What if the skills that made you great in another career were exactly what you needed to dominate in real estate? In this episode I sit down with Evan Crawford, former pro baseball player turned team leader in Auburn, Alabama, whose team is doing $50 million in sales in a market most people have never heard of.

Evan breaks down how he started from zero, no local network, no name recognition, and no warm leads, and built one of the top teams in the Auburn-Opelika area through old-school relationship building, market knowledge, and a willingness to look dumb and ask questions anyway.

Inside this episode:

• How Evan used his baseball network to generate his first referrals before he had a single local client
• The A-to-Z phone strategy that helped him rebuild his sphere from scratch
• Why knowing your market stats cold is the only credibility tool a new agent needs
• How to actually use your chamber membership instead of letting it collect dust
• The handwritten card habit that turned strangers into clients and clients into a recruit
• Why making people want to buy again is the real job of every real estate agent

Want to send Evan a referral or connect? Website: www.crawfordwillisgroup.com Instagram: @CrawfordWillisGroup Phone: 334-558-8700

Whether you are brand new to real estate or rebuilding your pipeline in a new market, Evan's story is proof that relationships, repetition, and a willingness to fail forward will always win. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this.

Sandy Gentry has spent more than 35 years building one of the most recognizable and productive real estate businesses on Michigan’s Lakeshore. In 2025 alone her team closed over 136 million dollars in sales with Sandy personally producing more than 70 million.

In this episode we talk about what has actually driven that longevity. Not shortcuts. Not trends. The fundamentals that still work.

Sandy breaks down how speed to lead disciplined follow up and personal connection have allowed her to maintain massive market share in Grand Haven and Spring Lake even as the industry has changed. We dig into why phone calls still matter how detailed notes build trust over time and why most agents overcomplicate what is really a relationship business.

If you are trying to build a real business that compounds year after year this episode will resonate.

Inside this episode

• Why follow up timing creates leverage
• How Sandy stays top of mind with hundreds of clients
• The role of phone calls in a modern real estate business
• Why relationships outperform marketing over the long run
• What newer agents misunderstand about consistency

https://sandigentry.com/

What if nearly losing everything taught you the secret to building a thriving real estate business without sacrificing your life? In this episode, I sit down with Michael Coxen, a Las Vegas broker who went from being bedridden at 115 pounds to running a 20-agent brokerage while maintaining $20-25 million in personal production.

We unpack how Michael built his career by accident through a wedding invitation business, discovered the power of asking questions over selling, and learned why focusing on process beats chasing outcomes every time—lessons that became crystal clear when ulcerative colitis nearly ended his career.

Inside this episode:

• The FORD method that turned wedding vendors into real estate clients
• Why saying yes to every meeting for 10 years changed everything
• How Tai Chi in a pool with seniors led to running a brokerage
• The 3-item daily success list that beats comparison trap
• Why great agents explain the market while good ones just understand it

Connect with Michael: Website: magenta.realestate Join his brokerage: joinmagenta.realestate Coaching: michaelcoxen.com Social: @michaelcoxen

Whether you're struggling with work-life balance, rebuilding from setback, or looking to scale without losing yourself, this episode reveals why true success comes from defining it on your own terms. Subscribe, share, and follow for more conversations with agents who've discovered what really matters.

The Neighborhood Realtor is proudly sponsored by Treadstone Funding and Neighborhood Loans. For more tangible tips in real estate marketing, check out Matt's book, The Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing available on Amazon.
🔑 Treadstone Funding: https://www.treadstonemortgage.com/
🔑 Neighborhood Loans:https://neighborhoodloans.com
🔑 Real Estate Marketing Guide: https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tangible-Action-Guide-Marketing/dp/1698339747
📲 Learned something new, or have a suggestion? Message Matt Muscat on Instagram!

🏛️ Treadstone Funding propelled by Neighborhood Loans NMLS 222982 “Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee No. MB.6759826. neighborhoodloans.com/licensing For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

What if focusing on listings could transform your real estate business from chasing clients to having them chase you? In this episode I sit down with Maria Quattrone, Philadelphia's "expired queen," who's built a machine that consistently delivers over 100 transactions per year.

We unpack the exact strategies behind her listing-focused approach, from her three-step expired letter system to the relationship-building tactics that turned cold leads into a thriving referral network.

Inside this episode:

• How Maria transitioned from radio sales to real estate powerhouse in 22 years
• The expired listing system that made her Philadelphia's go-to agent
• Her three-step letter strategy that gets sellers calling her
• Why perceived value matters more than actual value in today's market
• How to build genuine relationships that lead to repeat business and referrals

Want the resources Maria mentioned? Follow Maria on Instagram: @mariaquattrone .

https://mqrealestate.com/

The Neighborhood Real Estate Agent is proudly sponsored by Treadstone Funding and Neighborhood Loans. For more tangible tips in real estate marketing, check out Matt's book, The Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing available on Amazon.
🔑 Treadstone Funding: https://www.treadstonemortgage.com/
🔑 Neighborhood Loans:https://neighborhoodloans.com
🔑 Real Estate Marketing Guide: https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tangible-Action-Guide-Marketing/dp/1698339747
📲 Learned something new, or have a suggestion? Message Matt Muscat on Instagram!

🏛️ Treadstone Funding propelled by Neighborhood Loans NMLS 222982 “Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee No. MB.6759826. neighborhoodloans.com/licensing For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Most agents treat online leads like a necessary evil. Mickey Larson turned them into a $15 million business in just two years.

In this episode, I sit down with Mickey, a former attorney and entrepreneur who ditched the courtroom stress for real estate and never looked back. While other agents complain about lead quality, Mickey has built an 85% online lead-based business with almost zero no-shows, consistent referrals, and a simple goal: one deal per week under contract.

We break down his counterintuitive approach to working leads, why he spends more time talking clients out of buying than into it, and how treating every lead like a lifelong relationship turned Zillow clicks into a thriving referral machine.
Inside this episode:

•Why Mickey keeps his first contact minimal and gets to the showing fast

• The psychology behind earning trust by saying no

• How to turn vacant land leads and long nurture cycles into goldmines

• Why he counts contracts, not closings, for instant gratification

• His plan to scale by bringing his family into the business

Follow Mickey on Instagram: @larsmd09 Whether you’re buying leads and struggling to convert, or wondering if paid traffic is worth it, this episode will change how you think about online lead generation. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Neighborhood Real Estate Agent is proudly sponsored by Treadstone Funding and Neighborhood Loans. For more tangible tips in real estate marketing, check out Matt's book, The Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing available on Amazon.
🔑 Treadstone Funding: https://www.treadstonemortgage.com/
🔑 Neighborhood Loans:https://neighborhoodloans.com
🔑 Real Estate Marketing Guide: https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tangible-Action-Guide-Marketing/dp/1698339747
📲 Learned something new, or have a suggestion? Message Matt Muscat on Instagram!

🏛️ Treadstone Funding propelled by Neighborhood Loans NMLS 222982 “Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee No. MB.6759826. neighborhoodloans.com/licensing For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

The market has shifted. Homes that used to fly off the market in days are now sitting for months. Sellers are frustrated. Agents are stuck. And the old playbook isn't working anymore. In this episode I sit down with Kevelyn Guzman, Regional Vice President at Coldwell Banker Warburg, who's spent 18 years navigating every kind of market in New York City.

Kevelyn shares how her team recently sold a penthouse after 14 months on the market, why agents need to think beyond their neighborhood to stay relevant, and how becoming a connector rather than just a closer is the key to long-term success in real estate.

Inside this episode:

• What's really happening with luxury inventory and how long properties are actually sitting
• The listing presentation framework that sets expectations and prevents seller meltdowns
• How to expand your business geographically without confusing your brand
• Why your database shouldn't change just because someone moves out of state
• The psychology behind multiplex connections and why being known for more than real estate matters
• How to find and launch events that build relationships and generate referrals

This episode will challenge how you think about positioning, marketing, and building a real estate business that thrives in any market condition.

https://www.instagram.com/kevelynguzman/

https://cbwarburg.com/

What if the biggest opportunity in your real estate business isn't the next lead you buy, but the database you already have sitting in your CRM? In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Young, who scaled his family's real estate team from 30 homes a year to over 500, and then built one of the hottest CRM companies in real estate.

Ryan shares the exact mindset shift that took him from grinding through open houses and door knocking in 2009 to building a systematic, data-driven approach that extracts maximum value from every contact in your database. We dive deep into why most agents are terrible at database marketing and how the right technology can find hidden opportunities you never knew existed.

Inside this episode:

• How Ryan muscled through the 2009 recession to build unshakeable lead generation skills
• The psychology difference between working with buyers vs sellers that most agents miss
• Why "spray and pray" database outreach kills your conversion rates
• The segmentation strategy that turns cold contacts into warm opportunities
• How AI can identify which contacts in your database are actively shopping with your competition
• Why leading with value beats asking for referrals every single time
• The exact conversation framework Ryan uses to create off-market opportunities

Want to connect with Ryan? Check out Fello AI: https://fello.ai/

Contact The Young Team: theyoungteam.com

Whether you're struggling to get past 30 transactions or looking to scale beyond 100, this episode will change how you think about the goldmine sitting in your CRM. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this.

What if you could win nearly every competitive offer by simply including one overlooked piece of data? In this episode, I sit down with Steven Wynands, a top-producing Washington DC agent who cracked the code on using data to build trust through transparency in one of the nation's most competitive real estate markets.

Steven shares the exact strategy that helped him secure million-dollar listings and get his buyers' offers accepted within the first three attempts, even when competing against 20+ bids. From there, he scaled this data-driven approach into RETR, a mortgage and real estate data platform that helps real estate professionals to work smarter.

Inside this episode:

• The "agent resume" strategy that gets offers accepted in competitive markets
• How to research and vet other agents to protect your clients
• Why new agents should leverage their mentor's track record
• The data points hiding in your MLS that you're not using for marketing
• How to set realistic expectations using comparable sales data
• Why automated marketing is failing agents and what to do instead

Want to connect with Steven? Check out RETR for real estate data insights Follow Steven's strategies for data-driven real estate success

Whether you're a new agent looking to compete or a veteran wanting to leverage data better, this episode will change how you think about using information to win more business. Subscribe, share, and follow for more tactical real estate interviews like this.

https://retr.app/