How Empathy and Strategy Saved a $6M Deal ‭• Monday Market Minute ‭• Carrie McCormick

Real estate video coach Kim Rittberg breaks down how agents can use short-form video and AI tools to attract more clients and boost engagement on social media. Kim shares practical tips on repurposing home tour content, turning client questions into videos, and optimizing your online presence for searchability. Kim describes how to showcase not just your listings, but yourself – and stay top of mind in your market. If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!  Apply for Kim’s Video Boot Camp where in just 4 days you’ll be the “go-to agent” through video! DM Kim for info! Sign up for Kim’s “5 Videos Every Real Estate Agent Must Make to Sell More Homes“. Follow Kim on Instagram and LinkedIn. Subscribe to Kim on YouTube. This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

Welcome to “Coffee Talks with Tim and D.J.” In this episode of Coffee Talks, Tim and DJ dive into the “silent referral killer” affecting real estate agents: weak or non-existent Google Business profiles. They explain how most clients now Google an agent before calling, and how poor ratings, few or outdated reviews, or ghost listings can quietly cost agents thousands of dollars in lost referrals every year. DJ and Tim introduce a simple three-step “Google gut check” framework: self search, profile patch, and systematic review requests, to transform an agent’s online presence into a trust-building digital storefront. If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!

In this announcement episode D.J. Paris talks about his live event called “You Don’t Need More Leads – You Need AI” on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:00 PM CST. You know at least 200 people. Most of them already know you. Most of them have completely forgotten you sell real estate. Your next client is probably in that list. They just need a reason to think of you again. This live masterclass shows you 5 AI strategies to turn the relationships you already have into real conversations, real referrals, and real transactions. No prospecting. No new lead source. Nothing you can’t start using tonight. Enroll to “You Don’t Need More Leads – You Need AI” for free using the promo code REAL here.

Danny Brown shares how playing the long game, giving honest advice, and protecting your reputation can build a top‑tier business. He explains why relationships with other agents are as critical as client relationships, especially in ultra‑competitive, high‑net‑worth markets. Danny also breaks down his lean, “anti‑team” model, the costly mistakes he’s learned from, and how documentation and buyer agreements protect agents. Last, Danny offers practical strategies for moving upmarket and adopting a sports‑style mindset of focusing on controllables and leaning into the hard work that compounds over time. If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!  Danny Brown can be reached at (310) 901-7405 and [email protected]. This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

We are thrilled to announce our newest monthly segment “Breakthrough with Michael” with Michael Opyd. Mike Opyd brings hard-earned experience to the table, having started in 2009 during the Great Recession with just $2,000 and no safety net, eventually building a $200M brokerage and becoming a top producer in Chicago. Now a full-time coach, he specializes in helping agents at every level break through plateaus with real-world strategies rooted in his own journey. In this segment, one agent gets coached live on the podcast, no scripts, no filters, walking in with a challenge and leaving with a clear, actionable plan. It’s a raw, honest look at the conversations agents need but rarely get to have, with thousands of listeners learning alongside them. Ready to break through what’s holding you back? Apply now for your chance to be coached live on the show. Spots are limited to just one agent per month, so don’t wait – apply today. This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

In our April episode, Carrie McCormick shares how a celebrity client found her through ChatGPT and how simply answering her phone turned into a $9.5M listing opportunity. She then walks listeners through a high-stakes $6M deal where a buyer got cold feet, revealing the strategy, empathy, and communication she used to save the transaction. This episode gives practical lessons on managing client psychology, balancing multiple buyers, and treating every deal like it’s the most important one of your career. Please follow Carrie on Instagram. If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube! Carrie can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 312.961.4612. This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

Welcome to our series Better Your Business With Ben. In this episode Ben Lalez break down what’s really driving his team’s impressive Q1 production and growth. Ben dives into the power of consistency and the idea of getting just 1% better every day in core real estate skills. Ben also shares hard-won lessons from creating thousands of social media videos, including how to hook viewers in the first three seconds and keep them watching on Instagram and TikTok. Last, Ben explores the long-term, evergreen value of YouTube content, and wrap with mindset advice on pushing through discomfort, experimenting with content, and letting the data tell you when your content needs to improve. Please follow Ben on Instagram and TikTok. If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!  Ben Lalez can be reached at 312.789.4054 and [email protected]. This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

Welcome to another episode of YouTube Lab with Sarah Maslowski. In this episode, Sarah pulls back the curtain on what the first 12 months of YouTube really look like for real estate agents. Sarah shares her own early numbers, the emotional roller coaster of low views, and the pivotal moment when a single relocation buyer call changed everything. Next, Sarah shares why views and subscribers are “vanity metrics,” what to actually measure instead, and how to think about YouTube as a long-term lead generation system rather than a quick win. Last, Sarah breaks down the most common channel-killing mistakes agents make and how to fix them so you can start attracting serious relocation clients. If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube! Sarah Maslowski can be reached at [email protected] and +1(470) 577-6472. This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

Welcome to our monthly feature Learn With A Lender with Austin Clarence. In this episode, Austin and D.J. discuss the new Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules that will push condo HOAs to increase reserve funds from 10% to 15% and what that means. Next, they discuss how real estate agents can turn these changes into opportunities by educating condo owners and HOA boards, positioning themselves as trusted experts. Austin also explains how bridge loans and HELOCs let homeowners tap into their equity to buy before they sell, and how to navigate today’s higher-rate environment shaped by global conflicts, inflation, and oil prices. Subscribe to Austin’s newsletter by sending an email to [email protected]. If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube! Austin Clarence can be reached at +1 650-906-2376 and [email protected]. This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

Welcome to our newest series “Coffee Talks with Tim and D.J.” In the first episode of Coffee Talks, explores the striking disconnect between what real estate clients say and what they actually do, while 88% say they would reuse their agent, only around 12–15% end up doing so. Tim and D.J. unpack why this happens, focusing on the brutal reality that 91% of agents go dark after closing and rely on randomness instead of a real follow-up system. They break down the simple but powerful “4-4 System” to stay top of mind with past clients through quarterly, human, and value-driven touches offering practical scripts and a clear structure to turn past clients into repeat and referral business, instead of watching them drift to the next agent they find online. If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!