In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares a moment from her real estate career that completely shifted how she communicates with clients.

It starts with a situation that felt urgent—and a decision that seemed reasonable in the moment.

But what followed revealed something deeper about communication, expectations, and the role agents play when things don’t go as planned.

From there, Kathryn breaks down:

• Why certain communication choices create unintended tension
• What clients actually need from you in high-stakes moments
• How small decisions can shape the entire experience
• And the simple standard she now follows in situations like this

🎯 This episode isn’t about avoiding mistakes—it’s about understanding how to handle them better when they happen.

🎧 Seeking the Best is a podcast for real estate agents who want to build a better business—one rooted in clarity, focus, and long-term growth.

Hosted by Kathryn Stelljes, a top-producing agent and productivity coach with nearly 20 years of experience, this show is designed to help you think differently, take action, and create a business that actually works for you.

With over 300 weekly episodes since 2019, Seeking the Best breaks down real-world strategies, honest lessons, and simple systems you can apply immediately—so you can stop spinning your wheels and start moving forward.

For more resources, episode notes, and the Candy Bag, visit: onseekingthebest.com

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares a real story that will hit home for so many real estate agents—the moment you realize you’re doing someone else’s job… again.

It’s a holiday weekend. The team leaves on time. Everything looks fine on the surface. But behind the scenes, a listing that should have been entered never got done—and Kathryn steps in to fix it.

The client is happy. The listing goes live. No one notices the problem.

But that’s exactly the problem.

Kathryn breaks down how these moments—where we step in and “save” the situation—are actually building a business that depends entirely on us. Instead of solving the system, we patch the problem. And over time, that creates a cycle where we are stuck doing work that shouldn’t be ours.

This episode dives into:

• Why stepping in feels productive—but isn’t scalable
• The difference between tasks and true responsibility
• How unclear roles create bottlenecks and dependency
• Why fixing the system is harder—but necessary
• The long-term cost of being the one who always “handles it”

If you’ve ever thought, “It’s just easier if I do it myself,” this episode will challenge that belief—and give you a better way forward.

Seeking the Best is a podcast for real estate agents who want to build a better business—one rooted in clarity, focus, and long-term growth.

Hosted by Kathryn Stelljes, a top-producing agent and productivity coach with nearly 20 years of experience, this show is designed to help you think differently, take action, and create a business that actually works for you.

With over 300 weekly episodes since 2019, Seeking the Best breaks down real-world strategies, honest lessons, and simple systems you can apply immediately—so you can stop spinning your wheels and start moving forward.

For more resources, episode notes, and the Candy Bag, visit: onseekingthebest.com

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares real stories from some of the worst listing and buyer appointment mistakes she made early in her real estate career.

The bigger lesson is not just that these appointments were awkward. It’s that they all exposed the same problem: bending professional standards in the name of opportunity. Kathryn breaks down how lack of pre-qualification, weak appointment structure, poor boundary setting, and giving up control of the environment can cost agents time, trust, and deals.

If you are a new or growing real estate agent, this episode will help you think differently about buyer consultations, listing consultations, seller communication, decision makers, appointment setup, and what it really means to operate like a business professional.

• Real estate appointment mistakes that cost deals
• Why all decision makers should be present
• Why some appointments should be rescheduled immediately
• The danger of bending your rules for buyers and sellers
• How structure and professionalism improve conversion
• Why agents need stronger pre-qualification before appointments
• How to create a better environment for buyer and listing consultations

If you are a new real estate agent, a part-time agent, or someone rebuilding your database, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting until you feel more qualified and start treating the relationships already in your life like the foundation of your business.

Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn Stelljes shares one of the most expensive lessons she learned in nearly 20 years of real estate: spending money on leads before having the systems, speed, and follow-up in place to convert them. She breaks down what happened when she invested in Zillow leads and outsourced prospecting, why it did not produce the return she expected, and what she would do differently now. This conversation is a must-listen for new and growing real estate agents who feel tempted to buy leads before mastering conversion, database building, and the lead sources already working in their business.

Kathryn and Patrick unpack the difference between needing more leads and needing better systems, stronger follow-up, and better conversion. They talk about speed to lead, long conversion timelines, the danger of chasing shiny objects, and why agents should focus on maximizing sphere, database, open houses, and proven lead generation before adding expensive new sources. Kathryn also shares a practical best move for the week: building a seller expectation checklist to create more clarity and a better client experience.

If you are a new real estate agent, a part-time agent, or someone rebuilding your database, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting until you feel more qualified and start treating the relationships already in your life like the foundation of your business.

Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn Stelljes kicks off a new season called Lessons I Learned the Hard Way So You Don’t Have To with a deeply personal conversation about one of the biggest mistakes she made early in her real estate career: not building her sphere of influence and database soon enough.

Kathryn shares what it was like getting into real estate in 2006 while still in school and bartending in downtown Orlando, surrounded by hundreds of people she knew, served, and built relationships with, but never fully added to her database. Out of fear, insecurity, and feeling like she was not yet “legitimate” as a real estate agent, she kept her career quiet and missed years of opportunity that could have compounded into long-term referrals, repeat business, and deeper relationships.

This episode is a powerful reminder for new and growing real estate agents that your business does not start when you finally feel successful. It starts when you decide to be visible, take yourself seriously, and consistently stay in touch with the people already around you.

Kathryn and Patrick talk through:

• why so many agents become “secret agents”

• how fear keeps agents from telling people they are in real estate

• why sphere of influence marketing works so well over time

• the long-term cost of not building a database early

• how relationships compound into referrals and repeat business

• why people you already know are often your best opportunity

• how to think differently about everyday environments like jobs, schools, events, community groups, and social circles

• what Kathryn would do differently if she were starting over today

If you are a new real estate agent, a part-time agent, or someone rebuilding your database, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting until you feel more qualified and start treating the relationships already in your life like the foundation of your business.

Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.

In this special episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares a real-time recap of what she learned at Keller Williams Family Reunion in Atlanta. Recorded across several days during the conference, this episode captures her biggest takeaways on leadership, leverage, social media, AI, client experience, productivity, motivated seller lead generation, investing, mindset, and time management.

Kathryn reflects on lessons from sessions featuring high-level business leaders, authors, coaches, and marketers, including ideas around unreasonable hospitality, building a real business with systems, creating leverage through people, using AI and Google business tools to improve visibility, and why social media should focus on connection rather than vanity metrics. She also breaks down practical strategies for real estate agents, including seller workshops, golden letters, brand storytelling, pricing conversations, productivity coaching, and how to think more clearly about time and dollar-per-hour work.

This episode is especially valuable for real estate agents who want to grow with more intention, improve their marketing, create a stronger client experience, and think at a higher level about business ownership.

This episode is part of Seeking the Best, the real estate agent podcast for new and growing agents focused on time management, lead generation, productivity, and building a sustainable real estate career.

Seeking the Best has released 300+ weekly episodes since 2019 and is designed to help real estate agents create clarity, structure, and momentum in their business through practical coaching and real-world experience.

If you’re a new real estate agent or an experienced agent looking to simplify and refocus, this real estate agent podcast provides actionable guidance you can apply immediately.

Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn and Patrick close out their season on time management by narrowing the conversation down to the three habits that matter most for real estate agents: setting clear boundaries, building a consistent weekly planning habit, and putting lead generation first.

They begin with boundaries and why so many agents create unnecessary stress by making themselves too available. Kathryn explains how weak boundaries lead to reactive workdays, constant interruptions, unrealistic client expectations, and burnout. The conversation explores how protecting your time is not about being less committed to clients, but about creating the structure required to serve people well and grow a sustainable business.

From there, they discuss Kathryn’s personal weekly planning routine and why reviewing the previous week before planning the next one has become such an important part of staying focused. She shares how this habit helps her reflect on what worked, what did not, what needs attention in the week ahead, and how to leave enough white space for real estate appointments and shifting priorities. Rather than showing up on Monday and reacting to whatever comes first, this planning habit makes it easier to lead the week with intention.

Finally, they bring it back to the most important point of the entire season: lead generation has to come first. Kathryn and Patrick explain that no matter how good your calendar looks or how organized your systems are, the business does not grow without consistent lead generation. They talk about why agents must protect that time early in the day, before distractions, client needs, and urgent issues take over, and why doing lead generation first creates the momentum that makes everything else in the business work better.

This episode serves as a practical recap of the strongest lessons from the season on time and offers a simple framework for agents who want more control over their schedule, more consistency in their workflow, and a better way forward in real estate sales.

This episode is part of Seeking the Best, the real estate agent podcast for new and growing agents focused on time management, lead generation, productivity, and building a sustainable real estate career.

Seeking the Best has released 300+ weekly episodes since 2019 and is designed to help real estate agents create clarity, structure, and momentum in their business through practical coaching and real-world experience.

If you’re a new real estate agent or an experienced agent looking to simplify and refocus, this real estate agent podcast provides actionable guidance you can apply immediately.

Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn and Patrick talk about the 80/20 principle and how real estate agents can stop confusing urgent tasks with important ones. They break down why lead generation has to come before the busy work, how habit stacking can help you stay on track, and why most agents already know what matters most — they just don’t consistently do it.

They also talk about building a success list instead of a random to-do list, identifying the activities that truly move your business forward, and how to avoid sacrificing future business for today’s distractions. If you’ve ever ended the day feeling busy but not productive, this episode will help you reset.

This episode is part of Seeking the Best, the real estate agent podcast for new and growing agents focused on time management, lead generation, productivity, and building a sustainable real estate career.

Seeking the Best has released 300+ weekly episodes since 2019 and is designed to help real estate agents create clarity, structure, and momentum in their business through practical coaching and real-world experience.

If you’re a new real estate agent or an experienced agent looking to simplify and refocus, this real estate agent podcast provides actionable guidance you can apply immediately.

Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn Stelljes and co-host Patrick break down how real estate agents can become more efficient with their time—without sacrificing the client experience. They explain Parkinson’s Law (work expands to fill the time allowed) and why unstructured workdays cause simple tasks to take far longer than they should. Kathryn shares a real example from early in her career—writing roughly 200 offers in one season—which made her faster through repetition and reps. The episode covers practical ways to improve efficiency in real estate workflows, including writing and sending offer packages quickly, improving communication (like renaming confusing DocuSign email subjects), and practicing repeatable skills when business is slow. They also highlight the difference between efficiency and effectiveness, especially in lead generation: newer agents often stay on calls too long, then fall into the trap of searching MLS instead of making the next call. The episode ends with a clear “Best Move” action step: tighten your answer to “what do you do?” so your elevator pitch is confident, clear, and memorable.

This episode is part of Seeking the Best, the real estate agent podcast for new and growing agents focused on time management, lead generation, productivity, and building a sustainable real estate career.

Seeking the Best has released 300+ weekly episodes since 2019 and is designed to help real estate agents create clarity, structure, and momentum in their business through practical coaching and real-world experience.

If you’re a new real estate agent or an experienced agent looking to simplify and refocus, this real estate agent podcast provides actionable guidance you can apply immediately.

Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:

⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠

Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:

⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn Stelljes and co-host Patrick break down why a listing-focused real estate business creates more time, leverage, and long-term sustainability than a buyer-heavy approach.

Kathryn explains that leverage is not just about hiring people—it’s about building systems, using tools, and setting boundaries that protect your calendar. Real estate agents often feel overworked not because they lack effort, but because their business model requires constant availability and reactive time commitments. Buyer-driven businesses frequently expand into nights and weekends through showings, offers, and last-minute requests, while listing-based businesses create structure, predictability, and stronger control over the week.

The conversation explores how listings naturally provide leverage: fewer hours per transaction, clearer timelines, stronger systems, and more scalable workflows. Kathryn also discusses how teams generate leverage by plugging agents into existing infrastructure, and how independent agents can replicate that leverage through systems and process.

The episode reinforces that growth does not require working more hours—it requires redesigning how those hours are used. By shifting toward listings, setting clear client expectations, and building repeatable processes, agents can increase income while protecting personal time.

This episode is part of Seeking the Best, the real estate agent podcast for new and growing agents focused on time management, lead generation, productivity, and building a sustainable real estate career.

Seeking the Best has released 300+ weekly episodes since 2019 and is designed to help real estate agents create clarity, structure, and momentum in their business through practical coaching and real-world experience.

If you’re a new real estate agent or an experienced agent looking to simplify and refocus, this real estate agent podcast provides actionable guidance you can apply immediately.

Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:

⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠

Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:

⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.