Lab Coat Agents Podcast

Tim Heyl didn't start with a national company. He started with setbacks and hours of cold calling. Today he's the founder of Homeward, a platform that helps agents win listings by giving sellers the option to buy before they sell. Tim joins Nick Baldwin and Tristan Ahumada to share what that grind taught him and how bridge financing and cash offers can turn a stalled listing conversation into a si...

Sellers are giving up more at the closing table than they have in years, and AI is quietly taking over parts of the mortgage process. So where does that leave you? Nick Baldwin and Tristan Ahumada break down why affordability and inventory gaps are pushing seller concessions up, and how to advise your buyers and sellers when the leverage keeps shifting. Then they dig into how AI is speeding up und...

In this episode of the LabCoat Agents podcast, Nick Baldwin and Tristan Ahumada sit down with Saria Finkelstein, a veteran real estate professional from South Florida, to talk about client strategy, career evolution, and redefining success at different stages of life and business. The episode opens with a look at Lofty, an AI-driven real estate platform designed to help agents streamline marketing...

In this episode of the LabCoat Agents podcast, Nick Baldwin and Tristan Ahumada sit down with Rajeev Sajja, the first Chief AI Officer for Bright MLS, to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping real estate operations, agent productivity, and the future of brokerage and MLS organizations. Rajeev explains what it means for companies to become AI-native enterprises, where AI is not treated a...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin sit down with Justin Himmelbaum, a top-producing real estate agent based in Boca Raton, Florida, to talk about lead generation, client connection, and what it takes to compete in a shifting market. The conversation opens with industry news around Real Brokerage’s acquisition of ReMax, including what it could mean for...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin interview Christina Ward, a top-performing real estate agent from Boise, Idaho, on how she built a strong referral-based business while still protecting her time, energy, and personal life. Christina shares how she was able to take a 30-day total disconnect from work, and what that revealed about the systems behind he...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin interview Jason Farris, a real estate professional who has shifted from traditional sales into building a hyperlocal media presence designed to create long-term trust and local influence. Jason explains how he’s growing large newsletter subscriber lists by focusing on what people actually care about in their communiti...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin interview Jason Walter, a real estate professional who transitioned from a CPA background into becoming a prominent YouTube creator and lead-generation strategist. The conversation opens with a discussion on a new federal housing act aimed at limiting large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes,...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin sit down with real estate broker and author Chris Watters to discuss advanced strategies for lead generation, conversion, and scaling a modern real estate business. The conversation opens with a look at new industry entrants like Kelley Blue Book’s residential real estate platform, and what these shifts mean for agent...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin sit down with real estate coach and author Dan Rochon to discuss how agents can build more trust, create better conversations, and grow predictable business through education-based selling. The episode opens with a discussion on Bed Bath & Beyond’s acquisition of Fathom Realty, including whether retail data and co...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin interview Andrew Flachner, co-founder of RealScout, on how AI is changing the way consumers search, evaluate, and transact on homes—and what that means for agent workflows. They discuss the rise of micro-level housing data and AI-driven search tools that let people run complex questions through natural language, makin...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Nick Baldwin and Tristan Ahumada sit down with Trent and Karissa Zimmer to unpack the modern shifts shaping real estate—from industry consolidation to the rise of leverage, lifestyle design, and AI-driven efficiency. The conversation opens with a look at major acquisitions, including eXp’s purchase of NextHome, and what it signals about brokerages mo...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin are joined by top-producing team leader Janki Patel to break down how she’s built a leveraged, service-first business—using systems, data, and smart tech to convert high-intent online leads. The episode opens with a discussion on the Real Brokerage acquisition of ReMax, including what it signals about tech-forward bro...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin interview Michael Perna, a top-producing team leader who’s been navigating real estate since 2001, on what’s changing fastest right now—and what agents must do to stay visible. The conversation focuses on the rise of AI-driven search and AEO (AI Engine Optimization) and how it’s reshaping lead generation. Perna explai...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Nick Baldwin and Tristan Ahumada reflect on the real intersection of life and business—starting with a personal story about stepping into unexpected caregiving during a family health crisis, and how moments like that force you to rethink priorities, support systems, and stability. From there, the conversation turns to how AI is reshaping client commu...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Nick Baldwin and Tristan Ahumada sit down with real estate expert James Shaw to break down the habits and strategies that keep agents productive—and profitable—during market shifts. They start with Gary Vaynerchuk’s take on high-volume content and why consistent posting helps you learn what actually resonates with your audience. From there, James exp...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin are joined by sales expert Phil M. Jones to break down what real estate looks like as AI rapidly changes lending, operations, and consumer expectations. They discuss how AI is already being used to underwrite mortgage loans in seconds and automate administrative work—while stressing that complex files still require hu...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin sit down with Tina Beliveau to unpack how she shifted from the traditional real estate grind into a modern, relationship-driven model powered by community and smart automation. The conversation opens with a viral story about a homeowner using ChatGPT to sell his house, leading into a practical discussion on where AI f...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin interview Alex Rivlin, a real estate pro with a strong background in tech and entrepreneurship, on what today’s market signals are really telling agents—and how to use AI without losing the human edge. The conversation opens with recent trends, including a surge in Google searches from homeowners who feel “stuck” and...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin unpack the controversy around a Redfin + Compass partnership that enables sellers to hide key listing details like days on market and price history. The hosts discuss why limiting that data reduces transparency for consumers and raises bigger questions about the long-term efficiency and value of the MLS. Then, guests...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin discuss the evolving role of AI in real estate—specifically why agents should avoid generic “AI slop” and instead use AI to amplify their real voice, expertise, and local credibility. They also break down economic signals from the latest Federal Reserve minutes, discussing what they suggest about potential future rate...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Tristan Ahumada and Nick Baldwin break down current market signals—including a notable drop in home sales paired with a rise in housing affordability—and what those trends actually mean for agents on the ground. They also address a viral (and false) statistic about agent failure rates, clarifying that the majority of active professionals are still cl...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, marketing expert Austin Armstrong joins the hosts to break down how real estate pros can use AI to automate the tedious work—without losing the personal voice that builds trust. Austin shares practical, high-level tools agents should be watching, including Syllabi, which can generate video content directly from property listings, and emerging “vibe c...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Nick Baldwin and Tristan Ahumada break down major industry shifts and legal pressure points shaping how agents operate today—starting with a RESPA lawsuit involving Rocket Mortgage and allegations of steering clients toward in-house lending, raising concerns about referral practices and compliance. Guest Shaun Rawls introduces the Energy Quadrant, a...

In this episode of the Lab Coat Agents podcast, Nick Baldwin and Tristan Ahumada interview real estate agent and coach Taley Hunt on how she built a high-performance business through organic social media and community-driven networking—without relying on paid leads. Taley breaks down the habits and systems behind her rapid growth, sharing how she entered a new market and scaled to hundreds of clos...