Hustle Humbly Podcast

Who gets called a leader in real estate? The agent with the billboard? The one on the magazine cover? The one with the most likes on her latest listing? Sometimes the industry has it a little mixed up. Real estate is a loud industry, and it often rewards the loudest. But visibility and leadership are not the same thing, and we think it's time to talk about the difference. This chat started because Alissa just did something she hasn't done in almost a decade: she applied to serve on our local board of directors. Back when she got her license in 2011, she was a 22-year-old rising star wearing every hat in the industry. Board committees, the state association, NAR conferences in D.C., teaching classes, her office's agents council. Then she found out she was pregnant with her daughter and took almost all of those hats off. Now, with her youngest in kindergarten, she's ready to dip her toe back in, but with a whole new perspective on what leadership actually means. Katy, on the other hand, would never sign up for a weekly board commitment. And that's exactly the point. You do not need a board seat, a plaque, or a viral post to be a leader in this industry. You just need to care, stay educated, and conduct yourself in a way that makes the industry proud. Oh, and we did not agree on everything in this one. Stick around for the $500 magazine debate. Here's what we cover in this episode: Alissa's leadership journey from 2011 rising star to stepping back for motherhood Why she's applying for the board again (and why she does not want to be president) Leadership vs. visibility and why the two get confused so often Realtor prom season and why your clients don't care about your plaque Leading by example in every transaction, especially with newer agents If you hired you, would you fire you? Why boundaries are a leadership skill, not a weakness How many transactions it takes to stay in touch with the market Why brokers need to show up in person in their market Your reputation is built when no one is watching Posting vs. interacting: which one actually grows your business The $500 magazine ad and the friendly disagreement it sparked What to do if you just want to sell houses and don't care about leadership The award that matters most (hint: your peers vote on it) Key Quotes & Takeaways: "Real estate often rewards the loudest. And it's not really leadership. It's visibility." Alissa "I don't look at boundaries as a weakness anymore." Alissa "Your reputation is built usually when no one is watching." Alissa "Leadership doesn't mean top producer. You can sell six houses in a year and still be a leader in the industry." Katy "Leave people better than you found them." Alissa Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned: Episode 129: How to Be a Great Co-op Agent (hustlehumblypodcast.com/129) Hustle Humbly Community (hustlehumblypodcast.com/membership) Leigh Brown's "Realtor prom season" talk CRS (Council of Residential Specialists) webinars National Association of Realtors (NAR) Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected]. Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected] Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Back in January 2020, we recorded Episode 23, The Three P's of Professionalism, based on NAR's List of Suggested Professional Courtesies. It's not the Code of Ethics, but a complementary, voluntary list, and real estate schools are still sending brand new agents to that episode today. With everyone talking about AI lately, we decided it was time to pull some of our favorites back out and remind ourselves why the human part of this job still matters. We start with a story about an agent who let AI write every single text and email during a transaction. 10/10 do not recommend. From there we walk through our favorite courtesies under NAR's three P's, public, property, and peers, with real stories from our own businesses. We cover everything from scheduling showings far enough in advance, to the seasoned agent whose remediation company connections saved our clients thousands after closing, to the referral call we turned down because the seller was $40,000 dollars over price and would not budge. Professionalism doesn't mean a fancy blazer or the glossiest marketing materials. It means talking to your clients about money, setting expectations with data, and being the boss of the transaction, even when it's not what anyone wants to hear. Here's what we cover in this episode: Why an AI-written text message is the opposite of professional, and how to spot one A refresher on NAR's Three P's of Professionalism: public, property, and peers Scheduling showings and appointments far enough in advance, even when it feels too early Why you should assume you're always being recorded How to handle it when someone tells you they already have an agent Presenting a professional appearance without needing to be fancy Being responsible for buyers, kids, and pets during a showing Getting permission before filming quirky listing content (standing on the kitchen island is a hard no) Following a seller's special showing requests, even the ones that feel unnecessary Prepping a divorce listing for every possible objection before it ever hits the market Why polish isn't the same as professionalism, and what actually builds client trust Key Quotes & Takeaways: "Polished doesn't equal professionalism." – Katy "I'm not here to just take a listing. I want to sell it." – Alissa "Tell people what you know, not what you think." – Katy "Real estate is a reputation business." – Katy "You are more professional than you may even think." – Alissa Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned: Episode 23: The Three P's of Professionalism Episode 129: How to Be a Good Co-Op Agent Episode 369: Where Communication Breaks Down Episode 371: Property Safety: When Your Listing Gets Robbed NAR's List of Suggested Professional Courtesies (nar.realtor) Hustle Humbly Community Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you're toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected]. Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected] Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

What does Trader Joe's know that most Realtors don't? We went down a rabbit hole this week pulling data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index and the results surprised us. We also sourced stories from Trader Joe's, Chick-fil-A, and Disney. So we started asking, what do these brands actually do that makes people love them so much, and how does that apply to our real estate businesses? Turns out it's not fancy. It's not expensive. It's mastering the basics and doing them the same way every single time. As AI takes over more of the automated, robotic parts of this business, being the most human Realtor in the room is about to become your biggest competitive advantage. We're talking about the difference between delivering what you promised and giving someone an actual experience, and why so many agents skip straight to the closing gift instead of doing the boring, consistent work in the middle of the transaction. We share real stories, including a seller who wanted to pull her overpriced listing after two weeks with no showings, a buyer family with two kids under five who needed way more than an MLS printout, and a Hustle Humbly Community member whose vendor list mailer turned a football magnet into something people actually looked forward to getting. Here's what we cover in this episode: What the American Customer Satisfaction Index says about our favorite businesses Why the two questions Trader Joe's cashiers always ask are designed to get you talking Why being the most human Realtor is about to matter more than ever as AI use increases Why simpler, less produced content (a phone video walking through a house) beats a glossy production every time A real story about sending a video instead of a text when a seller wanted to pull her listing Why handwritten notes with a sheet of stickers slipped inside get remembered The "nervous gift" basket built for a buyer family touring ten houses with two little kids Why listening for small clues, like an offhand comment about a favorite baseball team, matters more than a big gesture What goes in a pre-listing gift basket to help sellers actually prep for showings Why looking at 27 houses is a customer service failure, not a badge of honor The attract, convert, deliver framework and why most agents skip straight to marketing without delivering A Hustle Humbly Community member's genius vendor list mailer campaign Which industries scored the worst on the customer satisfaction index (hint: you already know) Key Quotes & Takeaways: "The best thing we can do for customer service is our job." Katy "It's free to be transparent, responsive, to listen, to have urgency." Katy "The customer experience isn't about you. It's about that person." Alissa "You can't do the fancy, fun, frilly stuff if your clients haven't heard from you in three days." Alissa "Your face and your voice being part of that transaction is the thing that's you, that no one can take away from you. That's what sets you apart." Katy Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned: American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Episode 370: Whatever Your Business Is, The Fundamentals Are The Same (hustlehumblypodcast.com/370) Hustle Humbly Community (hustlehumblypodcast.com/membership) Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you're toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected]. Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected] Music: Straight A's by Connor Price The Good Life by Summer Kennedy Be The One by Matrika

Happy Labor Day! In honor of all the laboring people out there, we're doing something a little different this week. We are always surprised to hear of listeners not in real estate at all, and we love hearing how this podcast has still helped your business. So today we're speaking straight to the masses. We made ourselves a rule: no saying "real estate," "realtor," "buyer," or "seller" for the whole episode (we mostly stuck to it). Because the truth is, whatever your business is, the fundamentals are the same: attract people, convert them, take really good care of them, stay in touch, know your numbers, and build systems so you don't have to start over every single Monday. We're walking through nine categories that apply to literally any business, from a hairdresser to a landscaper to a lawyer to an Etsy shop owner. We share real stories (including a dentist who ghosted Katy without so much as a goodbye, and a yard service that over-communicated its way into her heart during a rain delay), and we break down exactly what separates a business that thrives from one that closes after two months. If this one resonates, send it to a friend who isn't in real estate. We promise it still applies. Here's what we cover in this episode: Know how your business actually works: the attract, convert, deliver framework and why most people get stuck avoiding the "convert" (aka sell) part Set expectations before they become problems: business hours, response times, cancellation policies, and why an auto-email-responder can save your sanity Make decisions once and repeat them: email templates, pricing, and writing your own standard operating procedures Communicate clearly: admitting mistakes, having hard conversations, and why "the customer is always right" isn't actually true Know your numbers: cost to acquire a customer, profit after expenses, and why being busy isn't the same as being profitable Treat past customers as an asset: staying top of mind, asking for reviews and referrals, and why repeat business beats chasing new leads every time Make your marketing easy to understand: sounding like a human instead of an industry brochure Protect your time: shutdown routines, office hours, and why your business shouldn't require 24/7 access to you Professionalism is a competitive advantage: showing up, following through, and answering your messages Key Quotes & Takeaways: "You cannot ask for more business if you are not handling the business that you have right now." Alissa "Being good at your craft and being good at running your business are two different skills." Katy "It's tricky being an entrepreneur because all sides of the brain are needed." Alissa "It is so easy to confuse being busy with being profitable." Katy "You don't have to be the best at what you do. You just have to do what you say you're going to do." Alissa Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned: Emily Ley / The Simplified Planners (referenced for her "make the decision once" philosophy) Episode 17: What to Do When You Are New OR Slow Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you're toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected]. Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected] Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Have you ever gotten a message from a total stranger asking you to show them a house tomorrow? Or, worse, NOW? This episode covers a little bit of everything: client intake, boundaries, and buyer and seller consultations, because honestly this topic touches almost every system we've built our businesses on. Lately we've both had new clients come to us in a completely different state than we're used to. Ready to go, no pre-approval, no idea what the process actually looks like, and a whole lot of whiplash for us. We walk through exactly how we intake a brand new buyer starting with that very first phone call, why pre-approval has to happen before we ever get in the car, and how the buyer representation agreement fits into that conversation. We share the story of a buyer we've worked with off and on since 2018 (yes, eight years), a listing referral that nearly fell apart over price, and a listing appointment where being honest about a renovation almost cost the job... until it didn't. If you've been letting your own rules slide because you're busy, or slow, or scared of losing a referral, this one is your permission slip to take control back from the very first conversation. Here's what we cover in this episode: Why client intake, boundaries, and buyer and seller consultations all overlap What to do when a brand new buyer wants to see a house before you've even met How to explain the buyer representation agreement without scaring people off Why pre-approval needs to happen before the buyer consultation, not after The "may I have a preferred lender call you" question that actually gets buyers moving A story about learning the hard way to meet at a seller's house before showing them other homes Why a referral doesn't automatically mean you have a real client A listing interview where honesty about an overpriced renovation almost cost the appointment Why fair housing means running your process the exact same way every single time What to do when a seller's neighbors are talking, and it starts affecting your reputation Key Quotes & Takeaways: "I don't like to list houses. I like to sell them." -Alissa "I want you to find somebody that you like, that you trust." -Alissa "Just because they sent you a human doesn't mean they sent you a client." -Katy "It's really up to you what you can endure." -Katy "You have to do it the same every time, whether you're busy or you're slow." -Alissa Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned: Episode 113: Be the Boss (hustlehumblypodcast.com/113) Episode 210: Buyer Consultation (hustlehumblypodcast.com/210) Episode 143: Working with Sellers: Pre-Listing Prep (hustlehumblypodcast.com/143) Episode 79: Buyers, Buyers, Buyers (hustlehumblypodcast.com/79) Episode 365: Check Yourself Before You Wreck Your Business (hustlehumblypodcast.com/365) Build Your Own Business (BYOB), live starting September 8th (hustlehumblypodcast.com/byob-waitlist) Hustle Humbly Community (hustlehumblypodcast.com/membership) This episode's toast is from Allison, honoring her mom, April Jeera, a Realtor in the Austin and San Antonio areas and president-elect of the Women's Council of Realtors Austin. Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you're toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected]. Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Ever wonder what real estate agents are talking about when nobody's watching? We went straight to the source: Reddit. We dug through the subreddits: r/realtor and r/realestateagent, reading through 2025 and 2026 posts to see what agents are actually saying when they think no one from their brokerage is looking. And y'all, it was a lot. One out of every three posts was a vendor or marketer trying to sell agents a shiny solution to a problem they just admitted to having in public. The most engaged posts were not the wins or the strategy questions. They were confusion, hurt feelings, and agents who felt completely lost. So we broke it all down by topic: vendor fatigue, new agents who are drowning, a commission split that made everyone (including us) mad, what happens when your best friend uses another agent, the listening mistake that cost one agent a listing, social media chaos, CRM overload, the professionalism gap, and the agents juggling real estate with a second job. If you have ever felt like you were the only one struggling with any of this, we promise you are not. Here's what we cover in this episode: Why one in three posts on real estate Reddit is really just a vendor pitch in disguise What it means that the most engaged posts are about confusion, not wins Why new agents commenting on Reddit made us so sad, and what's really going on What "character creation syndrome" is and why the perfect headshot and business cards don't build a business Episodes to check out if you or someone you know is a drowning new agent The commission split story that had everyone up in arms and what she should have known before saying yes What happened when a good friend went under contract with a Zillow agent without saying a word The listing an agent lost because she forgot a detail the seller told her three weeks earlier Why posting "just sold" content is officially spam, and what to post instead Why agents are sitting on thousands of contacts they never actually use The professionalism gap showing up in nearly every single thread we read What dual career and part-time agents are up against, and the encouragement they need to hear Key Quotes & Takeaways: "The most engaged posts weren't about strategy or wins. They were about confusion, hurt feelings, and feeling lost." "We've got to stop trying to automate the relationship building part of our job. It's reps." "Building the image of a successful agent doesn't actually create success. Doing the things successful agents do should be your only focus." "Fifty percent of the time the other agents are way harder than my clients." Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned: Episode 361: Agent Vendor Relations (hustlehumblypodcast.com/361) Episode 356: Mistakes New Agents Make (hustlehumblypodcast.com/356) Episode 336: Growing Realtor Confidence (hustlehumblypodcast.com/336) Episode 103: New Agent 101 (hustlehumblypodcast.com/103) Episode 26: Everything We Wished We Knew Before We Started (hustlehumblypodcast.com/26) Episode 334: What to Say When Friends or Family Use Another Agent (hustlehumblypodcast.com/334) Episode 39: How to Deal with Rejection (hustlehumblypodcast.com/39) Episode 116: Communication (hustlehumblypodcast.com/116) Episode 326: Managing Sellers with Confidence (hustlehumblypodcast.com/326) Episode 343: The Social Media Mindset Shift (hustlehumblypodcast.com/343) Episodes 301, 308 & 274: Social Media Episodes (hustlehumblypodcast.com/301, /308, /274) Episode 335: Before You Join the Real Estate Jam (hustlehumblypodcast.com/335) Episode 23: The Three P's of Professionalism (hustlehumblypodcast.com/23) Episode 360: Feel Good Stories From the Field (hustlehumblypodcast.com/360) Episode 355: Treat Your Business Like a Business (hustlehumblypodcast.com/355) Episode 198: Real Estate Side Hustles (hustlehumblypodcast.com/198) Plaud recorder (mentioned as a tool agents are using to capture appointment details) Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you're toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected]. Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

You win some, you lose some. So why does losing one always feel like it means so much more? This week we get into what happens after the deal falls through, the client picks another agent, or a friend quietly lists their house with someone else. We talk about the "one day rule" a friend taught us for grieving a lost deal, and why real estate karma means the good and the bad even out over time if you let it. We share the moment a nervous friend told us she wasn't hiring us, and why we've learned to respond with grace instead of guilt-tripping. We get into the client who broke the news she was moving out of state over text, the ones who ghost instead of confronting you, and why the people who face you directly deserve to never regret it. We also cover the awkward reality of splitting business between two agents in one household, the ChatGPT trick for cooling down an angry email before you hit send, and a listener's story about a "shopper" who keeps circling back without ever committing. Then we tell the story of a seven figure deal that turned into a $70,000 condo, then into no deal at all, and how walking away with honesty turned into a stream of referrals instead. And we close with the story of an eight year strained friendship that got repaired with one honest text message. Here's what we cover in this episode: Why we believe in real estate karma and how it evens out over time The "one day rule" for grieving a lost deal and moving on What to say when someone nervously tells you they're not hiring you Why business gets messier when it's built on relationships, not just transactions The client who confessed she was relocating out of state over text Being the icebreaker when a client lists with someone else and never tells you How to handle it when a buyer's spouse already has "his" agent Splitting a household's business between two different agents Using ChatGPT to turn an angry email into a professional one A listener's letter about a shopper who never quite commits Sticking to your boundaries even when it might cost you the deal The seven figure deal that shrank to a $70,000 condo, then to nothing How honesty about a bad purchase turned into new referrals Repairing an eight year strained friendship with one text Our rapid fire list of real estate karma quotes to remember Key Quotes & Takeaways: "Be the agent who says no worries, I'm happy for you, and actually means it." "Every time you choose grace over resentment, you're playing the long game." "Don't burn a bridge because you're hurt. You may need to cross it again later." "Real estate is hard enough without carrying a backpack full of grudges." "If you take every business decision personally, this business will eat you alive. Your value is not determined by whether someone hires you." "We're building a reputation, not collecting scorecards." Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned: Episode 346: Desperate Agent Behavior (hustlehumblypodcast.com/346) Hustle Humbly Community (hustlehumblypodcast.com/membership) Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Are you hanging on by a thread but not quite ready to call it quits? This episode is for you. We keep getting messages from agents who are struggling financially but who are not ready to throw in the towel. We get it. Real estate has a way of pulling you in, making you believe the next deal is right around the corner. But when money is actually tight, hope alone is not a business plan. We start with a real story about Erica, a Hustle Humbly Community member who moved from California to Texas knowing absolutely no one. Instead of white-knuckling real estate with zero network and zero income, she humbled herself, went back to restaurant management, built her people, learned the market, and saved money. Then she went back into real estate full time and now has a thriving business in Texas. That is not a failure story. That is a strategy. We also share Alissa's own experience from her early days bartending private events and the moment she ran into a high-budget buyer client while working one of those events. She lost the client. It stung. But the lesson has stuck ever since. This is not the episode where we tell you to quit. This is the one where we give you 15 practical things you can do TODAY to stabilize your business, bring in money, and protect your mindset while you ride out a tough market. Here's what we cover in this episode: Text 5 people you haven't talked to in a while — your next deal is probably hiding in a name you've been scrolling past Audit your business expenses and cancel anything that isn't earning its keep Consider a "people job" (restaurant, coffee shop, gym) to bring in income while staying connected Pick up gig work without shame — Door Dash, Instacart, TaskRabbit, Uber — whatever fits your schedule Sort your database by last contact and reach out to anyone you haven't spoken to in 90 days Host a free small event in the next 30 days to get yourself in front of people Know your real number — write down your actual monthly expenses and make a plan Stop hiding behind content creation and have real conversations with real people Ask a past client for a referral directly using our ready-to-use script Partner with a local business for cross promotion — lenders, inspectors, movers, boutiques Go host or attend an open house this weekend Revisit Episode 198 on real estate side hustles to find something that keeps you in the game Set a 90-day minimum viable goal and work backward from that number Find your people — surround yourself with agents who are positive, motivated, and solution-focused Remember: surviving a hard market is a credential Key Quotes & Takeaways: "Your next deal is probably hiding in a name you've been scrolling past." Katy "Action cures anxiety. Any action will do." James Clear via Katy "Being in a funk and surrounding yourself with other people in a funk is not going to help you." Alissa "This is a business. You have to think of it like a business, run it like a business, and look at your finances." Alissa "Surviving a hard market is a credential." Katy Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned: Episode 346: Desperate Agent Behavior (hustlehumblypodcast.com/346) Episode 271: Should You Renew Your Real Estate License? (hustlehumblypodcast.com/271) Episode 198: Real Estate Side Hustles (hustlehumblypodcast.com/198) Episode 40: Bare Necessities (hustlehumblypodcast.com/40) Hustle Humbly Community (hustlehumblypodcast.com/membership) Atomic Habits by James Clear Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected]. Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly