On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Dan Rochon, head coach of the Greetings Virginia Sales Network,  to break down his “Teach to Sell” philosophy and why relationship-driven sales matter more than ever in today’s unpredictable housing market. Rochon argues that agents win by proactively educating clients, building trust before problems arise, and consistently showing up through lead generation and follow-up.

The conversation dives into the four pillars of business success — belief, lead generation, organization building, and leadership — with Rochon emphasizing that consistent prospecting is still the foundation of predictable income, regardless of market conditions. He explains why agents should lean into the lead sources that fit their personalities and strengths, whether that’s sphere marketing, expireds, open houses or online advertising.

Rochon also shares how his team is using AI to improve speed-to-process, client communication, and follow-up without replacing the agent relationship. He warns that agents who ignore AI and emerging technology risk falling behind over the next few years, while those who embrace it can create more time for high-value client interactions.

The episode also touches on private listings, industry disruption, and the mindset shifts agents need to survive market uncertainty. Rochon’s message throughout is simple: stop focusing on what you can’t control, commit to daily lead generation, and do the work consistently.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Tamir Poleg, CEO of The Real Brokerage, sits down with Tracey Velt to unpack why Real’s acquisition of REMAX is less about market share and more about combining scale, brand power and technology under one umbrella. Poleg explains that Real saw an opportunity to bring its AI-driven platform and growth mindset to a legacy franchise brand that still carries enormous recognition with consumers and agents alike.

The conversation digs into the cultural alignment between Real and REMAX, the growing debate around private listings and listing fragmentation, and why Poleg believes the industry may be nearing a “point of no return” when it comes to listing data fragmentation. While many brokerages are loudly taking sides, Real has intentionally stayed quiet, choosing instead to focus on what its agents and consumers actually want.

Poleg also lays out his vision for AI in real estate — not as a replacement for agents, but as a productivity engine that creates “super agents.” He describes a future where specialized AI assistants handle contracts, marketing and administrative work behind the scenes, allowing agents to focus on the human side of the transaction. 

Throughout the episode, he emphasizes that the future of real estate belongs to companies that can remove friction, improve transparency and create a smoother consumer experience without losing the trusted advisor relationship at the center of the business.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

On this episode of RealTrending, host Tracey Velt sits down with Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty  and James Dwiggins, co-CEO of NextHome,  to unpack the growing wave of consolidation across the real estate industry and what it means for agents, consumers and the future of listing data.

Pareja compares today’s real estate landscape to the airline industry’s consolidation era, arguing that fragmented industries eventually shrink into a handful of dominant players. But unlike acquisitions driven purely by “synergy” and cost-cutting, he says the eXp and NextHome alignment was built around philosophical fit, shared views on consumer transparency and a belief that agents still need open access to listing distribution.

The conversation quickly turns to private listings and the growing debate around listing control. Dwiggins strongly criticizes private listing strategies, warning they could damage consumer trust, create more litigation and ultimately fracture the MLS system into a European-style marketplace where buyers and agents must search multiple disconnected platforms just to find inventory. Both leaders argue that broad listing exposure remains the best path for sellers and that restricting visibility benefits brokerages more than consumers.

The trio also dives deep into AI and the future of home search. Pareja explains why eXp partnered with Google, HouseCanary and ComeHome, arguing that AI-powered search is fundamentally changing how consumers discover homes. Instead of filtering by bedrooms and bathrooms, future buyers may search conversationally — asking for homes near favorite restaurants, with specific lot orientations or lifestyle features. Both leaders believe the industry has moved too slowly to modernize search experiences and warn that MLS organizations risk becoming irrelevant if they can’t adapt quickly enough.

Despite the heavy focus on technology, both executives end on a surprisingly human note. In a world increasingly driven by AI, they argue that relationships, trust and emotional intelligence will become even more valuable. Their message to brokers and agents is simple: stop obsessing over data wars and start focusing on people, communication and the value you bring to the transaction.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

On this episode of the Real Trending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Paul Boomsma, CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE)  to unpack the biggest forces reshaping the real estate industry — from consolidation and private listings to AI and the changing expectations of agents.

Boomsma describes today’s market as a moment of “hectic opportunity,” where mergers, acquisitions, AI innovation and economic uncertainty are all colliding at once. But amid the noise, he says strong leadership has never mattered more, especially for independent brokerages navigating uncertainty among agents and consumers alike.

The conversation dives into why local brands still hold a major advantage in real estate, even as national consolidation accelerates. Boomsma argues consumers remain focused on trusted local professionals, not corporate ownership structures, creating opportunities for regional independents to differentiate through culture, leadership and community presence.

Tracey and Paul also explore the future of brokerage models, generational changes among agents and the growing importance of collaboration-focused office environments. Boomsma explains why younger agents value teamwork, coaching and shared learning more than the traditional independent contractor model.

The episode also tackles hot-button industry topics like private listings and AI adoption. While Boomsma believes private listings may be receiving more hype than necessary, he sees enormous potential for AI in agent coaching, role-playing and helping professionals sharpen their client conversations faster than ever before.

Throughout the discussion, one theme stays consistent: the brokerages that thrive over the next few years will be the ones that lean into authentic local leadership, adapt to changing agent expectations and stay focused on consumer trust.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

In this episode of the Real Trending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Blake O’Shaughnessy, founder of Ownli, a platform aiming to rethink the traditional real estate transaction by removing agents entirely. Built around the idea that “search got modern, but pricing didn’t,” Ownli offers sellers a DIY platform where they can list homes, manage showings, negotiate offers and complete contracts without paying traditional percentage-based commissions.

O’Shaughnessy argues that the post-NAR settlement environment has accelerated consumer skepticism around commission structures, especially as home prices continue climbing while fees remain tied to a percentage of the sale price. Ownli positions itself as a software-driven alternative, combining public listing data, pricing tools, contracts and third-party service providers into one platform.

The conversation explores whether consumers are truly ready to handle transactions themselves, how Ownli plans to scale nationally, and where technology can — and can’t — replace traditional agents. While O’Shaughnessy acknowledges the emotional and relationship-driven aspects of real estate still matter, he believes the future of the industry is increasingly “unbundled,” with consumers choosing only the services they actually need instead of paying for full-service representation by default.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

On this episode of the RealTrending podcast, Ashley Thomas III, president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), joined Tracey Velt to discuss the policies, barriers and opportunities shaping homeownership access across the country — especially within Black communities.

Thomas framed the Black homeownership gap as more than a market issue, arguing that it was created through decades of intentional policy decisions, from the Homestead Act of 1862 to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) lending practices and the GI Bill. Because policy helped create the gap, he said, policy must also play a major role in closing it.

Throughout the conversation, Thomas emphasized that access remains the industry’s biggest challenge. Even with more inventory or lower prices, many qualified buyers still struggle to navigate outdated credit models, lending standards, and qualification requirements that don’t reflect how consumers earn and manage money today.

The discussion also highlighted NAREB’s policy initiatives, including its Community Property Fairness Initiative, which focuses on FHA rules in certain states that require nonborrowing spouses’ debt to be counted during qualification. Thomas argued these rules create unnecessary barriers for housing affordability.

Velt and Thomas also discussed the industry’s broader responsibility in shaping consumer confidence. Thomas encouraged agents and brokers to avoid fueling negative market narratives, arguing that real estate professionals help shape buyer behavior through their mindset and messaging.

The conversation closed with a look at NAREB’s eight-city homeownership bus tour, which combines education, housing counseling, legal support and community outreach in cities where affordability remains within reach. For Thomas, the goal is simple: to move the conversation beyond whether it’s a good time to buy and focus instead on whether it’s the right time for individual families to begin building generational wealth through homeownership.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

LIVE from HousingWire’s Gathering, Tracey Velt sits down with Jim D’Amico, CEO of Brands by Integra, to talk about brokerage growth, industry consolidation and why he’s optimistic about the Compass acquisition of Anywhere.

D’Amico built his company from two agents in Massachusetts into a multi-brand operation with roughly 2,000 agents across 18 states. Today, Brands by Integra includes multiple real estate franchises, mortgage, insurance, asset management and property management companies — all operating under one umbrella.

The conversation centers on the industry’s accelerating consolidation, particularly Compass’ acquisition of Anywhere. D’Amico says the deal injected new energy into a brokerage landscape he felt had grown stagnant, and he believes Compass CEO Robert Reffkin brings a growth-focused mindset that could unlock the scale and lead-generation potential many franchise brands have never fully leveraged.

He also addresses one of the industry’s most debated topics: Compass’ private listing network. In D’Amico’s view, the strategy has been widely misunderstood. Rather than limiting access, he believes the approach is meant to give agents and sellers more control over marketing timelines while restoring some of the value agents once held when listing information wasn’t instantly public.

Beyond mergers, D’Amico sees the future of brokerage tied to scale, technology and ecosystem expansion. While he believes mortgage and brokerage can work together, he notes the operational complexity of running both businesses. What excites him most is how real estate companies are increasingly acquiring technology — a move he believes will define the next phase of industry competition.

Despite rapid consolidation across the sector, D’Amico says the brokerage landscape will always support multiple models — from national platforms to local boutique firms. For his company, the focus now is simple: build density in existing markets, keep expanding through strategic acquisitions and continue growing nationally while maintaining a family-run culture.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

On this episode of the RealTrending Podcast, host Tracey Velt sits down with Brandon Wells to talk about leadership, brokerage culture and how independent firms can compete in a rapidly consolidating real estate industry.

Wells reflects on stepping into the CEO role at The Group Real Estate, a Northern Colorado brokerage founded in 1976, and explains that the company’s long-term success comes down to a simple principle: invest in the brokers. Through training, education and the brokerage’s connection to the Ninja Selling philosophy, Wells says the firm has built a culture focused on productivity, collaboration and shared success.

As an employee-owned brokerage, that culture is reinforced by a sense of ownership among agents. Instead of competing internally, brokers share strategies and knowledge because everyone benefits when the company succeeds.

The conversation also explores broader industry shifts, including brokerage consolidation and the growth of independent firms. Wells sees opportunity in the current environment, arguing that technology, automation and AI are lowering barriers that once favored large companies. Smaller brokerages, he says, can now access powerful tools that allow them to remain competitive while maintaining the flexibility and local expertise that many agents prefer.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Related to this episode:

The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

Chris Kelly breaks down how HomeServices is shifting from a behind-the-scenes holding company to a more active, value-driven parent organization — and why that evolution requires a louder voice in today’s rapidly changing brokerage landscape. He outlines a growth strategy that goes beyond traditional brokerage expansion, emphasizing a full-service ecosystem spanning mortgage, title, insurance and beyond.

Kelly also explores the industry’s bifurcation between national, ecosystem-driven firms and cloud-based models, while making the case that local leadership and culture remain the defining advantage in recruiting and retention. Throughout the conversation, he stresses that the future of real estate hinges on simplifying the transaction for consumers without weakening the agent-client relationship.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

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The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

In this insightful interview, Debbie De Grote of Forward Coaching shares essential mindset shifts, strategies and tools for real estate agents to thrive in a complex and evolving market. Topics include becoming a market expert, leveraging AI, effective prospecting and adapting to new business models.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Related to this episode:

The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.