RealTrending

In this episode of the RealTrending Podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Gerry Liguori, co-founder of Premier Estate Properties, to discuss how the independent luxury brokerage has remained competitive for more than 30 years in an increasingly consolidated real estate industry. Liguori explains why the company built its business around ultra-luxury specialization, personalized client service and a commitment to remaining independent rather than joining a larger franchise.

With eight offices spanning South Florida's luxury markets, approximately 60 agents and more than $2 billion in anticipated sales this year, Premier has built its competitive advantage around agility, targeted marketing and agent...

Tracey speaks with Justin Landon, CEO of MetroTex Association of Realtors about how the MLS can stay relevant as real estate changes. Landon emphasizes the importance of preserving an open, cooperative marketplace.

He says the 2024 Sitzer-Burnett settlement changed incentives in the traditional MLS model. To encourage cooperation, he suggests rewarding brokers who contribute high-quality listing data.

They discuss how Open Real Estate could reshape the MLS, along with the need for nimble governance and valuable services. Landon sees irrelevance as the MLS’s biggest threat.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn...

On RealTrending, Tracey talks with DeAnn Golden, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, about how agents can plan for a changing market. Golden’s message is simple: build a durable business around relationships, strong service, and tools that give agents more time with people. She also shares how full-service brokerages, thoughtful AI use and succession planning can help agents and teams thrive.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

When the market gets uncertain, strong agents and brokers don’t chase quick fixes—they get back to the fundamentals. On this episode of the RealTrending Podcast, Tracey talks with performance and leadership coach James Short about how real estate leaders can guide their teams through a downturn with clear communication, consistent processes and a steady vision. 

James shares practical advice on building relationships, asking better questions, keeping agents accountable without micromanaging and helping people feel connected to the business. The takeaway: know your numbers, lead by example and stay true to your values.

Here’s a gli...

The housing market may feel stalled, but Smokey Garrett, founder and operating principal of the GO Network at Keller Williams, says it’s still moving — just under a different set of rules. After years of ultra-low mortgage rates and fast-paced sales, buyers are hesitating over affordability and sellers are adjusting their expectations. Demand hasn’t disappeared as people are still searching and making major life moves. The agents finding success are slowing down, helping clients understand their options and replacing uncertainty with clear guidance.

For brokerages, growth is about more than recruiting agents. Garrett’s team looks at marke...

What does it take to build a real estate business by doing things differently? On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Kenny Pleasant of Seattle-based NextHome Prolific shares how he went from laid-off iron worker to real estate entrepreneur and why he built a boutique brokerage focused on personal development, collaboration, and meaningful training.

Kenny discusses why he favors training over higher splits, how finding an off-market land niche helped him stand out, and why agents should get serious about negotiation and investing. He also shares practical advice for choosing a focused lead source, adapting to a...

In this episode of RealTrending, Tracey Velt sits down with Chandra Vennapusa, a top-producing eXp Realty agent with a deep background at Deloitte, Amazon, and Expedia. Chandra pulls back the curtain on how tech-world principles like customer obsession, leverage, scalability and data-driven decision making can completely transform a real estate business—especially for agents working with high-income tech professionals.

Chandra explains how today’s Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta employees are no longer asking, “What do I qualify for?” but instead, “What can I afford without losing my financial freedom?” He shares the biggest mistakes he sees tech buyers...

In this episode of the RealTrending, Tracey Velt sits down with broker-owner Corwyn Melette of Exit Realty Lowcountry Group breaks down what legacy really means beyond a single transaction. He shares how his own family lost generations of rental properties — and how that experience reshaped his mission to help consumers and agents build lasting wealth instead of simply consuming it.

Corwyn explains why Charleston, South Carolina, is a “perfect storm” market, with geographic constraints, strong economic drivers, and intense demand that create both scarcity and opportunity. From workforce and affordable housing with layered funding to educating consumers on equ...

On this episode of RealTrending, Tracey Velt sits down with Eddie Garcia, founder of Realty of America, a brokerage that stormed onto the Real Trends Verified rankings in its very first full year of business — landing at number 45 by transaction sides, 63 by volume, and 24 among private independents. Eddie shares how growing up in poverty, with parents who were once homeless, fueled his ambition to build his own version of the American dream and ultimately a fast-growing national brokerage.

Eddie breaks down Realty of America’s cloud-based but culture-focused model, anchored by a 27,000-square-foot national headquarters in Chicago and...

On this episode of RealTrending with Tracey Velt, founding Compass agents and Paradigm co-founders Mark Jovanovic and Scott Hustis share how Compass grew from a 50-person tech startup in Union Square to a national luxury powerhouse. 

They explain how helping build the platform from day one turned Compass into a true SaaS-style operating system for agents, with powerful backend tools that quietly drive their business. 

Mark and Scott dig into where AI genuinely helps—from data-heavy tasks to workflow efficiency—and where human insight and relationships still matter most. They break down the debate around privat...

On this episode of RealTrending, Tracey sits down with veteran executive recruiter Stephen Kowalchuk to unpack why succession planning for brokerage owners can’t wait. With so many independent owners now in their late 50s and 60s, Stephen explains that the industry is heading into one of the largest generational ownership transfers we’ve ever seen. Add recent market volatility and aggressive consolidation from regionals, nationals, and private equity, and you get an environment where owners who haven’t planned often end up selling on someone else’s terms — not their own.

Stephen breaks down what real succession...

In this episode of RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with Jack Gaughan, president of Greater Nashville Realtors and managing broker at REMAX Choice Properties, about what’s really happening in the Greater Nashville housing market. Jack explains how the market has shifted from a post-COVID boom to a more balanced, hyper-local environment, where conditions can look completely different just a few miles apart. With buyers enjoying more choice and longer decision timelines, smart pricing and clear communication are no longer optional—they’re essential.

Tracey and Jack dig into how brokers should be coaching agents differently in this climat...

On this episode of RealTrending, Jason Aleem, Redfin’s chief of real estate services, pulls back the curtain on what life looks like at Redfin one year after the Rocket Mortgage acquisition. 

At the center of the strategy is Redfin Early Access, a premarket and coming-soon listings program designed to unlock reluctant sellers and put more homes in front of motivated buyers. Backed by survey data — 76% of sellers say they’d be more likely to list with greater certainty and 83% want to test the market first — Aleem argues that giving sellers more optionality could drive 6% to 12% more inventory...

On this episode of RealTrending, host Tracey sits down with Neda Navab, president of Compass, at what she calls a major inflection point for the company and the industry.

They dig into how Compass is navigating consolidation, AI and a choppy housing market while trying to stay relentlessly agent-first. Neda unpacks why she spent her first 100 days on the road doing 125 in‑person agent events, what she learned from those rooms, and how that feedback is shaping Compass’s strategy — from coaching programs to AI tools.

Neda explains how Compass is trying to deliver the “best of...

In this RealTrending episode, Tracey Velt sits down with Anthony Djon, founder and CEO of Anthony Djon Luxury Real Estate in Michigan, to unpack how his team consistently converts internet leads at a staggering 7–9%, more than double the industry’s 2–3% average. Anthony walks us through how he started small with just a few Realtor.com zip codes, never intending to build a team, and how demand ultimately forced him to scale into one of Realtor.com’s largest clients and Zillow’s biggest Flex partner in Michigan.

Anthony breaks down the accountability engine behind those numbers: his MaverickRE...

In this episode, RealTrending host Tracey Velt sits down with two powerhouse independent brokerage leaders on opposite coasts: Michele Harrington, CEO of FirstTeam Real Estate in Southern California, and Bess Freedman, CEO of Brown Harris Stevens in New York. Together, they unpack what it really means to be independent in an era of consolidation, margin pressure, and nonstop industry disruption. From culture and control to capital and technology, they share how independents can stay nimble, agent-centric, and deeply connected to the consumer.

Michele and Bess pull back the curtain on their new East Coast–West Coast collaboration, a...

In this RealTrending episode, host Tracey sits down with James Wong, CEO and founder of MAXA Designs, to talk about what it really means to become an AI‑enhanced real estate business. While most of the industry is still stuck on basic use cases—asking ChatGPT to write an email or a social post—James pulls back the curtain on how top teams and brokerages are using AI to reengineer workflows, elevate their brand, and free up more time for what actually moves the needle: relationships and sales.

James walks through a practical framework for running an AI aud...

On this episode of RealTrending, Tracey Velt sit down with Thad Wong, founder and co-CEO of @properties Christie's International Real Estate, but under the Compass International Holdings umbrella, for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on the portal wars, national MLS, AI, brokerage scale and the future of data in real estate.

Thad lays out why he believes a broker-agnostic national MLS is the industry's biggest missed opportunity—and how selling realtor.com derailed that vision. He pulls no punches on Zillow’s strategy to replace the MLS, arguing that its free access to broker data and lack of fidu...

On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Craig McClelland, a partner in McClelland & Hahn Consulting,  for a wide-ranging conversation about the forces reshaping residential real estate. Beyond the latest merger and acquisition headlines, Craig explains why the industry's biggest shift is happening behind the scenes, as brokerages become part of larger ecosystems driven by mortgage, technology, data and other high-margin businesses. He shares why independent brokerages need to rethink growth, specialization and profitability to remain competitive in an evolving market.

The discussion also tackles one of real estate's most polarizing topics — private lis...

On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Rainy Hake Austin, president of The Agency, to talk about scaling a luxury brokerage without losing the culture that made it successful in the first place. Austin explains how The Agency has expanded from roughly 30 offices to more than 160 across 15 countries while staying intentional about hiring leaders who align with the company’s collaborative, creative and people-first mindset.

Austin shares why culture isn’t something that can be delegated to HR or reduced to perks and office games. Instead, she says culture is reflected in ever...

On this episode of the RealTrending Podcast, host Tracey Velt sits down with Felix Bravo,managing director, international for eXp Realty,  to talk about growing up in real estate, building resilience through hard work, and helping scale one of the industry’s fastest-growing international brokerages. Bravo shares how watching his immigrant mother transition from lawyer to Realtor in Miami shaped his work ethic and perspective on the business.

The conversation dives into his early grind in real estate, including old-school cold calling, learning to earn opportunities instead of waiting for them, and the mindset that helped him ris...

On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Chris Watters for a conversation that challenges one of real estate’s biggest assumptions: most teams don’t actually have a lead problem — they have a conversion and accountability problem.

Watters argues that brokerages spend too much time focused on training and buying more leads, while ignoring the ongoing coaching and accountability systems that actually drive performance. Drawing comparisons to industries like automotive sales, apartment leasing and home services, he explains how top-performing companies “inspect what they expect” through call reviews, ride-alongs and consistent feedback loops — so...

HousingWire’s acquisition of Keeping Current Matters (KCM) takes center stage in this episode as Tracey Velt sits down with KCM President David Childers to discuss what the deal means for agents, brokers and the future of real estate market intelligence. Childers shares the story behind KCM’s nearly 20-year mission of helping agents understand and communicate market trends, transforming complex housing data into practical, consumer-friendly insights that build confidence and trust.

The conversation explores why local market knowledge matters more than ever in today’s highly fragmented housing environment. While national headlines often dominate consumer perceptions, Childe...

On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Dan Rochon, head coach of the Greetings Virginia Sales Network,  to break down his “Teach to Sell” philosophy and why relationship-driven sales matter more than ever in today’s unpredictable housing market. Rochon argues that agents win by proactively educating clients, building trust before problems arise, and consistently showing up through lead generation and follow-up.

The conversation dives into the four pillars of business success — belief, lead generation, organization building, and leadership — with Rochon emphasizing that consistent prospecting is still the foundation of predictable income, regardless...

On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Tamir Poleg, CEO of The Real Brokerage, sits down with Tracey Velt to unpack why Real’s acquisition of REMAX is less about market share and more about combining scale, brand power and technology under one umbrella. Poleg explains that Real saw an opportunity to bring its AI-driven platform and growth mindset to a legacy franchise brand that still carries enormous recognition with consumers and agents alike.

The conversation digs into the cultural alignment between Real and REMAX, the growing debate around private listings and listing fragmentation, and why Poleg be...

On this episode of RealTrending, host Tracey Velt sits down with Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty  and James Dwiggins, co-CEO of NextHome,  to unpack the growing wave of consolidation across the real estate industry and what it means for agents, consumers and the future of listing data.

Pareja compares today’s real estate landscape to the airline industry’s consolidation era, arguing that fragmented industries eventually shrink into a handful of dominant players. But unlike acquisitions driven purely by “synergy” and cost-cutting, he says the eXp and NextHome alignment was built around philosophical fit, shared views on consume...

On this episode of the Real Trending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Paul Boomsma, CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE)  to unpack the biggest forces reshaping the real estate industry — from consolidation and private listings to AI and the changing expectations of agents.

Boomsma describes today’s market as a moment of “hectic opportunity,” where mergers, acquisitions, AI innovation and economic uncertainty are all colliding at once. But amid the noise, he says strong leadership has never mattered more, especially for independent brokerages navigating uncertainty among agents and consumers alike.

The conve...

In this episode of the Real Trending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Blake O’Shaughnessy, founder of Ownli, a platform aiming to rethink the traditional real estate transaction by removing agents entirely. Built around the idea that “search got modern, but pricing didn’t,” Ownli offers sellers a DIY platform where they can list homes, manage showings, negotiate offers and complete contracts without paying traditional percentage-based commissions.

O’Shaughnessy argues that the post-NAR settlement environment has accelerated consumer skepticism around commission structures, especially as home prices continue climbing while fees remain tied to a percentage of the sale p...

On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Ashley Thomas III, president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), joined Tracey Velt to discuss the policies, barriers and opportunities shaping homeownership access across the country — especially within Black communities.

Thomas framed the Black homeownership gap as more than a market issue, arguing that it was created through decades of intentional policy decisions, from the Homestead Act of 1862 to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) lending practices and the GI Bill. Because policy helped create the gap, he said, policy must also play a major role in closing it.

LIVE from HousingWire’s Gathering, Tracey Velt sits down with Jim D’Amico, CEO of Brands by Integra, to talk about brokerage growth, industry consolidation and why he’s optimistic about the Compass acquisition of Anywhere.

D’Amico built his company from two agents in Massachusetts into a multi-brand operation with roughly 2,000 agents across 18 states. Today, Brands by Integra includes multiple real estate franchises, mortgage, insurance, asset management and property management companies — all operating under one umbrella.

The conversation centers on the industry’s accelerating consolidation, particularly Compass’ acquisition of Anywhere. D’Amico says the deal injected ne...

On this episode of the RealTrending Podcast, host Tracey Velt sits down with Brandon Wells to talk about leadership, brokerage culture and how independent firms can compete in a rapidly consolidating real estate industry.

Wells reflects on stepping into the CEO role at The Group Real Estate, a Northern Colorado brokerage founded in 1976, and explains that the company’s long-term success comes down to a simple principle: invest in the brokers. Through training, education and the brokerage’s connection to the Ninja Selling philosophy, Wells says the firm has built a culture focused on productivity, collaboration and shar...

Chris Kelly breaks down how HomeServices is shifting from a behind-the-scenes holding company to a more active, value-driven parent organization — and why that evolution requires a louder voice in today’s rapidly changing brokerage landscape. He outlines a growth strategy that goes beyond traditional brokerage expansion, emphasizing a full-service ecosystem spanning mortgage, title, insurance and beyond.

Kelly also explores the industry’s bifurcation between national, ecosystem-driven firms and cloud-based models, while making the case that local leadership and culture remain the defining advantage in recruiting and retention. Throughout the conversation, he stresses that the future of real estate...

In this insightful interview, Debbie De Grote of Forward Coaching shares essential mindset shifts, strategies and tools for real estate agents to thrive in a complex and evolving market. Topics include becoming a market expert, leveraging AI, effective prospecting and adapting to new business models.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Related to t...

In this episode, Chris Day, managing broker of Worth Clark Realty in Orlando, shares insights on transitioning to a 100% commission model, effective recruitment and retention strategies, and how to succeed in the competitive Villages market. Discover how support, personal branding and innovative systems drive growth and success in real estate.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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In this insightful interview, David Dickey, CTO of United Real Estate, discusses the transformative role of AI in real estate. Topics include AI's practical applications for agents, misconceptions about AI, ROI measurement, data privacy, and strategies for adoption.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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Billy Nash, a luxury real estate expert with Keyes in South Florida and TV show host, shares insights on building relationships with high-net-worth individuals, global marketing strategies and adapting to industry changes. Discover how authenticity, networking and strategic use of technology can elevate your luxury real estate career.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conv...

In this insightful interview, Jonathan Lickstein, COO of LoKation Real Estate, shares his strategies for rapid growth, adapting to industry changes and maintaining a competitive edge as an independent broker. Discover how focusing on agent success, leveraging technology, and understanding market dynamics can transform your real estate business.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

In this episode, Corey Hasting shares his strategic journey of transitioning from a billion-dollar brokerage to Christie's International Real Estate, exploring the challenges, opportunities, and future plans in the luxury real estate market.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Mond...

In this episode of the RealTrending Podcast, Michele Harrington, CEO of FirstTeam Real Estate, discusses the evolution of her brokerage, the challenges faced in the current market and the importance of an agent-centric approach. She emphasizes the need for technology and accountability in supporting agents, while also addressing the impact of legal pressures on regional brokers. Michele shares her insights on defining growth in the industry and expresses optimism for the future of real estate as a viable investment for building wealth.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

In this episode of the RealTrending Podcast, Katie Hill, CEO of Unlisted, discusses the problem she is solving with her platform, which features homes that are not currently for sale. She explains the missed opportunities in the real estate market for homeowners who are considering selling but are not yet ready to list their properties. The conversation delves into the inefficiencies in the current transaction flow, the role of MLS and AI in the industry, and the importance of data management and accuracy. Katie emphasizes the need for real estate professionals to adapt to changing consumer needs and the...