Starting a career in commercial real estate can feel overwhelming, especially when you are competing with people who have years of experience. So in episode 253 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak breaks down exactly what he would do if he had to start all over again. This episode is part of the Momentum and Mindset series designed to help you begin 2026 with clarity and confidence.

Darren shares six practical strategies that work in any market. These steps helped him rebuild his career twice, once after moving from Australia to Korea and again when returning home. You will learn how to choose your market, how to leverage your network, and why prospecting early builds long term value.

You will also discover how to learn from experienced operators, how to position yourself as a source of value, and why realistic goals matter more at the start than big production targets.

What You Will Learn:
🔹 How to pick the right market and study it effectively
🔹 Ways to learn from top performers even if you lack experience
🔹 How to build and leverage a growing network
🔹 Why early stage prospecting creates lasting career security
🔹 How to set realistic goals that build long term momentum

Whether you are brand new to commercial real estate or restarting in a new market, this episode gives you a clear blueprint for a strong beginning.

---

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

If prospecting is a skill you want to keep sharpening at any stage of your commercial real estate career, grab the free A to Z of CRE Prospecting at cresuccess.co/abc which includes 26 practical ideas to help you immediately up-level your prospecting activity.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/253

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com

High performers in commercial real estate don't just take action… they take intentional action.

In episode 252 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak explains why setting goals is essential for directing effort and maximising results.

This special episode kicks off a four-part series on momentum and mindset, diving into the relationship between goal setting, leadership, and sustainable success.

Darren explores what happens when ambitious agents work without direction, and why leaders with big visions are uniquely positioned to unify and propel their teams.

You'll discover:
🔹 Why goal-setters have a performance edge in CRE
🔹 What to do if you're not naturally a goal setter
🔹 How leaders can channel untapped team potential
🔹 The mindset that transforms hustle into progress
🔹 Why vision is non-negotiable for commercial real estate leaders

If you want 2026 to be your most focused and productive year yet, this episode shows you where to start.

---

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/252

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com

Starting the new year with strong commercial real estate momentum is not something you need to leave to chance. In episode 251 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak breaks down a simple and highly effective process called The New Year Stack of Leads, designed to help principals and agents create immediate activity in their first week back in January.

Instead of returning from the break feeling sluggish or waiting weeks for momentum to rebuild, this episode shows you how to manufacture it ahead of time. By drafting thoughtful Happy New Year messages before the holidays and scheduling them for your first day back, you set yourself up for inbound inquiries from owners, landlords, and buyers who are ready to talk.

Darren explains how to use the natural etiquette of a New Year greeting to open conversations that matter, create opportunities from existing relationships, and set the tone for a productive start to the new year. He also outlines a simple cadence to follow so those first emails translate into real activity.

What You Will Learn:
🔹 Why New Year messages are an underrated prospecting tool
🔹 How to craft emails that spark real commercial conversations
🔹 A proven follow up cadence to increase response rates
🔹 How principals can prepare their whole team for a strong January

If you want your first week back to be full of opportunity, this episode gives you the template.

---

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/251

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com

Commercial real estate agent performance is often influenced by both mindset and market conditions. In episode 250 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak breaks down what he has learned after onboarding 45 agents into Agent Accelerator over the past three months, and how an agent's confidence levels signal what is ahead for them in 2026.

Darren shares the key question he asks every agent during onboarding: how optimistic or pessimistic they feel about their expected performance over the next 12 months. He then unpacks the second question that reveals the real story: what is driving that score.

Listeners will hear the clear distinction between internal factors such as effort, belief, and momentum, and external factors such as market conditions, competition, or inquiry levels. Darren explains why top performers lean into internal drivers, ask stronger questions, and take ownership of their outcomes.

This episode also includes a transparent breakdown of Darren's recent Black Friday & Cyber Monday campaign for Agent Accelerator, the lessons he learned, and why leaders should be evaluating their own messaging and mindset with the same honesty.

What You Will Learn:
🔹 Why agent optimism is a reliable predictor of future performance
🔹 How internal drivers shape stronger results
🔹 Why external excuses limit confidence and capability
🔹 How leadership influences the questions teams ask
🔹 The value of objectively reviewing campaigns and missed targets

If you want you and your team to perform with confidence in 2026, this episode will show you what to look for and what to shift.

---

If you're a commercial real estate agent earning under $500K GCI who wants complete clarity on how to break through to the next level in 2026, grab your spot in The 2026 Game Plan Workshop at cresuccess.co/gameplan

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/250

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com

Life is too short to keep working with clients, colleagues, or collaborators who continually frustrate you.

In episode 249 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak explains why pejorative labels in your internal dialogue are important signals. They reveal that someone in your professional orbit is no longer aligned with your standards or expectations.

This episode shows commercial real estate principals and agents how to raise the bar, define non-negotiables, and take responsibility for choosing who they work with.

We explore the real cost of keeping the wrong people around; it is not just emotional, it affects productivity, culture, reputation, and long-term performance.

When you learn to filter for five-star clients and partners, you create an environment that energizes you and accelerates the growth of your business.

What You Will Learn:
🔹 Why negative labels are signs that someone does not belong in your orbit
🔹 How low standards damage your brand, culture, and results
🔹 The mindset shift that stops frustration and builds momentum
🔹 How to define five star clients and use them as a filter
🔹 Why holding people accountable protects your business

This episode helps you lead better, grow faster, and stress less by choosing the right people to work with.

---

If you're a commercial real estate principal who wants to lead your people better, grow your business faster, and have less stress in your life, visit cresuccess.co/leadership to learn more about working directly with Darren Krakowiak.

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/249

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com

December separates high performing commercial real estate agents from those who fall behind the following year. In episode 248 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak explains why the final few weeks of the year are the most important part of preparing for a strong Q1. With Easter, school holidays, and public holidays compressing the early year selling window, agents who wait until after Australia Day to start prospecting are already out of time.

Darren outlines the difference between agents who coast into Christmas and those who use December as a competitive advantage. He shares practical steps to line up listings before the break, warm future pipeline opportunities, and tidy databases while competitors are switching off. He also covers professional conduct at Christmas events and how thoughtful end-of-year messages help you stay top of mind with clients and referral partners.

Listeners will walk away with a clear roadmap to set up a productive January and a high-momentum February and March.

What You Will Learn:
🔹 Why December activity determines your Q1 outcomes
🔹 How to secure three to five listings to launch in late January
🔹 The right way to warm pipeline owners who want to "talk after Christmas"
🔹 Why handwritten end-of-year notes outperform generic cards

This episode gives commercial real estate agents a simple and strategic way to get ahead while others are slowing down.

---

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/248

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com

If you've been thinking about how to grow your GCI in 2026, this episode shows you how to take real action.

In episode 247 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak unveils a brand-new opportunity for agents ready to move from intention to consistent execution.

For the first time ever, CRE Success is offering entry into Agent Accelerator for just $50 a week during a limited-time Black Friday promotion.

This episode explains why this weekly model could be the key to unlocking sustained momentum and how accountability and structure create better results than knowledge alone.

Here's what we're covering:
🔹 Why weekly focus drives stronger performance than monthly goals
🔹 How to overcome the biggest barrier to consistent action
🔹 What makes this $50 offer unique and time-limited
🔹 How the Agent Accelerator framework helps agents add $100K+ GCI
🔹 Who this program is best suited for

If your production has plateaued around 200–400K GCI and you're ready to make 2026 your breakthrough year, this is the episode you'll want to hear.

---

If you're a commercial real estate agent who's ready to upgrade your skills, elevate your mindset and get the accountability you need, visit cresuccess.co/agents to learn more about CRE Success Agent Accelerator.

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/247

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com

Most agents stop working once a deal is done. But top performers know that's when the real opportunity begins.

In Episode 246 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak explains why the most profitable call you're probably not making is the results call.

This short, purposeful conversation can help you turn one transaction into your next listing, build credibility, and stay front-of-mind with the right people.

In this episode, we get into:
🔹 What a results call is and why it matters
🔹 Who you should call and what to say
🔹 How to use this tactic to attract new listings
🔹 The simple three-step conversation framework
🔹 Why speed and timing can amplify your momentum

Whether you're an agent or a principal, this episode shows you how to leverage every deal to strengthen relationships, demonstrate authority, and open the door to future business.

Listen now to learn how a single call can multiply your opportunities.

---

To join the waitlist for CRE Success Agent Accelerator and receive an exclusive invite to join our next cohort of members, visit cresuccess.co/waitlist right now.

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/246

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com