RealTrending

Navigating the impending commission changes can feel confusing, frustrating, and downright impossible. However, it's not impossible.Today on the RealTrending podcast, we spoke with Mark McLaughlin, the Chief Strategist of Compass. He originally joined Compass back in 2018 when the brokerage purchased his firm, Pacific Union for $80 million. He left the Company back in 2021 to pursue other ventures and then returned in June of 2023 as Chief Strategist.In this episode, Tracey and Mark dive deep into how Compass is navigating the upcoming changes and what brokers and agents should be aware of as we move forward. Mark explains Compass's growth strategy, including the mixing of organic growth and M&A, and some of their other unique practices and upcoming developments.These views and voice are of Mark A. McLaughlin and not necessarily Compass policy or opinion.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Agents need to be prepared for the upcoming August 17 deadline and the potential impact on their business practices. Compass has a growth strategy focused on organic growth and M&A, and they are committed to providing a strong culture and fiscal discipline to support their agents. Compass is developing a client dashboard that will provide clients with visibility into the home search and transaction process. Agents should always be seeking opportunities to connect with and learn from others in the industry. Related to this episode: Mark McLaughlin | LinkedIn Compass Real Estate Mark McLaughlin returns to Compass | HousingWire HousingWire | YouTube 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.

On today’s episode, we sat down with Rylie Schroeder, an inspiring real estate professional and 2024 honoree of National Association of Realtors 30 Under 30. Rylie is the team lead of Schroeder & Co Real Estate of Compass, which practices out of Houston and Austin.Rylie joins Tracey to discuss the importance of building and nurturing relationships and how she uses a successful 36-touch system for client connections. She also talks about lessons learned from a failed partnership and how both new and seasoned agents should be leveraging technology and social media.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Building relationships and nurturing the sphere of influence are key to success in real estate. Joining a team can provide valuable support, training, and leads for new agents. Using technology and staying up-to-date with industry changes are essential for remaining successful. Focusing on branding, marketing, and providing a great client experience can set a team apart. Expanding the team and making a positive impact in the industry are future goals for Rylie. Related to this episode: Rylie Schroeder | Compass Rylie Schroeder | LinkedIn Schroeder & Co Real Estate Dynamic and Driven: Meet the 2024 Class of 30 Under 30 | NAR HousingWire | YouTube 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.

On today’s episode of RealTrending, we are joined by Christine Hansen, the broker-owner of Century 21 Hansen Realty, which has been serving the South Florida area for over 38 years. She is also the 2025 first vice president of the National Association of Realtors.Today’s episode discussion focuses on what we can gain from not only our successes but also from our failures. Christine talks about the hardships and bankruptcy that she went through during the Great Recession, and what those experiences taught her about running her brokerage today. They also talk about the upcoming goals for NAR and its leadership team for the next year and the opportunities she sees for Realtors in this marketHere’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The goals of the 2025 leadership team are to keep NAR at the forefront of advocacy efforts. Realtors should showcase their value by communicating the challenges they overcome on behalf of buyers and sellers. Self-care, positive mindset, and gratitude are essential for overcoming challenges and living a fulfilling life. The future of real estate is in repurposing commercial spaces, and working towards affordability in home ownership. Related to this episode: Christine Hansen | LinkedIn Christine Hansen | CENTURY 21 Real Estate HousingWire | YouTube 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.

This week, we welcome Travis Robertson to the show! Travis is a real estate coach and the CEO of The Don’t Settle Group, a sales and executive training and coaching company. Travis believes in the importance of treating real estate as a fully realized business, not just a practice or side hustle. He and Tracey talk about the need for agents to understand and communicate their value to clients and maintain a long term relationship with them outside of the business transaction. They also talk about marketing, strategies for staying ahead of trends, and how to navigate all of the impending policy and practice changes happening post-settlement,Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Treat real estate as a business and understand your value as an agent. Set clear expectations with clients and communicate regularly to build strong relationships. Stay informed about industry trends and adapt your strategies accordingly. Utilize modern strategies such as advertising and lead acquisition for consistent and predictable income. Related to this episode: The Don't Settle Group  Travis Robertson | LinkedIn HousingWire | YouTube 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.

On today’s sponsored episode, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jason Mitchell, the founder and CEO of JMG Real Estate, one of the top mega teams on the 2024 RealTrends Verified Rankings. JMG is a B2B brokerage that works diligently with big brands to drive worthwhile business into their company and give their agents high-quality referrals. Tracey and Jason talk about JMG’s strategy when building a network of referral partners and the careful consideration that they take when assessing not only the value that the agent brings to them but also the value that they bring to the agents. He also talks about policy changes, holding agents accountable for productivity goals, and managing relationships with large referral partners.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Providing value to agents and helping them build their book of business is crucial in the real estate industry. Being consistent, proactive, and focused on providing value to clients leads to success. Partnerships and relationships with organizations and decision-makers are key to generating referrals and growing a real estate business. The real estate industry is evolving, and agents need to adapt by finding opportunities to work with teams or brokerages that can help them close more deals. Being transactional and closing more deals leads to a larger client base and more opportunities for referrals. Related to this episode: Jason Mitchell Group Jason Mitchell Group | LinkedIn Jason Mitchell | LinkedIn HousingWire | YouTube 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.

Today, we welcome Howard Lorey to the show! Howard is the Executive Vice President and Brokerage Manager of Nourmand & Associates with 24 years of real estate experience. He and his team at the LA-based Nourmand & Associates closed over 380 transactions this past year with a total sales volume of over $693 million to date.  Tracey and Howard discuss how he transitioned from being a professional musician to working under his father in real estate, and the interesting similarities he's found that have helped further his real estate career. They also talk about recruitment and training strategies, the future of agent compensation, and balancing pursuing consolidation and developing your existing assets.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Transitioning from a career in music to real estate requires a similar approach to branding and business development. Attracting talent involves identifying underutilized or underappreciated individuals and offering personalized business development support. Real estate will see more consolidation, streamlined transaction mechanics, and a continued focus on the agent-client relationship. Leadership in real estate involves continuous learning, perpetual growth, and a focus on developing and retaining talented agents. Related to this episode: Howard Lorey | LinkedIn About Howard Lorey | Nourmand & Associates Nourmand & Associates HousingWire | YouTube 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.

This week, we are bringing you a fantastic chat with Michelle Berman-Mikel, the owner and founder of Berman Media PD and the developer behind a program called Beyond the Method, which teaches real estate professionals how to use Instagram in a way that helps them grow their business.She and Tracey do a deep dive into how to use and leverage Instagram and other social media to turn superficial follower engagement into a full-blown lead-generation tool. Michelle has what she calls the “Four Pillars of Engagement” and gives some great insight into how to make and stick with meaningful Instagram content that will help you stand out.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Instagram is a powerful platform for real estate marketing, but many agents don’t use it to its potential. The four pillars of success on Instagram include value series, testimonials, listing day, and lifestyle content. Outbound prospecting is about creating opportunities and building relationships within the community. The 'black line approach' is a strategy for success, inspired by Michelle's swimming career, and emphasizes focus, discipline, and trust in the process. Related to this episode: Michelle Berman-Mikel | LinkedIn  Michelle Berman-Mikel Instagram Can you have a “presence” on Instagram without being “present” | HousingWire Berman Media HousingWire | YouTube 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.

In today’s episode, we have a fantastic chat with Jim D’Amico, the CEO and president of Century 21 North East. Jim is a 2020 RealTrends Gamechanger, touting an impressive transaction growth rate of 179% between 2014 and 2018.Jim shares the one small change that he made early in his career that led to massive growth in his professional and personal life. Jim also discusses his specific approach to acquisitions, the inherent value of continuing education for agents, and much more.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Acquisitions have played a key role in the company's growth strategy, with a focus on cultural fit and opportunities that align with their goals. It’s important to say ahead of industry changes and adapting to market dynamics. Agent education is a top priority, with a focus on providing training and resources to help agents navigate industry changes and better serve their clients. Personal setbacks often come with lessons, including the importance of humility and personal growth. The future holds organic growth, attracting top agents, and continuing to provide resources and support for their team. Related to this episode: James D'Amico | LinkedIn James D'Amico, III, CENTURY 21 Real Estate Agent in Everett, MA Century 21 REAL Trends Game Changer: Jim D'Amico, President of Century 21 Northeast in Massachusetts HousingWire | YouTube 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.

In today’s episode, we speak with the co-founder & CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), Gary Acosta. Gary is a real estate and mortgage entrepreneur, public policy advocate, investor, and advisor, who has served on boards for several Fortune 500 companies including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and JP Morgan Chase.Tracey and Gary’s conversation focuses on Gary’s career passion: the health of Hispanic and Latino homebuyers in today’s market. They discuss the impact of the NAR settlement on Hispanic agents and homebuyers and how broker cooperation benefits first-time homebuyers. They also talk about takeaways from NAHREP’s State of Hispanic Homeownership Report and the priorities that NAHREP is focusing on as they see more opportunities in the changing market. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The NAR settlement and potential changes to broker cooperation could have a disproportionate impact on Latino real estate agents and first-time homebuyers. The Latino community has shown resiliency and has rising income and education levels, making them an important demographic for the real estate industry. The NAHREP Homeownership Report highlights the increasing homeownership rate among Hispanics and their mobility to affordable markets. NAHREP's priorities include housing affordability, access to credit, and diversity in the industry. Opportunities in the real estate market lie in the changing dynamics of the industry, such as remote work and advancements in technology. Related to this episode: Gary Acosta | LinkedIn NAHREP Gary Acosta | NAHREP State of Hispanic Homeownership Report | NAHREP 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.

Today we welcome Sharran Srivatsaa, the president of Real, to the RealTrending podcast! Sharran joined Real in 2022 and has personally overseen the onboarding of over 13,000 agents while Real has moved up to #6 from #11 by transaction sides in the 2024 RealTrends Verified brokerage rankings. He brings over two decades of business and entrepreneurial experience to today’s conversation from several companies across the real estate, finance and technology sectors.In today’s conversation with Tracey, he talks about Real’s strategic growth plan on a granular level, including his personal commitment to showing up for his agents even in the most unexpected of places. He also talks about how they’re navigating industry-wide changes amid the commission lawsuits, and how brokers can best provide building blocks for their agents to build out their unique businesses.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Deploying goodwill and generosity is a powerful strategy for growth in the real estate industry. Showing up in unexpected places and staying true to the business model can create a sense of belonging and warmth. Training agents to navigate upcoming changes in the industry is crucial for success. Providing results in advance and being entrepreneur-centric can attract and retain agents. Brokers should provide agents with building blocks to build their unique businesses. Related to this episode: Sharran Srivatsaa | LinkedIn Sharran Srivatsaa | Instagram Sharran Srivatsaa Real 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.