In this episode, Brian Baca from ReMax of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania talks about how he got started selling REO (real estate owned) properties early in his career. 

When another agent in his office retired, they were looking for someone to handle an eviction. No one else wanted to do it, so Brian stepped up and agreed to handle it. Since then, he has continued to list and sell REO properties, which has allowed him to help buyers purchase the homes they're looking for, whether privately owned or bank owned.

"There's a bunch of us," Brian says, "agents across the country that just specialize in REOs. And there's really not a school for it, so you kind of learn it on the job."

When you're dealing with foreclosures, you meet people under unusual circumstances and you hear a lot of stories. Brian shares some of those experiences to give listeners an idea of what's involved in working with banks and selling REO properties.

Today, Dan Harshbarger, Managing Broker of the Dan Harshbarger Team at Keller Williams Pinnacle Realty discusses his philosophy of creating omnipresence to achieve market dominance.

Dan also talks about adjusting to the seller's market that emerged, practically overnight, as a result of the pandemic, and why he stands by his team's unique approach to marketing that combines traditional strategies with social media outreach and, overall, emphasizes connection.

Dan has a decade of experience as a real estate professional and recently began building a team of his own along with his wife Tammy.

"I felt like I had the weight of the world on me," says Dan, recalling the moment he decided it was time to bring on a team after doing real estate solo for eight years. Since then, he has welcomed a team of go-getters who complement his strengths.

"We're absolutely in the relationship business," says Dan, who maintains that the hallmark of business success is not just getting a sale, but keeping clients for the long-term.

Vlad Kats is a self-described introvert. Despite this, he is also a real estate entrepreneur, business leader and highly sought out speaker on all things real estate brokerage, agent recruiting, and profitability. He is the founding member of the Thrive Network at eXp Realty in Baltimore, Maryland.

Today, Vlad talks about team-building and explains why management is important in any business. He also explains the often-misunderstood key difference between management and leadership, and understanding whether circumstances call for managing or leading your team.

Vlad also touches on three common pitfalls that mega agents -- and entrepreneurs by extension -- fall into. They revolve around having a crystal-clear picture of your destination, hiring the right team members, and taking your environment into consideration on your journey in business.

Today, Becky Ramey from Village Broker in Franklin, North Carolina reflects on her journey to real estate success, from making just $1,253 in her first year, to now selling over a hundred homes and making over $850,000 GCI per year.

"It took a lot of trial and error those first seven years," says Becky, "figuring out what works and what doesn't, and doubling down on what does."

By taking care to keep your clients' best interests in mind, you'll quickly find yourself receiving a steady stream of high-quality referrals who will already have some trust for you from the get-go, which makes your job much easier.

Becky describes listings as "the fuel for commission consistency." She suggests creating a personal, one-on-one relationship with prospects by reaching out to individual homeowners in a given area. She believesit's an approach that anyone in business should stick to no matter the marketing strategy they choose.

Whan asked how she stands out among her competitors, Becky stresses the importance of overcommunicating to clients and says the most successful realtors are those who are able to communicate clearly, consistently, and often.

Amalfi Estates is one of Los Angeles' leading independent real estate agencies. Today, founder Anthony Marguleas explains why he owes very little of his real estate success to door-knocking. Instead, he’s built a business that thrives on referrals. He and his team also live by the motto: Over-deliver and under-commit. The core of it all is prioritizing the client’s best interest above all else.

Anthony places coachability and humility at the top of the list when it comes to the values he requires of himself and his team. It’s one of the reasons he refuses to refer to himself as a "mega agent," despite his immense success. In this episode, he reveals the make or break interview question he asks of anyone applying for a job with his organization.

Anthony demonstrates unshakable optimism for the future, exemplified by his belief that every challenge is an opportunity.

Clearly, his approach is working. As of this conversation, Anthony has personally sold $2 billion in real estate, and helped more than 1,200 families through his charitable initiatives along the way.