
RealTrending
The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.
Latest episodes

Jun 19, 2023 • 32min
KW's Matt Brown shares secrets to organic brokerage growth
Today's RealTrending features Matt Brown, CEO of Keller Williams Elite Realty in Owensboro, Kentucky. Brown was named a 2023 RealTrends GameChanger due to his firm's 334% growth over the past five years by transaction side percentage. Brown shares that the majority of that growth was organic touting his firm as "learning-based and technology-enabled." He talks about the value proposition and systems necessary to train and recruit agents at scale.Related to this episode:
Connect with Matt on LinkedIn
Keller Williams ELITE Realty
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 12, 2023 • 50min
Jason Mitchell on building a lender referral brokerage
In today's RealTrending, Jason Mitchell, CEO of Jason Mitchell Group in Scottsdale, Arizona shares the success secrets behind his non-traditional real estate brokerage model. Mitchell's company is built around servicing organizations through partnerships with lenders such as Zillow, Rocket Homes, Quicken Loans and Bank of America. Knowing that these companies are expecting top-notch service from his agents, Mitchell developed a unique model and training program to do just that.Related to this episode:
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn
Jason Mitchell Group
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 5, 2023 • 43min
Brown Harris Stevens CEO on growth through talent attraction
In today's episode of RealTrending we speak to 2023 RealTrends GameChanger Bess Freedman, CEO of Brown Harris Stevens in New York. The brokerage grew by 163% by transaction side percentage over the past five years, 2017-2022. Part of that growth is due to an acquisition of Halstead in 2002 and Christie's International's New York office in 2022. However, her talent attraction strategy also plays a role in that growth.Freedman discusses how she attracts talent in the hyper-competitive New York City real estate market, the importance of an accessible culture in the office and how she finds inspiration and motivation.Related to this episode:
Connect with Bess on LinkedIn
Brown Harris Stevens
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 29, 2023 • 36min
GameChanger Paul Benson on industry shifts serving consumers
In today's RealTrending, Paul Benson, CEO, Engel & Völkers Gestalt Group, talks about recent consumer shifts that are causing real estate brokers and agents to look at business differently. From artificial intelligence to home as an investment, Benson offers a unique perspective on the issues most impacting real estate today. Benson and his company were named a 2023 RealTrends GameChanger, launching June 1, with 93% growth by transaction side percentage between 2017 to 2022.Related to this episode:
Connect with Paul on LinkedIn
Engel and Völkers: About Paul
Engel and Völkers - Paul Benson
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 22, 2023 • 38min
Anywhere's Liz Gehringer on easing the transaction for the consumer
Today's RealTrending features Liz Gehringer, president and CEO of Anywhere Franchise Brands. Liz talks about new trends in consumer behavior, how real estate leaders can innovate to create efficiencies in the transaction and how she's working to build collaboration between all of the Anywhere brands for maximum returns.Related to this episode:
Connect with Liz on LinkedIn
Anywhere
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 15, 2023 • 29min
Opendoor's Will Holmes on the future of iBuyers
Today's RealTrending podcast features Will Holmes, head of partnerships for Opendoor. Holmes talks about consumer pain points in the transaction, the opportunity to innovate in the industry and build broker partnerships and the future of the iBuying model and how it's evolving.Related to this episode:
Connect with Will on LinkedIn
Opendoor
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!RealTrends Agent and Team Rankings are now open! Submit here before April 14th to be featured in the industry's trusted rankings program. Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 8, 2023 • 34min
Side's Steve Capezza on driving real estate team growth
Today's RealTrending features Steve Capezza, president of Side Real Estate. Steve joined Side in January 2023 after a career with Zillow, most recently with Zillow's Premier Agent program. Tasked with national growth for Side, Capezza talks the power of a teamerage, what brokers should understand about the model, lessons learned from Zillow and the power of community and the initiatives Side is building around that concept.Related to this episode:
Connect with Steve on LinkedIn
Side Real Estate
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!RealTrends Agent and Team Rankings are now open! Submit here before April 14th to be featured in the industry's trusted rankings program. Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 1, 2023 • 35min
C21 Circle's Tom Bretz on smart real estate brokerage investments
In this episode of RealTrending, Tom Bretz, founding principal and CEO of CENTURY 21 Circle and CEO of Elmdale Partners, talks about how he skillfully managed acquisitions of different compensation models and cultures into his traditional model, what he sees as the smartest real estate brokerage investment in today's market and the trends he's seeing that are driving the industry. Related to this episode:
Tom Bretz
Elmdale Partners
Century 21 Circle
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!RealTrends Agent and Team Rankings are now open! Submit here before April 14th to be featured in the industry's trusted rankings program. Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 24, 2023 • 28min
The Agency’s Mauricio Umansky on strategic growth
Today's RealTrending features Mauricio Umansky, CEO of The Agency, and author of his new book, “The Dealmaker.” Umansky discusses his company’s strategic growth plan, how he’s overcome adversity to build his company and offers his view of current industry trends.Related to this episode:
Connect with Mauricio on LinkedIn
The Agency
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!RealTrends Agent and Team Rankings are now open! Submit here before April 14th to be featured in the industry's trusted rankings program. Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 17, 2023 • 37min
Logan Mohtashami's insights on the U.S. dollar and the impact on housing
In today's episode of RealTrending, Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst for HousingWire talks all things economy. He offers his insights on the potential fall of the U.S. dollar and the potential impact on housing. He also discusses HousingWire's weekly Housing Market Tracker, interest rates, the Fed's questionable actions and what he sees coming in the next three months. His economic update as it relates to housing is second to none and Logan's been featured on CNBC and NPR.Related to this episode:
Connect with Logan on LinkedIn
HousingWire’s YouTube Channel
Enjoy the episode!RealTrends Agent and Team Rankings are now open! Submit here before April 14th to be featured in the industry's trusted rankings program. Gathering of Eagles will bring together the nation's top residential real estate CEOs, Presidents, and C-Level leadership teams to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. 2023's Gathering of Eagles is at Omni Barton Creek Resort in the rolling hill country of Austin, Texas from June 18-21. Click here to learn more and register your spot!The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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