The 13% Podcast

Real estate agents who are in the 13% aren't just fighting for today's listings. They are already working on winning listings months or even years from now. Today's real estate market is changing rapidly, and the most successful agents know how to pivot and adapt accordingly.

Thanks to AI and shifts in consumer behavior, the way people buy and sell homes is going to look very different very soon.

Imagine a world where someone can simply speak into their phone, and instantly find the perfect home (and agent) by describing exactly what they're looking for. That's where we're headed in 5 years or less. The question is: if real estate changes like this, would your business survive? Would you be able to maintain your market share?

For most agents, the answer is no. Their businesses aren't built to survive these changes….unless they do something about it now.

Why do we need to shift from real estate agent to last mile advisor? How do we elevate the service we provide? In this episode, we share what we learned from billion dollar brands and real estate CEOs about where real estate is headed, and how to set ourselves up for success 5 years from now.

About Your Hosts

Lance Billingsley is a seasoned real estate professional with over a decade of experience in agent development and business coaching. Since January 2021, he has served as the Vice President of Agent Development at Navi Title Agency, where he leverages his extensive industry knowledge to mentor and support real estate agents. Prior to his tenure at Navi Title, Lance co-owned a top-performing real estate team at Realty ONE Group, achieving recognition as one of the company's top five teams. He also served as a business coach for Tom Ferry.

Dave Richards is a well respected business coach working with CEOs, entrepreneurs, mortgage and real estate professionals and others. With over 25+ years of executive leadership experience, he now coaches and consults with the top professionals and organizations in their respective industries. Capitalizing on his certifications in Human Behavior he specializes in building and optimizing high performance teams and tackling difficult decisions that hold his clients back. He easily connects with entrepreneurs to help identify and communicate their vision, define their culture, and increase their profits and growth in today's dynamic marketplace.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

When a real estate agent is struggling to stay in the game, many factors get the blame. The truth is most agent failures boil down to one thing: a lack of listings.

You can't become a great listing agent if you haven't built the skills for it…there are no shortcuts. In order to build a thriving business, we have to make sure we get to the listing table as often as possible.

It's simple: If we want to increase our chances of getting a hit, we need to have more attempts at bat.

The challenge is, a lot of agents just don't make it that far so they end up with lacklustre results. How do you increase your chances of getting to the listing table? Do agents underestimate the effort needed to succeed in this industry?

In this episode, we're joined by legendary real estate agent, Russell Shaw. With 40+ years in the business, and 30+ years as a top 1% agent in the US, he shares how to dominate real estate for decades and what agents get wrong about the job.

Guest Bio

Russell Shaw is a legendary real estate figure who has been selling homes for over 40 years. He has ranked among the top 1% of all agents in the United States since 1991. He has been recognized by the National Association of Realtors as being among the top 50 agents nationally for number of homes sold and by the Wall Street Journal as being among the Top 200 Agents in America. Russell is also the creator of the No Hassle Listing system which helps sellers earn more.

Website: https://nohasslelisting.com/

How to Price a Home: https://number1homeagent.com/

About Your Hosts

Lance Billingsley is a seasoned real estate professional with over a decade of experience in agent development and business coaching. Since January 2021, he has served as the Vice President of Agent Development at Navi Title Agency, where he leverages his extensive industry knowledge to mentor and support real estate agents. Prior to his tenure at Navi Title, Lance co-owned a top-performing real estate team at Realty ONE Group, achieving recognition as one of the company's top five teams. He also served as a business coach for Tom Ferry.

Dave Richards is a well respected business coach working with CEOs, entrepreneurs, mortgage and real estate professionals and others. With over 25+ years of executive leadership experience, he now coaches and consults with the top professionals and organizations in their respective industries. Capitalizing on his certifications in Human Behavior he specializes in building and optimizing high performance teams and tackling difficult decisions that hold his clients back. He easily connects with entrepreneurs to help identify and communicate their vision, define their culture, and increase their profits and growth in today's dynamic marketplace.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

Year after year, real estate agents are told that their sphere is the biggest source of business. We hear it time and time again, but we don't do enough to reap the rewards.

We do our jobs well. We kill it before and during the transaction, and we remind the people who know, like and trust us to work with us and refer us, but nothing happens.

What gives?

The problem is: we're trying to get referrals by doing only what we're hired to do and nothing beyond that. How can we be memorable if we're doing what every other agent is doing?

If we really want people talking about us, we have to think bigger than a single transaction. We have to enhance their entire human experience, not just the home buying/selling experience.

How do we create value that extends beyond a transaction? How do we become a lifetime advisor/concierge?

In this episode, we're joined by broker/owner, South Dakota's #1 real estate producer and creator of the Lifetime Home Support™ system, Amy Stockberger. She shares the business model that helped her gain 10% of market share in her state, and how to build a system-centric, referral-driven business.

Guest Bio

Amy Stockberger is a broker/owner, entrepreneur, coach and the #1 real estate Producer in SD & #18 in the Nation. She is also the creator of the Lifetime Home Support™ system, which provides all the resources to ensure their clients are taken care of before, during and after the home buying and/or selling experience. Not only do we have nearly every home related service industry our clients will need on our Home Support Team, they also have entertainment venues, gyms and restaurants and so much more.

Website: https://lifetimehomesupport.com/

To get Amy's free worksheet, DM the word CORE to @amystockberger on Instagram.

About Your Hosts

Lance Billingsley is a seasoned real estate professional with over a decade of experience in agent development and business coaching. Since January 2021, he has served as the Vice President of Agent Development at Navi Title Agency, where he leverages his extensive industry knowledge to mentor and support real estate agents. Prior to his tenure at Navi Title, Lance co-owned a top-performing real estate team at Realty ONE Group, achieving recognition as one of the company's top five teams. He also served as a business coach for Tom Ferry.

Dave Richards is a well respected business coach working with CEOs, entrepreneurs, mortgage and real estate professionals and others. With over 25+ years of executive leadership experience, he now coaches and consults with the top professionals and organizations in their respective industries. Capitalizing on his certifications in Human Behavior he specializes in building and optimizing high performance teams and tackling difficult decisions that hold his clients back. He easily connects with entrepreneurs to help identify and communicate their vision, define their culture, and increase their profits and growth in today's dynamic marketplace.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

At the start of every new year, agents reset and recommit to their businesses…but that's a problem. If you have to reset, you're already starting the year on the backfoot.

The top 13% don't reset at all. Whether it's January or October, they run their businesses consistently, no matter what. That means they never lose momentum, shrink their market share, or have to start over again on January 1st.

So while the top producers are already closing deals early in the year, the 87% are playing catch up, and they miss out on deals.

How do we avoid this? By consistently showing up and running your business like an actual business, you will be least and last affected by tough markets. You'll never have to build your business back up again.

How do you run a business that brings in consistent income? What's the easiest prospecting call ANY agent can make right now? Why are agents exiting the industry?

In this episode, we're joined by real estate broker, forward-thinking CEO, #1 best-selling author, coach, and keynote speaker, Leigh Brown. She shares the real reason why so many agents have unstable income, and how to solve this problem.

Guest Bio

Leigh Brown is a successful real estate broker, forward-thinking CEO, #1 best-selling author, honest coach, and kickin' keynote speaker. She uses her decades of real estate experience to help everyone from early career to highly seasoned agent build (and rebuild!) their professional presence and confidence by helping them define and communicate their value proposition expertly. Her goal is that each real estate agent who is a Realtor® member become an impactful presence in their community in the process. She knows today's agents and brokers face an unprecedented amount of pressure to stand out in a competitive market; she also knows that the security to build and maintain solid client relationships starts with one step: Just Say Hi. Through a systemized process to identify and define your value, Leigh gives agents and brokers the confidence and tools to reach greater heights in their chosen career. A best-selling author of three powerful business books, Leigh excitedly shares her expertise with anyone looking for ways to ignite their passions and create the outcomes they want. Leigh's mission is helping others. She's got the grit and passion to motivate everyone around her to strive for more. For more information, head to https://www.leighbrown.com/.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

The end of the year is upon us, and for many real estate agents, that means one thing: it's time to renew your license. But if 2024 was a tough year for you—if you barely closed any deals—you might be wondering, is it even worth it to stay in real estate?

Should you push through another year, hoping for a turnaround, or is it time to hang up your license and explore something else? If you're on the fence about your future, now is the perfect moment to step back and reflect.

The truth is, real estate is always evolving, and it's never without its challenges. But here's something to consider: agents who have thrived long-term didn't succeed because it was easy. They made the choice to adapt and pivot when the market got tough.

So, how do you reignite your passion when the industry feels more challenging than ever? What can you do to equip yourself for the inevitable ups and downs? In this episode, we're joined by real estate broker, strategic business coach, and Real Broker's growth leader, Kimberly Ryan. We'll explore what it really takes to stay in the game, even when things get tough.

Guest Bio

Kimberly Ryan is a real estate broker, strategic business coach, and the growth leader at Real Broker.

Follow @kimberlyryan.joinreal on Instagram.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

Between social media and HGTV shows, there are a lot of people who enter real estate thinking this is an easy gig. All you need to do is get licensed and the deals will start rolling in, right?

Wrong.

A lot of the individuals who drop out of real estate are the ones who found out it wasn't as easy as they thought it would be. Or they aren't doing the right things for long enough. The real estate license is just the beginning - you have to invest in education that truly gives you the competitive advantage.

If you're not leveling up your skills and finding a niche, you're doomed to be the agent who does a transaction here and there until you're forced to drop out.

How do real estate instructors know they have a rockstar in the making? Can a real estate license actually do us a disservice? How do we determine a valuable niche to dominate?

In this episode, we're joined by a real estate instructor, senior director of market development and broker association liaison at Hogan School of Real Estate, Jenny Hogan-Lizarraga. She shares how to set yourself up for success as early as possible and the mistakes new agents make.

Guest Bio

Jenny Hogan-Lizarraga is a real estate instructor, senior director of market development and broker association liaison at Hogan School of Real Estate. The Hogan School of Real Estate was founded in 1973, by Jim Hogan. As Southern Arizona's leading real estate school, Hogan educates Real Estate Salespeople, Real Estate Brokers, Mortgage Loan Originators, Mortgage Brokers and Appraisers. To learn more, visit https://hoganschool.com.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

If there's a factor that drives real estate's staggering 87% exit rate, it's burnout. We're an industry of hard charging, high achievers, but sometimes that same drive can be the very thing that knocks us out of the business.

Even the most talented salesperson will fail when they're running on fumes, so it's no wonder why a lot of the best agents flame out in less than 5 years.

This job can be demanding, but let's be real: a huge part of the burnout real estate agents experience is entirely self-inflicted. We refuse to delegate, say yes to everything, resist leverage and control every aspect of the business, until it starts hurting us.

The secret to selling more homes isn't always putting more hours in, it's actually working less, and focusing on the highest use of our time. What are some of the mindset blocks that keep some agents from experiencing freedom? Why do we have to look ahead in the face of change instead of burying our heads in the sand? How do you sell 80 homes a month without burning out?

In this episode, we're joined by top producing agent, coach, author and owner of a top 1% brokerage and Inc. 5000 business, Carin Nguyen. She shares the mentality that has helped her maintain success in real estate for years, and how we should be responding to change in the industry.

Guest Bio

Carin Nguyen is a real estate leader, national trainer and speaker, transformational coach, a top producing agent, best-selling author and the founder of The Carin Nguyen Real Estate Network a top 1% brokerage and an Inc. 5000 business. As a wife and mom who has raised 4 children while building her business over the last 20 years, Carin knows the challenges of growing a successful business and maintaining a happy & healthy personal life. She grew her business through the downturn selling 896 homes in her best year earning her the #2 ranking in the US by Real Trends. She specializes in educating real estate agents on creating systems and tools to thrive in any real estate market. Carin has owned a real estate brokerage, sold over 5000 homes and currently co-leads one of the top teams in the US with her husband, Son. Her mission is to empower others to transform their lives by fostering mental, emotional and economic wealth so that they create the most incredible legacies possible. Follow Carin on Instagram.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

Agents are constantly told that building relationships is the key to success in real estate, but this advice is missing a critical link.

Relationships alone don't lead to referrals, being relational does.

The quality of our sphere relationships isn't measured by how many names we have in our database. It's measured by how often people are telling their own sphere about us.

Our aim should be delighting people and providing so much value, they have to tell their friends about the awesome real estate agent they know!

To accomplish this, we have to go beyond calling people every quarter - we have to invite them to events. Hosting events allows us to stop chasing business and start attracting it. It's the most efficient way to connect with multiple people.

It's also a powerful way to grow our businesses without the grind of prospecting. The best part: people don't even have to show up for this strategy to work!

What's the first event every agent should host? How can we host an event and actually make money in the process? How do we build a business on generosity and appreciation?

In this episode, we're joined by coach, speaker and author of The 7 Levels of Communication, Michael Maher. He talks about the power of an event-based strategy and how to host your first one.

Guest Bio

Michael J Maher is a coach, speaker and author of The 7 Levels of Communication. Formerly known as North America's Most Referred Real Estate Professional, in just his third year of real estate, Michael did 187 transactions for $40.1 MM in sales and netted one million dollars. He received over 500 Referrals for 11 straight years. And now, his (7L)System and methodologies have grown beyond the real estate world to see its application in nearly every profession and industry. His last event had over 50 different professions in the room! It all started with a powerful book (7L) The Seven Levels of Communication: Go from Relationships to Referrals endorsed but such stalwarts as Dave Ramsey, Dr. Ivan Misner, Bob Burg, Larry Kendall, Howard Brinton, Barbara Corcoran, Gary Keller, and many more. To join the Generosity Generation, go to http://joingengen.com.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

As the market shifts and buyer compensation rules evolve, many agents are left wondering how these transformations will impact their business.

Navigating these changes requires more than just a quick update—it demands a thorough understanding of how new regulations will affect buyer expectations and agent compensation alike.

Many REALTORS® are struggling to keep up with these shifts. The new compensation changes and the evolving role of the National Association can create confusion and frustration.

Clients rely on your expertise, and if you can't navigate these new waters, it can lead to mistrust and a loss of business.

How can we compete with agents who are already embracing these changes? What will happen to sales if we can't effectively communicate the benefits of the new compensation model?

In this clip, CEO at Arizona Association of REALTORS® Scott Drucker joins me to talk about the past, present and future changes in the world of real estate, how this will impact those in the industry and how to navigate it. We also talk about his experience within the industry and some common patterns he's seen.

Guest Bio

Scott M. Drucker, Esq. is the Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Association of REALTORS®, the state's largest trade association representing over 57,000 real estate professionals. Promoted from his role as General Counsel and Assistant CEO, a position he held since 2013, Scott now leads the Association's operations, championing its mission and strategic initiatives across Arizona.

With a background in political science from the University of Rochester and a Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University Law School, Scott also studied at the London School of Economics. Prior to joining Arizona REALTORS®, he practiced law privately. Scott is an active contributor to Arizona's real estate industry, serving on committees like the ARMLS Strategic Steering Committee and frequently speaking on real estate topics.

Find Scott on LinkedIn @Scott Drucker

Listen to the Arizona REALTORS® Voices podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/arizona-realtors-voices/id1729481753

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

In the wake of recent lawsuits and intense competition, many real estate agents are facing their biggest challenges of their entire careers. It's no wonder why many feel overwhelmed and even uncertain about the future in the industry.

The truth is, buyers today are looking for more than just a transaction - they want a trusted partner who can provide them with exceptional value and insights. The fear of competition and the complexities of new compensation laws can be discouraging, but they are actually great opportunities too.

Here's the thing: real estate practically sells itself, so we have to do a lot more than compete on experience. We have to create a winning product.

How can we articulate our unique value proposition in a way that resonates with potential buyers? What are the ways to differentiate ourselves to win clients and secure those vital commissions?

In this episode, we're joined by the founder and CEO of 72SOLD Greg Hague. He talks about the biggest challenges agents are facing, how the 13% sets themselves apart from the rest and why it's vital to have a stellar value proposition.

Guest Bio

Greg Hague is the founder and CEO of 72SOLD, America's leading home-selling program. With a career dedicated to revolutionizing real estate, Greg has been recognized as a "Real Estate Visionary" by Real Estate Today magazine. His achievements include founding an international referral service, Arizona's top luxury home brokerage, and a 122-office, 4,000-agent franchise.

A trusted real estate expert for NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and other major media, Greg has appeared on over 200 TV and radio shows. He authored the Amazon bestseller How Fathers Change Lives and has been a keynote speaker at over 450 events for companies like American Express and Sotheby's International.

In 2009, Greg briefly stepped away from real estate to practice law, achieving the top score on the Arizona bar exam and teaching at Arizona Summit Law School, where he was voted "Law Professor of the Year." His real estate training company is the most recommended on LinkedIn, and his proprietary 22-step home launch formula has been featured in over 200 publications.

Since its launch in 2018, 72SOLD has grown by 300%-500% annually and has been recognized by Forbes and major networks. It ranks among Inc. 5000's Top 5 Fastest Growing Real Estate Companies in America and was voted Arizona's #1 real estate brand.

A lifelong health advocate, Greg stays active as a pilot, motorcycle enthusiast, and a relentless real estate innovator.

Visit https://greghague.com/

Visit https://72sold.com/

Find Greg on LinkedIn @Greg Hague

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!