Next Level Agents: The Kevin & Fred Show - Interviews with the best and brightest minds in the real estate industry

Think growing a brokerage means chasing agents with better commission splits? Think again. Bruce Hardie grew a region from 3,000 agents to 10,000+ over 15 years. Today he operates three brokerages with 500 agents across Spokane, Yakima, and Bend—and he's not recruiting anyone. He's attracting them. In this conversation with Katie DeWitt, Bruce breaks down the counterintuitive strategies that built his empire: why agents don't join for culture or training, how the Be-Do-Have framework flips conventional wisdom upside down, and why celebrating production instead of profit is killing your business. If you're tired of chasing talent, burned out from grinding for volume with no profit, or stuck wondering why your vision isn't attracting the people you want—this episode will change how you think about building a real estate business. Key Topics Covered Why attraction beats recruitment every single time The Be-Do-Have framework that drives all growth Why real estate celebrates the wrong metrics (and what to measure instead) How to generate 700-800 buyer calls per week from just 16 listings The listing ad strategy that eliminates buyer objections before they happen Why 82% of homebuyers only interview one agent (and what that means for you) Building a vision big enough to contain other people's dreams The difference between experiential benefits and observable leadership How AI and virtual assistants scale your content without losing authenticity Why team models have higher profit margins than brokerage models The Six D's that guarantee 4 million+ home sales every year How to identify and articulate your business standards when scaling The yellow legal pad moment that changed Bruce's entire trajectory Takeaways You don't need more recruitment scripts. You need to become someone worth joining. Bruce's commitment to helping 10% of his agents become millionaires isn't motivational fluff—it's a strategic vision that attracts ambitious talent who want to build wealth, not just close deals. Stop chasing commission splits and start building leaders. Stop celebrating production and start measuring profit. Stop waiting for perfect market conditions and start positioning yourself for your unfair share of the 8 million transaction sides happening every year. The agents who figure this out in the next 24 months will dominate the next decade. The ones who keep grinding will burn out. Ready to build a business that attracts instead of chases? Let's make it happen. Listen now and discover how to scale without the hustle. Want to take your real estate business to the next level? Visit nextlevelagents.com/exp to learn how Next Level Agents can help you build the business and life you actually want—with coaching, community, and the strategies that top performers use to dominate their markets. Don't just work harder. Work smarter. Work with us. ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠

You're stuck. Revenue is flat. Growth feels impossible. So what do you do? You add more—more lead sources, more tools, more processes, more hustle. But what if "more" is exactly what's killing your momentum? In this solo episode, Kevin breaks down a framework from his business partner Chris Juarez that flips the entire growth conversation on its head: addition by subtraction. It's counterintuitive, uncomfortable, and might be the most important shift you make this year. In this episode, Kevin covers: Why complexity is the hidden tax killing your productivity, speed, and clarity The Steve Jobs playbook: how cutting 350 products down to 10 tripled Apple's revenue in three years Where you're running "350 products" in your business disguised as lead sources, tools, and processes The STRIP framework: a five-step system to simplify, trim, refocus, integrate, and purge what's holding you back The 30-day subtraction sprint challenge to identify and remove what's in your way The agents who win in this market aren't the ones doing the most things. They're the ones doing the right things with relentless focus. So what do you need to remove that's in your way? Ready to simplify and scale your real estate business? Learn more about the Next Level Agents community and discover how eXp Realty can support your growth at nextlevelagents.com/exp LINKS MENTIONED: Next Level Agents Events: nextlevelagents.com (check out the events tab for virtual and in-person mastermind information) ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠

Think you need to be an extrovert to close $20 million a year? Think again. Darren Ricketts scored 4% on his behavioral assessment for "mega agent"—literally the worst possible job match. This year he'll close over $20 million in Eugene, Oregon, running a lean operation with one other agent and two admins. In this episode, Katie DeWitt sits down with Darren to unpack how he built a dominant real estate business as a 6'8" introvert who doesn't cold call, came from IT, and works entirely within his natural wiring instead of fighting against it. This conversation covers: Why your personality isn't your problem—your system is, and how to build around your actual strengths instead of forcing someone else's playbook The database management strategy that maintains a 1-in-3 lead conversion ratio when most agents need 20 leads to close one deal How to systematically work your B and C leads instead of constantly chasing new business (including a real example of a $125K lead that became a $390K sale 18 months later) The "orphan client" strategy that doubles your database from every transaction you close Why the top producers are always terrified their business is about to fall apart—and how that fear fuels better systems The exact follow-up formula that keeps past clients engaged every two weeks without manual effort Why working from home is probably killing your production (and what to do about it even if you can't afford an office) When to hire your first assistant: not when you can afford it, but when your business actually needs it If you've ever felt like you're not extroverted enough, not "salesy" enough, or not flashy enough to make it big in real estate, this episode will completely reframe how you think about building sustainable, high-volume production. Key Quote: "Everybody on my team knows their number one job is to help me have more conversations with people. End of list." This is real talk from an agent doing real volume. No fluff. Just systems, psychology, and uncomfortable truths about what it actually takes to dominate in this industry. ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠

You can scale to 53 agents across five states and still be trapped in a business you built with your own hands. David Queen learned this lesson the hard way, through weight gain, physical pain, and the sinking realization that he'd become a prisoner to his own success. This episode isn't about fitness tips or motivational fluff. It's about the uncomfortable truth most agents refuse to confront: your business is only as strong as the foundation it's built on. And that foundation is you. David dropped 65 pounds in eight months, but what he gained was far more valuable: clarity on what it actually takes to build sustainable success in an industry that glorifies burnout. He stopped accepting excuses disguised as explanations. He embraced temporary imbalance to create permanent capacity. He rebuilt himself so he could show up as the leader his business actually needed. If you're carrying stress, anxiety, physical discomfort, or just a nagging sense that you're sacrificing too much of yourself for your production goals, this conversation will challenge everything you think is inevitable about your situation. Key Themes: Why physical transformation teaches business lessons nothing else can The myth of balance and why strategic imbalance is required for mastery How to stop accepting decline as inevitable and start controlling what you actually can Why confidence isn't separate from strategy—it IS your strategy The real cost of building a business that requires you to be someone you don't want to be How delayed gratification in fitness translates directly to sustainable business growth Why self-leadership is the only leadership that actually matters The Bottom Line: The one thing no market downturn, difficult client, or team challenge can ever take from you is your commitment to becoming the best version of yourself. Everything else you're trying to build depends on that foundation being solid. Stop chasing the next tactic and start building the capacity to execute on the tactics you already know work. The next level doesn't start with a new system. It starts with you deciding you're worth the investment. Ready to discover what your next level actually looks like? Learn more about joining a community of agents who refuse to accept mediocrity at nextlevelagents.com/exp ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠

What if the secret to selling luxury real estate to out-of-state buyers wasn't about being everywhere—but about being somewhere specific, with killer video content that does the traveling for you? Tristan O'Grady sells an average of $100 million annually in Hilton Head's luxury market, with an average sale price around $2 million. But here's what makes his story different: 80% of his buyers have never set foot on the island before seeing his videos. In this episode, guest host Katie DeWitt sits down with Tristan to break down how he's built a 70-agent team under the Coast brand at eXp, expanded into five separate "legs" of leadership, and used strategic video marketing to turn California movie producers and out-of-state buyers into multi-million dollar clients—all while maintaining that physical office space matters, even in a virtual brokerage world. Key Insights from This Episode: The exact video strategy that generated a $20M commission windfall from one luxury listing Why "boutique local branding" crushes national chain recognition in sophisticated markets How to scale to 150+ agents in your downline without drowning in day-to-day management The leverage model that lets you sell $100M personally while building empire simultaneously Why setting appointment-only office hours solves 99% of agent questions before they're asked The truth about growing talent vs. recruiting proven performers (and when to do each) This isn't about working harder. It's about working smarter—with video that travels for you, systems that scale without your constant attention, and the guts to invest in physical space when everyone else is going fully virtual. Ready to build your own Coast-style empire? Learn more about the eXp opportunity and Next Level Agents community at https://nextlevelagents.com/exp/ About Next Level Agents: Next Level Agents is the podcast for real estate agents who are done with mediocrity and ready for massive growth. Hosted by Kevin Kauffman, we bring you strategies, mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes access to top performers who are breaking barriers and building empires. Whether you're looking to scale your team, master luxury markets, or leverage the eXp model to its fullest potential—this is where agents come to level up. ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠

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. ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠

Your communication skills are either making you money or costing you deals. There's no in-between. In this episode, we sit down with powerhouse Ari Jakobov, who's closed $100 million in sales in just four years by mastering the one skill most agents ignore: strategic communication. Ari breaks down the exact frameworks, tonality shifts, and questioning strategies that have helped him build a team of 23 agents, grow a 50-agent eXp organization, and secure multi-million-dollar listings—even in the most competitive markets. This isn't theory. It's tactical, immediately actionable, and designed for the chaos of real-world real estate conversations. In this episode, you'll learn: The five-minute energy shift that helps you show up confident and dialed in before every high-stakes conversation The six types of questions every top producer uses to guide prospects to reveal their problems out loud (so you never have to "pitch" again) Why result-based thinking closes more deals than process-based thinking—and how to flip the script immediately The power of identity framing (and how Ari used it to turn a hostile expired seller into two listings worth $10+ million) Pattern interrupts that break through the mental gatekeeper and keep cold calls from ending in two seconds How tonality creates authority, builds rapport, and disarms objections without sounding salesy The follow-up framework that trains prospects to actually want to hear from you Why top producers practice communication skills for 45 minutes every single day (and why you should too) If you've ever lost a deal because of how you said something—or didn't say it at all—this episode will change how you approach every conversation from here on out. Ready to level up your communication and start winning more deals? Learn more about joining a community of agents committed to mastery at https://nextlevelagents.com/exp/ Your turn: What's one communication tactic you're going to implement this week? Let us know—tag us on Instagram or LinkedIn and share your takeaway from this episode. Subscribe to Next Level Agents so you never miss a strategy, and check out our events tab at nextlevelagents.com to find our next virtual or in-person mastermind. Let's keep this momentum rolling. ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠

What does it take to move an entire brokerage—160 agents strong—to a completely new platform in just four weeks? Trust. Conviction. And a willingness to make fact-based decisions that put your people first, even when it's uncomfortable. LeAnne Weathers did exactly that. She evaluated the opportunities her agents were missing, made a decision based on data instead of ego, and executed with total conviction. The result? Almost all of her agents followed her to eXp Realty, not because she convinced them, but because she'd spent years building the kind of trust that makes radical change possible. In this episode, LeAnne breaks down: • Why she spent sleepless nights worrying about reactions that never came • How to make massive decisions based on facts instead of feelings • What her agents were missing that she couldn't provide as an independent brokerage • Why she calls eXp a "platform" instead of a brokerage (and why that distinction matters) • How to execute with speed without sacrificing thoughtfulness • The "all gas, no brakes" leadership style that separates transformers from maintainers • Why recruiting (yes, the hard R) solves almost every business problem when done with integrity This episode isn't just for brokerage owners. It's for anyone leading a team, making big decisions, or wondering how to build the kind of trust that makes people follow you into uncertainty. If you've ever avoided making a move because you were worried about offending someone or upsetting the status quo, this conversation will challenge you to rethink what real leadership actually looks like. Ready to explore what's possible with eXp? Learn more at https://nextlevelagents.com/exp/ ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠

Curtis Johnson, a veteran real estate team leader with 26 years of experience, reveals how distraction is hindering agents' success. He advocates for the 'two-to-three rule,' urging agents to focus deeply on just a few lead-generation activities. Curtis challenges the notion of success masked by high-priced markets, emphasizing that many agents lack true work ethic. He also discusses the importance of building credibility before leveraging social media and AI, and shares insights on reverse engineering goals for greater effectiveness.

When interest rates jumped in 2022, Adam Rutledge discovered something brutal: half his team weren't real estate agents, they were order takers riding a hot market. The moment conditions shifted, the pretenders disappeared and the real salespeople had to adapt. Adam runs Rutledge Property Group in Medford, Oregon, owns 84 rental properties, and is projecting 100 million in sales next year. But here's what makes this conversation different: he's not selling you a course or a secret system. He's challenging you to get brutally honest about whether you're actually doing the basics that work. This episode will either fire you up or make you uncomfortable. Probably both. Key themes we dig into: The 20 conversation rule: Why hitting 100 two-way conversations per week about real estate is the only metric that matters How to use AI role-play to practice scripts before high-stakes appointments (instead of practicing on actual clients) Why 90% of agents have never read their purchase and sale agreement cover to cover, and how that's costing them deals The Q4 challenge structure Adam's team is running through December 31st to set up a killer 2026 Golden handcuffs: How giving your team ownership (not just perks) creates retention that survives market shifts Leading vs lagging indicators: Why chasing paychecks keeps you in feast-famine cycles The shift from authoritarian team leadership to invitation and buy-in If you've been waiting for someone to hand you the secret formula, this isn't that episode. But if you're ready to stop making excuses and start doing the uncomfortable work that actually produces results, Adam's blueprint will show you exactly where to focus. Real estate is a contact sport. And if you're not making contacts consistently, you're gambling that the market will stay easy forever. Ready to level up your game and join a community that's done with shortcuts? Learn more about Next Level Agents at https://nextlevelagents.com/exp/ ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠