In this episode of The Playmakers Podcast, RealScout’s Andrew Flachner sits down with eXp Realty CEO Leo Pareja.

Pareja shares how he went from losing everything in the 2008 recession to becoming a top producer at Keller Williams, and eventually, took the helm of eXp Realty—the fastest-growing brokerage in the world. Along the way, he explains how vibe-coding is going to transform the real estate industry, why he spoke up about NAR’s massive settlement, and how he’s sought out (and even paid) his real estate mentors.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

How Pareja went from losing 14 properties in 2008 to becoming a leader in the REO biz
Why he told eXp Realty Chairman Glenn Sanford he didn’t want the CEO role, and how he landed it anyway
Lessons from the mentors Pareja paid to teach him how to go from selling tens of homes, to hundreds
Why he decided to speak up about the NAR settlement, and how it’s transforming real estate for new agents
Why vibe-coding is letting veteran agents create the tools they’ve wanted their entire careers
How he went from winning a Zillow Hackathon to creating a tech company
Why he spends most of his time as CEO interfacing with agents, and most of his personal time with his family

If you’re in real estate (or want to be) this conversation is chock full of insights you won’t want to miss.

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00:00 Intro

3:32 Pareja’s Start as a Teen Agent

13:01 From Losing Everything to Becoming a Top Producer

18:18 Finding (and Paying) Your Mentors

22:11 How to Raise Funds and Leverage Talent

24:50 Using a Hackathon to Build a Tech Company

29:21 Becoming the CEO of eXp Realty

37:20 Consequences of the NAR Settlement

42:33 Dealing With Private Listings

45:19 Prioritizing Facetime With Agents

47:45 How Vibe Coding is Letting Agents Innovate

51:47 Making Time for Family

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