Rethink Real Estate

In this powerful rerun episode of Rethink Real Estate, Ben Brady is joined by Matthew Miale, CEO and Realtor of The Miale Team at Keller Williams, to break down exactly how he built one of the most dominant, listing‑focused real estate teams in the country — closing over 400 transactions a year without relying on cold calls, internet leads, or gimmicks. Matthew shares the philosophy that has shape...

In this high‑impact episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady revisits one of the most practical, no‑nonsense scripts every real estate agent should have dialed in: the buyer follow‑up conversation. Recorded earlier this year and now resurfaced as part of our holiday rerun series, this episode breaks down exactly how top listing agents should be following up after showings and open houses to...

In this inspiring and deeply human episode of Rethink Real Estate, Ben Brady sits down with Long Doan — Vietnamese refugee turned powerhouse Broker/CEO and Founder of Realty Group — to unpack one of the most remarkable growth journeys in modern real estate. Long shares the story that shaped his entire life: escaping Vietnam alone at age 13, surviving a refugee camp nicknamed “Hell’s Island,” and u...

This is one of our most impactful episodes ever, Ben Brady sits down with global sales authority and bestselling author  @PhilMJonesUK  whose book Exactly What to Say has reshaped how professionals communicate, influence, and guide critical decisions. This conversation became our most downloaded episode for a reason — it’s timeless, tactical, and brutally relevant to every agent navigating today’s...

In this year-end marketing deep dive, Chris Cochran, Director of Marketing for Harcourts Auctions, takes over the show to break down the real numbers behind what actually worked in 2025. From YouTube performance shifts to Facebook’s new advertising algorithm, Chris unpacks the platforms, trends, and behaviors shaping how real estate professionals should be thinking about attention in 2026.He revea...

In this candid year-end episode of Rethink Real Estate, Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down with Auction Associates Matt Blethen and Chase Boruff to unpack one of the most misunderstood, yet most powerful, tools available to real estate agents today: the non-distressed auction process. After a year filled with longer days on market, stalled listings, and multiple price reductions, the...

Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down with Mike “Big Mike” Zlotnik — CEO of TF Management Group and host of the Big Mike Fund Podcast — for a wide-ranging conversation on the trends shaping real estate, private credit, and the broader economy heading into 2026.Mike shares how his journey from Moldova to New York City, combined with a background in mathematics and technology, shaped the a...

Ben Brady welcomes back a true fan favorite — Shannon Mesritz, Broker with McClung Realty Group and longtime member of the Harcourts family. Shannon was one of the very first guests ever on this podcast (years before it became what it is today), back when he was running auctions in San Francisco at the height of COVID. But Shannon’s history with Harcourts goes far deeper than that. He began his re...

Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, is joined by long-time friend and returning guest Tony “Tech Tony” Self, Broker/Owner of Harcourts Hunter Mason Realty — to dissect the rapid rise of AI in 2025, where it’s heading, and what’s starting to make even the tech optimists a little uneasy. Tony, known for being an early adopter of everything from automation to video avatars, opens up about the first...

Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down with Sean Uyehara, Area Manager of Geneva Financial, to unpack one of the most powerful — and overlooked — mortgage strategies available today: the First Lien HELOC.Sean explains how this product, widely used in Australia but still emerging in the U.S., allows homeowners to pay off their mortgages in 3–7 years instead of 30. He breaks down exactly ho...

In this high-energy episode of Rethink Real Estate, Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down with Chris Cochran, Director of Marketing, to unpack a next-level strategy for winning competitive listings — using AI to transform your listing presentations and impress even the toughest sellers. Ben and Chris dive into the psychology behind preparation and presentation, revealing how you can diff...

Ben Brady breaks down what the 2026 real estate market could really look like—beyond the headlines, hype, and hopeful optimism. Fresh from an economic forum at Chapman University, Ben shares insights from one of the nation’s top real estate economists on inflation forecasts, long-term mortgage rate trends, and how these forces could reshape the industry over the next 24 months. With predictions of...

In this powerful episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down with Ben Reinberg, Founder and CEO of Alliance Consolidated Group of Companies, to expose one of the biggest financial misconceptions of our time — the myth that “cash is king.”Fresh off his recent TED Talk, Reinberg shares how he built an empire in commercial real estate from the ground up, and w...

Ben Brady breaks down Blackstone’s latest investment outlook and what it means for the real estate industry in the era of artificial intelligence. While AI continues to dominate global conversations about disruption, Ben explores a fresh perspective—how Blackstone’s “picks and shovels” philosophy reveals where the real changes will occur. Drawing parallels between the airline industry’s innovation...

In this heartwarming and insightful episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down with Kara Welliver, Realtor at Harcourts Prime Properties and one of the company’s original standouts. With over 23 years in the business, Kara has built a career that proves relationships—not transactions—create lasting success. From her early days climbing the corporate ladder...

In this powerful episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down with Erica Jevons Sizemore, founder of Sizemore Residential in Raleigh, North Carolina — a top-producing agent who’s redefining what real estate leverage really means. Consistently ranking among the top 20 Keller Williams agents in the Carolinas, Erica’s business model proves that doing more doesn...

In this gripping episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down with Christopher Drzyzga, Partner and Senior Vice President at Voit Real Estate Services, to unpack the contrarian outlook shaking up the real estate world. From commercial debt cycles to the rise of Bitcoin as a competing asset class, Chris brings a level of insight and candor few in the industry...

In this forward-looking episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down once again with Tony Self, Broker Associate at Harcourts Hunter Mason Realty, to unpack one of the most disruptive moments in modern real estate. From the proposed Compass–Anywhere merger to Zillow’s partnership with OpenAI, Ben and Tony dive into how consolidation, regulation, and artifici...

In this tactical and timely episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, reconnects with Chad Widtfeldt, seasoned Realtor and business owner at Harcourts Prime Properties, to uncover a smarter, faster way to win expired listings. Chad reveals how his team has been averaging 2–3 new listings per week by rethinking the traditional expired strategy — and how one small sh...

In this forward-thinking episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, is joined by Chris Cochran, Director of Marketing at Harcourts Auctions, to unpack Google Gemini’s latest AI release — the bizarrely named yet incredibly powerful “Nano Banana” update — and why it’s a game-changer for real estate marketing and content creation. From creating hyper-realistic agent he...

In this unfiltered solo episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, breaks down one of the biggest industry shakeups in recent history: Compass’s acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate. With two giants now attempting to merge — both operating under massive debt and increasing scrutiny — Ben takes a deep dive into what this means for agents, franchise owners, and the fut...

In this eye-opening episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady sits down with Andrew “Dru” Wischhover, President of Inspired Title Group, Inc., to unpack one of the most overlooked yet mission-critical aspects of every real estate transaction: title insurance. While agents often dismiss title as an afterthought, Dru reveals why ignoring it until there’s a problem can cost deals, clients, and m...

In this solo episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, unpacks one of the most important shifts facing our industry today: the largest generational wealth transfer in history. Over the next 10–20 years, an estimated $84–90 trillion will pass from baby boomers to Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z—with more than half of it tied directly to real estate assets. Ben explore...

In this episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady sits down once again with powerhouse agent Rachael Ashley of Harcourts Prime Properties to tackle a critical (and often overlooked) step in growing a real estate business: hiring your first assistant. Rachael shares her unfiltered experience—from the false start with her first hire to finally finding the right fit—and why the real motivation f...

In this financial reality-check episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady sits down with Alan Franks, founder of The Mill Financial Partners and author of Empowered Money, to talk money, mistakes, and how real estate professionals can get serious about their future. Alan doesn’t hold back—calling out the traps many independent contractors fall into and laying out how to actually build wealth...