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

In today’s episode, I’m rejoined by my good friend, Chris Heller. As a business owner, investor, successful agent, and leader with decades of success running massive companies, it’s always great to pick Chris’ brain and get his take on the market and the industry as a whole. Chris has now added author to his list of achievements, and today he tells us about how the book came to be, and the impact he hopes it can have.    Chris Heller is a real estate industry leader, agent, Chief Real Estate Officer of OJO Labs and the author of Dominant Thoughts. Formerly the CEO of Keller Williams, Chris Heller earned his real estate license when he was 20 years old and went on to build one of the most successful real estate teams in the United States. From his selection as Rookie of the Year in 1989 to being the top-producing agent in San Diego County and the #1 Keller Williams associate in all of North America, Heller has earned the respect of colleagues and clients for the results he delivers. Under Heller’s leadership, the Chris Heller Real Estate Team has sold more than 100 homes a year for almost three decades.    People write books because there’s something they want to share with the world, and for Chris, it was the simple but highly effective lessons that shaped his successful career. The sign of a good book is one you want to share with friends, peers, and colleagues, it’s something you give to people you care about. Considering how much Chris has contributed to the real estate industry, it’s no surprise that he’s sharing his wisdom with all of us. We sat down with Chris to find out how the book came to be.    Guest Info   Chris Heller is a real estate industry leader, agent, Chief Real Estate Officer of OJO Labs and the author of Dominant Thoughts. Formerly the CEO of Keller Williams, Chris Heller earned his real estate license when he was 20 years old and went on to build one of the most successful real estate teams in the United States. From his selection as Rookie of the Year in 1989 to being the top-producing agent in San Diego County and the #1 Keller Williams associate in all of North America, Heller has earned the respect of colleagues and clients for the results he delivers. Under Heller’s leadership, the Chris Heller Real Estate Team has sold more than 100 homes a year for almost three decades.    To get your copy of the book, head over to https://dominantthoughts.com/.  CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

In today’s episode, we’re rejoined by Vyral Marketing founder, real estate investor and our good friend, Frank Klesitz. To many people Frank is just a marketing guy, but when you get around him, you’ll find out just how impressive his mind is. He brings a ton of high-level value to the real estate community, and not only do you want to be a Vyral customer for their amazing service, you want to be in Frank’s world and benefit from how he thinks.    Frank is the CEO and founder of Vyral Marketing, and an intellectually curious artist with experience in business, entrepreneurship, sales, marketing, and real estate. He started Vyral Marketing in 2009 after successfully implementing their marketing plan for a real estate agent in Omaha, NE. Frank also runs Katy and Frank Home Buyers with his wife. It’s an acquisition and property management business buying houses in Nebraska, Iowa, Texas and Oklahoma.    The truth about real estate (and any business for that matter) is that there’s more value in marketing what we do than in actually doing what we do. Becoming better sales and marketing practitioners is the key to becoming more profitable, but the problem is, most of us go about marketing to get clients the wrong way - we take the rookie approach when there’s a sure-fire way to win customers.    Guest Info   Frank is the CEO and founder of Vyral Marketing, and an intellectually curious artist with experience in business, entrepreneurship, sales, marketing, and real estate. He started Vyral Marketing in 2009 after successfully implementing their marketing plan for a real estate agent in Omaha, NE. Frank also runs Katy and Frank Home Buyers with his wife. It’s an acquisition and property management business buying houses in Nebraska, Iowa, Texas and Oklahoma.    Resources   https://www.getvyral.com/   https://www.getvyral.com/recruiting https://thegaryhalbertletter.com/   https://www.whosmailingwhat.com/   CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

A few weeks ago, I was honored to be featured as a guest on Dustin Runyon’s Fired Up Fridays. Dustin’s a good friend and one of the wisest and most insightful people we know. Today, we invite you into this weekly virtual meeting with over 100 attendees, as I answer Dustin’s questions on business, life, and how to think differently.    Dustin Runyon is a real estate team leader, speaker, coach and connection specialist. He is a stimulant for change, helping thousands find their truth and their path in order to create a life they can truly be proud of. Helping guide companies and individuals break into their power!    Dustin believes we need the truth in order to move forward and that your truth lies inside of you waiting to be faced, waiting to be confronted with arms of openness and readiness.   Runyon dreams of a world where we are filled with joy, fulfillment and a deep need to give and serve those around us. A world where we are excited about who we are and are moving towards becoming more of who we were destined to become. A place where we help instead of hurt, give instead of take and love instead of hate. His mission is to create just that. He hopes that you decide to take part.   Being wholeheartedly good at what we do is the ultimate hack to success. For that success to really mean something and make us happy, it has to be aligned with who we truly are, built on empathy, align with our families, and always leave room for growth and changing perspectives.      Guest Info   Dustin Runyon is a real estate team leader, speaker, coach and connection specialist. He is a stimulant for change, helping thousands find their truth and their path in order to create a life they can truly be proud of. Helping guide companies and individuals break into their power!    Dustin believes we need the truth in order to move forward and that your truth lies inside of you waiting to be faced, waiting to be confronted with arms of openness and readiness.   Runyon dreams of a world where we are filled with joy, fulfillment and a deep need to give and serve those around us. A world where we are excited about who we are and are moving towards becoming more of who we were destined to become. A place where we help instead of hurt, give instead of take and love instead of hate. His mission is to create just that. He hopes that you decide to take part.   To sign up for Fired Up Fridays visit https://firedupfridays.com/.        CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

In today’s episode, Todd Duncan returns to the show to share more insightful golden nuggets on building a high value business in real estate. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Todd’s uber successful book, High Trust Selling, and to date, it’s sold millions of copies and has been translated into 52 languages. Trust is a timeless, universal principle, and the lessons from the book are more relevant than ever in today’s real estate industry.    Todd is a Sales Entrepreneur with over 5,000,000 students around the globe that he has mentored and taught in real estate, mortgage, banking and financial services. Todd has spent his life teaching and equipping professionals with the power of HIGH TRUST as the key catalyst in achieving their personal and professional dreams. As the leading Authority on Trust, he helps business professionals accelerate emotional connection with clients, increasing conversion and setting the client up for a lifetime of loyalty.   Todd is a highly sought-after, game-changing speaker, presenting solutions for the real-life challenges business professionals face daily and giving them vision, confidence and a plan to get more out of business and life! His mantra is trust yourself, your relationships, your faith and your future. When you do that, you set in motion a universe of possibilities.   He is the author of the game-changing book High Trust Selling: Make More Money in Less Time with Less Stress. Todd has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Sydney Morning Herald, The Los Angeles Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Seattle Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, SUCCESS Magazine, FOX and CNN amongst other media sites and publications.   As real estate professionals, trust is still the most important currency we have - it’s something our competitors can’t outpace us on, if we don’t let it. With tech disruptors, iBuyers and hedge funds gobbling up properties, the only thing that will keep us in business is our ability to have massive trust with our clients. There is a huge trust deficit in our industry, and those who aren’t increasing their velocity of trust-building are in the greatest danger.    Guest Info   Todd is a Sales Entrepreneur with over 5,000,000 students around the globe that he has mentored and taught in real estate, mortgage, banking and financial services. Todd has spent his life teaching and equipping professionals with the power of HIGH TRUST as the key catalyst in achieving their personal and professional dreams. As the leading Authority on Trust, he helps business professionals accelerate emotional connection with clients, increasing conversion and setting the client up for a lifetime of loyalty.   Todd is a highly sought-after, game-changing speaker, presenting solutions for the real-life challenges business professionals face daily and giving them vision, confidence and a plan to get more out of business and life! His mantra is trust yourself, your relationships, your faith and your future. When you do that, you set in motion a universe of possibilities.   He is the author of the game-changing book High Trust Selling: Make More Money in Less Time with Less Stress. Todd has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Sydney Morning Herald, The Los Angeles Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Seattle Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, SUCCESS Magazine, FOX and CNN amongst other media sites and publications.   For more information, and to download the Talk Less, Sell More guide and white paper, head over to https://toddduncan.com/. You can also register for the Sales Mastery event and join the High Touch Sales Academy there.    CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

In today’s episode, I’m joined by real estate entrepreneur, and investor-friendly broker Dom Santaniello. Dom has an interesting story and journey into real estate - after leaving behind a six-figure engineering job, he has scaled a fix and flip business, rental property portfolio & real estate brokerage. Dom really has a knack of creative financing, and his story really emphasizes that this is something every real estate professional should be leaning into with the direction our business is going.    Dom Santaniello is an entrepreneur, investor, broker and the founder of Naples Realty Group. He has built a Fix and Flip Business, Rental Property Portfolio and Real Estate Brokerage.    For real estate agents who want to start investing, it feels near-impossible to compete with all the capital coming in from Wall Street. There’s a lot of pressure on the way we conventionally acquire properties, so looking for other capital solutions is critical to our survival.    This is where creative financing comes in.    We have to completely change how we think about the real estate deals we come across every day. As an agent, you can slap a sign on anything and sell it, but the true value is understanding the mechanics of capital, taxes, and investment. This is the advantage that will keep us relevant for years to come.     Guest Info   Dom Santaniello is an entrepreneur, investor, broker and the founder of Naples Realty Group. He was able to leave a six-figure Engineering Job in 3 years by scaling a Fix & Flip Business, Rental Property Portfolio & Real Estate Brokerage. Dom made a name for himself in the local market by putting together a large multi-family package deal and negotiating a discounted, owner-financed property in lieu of collecting a facilitation fee. This strategy was able to net the seller more money, offer the buyer a better purchase price and get Dom into a stabilized, cash flowing asset with no money down. Today, Dom works as a full time Real Estate Investor, Broker & Entrepreneur. He was fortunate enough to cross paths with Luke Giusto, a like-minded, young Entrepreneur in the Real Estate Business which sparked the formation of Naples Home Buyers, Naples Realty Group and various other Real Estate Entities.    Together, Dom and Luke have built a Rental Property Portfolio of BRRR deals that amount to over 30 units and have successfully flipped 25+ properties and wholesaled 35+ deals since the end of 2019. Their brokerage, Naples Realty Group, has scaled to over 30 agents across two states in just under 1 year of formation (and counting).    For more information, visit https://www.naples-group.com/ and follow @naples_homebuyers on Instagram.  CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

In today’s episode, I’m joined by South Carolina closing attorney and marketing extraordinaire, Gary Pickren. I’ve never ever met a real estate attorney who is so dialed in with the work and day-to-day of real estate agents the way Gary is, and on top of that, he’s probably one of the greatest marketing minds we’ve ever had on the show. Gary’s also a huge student of the industry, so we got to pick his brain on all things real estate.    Gary is also an author, podcaster, real estate instructor, and licensed real estate broker. He has deep ties to the local real estate community. Since 1995 Gary has performed real estate closings, taught real estate agents, and advocated for all South Carolinians in changing South Carolina real estate law. Toward that end, Gary started a weekly video blog that has over 4,000 subscribers. He even started a real estate podcast in 2020 to better educate the real estate agents on issues in the real estate closing process.   One thing we can bet on in real estate is that things are always going to change. There’ll always be a new market condition to navigate, and only the strong survive, and the strong constantly evolve in their marketing.      If you’re not keeping your business’ marketing platform current, you’re years behind and already in decline. Time and time again, the refusal to keep innovating is what has taken many agents out. The agents who didn’t embrace the internet, and social media all have one thing in common - they resisted their way out of the business. Who’s in danger of getting resisted out of business now? The agents who are still resisting video content.    Guest Info   Gary is a closing attorney, marketer, author, podcaster, real estate instructor, and licensed real estate broker. He has deep ties to the local real estate community. Since 1995 Gary has performed real estate closings, taught real estate agents, and advocated for all South Carolinians in changing South Carolina real estate law. Toward that end, Gary started a weekly video blog that has over 4,000 subscribers. He even started a real estate podcast in 2020 to better educate the real estate agents on issues in the real estate closing process.   For more information and resources, visit https://www.blaircato.com/, email gary@blaircato.com and follow @pickrengary on Instagram and listen to the Dishin’ Dirt Podcast on your favorite platform.  CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

In today’s episode, I’m joined by fellow Phoenix agent Trevor Halpern. Trevor runs an interesting business, which is based on what he calls the “solo agent model”, a business which is growing by 20 - 25% every single year. Trevor really has an interesting way of looking at life and real estate, by taking the introspective approach, and making sure every decision makes is a “plus plus”.    Trevor Halpern is a Phoenix based Realtor with over a decade in the business. As the founder of Halpern Residential and the #1 independent agent at North&Co. Trevor takes pride in delivering high-level strategy, efficient negotiations and precise tactical execution. He conducts his life and business by simple rules: treat people with respect; lead with honesty; put more than he gets out; and do the right thing 100% of the time.    This industry makes you think that you can’t progress without adding agents to your business, but who says you need to be a mega agent to be successful? Trevor Halpern is running a solo team that’s growing by 25% a year without the usual trappings of a traditional team. Instead of copying what everyone else is doing, Trevor took the introspective approach and built a business on his own terms.    Most agents look at the top agents around them and try to copy what they are doing, without examining if it fits their goals, who they are and what they want. Unfortunately, they end up with a business that makes them miserable, and a constant cycle of falling on their faces.     Guest Info   Trevor Halpern is a Phoenix based Realtor with over a decade in the business. As the founder of Halpern Residential and the #1 independent agent at North&Co. Trevor takes pride in delivering high-level strategy, efficient negotiations and precise tactical execution. He conducts his life and business by simple rules: treat people with respect; lead with honesty; put more than he gets out; and do the right thing 100% of the time.    To keep up with Trevor, head to https://www.halpernresidential.com/ and follow @halpernresidential on Instagram.    CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

In today’s episode, I’m joined by my good friend, real estate leader and entrepreneur and TV star, Nick Waldner. Nick has his hands in many aspects of the industry, not only running a successful team, but also venturing into other verticals and ancillary business, including the successful show “Waterfront House Hunting” (available on Hulu!). I get to pick Nick’s brain about his leadership philosophy, how the TV opportunity came about, and the power of reaching outside of the bubble of our own viewpoints.    Nick Waldner is a real estate team leader, entrepreneur, speaker and coach. He runs one of the Top Real Estate Teams in his area and in the industry. The Waldner Winters Team is the #1 Team in the #1 Office in his market and his team is included in Gary Keller’s Top 100 out of over 130,000 agents in Keller Williams. You will also see Nick on TV hosting the hit reality series “Waterfront Housing Hunting” on the A&E Station FYI. The show highlights his talent for helping clients find great waterfront property throughout the entire country!    Having a culture that is a direct mirror image of us is a mistake that could be making our businesses less valuable.    Whether we’re aware of it or not, what we know, where we grew up, and how we see the world is our bubble. If we don’t challenge that and reach beyond our own tunnel vision, viewpoints and perspectives, we could be missing out on major opportunities.    We need to challenge ourselves to be surrounded by a broader group of talented people, especially in how we hire and our culture.    For Nick Waldner, this mindset of reaching outside of the bubble of what he knows has been key to his success as a team leader and in his ancillary businesses. He shares how he got started, and how he ended up being the star of a real estate TV show!  Guest Info   Nick Waldner is a real estate team leader, entrepreneur, speaker and coach. He runs one of the Top Real Estate Teams in his area and in the industry. The Waldner Winters Team is the #1 Team in the #1 Office in his market and his team is included in Gary Keller’s Top 100 out of over 130,000 agents in Keller Williams. You will also see Nick on TV hosting the hit reality series “Waterfront Housing Hunting” on the A&E Station FYI. The show highlights his talent for helping clients find great waterfront property throughout the entire country!    Follow Nick on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with him, and go to https://www.waldnerwintersteam.com/ and http://failforwardfriday.com/.    You can also steam Waterfront House Hunting on Hulu.    CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

In today’s episode, we’re joined by the guys at Impact Real Estate, Matt Chick and Jeremy Fuhst to talk about our businesses, what drives success and planning for the future. We lay it all on the table, from the lessons we’ve learned, getting the most value out of our teams, and what truly motivates. There’s a lot you can pull out from successful people like Matt and Jeremy, who are doing next level things in real estate. In this episode, we trade ideas, and have a really honest conversation about where we are in our real estate careers and what we’re prioritizing going forward.    Most people don’t know what it means to be a true real estate professional, and what mastering our craft really looks like. It’s not opening doors, knowing the MLS, or waiting for a leader to make you productive.    Success leaves clues, and there’s a lot you can pull out from successful people about what it takes to build a solid real estate business, and to keep growing and providing value.    Guest Info   Matt Chick and Jeremy Fuhst are real estate investors, podcasters and the co-leaders of Impact Real Estate. Listen to their podcast on your platform of choice.    CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla

In today’s episode, we’re continuing our special partnership discussion with guest/co-host, Fred Weaver on Group 46:10 and how the heck we’ve been working together for 14 years. In the last episode, we talked about how it all got started, and today we’re going to dig into the details and the economics of the business, and how we guarded against the things that cause rifts to develop right from the beginning.    All business partnerships start out with the best intentions, but can easily turn sour when key details aren’t hammered out right from the beginning. How money is distributed according to who generates the revenue, how duties and responsibilities are split up, and how to maintain the same vision. These are some of the biggest reasons why partnerships go wrong.    When we started working together, we wanted to guard against these things in advance, but ultimately, our partnership has worked for one key reason - the belief that we can go further together than we would apart. Today we’re going to dive into the nuts and bolts of our partnership - money, division of labor and how we supported the growth of the partnership.  CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla