In this episode, Brian Baca from ReMax of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania talks about how he got started selling REO (real estate owned) properties early in his career. 

When another agent in his office retired, they were looking for someone to handle an eviction. No one else wanted to do it, so Brian stepped up and agreed to handle it. Since then, he has continued to list and sell REO properties, which has allowed him to help buyers purchase the homes they're looking for, whether privately owned or bank owned.

"There's a bunch of us," Brian says, "agents across the country that just specialize in REOs. And there's really not a school for it, so you kind of learn it on the job."

When you're dealing with foreclosures, you meet people under unusual circumstances and you hear a lot of stories. Brian shares some of those experiences to give listeners an idea of what's involved in working with banks and selling REO properties.

Today, Dan Harshbarger, Managing Broker of the Dan Harshbarger Team at Keller Williams Pinnacle Realty discusses his philosophy of creating omnipresence to achieve market dominance.

Dan also talks about adjusting to the seller's market that emerged, practically overnight, as a result of the pandemic, and why he stands by his team's unique approach to marketing that combines traditional strategies with social media outreach and, overall, emphasizes connection.

Dan has a decade of experience as a real estate professional and recently began building a team of his own along with his wife Tammy.

"I felt like I had the weight of the world on me," says Dan, recalling the moment he decided it was time to bring on a team after doing real estate solo for eight years. Since then, he has welcomed a team of go-getters who complement his strengths.

"We're absolutely in the relationship business," says Dan, who maintains that the hallmark of business success is not just getting a sale, but keeping clients for the long-term.

Vlad Kats is a self-described introvert. Despite this, he is also a real estate entrepreneur, business leader and highly sought out speaker on all things real estate brokerage, agent recruiting, and profitability. He is the founding member of the Thrive Network at eXp Realty in Baltimore, Maryland.

Today, Vlad talks about team-building and explains why management is important in any business. He also explains the often-misunderstood key difference between management and leadership, and understanding whether circumstances call for managing or leading your team.

Vlad also touches on three common pitfalls that mega agents -- and entrepreneurs by extension -- fall into. They revolve around having a crystal-clear picture of your destination, hiring the right team members, and taking your environment into consideration on your journey in business.