Episodes

Do you want a steady stream of repeat and referral business? Bill Risser introduces Barb Betts, the Owner and CEO of The RECollective. Barb shares how building a real estate business through relationships is her primary focus. Even until now, she still receives referrals from the internet leads she met 20 years ago. That is why real estate agents should want to build the majority of the business by referrals. She shares some of the best ways to do that—from personalized postcards to social media...

Leadership is more than just a skill; it’s a value that becomes ingrained when acquired. This episode features another great leader, Sara Sutachan. She is the Senior Vice President of Member Information for the California Association of REALTORS®. As head of the department, she is highly involved in the association’s strategic planning. Sara has successfully created several programs and strategic initiatives for its members. In this episode, she talks to Bill Risser about what is happening in th...

As business owners, our number one goal is to close more deals at the end of the day. But how can you succeed in today’s saturated real estate industry? Today, Bill Risser chats with Annette Anthony about finding more efficient ways to do business. Annette is a real estate technology expert. She is also the Vice President of Technology Engagement for EXIT Realty, a firm that builds technology for brokers and agents to help them become more productive. Need some tips, tricks, and tools to help yo...

Customer relationship management is very important in real estate. Organizing your database and customers can be very tiring, which is why CRM tools are a must! And Wise Agent is a CRM tool for all realtors out there. Join Bill Risser as he talks to its COO, Eleni Sommerschield. She gives agents the information they need to build and scale their businesses. Listen to this episode to understand how to properly create relationships. Remember, you don't have to overwhelm yourself when it comes to C...

What if there’s a singular solution that automates the day-to-day activities for agents, brokers, and teams? That’s what Elm Street Technology can do for you. Bill Risser welcomes Bondilyn Jolly, the VP of Marketing at Elm Street Technology. Bondilyn talks with Bill about how Elm Street is hyper-focused on being the leader that demonstrates how to run a tech company the right way. Elm Street helps real estate organizations define who they are. When they know what they want to do, how they want t...

Journalism has evolved through time. Covering a myriad of topics from news, to entertainment, to real estate technology, journalists have surely become versatile throughout the years. Craig Rowe, a real estate technology reporter for Inman News, joins Bill Risser to talk about his role and the knowledge he is able to impart on the team. Craig recalls how his love for writing and his interest in real estate served a great purpose in his position at Inman. Listen in as Craig walks us through his s...

Real estate professionals who put themselves in coaching compared to those who don't, do better. When it comes to real estate coaching, look no further than Tom Ferry. Jason Pantana, business coach and National Speaker for Tom Ferry, is here with your host Bill Risser. Join Jason as he talks about his journey into real estate and coaching. Find out how the Tom Ferry International has been so successful for all these years. Learn how to market through social media and how to find your niche in al...

Real estate is not just grinding content for your online marketing strategies and waiting for people to come knocking on your door. In reality, you have to put in a lot of work and effort to produce engaging materials that resonate with your target market. Joining Bill Risser is Katie Day, Team Lead of MoveMeToTexas, powered by Real Broker, LLC. She looks back on her ups and downs as a college management major who jumped from one business to another until she achieved residential real estate suc...

This week, Joe is presented with an ethical dilemma. You notice something in your groceries that you didn’t pay for. What do you do? There are a couple more twists you will hear on the episode. Enjoy!

Another Real Estate Sessions Rewind as I continue my Holiday break. Will wonders never cease? Will Joe ever fail to rant about any question? This week, a national speaker, Sean Carpenter, gets the Rand Treatment and his question answered on Episode 11 of Randing and Raving. Remember, you can all in at 480 270-4590 and leave a question on any topic for Joe. Real Estate or non-Real Estate questions are welcome. The much talked about Joe Rand books are available on Amazon: Disruptors, Discounte...

This week, when are you furthering the conversation and when are you a one-upper? Joe shares his thoughts on this dilemma.

THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS PODCAST Episode 303: Host: BILL RISSER Guest: JAY THOMPSON In this episode, Jay Thompson, my guest, was the first guest to be interviewed at the beginning of the podcast in 2015. Jay is a "retired" Real Estate agent and broker currently based in Texas. In this episode, I sit with Jay as we reminisce on some points from the first episode of the podcast, discuss highlights from Jay's selective retirement, and note significant developments in recent times in the Real Es...

Episode Summary: Meet today's guest, Nate Joens, Co-Founder of "Structurely," a technology company that builds AI based out of Ames, Iowa. Nate also grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. In this episode, I sit with Nate, discussing how to use AI in Real Estate, benefits and particular areas of functionality, and future expectations for AI in Real Estate. Top Takeaways: "As much as I might say email is dying, I think that the combination of text and email work really well together." - [Nate Joens] "...

Episode Summary: Meet our guest on this episode, Shelley Zavitz, previously interviewed on the podcast in 2019. Shelly is Canadian by birth but currently based in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. In the episode, I sit with Shelly as we reflect on the changes and growth since our last interview and discuss the different projects she has created to meet significant needs common to Real Estate agents, especially in the early phase of their careers. Top Takeaways: "People learn through storytelling." -...

Episode Summary: I am introducing today's guest, Gary Ashton, the Founder of the Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage, the number one RE/MAX team in the world, based out of Nashville, Tennessee. In this episode, I sit with Gary, born and raised in Yorkshire, the North-Eastern part of England. He delves deep into his journey before and through Real Estate, alongside memorable lessons learned during the experience. Top Takeaways: "You don't need to know everything. You need to know eno...

Episode Summary: Guest: NATALIA KARAYANEVA Episode Summary: Meet our guest in this episode, Natalia Karayaneva, CEO of Propy and serial entrepreneur born and raised in Russia. In this episode, I sit with Natalia as she explains key concepts about Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, NFTs, and smart contracts, paving future trends and developments in the real estate processes. Top Takeaways: "I strongly believe in the experience of a real estate transaction to be as easy as buying a book online." - [...

Episode Summary: I am thrilled to introduce today's guest, Alex Montalenti, the Co-Founder and CRO of Real Grader, a tool that helps agents with their social presence online. In this episode, I sit with Alex, a native of Long Island, and he emphasizes the importance and roles of having a substantial online social presence in Real Estate today. He also shares different modalities to achieve this and the work his company does for agents and brokers to achieve the same result. Top Takeaways: "I...

Episode Summary: We are introducing our guest for this episode, Kosha Brown, the Director of Business Development, BoxBrownie.com. She is based in the San Francisco Bay area. Kosha grew up in Northern Arizona, Flagstaff area. She shares insights on new developments in the Real Estate tech space that agents and brokers need to take advantage of to meet clients' needs more effectively. Top Takeaways: "Too many agents want to spend too much time behind the screen when it's all about building relati...

A first for The Real Estate Sessions, our guest specializes in short-term vacation rentals. This interesting strategy is where our guest found the niche that she has made into a very successful investing business. Avery Carl is the CEO and Founder of the Short Term Shop facilitating in helping investors own and operate their own short-term vacation rentals. In this episode, Avery shares how she turned from rock star touring the world to being in the top 1% of real estate agents. Hear how she wa...

Episode Summary: Our guest today is a Chief Referral Ninja Master, who helps others grow their business using referrals. Joining us is Stacey Brown Randall, a coaching consultant, award-winning author, and speaker. Stacey is the podcast host of Roadmap to Grow Your Business, a podcast offering more insights into growing your business through referral. In this episode, join Stacey and me to learn new tactics to help grow your business and the best ways to generate referrals without asking. We a...

THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS PODCAST Episode 295: Host: BILL RISSER Guest: WENDY POLLACK Episode Summary: Meet today's guest Wendy Pollack, a realtor and a Professional Development Specialist at Real Living Cypress Realty in Fort Myers, Florida. In this episode, I sit with Wendy, who grew up in Long Island, New York, and is currently based in Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida. She talks about her path into Real Estate, exploring to find the right career option for her skillset, with her passion f...

THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS PODCAST Episode 294: Host: BILL RISSER Guest: FLORIN PATRASCOIU Episode Summary: Our guest this week is Florin Patrascoiu, the broker/owner of RE/MAX Premier. He is based in Wesley Chapel, northeast of Tampa, Florida. In this episode, I sit with Florin, a Romanian by birth and American by choice, as he talks about his journey from Romania into real estate in America. He also discusses current trends in technology and the practice of real estate. Top Takeaways: "Pe...

Resources Mentioned: Episode Summary: Meet today's guest, J. Philip Faranda, the founder and broker of J. Philip Real Estate based in Westchester County. In this episode, I sit with Phil, who is based in the suburbs north of Manhattan, and he shares his unique insight on the real estate industry and describes his impactful experience working so far. Top Takeaways: "The hospitality industry is the only industry in my opinion that can make real estate look like a walk in the park." - [J. Phil...

THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS PODCAST Episode 292: Host: BILL RISSER Guest: JERRY VALENTINE Episode Summary: Meet our guest, Jerry Valentine, the founder of the Renter Mentor Organization and is currently based in Columbus, Ohio. In this episode, I sit with Jerry, born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He discusses his work in the nonprofit space and the experiences that led him into the affordable housing aspect of Real Estate. Top Takeaways: "A lot of people don't look at photography and video...