Keeping It Real Podcast • Secrets Of Top 1% REALTORS ® • Interviews With Real Estate Brokers & Agents

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Announcing “Breakthrough with Michael” with Michael Opyd Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

We are thrilled to announce our newest monthly segment “Breakthrough with Michael” with Michael Opyd.

Mike Opyd brings hard-earned experience to the table, having started in 2009 during the Great Recession with just $2,000 and no safety net, eventually building a $200M brokerage and becoming a top producer in Chicago. Now a full-time coach, he specializes in helping agents at every level break through plateaus with real-world strategies rooted in his own journey. In this segment, one agent gets coached live on the podcast, no scripts, no filters, walking in with a challenge and leaving with a clear, actionable plan. It’s a raw, honest look at the conversations agents need but rarely get to have, with thousands of listeners learning alongside them.

Ready to break through what’s holding you back? Apply now for your chance to be coached live on the show. Spots are limited to just one agent per month, so don’t wait – apply today.

This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

Carrie McCormick D.J. Paris Monday Market Minute — **How Empathy and Strategy Saved a $6M Deal ‭• Monday Market Minute ‭• Carrie McCormick** Apr 20, 2026
Show notes

In our April episode, Carrie McCormick shares how a celebrity client found her through ChatGPT and how simply answering her phone turned into a $9.5M listing opportunity. She then walks listeners through a high-stakes $6M deal where a buyer got cold feet, revealing the strategy, empathy, and communication she used to save the transaction. This episode gives practical lessons on managing client psychology, balancing multiple buyers, and treating every deal like it’s the most important one of your career.

Please follow Carrie on Instagram.

If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!

Carrie can be reached at carrie@atproperties.com or by phone at 312.961.4612.

This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

Get 1% Better Every Day • Better Your Business With Ben • Ben Lalez Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to our series Better Your Business With Ben.

In this episode Ben Lalez break down what’s really driving his team’s impressive Q1 production and growth. Ben dives into the power of consistency and the idea of getting just 1% better every day in core real estate skills. Ben also shares hard-won lessons from creating thousands of social media videos, including how to hook viewers in the first three seconds and keep them watching on Instagram and TikTok. Last, Ben explores the long-term, evergreen value of YouTube content, and wrap with mindset advice on pushing through discomfort, experimenting with content, and letting the data tell you when your content needs to improve.

Please follow Ben on Instagram and TikTok.

If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!

Ben Lalez can be reached at 312.789.4054 and ben.lalez@compass.com.

This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

Your First 12 Months Making YouTube Content • The YouTube Lab • Sarah Maslowski Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of YouTube Lab with Sarah Maslowski.

In this episode, Sarah pulls back the curtain on what the first 12 months of YouTube really look like for real estate agents. Sarah shares her own early numbers, the emotional roller coaster of low views, and the pivotal moment when a single relocation buyer call changed everything. Next, Sarah shares why views and subscribers are “vanity metrics,” what to actually measure instead, and how to think about YouTube as a long-term lead generation system rather than a quick win. Last, Sarah breaks down the most common channel-killing mistakes agents make and how to fix them so you can start attracting serious relocation clients.

If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!

Sarah Maslowski can be reached at hello@keypointhomesgroup.com and +1(470) 577-6472.

This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

New Condo HOA Lending Rules That You Need To Know! • Learning With A Lender • Austin Clarence Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to our monthly feature Learn With A Lender with Austin Clarence.

In this episode, Austin and D.J. discuss the new Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules that will push condo HOAs to increase reserve funds from 10% to 15% and what that means. Next, they discuss how real estate agents can turn these changes into opportunities by educating condo owners and HOA boards, positioning themselves as trusted experts. Austin also explains how bridge loans and HELOCs let homeowners tap into their equity to buy before they sell, and how to navigate today’s higher-rate environment shaped by global conflicts, inflation, and oil prices.

Subscribe to Austin’s newsletter by sending an email to aclarence@nexalending.com.

If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!

Austin Clarence can be reached at +1 650-906-2376 and aclarence@nexalending.com.

This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

What A Top Coach Is Telling Her Top Agents To Do Right Now • Debbie De Grote Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

Debbie De Grote shares how she went from closing her first deal at 18 to coaching top agents across North America. Debbie and DJ dig into why custom coaching beats cookie‑cutter programs, how to view coaching as a business investment (even if you can’t afford it yet). They also break down how the NAR settlement changed buyer conversations around commissions and why prepared agents are actually winning more now. Last, Debbie shares a simple self‑diagnostic exercise to help you identify where you’re stuck and what to do next.

Debbie offers her Negotiations Course for free for Keeping It Real Podcast listeners here.

If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!

Debbie De Grote can be reached here.

This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

How To Be Less “Cringey” On Camera • Video Boot Camp for Real Estate Professionals • Kim Rittberg Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

In this episode Real Estate Video Coach Kim Rittberg talks about how not to be “cringey” on camera. Kim explains that the better we are on camera the more people will build that connection/trust with us through social media. Next Kim discusses how to own who you are in a more comfortable way? Last, Kim walks you though her PATCH method and explains it.

If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!

Get on camera with Kim’s Real Estate Video Kickstart – training program and on-camera challenge.

Follow Kim on Instagram.

Subscribe to Kim on YouTube.

This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

Eliminate Emotional Interference: The Key Benefits of Structure • The Inner Game of Real Estate Success • Paul Salter Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to The Inner Game of Real Estate Success with high-performance hypnotherapist and mindset coach Paul Salter.

In this episode, Paul breaks down the hidden cost of a lack of structure – and how letting emotions drive your day quietly drains energy, fragments focus, and holds real estate professionals back from consistent execution, confident decisions, and peak performance.

You’ll learn why inconsistency isn’t a discipline problem, but a structural one rooted in emotional decision-making. Paul also explains how anxiety, fear, and overwhelm hijack your attention, increase cognitive load, and pull you toward short-term relief – creating a dangerous gap between the results you want and the actions you actually take.

If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!

Schedule a high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching session with Paul here.

Learn more about mindset and performance coaching for real estate agents here.

This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.

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