Jeff sits down with Vanessa Barnes — Realtor, real estate business coach, speaker, podcaster, and soon-to-be author — joining from Celebration, Florida. Vanessa shares how she accidentally fell into real estate in 2002 after a temp agency placed her with a company selling estate homes, and how navigating the 2008 financial crisis built the foundation for a career that now spans over a thousand home sales. She discusses the parallel she sees between agents who entered during the pre-crash boom and those who came in during COVID, noting that both groups often missed learning the fundamentals because the market made selling so easy. That experience fueled her transition into coaching in 2022, inspired by the transformative impact her own business coach had on her career.

Vanessa breaks down the five fundamentals she teaches: lead generation, follow-up, going on appointments, signing agreements, and practicing conversations daily. She emphasizes the importance of knowing your numbers at a granular level — starting with the profit you want to take home and reverse-engineering how many daily conversations that requires. She also encourages agents to choose lead generation strategies that feel authentic to them, whether that's hosting open houses, building community groups, or leveraging social media. Looking ahead to 2026, Vanessa has a packed calendar: her first book (based on her Roadmap to 100K course) is in final edits, she's been approved as a Florida Realtors CE instructor, and she has plans for two more books aimed at agents scaling to $500K and seven figures.

Learn more and connect:

https://vanessafranzbarnes.com/

https://www.instagram.com/vanessafranzbarnes/

https://www.youtube.com/@vanessafbarnes

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Epic Agents Podcast
https://epicagentspodcast.com/

Produced by:
Jeff Hamm - SEO & Digital PR for Realtors
https://aidawerks.com/

Charleston, SC Realtor Lauren Delamater joins Jeff to talk about her path from wedding planning and café ownership to building a thriving real estate career in one of the country's most desirable markets. Lauren shares how growing up around real estate — watching her grandfather work as a ReMax agent for over 30 years — planted the seed early, and how the entrepreneurial mindset she developed running multiple businesses prepared her for the realities of an industry that demands self-discipline, risk tolerance, and a willingness to treat your career like a true business from day one.

The conversation dives into Lauren's all-in approach to Instagram as her primary lead generation channel, how it now accounts for a significant share of her business attracting relocating families to the Mount Pleasant and greater Charleston area, and why she believes agents should pick one marketing strategy and master it rather than spreading themselves thin. Lauren also discusses her recent move to Compass alongside her husband, the role AI and systems play in scaling a solo operation, and the books and principles that have shaped her approach — including the importance of staying in your own lane and never measuring your success against someone else's highlight reel.

Lauren Delamater | Charleston SC Real Estate Agent
https://www.laurendelamaterrealestate.com/

Books mentioned:

Let Them
by Mel Robbins

The Energy Bus
by Jon Gordon

Millionaire Real Estate Agent
by Gary Keller

The One Thing
by Gary Keller

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Epic Agents Podcast
https://epicagentspodcast.com/

Produced by:
Jeff Hamm - SEO & Digital PR for Realtors
https://aidawerks.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Samantha Boyd, team lead and broker associate with ANEW Collective Real Estate, to talk about leadership, growth, and redefining success in real estate. Based in Tampa Bay and operating across Central and West Florida, Samantha shares her unconventional path into the industry, what shaped her servant-leader mindset, and how her personal story influences the way she supports both clients and agents.

The conversation explores Tampa Bay’s rapid evolution, the power of blending lead-based and sphere-based business models, and why success should be defined individually—not by social media metrics. Samantha also breaks down her approach to mentorship, systems, automation, and long-term business building, along with her big, audacious goals for 2026 as her organization continues to scale across Florida and beyond.

A thoughtful, candid conversation on building a real estate career—and business—that lasts.

ANEW Collective | LPT Realty
https://anew.house/

Follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/samanthaboyd_anew/

https://www.instagram.com/anew.realestate/

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Epic Agents Podcast
https://epicagentspodcast.com/

Produced by:
Jeff Hamm - SEO & Digital PR for Realtors
https://aidawerks.com/