Most agents do not lose their business because the market went quiet. They lose it because the pipeline went quiet first, and nobody wants to say that out loud. Lauren sits down with Karlton Utter, Head of Training and Agent Development at Reside, to talk about the trap that swallows so many good agents. You grind through the spring market, everything closes over the summer, and then you coast into the holidays telling yourself you will start fresh in January. Karlton breaks down why that gap quietly costs you a full quarter of income, and why the agents who never go cold simply keep filling the top of the funnel no matter the season. You will hear the real math behind production, the one hundred conversations that turn into a single closing, how to sort your database into hot, warm, and cold, and the everyday activities that still beat every shortcut. If your business feels like feast or famine, this one hands you a plan to even it out and run on purpose instead of hope.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) An empty pipeline is a choice
• (00:02:18) Why the ber months quietly kill your income
• (00:04:42) Diagnose before you prescribe and know your numbers
• (00:08:05) You cannot run a business on hope
• (00:11:20) The math behind one closing
• (00:15:30) How many deals before you earn real time off
• (00:18:10) Sorting your database into hot, warm, and cold
• (00:21:00) The activities that actually fill your pipeline
• (00:26:40) Getting back to the basics that built your business
• (00:31:15) Stay internally driven and get face to face

Links and Resources:

• Karlton Utter on LinkedIn
• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Most team leaders think the fix for flat production is simple. Hire more agents. In this episode Brooke and Karlton Utter from Reside sit down to push back on that instinct and explain why so many teams are quietly solving the wrong problem. They get honest about the real difference between a hiring problem and a development problem, and what it actually costs you when you confuse the two. Karlton walks through how to reverse engineer a production goal into the exact hires you need, why recruiting without a real support system is unfair to the agents you bring on, and how the right onboarding experience sets the tone from day one. Brooke shares what she sees inside teams every single day, from rosters full of agents who have not logged in for a month to piles of leads that never get touched. Together they dig into accountability that actually sticks, the one on one conversations that move the needle, and the patience it takes to give a new agent a real first year ramp up. If you have ever looked at your roster and wondered who you would trust with your next big referral, this conversation is for you.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) Why most teams are solving the wrong problem
• (00:03:11) Recruiting as strategic growth, not just adding bodies
• (00:08:04) Reverse engineering your production goal into the right hires
• (00:12:58) What a real onboarding and training system looks like
• (00:17:46) Treating real estate like a job and checking in daily
• (00:23:35) Why experienced agents leave and how to keep them
• (00:29:42) One on ones, the Oreo method, and the got a minute trap
• (00:35:28) What the first year really looks like for a new agent
• (00:41:15) Development problem or mindset problem
• (00:47:33) Where to start: systems, tools, and your best recruiters

Links and Resources:

• Karlton Utter on LinkedIn
• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Christy Morrison didn't plan on real estate. She planned on the Olympics. After years of competing in X Games skicross, she traded one extreme sport for another. Building a top 1% business in Truckee while still trying not to miss a powder day. 

In this one, she sits down with Suneet and gets honest about what 24 years in the game actually teaches you. The 25-calls-a-day grind. The seven hires turned into six exits. The marketing that finally moved the needle in a second-home market where half your buyers live three hours away. 

She talks about going from solo agent, to team leader, to back-to-solo, why "contacts equal contracts" still runs her business, and why she's done hiring closers who don't actually take care of clients. If you're scaling a team and feel like you're constantly cleaning up after the people you brought on to make your life easier. This one's going to hit.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - The Onboarding Lesson That Costs Teams Their Best Agents
• (00:01:40) - From X Games Skicross to Top 1% Truckee Realtor
• (00:04:23) - Outworking 800 Agents in the Tahoe Market
• (00:07:23) - 20 Years of 25 Calls a Day: The Mike Ferry Grind
• (00:09:55) - Building the Team — ISAs, Marketing, and First Hires
• (00:14:00) - Why 6 of 7 Hires Walked Out the Door
• (00:18:08) - Dominating a Second-Home Market with Postcards and Wrapped Cars
• (00:24:19) - Launching Million-Dollar Listings with Lifestyle Marketing
• (00:27:32) - Hiring for Heart, Not Just Closing Power
• (00:31:55) - Master the Contract or Stay an Amateur

Links and Resources: 

• Home & Slate Real Estate Website
• Christy Morrison on LinkedIn
• Christy Morrison on Facebook
• Contact Christy: (530)414-7811
• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• More Reside Platform Podcasts

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Suneet sits down with Lucy Ham, a real estate powerhouse who has been in the business since 1974. Operating out of Flushing, Michigan — a small town of just 30,000 people — Lucy consistently carries 50 to 60 listings at a time and was once the #2 agent at Prudential nationwide, selling over 140 homes in a single year with no assistants and no internet. Lucy shares how her upbringing on a South Dakota farm instilled an unstoppable work ethic, how adopting Mike Ferry's scripts instantly boosted her listing conversion by 25%, and how she brought her son Justin — a former geologist — into the business. She also reveals her secret to longevity and avoiding burnout: taking a full week off every month. Whether you're a solo agent looking to sharpen your discipline or a team leader trying to recruit and retain buyer agents, Lucy's five decades of wisdom will challenge everything you think you know about building a real estate business.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Lucy Ham's secret to never losing a lead
• (00:01:00) - What it's like running real estate in small-town Michigan
• (00:02:00) - How Lucy started selling homes in 1974 with a newborn
• (00:04:00) - When buyers couldn't access any market data
• (00:05:30) - Becoming the #2 agent at Prudential nationwide
• (00:06:30) - Selling 140 homes a year with zero assistants
• (00:08:00) - The farm-kid mindset that built a real estate empire
• (00:10:00) - How her geologist son read Rich Dad Poor Dad and changed careers
• (00:12:00) - 25 years of Mike Ferry coaching and the script that changed everything
• (00:15:00) - How Lucy and Justin split the business without splitting the family
• (00:18:00) - The coaching call that led to 12 weeks of vacation per year
• (00:20:30) - Team structure: office manager, listing coordinator, and buyer agents
• (00:21:00) - The new hiring strategy to recruit 6 buyer agents by December
• (00:24:30) - The #1 piece of advice for every real estate agent
• (00:27:00) - Advice for team leaders and how to contact Lucy

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Lucy Ham on Facebook
• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Suneet Agarwal sits down with Michelle Terry, a 28-year real estate veteran, broker, and owner of the Michelle Terry Team spanning Massachusetts and Connecticut. Michelle shares her origin story of building a house at 19 and falling in love with the process, how she pivoted to dominate the short sale market during the 2008 crash — closing over 100 short sales in a single year — and why the agents who refuse to pivot are the ones who leave the industry. She breaks down her journey from being coached by Buffini & Company to becoming a DISC Profile certified trainer, explaining how understanding personality wiring systems transformed the way she leads her team and connects with clients. Michelle and Suneet also dive into the power of handwritten notes as a relationship-building tool, how she uses AI to analyze home inspections and save tens of thousands on flip projects, and why coaching and mentorship are non-negotiable at every stage of your career.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - If You Don't Have a Mentor, You Need a Coach
• (00:00:42) - Michelle Terry's Origin Story: Building a House at 19
• (00:02:14) - Pivoting to Short Sales During the 2008 Crash
• (00:04:00) - Why Agents Who Don't Pivot Leave the Business
• (00:06:12) - From Being Coached to Becoming the Coach
• (00:09:02) - The Power of Handwritten Notes in a Digital World
• (00:13:15) - Becoming a DISC Profile Certified Trainer
• (00:18:10) - Using DISC to Read Clients in Real Time
• (00:20:30) - DISC for Team Leadership and Avoiding Conflict
• (00:27:00) - How AI Saved $67K on a Flip and Revolutionized Her Business
• (00:31:45) - Advice for Agents and Team Leaders in Today's Market

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Michelle Terry on LinkedIn
• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Mark Daya shares the real story behind becoming the top solo agent in Rancho Cordova—and how that reputation helped unlock an opportunity to help develop a new downtown project featuring a 7,500-seat sports and entertainment arena. Mark and Suneet walk through Mark’s journey in reverse: from investing in the arena vision, to building hyperlocal dominance through direct mail and a newsletter that generated an 8X ROI, to surviving the 2008 downturn while navigating major family health challenges. The conversation breaks down the difference between being reactive vs. proactive, why your calendar must match your goals, and how consistency (in marketing and leadership) compounds over time. Mark also explains the transition from top producer to team leader, the importance of meeting people where they are, and why “head on a swivel” relationships can create unexpected income streams like flips that fund bigger bets.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) Be obsessed, be shameless, get coached
• (00:00:20) Intro: Mark Daya + why this episode matters
• (00:01:00) Mark’s background: 20 years in real estate + “king of Rancho”
• (00:02:00) The downtown Rancho Cordova arena project (timeline + scope)
• (00:04:00) How the arena opportunity started (NDA + relationship leverage)
• (00:07:00) Reputation creates opportunity (do the work, leave a footprint)
• (00:09:00) The moment that changed everything: “I’ve never heard your name”
• (00:10:30) The hyperlocal newsletter + EDDM strategy (costs + ROI)
• (00:13:30) 2008 crash + family health crisis (reactive business mode)
• (00:17:30) Betting on yourself: wiping the slate clean + going all in locally
• (00:19:30) Branding lesson: give people what they want, not your face everywhere
• (00:21:00) Proactive vs. reactive: start with your calendar
• (00:23:00) “Head on a swivel”: flips, partnerships, and compounding opportunity
• (00:24:30) Why a team became necessary + early scaling lessons
• (00:27:00) Becoming a better leader: consistency, meeting people where they are
• (00:35:00) Advice for agents: time blocking + congruence between goals and calendar
• (00:37:00) Advice for team leaders: emotional consistency + set the example
• (00:39:00) Where to find Mark + closing

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Mark Daya on LinkedIn
• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

If your CRM feels overwhelming, it’s not because you “need more leads”—it’s because your system isn’t set up to tell you what to do next. In Part 2 of this database optimization series, Lauren Holland and Brooke break down the practical, day-to-day workflow that keeps leads from falling through the cracks: how to route leads to the right people, why instant response matters, how to use ponds to recover overlooked opportunities, and the simple daily routine (inbox, tasks, smart lists) that keeps a real estate team’s pipeline full. They also cover the most common CRM mistakes (stale stages, overdue tasks, missing activity logs, ignored past clients, messy data) and how team leaders can build accountability without micromanaging—so your CRM becomes a tool your team actually uses, not a place where deals go to die.

Chapters

• (00:00:00) Your CRM is either working for you—or against you (Part 2 kickoff)
• (00:03:00) Lead flow 101: what it is and why it matters
• (00:03:45) The #1 lead flow mistake: missing filters (price, location, specialty)
• (00:05:10) Instant response: why leads die when nothing happens
• (00:08:10) Qualification standards: expectations for speed-to-lead and follow-up
• (00:10:55) Ponds: what they are and how to work them (they’re not dead leads)
• (00:14:05) Daily workflow that prevents cracks: Inbox → Tasks → Smart Lists
• (00:20:55) “Power hours”: the realistic time commitment to keep pipeline full
• (00:28:15) Common CRM mistakes + fixes (stages, tasks, logging, past clients, bad data)
• (00:41:00) Accountability that scales: what leaders should inspect weekly/daily

Links and Resources:

• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

If you feel like you are working hard but the results are not showing up, this episode breaks down what is really missing. Lauren sits down with Karlton Utter, head of agent training and development at Reside, to talk about the habits that separate agents who “stay busy” from agents who consistently close. Karlton shares how treating real estate like a true business, time blocking prospecting, and asking for the business directly can change everything, especially in shifting markets. They also cover how to stop discounting your value, why listings create momentum, how to use technology without losing the fundamentals, and why a full pipeline protects your mindset when deals fall apart.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) Every personality can succeed with the right mindset and work ethic
• (00:02:20) Treat real estate like a career, not a hobby: business owner mentality
• (00:04:40) The 9-to-5 approach: daily prospecting as a non-negotiable
• (00:06:50) Old-school pipeline building that still works: FSBOs, expires, and community
• (00:09:30) Social media as a "Rolodex": building a brand people remember
• (00:12:10) Using social media for business: training, consulting, and staying adaptable
• (00:16:40) Third-party leads vs. listings: why listings create the “power of one” effect
• (00:20:10) Holding your commission: how discounting hurts your future business
• (00:24:30) Know your numbers: hourly wage, market knowledge, and being the expert
• (00:29:10) Ask for the business: getting clarity instead of the “parking lot shuffle”
• (00:32:00) Eat the frog: daily prospecting habits, time blocking, and pipeline protection
• (00:36:00) Next-level growth: niches, farm areas, and increasing average sales price
• (00:38:00) Mindset and long-term planning: goals, support systems, and staying consistent

Links and Resources:

• Karlton Utter on LinkedIn
• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Lauren and Brooke break down Reside’s practical framework for cleaning up and optimizing any CRM so leads stop slipping through the cracks. They explain why a messy database creates a messy business, how to simplify stages into a clear lifecycle, and how to use tags for context without creating chaos. They also walk through the daily workflow that keeps follow-up consistent, including the must-have smart lists, contact frequency guidelines for each stage, and the difference between action plans and automations so teams can build a system that runs in the background while still driving real human follow-up.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) Why agents lose money when their CRM is a mess
• (00:03:10) Your CRM reflects your habits: the mindset shift
• (00:06:00) Stages explained: where a lead is in the journey (not what you’re doing)
• (00:08:00) The simple 8-stage framework (10 stages or less)
• (00:11:00) Lead gen vs lead nurture, and why “nurture” is not “ignore”
• (00:15:00) Speed-to-lead: why the first 5 minutes matters
• (00:20:00) How to clean up a bloated “Lead” stage (2-hour audit plan)
• (00:24:00) Tags vs stages: how to tag without creating a mess
• (00:31:00) Smart lists: the daily roadmap and contact frequency by stage
• (00:51:00) Action plans vs automations (and what to automate vs keep personal)

Links and Resources:

• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Team leader and brokerage partner Andrea Kugler breaks down what it really takes to win in real estate—especially if you’re a driven agent, team leader, or brokerage owner who wants to scale without losing your freedom. Andrea shares the “50/50 rule” behind her early success (including closing 52 deals in her first 12 months): half is personal effort and grit, and half is finding the right mentorship, leadership, and standards that keep you confident in every conversation. She also opens up about the mindset shift from solo production to team leadership—why discipline, routines, and protecting tomorrow’s energy matter when people rely on you—and why perfectionism slows growth more than any market condition. Finally, Andrea explains how community-first leadership (from “Field Day Fridays” to local service) creates authentic relationships, referrals, and a reputation that can’t be commoditized by big lead sources.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) The “50/50” success rule: effort + mentorship
• (00:04:00) From nutrition + Bengals cheerleader to real estate (and why she needed “no ceiling”)
• (00:07:00) Becoming a brokerage partner: legacy, leadership, and the exit plan
• (00:10:00) Starting a team after loss: purpose, autonomy, and scaling impact
• (00:14:00) Protecting your calendar (and why white space kills momentum)
• (00:18:00) Energy fundamentals: sleep, workouts, and discipline for high output
• (00:20:00) “Field Day Fridays”: community-first activities that create referrals
• (00:25:00) Connection > scripts: how to build relationships in-person + on social
• (00:32:00) Recruiting lessons: simple wins like a “now hiring” sign + being visible
• (00:39:00) What’s next: Run for Resilience 5K + a community wellness mission

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Andrea Kugler on LinkedIn
• Team Leader Secrets by Suneet Agarwal
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the Reside Platform Podcast? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!