Category: Top 1% Interviews

Bill Melnick talks about his career transition from luxury merchandising at Ralph Lauren to real estate in Litchfield County. Bill shares how the Ralph Lauren approach of selling a lifestyle, not just a product, shapes the way he markets homes, from staging and photography to telling a property’s complete story. He also breaks down how he sold the $12 million Ivan Lendl estate, why luxury buyers care about much more than square footage, and how local knowledge, relationships, and authentic marketing can give agents an edge in an increasingly AI-driven industry.

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

Bill Melnick can be reached at 917-330-5241 and bill@harneyre.com.

This episode is brought to you by RealGeeks and Courted.io.

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Alex Maldonado reveals a strategy many first-time buyers (and even agents) overlook: using seller and lender credits to help cover closing costs. Alex explains how he helps buyers who have saved for a down payment but are still short on the cash needed to close, and how he structures offers so those credits don’t automatically make them less competitive. He also breaks down how he generates leads through targeted marketing, SEO, bilingual content, and AI, and why becoming a better salesperson may be more valuable than simply making more calls.

Alex is offering a free marketing audit to a limited number of agents here.

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

Alex Maldonado can be reached at (323) 688-4710.

This episode is brought to you by RealGeeks and Courted.io.

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Chris Wolfe shares how he went from losing a 12-year house-flipping business to closing 33 transactions in his first year of real estate. Chris shares how he started from scratch in a new market with no sphere, generating 95% of his first-year business through open houses and cold calling. He breaks down his daily schedule, his three non-negotiable tasks, and why focusing on the fundamentals instead of getting distracted by AI, technology, and endless marketing strategies has helped him build a rapidly growing business.

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

Chris Wolfe can be reached at 559.289.8218 and chris@chriswolferealestate.com.

This episode is brought to you by RealGeeks and Courted.io.

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David has built a successful real estate business almost entirely through relationships and referrals. But with years of professional commitments, volunteer work, and personal goals competing for his attention, he knows he needs to get more focused if he wants to reach the next level.

In this episode of Breakthrough with Michael, David uncovers what’s really holding him back: avoidance, inconsistent follow-up, and the tendency to take on too much. The conversation explores why the right strategy isn’t always the one that works for everyone and how understanding yourself can be the key to building a more scalable business.

No quick fixes. Just an honest coaching conversation about letting go of what no longer serves you, focusing on what matters, and finding the approach that allows you to do your best work.

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.

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

Sign up for a personal breakthrough session with Michael Opyd here.

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

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Justin Black explains how he turned his website into an AI-ready authority that LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude actively recommend to high-end buyers and sellers. Justin breaks down his question-based content strategy, how he uses AI (especially Claude) to ideate, draft, and audit pages, and how he even built his entire site with AI instead of hiring a dev shop. Justin also shares his high-touch expired listing system – FedEx packets, AI-generated market snapshots, and positioning audits, and explains how these tactics have already produced multi‑million‑dollar listings directly from AI referrals.

Check out Justin’s LinkedIn profile and follow him on Instagram.

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

Justin Black can be reached at (719) 684 – 3329 and jblack@livsir.com.

This episode is brought to you by RealGeeks and Courted.io.

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Megan Walters breaks down how she built a seven‑figure real estate business without buying leads or cold calling. She shares her people-first approach – working from coffee shops, leveraging FSBO/expireds with value-packed drop-offs, and running four open houses every weekend. Next, Megan explains her daily 4 a.m. routine, CRM systems, and strict financial discipline, plus how consistent short-form video and personal branding drive 90% of her business and fuel a 50+ door investment portfolio.

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

Megan Walters can be reached at megan@thewalters.team.

This episode is brought to you by RealGeeks and Courted.io.

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Bobby Kerr, founder of LOC8 My Business, reveals why Google Business Profiles are becoming one of the most powerful, and overlooked, marketing tools for real estate agents. Bobby explains how hyper-local content, strategic reviews, and geographic keywords can help agents stand out in Google Search and Maps while increasing their chances of being recommended by AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini. Bobby also shares five practical tips for getting better reviews and turning your Google Business Profile into a powerful source of visibility, credibility, and leads.

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

Bobby Kerr can be reached at 239.268.3852 and info@loc8mybiz.com.

This episode is brought to you by RealGeeks and Courted.io.

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Chris Wands shares how he built a powerhouse Miami luxury real estate business by embracing the fundamentals: hard work, showing up, answering the phone, and treating every client and transaction as an opportunity. Chris explains why rentals have been a major driver of his team’s growth, how a $1,000 rental can eventually lead to a multimillion-dollar client, and why agents should never underestimate the value of smaller deals. Last, Chris also opens up about building a team, using AI and CRM systems to improve operations, becoming a trusted advisor rather than simply a salesperson, and maintaining client relationships long after the transaction is over.

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

Chris Wands can be reached at 561.420.9610 and christopher.wands@elliman.com.

This episode is brought to you by RealGeeks and Courted.io.

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Greg Roeder breaks down how he turned a pickle-ball league and community events into a steady stream of high-end, referral-only business. He explains the “invisible agent” problem and shares his 3M framework: mobilize your people, make content for your dream clients, and multiply your impact through systems and support. Greg walks through how he uses niche-specific newsletters, short-form video, and authentic signature events to become the obvious choice for $1M+ buyers and sellers. Greg also reveals how redefining success beyond being “on” 24/7 helped him scale from $12M to $40M in volume without sacrificing his personal life.

“Join the launch list and grab the digital version of Getting to a Million for $1″ when it’s released on September 29th! Get your copy here.

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

Greg Roeder can be reached at greg@sellingfortcollins.com and 970.213.2095

This episode is brought to you by RealGeeks and Courted.io.

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Welcome to another episode of YouTube Lab with Sarah Maslowski.

In this episode, Sarah pulls back the curtain on how a single missed upload exposed the cracks in her YouTube content system. Sarah breaks down why consistency is non-negotiable for the algorithm and audience trust, and how to eliminate single points of failure by using backup editors and a video bank. Sarah also shares her two-week planning/filming rhythm, four-bucket content strategy, and realistic batch filming approach for busy real estate agents. Last, Sarah shares her editor hand-off system and why staying two weeks ahead on both filming and editing is the key to long-term channel momentum.

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.

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