Bre Gaither, founder and broker-in-charge of BG Luxe Realty, sits down with Ed and Terence to break down how she turned a disappointing first home-buying experience (a $2 cupcake and a promised bottle of wine that never showed) into a six-figure luxury closing experience that's now become the industry standard. She traces her path from starting in real estate during COVID lockdown, through five different brokerages (eXp, Upsurge Realty, Compass, Realty ONE Group, Henderson Ventures), to launching her own firm in January 2025. Bre gets real about what it actually costs to run a brokerage — payroll, systems, training — and how she vets every agent who wants to join her team. Part 1 of 3.

Special Guest:

Bre Gaither, Founder and Broker In Charge - BG Luxe Realty

Sharmaine Croutch returns to Free Game with Charlotte realtor Ed Averette and lender Terence Guess for Part 2 of her powerful story.

This time, the conversation goes even deeper. After sharing her journey from trauma to triumph in Part 1, Sharmaine connects her faith walk directly to the real estate process and the parallels are undeniable. From self-honesty as the foundation of financial readiness, to why sustaining homeownership matters more than buying it, to what it's really like being a Black female agent in today's market — Ed, Terence, and Sharmaine deliver the kind of conversation that changes how you think about real estate and life.

Special Guest: Sharmaine Croutch, Realtor - Lifestyle International Realty, Transformational Speaker, Author: Fear Of An Overcomer: Reflections Of His Grace

Ed and Terence sit down with Charlotte native Sharmaine Croutch — realtor, transformational speaker, author, and overcomer — for a conversation that goes far deeper than real estate. Sharmaine brings her full story to the table: a West Side Charlotte upbringing shaped by childhood trauma, a faith-rooted journey through adversity, and a calling to help others reach goals she once only dreamed of herself. She breaks down the current market, the mindset of today's buyers, and why her homebuyer education sessions feel more like life conferences than real estate workshops. Ed and Terence also check in on the first half of 2026 — rising credit card delinquency, market pressure, and the hard truth that no deal is real until it closes.