Advertise on podcast: Seeking the Best - The Real Estate Agent Podcast

Real estate gives you plenty of opportunities to question whether you're actually good at it. People don't call back. You lose an appointment. A deal gets messy. You remember the mistake nobody else noticed. And especially early in your career, it doesn't take long before all of that starts feeling like evidence. But what happens when the evidence begins pointing the other direction? In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn looks back at the moments that slowly changed how she saw herself as a real estate agent—from receiving positive feedback after her first closing to getting referrals from people willing to trust her with their friends and family. Kathryn and Patrick talk about why agents tend to dismiss compliments while remembering criticism, why clients often experience a transaction very differently from the agent managing it, and how the definition of being “good at real estate” changes with experience. Eventually, it becomes less about knowing every answer or never making a mistake. It becomes judgment. Staying calm. Recognizing problems. Setting expectations. Listening well. And becoming someone people trust when the decision gets difficult. This week's Best Move: read your recent client reviews and find one quality people repeatedly mention about working with you. Then add that language to your value proposition. Sometimes the clearest description of what you do well comes from the people who experienced it. CONNECT WITH SEEKING THE BEST YouTube: @SeekingTheBestPod — Full episodes, Shorts, real estate product reviews, and practical business-building videos. Instagram: @OnSeekingTheBest — Behind-the-scenes moments, practical tips, and more from Kathryn and Patrick. Website: OnSeekingTheBest.com — Episode supplements, Kathryn and Patrick's Candy Bag articles, resources, and more. Have a question for the show? Send it through SpeakPipe on OnSeekingTheBest.com.

NO VIDEO PODCAST THIS WEEK! You know the listing is overpriced. You know the client’s expectations don’t fit. But you need the business, and you’ve started convincing yourself this time will be different. It’s an uncomfortable position for a real estate agent—especially when you’ve been doing this long enough to know better. The pressure isn’t always about paying the bills. Sometimes you need to see progress. You want the next closing to prove that things are moving again. And an opportunity you would normally question starts looking like something you can’t afford to lose. Kathryn has been there. Looking back, the difficult part wasn’t always recognizing a bad fit. Sometimes she recognized it and kept going anyway. In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn and Patrick explore what happens when wanting the business starts changing your judgment. How much can you justify in the name of growth? And when does being committed to your client become being unable to let this particular deal go? If you’ve been telling yourself “I just need this one to work,” this conversation may feel familiar. CONNECT WITH SEEKING THE BEST YouTube: @SeekingTheBestPodWatch full episodes, Shorts, product reviews and practical videos for real estate agents. Instagram: @OnSeekingTheBestFollow Kathryn and Patrick for tips and behind-the-scenes moments. Website: OnSeekingTheBest.comExplore episode supplements, the Candy Bag, more show content and merch. Have a question for Kathryn and Patrick?Leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest

Few things sting quite like discovering that someone you thought was your client bought or sold a house with another agent. Maybe they're a past client you've stayed in touch with for years. Maybe they're a friend or family member you assumed would call. Or maybe you've been helping them prepare for months and suddenly someone else's sign is in the yard. It feels personal because real estate is personal. But does losing the business mean you did something wrong? In this episode, Kathryn shares several times it has happened to her—including one that completely changed the way she thought about branding and communicating with her sphere. Kathryn and Patrick talk about why agents take these losses so personally, the danger of assuming loyalty, when asking for feedback is actually useful, and how niche marketing can accidentally confuse the people who already know you. They also get into a surprisingly vulnerable part of a mature real estate business: sometimes the clients you feel safest about are the ones you're most likely to stop actively following up with. And when someone does choose another agent, does that mean the relationship is over? Or do you keep showing up the same way you always have? CONNECT WITH SEEKING THE BEST YouTube: @SeekingTheBestPodFull episodes, Shorts, real estate product reviews, and practical business-building videos. Instagram: @OnSeekingTheBestBehind-the-scenes moments, practical tips, and more from Kathryn and Patrick. Website: www.OnSeekingTheBest.comEpisode supplements, Kathryn's Candy Bag, more Seeking the Best content, merch, and a place to explore the show. SpeakPipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebestLeave Kathryn and Patrick a voice message or question for the show.

There’s a moment early in a real estate career when a client asks you a question, waits for your answer, and you suddenly realize: Oh. I’m the real estate agent. Getting licensed makes you legally qualified to practice real estate. It doesn’t automatically make you feel capable of guiding someone through contracts, inspections, negotiations and the hundreds of situations you’ve never encountered before. Kathryn looks back at what it felt like to be a new agent, the fear of not knowing enough, when to ask other agents for help, and the difference between projecting confidence and pretending to know something you don’t. Twenty years later, Kathryn still encounters things she hasn’t seen before. The difference is what happens next. YOUR BEST MOVE: Create a professional “I don’t know” response you can use instead of guessing when a client asks something you aren’t certain about. YouTube: @SeekingTheBestPodInstagram: @OnSeekingTheBestWebsite: OnSeekingTheBest.com Have a question for Kathryn and Patrick? Send it through https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest Hosted by Kathryn StelljesCo-hosted and produced by Patrick Fatica CONNECT WITH SEEKING THE BEST

Starting over sounds brave until you actually have to do it. Because once you've built a business before, trying again comes with evidence. You know what the work requires. You know what can go wrong. And somewhere in the back of your mind is the question: What happens if I do all of this again and it still doesn't work? But there's another possibility we don't talk about as often. What if it does? In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn and Patrick talk about why experienced real estate agents can become increasingly cautious after setbacks, how half-effort can quietly protect us from getting an answer we may not want, and why the business we once wanted may not be the business we want to rebuild now. Kathryn also shares what it was like dismantling part of her real estate business during one of her strongest sales years, why a plan failing doesn't mean the person failed, and how our own results can change what we believe we're capable of doing next. They explore: • Why starting over gets emotionally harder after you've already succeeded• The difference between a business problem and a personal failure• How “being careful” can become another form of avoidance• Why half-effort protects us from truly testing ourselves• The uncomfortable question behind a big production goal: Do you actually want the life required to create it?• Why resilience sometimes means changing the plan rather than repeating it BEST MOVE: Invite one past client to coffee this week. CONNECT WITH SEEKING THE BEST 🎥 YouTube: @SeekingTheBestPod — Full episodes, Shorts, real estate product reviews, and practical videos for building a real estate business that works in real life. 📱 Instagram: @OnSeekingTheBest — Behind-the-scenes moments, practical tips, and more from Kathryn and Patrick. 🌐 Website: OnSeekingTheBest.com — Episode supplements, Kathryn and Patrick’s blogs, resources, merch, and more from Seeking the Best. 🎙️ Have a question for Kathryn and Patrick? Send us a voice message through https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest and your question could be featured on a future episode of Seeking the Best. Seeking the Best is hosted by Kathryn Stelljes with co-host and producer Patrick Fatica. Real conversations for real estate agents about building a better business and becoming your best along the way.

There are few things more frustrating than having to do a job you thought you had already graduated from. You hired help. You handed something off. Your role changed. Then circumstances change—and suddenly the paperwork, open houses, showings or other responsibilities are back on your plate. Did your business actually go backward? Kathryn and Patrick talk about the strange career ladder of real estate, why temporary regression can feel so personal, and the “messy middle” that comes with building a business instead of simply doing a job. They also get into leverage, hiring, failure, career longevity and a question agents rarely stop long enough to ask: What do you actually want your job to look like 10 or 20 years from now? Plus: this week's Best Move and Small Wins. CONNECT WITH SEEKING THE BEST 🎥 YouTube: @SeekingTheBestPodFull episodes, Shorts, real estate product reviews, and practical videos for building a real estate business that works in real life. 📱 Instagram: @OnSeekingTheBestBehind-the-scenes moments, practical tips, and more from Kathryn and Patrick. 🌐 Website: OnSeekingTheBest.comEpisode supplements, Kathryn and Patrick’s blogs, resources, merch, and more from Seeking the Best. 🎙️ Have a question for Kathryn and Patrick?Send us a voice message through SpeakPipe and your question could be featured on a future episode of Seeking the Best. Seeking the Best is hosted by Kathryn Stelljes with co-host and producer Patrick Fatica. Real conversations for real estate agents about building a better business and becoming your best along the way.

There’s a particular kind of frustration that comes from knowing exactly what you should be doing in your real estate business... and still not doing it. You’ve made the calls before. You know how to follow up. You know what activities create business. Maybe you’ve even built a successful business doing them. So why can starting again feel so difficult? Kathryn and Patrick talk about what happens when experienced agents get stuck, from the shame of feeling like you should be past this to losing faith in activities that used to work, hiding inside new systems, and making your comeback so big that you never actually begin. Kathryn also shares a simple way to diagnose what’s really going on: Do you need more information? Do you need more support? Or do you already know what to do and simply need to start smaller? Because starting over doesn’t mean starting from zero. You already have the experience. The goal is to get moving again. THE BEST MOVE: Do one thing you already know you should be doing before the end of today. 🎥 YouTube: @SeekingTheBestPodFull episodes, Shorts, real estate product reviews, and practical videos for building a real estate business that works in real life. 📱 Instagram: @OnSeekingTheBestBehind-the-scenes moments, practical tips, and more from Kathryn and Patrick. 🌐 Website: OnSeekingTheBest.comEpisode supplements, Kathryn and Patrick’s blogs, resources, merch, and more from Seeking the Best. 🎙️ Have a question for Kathryn and Patrick?Send us a voice message through SpeakPipe and your question could be featured on a future episode of Seeking the Best. Seeking the Best is hosted by Kathryn Stelljes with co-host and producer Patrick Fatica. Real conversations for real estate agents about building a better business and becoming your best along the way. CONNECT WITH SEEKING THE BEST

Starting over in real estate is not always about finding a better lead source, changing your calendar, or setting a new goal. Sometimes the hardest part is admitting that the future you spent years imagining may not happen the way you thought it would. In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn and Patrick talk about the strange grief that can come with changing a real estate business you worked hard to build. Kathryn shares what it has been like to realize that parts of the business she once wanted no longer fit — even while the outside world might still consider that business successful. They explore why agents can move through something remarkably similar to denial, anger, bargaining and acceptance when a team changes, someone leaves, a listing expires, a transaction falls apart, or a long-held career goal stops making sense. But the episode is not really about loss. It is about what becomes possible once you stop trying to force the old future to happen. Kathryn also shares two deceptively simple questions that have helped her think about the next version of her business: What did I enjoy about what I was building?What did I not enjoy? And later, the conversation turns to something experience teaches you that is easy to miss earlier in your career: a role can change without requiring the relationship to end. This episode is part of Seeking the Best, the real estate agent podcast for new and growing agents who want clarity, structure, and real-world coaching—not hype. Hosted by REALTOR® and team owner Kathryn Stelljes, with Patrick Fatica as co-host, each episode offers practical guidance for building a real estate business that works in real life.Episode extras and Kathryn’s Candy Bag blog: ⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠ Leave a Question From the Web or send us a voice message: ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest⁠ Watch and subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@SeekingTheBestPod

When your real estate business looks successful from the outside—but no longer fits the life you want—it may be time to start over. In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn and Patrick talk about the industry scorecard: units, volume, GCI, team size, awards, and recognition. Those numbers matter, but they do not automatically mean your business is profitable, sustainable, or aligned with what you actually want. Kathryn shares what she learned while building a team: following the model, hiring new agents, handing off buyers, and realizing that growth on paper can still create more work, less profit, and a business that no longer feels right. They talk honestly about why agents stay too long in misalignment, why starting over can feel like failure, and how changing goals require the right people and systems to change with you. This episode is part of Seeking the Best, the real estate agent podcast for new and growing agents who want clarity, structure, and real-world coaching—not hype. Hosted by REALTOR® and team owner Kathryn Stelljes, with Patrick Fatica as co-host, each episode offers practical guidance for building a real estate business that works in real life. Episode extras and Kathryn’s Candy Bag blog:https://www.onseekingthebest.com Leave a Question From the Web or send us a voice message:https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest Watch and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@SeekingTheBestPod

Starting over in real estate can feel like losing progress. But when your business has outgrown its structure—or the foundation is no longer right—you are not going back to zero. You are rebuilding with experience. In this new-season premiere, Kathryn looks back at two turning points in her career: moving from a home-based solo-agent setup into a real business structure, and making the much harder decision to let go of a team member who was not aligned with the culture she was trying to build. Patrick challenges the self-blame, names the fear of the unknown, and explains why starting over can save more time than continuing to repair the wrong thing. Together, they give real estate agents a practical way to ask what is working, what is not, and whether the next move is a small reset or a foundational rebuild. Episode extras, links, and the Candy Bag: https://www.onseekingthebest.com Have a question for the show? Send it here: https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SeekingTheBestPod Seeking the Best is the podcast for growth-minded real estate agents seeking clarity, focus, and a better way forward. Hosted by Kathryn Stelljes and Patrick Fatica, the show blends real-world business lessons, honest conversations, and practical moves agents can use to build a business that actually works in real life.

Buying a Facebook, Instagram, or Google ad can feel like a relatively inexpensive way to generate real estate business. But what is an agent actually purchasing? It is not a client. It may not even be a lead. The immediate purchase is exposure—the opportunity for someone to see a message, click, visit a landing page, or submit a form. Turning that activity into a closing requires an advertising strategy, a sustainable budget, a working funnel, long-term follow-up, and someone capable of converting strangers into clients. In the season finale of Seeking the Best, Kathryn examines her own experience with internet advertising and explains why it is often added too early. Patrick challenges the familiar belief that one closing will justify the expense. Together, they discuss why online advertising can help scale an established real estate business but should not be used to avoid prospecting.

Most real estate agents know they need to show up online. The problem starts when posting gets counted as lead generation. In this episode of *Seeking the Best*, Kathryn and Patrick take an honest look at whether social media is really a dependable lead source for most real estate agents. They break down why posting feels productive, how likes and views provide immediate feedback, and why social media can become the comfortable activity agents choose when they want to avoid rejection. Kathryn explains the difference between passive marketing and proactive lead generation, why visibility is not the same thing as having a real estate conversation, and how social media often works best as a sphere amplifier. It can help people remember you, validate that you are active in the business, and give them an easier way to connect - but that does not automatically make the platform the true source of the lead. In this episode: - Why posting on social media is not automatically lead generation - The difference between measuring views and measuring business results - Why likes and comments can make an activity feel more productive than it is - How social media helps agents avoid the discomfort of direct outreach and rejection - Why social media often functions as a sphere amplifier - How to trace a lead back to the source that first created the opportunity - What a real social media lead-generation plan needs beyond a posting schedule - Why agents need a defined audience, call to action, follow-up process, and database path - How a specific interest or niche can give strangers a reason to follow an agent - Why posting listings and open houses shows activity but does not guarantee leads **Your Best Move:** Make your post, then start 10 genuine conversations with people in your social media world. The first message does not need to be a sales pitch, but the activity needs to move beyond posting and waiting. Episode extras, links, and the Candy Bag: https://www.onseekingthebest.com Have a question for the show? Send it here: https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SeekingTheBestPod Seeking the Best is the podcast for growth-minded real estate agents seeking clarity, focus, and a better way forward. Hosted by Kathryn Stelljes and Patrick Fatica, the show blends real-world business lessons, honest conversations, and practical moves agents can use to build a business that actually works in real life.

A real estate database is not the same thing as a sphere, and having thousands of contacts does not mean an agent has thousands of relationships. Kathryn and Patrick break down what actually belongs in a database, why open-house leads and old website inquiries become “ghosts” over time, and how inconsistent follow-up turns years of lead generation into lost opportunity. Kathryn shares the re-engagement approach she is using in her own business, why the first goal is simply to get a response, and what an ongoing 8x8 and 12x12 follow-up rhythm can accomplish. The Best Move this week is intentionally small: choose 25 people from your database and send a simple, personal check-in. Seeking the Best is the podcast for growth-minded real estate agents seeking clarity, focus, and a better way forward. Listen, read the Candy Bag, and find episode extras: https://www.onseekingthebest.com Start with the real estate agent podcast guide: https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast Follow on Instagram: @onseekingthebest #realestateagent #realestateleadgeneration #realestatefollowup #realestatecrm #realestatedatabase #realestatepodcast #realtortips

Expired listings can be one of the most direct paths to potential seller business, so why do so many real estate agents quit after only a few days or weeks? In this episode of *Seeking the Best*, Kathryn and Patrick talk honestly about what it feels like to call homeowners whose listings did not sell: the hang-ups, the frustration, the competition, and the question every agent has to answer - "What are you going to do differently?" Kathryn explains why agents need to stop measuring effort by time spent or calls attempted and start tracking actual conversations, leads, appointments, and follow-up. She also shares why curiosity, empathy, dialogue practice, and a clear reason to meet matter more than researching every property before picking up the phone. If you have tried expired listings and decided they do not work, this episode will help you determine whether the lead source is wrong for you or whether you simply have not given it a fair, measurable test. Seeking the Best is the real estate agent podcast for new and growing agents seeking clarity, focus, and a better way forward. Watch the Podcast Watch *Seeking the Best* on video: - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SeekingTheBestPod - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DkFp53kArqz85g5WP0Udk Start here: https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast Episode extras and questions: https://www.onseekingthebest.com

Real estate farming works, but it is not a matter of mailing one postcard and waiting for a seller to call. In this episode, Kathryn and Patrick break down what geographic farming actually requires: repeated exposure, a realistic marketing budget, local market research, community involvement, consistent communication, and enough time for people to know, like, and trust you. Kathryn shares how she gradually built one of her original farm areas through a neighborhood newsletter, market updates, postcards, open houses, community events, a neighborhood Facebook page, and years of showing up. It did not begin as a polished campaign, and it did not produce immediate results. It grew because the communication remained consistent and each layer supported the others. They also talk about why newer agents are often attracted to farming. Mailing feels safer than making calls, having conversations, or risking rejection. The problem is that farming costs money and usually takes longer to produce measurable business. It is not the lead source to choose when you need a listing immediately. You will learn how to evaluate a potential farm using turnover rate, average sales price, neighborhood size, existing agent market share, and the realistic cost of staying visible. You will also hear why farming can eventually become a strong, scalable source of listings—but only after you have the revenue and patience to treat it like a long-term investment. Your Best Move this week is to choose one neighborhood you are considering and calculate its turnover rate before you spend anything. Episode extras, links, and the Candy Bag:https://www.OnSeekingTheBest.com Have a question for the show?Send it here:https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest Watch on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@SeekingTheBestPod This episode is for newer agents, rebuilding agents, or any agent who is quietly avoiding bigger opportunities because they do not feel ready yet. Seeking the Best is a podcast for growth-minded real estate agents who want clarity, focus, and a better way forward. Hosted by Kathryn Stelljes and Patrick Fatica, the show blends real-world business lessons, honest conversations, and practical moves agents can use to build a business that actually works in real life.