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

Learn how Pace Morby built a $450 million real estate portfolio without using his own money. Discover the strategy of creative finance to tackle belligerent sellers and seize opportunities. Explore the benefits of seller financing and understanding seller motivations for successful real estate deals. Gain insights on navigating unconventional paths to real estate success and innovative deal structures.

In a good market, the gap between great agents and average agents is virtually non-existent - it’s anyone’s game. When the market turns, the gap between the good and the great becomes so wide, it’s the difference between earning money and leaving the business entirely. Doubling your business in a down market is possible, but it’s not by chance. You and your team have to be so different that sellers believe you’re the only way they can get top dollar for their home. That comes down to marketing - the best marketers won’t just outlast the market, they’ll win outright. The market assumes your ability based on your visibility - so we have to win the conversation before we even get into the room with the seller. The wealthy are paid for their expertise, the lowest paid are compensated for their time. How do we position ourselves as experts? How do we use marketing to craft the unique home selling offer that makes domination automatic? Curtis Johnson shares the key strategy to winning in this market. Guest InfoCurtis runs a highly successful real estate team at The Curtis Johnson Team Powered By eXp Realty having sold nearly 5,000 residential homes in Arizona and a BILLION Dollars in Volume. The Wall Street Journal ranked his Team as one of the Top 50 out of 1.2 million REALTORS in America.He is one of the most connected and sought after real estate minds in the business. He and his team were singled out as a finalist in Inman's Most Innovative Real Estate Teams in 2018.His extensive knowledge of the real estate market makes him an in demand speaker and real estate expert. He constantly analyzes current market conditions and trends to stay one step ahead of others in the field. Curtis holds several advanced professional designations including GRI, ABR and CRS.Curtis has been featured nationally on the cover of REALTOR Magazine, prominently in CNN Money Magazine as well as interviewed locally on virtually every TV station and newspaper. Curtis and his selling system have been featured on the 60 Minutes equivalent in several countries internationally. Follow @curtisjohnsonrealestate on Instagram. CTA​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla

The podcast discusses the importance of chasing growth and personal responsibility in the real estate industry. It contrasts the mindsets of successful and unsuccessful agents. Emphasizes the significance of embracing discomfort, seeking help, and contributing positively within a team for success.

In our industry, owning a brokerage has always been seen as the pinnacle of success. But for many owners who love what real estate offers but not running a brokerage, it’s a necessary evil. Owning a brokerage is a doorway to many great things, but what happens when that starts to hinder your excellence in the areas you really care about? That’s where Keith Riddle found himself. After becoming an indie brokerage owner, almost by accident, he realized he didn’t have to control everything to be successful. It’s like a saw mill. Back in the day, saw mill owners put all their focus on the trees and planks, and gave away the wood chips and sawdust for free. Today, saw mill owners realize that there’s actually a ton of money in the wood chips and sawdust, so why not let someone else run the mill? In real estate, Keith kept the brokerage for the ancillary benefits, but he came to realize that he doesn’t have to run the brokerage to get those benefits. Many of us think we make more by controlling the entire process, but that’s not the case.  That’s why he has chosen to move his brokerage to eXp. He can get the wood chips without running the brokerage out of obligation. Today he shares how he came to this decision, the trap many business owners find themselves in and the mindset shift that will set you free. Guest InfoKeith Riddle is an investor, Saas & iBuyer Software Developer and the CEO and Designated Broker at Synergy Properties & Development. CTA​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla

Making a change, whether it’s to a belief system, a business model or brokerage is something many people won’t do, even if it would benefit them. Only people who think critically and aren’t caught up in ego are willing to shift how they see things when presented with new information. Being willing to change our beliefs publicly means people reminding us of what we believed or said before, or even being labeled as a flip flop. There’s a huge difference between an emotionally intelligent person and someone who changes with the wind. In real estate, too many people hold onto a belief or business model simply because they can’t take the ego risk of being seen differently. The problem is, that keeps us in places that might not be beneficial to us anymore, even if we’re seemingly being rewarded for it. The more accustomed we get to constantly re-examining and reconciling what we believe, the more we grow as people and as business owners. Today, Chris Bowers and I discuss this and the power of challenging our thoughts and mindsets.Guest InfoChris Bowers is a Realtor, Investor and owner of the Bowers Team, and the host of The agentXcel podcast. Chris has been in real estate for over 16 years, but he has been an entrepreneur since his teens. Today, Chris and his wife run a successful team selling over 140 units with half of those being Chris’ personal production. He has also built a solid rental portfolio that continues to grow to this day. 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

Profit - it’s the whole entire point that we run businesses. For such a critical, and even fundamental topic, agents will talk about everything else but whether or not they are making a profit, and there’s a reason. Staying on top of your numbers requires a scary level of maturity. Whatever financial decision we make has an impact on the bottom line, and that level of responsibility is so uncomfortable, we’d rather avoid it altogether. It’s the equivalent of stepping on the scale and knowing we have to make lifestyle changes to take care of our health. If we ran a publicly traded company, every decision would need to be justified to a board, a CFO, and a whole horde of people. In real estate, we can get away with not doing that, but it’s something we must force on ourselves if we really do want to be profitable. How do we overcome the Fear of Finding Out? What’s so powerful about getting in rooms with smart people? Chris Bowers and I continue our deep dive conversation on real estate, curating relationships and the power of masterminds. Guest InfoChris Bowers is a Realtor, Investor and owner of the Bowers Team, and the host of The agentXcel podcast. Chris has been in real estate for over 16 years, but he has been an entrepreneur since his teens. Today, Chris and his wife run a successful team selling over 140 units with half of those being Chris’ personal production. He has also built a solid rental portfolio that continues to grow to this day. 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

In the conversation about scaling our real estate businesses, systems come up a lot, but that’s not the first and most important thing. Systems come a distant second to people, because ultimately, how can we step out of specific roles and tasks if we have no one to hand them off to? Because we don’t put the necessary premium on hiring and people, we don’t get to fully experience their effect. Like cold calls, scripts, and negotiation, hiring is a skill we need to nurture, focus on and master. In this business, agents will have one bad experience with a hire, and tell themselves “hiring sucks”, instead of thinking that they hired the wrong person, or that they hired the right person, but didn’t set them up for success. A lot of agents don’t know when it’s the right time to hire. The simple answer is: when you’re doing all you can and you can’t do more. It’s not about hiring when someone says you should from the stage or when your real estate buddy hires someone with a fancy title. Hire based on your goals, and what you want to step out of. We have to master the art of recruiting way before we need the hire, because that’s the secret. How did we approach our own hiring? Why did we hire probably long before we were really “ready”? Chris Bowers and I talk about the power of treating hiring like a skill (because it is). Guest InfoChris Bowers is a Realtor, Investor and owner of the Bowers Team, and the host of The agentXcel podcast. Chris has been in real estate for over 16 years, but he has been an entrepreneur since his teens. Today, Chris and his wife run a successful team selling over 140 units with half of those being Chris’ personal production. He has also built a solid rental portfolio that continues to grow to this day. 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

Intro Paragraph/Email Without a doubt, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger are 2 of the greatest investing minds of all time. Because they’ve been at it for so long, they’ve seen market highs and market lows,  and built a massive holding company where the main share trades at $538k. These guys have got to know a thing or two about how to build and keep wealth. That’s why thousands go to their annual shareholder meeting every year. But you don’t have to go to Omaha to get the benefit of their brilliance. Every year, they publish a shareholder letter and it’s absolutely packed with nuggets that apply today. In a volatile market like the one we’re in right now, maybe some of the greatest wisdom we can gain is from the past. That’s what led Brian Gubernick to go digging into Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. There’s got to be strategies we can learn from these investing greats to better our own portfolios…well their advice will surprise you. It’s not as flashy as you think, but considering what Warren and Charlie built, it’s worth paying attention to. Today, Brian goes through his top takeaways from taking a deep dive into these investor newsletters. Guest InfoBrian 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.Listen to No Days Off on your platform of choice. CTA​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla

Anytime an agent gets an appointment from a cold call, it’s like walking into a war zone. They don’t know you, like you or trust you, so they aren’t exactly warm and fuzzy when you go and meet them…unless they’ve already viewed a ton of your content online.    Having a YouTube channel can take people from not knowing who you are to rolling out the red carpet for you. It warms the lead up before you even meet them, and when it comes to signing a listing agreement - it’s nothing more than a formality.    Chris Igoe’s YouTube channel has become a solid source of business, but that took weeks of figuring it out, understanding the algorithm and months upon months of consistency for it to pay off.    Today, he shares his journey into real estate, discovering his superpower and how he is making YouTube work massively well for him.  Quotes    The great thing about this industry is you can just copy someone and get results to a varying degree. The problem is it might not be the best result for you. -Kevin Kauffman    The best thing anyone can do in any industry they’re in is build up their brand on YouTube. -Chris Igoe    There were people having success and generating leads through YouTube, if they could do it, I can do it. -Chris Igoe    If someone was going to hire me through a cold call, they would probably Google me and I wanted them to know I was real. -Chris Igoe    Many of the things that used to work on YouTube have been obsolete for a very long time. The only thing that matters is pleasing its audience. -Chris Igoe  Key Points     Good mentor vs. great mentor  The great thing about this industry is you can copy someone and get results but that is a double-edged sword because that might not be the best  for you. Good mentors will show you how they did it and create a path to follow. Great mentors will take time to ask questions, and find out whether the activities line up with who you are as a person.    Find your superpower and double down The advice new agents get is to blindly follow whatever model works. The truth is: whether you choose cold calling, social media or referrals, all the models work, but everyone has their own unique superpower. The key is figuring out what that is, playing to your strengths and consistently hammering at it until you have success. When Chris realized that cold calling was his superpower, he went from making $25k in his first year to millions in volume.    Warm up the lead before you meet  When you get an appointment off a cold call, you’re going into a war zone. They don’t know, like or trust you and they are getting hounded by other agents. Before you even show up to their door, they will Google you so having a deep catalog of content on YouTube starts the process of warming them up.    What works on YouTube  Many of the things that used to work on YouTube have been obsolete for a very long time. The only thing that matters is pleasing its audience. We have to understand our ideal viewer/customer and get really specific so we can craft and create that right-fit content.     The metrics don’t matter  When you’re creating YouTube content, it’s really easy to get caught up in the vanity metrics - how many views, likes, subscribes and shares you’re getting. If you’re doing YouTube to get more leads and transactions, the vanity metrics don’t matter. What counts is how many leads this is generating, and how it’s leading to more buyers and sellers.    Guest Info   Chris is a real estate professional, investor, and retired stockbroker providing current housing market analysis with financial and economic market commentary. He empowers people with the truth to make the best decisions for themselves, their families and the financial bottom line.   Subscribe to Chris’ YouTube channel.  CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla

In real estate, agents, teams and business models don’t fit in one box, but we constantly fall into the trap of doing things one specific way. People start teams because it’s the next indicated step, what everyone else is doing or an ego boost, not because it’s what works for them. If ego, identity and emotion weren’t part of our decision making, the paths we’d take would be more authentic. If we treated our businesses as if we reported to a board of directors, we would make decisions differently.  That’s why it’s so necessary to get into environments that pull our businesses apart so we can make them better. Whether you’re a solo agent or a mega-team leader, we need to be in rooms that force us to pivot in the direction of what’s right for us.  Most agents won’t take this step because their identities and egos are wrapped up in where they are now. Ultimately, the decisions we made before are the tuition we pay to get to the destination we want. Today, fellow Arizona agents, Angela Gordon and Trevor Halpern join me to talk about the decisions we make, what we’re looking forward to in 2024, and choosing the right model for you (even if it goes against the status quo).  Caring about people and learning about them is a great strategy for business. -Kevin Kauffman If you can get a room full of givers, you’re winning. -Angela Gordon When you strip down a team and the revenue model often times, team leads aren’t making that much money. -Trevor Halpern We’re always being sold the next shiny object, but most agents aren’t focused enough so we’re really easy to take advantage of as a community. -Kevin Kauffman The only person that’s going to give you a plan, structure and help you implement is you. -Trevor Halpern It’s okay to say that something doesn’t work for us and pivot. If you put a lot of time, effort and money into something that failed, it’s only a failure if you don't take lessons from it. You can use the lessons from that to make more money or better decisions going forward.  Our businesses take the biggest leaps when we get around other people and learn from them. There’s a time to hunker down, but there’s also a time to get ideas, insights and pull apart our businesses to make them better. The problem is, most people do one or the other - both pieces are necessary, they aren’t sufficient alone. We have to find the balance between taking in information and taking action based on that information.  As agents, we get so caught up on the brokerage we’re at and how our clients might react to us changing. The truth is, the consumer doesn’t care what brokerage you’re at, it’s not that big a deal to them. Ultimately, the relationship they have with us overrides their relationship with our companies.  Guest Info Trevor Halpern is a Phoenix based Realtor with over a decade in the business. As the founder of Halpern Residential, 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. Follow @halpernresidential on Instagram.  Angela is the host of Ponderbox and a real estate agent who focuses on the east valley cities of Phoenix, Arizona.  With an emphasis on community impact and support of local businesses.  As an agent who finished 2022 in the top 1% in Maricopa county, rest assured, the experience you have with her will be one you will rave about. Follow @angelagordon_ on Instagram.  CTA ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla