Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered The Core of Massive Growth and Wealth
Nov 26, 2025
Phillip Cantrell, founder of Benchmark Realty, shares his journey from a cramped living room to leading a brokerage with 2,000 agents. He discusses overcoming the 2008 crisis, emphasizing 'the power in the pause' during adversity. Phillip highlights the importance of a fee-based model and effective delegation to scale a business. He shares his belief that money is a scoreboard of service to others and discusses his upcoming book, which aims to impart wisdom from his experiences. Insights on leadership, culture, and M&A add to this valuable conversation.
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From Living Room To Billion-Dollar Brokerage
- Phillip built Benchmark from a single desk in his living room to about 2,000 agents and $5B in sales by focusing on a new model during crisis.
- He relaunched in 2008 with a fee-based structure and training focus that survived the mortgage collapse.
Use The Power In The Pause
- Pause between stimulus and response to avoid automatic, destructive reactions.
- Spend time in introspection or prayer to analyze options before reacting to crises.
Adopt A Fee-Based, Systems-First Model
- Switch to a fee-based model and target experienced, productive agents to survive downturns.
- Focus on training, excellence, and documented systems instead of competing on technology alone.
