320: How Educating Buyers Builds Trust and Business

When Stacie Rihl hosted her first first-time homebuyer class, only 10 people showed up and she had 15 pizzas. Fast forward a few years, and she now runs a national referral business built entirely around teaching buyers how the process works.

After gaining experience in both the real estate and mortgage industries, Stacie Rihl recognized a major gap in education and resources for first-time homebuyers. She went on to become an online educator for new buyers, offering free virtual classes that have helped over 20,000 people learn the home-buying process.

In this episode, we chat with Stacie about how she went from in-person flops to 50+ monthly referrals all while wearing yoga pants and working from her laptop.

She shares how her journey through real estate sales and mortgages gave her a unique perspective, why consistency mattered more than perfection, and how a simple Zoom class changed her entire career.

💡 If you've ever thought about hosting a class (and then chickened out)... this is your permission slip.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• How one failed class turned into a full-time business

• Why educating buyers builds instant trust

• How to teach homebuyers without boring them

• Creating a scalable system from your passion

• The importance of strong follow-up systems

• How Stacie chooses the agents she refers to

• The unexpected power of being the "expert" early in the process

• What most agents get wrong about first-time buyer events

• Why she teaches live — and keeps it free

• The agent interview process she uses before sending leads

If you've been looking for a lead gen strategy that's actually aligned with your values, this one's for you.

Key Quotes/Takeaways

"You have to have a way to turn class attendees into clients. It's not just about showing up with snacks." — Stacie Rihl

"I want people to come to me before they're ready — that's where the trust starts." — Stacie Rihl

"Don't give up because your first class was a flop. My first one was, too." — Stacie Rihl

"You can teach homebuyers and still build a serious business." — Katy Caldwell

"Consistency wins. It's not magic; it's a system." — Alissa Jenkins

Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:

• Stacie Rihl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamstacierihl/

• Free Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

• Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

• Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

• All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

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Email Templates 101: emailtemplates101.com

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Agent Systems 101: agentsystems101.com

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Music:

Straight A's by Conner Price

The Good Life by Summer Kennedy