Why Great Salespeople Fail as Team Leaders (And How to Break the Cycle)

You crushed it as a solo agent. Closed deal after deal. Made more money than you ever imagined. So you started a team—and everything fell apart.

Sound familiar?

In this episode, Kevin sits down with Matt Smith, a team leader who sold 74 homes his first full year in real estate and now leads 40 agents closing 700 deals annually across three Missouri locations. But the journey from top producer to successful team leader nearly destroyed him multiple times.

Matt doesn't hold back. He reveals why most agents build teams for completely wrong reasons, why your ego is the biggest obstacle to scaling, and the three critical growth ceilings that trap even successful team leaders.

This conversation will challenge everything you think you know about leadership, team building, and success in real estate.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why being great at sales doesn't make you great at leadership

• The ego problem that keeps top producers stuck as beginner leaders

• Three critical sticking points that prevent teams from scaling

• How to transition from leading salespeople to leading leaders

• Why personal responsibility is your ultimate superpower

• The investment paradox: what if you pour everything into people and they leave?

• How the speed of the leader determines the pace of the pack

• Why you need to stop playing the victim and accept full responsibility

• Building a culture so strong that top talent never wants to leave

About Matt Smith:

Matt Smith leads the Matt Smith Team at eXp Realty, operating across three locations in Missouri including Lake of the Ozarks. After selling 74 homes in his first full year (2014), he started his team in 2016 and has grown it to 40 agents projected to close 700 deals this year while maintaining 20% market share in his primary marketplace for seven consecutive years. Matt is also a coach helping other team leaders break through growth ceilings and co-hosts the Built For More podcast with Dustin Runyon.

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