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

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

In today’s episode, I’m joined by our longtime friend and collaborator, Brian Gubernick. We’ve known Brian since the early days of our real estate careers, and over the years, he’s worn many hats in the industry. He’s fired up by the concept of doing something, anything every single day to get better and it’s reflected in the kind of businesses he’s built and the contributions he’s made, including starting a mastermind business.    Brian Gubernick is a 15+ year residential real estate industry veteran, having held the roles of real estate investor, sales agent, sales team owner/leader, expansion (multi-state) team owner, brokerage operating partner, coach/trainer, and corporate executive. He is the co-founder of the Metrix Mastermind, Chief Real Estate Officer at PLACE and host of No Days Off.    In our industry, the word mastermind gets thrown around a lot, but what most people call masterminds are actually just classes. To be clear, there’s obviously a time and a place for lessons and being talked at, but that’s not what masterminds are designed for.    The whole point is getting a group of high performing individuals together in a room and allowing them to collaborate, brainstorm, pick apart what they are doing in order to improve it. The different vantage points, the space to prompt thoughts and ideas, and harnessing the collective genius is what makes masterminds so powerful.    CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠  

In today’s episode, we’re talking about our decision to join Place, the thought process behind this move, and the value proposition Place delivers to real estate teams. When you hear about Place and many top real estate teams joining it, you probably wonder why a team in a brokerage like eXp would want to bolt on this set of services to their organization. Place encompasses a lot and brings a ton of value to the table. We’re going to share why we believe in Place and the team behind it, the opportunities we’re going to create for our agents and staff, and why the whole industry needs to be paying attention to it.    We believe that it would have been irresponsible not to join Place, especially with where real estate is headed. We believe in Place’s system and what Ben Kinney and Chris Suarez are doing - it’s the right way to operate a real estate team today, and it would be hard for any team to top or even match what they are bringing to the table.   We get to latch onto something that’s already headed in the right direction, and our agents and staff are going to get the value proposition they deserve.   CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla

In real estate, there’s 2 governing philosophies. Earn more by selling more or buy back time and treat it as a business. In simpler terms - microwave money vs. crockpot money. You’re either cheating by taking more listings or seeking ways to earn money without being at the kitchen table. If you’re the one actively doing the work everyday, you’ll never get to buy your time back and pursue other opportunities outside of selling homes.    Unsurprisingly, most brokerages want us doing the former, but like athletes, many of us are starting to wake up to how valuable our brands are. Brokerages have known this for ages - why do you think they are willing to pay top producers to stay?    Maybe, just maybe, we’re more valuable than our caps. Maybe we have intrinsic value through our relationships and reputations, and that’s something we can leverage. How do we really leverage our influence? How do we actually treat this as a business? Chris Bowers joins me to talk about the thing most agents are starting to realize that brokerages have known it for ages.  Quotes    There are no business issues, there’s personal issues that lead into your business. -Chris Bowers    We committed to not let our income be dependent on sitting in someone’s living room. -Kevin Kauffman     If you keep an open mind, there’s people that can teach you something everywhere. -Kevin Kauffman     Once something changes your life, you feel like you’ve got to go out and stream it. -Chris Bowers     When you align incentives with human behavior, you get the things you want more of. -Kevin Kauffman     Influence is a currency, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you have good intentions. -Chris Bowers    Key Points     A real estate rude awakening When you listen into a lot of real estate conversations, you discover how very few of us actually treat this thing as a business. Most people cheat growth by taking more listings, instead of building a machine that we can step out of and still make money from. We were willing to make less money in order to build that machine and it has afforded us an enormous amount of free time and opportunities outside of real estate sales.    The value of our influence  For athletes, there was a moment when it clicked that they are a brand, and that the influence they yield is something worth paying a lot of money for. That’s when they started getting into bigger business deals. In real estate, the same awakening is taking place. Agents realize they have influence and that influence is valuable. Brokerages have known it for ages, but it’s starting to really hit agents like a ton of bricks. Influence is a currency, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you have good intentions.     Crockpot money vs. microwave money There’s 2 modes in real estate - crockpot money and microwave money. In microwave money mode, we’re thinking of the next deal and commission check that will help us pay our bills. In crockpot money, we’re thinking of those long-term slow burn ways to make money. Now don’t get us wrong, the microwave mode is important, we need it to get going, but we can’t stay there forever. The problem with this industry is people don’t make the switch, they get trapped into next month’s deals forever, no matter how much money they make and they never plug into crockpot mode.     I couldn’t get over not wanting to swipe my friends’ credit cards  The thing about eXp is that it’s like picking a board of directors for our business without swiping your friends’ credit cards every month. We’re incentivized to be each other’s go to guys - whether we need 30 seconds or 40 minutes. We get to have high level advisors in our businesses for free, and because of how it’s structured, we all benefit from that.      Follow ⁠@chrisbowers_realestate⁠ on Instagram and listen to agentXcel on ⁠ Apple Podcasts⁠ or ⁠Spotify⁠.     CTA ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla

Most agents throw money, time, and energy at problems without ever stopping to define what the actual problem is. The result? You end up solving symptoms instead of root causes—and the same issues keep showing up in different forms. In this solo episode, Kevin Kauffman breaks down Einstein's 55-minute rule and Kindlin's Law to show you why clarity is the most underrated multiplier in your business. If you've ever felt like you're spinning your wheels on the same challenges, this episode will change how you approach problem-solving forever. Key themes and takeaways: Why Einstein spent 55 minutes defining problems and only 5 minutes solving them Kindlin's Law: if you can write a problem down clearly, you've already solved half of it How writing things down reduces complexity and separates signal from noise The leadership question that helps your team solve their own problems: "Is that really true?" A simple weekly exercise to solve problems faster and with less stress Why most business owners are solving symptoms instead of root causes How to turn big, scary problems into solvable puzzles The clarity you seek is on the blank page you're avoiding. Before you call another meeting, spend another dollar, or burn another hour—grab a notebook and define the problem. Watch how quickly the solution reveals itself. Your challenge this week: Pick one problem that's been hanging around your business. Write it down in one sentence. Ask yourself, "Is that really true?" Keep refining until it feels smaller, clearer, and more specific. That's when you'll know exactly what to do next. Ready to surround yourself with agents who think like this? Who challenge conventional thinking and help you get to your next level? Learn more about joining eXp Realty with Next Level Agents at https://nextlevelagents.com/exp/ Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠]⁠