Brandi Fugate built Private Label Real Estate by doing the impossible—she walked away from selling 100 homes a year to become a full-time broker and team leader. In this episode, Brandi shares her journey from mortgage lending to real estate, how she scaled her indie brokerage by 370% in one year through relentless recruiting, and the systems that allow her to be home by 3 PM every day while her team projects 500 transactions for 2026. She reveals her playbook for working online leads (especially realtor.com and Zillow), why LP MAMA is superior to quick ALM calls, how she onboards new agents in just five days with "Hello Week," and why spoiling agents with white-glove support is her competitive advantage. Brandi also opens up about caring for her 97-year-old grandmother with dementia and how building a business that supports life—not consumes it—became her mission. If you're a producing agent wondering how to scale without burning out, or a broker looking for a recruiting and systems blueprint, this episode is pure gold.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Why Most Agents Can't Scale Past 100 Deals—And What Brandi Did Instead
• (00:02:48) - From Mortgage Lending to Real Estate Success
• (00:05:42) - Opening Private Label Real Estate
• (00:09:47) - Working Online Leads: Realtor.com and Zillow Strategy
• (00:12:23) - The Decision to Exit Production for Family
• (00:15:18) - Recruiting 370% Growth: The Numbers Behind the Scale
• (00:19:12) - Culture First: What Brandi Looks for in Agents
• (00:22:47) - Hello Week: Five-Day Agent Onboarding System
• (00:27:38) - LP MAMA vs. ALM: Why Longer Calls Win
• (00:32:18) - Building a White Glove Admin Team with VAs
• (00:37:22) - Pod System and Future Leadership Development
• (00:40:15) - Final Advice: Keep Recruiting and Implement Fast

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Brandi Fugate on LinkedIn
• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website

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Nick McLean and Mie Yamashita dive deep into the critical importance of role play and skill development for real estate agents in today's challenging market. With Gary Keller's recent declaration that "easy deals are dead," Nick and Mie break down why mastering sales conversations through consistent role play is no longer optional—it's essential for survival. Drawing from their experience running Script Inferno, a weekly role play session for agents across North America, they share proven techniques for conducting effective role play sessions, both one-on-one and in groups. They explore the psychology behind skill development, comparing it to GPS navigation and flight training, and reveal why even top producers who've sold thousands of homes need to continuously sharpen their skills. The conversation covers everything from overcoming the discomfort of role play to creating a culture where feedback drives growth, emphasizing that conversion competency—not just memorizing scripts—is what separates high-performing agents from the rest. Whether you're a new agent or a seasoned team leader, this episode provides actionable strategies to build the hard skills required to close deals in today's competitive real estate landscape.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Introduction: Why No One Is Above Sharpening Their Sword
• (00:01:00) - Easy Deals Are Dead: Gary Keller's Message and What It Means
• (00:03:00) - The Benefits of Role Play: Beyond Just Phone Scripts
• (00:06:00) - How to Run Effective Group Role Play Sessions
• (00:09:00) - Role Play Games: The Snake, Head-to-Head Battles, and Hot Potato
• (00:12:00) - Leading by Example: Facilitating vs. Performing
• (00:15:00) - Using Real-Time Opportunities for Organic Role Play
• (00:18:00) - The GPS Analogy: Learning Scripts to Build Conversion Competency
• (00:21:00) - Phases of Flight: Role Playing Every Stage of the Transaction
• (00:24:00) - Giving Feedback Without Crushing Confidence
• (00:27:00) - Building Resiliency Through Uncomfortable Practice
• (00:30:00) - The Art of Learning: Why End Moves Matter More Than Openings
• (00:33:00) - Sales as a Language: The 400-Hour Rule to Become Good

Links and Resources:

• Reside Platform
• Reside Platform Website
• Mie on LinkedIn

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!

Brooke sits down with Tracy Hernly, a powerhouse realtor, team leader, broker owner, title company owner, and race car driver who leads the #1 team by units sold in the Greater Lansing area. Tracy shares her incredible journey from mortgage processing to opening her own brokerage during COVID, revealing the hard-won lessons about leadership, team building, and maintaining work-life balance while scaling multiple businesses. She opens up about her early leadership struggles, including high turnover rates and a "rough" bedside manner that she had to transform to build a thriving culture. Tracy discusses how she leveraged her racing background to carve out a unique niche in rural real estate, why clarity is kindness in leadership, and how implementing core values and mission statements changed everything for her team. She also shares practical advice on community involvement, client events, organic team growth, and why she's focusing on recruiting and refining systems in 2026. This episode is packed with real talk about the messy middle of business growth, the importance of knowing your "why," and how to build a sustainable business that doesn't sacrifice your family or personal passions.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Opening: Tracy's Journey from Mortgage Processing to Real Estate Success
• (00:02:00) - Making the Leap: Leaving a Steady Paycheck for Real Estate
• (00:04:00) - Building the #1 Team by Units Sold in Greater Lansing
• (00:06:00) - The First Hire: Why Tracy Needed an Assistant to Scale
• (00:09:00) - Leadership Growing Pains: Learning to Manage People and Expectations
• (00:13:00) - Clarity is Kindness: Transforming Leadership Through Accountability
• (00:17:00) - Building Culture Through Core Values and Mission Statements
• (00:20:00) - Community Involvement: Racing Events, Cookies with Santa, and Local Leadership
• (00:25:00) - The Racing Realtor: How Tracy Found Her Niche in Rural Real Estate
• (00:30:00) - Looking Ahead: 2026 Goals, Recruiting Focus, and Work-Life Balance

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Tracey Hernly on LinkedIn
• Reside Platform

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!

In this holiday replay, Suneet sits down with Tristan Ahumada, founder of Lab Coat Agents and best-selling author, to discuss the seismic shifts happening in real estate and how leaders can turn uncertainty into opportunity. Tristan shares his proven frameworks for leading through change, including his mission-vision-values approach that's helped thousands of agents clarify their message and attract ideal clients. He reveals the exact "PS Love" phone script that converts online leads at industry-leading rates, explains why buyer broker agreements are actually an opportunity (not a threat), and breaks down the three R's every team leader must master: Recruiting, Retention, and ROI. From his content creation strategies that reach millions to his relationship-first approach to past clients, Tristan provides a masterclass in building a sustainable real estate business that doesn't rely on chasing. Whether you're navigating the NAR settlement, struggling with lead conversion, or building a team culture that retains top talent, this episode delivers actionable strategies you can implement immediately.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Introduction: How Lab Coat Agents Changed Suneet's Career
• (00:03:00) - Leading 165,000 Agents Through Industry Chaos
• (00:06:52) - NAR Settlement Reality Check: What's Actually Changing
• (00:12:47) - The Buyer Broker Agreement Opportunity Everyone's Missing
• (00:18:32) - Mission, Vision, Values: Your Roadmap Through Uncertainty
• (00:26:18) - The Three R's: Recruiting, Retention, and ROI for Team Leaders
• (00:35:45) - Why KW's Culture Beats Their Technology (And What You Can Learn)
• (00:40:52) - The "PS Love" Phone Script That Converts Online Leads
• (00:50:12) - ISA Strategy Shift: When to Use Overseas vs. Local Agents
• (00:53:07) - Content Creation Strategy: YouTube First, Then Repurpose Everything

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Tristan Ahumada on LinkedIn
• Reside Platform

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 Lauren Callaway, CEO and founder of pH Realty Team, pH Design Firm, and multiple other ventures in Texarkana, Texas. Lauren shares her incredible journey from interior designer to real estate powerhouse, having grown from one business to ten in just six years. She reveals how she built a multimillion-dollar headquarters complete with podcast rooms, a gym, and a warehouse—all while raising two kids and maintaining work-life balance. Lauren discusses the systems and tools that keep her businesses running smoothly, including Follow Up Boss and CSU, and explains how each company feeds leads to the others. She also dives into her investment strategy, cost segregation benefits, and her ambitious goal to buy or build her first multifamily property in 2026. Throughout the conversation, Lauren emphasizes the importance of getting out of your own way and believing you can achieve greatness, offering practical advice for agents, team leaders, and entrepreneurs looking to build ancillary businesses.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Meet Lauren Callaway: The Texarkana Powerhouse Behind 10 Thriving Businesses
• (00:01:00) - Lauren's New Multimillion Dollar Headquarters Tour
• (00:03:00) - Building the pH Ecosystem: From Design to Real Estate
• (00:06:00) - How Ancillary Businesses Feed Each Other
• (00:08:00) - Systems and CRM: Running 10 Companies with Follow Up Boss
• (00:11:00) - The Warehouse Office: Business in Front, Party in Back
• (00:13:00) - Tools and Tech Stack Across Multiple Companies
• (00:16:00) - Work-Life Balance: Setting Boundaries as a CEO and Mom
• (00:18:00) - How Design Background Influences Luxury Real Estate
• (00:21:00) - Being Rooted in Texarkana: Community and Growth
• (00:23:00) - Investment Strategy and Tax Benefits Through Real Estate
• (00:25:00) - What's Next: Multifamily Goals and Lending Company
• (00:27:00) - Get Out of Your Own Way: Lauren's Advice for Success

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Lauren Callaway on LinkedIn
• Reside Platform

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 Luis Poggi, founder and CEO of House Whisper, to discuss the intersection of AI and real estate. Luis shares his journey from spending nearly a decade at Zillow working on products like search, home details, and mortgages, to founding an AI-powered platform that's revolutionizing how agents work. With over $10 million in funding and 8,000 agents already using the platform, House Whisper acts as a personal executive assistant that lives in your text messages—no app or website required. Luis explains why he believes the human element of real estate transactions can never be replaced, but the administrative work can be handled by AI, freeing agents to focus on what matters most: their clients. They dive deep into how to use AI as a thinking partner rather than just a search tool, the future of lead generation in an AI-first world, and why agents who don't adopt these tools will be left behind. Luis also shares insights from his time at Zillow, the importance of talking about pricing early in product development, and how speed and customer feedback drive innovation at House Whisper.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Why AI Won't Replace Real Estate Agents (But Will Transform How They Work)
• (00:02:18) - From Zillow Product Lead to AI Startup Founder: The Journey Behind House Whisper
• (00:06:00) - The ChatGPT Moment That Changed Everything for Real Estate
• (00:09:23) - House Whisper Demo: Your AI Executive Assistant That Lives in Text Messages
• (00:11:00) - The Biggest Mistake People Make With AI (Hint: Stop Using It Like Google)
• (00:13:45) - How ChatGPT Projects Changed Luis's Workflow Forever
• (00:18:00) - The Future of Real Estate: Why Agents Are Essential Despite AI Advancement
• (00:22:47) - Future of Work: How a High School Freshman Is Now Coding Production Features
• (00:29:30) - Why Agents Who Don't Adopt AI Will Be Left Behind
• (00:32:05) - The One Founder Lesson That Drives House Whisper's Success: Talk About Pricing Early

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Luis Poggi on Linkedin
• Reside Platform

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 Cody Burger, a brokerage owner and team leader from Dubuque, Iowa, who's revolutionizing how agents think about leverage, culture, and growth. Cody shares his journey from running a traditional brokerage to building a team-rich model that blends the structure of a brokerage with the leverage of a team. He dives deep into his philosophy of SOAP (systems, opportunities, accountability, and processes), explains how he's tackling the industry's 87% failure rate for new agents, and reveals the infrastructure he's built using Follow Up Boss, Sisu, and Batter. From implementing winner's circle meetings three times a week to becoming the first Zillow Flex team in his market, Cody offers practical insights on lead accountability, coaching, and creating a culture where agents thrive. He also discusses the challenges of scaling both sides of the business, the importance of making decisive leadership calls, and his ambitious goal to become the number one Exit team in North America within the next year.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Welcoming Cody Burger to the Reside Platform Podcast
• (00:01:47) - Full Circle Moment: From Listener to Guest
• (00:03:22) - The SOAP Framework: Systems, Opportunities, Accountability, and Processes
• (00:06:15) - Solving the 87% Agent Failure Rate
• (00:10:41) - Building a Team-Rich Model Inside a Brokerage
• (00:15:28) - Tech Stack That Drives Accountability: Follow Up Boss, Sisu, and Batter
• (00:20:03) - Winner's Circle Meetings: 3x Weekly Accountability System
• (00:24:36) - Becoming the First Zillow Flex Team in Market
• (00:28:14) - Leadership Lesson: Make Decisions Faster, Not Perfect
• (00:31:52) - The Goal: Becoming the #1 Exit Team in North America

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Cody Burger on LinkedIn
• Reside Platform

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!

Geoff Cavender went from being a top RE/MAX agent doing $46 million with just 6 agents to building a 25-person powerhouse team in Warsaw, Indiana in under 3 years. In this episode, Geoff breaks down his aggressive growth strategy, including how he uses Indeed scholarship ads to recruit brand new agents, why he prefers Google leads over expensive Zillow premier connections, and the exact moment he sold a $3 million home to a Google lead that turned into a $10+ million relationship. He also gets candid about the real challenges of scaling—like losing $50,000 in a single month, managing culture as the team exploded from 3 to 25 agents, and why he still prospects alongside his newest team members every morning. Geoff shares his philosophy on elevating who you surround yourself with, the importance of being "100% where you're at," and why joining a team (preferably one with Zillow Flex) is the fastest path for new agents. This is a masterclass in building, leading, and scaling a modern real estate team.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Rise Training & Converting Google Leads
• (00:01:00) - Building the Team: From RE/MAX to EXP
• (00:03:00) - The Challenges of Scaling & Staying Profitable
• (00:05:00) - Recruiting Brand New Agents with Indeed Scholarships
• (00:08:00) - Google Leads vs Zillow: The $6 Lead Strategy
• (00:11:00) - The NFL Owner Google Lead Story
• (00:13:00) - $3M to $7M: Selling the Same Property 6 Times
• (00:15:00) - Growing Too Fast: Maintaining Team Culture
• (00:18:00) - Group Texts & Accountability Systems
• (00:20:00) - Scaling Without Losing Culture
• (00:23:00) - Staying Grounded: Faith, Family & Being 100% Present
• (00:25:00) - Advice for Agents: Join a Team First

Links and Resources:

• Website
• Geoff Cavender on LinkedIn
• Reside Platform

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!