This week on The Off Market Podcast, we sit down with Mike Smallegan, who went from selling 10 phones a month in a tiny Michigan town to leading one of the top 1% real estate teams in the country. Now running a powerhouse Keller Williams group that closed 265 transactions and $60M in volume last year, Mike shares how he built a thriving business from scratch with just $4,000, four kids, and no safety net.

Mike breaks down:

• How one $650K deal changed his entire career trajectory
• The importance of servant leadership and putting your team first
• How he turned a Facebook group into a 125,000-person referral engine
• Why he hires to get time back, not just scale
• His family’s story—including how a youth hockey foundation helped his blind son keep playing the game he loves

Ready? Let’s dive in!

In this episode, James Michener pulls back the curtain on his unlikely real estate journey—from a master’s student dreading cold calls to brokering nearly 1,500 home sales and amassing a 32‑property portfolio (half of which are fully paid off). Inspired by his “guardian” father’s 24‑rental retirement strategy, James shares how six months of zero deals turned into 26 by year’s end, then 365, all by dialing relentlessly, house‑hacking duplexes for $400/mo, and reinvesting every dollar back into real estate.

He also dives into the often‑invisible scaffolding that supports a high‑performing team: documenting systems, setting realistic expectations, and balancing individual goals with collective growth. Whether you’re launching your first transaction or scaling a multi‑agent operation, James’s hard‑won playbook—covering budgeting, risk‑management, and the art of recruiting rockstar assistants—offers practical tactics to build your own stress‑tested “real estate machine.” Tune in to learn how discipline, persistence, and smart leverage turned cold calls into a thriving, seven‑figure empire.

With over 30 years in the business and over $125 million in gross sales in 2023 alone, Joel Carson stands at the top of Utah’s real estate scene. After leaving an accounting career and teaming up (and eventually parting ways) with his father‑in‑law, he found his niche by relentlessly door‑knocking FSBOs—closing 106 transactions his first year and earning national recognition.

In this episode, Joel shares how he systematically adds a new lead source each year mastering everything from bus‑side ads and pay‑per‑click to social media engagement and in‑house handyman services to build a one‑man operation that enables him to meet with every buyer and seller himself.

He also dives into the power of consistency (yes, answer your phone!), local branding, and pivoting quickly when the market shifts. Whether you’re a new agent carving out your first niche or a veteran looking to scale without losing your personal touch, Joel’s playbook is packed with hard‑won lessons and practical tactics for long‑term success. Tune in to learn how he turned persistence into profit—one deal at a time.