. He wisely has built up a rental empire, closing over 80 per year, and specializing in Chicago’s luxury apartment market. In this conversation, Chih-Hao discusses the importance of niche marketing, social media and customer service. His professionalism and energy has secured him as one […]

Barb Noote from Coldwell Banker is a top 1% producer in Chicago and believes all real estate agents should find a mentor for the first few years of their business. She believes this is the equivalent of going to college and the lessons learned are invaluable to helping secure the foundation of this business. In […]

Welcome to our newest monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. Chris Linsell, staff writer and real estate coach for TheClose.com, sits in on the podcast to discuss branding and why top real estate agents are spending more time and money to make sure their branding efforts are consistent. Also, is purchasing internet […]

Matt Laricy of The Matt Laricy Group is our most requested guest of all time! He’s a true real estate legend in Chicago, known for his professionalism, work ethic and commitment to the craft. As one of Chicago’s top brokers, Matt discusses how he started in real estate with zero clients and spent the first […]

Matthew Arminio of Apex National Real Estate is here to tell you that buy-and-hold and fix-and-flip are still viable real estate investment strategies in 2020. And he should know since he averages over 200 closed sales each year across five states (all investment properties). In our conversation Matt discusses his process for sourcing investment opportunities, […]

Welcome to the February episode of Coaching Moments with Ryan D’Aprile! How important is mindset? What could you do right now to improve your thoughts and beliefs that would result in more business? In this episode Ryan provides the disciplines needed to make 2020 your best year ever in real estate. Follow his suggestions and […]

Jeff Proctor is one of the most successful real estate brokers in Chicago. Over his career he has closed over 500 million in real estate sales. In the past six years alone he’s produced 385 million. In our conversation Jeff talks at length about market trends (past, present and future) and how agents should adapt […]

Prior to becoming a top Chicago real estate agent, Amber Kardosh was in the corporate world. Oh, and she was an Ironman athlete, too. In this episode Amber talks about her daily disciplines around client communication and prospecting. She provides tips on how to use LinkedIn to find out what’s going on in your contacts’ […]

Welcome to the February episode of our Learn With A Learn series with Joel Schaub! How do you stay top of mind with your clients in 2020? How often should you schedule client appreciation events? What’s the best way to navigate networking events? And why did Joel stay in on Friday night emailing every client […]

Ben Lalez of Compass grew his production from four million in 2017 to 24 million in 2019. That kind of growth in remarkable – even more remarkable as 2019 was Ben’s second year as a full time real estate agent. In this episode Ben discusses how he started in real estate, how he shifted into […]

Sam Shaffer of Chicago Properties is not only a top 1% producer, but one of the most respected brokers in Chicago. In our conversation Sam talks about starting out at the bottom and how he built his massive real estate practice (and brokerage) through consistent follow through, honesty and integrity. His energy is electric and […]

Welcome to the January edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick from At Properties! In our first Monday Market Minute of 2020, Carrie discusses the real estate market both nationwide and locally in Chicago. She also talks about the importance of making a home look as close to perfect as possible before listing it […]

Can realtors use YouTube as a source of buyer and seller leads? YES! Jackson Wilkey, one half of Portland and Seattle’s famous YouTube Agents is living proof that prospecting on YouTube works! In the past four months they’ve closed 12 million in production ALL from YouTube. They’re on pace to close 100 sales transactions in […]

Welcome to our BRAND-NEW monthly feature, Social Bootcamp With Gogo Bethke! Gogo Bethke is the author of Gogo’s Bootcamp, the #1 real estate social media training program in the industry. She came to the U.S. with no money, no sphere of influence and no experience. Within a few years Gogo became a top 1% producer […]

Welcome to the January episode of Coaching Moments with Ryan D’Aprile! Over the past decade Ryan D’Aprile has personally coached hundreds of real estate agents to top producer status. He has devoted his career to sharing the strategies that have worked for him (and for countless others) to help agents get to the next level. […]

In this episode, Kim Hayden talks about how the coaching industry is dominated by men, and her mission to help women get into the spotlight. Her purpose is to give a larger stage presence to women who’ve been coaching (and also been coached) for a long time but are not in the spotlight. Kim also […]

Ryan Cherney from Circle One Realty talks about the beginning of his career in real estate and gives advice to new agents on their journey in this profession. Next, Ryan talks about why he switched from a traditional agent to flat fee. Ryan and DJ explain what flat-fee means and how it’s different from traditional […]

Molly Humble from Custom Fit Las Vegas with Keller Williams talks about the beginning of her career in real estate and how she built her brand. Molly also talks about the utilization of video and how important video is in her business. She discusses best practices for open houses and how she leverages them to […]

Welcome to the March episode of Learn With A Lender with Joel Schaub of Guaranteed Rate! In this episode Joel mentions systems and processes are the key to your journey to top producer status. According to Joel, agents should be able to educate their clients about lending by taking about rates in terms of monthly […]

Christine Carr from Monkey Mind Chicago talks about her journey into real estate and why she eventually shifted into coaching agents. Next, Christine elaborates the Monkey Mindset and also briefly talks about the 10 steps she’s created for her Monkey Mindset as a coaching tool. Christine also discusses the value of self-compassion and self-care and […]

Joanne Bolt from Bolt Group with eXp talks about the start of her career in real estate and how she built her business by studying market data to predict future moves. Joanne reveals why she chose to start coaching agents full time and move out of production. She also discusses her three methods of referral […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! In this episode Ryan D’Aprile and Melissa Fusco from D’Aprile Properties talk about the importance of structuring your business. Ryan talks about the three pillars of structure – mindset, routine and skillset. Melissa discusses the importance of planning ahead and planning the execution of […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris Linsell from TheClose.com talks about his concerns that the market is moving towards unhealthy balances. Chris also explains what your sphere of influence really is and how to make the difference between your sphere of influence and your contacts. Chris shares three […]

In our February episode of Monday Market Minute, Carrie McCormick From @Properties discusses current market statistics to get an idea where the market is headed. We’re seeing a increase home prices in the city market. The supply for new listings has decreased while the demand is very high, bringing the price up. D.J shares his marketing idea […]

Lauren Herskovic from Moda Group with Compass talks about how she made a career change from consulting to real estate. Lauren discusses the importance of mentorship and systems for your business. She emphasizes the impact of systems in planning for the future of your business. Lauren talks about her daily routine and how she plans […]

Natalie Taflinger from Taflinger Group with eXp talks about how and why she moved in South Carolina and started her business in real estate. She discusses the importance of online reviews and how she asks her clients to leave a review at the end of the transaction. Natalie shares tips and strategies based on her […]

In this episode Shayne Hillier and Matt Cramer from Real Estate Marketing and Conversion Academy describe how and why they created the academy. They talk about paid advertising and how their academy helps agents in supervising the performance and conversion of ads. Shayne discusses the process of approaching and converting leads. Matt talks about the […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Social Bootcamp With Gogo Bethke! In this episode Gogo talks about creating CMAs via Zoom and describes how an agent can do that step by step. Gogo focuses on the questions an agent should be asking throughout this Zoom meeting in order to have all the information needed. Gogo also […]

Dana Bull from Sotheby’s International talks about the beginning of her career in real estate. She then focuses on how agents can improve their marketing in 2021 and how to recognize their brand and figure out their niche. In the second part of the interview, Dana discusses branding and her best recommendations for strengthening this […]

Welcome to the January episode of Learn With A Lender with Joel Schaub of Guaranteed Rate! In this episode Joel talks about home-sales contingencies for buyers. He provides advice on how buyers do not necessarily need to sell their house first to purchase another property. Joel also talks about lending rates and how he predicts […]

Jay Bourgana from Homearly Real Estate Group talks about his first years in real estate business and how he built up his individual practice to eventually need teammates. Jay discusses an important skill each agent should master – pattern recognition. Jay also deep dives into the evolution of teams. Jay talks about the impact of […]

Danny Brown from Compass in Beverly Hills talks about the beginning of his career and his shift from the music industry to real estate. We then pivot to teams, and Danny suggests how to find the right team to join to provide structure and business building opportunities. Next, Danny discusses the importance of prospecting and […]

In our January episode of Monday Market Minute, Carrie McCormick from @Properties talks about Chicago market statistics. Chicago is facing a low inventory while there is high demand which means the prices should be increasing this year. Next, Carrie shares four reasons why people are buying at this time and she is foreseeing the pricing to stay […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris Linsell from TheClose.com discusses some best practices on how to select a firm that better meets your needs. Chris defines the caps that certain brokerages use for compensation. Chris also talks about the factors that make an agent feel good and grow […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! In this episode Ryan D’Aprile and Mikki Moore from D’Aprile Properties discuss the importance of coaching for your business. They explain the difference between accountability and performance coaching. Ryan and Mikki emphasize the importance of systematizing each part of the business for success. They […]

Welcome to our December episode of Insights with Zillow! In this episode, Chris Lapp discusses tools and features that have been successful for agents using Zillow during the past year and into 2021. Chris talks through the Zillow Premier Agent App and its complementary features that every agent can utilize. Next, Chris talks about My […]

In this episode, Greg McDaniel from The McDaniel Callahan Team with eXp in San Francisco discusses the beginning of his career in real estate. He emphasizes the importance of humanizing your relationship with your clients and not using scripts in your conversations. Greg also talks about how he stays attentive of his clients’ life events. […]

Welcome to another episode of Fireside with Facebook! In this episode Scott Shapiro from Facebook’s Real Estate Group talks about Facebook Creative and how to best utilize it for your business. Scott also discusses how to evolve your social media postings from talking only about listings to sharing more about the services you provide. Scott […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! In this episode Ryan talks about mindset and its importance in an agent’s business. Next, Ryan discusses about why one must cultivate habits, accountability and endurance for continued success. Ryan also emphasizes why coaching is essential and how you should think of coaching as […]

Welcome to the December episode of Learn With A Lender with Joel Schaub of Guaranteed Rate! At the beginning of the episode, Joel talks about rates and what they mean today for buyers and sellers. He also discusses how an agent can discover their niche and from there shares how to add value. Joel also […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris Linsell from TheClose.com talks about the importance of making resolutions for the next year so that 2021 is your best year ever! Chris emphasizes little decisions you can make that will have a big impact on your business. Chris also talks about […]

In our December episode of Monday Market Minute, Carrie McCormick from @Properties talks about her predictions for the real estate market in 2021 and why she believes it will be a buyer’s market. Carrie also shares how her business has recently shifted from a buyer’s agent to a seller’s agent and emphasizes how essential it is to […]

Adam Riddle from Nexus Commercial Realty in Denver discusses the beginning of his career in real estate and how he eventually founded his firm. Adam talks extensively about the secrets of finding investors and finding properties. According to Adam agents should educate themselves on income producing real estate so they can begin to have those […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Social Bootcamp With Gogo Bethke! In this episode Gogo talks about the importance of building a preferred vendor list for your clients. Not only is it a great resource for your customers, but it also helps support local businesses! Next, Gogo discusses affiliate relationships and introduces Vivint for home security systems […]

Hans Struzyna, a top producer from the Bay Area with Gunderman Group at Keller Williams, is a former U.S. Olympic rower. In this episode Hans talks about his experience as an Olympian and the discipline that helped carry over into his real estate practice. Next, Hans talks about the switch from a professional athlete to […]

In this episode Dan DeCapua from The Spotlight Home Team in Ann Arbor talks about the shift in his career from a successful touring comedian to a top producing real estate agent. Dan believes that being successful in real estate is all about pulling past experiences to breakthrough through into your business. He talks extensively […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris Linsell from TheClose.com talks about the impact of the election for the real estate industry. According to Chris president-elect Biden will introduce new legislation since democratic policy around housing are more rooted in the idea of assistance. This may provide a cash-infusion […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! Ryan D’Aprile introduces his colleague Peter Moulton to help explain current trends in real estate market, both national and local. He also discusses how covid19 has affected real estate markets. Peter also shares the sources he uses to educate himself on the […]

In this episode top producer Lisa Sanders from @properties talks about the beginning of her career in real estate business. She spends time to discuss the importance of open houses and how they help agents grow their business. Lisa shares how she keeps in contact with her sphere of influence during this year and also provides advice […]

Welcome to the November episode of Learn With A Lender with Joel Schaub of Guaranteed Rate! In this episode Joel gives advice on how to stay relevant and in front of potential clients in 2021. Joel shares how he spends 20% of his annual income on different forms of advertising and how you can create […]

Welcome to another episode of Fireside with Facebook! In this episode Scott Shapiro from Facebook’s Real Estate Group discusses Messenger for Business and how real estate agents can utilize this tool for better customer service and lead generation. The need for instant answers has made Messenger a very important and useful tool for business and […]

Welcome to our November episode of Insights with Zillow! In this episode Chris Lapp goes into detail about Zillow’s recent announcement regarding Zillow Homes and it what it means for consumers and agents. We learn that Zillow’s commitment to agents remain unchanged, and they believe this is a win for both real estate professionals and […]

In our November episode of Monday Market Minute, Carrie McCormick from @Properties shares data about the current state of the housing marketing quoting an article from the Wall Street Journal. She provides insight into what agents need to know about buyer and seller behavior as we are close to finishing out the year, and predicts what may […]

In this episode Ryan McKane from Redfin begins by telling us how he started in real estate (before becoming a top producer). He credits his success as an residential agent to previous experience in mortgage, property management and commercial real estate. Ryan also discusses agent perception around Redfin and why he decided it was the […]

In this episode brothers Jonathan and Caleb Spears from Spears Group in Florida go back to the beginning of their careers to tell us how they started. They also provide advice for the agents that may not be as busy as they’d like right now. We also discuss how the needs of buyers and sellers […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Social Bootcamp With Gogo Bethke! In this episode, Gogo guides you on how to schedule your social media posts throughout the week. Gogo also shares strategies to make it appear that you’re randomly posting, but with structure and planning. Next, she shares the exact weekly plan she uses for her […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris attempts to answer an important question: Can real estate agents ethically represent both parties in a real estate transaction? Chris takes time to present and discuss the potential upsides and drawbacks of dual agency. Chris mentions scenarios when dual agency […]

In our October episode of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick of @Properties, Carrie assesses the market in Chicago as bipolar – properties in suburbs seeing excessive movement while properties in the city are struggling with showing requests. Carrie also discusses the importance of agent knowledge about the history of the real estate market to be […]

Welcome to the September episode of Learn With A Lender with Joel Schaub of Guaranteed Rate! Top producers are not born, they’re made! In this episode Joel shares his own climb to becoming one of the most successful loan officers in the country. Joel attributes his success to daily business-building activities that anyone can replicate. […]

Jereme Kleven is the founder My Home Group, the fastest growing real estate company company in the United States. My Home Group also has the biggest producing teams in Arizona. Jereme believes that the ultimate goal of a brokerage is to add value to agents. According to Jereme firms should be putting the agent in […]

Welcome to another episode of Fireside with Facebook! In this episode Scott Shapiro from Facebook’s Real Estate Group discusses Facebook Ads and Marketplace. Scott points out that there is a way to integrate your agent website with Facebook Ads to promote listings your clients already viewed on your site. Next we cover Marketplace which is […]

In this episode Tracy Cousineau talks about how she began her career in real estate and how she found quick success. After 21 years in the business, Tracy shares her success strategies and secrets. Tracy also hosts The American Dream TV and talks about the show, what they cover and how it works as a […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! In this episode Ryan D’Aprile and Lindsay Miller first discuss accountability. Ryan points out the importance of habits and why completing mundane activities consistently, even when one is busy, is the most important factor for success. Next, Ryan discusses emotional intelligence and why agents […]

Tracy McLaughlin from The Agency shares how she transitioned from a successful television journalist to become the top real estate agent in one of the most exclusive counties in the U.S. Tracy emphasizes the importance of branding and talks about how to consistently execute brand awareness to rise above the pack. She also discusses her […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. As a real estate agent time is your most valuable commodity. You need to plan your time to maximize running your real estate business. In this episode, Chris emphasizes different time management strategies and best practices to help plan your days. Chris and D.J. […]

Welcome to our August episode of Insights with Zillow! Let’s face it – Zillow understands home buyer and seller behavior better than anyone. In this episode, Chris Lapp from Zillow talks about best practices for online lead conversion. Chris emphasizes the importance for agents to have a dynamic online presence, especially now that’s we’re in […]

In this episode Tristan Ahumada, the CEO of Lab Coat Agents, shares how he decided to make the shift from a history university degree to pursuing a career in real estate. He discusses how he built the Lab Coat Agents platform as a result of wishing to create value on sharing best agent practices. Tristan […]

Welcome to the August episode of Learn With A Lender with Joel Schaub of Guaranteed Rate! In this episode Joel talks how his daily disciplines have evolved over time but he believes his consistent actions could be adopted by any real estate agent. Joel points out how important it is for agents to stop selling […]

In this episode, Albert Garibaldi, a top producer in California, shares how he built his career over 23 years. Albert focuses on how he overcame learning disabilities to achieve the highest levels of success as a real estate agent. Albert also walks us through his priorities in life and how they fuel his discipline in […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Social Bootcamp With Gogo Bethke! In this episode, Gogo discusses customer reviews and organic search engine optimization. The difference between search engine marketing and organic search engine optimization is explained and Gogo provides tips on how to organically grow your business. She shares how she and her agents use four different […]

Welcome to another episode of Fireside with Facebook! In this episode Scott Shapiro from Facebook’s Real Estate Group discusses Stories on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger and how real estate agents should best utilize these tools in their business. We reveal best (and worst) practices for how to increase engagement and reach. Last, Scott advises agents […]

In this episode Michael Hellickson, the founder and President of Club Wealth® Coaching and Consulting, talks about the beginning of his career in real estate and how he rose to become a top 1% agent before graduating high school. Michael emphasizes the importance for teams to hire correctly and how to create a culture that […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! In this episode, Ryan discusses what our listeners should be doing right now to prepare for the spring 2021 market. Ryan suggests that despite how busy agents are currently, they should spend a minimum of an hour each day reviewing their business […]

In our August episode of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick of @Properties, Carrie talks about recent trends and what she’s telling her buyers and sellers in a low-interest rate environment (with low inventory). She shares how she uses InfoSparks to see the history of a local markets to educate her clients. Last Carrie discusses the […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris Linsell from The Close reminds our listeners of their new premium service, The Close Pro. Chris also shares his thoughts about the history and current state of housing discrimination. He explains what many agents miss about fair housing. Chris also […]

Welcome to the first episode of Insights with Zillow! Chris Lapp from Zillow’s Corporate Partnership Team shares the history of Zillow and how it has developed to what it is today. Chris takes time to explain the recent shift from Zillow 1.0 to 2.0 and how the company is continually evolving to meet the needs […]

In this episode Jamie Hering from The Hering Homes Team with @properties discusses how she began her real estate career which quickly blossomed into top producer status. Jamie reveals why her previous teaching experiences were invaluable in real estate client service. Jamie also shares her best marketing strategies – for example, she sends monthly postcards to each […]

In this episode Debra Dobbs of The Dobbs Group with @properties talks about the origins of her real estate career. Debra attributes her success to providing top level customer service to all clients. Specifically she believes agents should understand both their client’s needs and also the needs of the client on the other side of the […]

In this episode Penny O’Brien from Baird & Warner shares how she started her career in real estate seven years ago and she’s grown to one of the top agents in Chicago. She talks about how open houses are invaluable to helping an agent find more business. Penny’s previous career was in the marketing sector […]

Welcome to another episode of Fireside with Facebook! In this episode Scott Shapiro from Facebook’s Real Estate Group introduces their newly published guide for agents titled Real Estate Professionals Guide to Success. This whitepaper provides statistics about buyer and seller behavior and offers suggestions on how agents can think about using social media to better […]

Welcome to the July episode of Learn With A Lender with Joel Schaub of Guaranteed Rate! In this episode Joel shares the importance of finding mentors that inspire you to get to the next level in your business. Joel believes growth is incremental so he recommends aiming for daily discipline and small victories instead of […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris Linsell from The Close introduces The Close Pro – a monthly subscription service providing access to all of The Close content and also premium content including, exclusive marketing courses, weekly small group coaching and access to their entire resource library. […]

Aubrey LaRue, a recipient of NAR’s 30 under 30, values connections more than contracts and transactions. Aubrey’s business goals include creating and fostering community with her clients. She also shares that each week she schedules several coffee/lunch/happy hours with her sphere and also her team organizes events throughout the year. Aubrey is a big believer […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! In this episode, Ryan discusses his custom made software that projects an agent’s future production. He goes through the data modelling in detail to show how an agent can finish 2020 strong. He also discusses how Facebook and Instagram are ideal research tools to […]

In our July episode of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick of @Properties provides an update on the current red-hot Chicago real estate market. She is seeing an increase in activity around suburban homes and provides advice on how to handle multiple-offer scenarios for both buyers and sellers. Carrie also discusses Alcove, the newest Wicker Park development that […]

Talbot Sutter from Sutter & Nugent in Palm Beach County shares how he started his career in real estate as a young entrepreneur. Talbot believes that the key to success is to consistently rise before the sun, dress professionally and starting work. He goes on to explain why he started his own firm and how […]

Welcome to our monthly feature, Social Bootcamp With Gogo Bethke! In this episode, Gogo discusses the importance of being consistently active in social media. She goes into detail about branding and how to view social media as a “store front.” Gogo also provides tips on how to feature local businesses in your posts and stories and […]

Welcome to the first episode of Fireside Chat with Facebook! Facebook’s Real Estate Team will be our featured guest on the podcast regularly to discuss tools that agents and brokers should learn and master in order to better prospect and service clients! We will be touching on ALL of Facebook’s product suite including Facebook, Instagram […]

Welcome to the June episode of our Learn With A Lender series with Joel Schaub from Guaranteed Rate! In this episode Joel shares with us two strategies to help grow your business. He recommends hosting events with the right strategic partner and also how to delegate so as a broker you can focus on your […]

Carol Horsford from Farnam Group in New Haven is the most successful real estate agent in Connecticut with respect to leasing. In our conversation Carol shares why she focuses a majority of her business in college housing. She also explains how college housing has changed in the last decade and why this has now become […]

Melinda Jakovich-Lagrange from Compass chats with us about her first experiences in real estate and how she built her impressive career over the past 26 years. She also talks extensively about the importance of giving back to the community. Melinda’s top values are authenticity, honesty and respect. She believes caring about your clients is vital […]

Welcome to our newest monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris Linsell from The Close discusses how the reactions of COVID-19 and #BlackLivesMatter have affected and influenced the real estate industry. Chris also talks about how competition has decreased and how clients can benefit. Last, Chris tackles the sad reality […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! In this episode Ryan discusses the importance of knowing your business and the specific steps agents need to take to develop this skill set . Ryan also spends time talking about lead generation and deepening relationships with existing contacts and how agents should be […]

Christine Nieva from Deausen Realty in Washington D.C. was just awarded NAR’s 30 under 30. In this episode Christine discusses how she shifted from a successful career as an O.R. nurse to a full-time real estate agent. She shares the importance of social media and how she uses it to prospect and deepen connections with […]

In his second interview as a Keeping It Real Podcast guest, Lawrence Dunning from Mainstreet Real Estate Group talks about the importance of learning and how we need to find time to consistently grow our industry knowledge. Lawrence also extensively talks about how “everything counts” and how lifestyle choices affect our mental and physical health. […]

In our May episode of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick of @Properties, Carrie talks about the importance of a property’s outdoor space, and why it’s more important now than ever before. She also discusses changes the pandemic has brought to our lives and how it’s affected how clients view physical space. Last, she talks about the growth […]

Brad Inhulsen from Sears Real Estate shares with us how he began a career in real estate fresh from college. He discusses that his early success was largely due to shadowing successful agents. Brad also explains “Tour Tuesdays with Brad” and how he showcases listings on social media (even other agent listings). Last Brad discusses […]

Lance Kirshner, head of LAKE Group at Compass in Chicago shares how he started in real estate as an appraiser, before becoming a real estate agent. With experience in both appraisals and brokerage he believes a successful real estate transaction includes three essential steps. He also gives his thoughts on teams and why they’re becoming […]

Elizabeth Ballis from The Ballis Group with Compass in Lincoln Park has been practicing real estate since 1980. In this episode Elizabeth shares how her group has remained productive and positive during the pandemic. She also discusses the importance of community involvement and how that ultimately helps her real estate practice. Elizabeth also mentions how […]

Rachel Scheid, branch manager and head trainer at Coldwell Banker’s West Loop in Chicago, talks about how she’s coaching her agents to keep motivated during the pandemic. She believes that 90% your success in real estate is due to mindset and how mindset is the impetus of action. Rachel also discusses her thoughts on teams, […]

Kari Kohler from Coldwell Banker talks extensively on the importance of coaching for real estate agents. She believes that coaching is more important for her now that she’s a top 1% producer than it was when she started. Kari also discusses the important of systems and how efficient and effective processes make it possible for […]

Jan Morel began his professional career as a civil engineer and over time transitioned to become a residential real estate broker. He had immediate success in his first year (5-6 million in production) and never looked back. In our conversation Jan discusses the importance of branding and why he hired a marketing firm to help […]

Welcome to our newest monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris Linsell from TheClose refuses to believe that we are in a recession and explains his reasoning for where we are economically and how that impacts the real estate market. He also discussed how agents should prepare for future changes in […]

Welcome to the May episode of our Learn With A Lender series with Joel Schaub from Guaranteed Rate! In this episode Joel talks passionately how much he is attempting to give back to the community during this challenging time. He emphasizes how important it is to take care of clients and local businesses by spreading […]

Elliot Hoyte, a recipient of N.A.R. 30 under 30 for 2020, attributes his success in real estate to his history with athletics. Elliot played defensive lineman for Boise State University during college before starting his real estate career in that same community. He believes that mental fortitude helped him keep disciplined while he was building […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! In this episode Ryan discusses several different issues affecting agents today. First he reveals how to cultivate and deepen client connection through discipline and habit-formation. Next he discusses top strategies of converting prospective clients to active buyers/sellers. Last he advises how agents should stop […]

Jordan Mott from Intero Real Estate Services in San Jose, a recipient of N.A.R.’s 30 under 30 for 2020, discusses how his business has changed in recent months. During our talk Jordan emphasizes how social media has helped widen his sphere of influence and helps stay in touch with his contact list. He also reveals […]

Kristen Boyd from Delisha Boyd LLC in New Orleans, a recipient of N.A.R.’s 30 under 30 for 2020, has been in real estate since 2011. She talks about the making the transition from her mother’s assistant to personal producer. During our conversation, Krissy compares our current pandemic with Hurricane Katrina and points out how real […]

Ilan Bracha, founder and CEO of Bracha Group with Keller Williams NY, points out how important it is to keep in touch with your clients during this difficult period. He believes that communication is the key to client happiness. Ilan also values recent technological advancements and believes that virtual back-offices will allow us to work […]

Lauren Mitrick Wood from OliveWell with Compass in Chicago is a third generation real estate agent and top 1% producer. In this episode Lauren points out how important it is to get involved in the real estate community and why giving back actually grows your business. Lauren shares her “Gift to Grow” philosophy and highlights […]

Welcome to our BRAND-NEW monthly feature, Social Bootcamp With Gogo Bethke! In this episode Gogo discusses how agents in Michigan have had to improvise during this period to continue their work in real estate. She points out how they even had to rely on sellers for photos and videos of property and work through all the […]

Jim Starwalt, Broker Owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Star Homes has been a top producer, trainer and coach for over 20 years. In our conversation Jim, in his candid style, shares exactly what real estate agents need to do today to grow their business. He also talks about the challenges with text […]

In our April episode of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick of At Properties, Carrie discusses how in grade school she was able to tell an emotionally engaging story about a seashell during show and tell and how she uses that same principle today to list properties. D.J. talks about how you can partner with third-party management companies to send […]

Emily Ackerman of Chicago Home Collective at Compass was recently awarded National Association of REALTORS® winning the 30 under 30 award. This young superstar has spent countless hours defining and adjusting her process so that when she works with buyers, sellers and renters, she is able to provide a first class experience. In our conversation […]

For 32 years Sharon Rizzo of The Rizzo Group at Coldwell Banker has been one of Chicago’s top producing real estate brokers. She’s been the city’s #1 agent (out of 42k agents) and has built up a team that specializes in everything from luxury properties to investment opportunities for developers. In our conversation Sharon discusses […]

Gail Spreen from Streeterville Properties of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty knows the value of hyper-local branding. Gail has been a top real estate professional in Chicago for 26 years by specializing in one neighborhood – Streeterville. In our conversation Gail discusses the importance of getting involved in your community, and how merging your passion with […]

Welcome to the March episode of our Learn With A Lender series with Joel Schaub! Joel Schaub from Guaranteed Rate discusses why some lenders (thankfully not Guaranteed Rate) are taking up to nine months to close on new purchases, and provides guidance on how agents can check-in with a lender to see the status of […]

Phil Byers of Byers Home Team at Compass is not only known as one of Chicago’s top real estate producers, he’s also one of the most professional agents you’ll ever meet. After 17 years Phil shares his strategies on what has worked to build his business and what he’s telling his team and clients right […]

Welcome to our BRAND-NEW monthly feature, Social Bootcamp With Gogo Bethke! Gogo Bethke from Gogo’s Bootcamp is known as the Social Media Queen of Real Estate because she built up her entire practice and team (now over 150 agents) through social media engagement. In this episode Gogo discusses what real estate agents can do today during […]

Amy Duong Kim of the Duong Kim Global at Compass has a background in actuarial science and was on pace to be a corporate financial consultant when her brother convinced her to get a real estate license. After closing her first sale within two weeks she dove headfirst into real estate and hasn’t looked back. […]

Jordan Pyle from Pyle Residential at Keller Williams is not only a top producer in Chicago, but also is involved in leadership positions with his local association and brokerage. This spirit of getting involved and giving back has not only served his community, but indirectly helped accelerate his real estate business. In our conversation Jordan […]

Marki Lemons-Rhyal has spoken to over 300k real estate professionals about how to grow their business to achieve their goals. In our conversation she talks about the importance of using the extra time we have right now to work on our business plan. Marki provides actionable tips about working from home and how to embrace […]

Welcome to our newest monthly feature, Close-ing Time – in partnership with TheClose.com. In this episode Chris Linsell from TheClose discusses how real estate agents are adjusting to working from home during our global COVID-19 pandemic. Chris provides tips about how to structure one’s day so that you’re able to be productive and still keep your […]

Welcome to another episode of Coaching Moments With Ryan D’Aprile from D’Aprile Properties! In this episode Ryan discusses going through the housing market crash of 2009 and what he did then to keep focused on his business goals. He then discusses the importance of attitudes, beliefs and action and how mindset is the starting point […]

Julie Busby of The Busby Group at Compass was originally mentored in SoCal by one of the top producers in the country. She followed her advice and became one of California’s top real estate agents. Then, she moved to Illinois where she had no sphere of influence and had to rebuild her business from the […]

Lawrence Dunning from Mainstreet Real Estate Group is a financial trader turned boxer turned MMA fighter turned top real estate broker in Chicago. He founded his trading firm at a young age and walked away to pursue his goal of boxing eventually winning the Golden Gloves. In our interview Lawrence talks about the discipline and […]

In our March episode of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick of At Properties, Carrie discusses how she’s adjusting to running her business from home and provides tips on how to stay productive during this challenging time. I provide a marketing tip about how to deepen connections with your sphere of influence and current clients through […]

Welcome to the January episode of Learning With A Lender with Joel Schaub! In this episode Joel Schaub talks about the importance of aligning yourself with a cause that you believe in. Not only is it the right thing to do, but you’ll see that over time clients want to work with brokers that give […]

The fact that Steven Koleno has closed over 300 sales transactions this year (his second year doing sales) as a real estate agent is astonishing, however, it’s not surprising. In 2016, Steven closed over 1200 MLS rental transactions. He wanted to perfect that model before moving on to sales. Steven is currently the #13 highest […]

Welcome to the December edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick from At Properties! In our final Monday Market Minute of 2019, Carrie talks about how the real estate market has performed both nationwide and locally in Chicago. She also mentions how important staging a home prior to listing is in this era of […]

Welcome to the December edition of Coaching Moments with Ryan D’Aprile! What does every professional athlete have in common? They ALL have coaches! And so should you! In this end-of-year episode Ryan discusses the importance of coaching, and how you can implement coaching for better accountability into your business for 2020. Ryan D’Aprile can be […]

Welcome to the November episode of Learning With A Lender with Joel Schaub! In this episode Joel Schaub discusses the recent rate cut by the Federal Reserve and how this is NOT necessarily going to reflect mortgage rates decreasing. Often these cuts are predicted (in-advance) and lenders already have baked them into current rates. Also, […]

Sign up for Gogo’s Bootcamp here and save 10%! Gogo Bethke arrived in the U.S. with only $6, no sphere of influence, and English being her third language. She proceeded to get her real estate license and start marketing on Facebook. Within a few years she sold 45mm in real estate and today commands a […]

New weekly feature! In addition to continuing to produce long-form interviews with top 1% producers, we’re also going to serve you up some bite-sized audio goodness! Keeping It Real Podcast producer Liz Lape is here to guide you on an actionable strategy to help your business. In today’s Liz Lesson she discusses best-practices regarding stigmatized […]

Haley Levine and Tony Mattar met years ago while working for a top 1% real estate team. They instantly bonded and in 2019 decided it was time to open their own brokerage, HomeCo Chicago. In this episode Haley and Tony discuss why they started a firm, what it takes to be a top 1% broker […]

Melanie Giglio-Vakos of Team MVP at Compass is not only a top 1% agent – she’s currently the 12th highest producing real estate broker in Chicago (out of 45k brokers). Melanie talks about how a bad buying experience motivated her to get her license and how hard work is her secret weapon. She also discusses […]

Welcome to the October episode of Investor Insights With Brie Schmidt! Brie Schmidt is one of the most well-respected buy-and-hold investors in Chicago. Each month we discuss an investment topic brokers should master. In this episode Brie talks about one of the biggest challenges when starting to work with investors – making sure you have […]

Welcome to the October edition of Coaching Moments with Ryan D’Aprile! How important is attitude? Ryan maintains it’s your single most valuable internal resource. Your attitude will provide you with the energy necessary to continue to scale a mountain while the rain is pouring down. It’s perhaps the only area of life where we have […]

New video feature! In addition to continuing to produce the long-form audio interviews with top 1% producers, we’re also going to serve you up some bite-sized video goodness! Keeping It Real Podcast producer Liz Lape is here to guide you on an actionable strategy to help your business. It’s short, helpful, and also on video! […]

Welcome to the October edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick from At Properties! Fresh from her speaking engagement as a panelist at Inman Luxury Connect in Beverly Hills, Carrie McCormick tells our listeners some of the insights she observed. For example, the rise of the importance of staging – buyers expect homes to […]

New video feature! In addition to continuing to produce the long-form audio interviews with top 1% producers, we’re also going to serve you up some bite-sized video goodness! Keeping It Real Podcast producer Liz Lape is here to guide you on an actionable strategy to help your business. It’s short, helpful, and also on video! […]

Danielle Dowell is one of the most successful Chicago brokers, but perhaps the most incredible part of her story is that she moved to Chicago knowing only ONE person. After a year in real estate she became a top broker and has remained one for the past twelve years. As her business grew, she realized […]

Before real estate Danny Lewis was a public relations and advertising executive. He offered to sell his grandfather’s home, and after that transaction, realized he had caught the real estate bug. Danny converted the marketing skills he had developed into a successful real estate career quickly, building not only a successful practice for himself, but […]

Welcome to the August edition of Coaching Moments with Ryan D’Aprile! What if canceled, FSBO & expired listings weren’t as difficult to convert as most brokers imagine? In this episode Ryan discusses how to approach these challenging prospects and how to convert them into clients. He also recounts a story about how he turned 12k […]

Welcome to the August episode of Learning With A Lender with Joel Schaub! In this episode Joel Schaub partners with Christine, a renovation loan expert at Guaranteed Rate, to explain everything real estate brokers need to understand about these products. They get into detail about FHA 203k loans and how to use for both home improvement […]

Welcome to the August episode of Investor Insights With Brie Schmidt! Brie Schmidt is one of the most well-respected buy-and-hold investors in Chicago. Each month we’ll be discussing an investment topic brokers should master. In this episode Brie discusses different lending options available for investors. First she talks about hard money lending, what investors can […]

Welcome to the August edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick from At Properties! This month Carrie talks about how, despite it being the busy season, sales are actually down year-over-year. She discusses best practices around working with buyers and sellers in this climate, and also discusses why many of her clients are selling […]

Greg Dybas and Zach Bellizzi are only twenty-two years old, but are already making waves as the youngest brokers in a three hundred broker office at Keller Williams in the Chicago suburbs. In our episode Greg and Zach discuss how they use their age as an asset in prospecting. They are, perhaps, the most fearless […]

Welcome to the July edition of Coaching Moments with Ryan D’Aprile! In this episode Ryan touches on market research you should be familiar with and how to communicate this information with your client to help educate them on housing trends. This establishes you as the knowledge source and helps to have a more productive conversation […]

Happy 100th episode to us!

Julie Dorger and Sara McCarthy of the Dorger McCarthy Group met at a previous career in event planning and decided to pivot to real estate. In the past 15 years they’ve grown to one of the top producing teams in Chicago. They believe that meeting the client where they’re at in the home buying or […]

Welcome to the June episode of Learning With A Lender with Joel Schaub! Aside from his reputation as being one of the top loan officers in the industry, Joel Schaub is as well-known for his passion in providing value to brokers and clients. In this episode Joel talks about the importance of connecting to your passions […]

Welcome to the May edition of Coaching Moments with Ryan D’Aprile! In this episode Ryan dives right in to set the stage for a professional and effective listing presentation. We discuss how to educate your client on why discussing national, state and local trends will help you with pricing the property to sell. This is […]

Welcome to the April edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick from At Properties! This month Carrie reports on the adjustments to buying power that has resulted from recent tax changes. She walks through the numbers demonstrating how someone buying a 500k home last year is paying 538k today, just from tax change alone. […]

Welcome to the April episode of Investor Insights With Brie Schmidt! Use coupon code REAL for a discount on Midwest Real Estate Summit on June 1-2 in Chicago. Click here for details! Brie Schmidt is one of the most well-respected buy-and-hold investors in Chicago. Each month we’ll be discussing an investment topic brokers should master. […]

Stefanie Ridolfo, founder of Liv Real Estate Partners at Keller Williams, started her real estate career shortly after delivering twins. To fund her business she sold her home and moved the family in with her parents. Two years later she became a top 1% producer, and ever since has become one of the top brokers […]

Nick Rendleman of the Nicholas Ryan Team at Exit Realty believes that his job is to uplift lives through service. We talk about his previous career in ministry and why he believes that the same objectives and skills apply in real estate. His top 1% team evaluates their performance on client reviews and he encourages […]

Welcome to the March edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick from At Properties! In this episode Carrie first discusses how the city market is doing before launching into advanced strategies when working with buyers in multiple offer situations. She discusses how buyers can write personal letters to sellers and also suggests making a […]

Welcome to the March edition of Coaching Moments with Ryan D’Aprile! If you listened to last month’s Coaching Moments, you know that Ryan D’April of D’Aprile Properties spent a full hour on lead generation. We had such an overwhelming response from our listeners that this month he spent another full hour answering your questions! Don’t […]

Welcome to the March episode of Investor Insights With Brie Schmidt! Use coupon code REAL for a discount on Midwest Real Estate Summit on June 1-2 in Chicago. Click here for details! Brie Schmidt is one of the most well-respected buy-and-hold investors in Chicago. Each month we’ll be discussing an investment topic brokers should master. […]

Brother and sister top 1% producers Sophia Klopas and Jason Stratton of the Klopas Stratton Team at Berkshire Hathaway continue to grow their business year over year. In this episode they talk about how their skill sets compliment each other such that clients truly get two-for-one for the best possible consumer experience. They also talk […]

Welcome to the February edition of Coaching Moments with Ryan D’Aprile! In this episode Ryan spends a full hour on lead generation – the most important component of a broker’s business. Ryan spends time on the difference between lead gen and marketing, and gives the exact strategies his teaches his brokers on how to add […]

Welcome to the February edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie discusses how the market slowed last year, but that in 2019 we’re starting to see some increases in activity. With rates being down, Carrie is noticing her buyers are poised to purchase and provides a tip on how to […]

Michael Hall finished 2018 as Baird and Warner’s second highest producing broker in Chicago and also placed in the top 50 of brokers in Chicago (this is out of 40k brokers!). As a top agent for twenty-four years, Michael talks about how open houses started his career, how listing presentations are like dating, why he […]

Prior to becoming a top Chicago real estate broker with Compass, Josh Lipton had careers in private equity and as an attorney. When he made the switch to real estate, he earned CAR’s coveted Rookie Of The Year award, naming him the highest producing first-year broker in Chicago. Two years later he became (and remains) […]

Welcome to the January episode of Learning With A Lender with Joel Schaub! In our first Learning With A Lender episode of 2019 Joel Schaub, Vice President at Guaranteed Rate, talks about how how the government shutdown is affecting lending rates, providing a real estate broker with an amazing opportunity to add value when contacting clients. […]

Welcome to the January edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie looks back on 2018 and provides insight on how real estate brokers (as well as buyers and sellers) should be thinking about 2019. Listen to hear why Carrie is optimistic and learn some tips about what to tell sellers […]

For our first episode for 2019, we’re excited to announce that Ryan D’Aprile will be hosting a monthly series titled Coaching Moments! Ryan D’Aprile personally coaches over 300 brokers at his real estate firm, D’Aprile Properties. Each month Ryan generously shares his exact systems, strategies and methods that have produced many top 1% real estate […]

Welcome to the December episode of Learning With A Lender with Joel Schaub! For our final Learning With A Lender episode of 2018 Joel Schaub, Vice President at Guaranteed Rate, talks about how real estate brokers are gearing up for 2019 and how to partner with lenders to help sponsor marketing efforts for the coming year. […]

Welcome to the December edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about how the Chicago market has slowed and how both buyers and sellers are backing off at the moment. What do real estate brokers say to clients when buyers think homes are too expensive and sellers think pricing […]

Before becoming a top 1% real estate broker, J. Maggio was a successful futures trader honing his analytical skills that he uses today in his real estate practice. This year, 100% of his business came directly from referrals. In our conversation, J. discusses how and why his listings go under contract 90 days sooner and for […]

Hayley Westhoff is the co-founder of MacPherson Westhoff, one of @Properties top producing teams. In her own production Hayley is one of her firm’s top producers and she’s only in her sixth year! (…and @Properties has over 3,000 brokers!). In our conversation Hayley discusses how she started her business and the exact steps taken that built […]

Michael Rosenblum is a legendary Chicago broker with Berkshire Hathaway. He’s worked with 1000+ clients and closed over 475m in transactions. In addition to being one of Chicago top producers he’s also a best-selling author with Happily Ever Always, a work which serves as a guide for one to find their passions and truth, which […]

Craig Fallico has over seven thousand contacts in his sphere of influence. That’s what happens when you remain a top producer for 37 years without one down year. Craig discusses how his previous careers of teaching and coaching perfectly equipped him to become successful at real estate. His warmth, empathy, and kindness are evident as […]

The Jonathan Darin Team consists of Jonathan’s first real estate client, Jonathan’s sister, and his sister’s friend from grade school. They’ve also just added on another teammate to cover the city. In this episode Jonathan talks about how he built his team to five in just seven years, how he became a top producer very […]

Welcome to the October episode of Learning With A Lender with Joel Schaub! Lending rates are up! Should you be worried? Short answer = no! Joel Schaub, Vice President at Guaranteed Rate, discusses how to interpret recent rate increases and how little that actually affects monthly payments. We also tackle low-down payment loans that have recently […]

Welcome to the October edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about how the Chicago market has started showing pricing discounts due to home sales being down (more than any decrease in the past seven years). Where are the buyers and why have they dropped off? The good news […]

Melanie Stone is a top 1% producer in Chicago and her business isn’t even four years old! She’s the author of the popular So You Want To Buy A Condo seminar that she hosts every few weeks at various locations throughout Chicago. She also has been named one of REALTOR ® Magazine’s 30 Under 30 […]

After twenty years working as a consultant, Thomas Downing moved back to Chicago and started a new career in real estate. Without a sphere of influence or any leads handed to him, he produced over 12 million in his first year and earned Chicago Agent Magazine’s Rookie Of The Year award. Three years later he […]

Due to housing prices having risen over the past two years, homeowners are now sitting on an addition six trillion in tappable equity. So, what should they do (if anything) with it? Joel Schaub, Vice President at Guaranteed Rate, discusses several ideas such as contacting clients currently paying PMI to re-appraise their home to see […]

In the past 12 months Weston Harding and his brokerage X Plus Real Estate has doubled their production from 20m to 40m. Aside from being a top 1% producer, Weston is also the largest seller of 2-4 flat properties in Chicago. During our conversation Weston talks about how he transitioned from West Texas to Chicago, […]

Welcome to the September edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about whether the market is slowing down. Days on market has recently risen for EVERY major Chicago neighborhood. Carrie shares some seller tips including having exterior photos done before the winter arrives, and making sure the property is […]

Today we sat down with fellow podcaster and top producer Steven Weirich who shared his unique and brilliant strategy of podcasting to provide value to his community. Steven hosts Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers, a show dedicated to showcasing local businesses in Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights. By providing this service to local merchants, Steven has generated a […]

Have you ever wanted to know the exact steps taken that resulted in someone earning the coveted CAR Rookie of the Year award? And then the steps taken after that to get to 24m in revenue just four years later? Today on the show we speak with Stephanie LoVerde who has accomplished both these feats! […]

Santiago Valdez has an impressive track record. In addition to being a top 1% producer himself, he trained Elizabeth Pyle in her first year as a broker. She ended up winning the CAR Rookie Of The Year, which is given to the top producing first year broker. In our conversation Santiago and Elizabeth of Relux […]

Welcome to our new monthly series Learning With A Lender! Each month Guaranteed Rate Vice President Joel Schaub discusses anything and everything related to lending. Joel is in the top 1/10th of 1% in loan production at his company, and his insights on what brokers and consumers need to know about mortgages is incredible. In this episode Joel […]

When Ryan D’Aprile talks, brokers listen. Not only was Ryan a top 1% broker in Chicago, he now spends 100% of his time training his hundreds of agents at the firm he founded, D’Aprile Properties. Ryan has helped his own real estate brokers become top producers and has a step-by-step approach with a proven track […]

Welcome to the July edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about whether she believes we’re headed for a real estate (bursting) bubble. I ask Carrie a question about rising lending rates and how she answers clients with those concerns.  Then, I provide a marketing tip on how making […]

Before becoming one of the top twenty highest producing real estate brokers in Chicago, Daniel Close was an aspiring musician. When he transitioned to real estate he first started in leasing and then moved into full-time sales. In our conversation Dan explains how he grew his business from zero clients to hundreds, why moving to […]

Today we sat down with top 1% producer and Vesta Preferred brokerage owner Greg Pekarsky. Greg and his firm have carved out an important niche in the boutique brokerage market, and he explains what his brokers do differently than at other companies. Greg is absolutely passionate about his niche and believes that boutique is the […]

Susan Panozzo does not only work with rentals. She’s a top real estate producer who happens to close a rental transaction every three days. All by herself, and without a team. That’s on top of all the sales she closes. And guess where a decent percentage of her sales come from? Previous renters! Susan is […]

Welcome to the newest episode of our monthly feature, Investor Insights! Each month, top 1% producer Eric Workman provides information that real estate brokers need to know about working with investors. In this episode Eric walks you through rehab costs room by room for a single family home. This is critical in order to determine if […]

Welcome to the June edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about the most appreciated (and most depreciated) neighborhoods in Chicago over the past year.  I provide a marketing tip on how brokers can use Trello to create virtual whiteboards to track their prospects, contacts, and transactions! Carrie can […]

Landlording For Life podcast host Sean Morrissey just purchased his 39th multi-unit investment property – a 16 unit building he was able to acquire without help from investors. Aside from being a top producer, Sean has studied real estate investing for years and put his knowledge into practice. In our conversation Sean talks about why buy-and-hold […]

Welcome to the May edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie speaks about how inventory is up in the hottest neighborhoods of Chicago in this spring market over last year and why that is so exciting.  I provide a marketing tip on how brokers can avoid ethics violations on Facebook […]

Mike Cuevas isn’t afraid to tell you that your marketing sucks. For years Mike has written the most successful blog on real estate marketing and branding for brokers – Real Estate Marketing Dude. Aside from being a top producer himself, Mike has devoted years to studying branding and bringing those strategies directly to the real estate […]

Welcome to our new monthly series Learning With A Lender! Each month Guaranteed Rate Vice President Joel Schaub will be on the show to discuss anything and everything related to the lending process. Joel is in the top 1/10th of 1% in loan production at his company, and his insights on what brokers and consumers need to know […]

Adam Baxa is in his fourth year as a broker and he’s already become a top producer for Coldwell Banker and has built a team of six. Prior to becoming a real estate broker, Adam was a police officer for Illinois. He talks about the transition into this industry, how he built his business so […]

Welcome to the April edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie speaks about how the spring market has been a bit slower than last year and how lower inventory has resulted in increased competition. She also talked about the importance of first exterior impressions with buyers. I provide a marketing […]

Property tax attorney Molly Phelan of Siegel Jennings believes property owners need a better system to automate the tax appeal process. She also thought that brokers should be the ones introducing tax appeal to their buyers and sellers. She spent the last year building the first ever tool that accomplishes these goals. Listen to our interview […]

Stuart Jacobson and Marina Jacobson are a powerhouse team in both real estate and life. As top producers for Berkshire Hathaway, they have shown a willingness to give their clients 100% of their energy, attention, and focus. Their skills compliment each other and this interview showcases their personalities and why they’re consistently attracting new clients and […]

Welcome to the next episode of our monthly feature, Investor Insights! Each month, top 1% producer Eric Workman provides information that real estate brokers need to know about working with investors. In this episode Eric goes through the EXACT calculations he personally uses (and has used for thousands of investments) to determine whether a flip or […]

Caryn Prall oversees 800 brokers at Keller Williams, many of them top producers. She has incredible access to the most successful brokers in the Chicagoland area and today she’s sharing this wisdom with you. In our conversation Caryn talks about what separates the heavy hitters from brokers who struggle, including running a P&L statement and […]

Top 1% producer Greg Cirone completed over 115 sales in the past twelve months. What’s his secret? Aside from becoming extremely knowledgeable about the market, he treats every client as if it was his very first. As this isn’t just a slogan. Greg has 150 5-star reviews from his clients on Zillow! Nearly 100% of […]

Michael Mandile closed 73 transactions in his first year. I’d like to repeat that for everyone. 73 TRANSACTIONS IN HIS FIRST YEAR. In our conversation Michael talks about the philosophy he developed called C.L.I.E.N.T., and how he uses it with every customer and how it generates referral after referral for his business. And, oh yeah, Michael sources […]

Welcome to the March edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie speaks about the current low inventory situation and how sellers should take advantage right now. She also comments on the stock market and how it’s correlated to the housing market in Chicago. I provide a marketing tip on why […]

Auctioneer, investor, author, and top 1% producer Tim Gray joins us today to talk tax liens! As a real estate broker who saw a huge opportunity in tax lien investing while auctioneering, he has carved out a niche and encourages other brokers to check it out! Purchase Tim’s book, No Redemption: Tax Lien Auctions, Evictions, […]

Welcome to the next episode of our new monthly feature, Investor Insights! Each month, top 1% producer Eric Workman will be providing information that real estate brokers need to know about working with investors. In this episode Eric discusses the different types of investor financing options, and the advantages and disadvantages of each with respect to […]

Welcome to the February edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about gearing up for the spring market and some tips on how to prepare your buyers and sellers. She also mentions how inventory is low and what sellers can do prior to listing their property for optimal sales […]

Andrew Holmes understands real estate investing. After 13 years as a traditional broker he switched to investments and has focused there ever since. In his career he has personally flipped 600 homes and currently has a buy-and-hold portfolio of 180 properties. Three years ago he found ChicagoREIA which is now the largest real estate investment […]

Odds are if you are a real estate investor or have clients that invest, you’ve heard of Brie Schmidt. In addition to running her own firm, Second City Real Estate, Brie is a featured speaker at many real estate conferences. On BiggerPockets (the largest real estate forum in the country) she is recognized as one […]

In this episode we speak to top producer Niko Apostal of The Apostal Group. Although Niko’s family has been involved in real estate for over 40 years, he has blazed his own trail and become one the most successful brokers in Chicago. In this episode we talk about the importance of giving back to the […]

In 2013 Rosario Terracciano closed 643 transactions, earning him the #1 position in the Chicago Association of REALTORS® and #4 in the United States (as reported by Wall Street Journal). More recently he has developed a tool, ClickInvest, to help investors locate the best single family home opportunities in Chicago. In our interview Rosario discussing […]

Welcome to the first episode of our new monthly feature, Investor Insights! Each month, top 1% producer Eric Workman will be providing information that real estate brokers need to know about working with investors. To kick off the series, Eric discusses how to qualify an investor before you choose to spend time assisting them. He walks […]

Welcome to the January edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about how inventory is down and how brokers can encourage their clients to take advantage of the current real estate climate. She also answers a question about tax reform and how it may affect buyers and sellers. I […]

Hasani Steele dropped by to discuss how he morphed from traditional real estate broker into niche renovator and investor with his company Steele Consulting Group. Hasani attributes part of his success to the disciplined he installed by playing college football for Northwestern University. The Chicago Association of REALTORS® has recently named Hasani “Renovator of the […]

Luminita Ispas is originally from Romania and her initial real estate goal was to construct the tallest building in Europe. While that’s still a future goal, for now she’s become one of Chicago’s most successful brokers! She believes educating her clients in achieving financial freedom through real estate investing. She has been teaching these seminars […]

Karen Ranquist has been not only a top producer for the past twenty years, but an involved top producer! In addition to earning a spot in the Berkshire Hathaway Hall of Fame, she’s also served on many boards and helped shape the Chicago broker market. We’re honored she took an hour out of her schedule to […]

Robin Phelps Hanson of The Phelps-Hanson Group has crossed over 20 million in annual production this year. However, she feels she could have done it much faster! We discuss her rise to being a top producer, challenges she faced, and what she wished she would have known back when she started. This is a perfect […]

Top 1% producer Mike Opyd has a bone to pick with traditional real estate firms. He feels brokers are paying WAY too much for the value they receive. At REMAX Next (the firm Mike co-founded) brokers choose their own commission structure and create their own branding. He believes in “disrupting” the established relationship of a […]

Welcome to the December edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about how attached inventory is up almost 20% from last year and how “boomerang buyers” are poised to make 2019 a huge sales year. She also helps a listener convert more open-house leads into customers. I provide a […]

Mike McElroy is a top producer that attributes much of his efficiency to systems. He believes in empowering his brokers with these processes to help them grow their own practices. In our conversation, Mike deep dives into his favorite systems, tools, and technology that drive his business. We discuss the importance of mentorship, coaching and […]

Top 1% producers Grace Goro and Julia Brenner have been best friends since 6th grade. In this episode they get specific on how they started their real estate business, why personal notes and pop-byes have been paramount to their success, and why professionalism helps differentiate them from the other 35k real estate brokers in Chicago. […]

Kati Spaniak has a goal for each of her Spaniak Team members – to help them become a top 1% producer like her. In our in-depth conversation, Kati discusses the importance of specializing geographically and how starting a Northbrook roundtable meetup group helped supercharge her practice. Kati also talks about how building a team took […]

Nick Libert wants every broker to ask themselves this question – “What is my brokerage doing for me?” Nick coaches and mentors every agent in their Exit Realty office to help them exceed their sales goals. He also believes in the importance of giving back and currently serves on multiple real estate boards. Over the […]

Top 1% producer Amy Diamond of the Deal With Diamond Group understands the importance of specialization. Her team focuses in the north and northwest suburbs and are real estate experts in those areas. In this episode Amy discusses branding, teamwork, and how she built a Facebook group (not about real estate) to over 1800 members. […]

Top 1% producer Eric Workman of Green Street Homes has built a successful business working with investors. In our conversation Eric shares how he finds opportunities for his team, why every broker should be investing, and how building a property management business has led to even more brokerage transactions. If you’ve ever considered becoming a […]

Superstar Rachel Hausman and The Hausman Team close over 100 million in gross production every year. In our conversation Rachel talks about how she built her business from the ground up – in the first year she closed 18 transactions. Now, she closes 150 deals a year! Her mom, Andee, was the inspiration for starting […]

Top producer Erin Mandel considers herself a “vessel of communication” for her clients. Aside from being a top producer at the largest real estate firm in Chicago, she has served on many boards including YPN, CAR, IAR, and WCR. Listen to our conversation and learn why almost 100% of Erin’s business is repeat clients, and […]

Welcome to the November edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about how inventory is slightly down from last year, but homes are selling almost 20 days faster! Carrie also answers the common seller question, “Should I wait until after the holidays to list?” I provide a marketing tip […]

Do you stay in touch with your real estate clients after the sale? Kate Waddell does! Kate is not only in the top 1% of all Chicago brokers, she’s in the top .01% of all of Sotheby’s International Realty! In our discussion Kate talks about the value of relationships and how specifically she continues to […]

One way to know what your clients think of you is to read the online reviews. Matt Liss, broker and owner of Mark Allen Realty, has the most 5-star reviews of any broker in Chicago on Yelp (out of 35k brokers). Clearly, his clients love his service! We talked with Matt about what he does […]

This week we spoke with top 1% producer Scott Curcio who believes that professionalism is critical to a broker’s success. We discussed the importance of ethics, knowing the market, and fair housing considerations that brokers often miss. At Baird and Warner Scott is part of the Founder’s Club (Top 1%) has been the #1 producer in […]

Today we spoke with top producer Kaylin Goldstein of The Goldstein Group. Kaylin started her real estate career directly out of college and has grown it to over 100 million in sales. She’s also built a successful team along the way. In our conversation she talks about how she grew her business as a relatively […]

Top producer Sohail Salahuddin starts his day at 2:30am. That is NOT a typo. Extreme discipline has been at the core of Sohail’s real estate practice and part of the reason he’s been a top producer for many years. Sohail is also a master at pivoting his business to meet current market conditions. If you […]

Welcome to the first Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about how single-family homes and condo inventory is up over last year, but that buyers are taking MUCH longer to make a purchasing decision. She also gives her forecast for the fall market in Chicago and also the broader U.S. […]

Brady Miller transformed from superstar jazz drummer to superstar real estate broker. (He’s still a good drummer) Listen to his story of an unlikely shift to real estate, why mentorship has been critical to his success, and how he built his business to over 300 clients in just 5 years. Brady Miller can be reached […]

Top producer Josh Weinberg of Weinberg Choi Residential leads his team each morning in a moment of gratitude. His goal is to donate some of his profits, every single day, to charities in line with his team’s values. The passion and enthusiasm Josh lives translates into high production and satisfied clients. If you need a […]

We are SO excited to announce a new feature to the show! Superstar broker Carrie McCormick is going to co-host the podcast on the first Monday of each month. Carrie will be reporting on what has happened in the Chicago real estate market recently and also what brokers and clients should expect in the coming […]

Are you curious why Redfin has been exploding in popularity in the past several years? In this episode we feature top 1% broker Alex Haried, and he explained why he chose Redfin as his partner, and why 276 of Alex’s clients have rated him a near-perfect five stars. (Alex has closed 23.2 million in the […]

This week we spoke with Andersonville and Edgewater real estate top producer Amie Klujian of the Swake Group at Dream Town Realty. We discussed her move from marketing to real estate, how she goes above beyond for her buyers and sellers, and how philanthropy is paramount to her mission. You can reach Amie at amie@swakegroup.com or by […]

Carrie McCormick started her real estate career working with developers before transitioning into her own production where she is routinely in the top 1% of all real estate brokers. One of Carrie’s specialties is providing her clients off-market properties (non-MLS listings). She works almost exclusively by referral and answers every single phone call, day or […]

This week we talked with Brooke Daitchman, the top individual producer at Dream Town Realty. Brooke talked about how she has grown her business over the past nine years and how last year nearly 100% of her business came from referrals. She’s a true superstar and has some amazing tips for aspiring top producers! To […]

How is the current political climate going to affect tax reform, and what does that mean for your buyers and sellers? Also, did you know that you have access to a trove of tools to help your business courtesy of the Illinois REALTORS®? We speak with Beth Wanless who lobbies on your behalf and protects […]

Today I share two social media advanced strategies that real estate brokers have used to build their business. If you’re not utilizing Twitter and LinkedIn to find more buyers and sellers, I’m going to reveal the secret sauce only known by a handful of agents.

Kim Kerbis has been a top Chicago producer in real estate for 21 years. She has served on boards locally and at the national level. Her clients love her attention to detail and she teaches brokers how to get the same results at through her class “Kerb Appeal” at her firm, @Properties. Her clients love […]

Today we sit down with Mitir Patel, a Chicago real estate broker who specializes in investments, specifically converting multi-family to single-family homes. He discusses his exact strategies for finding properties, finding investors, and what he sees for the future of Chicago real estate investments.

For our premiere episode we’re featuring Joan Edelberg, a 25 year real estate veteran broker. She discusses how she got started, how she’s continued to build her business over the years, and even how she closed one of Chicago’s 20 largest residential transactions last year!