Know Like Trust for Real Estate

SEO might be the most misunderstood topic in real estate marketing, and honestly, a lot of what you've heard about it is either wrong or already outdated.

In this episode, Christine sits down with Emily Gertenbach, a content writer and SEO expert who has a lot to say about what's actually working in search right now and a lot to say about AI.

They break down what SEO really is in easy-to-understand terms, why your blog is more critical than ever, and what Google just said that essentially debunked the entire concept of "GEO" as a separate strategy. Emily also explains why AI-generated content is likely hurting your search performance rather than helping it, and what to do instead.

Resources mentioned:

• Emily Gertenbach's website: egcreativecontent.com
• Emily on LinkedIn: Emily Gertenbach
• Fathom Analytics: usefathom.com
• Google Search Console: search.google.com/search-console
• BkeeperAI (Christine's expense tracking tool for solopreneurs): bkeeperai.com

What happens behind the counter or behind the scenes of your brokerage shows up at the front door. In this episode, I'm joined by returning guest Valerie Alexander, happiness expert, TED Talk speaker (over 1 million views!), author of Happiness as a Second Language, and founder of the Science of Workplace Happiness.

Valerie and unwrap why unhappy workforces are costing U.S. businesses $700 billion a year, and what that means for your real estate business specifically. We talk about the three things every employee (and contractor) needs to feel engaged: accomplishment, autonomy, and acknowledgment. We get into why so many leaders are "accidental managers," what happens when you let your top producer behave badly, and how to protect your brand even when you're not in the room.

Whether you're a solo agent with a VA and a transaction coordinator or a team leader managing a full brokerage, this conversation will shift how you think about culture, leadership, and what your brand is really saying when you're not the one saying it.

Make sure to follow Valerie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speakhappiness-keynotespeaker/

Visit her website:

https://www.speakhappiness.com/

Think you know Google? Think again. In this episode, Christine sits down with Tasia Custode, Google expert, content creator, and host of Talk Techie to Me, to break down how real estate agents can use the Google ecosystem to get found faster, build trust, and streamline their business. From optimizing your Google Business Profile to leveraging Gemini inside Gmail, this conversation is packed with practical tools you can start using today. You'll walk away knowing exactly where you're leaving time and opportunity on the table and what to do about it.

Real estate success isn't about choosing between old-school and new-school; it's about blending both. In this episode, Christine sits down with Angie Javier, national speaker and content creator at realtor.com, to talk about what separates thriving agents from struggling ones in today's market.

Angie brings a rare perspective: she's worked at the agent level, the brokerage level, and at a hyper-local print marketing company, before landing at one of real estate's most recognized platforms. Her answer to what agents most commonly get wrong? They're either fully offline or fully online, and that split is costing them business.

In this conversation, you'll hear how to build a marketing plan that actually motivates you, why your bio needs to be optimized not just for clients but for AI, the difference between GEO and AEO (and why every agent needs to know it), and why the most successful agents never let technology replace the human touch.

Most real estate agents look to other real estate agents for inspiration. That's the problem.

In this episode, I'm joined by Scott Coligan, fractional CMO, former Miller Coors brand strategist, and one of the smartest consumer insights minds I know (and someone I've had the privilege of knowing since I hired him in 2007). Scott developed something called the Human Experience Method, a disruptive approach to consumer research that replaced sterile focus groups with deep ethnographic immersion, and the lessons he learned apply directly to how real estate agents can build brands that people actually feel something about.

We talk about what it really means to understand your client at a human level, why distinction is something you can intentionally create (and how industries like bereavement can actually help you), what Heywell's scrappy startup success can teach agents about investing in the right things early, and why your personality is your packaging.

If you've ever wondered how to stand out in a commodity market, take a listen.

You and your brand strategist have a disagreement — and it's a good one.

Marc Davison is the co-founder and creative director of 1000Watt, one of the most respected branding firms in real estate. With 40+ years of brand-building experience, he's one of the sharpest thinkers in the business. He's also, by his own admission, anti-personal brand.

In this episode, we go head-to-head on one of the hottest debated topics in real estate marketing. Marc argues that personal branding is a manufactured concept - a 1980s relic that's kept agents stuck in "Deborah with her dog" mode while sitting on an explosive vault of real business assets they've never thought to use. I push back, make the case for why personal brand still matters in today's market, and, somewhere in the middle, we find much more common ground than we expected.

Marc is also obsessed with customer experience. He spent all of 2024 mapping 100 buyer pain points and 100 seller pain points, and talks about why the "just sold" postcard is actively working against you, and what it actually means to build a brand versus just building a profile.

Connect with Marc at [email protected]

What if the real competitive advantage in business isn’t better technology… but stronger community?

In this episode, Christine George sits down with Stacey Soleil, Head of Community at Cloze, to unpack why community is quickly becoming one of the most important business strategies in today’s automated world.

Stacey describes community as the “connective tissue” between people, products, and purpose, the place where customers stop being users and become partners. Together, they explore why belonging drives loyalty, how community reduces churn in tech, and why real estate professionals should think of themselves as the connective force in their own local networks.

You’ll learn:

• The difference between community, customer support, and customer success
• Why belonging creates “stickiness” in businesses and brands
• How AI fits into community building (and where humans still matter most)
• What community looks like for real estate agents and local businesses
• Why personality is the secret ingredient to building loyal communities

Connect with Stacey on Instagram

Learn more about Cloze.

What if the reason you’re not getting invited to speak isn’t your talent… it’s your readiness?

In this episode, Christine spoke with nationally recognized real estate speaker Kendall Bonner, founder of Industry Speaks Academy, to talk about what it really takes to move from expert to industry contributor.

Kendall breaks down the three credibility elements every speaker needs:

• Street credibility

• Performance credibility

• Referral credibility

They talk about why event organizers don’t build events around speakers. They build them around topics.

Why beautiful storytelling isn’t enough.

And how to shift from ego to contribution so you actually get invited back.

If you’ve ever felt the nudge to get on stage or use your voice in a bigger way, this episode will help you understand the assignment of the room.

To learn more about Kendall's Academy, visit Industry Speaks Academy here.

What if the reason you’re not getting invited to speak isn’t your talent… it’s your readiness?

In this episode, Christine speaks with nationally recognized real estate speaker Kendall Bonner, founder of Industry Speaks Academy, to talk about what it really takes to move from expert to industry contributor.

Kendall breaks down the three credibility elements every speaker needs:

• Street credibility

• Performance credibility

• Referral credibility

We talk about why event organizers don’t build events around speakers.

Why beautiful storytelling isn’t enough.

And how to shift from ego to contribution so you actually get invited back.

If you’ve ever felt the nudge to get on stage or use your voice in a bigger way, this episode will help you understand the assignment of the room.

Because speaking isn’t self-promotion.

It’s service.

Find more information about Kendall's Industry Speaks Academy here.

Customer experience isn’t a training manual or a checklist. It’s a mindset that shapes trust, loyalty, and long-term growth.

In this episode of Know Like Trust for Real Estate, Christine George sits down with Elizabeth Dixon, former executive at Chick-fil-A, author of The Power of the Customer Experience, and nationally recognized speaker, to frame what truly creates unforgettable experiences.

Together, they explore:

• Why customer experience starts with leadership and culture not scripts
• The four mindsets every solopreneur needs to adopt
• How frontline moments either build or erode trust
• Why experience is the one thing competitors can’t easily copy
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Connect with Elizabeth and check out her books here: https://www.elizabethdixonspeaks.com/