RealTrending

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with Tom Ferry, founder of Tom Ferry International, and Josh Altman, celebrity real estate agent with The Altman Brothers Team at Douglas Elliman. They dive into Tom and Josh’s new partnership, discussing the gap they saw in the market for affordable, high-quality training and how they're combining Tom's coaching expertise with Josh's proven sales strat...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with Keith Robinson, co-CEO of NextHome and author of the Substack "Crazy Uncle Keith." Tracey and Keith dive into the seismic shifts reshaping real estate, including the potential Compass-Anywhere merger, the ongoing fallout from the settlement lawsuit and the pro-agent group pushing for more transparency at NAR. Keith shares his take on private listin...

.This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with James Harris, principal at Beverly Hills-based boutique brokerage Carolwood Estates and former cast member of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing. Tracey and James dive into why disruption is actually a positive force, how AI is transforming the way agents work, and the mindset shifts needed to thrive in today's changing market. James shares his perspe...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with Josh McGrath, CEO and founder of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Central and 2025 RealTrends Verified GameChanger.  Tracey and Josh dive into his journey from getting his real estate license at 18 to building a brokerage with over 90 agents across five offices in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. He also shares how his 2020 affiliation with Be...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with Gretchen Coley, leader of The Coley Group at Compass in Raleigh, North Carolina. Tracey and Gretchen dive into how she scaled her team from $3 million to $214 million in just five years, the power of video storytelling in real estate and her innovative "Best of Raleigh" platform that transformed how she connects with her community. Gretchen shares...

This week on RealTrending Tracey Velt talks with Eric Bramlett, broker-owner of Bramlett Partners in Austin, Texas. Tracey and Eric dive into the strategies for maintaining a local identity while leveraging technology, the importance of agent retention in a competitive market, and how to stay focused amid speculative industry distractions. Eric also shares how tight hiring standards and a personal...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with the “queen of real estate video” Glennda Baker, of Glennda Baker and Associates at Coldwell Banker Realty in Atlanta. Tracey and Glennda dive into how social media and video content have transformed her 33-year real estate career, from building authentic connections through video to attracting clients who have never even met her in person. Glennda...

This week on RealTrending, Sarah Wheeler, sitting in for Tracey Velt, talks with Heather and Zach Harrison of The Zach & Heather Harrison Team at Compass, the #20 large team nationally by volume and #4 team in New York state by volume, according to RealTrends Verified. The Harrisons dive into their unique approach of offering lifestyle tours rather than just property showings, helping clients choo...

Yesterday, it was announced that real estate giant Compass is acquiring another real estate giant: Anywhere Real Estate, which includes Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Corcoran, ERA Real Estate, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, and Sotheby’s International Realty. Today, we’re bringing you a special bonus episode with Tracey and Steve Murray, senior advisor for HousingWire and the founder of RealTr...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt sits down with Jason Abrams, the head of industry and learning at Keller Williams Realty International, to explore the transformative potential of AI in all aspects of real estate. Jason shares insights from his AI playbook, debunking myths and offering practical advice on leveraging AI tools to stay ahead of the competition. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll l...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt chats with Erin Bradley, the host of the "Pursuing Freedom" podcast. Erin shares her journey from financial struggles to a flourishing real estate career.  Erin talks about how embracing the "Go Giver" philosophy helped her double her business and align her personal and professional life for true freedom. She also shares some practical tips for agents to over...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt chats with Josh Anderson from the Anderson Group Real Estate Services of Keller Williams in Nashville, Tennessee​​.  Josh talks about his evolution from a solo agent to leading one of Nashville's top teams by focusing on consistent lead generation and how embracing the basics can skyrocket your business. He also discusses the game-changing impact of AI tools...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt chats with Darryl Davis, from Darryl Davis Real Estate Coaching about several hot topics in real estate, including HUD's English-only policy, the NAR settlement, Clear Cooperation, and much more. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Why HUD's English-only policy is controversial How agents can support non-English speaking clients The importance of establish...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt sits down with David Keener, the CEO of Premiere Group at Real Brokerage. Over the past 8 years, Premiere has expanded to over 27 states and almost 300 agents across the U.S.; they joined Real just eight months ago.  David talks about the innovative structure of the Premiere teamerage and the potential of ancillary services like mortgage and title. He also ta...

This week on RealTrending, we are bringing you a crossover episode with the Power House podcast, featuring a conversation with Justin Bailey, the CEO of Realty Executives Associates. A fourth-generation real estate professional, Justin reflects on how his background in the nonprofit sector influenced his leadership philosophy and why fostering strong relationships remains at the heart of his appro...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with Sean Miku, the founder and CEO of simpliHŌM, a tech- and people-first brokerage that opened its doors in 2018. Sean shares insights into simpliHŌM unique model, including an 85/15 commission split and free transaction management. He also discusses the current challenges and opportunities in real estate, as well as the company's future vision, which...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with Craig McClelland, Chief Strategy Officer at HomeStory and president of LOCAL Realty.  Tracey and Craig talk about the importance of consumer-centric strategies and how industry giants like Zillow and Rocket are reshaping traditional brokerage models. Craig also talks about the role of technology and data in extending the real estate transaction tim...

On this week’s episode of RealTrending, Tracey Velt sits down with Lennox Scott, the CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate. Lennox has been in the industry for almost 50 years, and John L Scott is a family brokerage with a rich 94-year history.  Lennox talks about how AI is reshaping industries, the critical role of MLS consolidation, and maintaining personal relationships in a tech-driven world. He al...

This week on RealTrending Tracey Velt talks with David Brooke, team leader at Brooke Team at eXp Realty. Tracey and David dive into the realities of leading a team in today’s market, including managing team exits and burnout to fostering a productive agent culture.  David shares how an almost-pivot in his career and parenting lessons shaped his leadership style, and much more. Here’s a glimpse of...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt talks with Jay Papasan, executive at Keller Williams Realty and co-author of The Millionaire Real Estate Agent. Tracey and Jay talk about what it really takes for rookie agents to thrive in today’s market, from building a solid database to developing effective lead generation habits early on. Jay shares the inspiration behind his new and upcoming book The Roo...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt chats with Steve Murray, industry stalwart and senior advisor to RealTrends. Tracey and Steve had the opportunity to sit down in person at HousingWire’s The Gathering. Steve dives into the real estate’s most pressing issues, including the distraction of AI, Clear Cooperation, and the alarming number of inactive agents. He talks about why developing talent sho...

On today’s bonus episode of RealTrending, Tracey Velt chats with Ben Bacal, the founder of Revel Real Estate.  Tracey and Ben talk about the future of real estate, from AI-enhanced client experiences to the rise of real estate auctions. Ben also shares the secrets behind modern brokerage leadership and how Revel is equipping agents with marketing tools, studio pods for content creation, and data-d...

Today on RealTrending, Tracey Velt sits down with Rory Golod, President of Growth and Communications at Compass, to discuss their lawsuit against Zillow and what Compass is doing to reshape the agent and consumer experience in real estate. Rory unpacks the motivations behind the lawsuit and also shares Compass’s three-pronged marketing strategy. He also talks about how agent feedback drives tech d...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt chats with Dermot Buffini, CEO of Buffini & Company. Tracey and Dermot got the opportunity to sit down in person to record an episode at HousingWire’s The Gathering. Dermot breaks down the challenges in today’s real estate leadership  — from agent productivity to market shifts — and shares how to stay focused on what really matters. He also talks about “above...

This week on RealTrending, Tracey Velt chats with Hoby Hanna, CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and Hanna Holdings. Hoby discusses the company’s culture-first M&A strategy, innovative consumer programs like the buy-borrow bundle, and how AI and data are shaping real estate. He also shares why collaboration matters and outlines his goal to reach 20% share in 20 major markets. Here’s a glimps...