The Better Agent Podcast

Can’t do it all yourself? Neither can an agent with 40 deals under contract. Wisconsin agents trying to scale often hit a ceiling when admin work and slow follow-up eat their week. Josh Lavik, a Wisconsin REALTOR® who scaled from 5 to 50 transactions a year, talks with Krista Schicker, who moved from Milwaukee to a town of 523 people and kept growing. Hear how team support, Follow Up Boss AI, spee...

Can a solo agent win multiple-offer bidding wars and build a referral business without a team or a single paid lead? Josh Lavik, host of The Better Agent Podcast and a Wisconsin REALTOR® who scaled his business from 5 to 50 transactions a year, talks with Milwaukee agent Codi Alger, who was named rookie of the year for a seven-state region in her first year with 25 sales and $6 million in volume....

What is your time worth, and are you still spending it stuffing envelopes? Josh Lavik, host of The Better Agent Podcast and a Wisconsin REALTOR® who scaled from 5 to 50 transactions a year, talks with Beth Jaworski, a Shorewest REALTORS® agent licensed since 1992. Beth has sold 50 - 70 homes a year with no assistant for about a decade, leaning on trusted vendors and go-to agents instead of a forma...

"The most demoralizing days were when eight leads shrank down to two and even those fell through." Here's how Jake Barr pushed past it anyway.  Josh Lavik has spent 20 years building his own real estate business in the Madison, Wisconsin market and on The Better Agent Podcast, he unpacks what actually separates agents who scale from agents who stall. In this episode, he sits down wit...

769 cold calls a week. One floor call turned into $3.2M. Here's how a 26-year-old agent built a real business. Most agents burn out chasing the next transaction instead of building something that lasts and this episode is a reminder that the two aren't the same thing. Host Josh Lavik has spent nearly 20 years in real estate across three different companies, and on this episode he sits down...

Are you treating your real estate career like a professional athlete, or are you just showing up to the gym to "look at the weights"? Why do some agents thrive independently while others struggle to find their footing? In this episode of the Better Agent Podcast, host Josh Lavik sits down with Lance Nowak, a highly successful real estate broker with 23 years of experience and the founder...

Did you know that 87% of all real estate agents quit within their first two years? Why do so many people leave such an amazing, lucrative profession? In this episode of the Better Agent Podcast, host Josh Lavik sits down with Iris Etheridge, a successful real estate agent with 14 years of experience and the author of the new book, Real Growth for Real Estate Agents . Iris shares her incredible sto...

Are you trying to figure out how to transition from a full-time W2 job into a thriving, full-time real estate career? In this episode of the Better Agent Podcast, host Josh Lavik sits down with Kayleigh Chrostowski, a powerhouse broker based in Janesville, Wisconsin. Despite starting her career while working full-time as an insurance auditor for the state, Kayleigh managed to close an incredible 1...

Are you overcomplicating your real estate business with too many lead generation strategies? In this episode of the Better Agent Podcast, host Josh Lavik sits down with Kyle Ristow, an impressive young agent based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who closed over 300 transactions in just a few short years after getting his license right out of high school! Kyle shares his incredible journey from struggling...

Are you playing it too safe in your real estate business? In this episode of the Better Agent Podcast, host Josh Lavik sits down with Stephanie Kaiser, a powerhouse agent from southeastern Wisconsin who closed an incredible 30 deals in her very first year! Stephanie shares her journey from being a stay-at-home mom to a top-producing agent who isn't afraid to "go big." Stephanie break...

Are you a newer real estate agent struggling to find momentum and stay afloat? With 87% of agents failing in their first three years, survival in this industry requires serious grit. In this episode of The Better Agent Podcast, host Josh Lavik sits down with Milwaukee-based agent Alexander Reid, who shares his raw and inspiring journey from making just $18,000 his first year to grossing over $275,...

Are you an independent real estate agent feeling the heavy weight of burnout? Trying to wear every single hat in your business is the fastest way to lose your momentum. In this episode of The Better Agent Podcast, host Josh Lavik sits down with the dynamic real estate duo, Lori Stuber and Tanya Williams, to discuss the ultimate cure for the solo agent grind. After 15 years as a solo agent, Lori re...

In this episode of the Better Agent Podcast , host Josh Lavik sits down with Ann, a fellow Wisconsin real estate veteran with 20 years of experience. Ann shares her unique journey, transitioning from retail and property management into a successful real estate sales career. Ann explains how her "crash course" in property management gave her an incredible advantage as an agent. From under...

Host Josh Lavik sits down with Tiffany Drahonovsky, a real estate agent and investor based in the Greater Milwaukee area. Tiffany shares her unconventional entry into real estate—getting downsized from corporate sales right as COVID-19 shut the world down, only to dive headfirst into working for a massive real estate investing and wholesaling company. Tiffany breaks down how she analyzes a propert...

In this episode of The Better Agent Podcast, host Josh Lavik sits down with Terra Beaver, a top-producing agent based in the Castle Rock Lake and New Lisbon area of Wisconsin. Terra shares her unique journey from working as a drug and alcohol counselor to building a thriving real estate business. The conversation dives deep into the turning point of her career at the four-year mark, explaining how...

In this episode of The Better Agent Podcast , host Josh Lavik discusses how real estate professionals can achieve long-term success not only through consistency but also by connecting their business to a higher purpose. Joined by Jake Johnson, a seasoned realtor from Southern Wisconsin, the conversation explores how giving back through philanthropy can motivate agents during tough times. Jake shar...

Josh Lavik welcomes brokerage valuation and M&A advisor Norma Rawlings to break down how real estate brokerages are valued and how brokers can scale through acquisition instead of slow, one-agent-at-a-time recruiting. They discuss cash flow multiples, agent value, luxury brokerage premiums, transition strategy, and why scale is increasingly necessary to compete. Norma also explains how a profe...

Host Josh Lavik welcomes Raegan Trimmer , Broker Owner at RE/MAX Preferred , for a practical conversation on building a real estate business that’s both profitable and sustainable. The big idea: real estate isn’t hard — it gets hard when you don’t have systems . They cover how to stop “starting from scratch” before every appointment, what to delegate first, how to avoid drowning in tools and subsc...

Join Josh Lavik and Sheri Marie , a top real estate agent who balances business in both Wisconsin and Florida. In this episode of the Better Agent Podcast , Sheri  opens up about her real estate career, working in two different markets, and how she incorporates luxury homes and new construction into her business. Learn about the evolving role of the agent, the growing impact of transparency and so...

Join Josh Lavik and John Schneider in today’s episode of The Better Agent Podcast. John shares his 20+ years of experience as a real estate investor and agent. He reveals how real estate investing can enhance your agent business, why understanding property financing is crucial, and how adopting a hunter mindset can lead to success. Tune in to learn actionable strategies and tips for boosting your...

Join Josh Lavik as he interviews Joshua Holt, a real estate professional with a unique background, who shares his experience growing a successful real estate career through networking and AI. Learn how Joshua transitioned from an inside sales agent to a top-producing agent and how technology is helping him scale his business. Whether you’re an agent looking to grow or someone interested in the pow...

In this episode of the Better Agent Podcast , Josh Vik talks with Michael Leeson about building a real estate business grounded in authenticity, relationships, and experience. Michael shares lessons from his missionary background, strategies for growth, negotiation frameworks, team-building insights, and how to balance family and business while thriving as an agent. 🎧 Hosts : Josh Vik 🎤 Featurin...

On this episode of Better Agent Podcast , Josh Lavik is joined by Lindsay Mefford , a new real estate agent with a unique background in home inspections and radon testing. Lindsay shares her story of transitioning from teaching to real estate, the challenges she faced in her first year, and the value of leveraging her previous experience. She discusses how she’s built a solid system for working wi...

In this episode of The Better Agent Podcast , Josh Lavik is joined by Anne Baranski, a real estate agent with a unique niche of working with dog lovers. Anne shares her journey into real estate, how authenticity and passion for animals have played a key role in her success, and how she’s grown her business through referrals. Anne discusses how being true to your passions can drive growth and the i...

In this episode of The Better Agent Podcast , host Josh Lavik sits down with Timothy Flores, a successful real estate agent who transitioned from the tech world and Airbnb investments into real estate. Timothy shares his journey from getting started in the business to leveraging his tech background to build a thriving real estate career. He discusses the emotional side of real estate, the importan...