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 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

In today’s episode, we’re doing something different as I sit down with co-host/guest, and the other half of Kevin & Fred to talk about our business partnership. A question we get asked very frequently is how the hell the two of us have been in business together for 14+ years. Long-standing partnerships where there are no family ties are rare, and so today, in the first of a series, we’re taking you back to the beginning, and sharing how we started working together. You’ll even find out how we came up with the name Group 46:10!       CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Jennifer Beadles, a woman helping people build wealth through real estate investing and using her specialized knowledge to help agents get off the commission hamster wheel and build for the future. What’s awesome about what Jennifer’s doing is that she’s actively involved in the thing she’s teaching other people to do. In an industry that’s so focused on open houses, listings, leads and cold calling, investing is one of the most important things we just aren’t talking about enough.    Jennifer is an investing expert, entrepreneur, coach and founder of Agents Invest and Addicted to ROI. Agents Invest is dedicated to helping real estate agents across the country close more deals with more investors. We do this by connecting investment-savvy agents with our network of experienced investors. By educating investors on how to invest out-of-state, we close more deals. Our investors are hungry, motivated and ready to grow their real estate portfolios.   Education is a huge part of success. In addition to the Addicted to ROI blog and private Facebook group, we run a thriving members-only mastermind group, the ROI Inner Circle.   We built an exclusive network of investment-focused real estate agents. Our Agent Partners are a key part of our success. If you're an agent looking to grow your investor network, contact our team. We offer a free service to investors and collect a minimal referral fee from Agent Partners upon closing.   More importantly, we streamline the investor-to-agent process, allowing investors to instantly connect with a knowledgeable, experienced agent who knows how to find cash flowing deals and investment opportunities in markets from coast-to-coast.   If agents understood the language of investing, they would not only have unlimited listings, but a path to true freedom and wealth. Seeing things differently is key to building a lifetime of cash flow, but if you’re an agent who truly wants to cross the Cashflow Quadrant, and switch from operator to business owner, things have to change, and it starts with changing how we see things.   Guest Info   Jennifer is an investing expert, entrepreneur, coach and founder of Agents Invest and Addicted to ROI. Agents Invest is dedicated to helping real estate agents across the country close more deals with more investors. We do this by connecting investment-savvy agents with our network of experienced investors. By educating investors on how to invest out-of-state, we close more deals. Our investors are hungry, motivated and ready to grow their real estate portfolios.   Education is a huge part of success. In addition to the Addicted to ROI blog and private Facebook group, we run a thriving members-only mastermind group, the ROI Inner Circle.   We built an exclusive network of investment-focused real estate agents. Our Agent Partners are a key part of our success. If you're an agent looking to grow your investor network, contact our team. We offer a free service to investors and collect a minimal referral fee from Agent Partners upon closing.   More importantly, we streamline the investor-to-agent process, allowing investors to instantly connect with a knowledgeable, experienced agent who knows how to find cash flowing deals and investment opportunities in markets from coast-to-coast.   If you’re an agent who wants to learn more about getting started investing or you want to refer a deal to Jennifer, head over to https://agentsinvest.com/.    If you want to learn how to scale your own rental portfolio, head to ​​https://addictedtoroi.com/.    Join the Facebook group Investor Friendly Agents here.    CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla

In today’s episode, I’m catching up with my good friend, coach, author and speaker, Chad Hyams. In addition to writing a really awesome children’s book, Chad has now added a new book to his wise teachings. Achieve Your Apex is a book Chad wrote to lead people to maximize their lives, and he’s going to share what triggered and inspired the book and what he hopes people can get out of it.    Chad Hyams is a Speaker, Maximizational Coach and Podcast host. He is also the author of the children’s book Ketchup Can’t Hurt, and the new coaching book Achieve Your Apex. Chad has become known as the Voice of Reason, by delivering training in a” no fluff, let’s just cut to the chase” kind of way. Chad has lived through the highs and lows that many face and come through the other side having learned powerful lessons that he does his best to share with as many as he can. Through keynote presentations, in person workshops, over webinars or as the host of the Win Make Give podcast and the 15 Point Plan podcast, Chad’s goal is to assist others in achieving dreams and desires they didn’t believe possible.   Writing a book is one of the best ways to stake your claim on an area you specialize in, but it’s about a lot more than sharing ideas. For people who care about changing lives, it’s a way to mentor millions without even meeting them, and to inspire people to maximize their lives. So many of us have been taught valuable lessons by people we don’t know personally, and that’s the beauty of a really great book. Guest Info   Chad Hyams is a Speaker, Maximizational Coach and Podcast host. He is also the author of the children’s book Ketchup Can’t Hurt, and the new coaching book Achieve Your Apex. Chad has become known as the Voice of Reason, by delivering training in a” no fluff, let’s just cut to the chase” kind of way. Chad has lived through the highs and lows that many face and come through the other side having learned powerful lessons that he does his best to share with as many as he can. Through keynote presentations, in person workshops, over webinars or as the host of the Win Make Give podcast and the 15 Point Plan podcast, Chad’s goal is to assist others in achieving dreams and desires they didn’t believe possible.   To get a signed copy of Ketchup Can’t Hurt go to http://ketchupcanthurt.com/    To get a signed copy of Achieve Your Apex go to http://achieveyourapex.com/.    To listen to the podcast, visit https://winmakegive.com/.    CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Tim Tooker, an agent and investor with a very unique and inspiring story. As a retired army officer, Tim has used real estate, not just as a vehicle for freedom and wealth for himself, but for other veterans who seek a combat-free way to earn money. From buying his first property to owning a million dollar construction company, an incredible cash-flowing investment portfolio and a staging company, Tim has taken incremental steps towards financial freedom because of the way he thinks through opportunities.    Tim Tooker is the founder of the veteran-run company, Tooker Home Group. He began his real estate investing journey while he was still in active military service, and after serving 20 years, Tim has now built an incredible real estate empire, which he uses to empower fellow veterans.    Most soldiers live paycheck-to-paycheck and can’t even dream of having an investing portfolio and cash-flowing assets, but Tim Tooker sees things very differently. Thanks to real estate, he has been able to earn in 6 months what would have taken 20 years to earn on active duty. He has built an empire that includes residential investments, a multimillion dollar construction company by taking incremental steps and constantly failing forward. It’s proof that soldiers and vets have a path to wealth, by leveraging the loans and assets being in the army affords them and using them to their advantage.  Guest Info   Tim Tooker is the founder of the veteran-run company, Tooker Home Group. He began his real estate investing journey while he was still in active military service, and after serving 20 years, Tim has now built an incredible real estate empire, which he uses to empower fellow veterans.    For more information visit https://www.tookerhomegroup.com/.    CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

Two years ago, I sat down with real estate coach, Nick McLean, and the episode impacted a lot of people. Today we have the privilege of digging back into his mind, and learn from his knack for bringing an actionable framework to any concept. He’s going to share a powerful thought process that binds the most fulfilled and successful people - making your work more meaningful.    Nick is an entrepreneur, coach and founder/CEO of the Nick McLean Real Estate Group. The former pilot uses knowledge in systems pilot and applying the same techniques he learned from the aviation industry to build a successful real estate business.    What’s the most meaningful part of being in real estate? Money, financial success, commission checks? Surprisingly, no. For many agents, the buzz and satisfaction of cashing a commission check doesn’t live up to all the hype. From Nick McLean’s perspective there’s a really good reason why we don’t get a dopamine hit from the money - it doesn’t provide the meaning that makes us happy and fulfilled.    What do we pursue if we want our jobs and lives to have more meaning? Chasing the parts of the process that give us the most joy, and creating those meaningful impact points in our day.  Guest Info   Nick is an entrepreneur, coach and founder/CEO of the Nick McLean Real Estate Group. The former pilot uses knowledge in systems pilot and applying the same techniques he learned from the aviation industry to build a successful real estate business.    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realestategreatnesswithnickmclean/?ref=bookmarks Instagram: @nickmcleanre Twitter: @nickmcleanre Books Mentioned    30 Lessons for Living by Karl Pillemer   The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel   CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla