Agent Rise Podcast

Hosted by Neil Mathweg

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

Agent Rise with Neil Mathweg is for real estate agent who want to be uncommon, bring clarity to their business, and want to breakthrough all the noise to build a thriving real estate business. Agent Rise is both a podcast and a movement, designed to wake up and redefine the real estate industry. So we can build a business we truly love, make a greater impact, while eliminating the stress of it all. Hosted by Neil Mathweg, a veteran agent in Madison, WI and real estate agent coach and speaker. Let's join the movement now!

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60 recent

September 19, 2026Episode 48744 min

Stop Doing Tactics That Don't Fit Who You Are (with Mindi Kessenich) Episode 487

Most agents chase every tactic someone tells them they have to do — YouTube, client events, networking, more content — and burn out chasing results that never quite come. Returning guest Mindi Kessenich, a Madison, WI agent with a thriving referral-based business and a growing new construction specialty, joins Neil to unpack what actually changed her business: quitting the tactics that didn't fit who she was. Mindi gets specific — the newsletter she almost lost her audience with before she found her own voice in it, the client events she stopped running because her heart wasn't in them, and the moment she realized most builders didn't actually value her expertise, which pushed her toward an underserved opportunity: educating new construction buyers instead. She also opens up about the years she saw clients as nothing more than commission checks, and the mindset shift that turned that around. This episode is a real case study in what happens when you stop performing a version of "successful agent" that isn't you, and start building every part of your business — your content, your niche, your relationships — around who you actually are. Whether you're in a slow season, feeling burned out by shiny-object marketing, or just sensing that something about your business doesn't quite fit, this conversation will give you a clear, honest look at what it takes to build a business you actually love.

September 11, 2026Episode 42935 min

Two Brothers Built the Tool Real Estate Was Missing (Episode 486)

Every other piece of real estate software fights to own the listing, the CRM, or the compliance file — and quietly left the heart of the deal untouched. So two brothers built the tool nobody else did. In this episode, Neil sits down with Garrett and Timothy Carr — a practicing agent doing around $20M a year and his brother, a systems guy from the roofing world — who built Deedible to solve the transaction chaos most agents just accept as the cost of doing business. But the reason this conversation matters goes beyond any one tool. Garrett makes a case that stuck with Neil: anyone who can close 15 deals a year can close 80. What breaks agents isn't the volume — it's the chaos. Your reputation and your sanity are the real ceiling, and systems are how you raise it. They dig into which systems to implement first, how client transparency kills the late-night panic calls, why so much real estate software misses (it's built from the outside, not by people living the deal), and where AI genuinely helps versus where it's just hype. It's grounded, practical, and honest — with a bonus detour into Garrett's #1 best-selling book on purpose and resilience. Whether or not you ever try what they built, there's something here for you. Learn more at deedible.com.

September 5, 2026Episode 48550 min

Why New Agents Are Outranking 25-Year Veterans (with Bobby the Google Guy)

There's a free tool sitting right in front of every real estate agent that decides whether they get found online — and almost nobody is using it well. In this episode, Neil sits down with Bobby the Google Guy, a certified Google Business Profile expert who works exclusively with real estate agents. Bobby's message is a reversal of what most agents believe: AI didn't make your Google Business Profile less important — it made it the front door. ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI models now decide which agents to recommend by reading trust signals from Google, Yelp, Bing Places, and the Better Business Bureau. And they only surface one, two, or three agents. If you're not one of them, you're invisible. The good news: it's free, and the competition is asleep. Bobby breaks down the exact, repeatable work that gets you found — keyword-rich reviews earned consistently, hyperlocal content that marks you as a community expert, and treating your profile as a living platform instead of "set it and forget it." He even shares how a brand-new agent outranked a 25-year veteran by doing this well. Bobby also built a free resource for Agent Rise listeners: the GBP & A.I. Visibility Checklist — 40 points that decide whether Google and the AI engines recommend you. Text GOOGLE to 833-500-1135 to get it sent to your phone.

August 29, 2026Episode 48453 min

The Tech Wizard Who Built His Business on Handshakes (featuring Green Bay Greg)

Green Bay Greg has AI running through his entire business — ranking on Google, a mobile app, tools listening to every call. And he'll tell you straight up: none of it will save you. In this episode, Neil sits down with Green Bay Greg, one of the most tech-savvy agents in the business and the leader of a 14-agent independent brokerage doing over 450 transactions a year. Here's the twist: more than half of those deals still come from past clients and sphere, built on a decade of consistency, client events, and doing the mundane work most agents avoid. Greg is the rare tech expert who argues the tools aren't the point. AI is only valuable when it makes you a more efficient version of an agent who's already mastering the fundamentals — the calls, the matchmaking, the follow-up, the real customer service. Layer tech on top of that, and you become impossible to catch. Skip the fundamentals and buy tools to avoid them, and you get smoked. If you've ever felt behind on AI or buried in shiny objects, this episode is permission to double down on what actually works — and proof, from the most advanced tech agent Neil knows, that the fundamentals still win. If you want a business that's clear, consistent, and congruent with who you are, this one's for you.

August 9, 2026Episode 48321 min

How to Own New Construction in Your Market (featuring Ronda Ross) Ep 483

There are roughly 21,000 real estate agents in the Houston area alone. Ronda Ross isn't competing with a single one of them. In this episode, Neil sits down with Ronda, a Houston-based broker who built her entire business around new construction — not by chasing individual listings, but by becoming the person builders can't run their business without. Ronda now controls close to 700 homes across multiple developments, and she walks through exactly how that happened, starting with one accidental listing and a habit most agents skip: real communication. Rhonda shares how she moved from representing single builders to representing entire developments, why she brings a project-management mindset (borrowed from her background in oil and gas) into every relationship, and why understanding things like water planning, permits, and zoning makes her indispensable rather than replaceable. If you've ever felt like "just another agent" in a crowded market, this episode makes the case that your background — whatever it is — might be the exact differentiator you've been overlooking. You'll learn: How to position yourself with builders instead of competing for buyers The front-end knowledge that sets new construction agents apart Practical first steps to start building builder relationships this week What buyer's agents consistently get wrong in new construction deals Rhonda also shared the actual slide deck from her talk at Real Estate Distilled, breaking down her entire builder strategy. Text RONDA to 833-500-1135 to get your copy. If you want to build a niche that compounds instead of a business that resets every month, this one's for you.

July 23, 2026Episode 48253 min

His Marketing Superpower Made Him #1 in Town

Matt DeFede hasn't made a single cold call in his real estate career — and you still can't Google his town without seeing his name. In this episode, Neil sits down with Matt, a former art director and creative director (WebMD, JP Morgan, the original AdWords) who brought his 30-year design background directly into real estate, building a marketing machine that dominates Nutley, New Jersey. Matt walks through his entire system: billboards, full-page print ads, a permission-based direct mail calendar, a hand-designed monthly newsletter, and more than 15 hyperlocal Facebook groups (one with over 13,000 members). He explains how he uses ChatGPT not to write content, but as a creative critique partner — an extra set of eyes on his designs. He also breaks down the mindset behind it all: staying in your zone of genius, refusing tactics that don't feel congruent, and knowing the difference between being the "favorite" and being "the fool." This episode is a rare, unfiltered look inside a real, working marketing operation — not theory, but an actual screen-share of the tools, tactics, and daily habits behind it. If cold calling and door knocking have never felt like "you," this conversation shows what's possible when you build your business around what you're actually good at. Whether you're a creative agent looking for permission to lean into your strengths, or you just want fresh, unconventional marketing ideas to steal, this episode delivers both.

June 30, 2026Episode 48134 min

She Sold 140 Homes by Just Being Herself (with Jacqui Luberto)

Jacqui Luberto didn't interview at a single brokerage before getting her license — she walked in, handed it to the front desk, and asked, "What's my next step?" Ten years later, she's sold over 100 homes a year, built and led her own brokerage, and become a six-time "Best Agent in Destin" winner — almost entirely through sphere of influence and B2B relationships. No cold calls. No door knocking. Not once. In this conversation, Neil Mathweg digs into the real reason Jacqui's business works: she never tried to be someone she's not. From a stranger's question at a mastermind event that reframed her entire career, to the "collaborate, not compete" philosophy that built her brokerage culture, to a $50 pop-by that turned into a $250,000 referral chain, Jacqui breaks down what it actually looks like to build a business that's congruent with who you are. She also opens up about losing 55 pounds using the exact same mindset that built her business: stop overcomplicating it, pick one non-negotiable, and commit completely. It's proof the principle isn't a real estate tactic — it's how change actually works, in any part of your life. If you've ever felt like the "salesy" strategies everyone recommends just don't fit who you are, this episode will give you permission to build it your own way — and show you it can still work.

June 16, 2026Episode 48037 min

He Helps 2–3 Families Move to Maryland Every Week - Here's How (EP 480)

What does it actually look like to build a real estate business you love — from scratch, without cold calling, as a self-described introvert who hides from cameras at family parties? Eddie Brady went from government employee to full-time agent in December 2021 with half the income he needed. Today he helps 2–3 families relocate to Maryland every single week, largely through a YouTube channel he almost lost forever. In this episode, Eddie and Neil Mathweg break down the entire journey — the YouTube strategy that grew his GCI from $100K to $200K to $300K year over year, the Black Friday morning he woke up to find his channel completely deleted, and the Instagram funnel he built in response. You'll learn Eddie's batching system, his "never excited to record" mindset, why your email list matters more than your follower count, and how the Three Pillar Plan creates momentum that compounds over time. If you've been putting off YouTube because you don't feel ready — this episode is your permission slip.

May 1, 2026Episode 47949 min

He Built a $100M Team Without Buying One Lead (Featuring Greg Chaplain) Ep 479

What if you never had to buy another lead again? Greg Chaplain built a 13-agent team in Virginia Beach that closed over 400 transactions a year — surpassing $100M in annual volume — entirely through referrals and relationships. No Zillow. No ad spend. No lead gen platforms. In this conversation with Neil Mathweg, Greg unpacks the system behind the results: the B2B networking strategy rooted in his corporate background, the single question he asks every business owner he meets, and why most agents confuse word-of-mouth with actually working by referral — a distinction that changes everything. You'll also hear the story of a co-marketing campaign with a local HVAC contractor that generated 50–75 new clients, how Greg speaks the language of military and medical communities to unlock referrals nobody else sees, and why calling your database gets easier the moment you have something valuable to give. Whether you're a new agent trying to get traction or a team leader looking to scale without buying leads, this episode is the blueprint. 🎧 Hit subscribe and build a business you love.

April 6, 2026Episode 47841 min

How Smart Agents Are Using AI to Grow Faster in 2026 (Featuring Eirik Rorvig)

Most real estate agents are approaching AI completely wrong — and it's costing them. In this episode of the Agent Rise Podcast, Neil Mathweg sits down with AI expert Eirik Rorvig to unpack what's really happening with AI in real estate and how agents can actually use it to get ahead in 2026. While many agents are chasing shortcuts, automations, and flashy tools, the real opportunity lies in something much deeper: thinking better, learning faster, and making stronger decisions. AI isn't just a productivity tool — it's a thinking partner that can elevate how you approach your business. You'll learn why most agents are misusing AI, the tools that are actually worth paying attention to, and how to use AI to sharpen your judgment instead of replacing your work. If you want clarity, confidence, and a real competitive edge moving forward, this episode is a must-listen.