Forget the “real estate is frozen” headline. We dig into what’s actually happening in the housing market and why smart strategy is beating scary narratives. With David Childers, president of Keeping Current Matters, we break down the numbers behind affordability, inventory, pricing, and what a realistic path to 2026 looks like for buyers, sellers, and agents.

We start with a reality check: existing home sales hovering near 4 million and new builds around 700,000 set a durable floor, even as transactions remain slow relative to population. Prices landed near flat nationally in 2025, with no credible forecasts calling for widespread declines over the next five years. The big mover is supply: the South and West have largely refilled to 2019 levels, cooling appreciation, while the Northeast remains severely constrained. We also unpack why turnover hit historic lows and tenure nudged toward ten years, and how that feeds alarming headlines without capturing on-the-ground behavior.

Then we get tactical. Rate peaks in May and a drift into the low sixes mean average payments dropped by roughly $300 since spring. The difference between 6.25% and 5.99% is often under $50 a month—perfect for debunking the “we’ll wait for five percent” chorus. For sellers, buy-downs often beat price cuts, delivering the monthly payment buyers anchor on at a lower net cost. For agents, trust is the differentiator: publish local inventory and days-on-market snapshots, show price reduction and delisting trends, and lead with two simple questions that open real conversations—Has anyone taken five minutes to explain our market? Is the home you’re in now the right home for you?

As we look to 2026, expect modestly lower rates, slightly higher sales, and normalized price growth. The edge will go to pros who combine calm, optimistic leadership with data-rich storytelling and consistent follow-through. If that sounds like your playbook, you’re already ahead.

If you found this useful, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review—what local stat should we break down next?

Want the promotion without the pitfall? We sit down with leadership expert John Eades to unpack how a painful early failure turned into a calling to help managers become leaders who elevate others. The story starts with a shiny new title and all the wrong motives—and turns into a wake-up call about clarity, vision, and the responsibility to serve.

We draw a clear line between management and leadership: tasks versus transformation. John lays out a practical foundation—character that earns trust, vision that offers hope, and coaching that helps people grow—and then stacks advanced skills like competent humility, emotional mastery, and persuasive communication. For real estate teams and any high-performance culture, the message is simple: care authentically and demand consistently. Either one alone creates imbalance; together they unlock sustainable results.

We also go deep on application. Knowledge without action won’t move a market. You’ll hear how to turn inputs into outcomes, why “E + R = O” keeps your response from hijacking your results, and how belief transfers from leader to agent when stakes are highest. Then we challenge incrementalism: ditch the safe 10% target and set an impossible goal that forces new behavior—better systems, bold storytelling, sharper prospecting, and consistent follow-through. Whether you hit the exact number is secondary to who you become by aiming higher.

If you’re ready to replace shortcuts with standards, turn feedback into fuel, and build a culture where performance and people both thrive, this conversation is your playbook. Subscribe, share with a teammate who needs the nudge, and leave a review with your impossible goal for 2026—we’ll cheer you on.

Real estate promises flexibility, but the pros win with discipline. That’s the heartbeat of this conversation with regional vice president Mike Grogan, whose journey from young agent to respected leader reveals what it really takes to grow in a market that refuses to sit still. We dig into the habits that separate consistent producers from the rest—showing up, blocking time, and treating the work like the career it is.

We get practical about pricing, too. Instead of clinging to old comps, Mike breaks down how to position a listing against live, active competition so your seller becomes the first home to sell, not the fifth. With buyers gaining time and choices in many areas, even as days on market stay low in pockets like Virginia Beach, agents need sharper scripts, faster feedback loops, and the courage to adjust. We also talk about the rising share of price reductions, why they rarely help, and how to avoid them with smarter launch strategies.

Social media and AI take center stage as growth levers. Short-form video on platforms like TikTok and Instagram isn’t fluff—it’s where attention lives, and agents are closing real business there. Mike shares how to use these channels without losing your voice, why polarizing posts can tank your pipeline, and where AI fits as time leverage for content, marketing, and ideas. Then we zoom out to teams: when to build one, why “because I’m busy” isn’t enough, and how to define roles so you scale without chaos.

We close on the one thing most agents skip—a written plan. Document your goals, map your weekly inputs, and lock in an accountability partner. Your database is the currency of 2026: clean it, grow it, and contact it with intention. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a push, and leave a review telling us the one change you’ll make this week. We’re here to help you finish strong and start smarter.