aboutToday's RealTrending features Michael Maher, CEO of ReferCo and author of "7 Levels of Communication." Maher emphasizes the importance of creating "talk abouts" or memorable experiences. He did that in his own real estate business by hosting housewarming parties and three client appreciation events annually, tailored to what their clients enjoyed, like sports or bowling. The key was to provide entertainment that clients loved and then step back, letting them enjoy. The ultimate goal of these events and strategies was fun prospecting. While attendees enjoyed themselves, they were also reminded of the speaker's real estate services. The speaker encouraged referrals, emphasizing that it benefits everyone involved.Maher goes into his event method, how even introvert real estate agents can enjoy events and how to build a referral business.Related to this episode: Michael Maher ReferCo HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!HousingWire Annual is where the community from across the housing ecosystem comes together to share strategies, drive business, discover new technologies, discuss best practices, and meet industry leaders. Our agenda is power packed with content to propel your company to the next level and connect you with the industry playmakers. Click here to learn more!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

In the latest episode of The RealTrending Podcast, we talk with Mike Miedler, CEO of CENTURY 21, who delves deep into his insights on the real estate industry. Mike passionately speaks about the unique attributes of the real estate sector and emphasizes its people-driven nature. He believes that while technology and trends may evolve, the essence of the industry will always revolve around personal connections and the significant emotional and financial weight of a home transaction. Despite the challenges of fluctuating markets, Mike sees downturns as opportunities for growth, particularly for brokers who are proactive and adaptive. He highlighted the current trend of mergers and acquisitions, suggesting that it's an avenue for brokers to consolidate and strengthen their market position. Mike's insights reflect a deep understanding of the real estate landscape and the importance of adaptability, focus, and maintaining a people-centric approach.Related to this episode: Connect with Mike on LinkedIn Century 21 - Mike Miedler Century 21 HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!HousingWire Annual is where the community from across the housing ecosystem comes together to share strategies, drive business, discover new technologies, discuss best practices, and meet industry leaders. Our agenda is power packed with content to propel your company to the next level and connect you with the industry playmakers. Click here to learn more!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

Today's RealTrending features Kurt Carlton, co-founder and president of New Western, a marketplace for real estate investors. Carlton talks about how he's working with real estate agents, his take on the affordability issue and the trend of the "Great Renovation."Related to this episode: Connect with Kurt on LinkedIn New Western HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!HousingWire Annual is where the community from across the housing ecosystem comes together to share strategies, drive business, discover new technologies, discuss best practices, and meet industry leaders. Our agenda is power packed with content to propel your company to the next level and connect you with the industry playmakers. Click here to learn more!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

On today's RealTrending, we speak with Chris Lim, president and Natalie Hamrick, vice president of Christie's International Real Estate about how they build their core values on a level of service and not a price point. The two discuss lessons learned as they grow the brand, how to build your message to attract agents to your firm and where they find inspiration. PS: There may be a little pickleball strategy discussion, as well!Related to this episode: Christie's Real Estate Connect with Chris on LinkedIn Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!HousingWire Annual is where the community from across the housing ecosystem comes together to share strategies, drive business, discover new technologies, discuss best practices, and meet industry leaders. Our agenda is power packed with content to propel your company to the next level and connect you with the industry playmakers. Click here to learn more!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

Today's RealTrending features Rich Hopen, broker-associate of Compass and co-founder of REAL-E in New Jersey and Susan Vanech, broker-associate of Compass and founder of Compass Coastal in Connecticut. Hopen is a self-taught expert in all things ChatGPT and artificial intelligence and built an AI-powered listing chatbot. Vaneck used that chatbot to market a multi-million dollar property.Today, they discuss the power of AI in real estate marketing, what the future holds, how they are embracing AI in their businesses and what trends they are seeing. Hopen is the editor of the e-newsletter: The AI Daily Brief where he discusses the latest trends in AI and how to apply themRelated to this episode: Connect with Rich on LinkedIn Connect with Susan on LinkedIn HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!HousingWire Annual is where the community from across the housing ecosystem comes together to share strategies, drive business, discover new technologies, discuss best practices, and meet industry leaders. Our agenda is power packed with content to propel your company to the next level and connect you with the industry playmakers. Click here to learn more!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

Today's RealTrending features Coldwell Banker Premier CEO and Founder Steve DuBrueler, whose company grew 76% by transaction sides over the past five years. Due to that growth, he was named a 2023 RealTrends GameChanger. Much of DuBrueler's firm's growth was attributed to strategic mergers and acquisitions; however, recruiting and attracting new agents is his focus today. Find out some of the lessons learned hiring an in-house recruiter and how he determined it was time to add another. DuBrueler notes that that only job he was ever fired from was with Coldwell Banker and how that motivated him to the success he has today, ironically with the same brand.Related to this episode: Connect with Steve on LinkedIn Steve DuBrueler - Coldwell Banker HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!HousingWire Annual is where the community from across the housing ecosystem comes together to share strategies, drive business, discover new technologies, discuss best practices, and meet industry leaders. Our agenda is power packed with content to propel your company to the next level and connect you with the industry playmakers. Click here to learn more!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

In today's RealTrending, we speak with Grant Muller of Grant Muller Team of Compass. Grant’s team is ranked No. 66 by transaction sides and No. 84 by sales volume in Colorado in the small team category of the 2023 RealTrends + Tom Ferry America’s Best Real Estate Professionals and Teams.Grant talks about his strategy for finding success in any market and that is by building relationships. He discusses his ideas for conversation starters that go beyond, "Do you know anyone who wants to buy or sell a house?" He also offers tips on figuring out what activities are authentic to who you are, so you can stop the door knocking and focus on what feels good to you. Finding that and building your prospecting around it will truly change your business.Related to this episode: Compass Connect with Grant on LinkedIn Top of Heart: How a new approach to business saved my life, and could save yours too HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!HousingWire Annual is where the community from across the housing ecosystem comes together to share strategies, drive business, discover new technologies, discuss best practices, and meet industry leaders. Our agenda is power packed with content to propel your company to the next level and connect you with the industry playmakers. Click here to learn more!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

In today's RealTrending, RE/MAX CEO & President Nick Bailey and United Real Estate Holdings CEO Dan Duffy offer a peek into their decisions to buy, build or partner for their brokerage technology platform. For Bailey, making the decision to let go of in-house tech to go outside made sense for the firm. Duffy, on the other hand, says that their firm is better for building a tech platform. Regardless, both do partner on some components.Listen in as the two have a friendly point, counterpoint discussion on why they feel their strategic decisions help them run a more profitable brokerage. There are always multiple ways to go about running a brokerage firm, what's best for one might not be in the DNA of another.  Related to this episode: Connect with Nick on LinkedIn RE/MAX Connect with Dan on LinkedIn United Real Estate HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!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

In today's RealTrending, we speak with Laurie Finkelstein Reader, team leader of the Laurie Finkelstein Reader Team at Keller Williams in Florida. Her mega team has ranked No. 40 by transaction sides and No. 45 by sales volume in the Mega Team category of the 2023 RealTrends + Tom Ferry The Thousand agent and team rankings.Laurie shares her lessons learned as her team evolved into a teamerage and her success strategies for lead generation. She also talks capture rates for her in-house title partnership and her plans to launch mortgage and expand her team into other markets. Related to this episode: Connect with Laurie on LinkedIn The Laurie Finkelstein Reader Team HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!HousingWire Annual is where the community from across the housing ecosystem comes together to share strategies, drive business, discover new technologies, discuss best practices, and meet industry leaders. Our agenda is power packed with content to propel your company to the next level and connect you with the industry playmakers. Click here to learn more!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

In today’s RealTrending podcast, we talk to Frances Katzen, an agent and team leader of The Katzen Team with Douglas Elliman in New York City. A former prima ballerina, Frances had to learn how to move from a natural-born salesperson to a leader when she started building her team. Perfectionism was expected in ballet and ingrained in her from an early age find out how she balances that mindset and found success when she started letting go.Related to this episode: Connect with Frances on LinkedIn The Frances Katzen Team HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode!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