Unlocking Real Estate: Colibri Real Estate Podcast

From Pro Baseball Dreams to Carolina Luxury Homes: Eric Schultz’s Rookie Real Estate Journey In this episode of *My First Commission* from the *Unlocking Real Estate* podcast by Colibri Real Estate, we feature **Eric Schultz**, a Luxury Home Specialist with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Carolinas Realty serving **North & South Carolina**. Eric shares his unique path—from pursuing a professio...

In this episode of My First Commission on Unlocking Real Estate , we speak with Dan Merrill , a retired Air Force recruiter who retired at 43 and quickly pivoted to real estate with Coldwell Banker Premier Realty in Las Vegas. With unmatched discipline and military precision, Dan closed his very first transactions in under two months while setting a powerful foundation for his new career. Key insi...

In this episode of My First Commission from the Unlocking Real Estate podcast by Colibri Real Estate, we talk with Marc Cannella , a former Las Vegas doorman who reinvented his life at 60—jumping full-time into real estate and selling over $4.1 million in his very first year. Marc spent nearly four decades welcoming guests at Vegas hotels, but when the hospitality world shifted, he took his people...

In this episode of *My First Commission* on *Unlocking Real Estate* by Colibri Real Estate, we sit down with Carol Koutsourais, a lifelong Mahoning Valley resident and marketing-savvy Realtor® with **CENTURY 21 Lakeside Realty** in Youngstown, Ohio. With a background in interior design and marketing, Carol successfully transitioned into real estate, leveraging her creative strengths to stage homes...

In this episode of My First Commission on Unlocking Real Estate , meet Kyle Russell , a former factory worker turned real estate powerhouse with RE/MAX Preferred in Toledo, Ohio . Tired of feeling stuck, Kyle made the bold leap into real estate—and quickly discovered that success in this industry starts with relationships, resilience, and relentless follow-up. Kyle walks us through his first year,...

In this episode of My First Commission, we sit down with Paul Haley, a Scottsdale-based agent with eXp Realty, who skipped college and launched his real estate career straight out of high school. At just 20 years old, Paul has already closed $8.8 million in sales in his first year—all by focusing on open houses instead of social media. Paul shares how he challenged himself to do 100 open houses in...

📝 Description In this episode of My First Commission from Unlocking Real Estate by Colibri Real Estate, we speak with Courtney Bullock, a Arizona native with a 25‑year finance career turned RE/MAX Cornerstone agent in Cave Creek/Phoenix. After transitioning into real estate in 2023, Courtney was named an RISMedia Rookie of the Year finalist and quickly turned her organization and people skills in...

In this episode of My First Commission from Unlocking Real Estate by Colibri Real Estate, we chat with Angela Trible, a Midwest transplant turned Realtor® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Mesa/Gilbert, Arizona. Angela shares her career pivot—from science-focused academics and logistics into real estate after relocating in 2022—and how her strong work ethic, attention to detail, and values-d...

🎧 Description: In this week's My First Commission episode of Unlocking Real Estate, we sit down with Derek Tschilar, a rising star at Realty ONE Group in Scottsdale/Phoenix, Arizona. In just two years, Derek has already closed over $500,000 in commissions—building a robust business around residential and multifamily properties. Derek shares how he carved his niche in the Phoenix market, leve...

In this episode of My First Commission, we highlight Paul Haley, a Scottsdale-based agent with eXp Realty who built a thriving luxury real estate business—without relying on social media to start. Paul shares how he leveraged open houses to break into multimillion-dollar listings, including a $3M sale that came from a simple follow-up and rapport-building lunch. At just 21 years old, Paul walks us...

In this episode of My First Commission , we spotlight Stacy Cole, who transitioned from a church daycare director in Saraland, Alabama, to RISMedia’s 2023 National Rookie of the Year. Achieving $10.7 million in sales across 54 transactions in her first year, Stacy shares how she built a thriving real estate business through community connections, relentless follow-up, and unwavering dedication. St...

In this episode of My First Commission , we feature Keely McNeal, a Georgia-based REALTOR® who transitioned from a stay-at-home mom to a top-producing agent, closing over $10 million in sales within her first year. Keely shares her inspiring journey, highlighting how she leveraged her community connections, embraced social media, and maintained unwavering determination to achieve remarkable succes...

In this episode of My First Commission from the Unlocking Real Estate podcast by Colibri Real Estate, we chat with Cain D’Amico, a dynamic Realtor at Lokal Real Estate in Cleveland, Ohio. Cain shares his journey from earning his real estate license in 2023 to becoming a capped agent within his first year—a testament to his dedication and strategic approach.  Cain discusses how his background in fi...

How do you sell over $13.5M in real estate in your first year? Cindy Summer Perez shares how she did just that—while building a 6-figure marketing agency and balancing life as a broker, model, and community leader. In this on-location episode, Cindy reveals the marketing strategies that helped her stand out, how being bilingual opened new doors, and the mindset shift that made it all possible. htt...

In this episode of My First Commission from the Unlocking Real Estate podcast by Colibri Real Estate, we sit down with Chaka Sellers—a U.S. Air Force veteran turned top-producing agent in Sumter, South Carolina. Chaka shares his journey from military service to real estate success, detailing how his discipline and strategic mindset propelled him to close 25 deals and achieve $8 million in sales wi...

Our guest on this episode is Sarah Lewandowski, Realtor with Compass New Jersey LLC. At the time of her RISMedia Rookie of the Year Nomination for NJ for 2023 (her 2022 performance year) she sold 39 homes for a total of $11.8 million in sales volume.  She lived in the Virgin Islands from 2015-2021 and moved back to the "Jersedelphia" area in the fall of 2021. She received her license in...

Today our guest is Mandolyn McIntyre-Crow. With a remarkable track record of nearly $14 million in sales in 2022, Mandolyn McIntyre-Crow stands as one of the foremost names in the real estate industry. Her dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment to her clients have earned her accolades locally and nationally. Mandolyn started the year being named 2022 Rising Star by Four Seasons Sotheby&...

Today we introduce Matthew Salgado, proud member of the Carol Dobrzynski Team at Realty Executives Premier. He is a Full time Realtor that specializes in Residential Properties such as Luxury Homes, Single-Family, Investment Properties, and New Construction all across Northwest Indiana and surrounding communities. He believes that every transaction should be better than your last, and Matthew cont...

Today we talk to Lena Keith with Pivot Realty Group in Fort Wright, KY. (across the river from Cincinnati). She is going into her fourth year of real estate and has maintained being a top agent in her brokerage. Prior to real estate, she was an elementary school teacher who taught K-5 intervention classes. Her rookie year she closed 29 transactions for a little over $5.5 million in volume. She abs...

Today our guest is Mitch Willis, who began his real estate career in July 2021, bringing with him a diverse background in retail sales and law enforcement. At 46, he made the bold decision to transition into a field that offered both financial freedom and the opportunity to work for himself. While he had no prior experience in real estate, he was inspired by his family’s deep-rooted passion—his fa...

Meet Alex Hollander, The Face of SCV Real Estate. He is a real estate agent with Equity Union in Santa Clarita, California—aka "Awesometown". 2023 was his first full year in real estate, and he was recognized as a Rookie of the Year candidate. Over that year, he closed 19 transactions with a sales volume just shy of $10 million. Whether it’s finding the perfect home or creating fun, out-...

Today we talk to Doug Phillips, born and raised in Cincinnati, OH. Doug Phillips has been passionate about real estate for several years. After attending Ohio University, Doug dove into the world of real estate investing. Doug specializes in multifamily and commercial real estate investment and owns several investment properties in Northern Kentucky. In 2021, Doug became a certified Canfield Train...

Meet Daniele Lundin, a wife, mother of 4 adult children and a grandmother of one! Her and her husband have bought, lived in, renovated and sold homes for profit while raising their children several times. Her current broker has been their real estate agent for over 20 years, and she has always said that when she was done raising kids she was going to sell real estate for him. He told her, "co...

Today's episode is with Sofia Espinoza, she is 23 years old and lives in Northwest Indiana. She has been in real estate for about 4 years and has been with Century 21 Circle her entire career. She is a part of The David Taylor Team, who has been an awesome mentor and team leader in her real estate journey. Her first year flew by but she made an effort to ground herself in helping others achie...

This week's episode is with Colton Heffley. He currently lives in Nashville, TN and works at the Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage. Since beginning at the brokerage he has become a Children's Miracle Network agent. He also has taken up a leadership position as a "squad leader" within the brokerage, which entails mentoring new agents and being a support system where a...