RealTrending

On this week’s episode of RealTrending, Tracey chats with Claire O'Connor, team leader of O'Connor Estates with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties. After losing her home, her father-in-law’s home, and a house under construction to the devastating LA wildfires, Claire shares her journey of rebuilding amid disaster. She discusses the emotional toll, the resilience of the Palisades...

On this week’s episode of RealTrending, Tracey chats with Chris Trapani and Ryan Iwanaga, lifelong friends, co-founders, and partners of Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno. While working with your best friend might be a recipe for disaster for some, Chris and Ryan have used their relationship and leadership to grow Sereno into the largest, locally-owned and  operated independent brokerage...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey traveled to the Illinois REALTORS’ REengage Winter Conference to sit down with Illinois REALTORS CEO Jeff Baker and President Tommy Choi in person! The three discuss the current challenges in the housing market, including low inventory and rising interest rates. They also talk all about the value of being a real estate professional, being a part of an...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Mike Simonsen, founder of Altos, to discuss his 2025 housing forecast, including home prices, mortgage rates, and affordability. He also talks about what changes he anticipates with the Trump administration, covers the role of immigration and labor in construction, and talks about how tariffs could affect market dynamics. Here’s a glimps...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Steve Murray, founder of RealTrends and a senior advisor to HousingWire. Steve joins us to discuss the current state of mergers and acquisitions in real estate, how market changes are impacting broker valuations, and the growing shift toward team-based brokerage models. He also shares his predictions for President Trump’s impact on the h...

This week on the RealTrending podcast we are bringing you an episode a bit earlier than normal to highlight a story of loss and hope during the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.  Tracey sat down with Anthony Marguleas, founder of Amalfi Estates out of Pacific Palisades. About 60% of residents in the Pacific Palisades area have lost their homes or their businesses, including Anthony’s own home of...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Danielle Dowell, the leader of The DoWell Group at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago. With over 17 years in real estate, Danielle shares how she’s built a team of 15 agents and assistants at The Dowell Group by focusing on their individual strengths and passions. Danielle discusses her unique approach to team building, the latest r...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Michael Valdes, the CEO of LPT International. The last time Tracey talked to Michael, he was holding executive roles at eXp before his tranistion to LPT in July 2024. Michael joins us today to dive into LPT's unique agent choice model and the critical role of training, vision, and branding when building a successful real estate business....

This week on the RealTrending podcast we are joined by Tiffani Marroquin, the Head of Growth and Innovation at JPAR Real Estate, to discuss her journey with AI and how it’s transforming the landscape in real estate. Tiffani shares her expertise on leveraging AI to streamline business operations and scaling through automation, offering specific examples that she’s implemented at JPAR. She also talk...

This week on RealTrending, we are bringing you a crossover episode with the Power House podcast. HousingWire President Diego Sanchez sat down with James Dwiggins, the CEO and co-founder of NextHome, a real estate franchise with 600 offices and 6,000 agents across the country. James has a lot of expertise and — and strong opinions — on real estate practices, including clear cooperation policies, du...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Tim Weisheyer, the 2025 President of Florida Realtors and CEO of Dream Builders Realty in Central Florida. Starting in residential and then transitioning to commercial and development, Tim joins us today to talk about servant leadership, innovation, and the risk-taking entrepreneurs make to find success.  Tim talks about the evolving rol...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Dava Davin, CEO of Portside Real Estate Group, to talk about her journey from working in pharmaceuticals to leading a real estate brokerage with over 200 agents and $1 billion in 2024 sales. Portside focuses on agent growth, community impact, and how to foster a supportive company culture. Dava highlights the importance of mindset, the v...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Danielle Wilkie, co-founder of The Helm, a modern coaching platform designed to empower women in the real estate industry. From her experience at Compass and other tech and real estate companies, Danielle has a unique perspective on the evolving trends in real estate and the role of coaching in shaping its future. Danielle also highlight...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey talks to Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst for HousingWire and regular CNBC contributor. Logan joins us today to discuss his forecast for the housing market in 2025, including rates and the impact of potential tariffs under a Trump presidency. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Mortgage rates are expected to range between 5.75% to 7.25%. The tariff si...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Kamini Lane, CEO and President of Coldwell Banker Realty. Kamini, who has been in her role for almost two years, joins us to share her approach to leadership— clarity, transparency, and authenticity. She also talks about how important it is for agents to focus on fundamentals and learn how to effectively communicate their value propositi...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Stephanie Anton, president of Corcoran Affiliates. Stephanie joins us today to talk about understanding what your value proposition is — and what it’s not. She also talks about adopting the servant leadership mindset when developing a strong company culture, how the marketing is still shifting four years out of the pandemic’s onset, and...

Today on the RealTrending podcast, we’re bringing you a special crossover episode with the Power House podcast!  Last week, HousingWire president Diego Sanchez sat down with Michele Harrington, the CEO of FirstTeam Real Estate out of Orange County, California. Michele started her career in the Marine Corps, but after being stationed in Orange County, she not only fell in love with the beauty of So...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Amy Stockberger, broker-owner of Amy Stockberger Real Estate in Sioux City. Amy joins us today to discuss what she calls her teamerage’s “Lifetime Home Support Model” and all of its different impacts on client relationships.  Amy shares how her strategic approach creates a long-term, supportive relationship with buyers and sellers — not...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey sits down with Alexia Rodriguez, CEO of KW Cares to discuss how their organization supports Keller Williams agents during times of crisis, and best practices for organizations interested in building their own hardship fund. In light of recent hurricanes impacting the East Coast, Alexia talks about how their agents are helping one another through KW Car...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Paul Carlson, president of Five Star Real Estate. Paul joins us to share insights on growing his brokerage, succession planning, and how his father eased the leadership transition. Tracey and Paul dive into the lessons learned transitioning the company from father to son leadership, the importance of centralizing management during t...

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Debbie De Grote, founder of Forward Coaching, a leading real estate and business coaching company. Debbie and Tracey discuss the importance of informed negotiation skills in today's market and how agents can readily adapt to changing policies and regulations. They also explore the new challenges that agents face when working with bu...

Master Class: A Settlement Strategy Playbook Welcome back to the Settlement Strategy Playbook, brought to you by JPAR Real Estate, produced by HousingWire, and hosted on the RealTrending podcast with Tracey Velt.  In this series, we’ll explore and discuss fiduciary responsibilities, the intent behind the settlement and the DOJ’s involvement, strategies for building an effective buyer consultation,...

Master Class: A Settlement Strategy Playbook Welcome to the Settlement Strategy Playbook, brought to you by JPAR Real Estate, produced by HousingWire, and hosted on the RealTrending podcast with Tracey Velt.  In this series, we’ll explore and discuss fiduciary responsibilities, the intent behind the settlement and the DOJ’s involvement, strategies for building an effective buyer consultation, and...

Master Class: A Settlement Strategy Playbook Welcome back to the Settlement Strategy Playbook, brought to you by JPAR Real Estate and produced by HousingWire, and hosted on the RealTrending podcast with Tracey Velt.  In this series, we’ll explore and discuss fiduciary responsibilities, the intent behind the settlement and the DOJ’s involvement, strategies for building an effective buyer consultati...

Master Class: A Settlement Strategy Playbook Welcome back to the Settlement Strategy Playbook, brought to you by JPAR Real Estate and produced by HousingWire, and hosted on the RealTrending podcast with Tracey Velt.  In this series, we’ll explore and discuss fiduciary responsibilities, the intent behind the settlement and the DOJ’s involvement, strategies for building an effective buyer consultati...