On this episode of How to Attract Customers, Tony sits down with Mohamed Khan — chef-turned-agent who closed $150M+ and 500+ transactions, scaled a team to 29, then pivoted into wholesaling and value-add commercial real estate.

We cover:

Why discipline and daily contacts beat “glossy” content

The recruiting mistake most brokers make and how to fix it with webinars

Turning builder incentives into a buyer-lead machine

Mohamed’s numbers: first year 52 deals, cold-call ratios from 300:1 → 60:1, 6 touches per contract, 1 in 6 database conversion

The reality of teams: profitability, turnover, and first-hire quality

Why he moved to flipping/wholesale and then value-add CRE (and how seller financing + cap rates create upside)

2025 tips for new agents, team builders, and anyone eyeing wholesaling

00:00 Intro — Chef to mega agent to investor
00:27 Why real estate (from culinary)
01:12 The breakthrough: right training & company (came from a recruiting cold call)
02:13 Calling works: lowest cost, highest control
02:39 Track record: $150M+, 500+ deals, 52 in year one
03:38 Discipline & habits: on the phones 8:00 sharp; scaling those habits to the team
04:39 Social media vs. sales reality: grit over glam
05:36 Going all-in: early splits, low take-home, high learning ROI
06:47 Alternative prospecting (Craigslist) and contacts-to-appointment math (≈60:1)
07:52 It’s about contacts, not the channel (TikTok comment mining)
09:03 Entitlement vs. value; lost $100K from poor follow-up
10:47 Nurture & trust economy; pricing honest conversations
12:05 Handling overpricing; expectation-setting
12:41 Market check: Orlando DOM ~120 days
13:27 Life redesign & leverage; 1,000+ calls/day via team; CRE acquisitions
14:52 Fewer agents, bigger output: ~20 closings/mo with lean team
15:11 Building by the book (MREA): hiring sequence
15:55 Hard truth: team profitability & turnover
17:25 Setting exit expectations; the 80/20 of team production
19:12 Assistants local; VAs global; grit > smooth talk for cold callers
20:41 Hiring lessons: rigorous process → 5-year key hire; team splits
22:22 Pride in alumni; Iron Gate culture
22:46 P&L led the pivot: investors’ net vs agent net
24:03 Compounding plan; wholesaling advantages; $670K year assigning
26:00 Flip math to $1M/yr; full pivot → $200K/mo
27:39 Lead sources: Vulcan7; control vs buying leads
29:16 Follow-up math: 6 touches/contract, 1 of 6 close rate; 8-year nurture story
31:15 Today’s focus: value-add retail/strip centers; speaking investor language
32:06 Wholesaling leads: Batch Leads, distress lists; more calls than retail
34:31 “Deal maker” vs money sides; criteria $1M profit or $10K/mo cash flow
35:28 Seller financing & “big money is lazy”
36:30 Three tips: new agents, starting teams, wholesaling in 2025
40:15 Team building: first hire quality; production thresholds for joining a team
42:02 Wholesaling caution in 2025 (need warm-lead engines or partner)
42:58 Mentors & books: Commercial Academy (Scott Shields), Richest Man in Babylon, The Compound Effect
44:05 Agents’ net worth gap; buy what you sell (rentals)
45:25 Agent-buyer example: new construction incentives, low rate, money back at closing
46:19 Using HELOCs & leverage; appreciation math
49:22 Bad economy = best deals; refi upside when rates drop
50:18 Final takeaways: habits, model success, don’t reinvent the wheel; outro