Say What Needs to Be Said: Lessons from My Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered Conversation

I recently had the immense pleasure of sitting down with James and Keith on the Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered podcast, and I'll be honest, I walked in a little intimidated. (Also, they're two of the most entertaining people I've met in this industry!) These two have a way of getting right to the heart of what our industry is wrestling with, and they didn't let me off easy. We talked about crisis, change, leadership, the lawsuits, consolidation, personal branding, and what agents can do right now to get ahead.

I've spent my career in marketing, communications, and leadership roles, and this past year I stepped into the role of President alongside my CMO role. That vantage point has given me a front-row seat to how much our industry has been through, and how much opportunity is still in front of us. I wanted to share a few of the ideas from our conversation that I think matter most for any real estate professional, no matter where you hang your license.

When the pressure is on, pause before you swing

Keith joked that our industry seems to live in a state of perpetual crisis, and he's not wrong. Before real estate, my background was in PR and crisis communications, so when he asked how I handle a crisis, both tactically and emotionally, I didn't have to think long. I actually completed a week-long certificate program in crisis communication management, which also put the word "crisis" into perspective. The first thing you do in almost any emergency is assess what you're actually dealing with. I see so many people come out of the gate swinging, reacting fast because it feels like action. But the most important move is the hardest one, which is to pause. Take a minute to understand where you are, how you're feeling, and how your leadership team is feeling, and get aligned on your thinking before you say a word publicly.

That pause is where the emotional side comes in. You have to stay calm and genuinely believe that you can get through it, because most things really are recoverable. I've lived through more than a few situations where it felt like the sky was falling, and the ones that turned out well were always handled with a steady hand rather than a loud one. Whether you're a broker navigating a tough moment in your office or an agent managing a deal that's going sideways, calm is contagious, and so is panic.

Some of our best answers live outside real estate

One thing our leadership team does intentionally is seek advice from people who aren't in real estate. James asked why our industry doesn't do more of that, and I think the honest answer is that we get comfortable. We go to the same events, see the same faces, and talk to the people we already know. It's easier, but the learning that happens when you push yourself outside those circles is impressive, because other industries often face the very same challenges and simply approach them differently.

Here's a real example. For years, we've had the guidance of someone who owns and franchises a chain of gyms. That got me thinking, so I started studying gym membership fatigue. Too many agents leave the business within their first six months to a year, and I wanted to understand the emotional cause behind it. It turns out the pattern is strikingly similar. People sign up for a gym feeling like they've joined a great team and they're going to crush it. Then reality sets in. You can learn every machine on the floor, but without a real community around you, the motivation fades. That insight has shaped how we think about supporting agents from their very first day.

If you're a broker or a team leader, I'd encourage you to find your own version of that. Serve on a nonprofit board, join a forum group, or invite local business owners into your thinking. The fit won't always be hand in glove, but the perspective will make you sharper.

Patience, your gut, and celebrating the journey

When they asked what surprised me most in my first full year as President, the answer was easy. I'm a doer and a fixer by nature, and I want to solve every problem for our offices tomorrow. What I've had to learn is a lot of patience, because not everything can be fixed overnight. I've also had to let go of much of the doing, trust the talented, passionate people around me, and spend far more of my time talking with people and, most importantly, listening.

Keith pushed on that, asking how you balance patience with the need to push. I laughed because I'm middle-aged and still learning this ONE, but what I've come to rely on is my gut. Sometimes I want to push hard and my gut tells me to give it a minute. Other times my gut tells me that if I don't push faster, we're going to end up in a bad place. Learning to listen to that voice has made me a better leader.

And whichever way a decision goes, celebrate it together. The best brands and the best organizations celebrate the wins, don't punish the mistakes, and trust in what they learn from both. Your team will take bigger swings when they know you have their back.

Don't be afraid to take a stand

This was the most important ONE for me. James asked why so many voices in our industry have gone quiet. I think the commission lawsuits broke open the idea that real estate was somehow impenetrable, and some people retreated after that. But that moment also forced all of us to pay closer attention, not just to our own businesses, but to consumers and what matters most to them. My view is simple. If saying what needs to be said pushes the industry forward and makes us better, then say it. Some people will be upset with you either way.

I learned that lesson early at Realty ONE Group. A few months into the job, we parted ways with a high-producing team that was no longer aligned with our values, and I drafted the polished, wish-them-the-best statement I'd been trained to write for twenty years. Kuba Jewgieniew, our founder and CEO, sent it back and asked me to try again, then again. This wasn't about smoothing things over. It was about protecting the brand and doing the right thing for the people inside it. That's when I understood that we're willing to take a stand.

That same spirit is why I love brands that care so deeply about their loyalists that they'll take a stand on their behalf. At Realty ONE Group, we build the brand, hand it to our Broker/Owners and agents, and ask them to be proud of it and make it their own. Our offices in Boise look different from our offices in Tampa, and seeing the brand come to life in Argentina and Portugal this year was something special. When people infuse their own story into a brand they believe in, it becomes stronger, not weaker.

Keep the consumer, and the relationship, at the center

When they put me on the spot about what concerns me most right now, I kept coming back to ONE question: are we paying attention to the right things? The lawsuits prompted real changes, and some of them were good, but my worry is whether we stopped there. Are we still looking at everything we do to make sure we're protecting both consumers and agents, before the next lawsuit forces us to? I also openly shared that consolidation concerns me. I love choice, and I worry about agents who end up in a move they never chose.

Private listings are part of that same conversation. I was recently explaining all of this to my parents, who are smart people but not in the business every day, and their reaction said it all. They wanted everyone to be able to see their listing, and they wanted the freedom to work with any agent, not be limited to whoever controls a private pool of homes. When you strip away the industry jargon, consumers can tell us a lot about what's fair.

It reminded me of Betty, our family's REALTOR® for every home my parents bought when I was growing up. Betty came over for Easter. She was at our house whether we were buying, selling, or neither, and she worked hard to get us into those homes. In a world of AI, virtual tours, and endless technology, I never want us to lose that. The relationship still matters, and there's a Betty in every market.

You are more than real estate

The biggest mistake I see agents make with their personal brand is that they still aren't being authentically themselves. I talked with an agent recently who told me, "I'm just real estate." And I told her, no, you're so much more than that. If you foster dogs, people are going to love you for fostering dogs. Posting something personal can feel like a leap of faith, but that's how you build the authentic you, and that's what people want to connect with. "Hey, I have a new listing" is only one small piece of who you are.

I understand why it's hard. I'm someone who cares what people think, and we've all trained our brains to measure our worth in likes and comments. But the agents who connect most deeply are the ones brave enough to show up as real people.

Lean into what you're not good at

To close, Keith asked the question they end every episode with: what's the one thing an agent should implement right now? My answer is to lean into whatever you know you're not good at. Some agents have dived deep into AI and they're great at it, but they're avoiding the calls. Others don't follow up, or they never ask for referrals. We all know where our gaps are. Push yourself over that ledge and go do the hard thing, because that's where the real growth happens.

Pull up a chair and listen in

These are just a few highlights from a conversation that was honest, a little unfiltered (as promised), and a lot of fun. James and Keith brought great energy and even sharper questions, and there's plenty more in the full episode, from leading through change to where our industry goes from here. I'd love for you to grab a coffee, take a walk, and listen to the full conversation on YouTube.

Then tell me which part resonated with you most.

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