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

We've talked about the ease AND the confusion for clients using iBuyer options... but how easy is it for them to change their minds once they start the transaction?

Reconnect   Connection...   How would you grade yourself on how you connected with the most important people to your business in 2019?   If you're like me, you have some opportunity for improvement.   This week we explore how to start to turn this around.   Make a commitment to better communication in 2020 with your database. I'll show you how to start...

Okay, you're willing to work "with" iBuyers instead of fighting the industry's changes. But the question on everyone's minds is... "Can I get commission/financial compensation for bringing a seller to an iBuyer?"

Keller Williams chief product officer out amid tech rollout   Chief Product Officer Neil Dholakia and Vice President of Product Miguel Bracchini both quietly departed over a one-month span after Keller Williams President Josh Team initially denied both were leaving.       HomeSmart acquires 650-agent indie brokerage TriStar Realty   HomeSmart International, which also owns a franchise division, vowed on Wednesday to double its agent count over the next three years. In announcing the transaction, the company – which also owns a franchise division – revealed ambitious plans to expand to double its nearly 18,000 agent count over the next three years.     Realogy CEO Ryan Schneider Says the housing market itself is what is he is most closely following going into 2020.   One is literally just what is going to be happening with the housing market. After a very tough end to 2018 and a tough start to 2019, we’ve had multiple quarters of improvement and I’m excited about that. We have low rates, a pretty healthy economy. I’m rooting, of course, we all are, for a strong housing market, the trajectory of it has been good and we hope that continues.     WeWork drama could be coming to the big screen: Report   Screenwriter Charles Randolph, of Oscar-winning “The Big Short” notoriety, is reportedly penning a new screenplay about the rise and fall of WeWork. The film will focus on the relationship between WeWork founder Adam Neumann and Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son.

On this episode, I’m honored to be joined by founder of eXp Realty, Glenn Sanford. As a part of eXp, we’ve seen first hand what makes this company and its leadership so outstanding. It’s a company of entrepreneurs who are building something special together, and this all started with the forward-thinking model Glenn envisioned back in 2009, when virtual brokerages hadn’t begun to take shape. What always struck us about Glenn was his deep understanding of the challenges real estate business owners face, and the opportunities that are available to us. It’s this business-minded approach, and his drive to create an engaged company culture in a virtual setting that has made eXp grow to take 2% of the US agent market, and helped it continue to grow globally.  After being involved with a number of internet start-ups in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, including a stint at AOL, Glenn started a highly successful real estate career in 2002. In 2006, his fourth full year in the business, Glenn and his team closed over $60,000,000 in real estate almost entirely from online lead generation and was ranked as one of the top 50 teams nationally with Keller Williams. After the downturn in 2008, he and his team developed the first cloud-based brokerage model that uses a 3D avatar-based online office to collaborate and communicate while abandoning the physical bricks and mortar infrastructure normally associated with real estate brokerage. In the last 9 years, since launching with 25 agents, eXp Realty has grown to over 15000 agents in all 50 states, DC and 3 Provinces in Canada and over 400 different MLS market areas. eXp Realty refers to itself as Agent-owned and the company became a public company in 2013 and in 2014 started to distribute equity to its productive agent owners. eXp Realty provides the first ESOP style Stock Ownership Program for its agents and brokers as well as a revenue sharing program all designed to enhance the agent-centric business model.    What has made eXp Realty such an attractive company for many Realtors across that  globe is that it’s a company of entrepreneurs who are building something together. It’s a culture that doesn’t just promote innovation, it also rewards entrepreneurs for it. The success of the company stems from the early vision its leaders had to lean into the virtual model, without losing engagement, commonality and the shared context of being a Realtor in today’s world.    In Today’s Episode, We Talk About;   -  Glenn’s background before eXp. - Where the idea for eXp Realty came from, and the pieces that came together for it to happen.   - The power of building into a future trend early.  - How to get a virtual brokerage right and uphold the team environment in a geographically dispersed setting.   - Why Glenn decided to make eXp a publicly traded real estate company and  building a vehicle for ownership.   - Building a strong team and why hiring generalists is better than specialist. - The goal to scale eXp.   - What Glenn sees on the horizon in real estate and why agents shouldn’t be too panicked about change.  Guest Info   Glenn is the founder eXp Realty and CEO of eXp World Holdings, Inc. eXp Realty refers to itself as Agent-owned and the company became a public company in 2013 and in 2014 started to distribute equity to its productive agent owners. eXp Realty provides the first ESOP style Stock Ownership Program for its agents and brokers as well as a revenue sharing program all designed to enhance the agent-centric business model.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenndsanford/

This week, master your craft  When was the last time you refreshed how you do things in your business? If the answer is “a while ago”, you could well be on the road to becoming obsolete and irrelevant.   Want to know how to avoid the pain of becoming obsolete? Spend a few minutes to listen to this week's business tip.

***Culdesac, the U.S.’s first, from-scratch car-free neighborhood is coming to Tempe in 2020   Ryan Johnson left Opendoor in 2018 to co-found Culdesac, which now says it's building the first from-scratch, car-free community in the US   Culdesac Tempe, a 1,000-person development set to open fall 2020, bills itself as the “world’s first post-car real estate developer.” Founders Ryan Johnson and Jeff Berens say they want to provide people the option of living a car-free lifestyle. The mixed-use Culdesac Tempe neighborhood is a $140 million project, capitalized by traditional real estate investors, and will include a dog park, restaurants, market hall, grocery store, and gym, with access to a light rail that connects to downtown Tempe, the airport, and Arizona State University. 16 acres near Apache Boulevard and River Road   Culdesac has so far raised $10 million in venture capital, indicating that investors are willing to give the company a chance.       ***Gen Z FICO scores beat Millennials and Gen X The youngest generation outperforms elders despite shortest credit histories   Of the three American generations following the Baby Boomers, the youngest is doing better at managing its credit.   Gen Z, meaning people born in 1995 or later, has an average FICO score of 637, above the all-age average of 634, according to a report from LendingPoint, a consumer lending platform.   Gen X, the 1965 to 1980 generation that followed the Baby Boomers, has an average FICO score of 632, the report said. Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, have an average FICO score of 629.   The average FICO score for Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, was 645, according to the report. The results are based on almost 5 million applications for person loans received by LendingPoint between July 2018 and July 2019.     ***Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac loan limit increases to more than $510,000 Conforming loan limit has now increased by nearly $100,000 since 2016   The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday that it is raising the conforming loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to more than $510,000.   In most of the U.S., the 2020 maximum conforming loan limit will be raised to $510,400, up from 2019’s level to $484,350.   This marks the fourth straight year that the FHFA has increased the conforming loan limits after not increasing them for an entire decade from 2006 to 2016.       ***Freddie Mac: Here’s what to expect from the housing market in 2020 and beyond Mortgage rates should stay low, leading to another big year for refis   Just over a year ago, mortgage rates nearly hit 5%, levels that hadn’t been seen since the early part of this decade. But as we get ready to move into a new decade, mortgage rates are more than a full percentage point lower than that, comfortably back in the 3-4% range.   And according to a new forecast from Freddie Mac, mortgage rates should stay that low for the rest of this year and well beyond that. In Freddie Mac’s newest housing market forecast, the company’s economic and housing research group states that they expect mortgage rates to remain around 3.8% for the rest of 2019 and stay at that level for all of 2020 and 2021.   As other recent forecasts and mortgage market data has shown, this year’s unexpectedly low mortgage rates have driven a rise in refinances, as well as a surge in home purchases.   A recent forecast from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows that 2019 is expected to be the best year for refis since 2016, and the best year for purchase mortgages since 2006.

About the Episode On this episode, I’m joined by real estate superstar, and fellow Raiders supporter, Jereme Kleven. What Jereme and his partner Mark Hutchins have managed to achieve with their business is nothing short of legendary. They have built a powerful and enduring business partnership since their early twenties; and their brokerage has over 2000 agents locally, closes over 5000 transactions monthly, and their listings make up 11% of the Phoenix market. Not only is My Home Group one of Phoenix’s top brokerages, the company has also managed to expand into other markets with a count of a whopping 2600 agents in those markets!     Jereme is the owner, co-founder and designated broker of My Home Group, a company that he and Mark Hutchins founded in 2004. My Home Group is on the cutting edge of technology. Providing effective tools for each agent's success as well as streamlining each transaction allowing agent's to focus more on their clients and their business. Jereme also hosts The Daily Dose podcast.  Growing an independent national brokerage to that level takes commitment, a laser focus on systems and leadership, and developing an instinct for knowing the right markets to go deep on. Growth at this level also brings with it it’s own unique set of challenges; but what keeps Jereme going is the dedication he has to provide his agents with the best systems, platforms and value to boost their businesses. My Home Group has done this so well, it’s no wonder why it’s the fastest growing brokerages in the country.      In Today’s Episode, We Talk About;   - The power of a great partnership.   - My Home Group, how it got started and became a large brokerage.  - The importance of constantly refining operations.   - The biggest lesson Jereme he learned through expansion.  - Why My Home Group chose a National brokerage vs. a franchise system.  - The importance of nurturing B2B relationships.  - Why we shouldn’t be too focused on GCI.  - What’s most exciting to Jereme about the future of real estate.  - The importance of commitment when you want to grow a successful business.  Guest Info   Jereme is the owner, co-founder and designated broker of My Home Group, a company that he and Mark Hutchins founded in 2004. My Home Group is on the cutting edge of technology. Providing effective tools for each agent's success as well as streamlining each transaction allowing agent's to focus more on their clients and their business. Jereme also hosts The Daily Dose podcast.    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Real-Estate/Jereme-Kleven-421927225294097/