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AI made it easy for every agent to post more content. It also made most of it sound exactly the same. Eric Simon started The Broke Agent in 2015 while sitting dead open houses in Los Angeles as an untrained buyer's agent. Ten years later, it's one of the most followed brands in residential real estate (500K+ followers), and in 2022 he and Byron Lazine co-founded BAM Media, the daily playbook for agents who want to build a brand and close more deals. On this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, host Andrew Flachner (CEO of RealScout) sits down with Eric to unpack what's actually working on social right now, and why so much of what agents post isn't. We play real content from agents and creators and break down why it lands. (Listening instead of watching? You'll follow along just fine.) What you'll hear in this episode: Why AI has turned agent content into "a copy of a copy of a copy"The 3 ingredients of content that builds trustWhy trends get likes but not clientsThe 3 metrics Eric actually watchesEric's weekly posting prescriptionHis "fake off the cuff" methodWhy going viral outside your niche can hurt your reachThe 4 types of trendjackingIf you're an agent who knows you should be posting more but can't stand the idea of adding to the slop, this is your blueprint. Chapters:00:00 Intro02:12 How Open-House Misery Created The Broke Agent04:22 The "Copy of a Copy" Problem12:27 The Netflix Doc Trend14:34 The 3 Things That Actually Build Trust21:05 "AI Won't Replace Agents, But..."23:24 Clichés to Retire26:25 How to Turn Your Personal Life Into Content32:58 Why Memes Stopped Working37:34 Eric's Weekly Posting Plan40:29 Rapid Fire48:03 The 4 Types of Trendjacking54:57 Action Creates Content: Eric's One Takeaway56:06 Outro 🔥 Subscribe to the podcast:- Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWc- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3 Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social:🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/

Jason Mitchell walked away from $5 million a year in production, then built a single-agent real estate operation into the number one team in North America, something Keller Williams would pay a rumored nine figures to acquire. Jason is the founder of Jason Mitchell Group (JMG), which closed nearly $6 billion in volume and 12,000 transactions last year alone, powered by a referral engine that processes 180,000 leads a year across roughly 80 partnerships and more than 1,000 agents. On this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, host Andrew Flachner, CEO of RealScout, sits down with Jason to break down exactly how he built, ran, and eventually sold one of the most systemized operations in the industry. Jason walks through the mechanics of Mission Control, JMG's proprietary lead-routing system, how referral fee splits actually work, and the agent profile JMG will (and won't) hire. He also opens up about what due diligence with Keller Williams revealed about his own business, and what it felt like emotionally to sell the company he built from scratch. What you'll hear in this episode: How Jason built a referral network handling 180,000 leads a year without losing quality controlThe exact mechanics behind Mission ControlWhy no single referral partner is allowed to make up more than 8% of JMG's businessHow referral fee splits actually work between partners, agents, and the companyThe specific agent profile JMG recruitsWhat Jason refused to compromise on while scaling to 1,200+ agentsHow the Keller Williams acquisition came togetherThe emotional reality of selling a business you spent 15 years buildingWhether you're an agent, a team leader, or running a brokerage, this conversation is a blueprint for building something buyers actually want to acquire. Subscribe to the podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3 Connect with Andrew Flachner:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/ Chapter List00:00 Intro02:40 What Keller Williams Really Bought: Trust, Scale, and a Repeatable Process05:42 Debunking the Myth That Agents Can't Build a Sellable Business07:29 How a Referral Partnership With Quicken Started It All in 201009:42 The Moment Jason Realized He Was Building a Business, Not Just a Lead Source12:25 Walking Away From $5M a Year in Production to Build the Machine14:13 Why Relationships Alone Never Close the Deal (It's About Execution)15:34 Being First to Market — and Why That Window Just Closed for Everyone Else19:42 The 8% Rule: How JMG Avoids Getting Wiped Out by One Partner22:13 Inside Mission Control: How a Referral Gets Routed and Policed in Real Time28:27 The Money: How Referral Fee Splits Actually Work30:22 The Agent Avatar JMG Hires (and the Ones They Won't Touch)32:15 What Jason Refused to Compromise On While Scaling Past 1,200 Agents40:31 The Investment Banker and the Inside Story of the Keller Williams Deal47:39 The Emotional Side of Selling Your Baby (and the Lessons That Came With It)51:02 Outro

Twenty-four years talking down kidnappers and bank robbers taught Chris Voss something most negotiators get backwards: the goal was never a yes. In this episode, the former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator and author of "Never Split the Difference" breaks down exactly how those hostage-negotiation tactics translate to real estate. If you negotiate with clients, buyers, or other agents every day, you're already doing this work, whether you've named it or not. This is Playmakers, hosted by Andrew Flachner, CEO of RealScout. Andrew sits down with Chris to unpack the specific language patterns that build trust fast, defuse tension, and get deals to actually close (not just get signed and then fall apart in escrow). What makes this conversation different: Chris doesn't just explain the theory, he role-plays real scenarios agents deal with constantly: commission conversations, buyers stalling on interest rates, and clients accusing you of telling them what they want to hear. What you'll hear in this episode: Why "yes-oriented" questions backfireThe real difference between mirroring and body-language mimicryHow to deliver bad news to a clientThe "accusations audit"Why anchoring high or low in price negotiations usually costs you the dealHow to read a stalled dealWhy "that's right" is the moment you know you've earned real trustIf you negotiate for a living, this episode gives you language you can use in your next conversation, not just concepts to think about. Listen to the full episode and subscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3 Connect with Andrew Flachner:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/ "No" Questions: https://www.blackswanltd.com/newsletter/negotiation-training-the-top-4-no-oriented-questions -------------------- Chris Voss is a former FBI lead kidnapping negotiator, bestselling author of Never Split The Difference, and founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group; a negotiation, training, coaching, and consulting organization that teaches people how to achieve better outcomes in high-stakes conversations. Recognized globally as a leading authority on negotiation, Chris developed his approach through decades of experience in crisis negotiation. Today, he and The Black Swan Group apply those principles to business, sales, leadership, difficult conversations, and high-stakes communication through The Black Swan Method® and Tactical Empathy®. Never Split The Difference has introduced millions of readers around the world to Chris's negotiation methodology. Through The Black Swan Group, Chris and his team help people go beyond understanding the concepts in the book and develop negotiation as a practical, repeatable performance skill through training, coaching, practice, and live experiences. The Black Swan Group offers in-person negotiation training, live and self-paced online negotiation training, coaching, keynote speaking, and advanced negotiation experiences for business owners, leaders, sales professionals, and other professionals who want to become more effective dealmakers. Learn from Chris Voss and The Black Swan Group:Negotiation training and resources: https://www.blackswanltd.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=playmakerswithandrewflachnerIn-person and live training: https://www.blackswanltd.com/live-events?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=playmakerswithandrewflachnerOnline negotiation training: https://www.blackswanltd.com/online-negotiation-classes?utm_source=youtube&utm=social&utm_campaign=playmakerswithandrewflachner -------------------- Chapter List00:00 Intro01:11 Why Chris Voss Is an Authority on Negotiation02:33 The Most Dangerous Negotiation You Don't Know You're In04:45 Inside a Real Hostage Negotiation: Patience and Confronting a Lie09:57 How a $9M Buyer Played His Agent for 18 Months11:47 The "Why Me?" Question, and Why "Yes" Questions Don't Work Anymore21:50 The Real Adversary in a Deal Isn't the Other Person26:26 How to Make Someone Feel Understood (and Why Not to Ask "How Are You?")31:56 Why "That's Right" Beats "You're Right"35:29 Mirroring, the Black Swan Method, and Letting Them Speak First43:51 Anchoring, Compromise, and Why Both Are Mistakes47:14 Role-Play: Commission Objections, Interest Rates, and the Accusations Audit55:39 Tactical Empathy, Text Negotiation, and Managing Your Emotions1:01:38 Rapid Fire: Words to Cut and Delivering Bad News

Months ago, Compass acquired Anywhere, the parent company of Coldwell Banker Realty, and Kamini Lane, President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Realty, is one of the executives now leading through it. Kamini started her career at eBay, became CMO of a Kleiner Perkins-backed fashion tech startup, then joined Compass in 2018 during its early wave of hiring out of Big Tech. She went on to lead Sotheby's International Realty before taking the top job at Coldwell Banker Realty — a brand with 120 years of history and over 48,000 agents. On this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, Andrew Flachner sits down with Kamini to unpack what it's actually like running an iconic brand through major consolidation, a multi-billion-dollar technology rollout, and a challenging, unrelenting housing market. What you'll hear in this episode: Why Kamini doesn't consider the last two years "turbulent"The real reason agents are the largest class of entrepreneurs in the U.S. economyHer playbook for getting agents to actually adopt new technologyWhy Coldwell Banker is doubling down on productive agents over raw agent countWhat working with Robert Reffkin again taught her about vision and focusHer updated position on CB Curated, private listings, and the Zillow banHow SpaceX IPO wealth is already reshaping luxury real estate in the South BayWhy she believes the Coldwell Banker brand will never be folded into CompassIf you're an agent, team leader, or brokerage executive trying to make sense of where the industry is headed, this conversation is your inside look at one of the biggest acquisitions in real estate history. (You might need to rewind a few times to catch it all.) 🔥 Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3?si=f1216c3a30bc4b37 Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social:🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/ Chapters: 00:00 Intro01:31 Meet Kamini Lane, CEO of Coldwell Banker Realty02:32 Leading Through Non-Stop Turbulence04:14 From Fashion Tech to Real Estate's Biggest Stage06:38 What Agents Actually Need From a Brokerage07:28 Inside the "Unlock" Campaign08:01 Why Agents Are Entrepreneurs, Not Employees09:13 Why Kamini Stays in the Field10:25 Agents Don't Read Their Email — Here's What Works11:52 Productive Agents vs. Agent Count14:08 Why Recruiting Has Slowed Industry-Wide15:38 Back Inside the House Where It Began17:03 Reuniting With the OG Compass Crew18:48 The Home Platform's Billion-Dollar Rollout20:56 Why AI Gives Dangerous Advice on the Biggest Decision of Your Life24:13 The Sweater Thread: Cracking the Code on Adoption27:39 Competing Against Former Rivals at the Same Table29:45 What Actually Wins a Listing Presentation30:11 Confirming the Coldwell Banker Brand Isn't Going Anywhere32:54 Reading the 2026 Housing Market36:00 SpaceX Money and the South Bay Luxury Boom38:29 Positioning for the Great Wealth Transfer42:18 Is Consolidation Inevitable?44:58 The Private Listing and Zillow Ban Debate52:11 Managing the Stress of Shaping Industry Opinion53:35 Empowering Women and Single Moms in Real Estate54:56 Outro

Real estate's most-followed founder sits down with Andrew Flachner — and nothing is off-limits. Ryan Serhant is the CEO and founder of SERHANT., the most followed real estate brokerage in the world with over 10 million social followers, operations across 16 states, thousands of agents, a Netflix series, and multiple bestselling books. He started his career doing hand modeling gigs to pay rent and entered real estate the day Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. What followed is one of the most intentional brand-building stories in the industry's history. In this episode of Playmakers, Andrew Flachner — host and CEO of RealScout — sits down with Ryan for a conversation that's part masterclass, part manifesto. Ryan breaks down why he launched SERHANT. in the middle of COVID, how he built a zero-CAC brokerage growing at 104% year over year, and why the future of real estate comes down to one word: person. What you'll hear in this episode:- Why Ryan launched his brokerage during COVID — and how he lost $73M in deals the day New York went into lockdown- The "person vs. property" philosophy that separates SERHANT. from every other brokerage- How Simple, SERHANT.'s AI-native platform, was built to flip agents' days from 80% admin to 80% human-to-human- The three-prong media flywheel behind zero customer acquisition cost- The "AND strategy"- Ryan's "give, give, give, give, ask" follow-up framework- Why he bootstrapped for years- Why Ryan says what drives him isn't ambition If you're an agent, a broker, or a founder trying to build something that lasts, this episode is the blueprint. 🎧 Subscribe to Playmakers:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3 📲 Connect with Andrew Flachner:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/ Chapters:00:00 Intro01:03 Why Ryan Had No Choice But to Launch During COVID04:41 He Lost $73M in One Day — Then Built the Brokerage Anyway05:50 The Vision: Building the Most Important Real Estate Company in the World08:07 Compass vs. SERHANT. — Property First vs. Person First10:45 Why the Transaction Layer Is the Real Battleground13:08 What the NAR Lawsuit Actually Did to the Industry14:40 What Acting Taught Ryan About Sales (and Being Human)19:45 How Ryan Won His First Big Deal (The $8.5M Cold Call Story)25:17 Zero CAC, 104% Growth, and Why SERHANT. Never Buys Revenue27:01 Every Company Should Be a Media Company — The Three-Prong Flywheel31:38 Advice for Young Agents: Play Your Age, Keep Your Blinders On35:02 The AND Strategy — Why You Can't Just Be Real Estate37:14 Give, Give, Give, Give, Ask: Ryan's Follow-Up Framework38:13 He Ghosted Ryan for 5 Years. Then Bought for $16M.39:10 Content Strategy for New Agents: The Kale Booty Story41:38 California Expansion — 200 Agents, 5 Cities, What the Pitch Looks Like51:41 Why Ryan Finally Said Yes to Outside Capital53:26 How Simple Was Built: Flipping Agents from 80% Admin to 80% Human55:34 The $45M Yes — What Camber Creek and Left Lane Unlocked56:33 Scrappy CEO Meets the Board: The Day One Mentality58:37 $12 Billion Projected Volume and the Problem of Making Too Much Money01:01:25 It's Not Ambition. It's Responsibility.01:03:45 Outro

The listing presentation is the single highest-value hour in your business. What used to win one has changed. Sellers now arrive having run their own research through AI, holding a list of questions designed to see if you actually know your market. This live (bonus) Playmakers session breaks down how top agents win listings now. Host Andrew Flachner, co-founder and CEO of RealScout, sits down with Tom Ferry, the number one real estate coach in the world; Stephanie Younger of the Stephanie Younger Group at Compass, a top-15 team in the country; and Andrew Undem of SURE Group, who sells roughly 500 homes a year with a team of three staff and 20 agents. The panel maps the four moments that decide every listing appointment: before the doorbell, the first 15 minutes, the kitchen table, and winning the listing. What you'll hear in this episode: Why your personal state before the doorbell matters more than your pricing deck (Tom Ferry)Stephanie's 5-page seller intake questionnaire and the 20-minute call that does half the presentationAndrew's split between qualitative and quantitative prep — and the line he repeats on the drive overTom's prompt for feeding your full presentation to Claude or ChatGPT for instant coachingInternal vs. external decision makers, and how to spot which seller you're sitting withWhy walking sellers through a clear process removes objections before they come upThe exact "That's not a problem" script for fee pushbackHow Opendoor's Cash Now, More Later changes the one-solution listing pitch Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:10 Meet the Panel: Tom Ferry, Stephanie Younger & Andrew Undem 04:40 Before the Doorbell: Getting Your State Right (Tom Ferry) 07:20 Stephanie's 5-Page Seller Intake Questionnaire 12:48 Feed Your Presentation to Claude: Tom's AI Prompt 14:58 Reputation or Preparation, Ideally Both 15:59 The First 15 Minutes: Host Gifts, Dogs & Shoes 19:23 Tour or Strategize? Why Asking the Questions Means Control 25:56 Stephanie’s 3-Step Listing Presentation 27:08 Internal vs. External Decision Makers 30:02 "You're Meeting With Five Agents?" 32:47 The Kitchen Table: Sell the Process, Not a Presentation 39:49 Multiple Options: Opendoor's Cash Now, More Later 43:09 Winning the Listing Without a Hard Close 47:53 "That's Not a Problem": Handling the Fee Objection 49:59 How to Get Great: 200 Appointments & Role Play 54:17 Outro Show Notes: Ultimate Listing Presentation Playbook Stephanie Youngers Seller Lead Questionnaire  Tom Ferry Agent Training Book a RealScout Demo 🔥 Subscribe to the podcast: • Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWc • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3?si=f1216c3a30bc4b37 Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social: 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/

The biggest threat to your real estate career is obscurity. Grant Cardone built a multibillion-dollar real estate empire, and he's here to tell you exactly what most agents are doing wrong (and how to fix it). Grant Cardone is the founder of Cardone Capital, which controls a portfolio worth billions, and the creator of the 10X movement that has transformed the way salespeople and investors approach wealth-building. He's one of the largest private owners of multifamily real estate in North America. In this episode of Playmakers, Andrew Flachner — CEO of RealScout — sits down with Grant at his Miami studio for a no-holds-barred conversation about sales mastery, financial literacy, brand-building, and the multifamily opportunity hiding in plain sight. If you're an agent who wants to break through your production ceiling, this episode is a blueprint. What you'll hear in this episode: Why the #1 problem for most agents isn't leadsGrant's exact follow-up cadenceHow to use brand-building to become the agent people call without thinkingThe case for skipping single-family homes entirelyHow Grant out-maneuvered 14 bigger buyers to win a $235M dealWhy AI is a trap for agentsWhat Grant changed his mind on in the last five yearsEvery insight in this episode is immediately actionable. Watch it, implement it, and 10X what you build. 🎙️ Subscribe to Playmakers: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3Connect with Andrew Flachner: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/Chapter List 00:00 Intro 01:14 Grant Cardone: From the Lot to Billions 02:08 The Obscurity Problem (Why No One Knows You) 02:54 Why Most Agents Don't Understand Sales 03:46 Day One: Broke, Post-Rehab, and Figuring It Out 06:43 How Grant Became Top Salesperson With No Experience 08:17 From Selling Cars to Consulting Nissan, Toyota & the US Military 10:09 How Grant Started Quietly Stacking Real Estate on the Side 11:34 The Limiting Beliefs He Had to Kill (Starting With Single-Family) 13:35 What 10X Actually Means (And Why Middle-Class Thinking Kills Wealth) 16:40 Competing Against Blackstone and Winning: The 10-Day Close Tactic 22:29 The Goal-Setting Trap: Why 50 to 60 is a Waste of Time 32:07 The Follow-Up System That Closes Deals Others Leave Behind 37:28 Why You Should Call Yourself a Salesperson, Not an Agent 38:28 Brand as a Business Asset: The Attention Economy for Agents 41:07 How to Diagnose a Stuck Agent (Start With the Financial Statement) 42:34 AI Warning: Why Human Contact Will Be Your Biggest Advantage 44:43 Leading Through a Downturn: Keep Selling the Team on the Dream 46:21 Financial Literacy First: What Brokerages Should Train Before Sales Skills 51:00 The Multifamily Playbook: Why Grant Says Skip the Single-Family Home 55:12 Grant's Policy Pitch to Trump: Accelerated Depreciation for Residential 59:21 Buy Now or Wait? Grant's Advice for Today's Consumers 1:02:01 What's a Fair Critique of Grant Cardone? 1:09:20 Grant's Succession Plan (And Why His Kids Are on Payroll) 1:11:20 Rapid Fire: Buy Now, YouTube, NLP, and What Matters Most 1:14:06 Outro

Opendoor just hit a reset button — and agents are now at the center of it. Kaz Nejatian, the newly appointed CEO of Opendoor and former COO of Shopify, sat down with Andrew Flachner on Playmakers to talk about the most significant shift in Opendoor’s history: a grand reopening built around agents. Kaz walked away from one of the best jobs in tech because he believed the opportunity in real estate and Proptech was bigger than anything else. Seven months in, he’s proving it. On this episode of Playmakers, Andrew Flachner — host, and CEO of RealScout — goes deep with Kaz on the product announcements, the philosophy behind them, and what founder-mode leadership actually looks like when you’re rebuilding a public company from the ground up. What you’ll hear in this episode:- How Opendoor destroyed trust with agents (and exactly what Kaz is doing to fix it)- The new “Cash Now, More Later” product- Why RealScout and Opendoor partnered to embed Cash Now, More Later directly into agent workflows- How Kaz reduced headcount per transaction from 11 to 1 using AI- Why Shopify deleted every calendar meeting at the company overnight- The founder-mode vs. manager-mode framework This episode is a masterclass in rebuilding with conviction. Whether you’re an agent, team leader, or business owner — the frameworks Kaz shares are ones you can take back to your business immediately. 🎙️ Subscribe to Playmakers:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3 📲 Connect with Andrew Flachner:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/ Chapter List00:00 Intro01:24 Why Kaz Left Shopify for a Broken Opendoor03:29 What Actually Went Wrong at Opendoor05:00 How Kaz Is Rebuilding the Agent Relationship06:51 Founder-Mode vs. Manager-Mode: The Real Difference10:23 Don’t Care What the Wall Street Journal Says12:05 Shipping Every Week: Why Quarters Are Useless13:00 From 11 People Per Transaction to 1 (With AI)16:11 Why Kaz Brought Everyone Back to the Office Day One17:33 The $1 Salary and Multi-Billion Performance Bet19:36 Opendoor’s Grand Reopening for Agents20:35 How Cash Now More Later Actually Works24:00 Agents Get Paid Three Times on One Deal27:32 Why Opendoor Partnered with RealScout33:16 Crafters vs. Managers: The End of the People Manager38:38 Why AI Won’t Kill Jobs — It Will Create More41:31 The Mission: Why Homeownership Is Kaz’s Big Why43:33 Outro

The best agents in real estate do everything — originate leads, close deals, build teams, set standards, carry the costs — and still don't own the business they're running. That's the broken system Guy Gal set out to fix. Guy Gal is the CEO and co-founder of Side, the largest brokerage most people have never heard of — and that's entirely by design. Side operates as an invisible, white-label brokerage, giving top-producing agents and teams the infrastructure, compliance, and technology they need to step into true business ownership without the overhead that's historically made that impossible. In this episode of Playmakers, Andrew Flachner, CEO of RealScout, sits down with his longtime friend Guy Gal for a candid conversation about what's really broken in traditional brokerages, why teams are actually small businesses in disguise, and what it means to build something that lasts. If you're a top producer tired of creating value for someone else's equity, this episode will change the way you think about your business. What you'll hear in this episode:- Why productive agents run a business- How Side became the first "broker as a service" and what that actually means for agents- Why traditional brokerages are structurally incentivized to not support their top producers- How teams proliferated post-internet- The marshmallow test- Why paid lead gen is not the only truly sustainable business foundation- How agents can build enterprise value and eventually sell their business- Guy's belief about the future of real estate Stop building with mud and hay. This episode is your blueprint for building something that lasts. 🎧 Subscribe to Playmakers:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3 🔗 Connect with Andrew Flachner:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/ CHAPTER LIST00:00 Intro01:00 Guy's Origin Story: The Bully's Bully Who Became an Advocate02:42 Why the Best Agents Get the Worst Deal from Traditional Brokerages04:38 The Insight That Started Side: You Run It, But You Don't Own It07:53 What Is Side? The "Broker as a Service" Model Explained09:02 How Traditional Brokerages Actually Make Their Money (It's Not on You)11:37 Capacity Is the Real Ceiling — Not Opportunity13:34 How the Side Model Frees Top Producers to Close More Deals15:36 What the Best Boutiques Get Right (Hint: It's Not Marketing)18:30 Community Over Paid Leads: The Only Business Model That Endures21:24 The Marshmallow Test and the Fiduciary Mindset of Elite Agents22:52 Why Teams Are Good for Agents But Bad for Traditional Brokerages25:37 How the Internet Created the Team Explosion (and Why Brokerages Fumbled It)27:09 Real Estate Agents Should Be Able to Sell Their Business — Here's Why They Can't29:43 Guy's "Why": Growing Up Immigrant, Watching His Parents Build Something32:36 The Future Is Local, Networked, and Boutique — Consolidation Will Keep Failing36:01 What's Been Most Meaningful About Building Side37:13 Outro

Most people know James Harris from eight seasons on Bravo's Million Dollar Listing LA. What they don't know is the story behind it: a kid expelled from eight schools in London, raised by a single mom, who moved to LA with no money, no pipeline, and no contacts, and built one of the most recognizable personal brands in real estate. In this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, RealScout CEO Andrew Flachner sits down with James Harris — luxury real estate agent and founder of Breezy, an AI operating system for real estate agents — for a candid conversation on what it actually takes to build a career at the highest levels of this business. James shares the exact door knocking script that built his Beverly Hills business from scratch, why he tells agents to say "no" more often, and what drove him to step back from production and go all in on building a tech company. What you'll hear in this episode:- Why luxury is a mindset and how to break into high-end markets without a track record- The door knocking framework James used to build his Beverly Hills pipeline from zero- One of the most powerful things an agent can say- The most dollar-productive activities agents can leverage to build revenue- How to handle clients who consider AI to be the agent in their pocket If you're an agent, team leader, or brokerage executive trying to level up, this one is worth listening to more than once. 🔥 Subscribe to the podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3 Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social:🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/ CHAPTER LIST00:00 Intro01:19 Why Luxury Is a Mindset, Not a Price Point04:00 James's Childhood: ADHD, 8 Schools, and Starting at 1505:48 The Drive to Prove Himself — On His Own Terms07:25 How He Became #1 in London by Obsessing Over Pipeline09:03 Moving to LA With Zero Money, Zero Contacts10:51 Why Beverly Hills? The Case for Going Where There's No Ceiling12:39 The Door Knocking Masterclass: Script, Pipeline, and Follow-Up16:37 Consistency Is the Differentiator16:56 Fear Is Real — Here's How to Shrink It19:12 The Million Dollar Listing Origin Story21:30 What the Show Actually Did for His Brand22:39 ADHD as a Superpower: Reframing the Cards You Were Dealt23:54 Splitting With His Business Partner David25:48 The Power of "I Don't Know, I'll Get Back to You"27:04 Why Saying No Builds More Trust Than Saying Yes27:58 Stop Chasing Quick Paychecks — Think Like a CEO28:12 Building The Blueprint Newsletter to 25K Subscribers30:12 The Three Most Dollar-Productive Activities31:35 How to Work Leads Without Wasting Time32:24 The Current Market and What Smart Agents Are Doing Differently34:05 What Is Breezy — and Why James Built It34:49 Breezy's Underbuilt Radar: The Feature Changing Listing Appointments38:41 Why He Left Production to Go All In on Tech40:27 Balance, Family, and Time as Your Most Precious Asset41:52 Managing ADHD as a Founder and Agent42:58 Rapid Fire Round44:46 Final Advice: Don't Overanalyze, Don't Paralyze45:21 Outro

Eight years ago, Andrew Flachner made a prediction that made people uncomfortable: the next power shift in residential real estate wouldn't come from agent count or brand. It would come from whoever controlled listing data and buyer demand. That prediction is now reality. Compass and Anywhere are one company, and the playbook Andrew described is exactly what they're executing. So what does every other brokerage in North America do now? In this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, RealScout CEO Andrew Flachner sits down with Jack Miller, CEO of T360 and one of the most respected strategic advisors to brokerage executives in the industry. Jack has seen multiple market cycles and consults with top brokerage leaders across North America. This episode drops at a pivotal moment: Zillow just announced Zillow Preview, a new product that makes pre-market listings publicly visible on Zillow and Trulia, launching with initial partners including Keller Williams, REMAX, HomeServices of America, Side, and United Real Estate. Andrew and Jack dig into exactly why this move matters and what it signals about where the listing wars are heading. What you'll hear in this episode: What the Compass-Anywhere acquisition actually gives CompassWhat allowed the deal to close faster than almost anyone expectedThe "stay focused or get big" framework — and why the middle of the road is getting harder to occupyHow network effects are reshaping competitive advantage in brokerageThe Prisoner's Dilemma of private listings — and why Zillow Preview is the industry's most consequential counter-move yetWhy the MLS is more valuable than ever in the age of AIThe one piece of advice Jack has for every brokerage executiveIf you run a brokerage, lead a large team, or advise anyone in residential real estate, this is required listening. The window of opportunity is open right now and Jack is direct about what it takes to not miss it. 🔥 Subscribe to the podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3 Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social: 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/ Chapter List 00:00 Intro01:08 Andrew's 8-Year Prediction That Just Came True02:00 Phase 10: Why Everything Is Accelerating at Once03:54 Three Years of Real Estate Recession — And Why It's Still an Opportunity05:11 Why Traditional Brokerages Are Struggling to Keep Up07:15 The Economics of Brokerage: Where the Pressure Is Coming From07:52 Vertical Integration: Zillow, Rocket-Redfin, and the Super App Vision10:37 What a Truly Integrated Transaction Actually Feels Like15:03 The Compass-Anywhere Deal: What Compass Actually Bought18:36 How the Regulatory Window Made This Happen So Fast19:54 What's Next for Compass: More M&A or Time to Digest?23:59 Team M&A: The Next Consolidation Frontier25:30 How Broker CEOs Are Actually Reacting to the Compass-Anywhere News27:18 Get Big or Stay Focused: The Two Models That Will Survive29:39 Unit Economics vs. Value Brokerages — The Data Behind the Split33:19 Network Effects in Real Estate: The Compass Flywheel Explained40:42 Was Compass Intentional About Building a Network Effects Business?42:33 Why Brokerages Fail at Building Their Own Tech (and What to Do Instead)46:05 Private Listings: The Prisoner's Dilemma Playing Out in Real Time49:59 "You Don't Need to Define Rules for Gravity" — Why the MLS Will Survive53:19 Zillow Previews: The Smartest Counter-Move in the Listing Wars01:04:07 Zillow Previews: Who's at the Table (KW, ReMax, United, Side)01:07:18 Will Private Listings Be a Niche Strategy or a Structural Shift?01:09:59 The Buyer Graph: Why Cooperative Buyer Data Beats Hoarding01:15:37 Jack's One Piece of Advice for Every Broker Right Now01:17:16 Outro

What does it take to build a top 10 real estate brokerage from scratch in just three years, without a single dollar of outside capital? Robert Palmer, CEO of LPT Realty, did exactly that. On this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, RealScout CEO Andrew Flachner sits down with Palmer at Inman to unpack the model behind one of the fastest-growing brokerages in the country. LPT went from concept to top 10 by throwing out the traditional brokerage playbook and starting fresh with agent choice, aligned compensation, and a community-first culture at its core. Palmer shares the counterintuitive decisions that fueled LPT's growth, why he believes real estate teams will replace the franchise layer in the next decade, and the hard-won lessons from scaling faster than any infrastructure could keep up with. What you'll hear in this episode:- The ugly side of revenue share and the guardrails LPT built to stay accountable- Why Robert refuses to let LPT own a mortgage or title company- The single hardest lesson he's learned as a founder- Why the best investment an agent can make isn't money- The one thing team leaders get wrong about growth- Which agents will win when "Boomsday" comes and what they're doing right now to prepare If you're an agent, team leader, or brokerage executive, this is a masterclass in building a sustainable, high-growth business. 🔥 Subscribe to the podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3?si=8a3eea12d1964005 Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social:🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/ CHAPTER LIST00:00 Intro00:37 How LPT Became a Top 10 Brokerage in 3 Years01:40 The Day 1,000 Agents Joined in 24 Hours (And Why LPT Hit Pause)02:38 Robert's Origin Story: Dropping Out to Save His Mom's Mortgage Business04:38 From Listing Power Tools to a Full Brokerage — The Pivot That Changed Everything06:00 Why Self-Funding LPT Was the Only Move That Made Sense07:39 Brokerage for Life: Giving Agents a Choice Between Two Comp Plans09:39 How Agent Productivity Grew at 2x the Rate of Agent Count11:28 No Exclusive Downline Masterminds — And Why That Built a Better Culture13:00 Motivation Mondays: The Weekly Zoom Robert Has Never Missed14:14 Boomsday Is Coming: How LPT Prepares Agents for the Market Rebound14:56 The Road to IPO: What LPT's Public Market Plans Actually Look Like16:38 Aperture: Launching LPT's Luxury Brand16:44 What Separates Agents Who Pull Ahead in a Tough Market17:41 Why Brokerages Shouldn't Own Mortgage or Title Companies19:17 The Ugly Side of Revenue Share (And How LPT Manages It)20:20 The Reside + Humanize Acquisitions: Betting on Real Estate Teams22:11 How LPT Is Different From eXp and Real23:47 The Hardest Lessons from Scaling This Fast25:31 Rapid Fire: Open Houses, Sphere Focus & Running Your Own Race28:57 What Robert Wants LPT to Be Remembered For29:26 Outro

The most respected leaders in business are rethinking what it means to live a wealthy life, and it's not just about money. Sahil Bloom is a New York Times bestselling author of The Five Types of Wealth and creator of the Curiosity Chronicles newsletter with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. In this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, RealScout CEO Andrew Flachner sits down with Sahil at Inman Connect New York to unpack the framework that's helping executives, agents, and entrepreneurs escape the trap of winning in one area while losing everywhere else. Sahil spent the first 30 years of his life marching down the traditional path to success: fancy finance job, status symbols, external validation. But when a single conversation revealed he'd only see his parents 15 more times before they died, everything changed. He and his wife sold their house, he quit his high-paying job, and they moved 3,000 miles to redesign their lives around what actually mattered. This isn't motivational fluff. It's a tactical breakdown of how to measure what matters, invest in relationships that compound, and build a life where you're not sacrificing everything for money. What you'll hear in this episode:- The "15 times" math that changed Sahil's entire life trajectory- Why the Harvard Study of Adult Development found relationships are the greatest predictor of health at 80- The "time billionaire" concept and why you're wasting incalculable value every day- How to define your "enough life" (and why the number keeps disappearing)- The magic years with your kids: 95% of your time is over by age 18- Why "anything above zero compounds" when it comes to relationships and health- The dimmer switch mindset: how to avoid turning areas of your life completely off- Earned status vs. bought status (and why a six-pack beats a Rolex)- The Life Raiser framework: one rule to snap you back to your ideal self If you're an agent, team leader, or executive feeling pulled in every direction. This conversation will help you get clear on what you're actually building and why. Chapters:00:00 Intro01:11 Why Sahil Wrote "The Five Types of Wealth"02:38 The Arrival Fallacy: When Winning Feels Like Losing05:33 The Conversation That Changed Everything: 15 More Times07:00 Taking Action to Reclaim Time08:10 The Problem with What We Measure10:42 The Time Billionaire Framework13:05 Financial Wealth: How Do You Know When You Have Enough?15:23 The Fisherman and the Banker: Defining Your "Enough Life"16:58 The Magic Years: 95% of Time with Kids Is Over by Age 1818:00 Social Wealth: The Most Undervalued Investment20:12 Anything Above Zero Compounds20:53 Life Raisers: The Single Rule That Defines Your Ideal Self22:38 The Good Old Days Are Happening Right Now24:47 Extended Interview: Not Considering Himself a Guru26:03 The Dimmer Switch Mindset for Life's Seasons27:18 Think Days: Monthly Rituals for Perspective28:48 AI: Reclaiming Time or Accelerating Burnout?30:04 Earned Status vs. Bought Status31:05 The Pygmalion Effect: You Become Who You Surround Yourself With33:05 Fighting the Loneliness Epidemic34:00 Finding Value-Aligned Rooms34:42 Call to Action: Give Yourself One Hour This Week35:03 Outro 🔥 Subscribe to the podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://spoti.fi/45FKXE4Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social: 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/

If you hate prospecting, cold calling, door knocking, chasing people who don't want to talk to you, this episode is for you. Join Andrew Flachner on the Playmakers Podcast as he sits down with Neel Dhingra, the founder of Forward Academy and creator of the Forward Event. He's built a massive following in real estate and mortgage, and his philosophy is simple: visibility beats ability. If you're great at what you do but nobody knows it, you're leaving money on the table. Neel started as a loan officer making decent money but being treated like a vendor. One night, burnt out and frustrated after yet another client ghosted him, he decided to try something different: content. His early videos were cringe-worthy (his words), but he pushed through. Within months, he went from chasing deals to having them come to him. Eventually, his business 10X'd—not because of market conditions, but because he had a megaphone. What you'll hear in this episode:- Why “cringe before they binge” is the mindset shift you need- The 3 C's framework- How to "news hack" your way to 5-10X more views- Why most agents market to the wrong 95% of their audience- The exact 90-day content plan for someone starting from zero- How to make your first content marketing hire- The minimum viable setup- Why you should "scale the unscalable" in your DMs- How Neel went from loan officer to building a multi-7-figure education business If you're an agent or LO who knows you're good but feels invisible, this episode will show you how to turn content into your number one lead generation strategy. 01:31 Intro02:30 From Vendor to Authority: Neel's Breaking Point06:03 The One Moment That Changed Everything07:24 When Content Stops Feeling Like an Experiment10:16 Dealing With Haters and Negative Comments14:47 Visibility Beats Ability: What It Actually Means15:47 The 80% You're Ignoring (And Why You're Stuck)21:02 Your First Content Operating System26:33 Start Broad, Go Narrow: The TAM Strategy32:07 Building Your First Content Team36:11 Earning Attention Every 2-3 Seconds38:52 "It Goes Down in the DM": Automation + Personal Touch45:47 The 90-Day Content Plan From Zero48:31 The Three C's: Content, Connection, Conversion53:02 Stop Doing This to Make Room for Content56:12 From Personal Brand to Education Empire58:40 Outro 🔥 Subscribe to the podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://spoti.fi/45FKXE4 Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social: 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/

This episode of The Playmakers Podcast is your blueprint for dominating 2026. #1 real estate coach Tom Ferry joins RealScout CEO Andrew Flachner to lay the groundwork for your best year yet.  Tom shares his complete annual planning framework (what he does with every coaching client) plus the exact systems and daily disciplines that separate top producers from everyone else. You'll learn why your 2026 goals will require a different version of you, where the biggest opportunities are hiding, and the one daily habit that will make your year unrecognizable. What you'll hear in this episode:- Tom's complete annual planning framework (what he does with every coaching client)- Why systems matter more than hustle and the 16 systems every agent needs- The 3 daily disciplines for the next 90 days that will change your business- Why open houses (with a twist) are the lowest cost (highest ROI) lead gen strategy- Tom's approach to AI: marketing vs. operations (where the real money is)- Why video content is non-negotiable and 4 ways to get started today- The one daily commitment that will make 2026 your best year yet If you're an agent, team leader, or brokerage executive, this episode is packed with frameworks and tactical advice you can implement immediately. (You might even have to rewind a few times to catch it all.) 00:00 Intro02:39 Why Your Current Self Can't Achieve Your 2026 Goals06:35 How Tom Gave Up Email and Gained an Hour Daily08:00 What the Top 6% Do Differently10:30 Tom's Morning Routine (Peptides & Exosomes)13:30 3 Daily Disciplines That Will Change Everything14:55 Tom's $1M+ Planning System17:12 Systems Beat Hustle Every Time20:03 The 6 Lead Sources for 202624:16 Why Open Houses Are Still the Cheapest Leads in Real Estate25:47 The $1.5 Billion Opportunity You're Missing26:27 AI: Marketing vs Operations29:35 Why Agents Who Ignore Video Will Lose in 202631:31 Rory Vaden's Content Repurposing Strategy35:14 Tim Grover: High Performers Can't Balance37:24 Why Tom Spends $75K+ on Coaching42:34 The One Daily Habit That Will Make 2026 Unrecognizable45:19 Outro 🔥 Subscribe to the podcast: • Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWc • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3?si=f1216c3a30bc4b37  Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/