The comeback story every agent needs to hear.

Jacob McLaughlin went from having $30 in his bank account to closing $25M in real estate sales—and building one of the fastest-growing referral platforms for agents.

In this episode of Stay Paid, Jacob shares the raw story behind his journey: cold calling through tax records, driving five hours for showings, walking dogs to survive financially, and ultimately launching ReferralMate, a platform now connecting over 12,000 agents nationwide.

Learn about Jacob's journey:

• Jacob started real estate with no connections, no marketing budget, and only cold calling from tax records.
• After early success, a failed business venture left him with just $30 to his name.
• He rebuilt his career by doing everything possible—cold calls, social media, referrals, and long commutes for showings.
• Referrals became a key opportunity, which inspired him to build ReferralMate, now used by 12,000+ agents.
• The platform helps agents post referrals, apply for them, and manage agreements in one place.
• Successful referrals come from matching the right personality and expertise with the client.
• His advice for agents today: build referral networks, invest in social media, and take massive action.

🔗 Join ReferralMate: https://referralmate.co

What's the difference between agents who stay stuck and agents who scale?

In this Stay Paid Q&A episode, we break down real-world questions from agents about generating better leads, farming the right neighborhoods, building a referral database, and hitting a $6M goal. The answer isn't flashy marketing—it's math, tracking, and intentional action.

🔥 Key Takeaways:

• You can't improve what you don't track—know your database size, referral rate, and conversion numbers.
• $6M in volume isn't complicated—it's 24 transactions at $250K average price.
• If 7% of your database moves each year, you need ~342 real relationships to hit 24 deals.
• Farming is a long-term branding strategy, not a quick lead play.
• Combine postcards (brand) with calls/door knocking (sweat equity).
• Most agents don't get referrals because they don't intentionally ask.

⁉️ Do YOU have a question you'd like us to answer on air? Send us an email at Podcast@ReminderMedia.com or shoot us a DM on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/staypaidpodcast

AI isn't the future — it's the present.

In this episode, Rajeev Sajja, Chief AI Officer at BrightMLS, reveals that 61% of consumers are already using AI to evaluate agents — and nearly all of them find it helpful. He breaks down exactly how agents can show up in AI search by optimizing their bio, reviews, and content for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

You'll also learn practical use cases for AI in listing prep, marketing, and data analysis — plus a simple 30-day challenge to build real AI skill fast. If you're not adapting to AI, you're falling behind.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• 61% of buyers and sellers use AI to evaluate agents — and nearly all find it helpful.
• AI search (GEO) requires optimizing your bio, reviews, and online profiles with consumer-focused keywords.
• The best AI use cases for agents: listing prep, listing descriptions, data analysis, and repetitive tasks.
• Prompting matters — use frameworks like PRIME (Role, Input, Steps, Expectations).
• "AI is the new UI" — voice and guided search will reshape how platforms work.
• Quality content (blogs, YouTube, public comments) improves AI discoverability.
• Take a 30-day challenge: spend 15 minutes a day experimenting with AI.

🎧 Real Estate AI Flash Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-ai-flash/id1724020988

💼 Rajeev Sajja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsajja/

🔗 Wisprflow.ai: https://wisprflow.ai/?utm_source=dub.co&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=AffiliateProgram&via=rajeev-sajja&dub_id=frUdrZd80r6SAGGc

🔗 Listing Description Creator: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-dMibOufbw-reaif-listing-descriptions-creator

🔗 Agent Bio Visibility Optimizer: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-687e4fde4ac48191aa71be5a671951b5-agent-bio-visibility-optimizer

🔗 AI Answer Builder: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-6965a3dcd77481918c8985c7b27f8bb8-ai-answer-builder