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Real estate feels simple when the market hands you wins. But what happens when speed stops working and skill is the only edge that matters? We sit down with Phoenix leader Adam Prather—someone who turned personal urgency into a durable playbook—to unpack how to thrive across micro-markets, build a team that executes, and invest in coaching that actually changes results.

Adam takes us inside Phoenix’s “market of markets,” where an average price in the mid-400s shares space with ultra-luxury sales beyond $30M. He explains how niching down—from golf communities to short-term rental hot spots—lets you speak the client’s language and command trust. Then he rewinds to his unconventional path: banking and values-based selling, financial planning, college ministry, and a family health crisis that forced a high-stakes pivot. With licenses expired and bills due, he chose real estate and did the unglamorous things that move the needle—hired a coach he couldn’t “afford,” brought on a transaction coordinator immediately, and committed to daily prospecting across expireds, FSBOs, and door knocking.

We go deep on why elite performers stack coaches, how paying for guidance rewires your commitment, and what it looks like to lead from the front—live dials, real energy, and measurable standards. Adam breaks down the 2022 reset, owning mistakes like taking his eye off conversations and recruiting while the market shifted. He rebuilt by tracking controllables: appointments set, conversations made, and consistent follow-up. His framework for what makes a great agent now is simple and demanding: be massively adaptable, build trust and skill in tandem, and get in rooms that make you uncomfortable—pay for proximity or ask your way in.

If you want a practical blueprint for moving from hope to execution—across luxury, team building, and mindset—this one brings receipts. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a push, and drop a five-star review so more agents find the show. What’s the first action you’ll take today?

🎙 Thank You for Tuning in to the R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life Podcast!

We appreciate you joining us for another powerful episode where we dive deep into the world of real estate, mindset, and business growth. If you found value in this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your network!

👉 Never Miss an Episode!

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform:

📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r-e-a-l-real-estate-agent-life-podcast/id1790088933

📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2LAAYbtPUqYJdTVl83hZXS?si=bf6691d7eccf4688

📍 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@R.E.A.L.RealEstateAgentLif-l6z

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🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanekilby/

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In this episode of R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life, we sit down with Alex Yu, Orange County team leader and coach who’s helped guide over $400M in sales and built a reputation for systems, service, and five-star client experiences.

Alex shares the real story behind his growth — including how he went from running bank-owned assets at Chase during the REO wave to building a high-performing real estate team… and what happened when the post-COVID market exposed the difference between being good and being lucky.

If you’re building a team, recruiting agents, or trying to create consistent lead flow in a tougher market — this one will hit home.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why “I want an agent just like me” is a trap
• The core values line you must draw (accept vs. reject)
• The hidden danger of making your agents’ lives “too easy”
• Why COVID created a generation of order takers (and what to do now)
• The truth about production numbers — and what they don’t prove
• How Alex thinks about community, service, and long-term brand equity
• The “Hands / Mind / Heart” framework for leading agents
• Where Alex would start if you dropped him into a new market at zero

Connect with Alex:
Instagram: @realalexyu

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#RealEstate #RealEstateAgents #TeamBuilding #RealEstateCoaching #Recruiting #Leadership #RealEstatePodcast

🎙 Thank You for Tuning in to the R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life Podcast!

We appreciate you joining us for another powerful episode where we dive deep into the world of real estate, mindset, and business growth. If you found value in this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your network!

👉 Never Miss an Episode!

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform:

📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r-e-a-l-real-estate-agent-life-podcast/id1790088933

📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2LAAYbtPUqYJdTVl83hZXS?si=bf6691d7eccf4688

📍 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@R.E.A.L.RealEstateAgentLif-l6z

📲 Stay Connected & Join the Conversation!

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🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanekilby/

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What does it look like to go from a graduating class of 30… to building a powerhouse real estate team that dominates market share?

In this episode of R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life, Shane Kilby and Duane Murphy sit down with Matt Smith (Missouri team leader + John Cheplak coach) for a masterclass on work ethic, sales simplicity, leadership growth, and legacy.

Matt shares the raw backstory: working a sawmill at 12 years old, quitting the family business with no “perfect plan,” learning sales the hard way, then jumping into real estate and closing 70+ homes in his first year.

But the real value is what comes after the success how he hit leadership ceilings, lost great people, learned humility the hard way, and rebuilt his leadership identity around impact.

If you’re an agent, team leader, or future leader trying to grow without losing yourself (or your people), this one will light you up.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “sales = solving problems” (and how to go deeper than surface pain)
• The dangerous transition from top producer → leader (and why many fail it)
• The next jump: leader → leader of leaders
• How ego and “press clippings” can quietly wreck culture
• The mindset shift from proving people wrong to impacting lives
• The leadership concept that hit everyone: don’t pour from your cup—overflow it
• Why Matt says: stop living for your resume… start living for your eulogy

🔥 Smash subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with one agent who needs a push right now.

🎙 Thank You for Tuning in to the R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life Podcast!

We appreciate you joining us for another powerful episode where we dive deep into the world of real estate, mindset, and business growth. If you found value in this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your network!

👉 Never Miss an Episode!

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform:

📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r-e-a-l-real-estate-agent-life-podcast/id1790088933

📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2LAAYbtPUqYJdTVl83hZXS?si=bf6691d7eccf4688

📍 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@R.E.A.L.RealEstateAgentLif-l6z

📲 Stay Connected & Join the Conversation!

🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shane.kilby

🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanekilby/

🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanekilby/

💡 Want to be a guest on the show?...