The Neighborhood Real Estate Agent

Hosted by Matt Muscat

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Episodes

130

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

This is a podcast for real estate industry professionals who are doers. Each episode will feature an interview with a top producer or someone who is doing things differently in an exciting way. Our guarantee to you is that each episode will give you at least one tangible idea that you can execute on today. Your host is Matt Muscat, Marketing Director at Treadstone Funding in Grand Rapids, MI, and author of the Amazon Best Seller the "TAG Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing". Guests and gurus featured on this podcast are a mix of top Real Estate Agents, Mortgage Lenders, and other industry professionals who are operating at the highest levels. This podcast is sponsored by Treadstone Funding & Neighborhood Loans.

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60 recent

June 16, 202634 min

When #’s & Brags Fail, Sell with Stories — Matt Williams, NM

What if the thing you lead with at every listing appointment is actually the thing costing you the deal? In this episode I sit down with Matt Williams, a serial entrepreneur and business coach who built a top 1% real estate business from scratch in under two years in a mid-size market, doing it without paid ads, without a big following, and without relying on leading with “numbers”.Matt breaks down the exact principles he used to scale fast, why culture always beats strategy in the early stages of building a business, and how the way you tell stories could be the single biggest unlock in your sales process.Inside this episode:Why a strong culture with a weak strategy will outperform a strong strategy with a weak culture every timeThe simple Instagram approach that costs nothing and helped Matt become the most recognized name in his marketWhat you are actually selling versus what you think you are sellingHow to build signature stories for buyers, sellers, and investors that make people choose you without feeling sold toWhy tracking the wrong numbers at the wrong time can actually slow your growthWant to connect with Matt? Follow Matt on Instagram: @the.matthew.williamsWhether you are a new agent trying to break through a crowded market or a seasoned pro looking to sharpen your pitch, this episode will change the way you think about culture, connection, and what it actually takes to close. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this.The Neighborhood Real Estate Agent is proudly sponsored by Treadstone Funding and Neighborhood Loans. For more tangible tips in real estate marketing, check out Matt's book, The Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing available on Amazon. 🔑 Treadstone Funding: https://www.treadstonemortgage.com/🔑 Neighborhood Loans: https://neighborhoodloans.com🔑 Real Estate Marketing Guide: https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tangible-Action-Guide-Marketing/dp/1698339747📲 Learned something new, or have a suggestion? Message Matt Muscat on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/mattmuscat88/🏛️ Treadstone Funding propelled by Neighborhood Loans NMLS 222982 “Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee No. MB.6759826. neighborhoodloans.com/licensing/ For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org”

June 2, 202627 min

Stop Pricing Fixer-Uppers Wrong: The Investor Math That Gets You More Offers — Rachel Kokosenski, MI

Most agents can sell a house. Far fewer can tell you whether the numbers actually work. In this episode I sit down with Rachel Kokosenski, an investor-focused agent with the Smallegan Real Estate team in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who has built a business where 90% of her clients are investors, and she did it by learning to speak their language fluently.Rachel breaks down the exact math behind short-term rentals, long-term rentals, and flips, and explains why agents who don't understand investor math are leaving deals on the table, pricing properties wrong, and losing clients they never even knew they had. She also shares a contractor partnership strategy that lets her package and pitch deals to investors before a single offer is written.Inside this episode:The ARV formula flippers actually use and why most listing agents are pricing renovation properties way too highHow to analyze short-term rentals like a business, including the 60% occupancy rule Rachel uses for seasonal Michigan marketsWhy multifamily properties should never be priced like single-family homes and what happens when they areThe Tuesday Zoom and contractor walkthrough system Rachel built to source, evaluate, and pitch deals to her investor clientsHow joining a free local investor group and showing up consistently became her primary source of new businessWant to connect with Rachel?Follow Rachel on Instagram: @rachel_kokosenski Email: rachel@smalleganrealestate.com Website: smalleganrealestate.comIf you want to future-proof your business by learning how the biggest buyer segment in today's market actually thinks, this episode is required listening. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this.The Neighborhood Realtor is proudly sponsored by Treadstone Funding and Neighborhood Loans. For more tangible tips in real estate marketing, check out Matt's book, The Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing available on Amazon.🔑 Treadstone Funding: https://www.treadstonemortgage.com/🔑 Neighborhood Loans:https://neighborhoodloans.com🔑 Real Estate Marketing Guide: https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tangible-Action-Guide-Marketing/dp/1698339747📲 Learned something new, or have a suggestion? Message Matt Muscat on Instagram!🏛️ Treadstone Funding propelled by Neighborhood Loans NMLS 222982 “Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee No. MB.6759826. neighborhoodloans.com/licensing For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

May 20, 202629 min

The Counterintuitive Timing Strategy That Most Sellers Miss — Ryan Bruen, NJ

What if the worst time to sell your home is actually when everyone tells you to list it? In this episode I sit down with Ryan Bruen, a third-generation agent with Coldwell Banker in New Jersey whose data-driven approach to real estate has helped him close over 31 transactions in 2025 at price points ranging from $600K to $2M – all in his local market. Ryan breaks down why most sellers are asking the wrong questions, how to read market data that is always 30 to 90 days behind reality, and why the in-person connection still drives more business than every digital lead source combined.Inside this episode: Why listing in spring when buyers are plentiful can actually hurt your saleHow to spot the real question hiding behind what your client is actually askingWhy most publicly available market data is already outdated by the time you see itThe two-column spreadsheet Ryan uses to trace every deal back to its true originHow shadowing experienced agents turned transaction exposure into a 31-deal business Want to connect with Ryan? Follow Ryan on Instagram: @bruenrealestate Visit Ryan's website: bruenrealestate.com Whether you are a new agent trying to learn fast or a seasoned pro looking to sharpen your client consultations, this episode will change the way you think about timing, data, and where your next deal is really coming from. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this. The Neighborhood Realtor is proudly sponsored by Treadstone Funding and Neighborhood Loans. For more tangible tips in real estate marketing, check out Matt's book, The Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing available on Amazon.🔑 Treadstone Funding: https://www.treadstonemortgage.com/🔑 Neighborhood Loans:https://neighborhoodloans.com🔑 Real Estate Marketing Guide: https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tangible-Action-Guide-Marketing/dp/1698339747📲 Learned something new, or have a suggestion? Message Matt Muscat on Instagram!🏛️ Treadstone Funding propelled by Neighborhood Loans NMLS 222982 “Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee No. MB.6759826. neighborhoodloans.com/licensing For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

April 28, 202630 min

Closing Deals But No $$ in The Bank - Josh Ries, SD

They were closing deals, winning brokerage awards, and looked like top producers on paper. But the morning after the award ceremony, Josh Ries looked at his bank account and realized the numbers told a completely different story. After expenses, lead generation bills, and a stack of software subscriptions he wasn't even using, there was almost nothing left. Within about two years of rebuilding their system from the ground up, Josh and his wife cut their cost per acquisition by nearly 80% and finally built a business that actually paid them.Josh Ries is a managing broker in South Dakota, a lead generation consultant, and a weekly contributor to Inman Magazine. With a background in digital marketing and law enforcement, Josh brings a data-driven, no-nonsense lens to the real estate business that most agents never get exposed to.In this episode we get into the math that most brokerages never teach, how Josh rebuilt his entire lead generation system after firing every third-party lead vendor, and why the busiest agents in your office might also be the most broke.Inside this episode:The award ceremony wake-up call: closing deals, getting recognized, and barely covering next month's lead gen billsWhy there is no such thing as a free lead, and how to calculate what you are actually payingHow Josh cut his cost per acquisition by nearly 80% using his own Google and Meta systemsThe relevance and continuity framework that increased his conversion rate without spending moreWhat a pipe bomb, a traumatic brain injury, and a near-death experience taught him about building an efficient, profitable businessWant to connect with Josh? Follow Josh on Instagram: @realestatebrokerjosh Read his weekly column on Inman: www.inman.com Visit his website: www.myrealestateco.comIf you are grinding through closings and wondering where the money went, this episode will change the way you look at your business. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this.

April 24, 202622 min

How Killing The ‘Dream Home’ Can Double Your Business & Your Clients’ Wealth – Karina Chavez, NM

What if the biggest lie in real estate is the one your clients walk in believing? In this episode I sit down with Karina Chavez, an immigrant who moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico at 12 years old speaking no English, and went on to close 97 homes in 2025 serving the community that once welcomed her family with open arms.Karina breaks down why chasing the dream home is the fastest way to kill a client's financial future, and how redirecting that conversation toward smart, affordable first purchases has built her a nearly 100-transaction-a-year business fueled almost entirely by her community.Inside this episode:Why Karina FaceTimes every client before they sign a single document, and why you should tooHow she turns a $250,000 starter home into a multi-property portfolio before the couple even gets marriedThe community event strategy that brought over 100 people to her office and converted four of them on the spotHow she compared apartment rent to mortgage payments and made the decision a no-brainerWhy she buys her kids a flip house every summer to pay their private school tuitionHow she is converting abandoned Route 66 motels into affordable housing and a full community food hall Want to send Karina a referral or connect? Instagram: @chavezteamrealtors Phone: 505-220-7781Whether you are a new agent trying to find your niche or a seasoned producer looking to deepen your community roots, Karina's story will change the way you think about who you serve and how you serve them. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this.

March 31, 202631 min

More At-Bats, More Deals: How a Pro Baseballer Built a Business From Scratch – Evan Crawford, AL

What if the skills that made you great in another career were exactly what you needed to dominate in real estate? In this episode I sit down with Evan Crawford, former pro baseball player turned team leader in Auburn, Alabama, whose team is doing $50 million in sales in a market most people have never heard of.Evan breaks down how he started from zero, no local network, no name recognition, and no warm leads, and built one of the top teams in the Auburn-Opelika area through old-school relationship building, market knowledge, and a willingness to look dumb and ask questions anyway.Inside this episode:How Evan used his baseball network to generate his first referrals before he had a single local clientThe A-to-Z phone strategy that helped him rebuild his sphere from scratchWhy knowing your market stats cold is the only credibility tool a new agent needsHow to actually use your chamber membership instead of letting it collect dustThe handwritten card habit that turned strangers into clients and clients into a recruitWhy making people want to buy again is the real job of every real estate agentWant to send Evan a referral or connect? Website: www.crawfordwillisgroup.com Instagram: @CrawfordWillisGroup Phone: 334-558-8700Whether you are brand new to real estate or rebuilding your pipeline in a new market, Evan's story is proof that relationships, repetition, and a willingness to fail forward will always win. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this.

February 17, 202627 min

Faster Follow Ups & Collecting Names - How Sandi Gentry Closed $136m Last Year | MI

Sandy Gentry has spent more than 35 years building one of the most recognizable and productive real estate businesses on Michigan’s Lakeshore. In 2025 alone her team closed over 136 million dollars in sales with Sandy personally producing more than 70 million.In this episode we talk about what has actually driven that longevity. Not shortcuts. Not trends. The fundamentals that still work.Sandy breaks down how speed to lead disciplined follow up and personal connection have allowed her to maintain massive market share in Grand Haven and Spring Lake even as the industry has changed. We dig into why phone calls still matter how detailed notes build trust over time and why most agents overcomplicate what is really a relationship business.If you are trying to build a real business that compounds year after year this episode will resonate.Inside this episodeWhy follow up timing creates leverageHow Sandy stays top of mind with hundreds of clientsThe role of phone calls in a modern real estate businessWhy relationships outperform marketing over the long runWhat newer agents misunderstand about consistencyhttps://sandigentry.com/

February 3, 202640 min

Bedridden to Brokering – Hacks & Mindsets to Level Up - Michael Coxen, NV

What if nearly losing everything taught you the secret to building a thriving real estate business without sacrificing your life? In this episode, I sit down with Michael Coxen, a Las Vegas broker who went from being bedridden at 115 pounds to running a 20-agent brokerage while maintaining $20-25 million in personal production.We unpack how Michael built his career by accident through a wedding invitation business, discovered the power of asking questions over selling, and learned why focusing on process beats chasing outcomes every time—lessons that became crystal clear when ulcerative colitis nearly ended his career.Inside this episode:The FORD method that turned wedding vendors into real estate clientsWhy saying yes to every meeting for 10 years changed everythingHow Tai Chi in a pool with seniors led to running a brokerageThe 3-item daily success list that beats comparison trapWhy great agents explain the market while good ones just understand itConnect with Michael: Website: magenta.realestate Join his brokerage: joinmagenta.realestate Coaching: michaelcoxen.com Social: @michaelcoxenWhether you're struggling with work-life balance, rebuilding from setback, or looking to scale without losing yourself, this episode reveals why true success comes from defining it on your own terms. Subscribe, share, and follow for more conversations with agents who've discovered what really matters.The Neighborhood Realtor is proudly sponsored by Treadstone Funding and Neighborhood Loans. For more tangible tips in real estate marketing, check out Matt's book, The Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing available on Amazon.🔑 Treadstone Funding: https://www.treadstonemortgage.com/🔑 Neighborhood Loans:https://neighborhoodloans.com🔑 Real Estate Marketing Guide: https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tangible-Action-Guide-Marketing/dp/1698339747📲 Learned something new, or have a suggestion? Message Matt Muscat on Instagram!🏛️ Treadstone Funding propelled by Neighborhood Loans NMLS 222982 “Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee No. MB.6759826. neighborhoodloans.com/licensing For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

January 27, 202637 min

Achieving Impossible: 132 Listing Appointments in Nov – Maria Quattrone, PA

What if focusing on listings could transform your real estate business from chasing clients to having them chase you? In this episode I sit down with Maria Quattrone, Philadelphia's "expired queen," who's built a machine that consistently delivers over 100 transactions per year.We unpack the exact strategies behind her listing-focused approach, from her three-step expired letter system to the relationship-building tactics that turned cold leads into a thriving referral network. Inside this episode:How Maria transitioned from radio sales to real estate powerhouse in 22 yearsThe expired listing system that made her Philadelphia's go-to agentHer three-step letter strategy that gets sellers calling herWhy perceived value matters more than actual value in today's marketHow to build genuine relationships that lead to repeat business and referrals Want the resources Maria mentioned? Follow Maria on Instagram: @mariaquattrone . https://mqrealestate.com/The Neighborhood Real Estate Agent is proudly sponsored by Treadstone Funding and Neighborhood Loans. For more tangible tips in real estate marketing, check out Matt's book, The Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing available on Amazon.🔑 Treadstone Funding: https://www.treadstonemortgage.com/🔑 Neighborhood Loans:https://neighborhoodloans.com🔑 Real Estate Marketing Guide: https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tangible-Action-Guide-Marketing/dp/1698339747📲 Learned something new, or have a suggestion? Message Matt Muscat on Instagram!🏛️ Treadstone Funding propelled by Neighborhood Loans NMLS 222982 “Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee No. MB.6759826. neighborhoodloans.com/licensing For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

January 7, 202630 min

Low Stress, High Volume: Building a Referral Engine From Paid Leads — Mickey Larson, MI

Most agents treat online leads like a necessary evil. Mickey Larson turned them into a $15 million business in just two years.In this episode, I sit down with Mickey, a former attorney and entrepreneur who ditched the courtroom stress for real estate and never looked back. While other agents complain about lead quality, Mickey has built an 85% online lead-based business with almost zero no-shows, consistent referrals, and a simple goal: one deal per week under contract.We break down his counterintuitive approach to working leads, why he spends more time talking clients out of buying than into it, and how treating every lead like a lifelong relationship turned Zillow clicks into a thriving referral machine.Inside this episode:•Why Mickey keeps his first contact minimal and gets to the showing fast • The psychology behind earning trust by saying no • How to turn vacant land leads and long nurture cycles into goldmines • Why he counts contracts, not closings, for instant gratification • His plan to scale by bringing his family into the businessFollow Mickey on Instagram: @larsmd09 Whether you’re buying leads and struggling to convert, or wondering if paid traffic is worth it, this episode will change how you think about online lead generation. Subscribe, share, and follow for more interviews like this.The Neighborhood Real Estate Agent is proudly sponsored by Treadstone Funding and Neighborhood Loans. For more tangible tips in real estate marketing, check out Matt's book, The Tangible Action Guide for Real Estate Marketing available on Amazon.🔑 Treadstone Funding: https://www.treadstonemortgage.com/🔑 Neighborhood Loans:https://neighborhoodloans.com🔑 Real Estate Marketing Guide: https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tangible-Action-Guide-Marketing/dp/1698339747📲 Learned something new, or have a suggestion? Message Matt Muscat on Instagram!🏛️ Treadstone Funding propelled by Neighborhood Loans NMLS 222982 “Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee No. MB.6759826. neighborhoodloans.com/licensing For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org