Seeking the Best - The Real Estate Agent Podcast

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266

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Seeking the Best is the real estate agent podcast for new and growing agents who want clarity, structure, and real-world coaching. Hosted by Kathryn Stelljes a top producing real estate professional with over 19 years of experience and productivity coach. The show focuses on time management, lead generation, productivity, and building a sustainable real estate career. With 300+ weekly episodes since 2019, Seeking the Best helps agents simplify their business, avoid burnout, and focus on what actually moves the needle.

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June 10, 20261 hr 8 min

When Going Above and Beyond Goes Too Far - The Real Estate agent Podcast - Seeking the Best

What does it really mean to go above and beyond for a real estate client?In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares the story of one of her earliest listings, when she agreed to water a seller’s plants at a vacant property and slowly realized she had crossed a line she did not even know existed yet.That story opens up a much bigger conversation about the things real estate agents often do in the name of service: managing repairs, checking on vacant homes, meeting vendors, changing filters, bringing in packages, cleaning houses, choosing paint colors, handling emergencies, and becoming the default point person for every problem a client does not want to solve.Kathryn and Patrick talk through the difference between true client service and taking on work that belongs to someone else. They also discuss how agents can set better expectations, protect their time, reduce liability, and still provide excellent guidance without becoming a house manager, project manager, cleaner, painter, or errand runner.This episode is part of the Lessons Learned the Hard Way series for real estate agents who want to build a better business without losing themselves in the process.What does going above and beyond mean for real estate agents?It means serving clients at a high level within the actual scope of the real estate agent’s role, including pricing, strategy, marketing, negotiation, communication, and transaction guidance.What should real estate agents stop doing for clients?Agents should be cautious about taking on tasks like watering plants, managing repairs, cleaning houses, meeting every vendor, handling mail, checking vacant homes, or becoming responsible for property maintenance.How can agents set better boundaries with sellers?Set expectations early. If the seller will not be local, ask who their local point person will be. If they do not have one, recommend house managers, vendors, neighbors, or other appropriate resources.Can agents still be helpful without doing everything themselves?Yes. Great service often means guiding clients toward the right solution, not personally taking over the task.Why is this important for real estate agents?Because doing work outside your role can create liability, confusion, resentment, and a lower perceived value of your actual expertise.This podcast is for growth-minded real estate agents who want to build a stronger business, improve their systems, protect their time, and learn from honest conversations about what really happens in the field.Seeking the Best is a weekly podcast for real estate agents hosted by Kathryn Stelljes and Patrick Fatica. The show explores the personal, practical, and professional lessons that help agents grow with more clarity, focus, and confidence.Website: https://www.onseekingthebest.comHave a question for the show, a lesson learned the hard way, or something you want us to talk about? Leave us a message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest

June 3, 20261 hr 5 min

The Difference Between Leverage and Giving Away Your Business | The Real Estate Agent Podcast | Seeking the Best

In real estate, there is a big difference between building leverage and accidentally giving away the business you worked so hard to build.In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares a lesson she learned the hard way while trying to grow her real estate business and hire her first buyer’s agent. What seemed like the right move at the time eventually revealed a much bigger business lesson about database relationships, referrals, profit, team standards, and knowing the value you bring as a real estate agent.If you have ever felt burned out by buyers, tempted to hand things off too quickly, or unsure how to grow without losing control of the client experience, this conversation will give you a lot to think about.Kathryn and Patrick talk honestly about the difference between true leverage and short-term relief, why your sphere and past clients are not just “leads,” and how real estate agents can protect the relationships that actually make up the business.FAQWhat is the difference between leverage and giving away your business in real estate?Leverage helps a real estate agent protect time, serve clients better, and grow with standards. Giving away your business happens when an agent hands off relationships, referrals, or database clients before someone has earned the right to represent them.Why is a real estate database so valuable?A real estate database is valuable because it holds past clients, sphere relationships, referral sources, and future business opportunities built through trust, service, and consistent follow-up.Should real estate agents hire buyer agents?Hiring buyer agents can be a smart growth move, but the role, standards, training, compensation, and client handoff process need to be clear before relationships are transferred.What should real estate agents consider before building a team?Before building a team, agents should understand their profit model, cost of sale, client experience standards, training process, accountability expectations, and the value their business provides beyond leads.Who should listen to this episode?This episode is for real estate agents thinking about hiring, joining a team, growing a business, protecting their database, or creating leverage without damaging client relationships.Seeking the Best is for real estate agents who want to grow personally and professionally. It is especially helpful for newer agents trying to find structure, experienced agents who feel stuck or burned out, and business-minded agents who want clearer priorities, better systems, and a more honest way to build a real estate career.Seeking the Best is a real estate podcast hosted by Kathryn Stelljes, a Central Florida real estate agent and productivity coach, with Patrick Fatica as co-host and producer. The show blends practical real estate coaching, honest business lessons, and conversations about the internal struggles that come with building a real estate career.Listen, learn more, and find episode extras at https://www.onseekingthebest.com.Have a question about real estate, business, lead generation, clients, mindset, or something you want Kathryn and Patrick to talk about on the show? Send us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/seekingthebest

May 27, 20261 hr 9 min

The Power of "No" in Real Estate - The Real Estate Agent Podcast - Seeking the Best

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares two real estate lessons she learned the hard way: one involving a buyer who suddenly wanted her to pay a referral fee to someone who had not been involved, and another involving buyers who left to work with another agent after Kathryn had already helped them find the house.The real lesson was not just about referral fees, procuring cause, or buyer broker agreements. It was about learning how to say no, protect your time, and make business decisions instead of emotional ones.Kathryn and Patrick talk through why real estate agents need clear buyer consultation processes, why commitment matters, and why the people who respect your no are usually the people you actually want to work with. They also talk about the danger of using buyer agreements as a shortcut instead of building a real professional relationship.This episode is for real estate agents who are tired of getting run around, giving too much away, or saying yes because they are afraid of losing the deal.Why should real estate agents learn to say no?Real estate agents need to learn to say no so they can protect their time, compensation, energy, and client service standards instead of saying yes out of fear or scarcity.What is the purpose of a buyer consultation?A buyer consultation helps the agent and buyer understand expectations, compensation, commitment, communication, and whether the working relationship makes sense.Should agents use buyer broker agreements with buyers?Agents should follow their state and brokerage requirements, but the episode emphasizes that buyer broker agreements should be explained clearly after a real consultation, not used as a surprise document or trap.How can agents stop getting run around by buyers?Agents can stop getting run around by having a clear process, requiring commitment before extensive work, asking better questions, and being willing to walk away from buyers who do not respect the process.When should a real estate agent say no?An agent should say no when the request does not make business sense, when the client refuses the process, or when the agent is making a decision out of guilt, pressure, or fear instead of strategy.Kathryn shares the buyer experiences that taught her to stop saying yes to everyone and start protecting her time, compensation, and business. This episode is about buyer consultations, boundaries, buyer broker agreements, and the power of saying no like a business owner.What is this episode about?This episode is about how real estate agents can protect their time and business by learning to say no, especially when working with buyers.Who is this episode for?This episode is for real estate agents who feel run around by buyers, unsure how to use buyer consultations, or afraid to lose business by setting boundaries.What is the main lesson?The main lesson is that saying no is not rude. It is a professional business decision when something does not fit your process or standards.

May 20, 20261 hr 9 min

What I Wish I Knew Before Building a Real Estate Team - The Real Estate Agent Podcast - Seeking the Best

Building a real estate team sounds exciting — until you realize hiring people creates an entirely new job you were never trained for.In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares the leadership patterns and hiring mistakes she kept repeating for years while trying to grow her business. From hiring part-time help that didn’t work, to keeping the wrong people too long, to believing she could “fix” employees who weren’t the right fit, this episode dives into the emotional and operational side of leverage that most agents never talk about.Kathryn and Patrick unpack the pressure of running a business that never fully turns off, the reality of leadership in real estate, and the hidden cost of delaying difficult decisions. The conversation explores why hiring isn’t just about growing production — it’s about protecting your time, staying in your strengths, and building a business that’s sustainable long term.If you’ve ever struggled with hiring, training, delegation, leadership, or letting someone go, this episode will probably feel very familiar.Seeking the Best is the podcast for growth-minded real estate agents seeking clarity, focus, and a better way forward.

May 13, 20261 hr 6 min

The Real Estate Lesson That Changed My Boundaries Forever | The Real Estate Agent Podcast | Seeking the Best

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares a story from earlier in her real estate career that completely changed how she thinks about boundaries, expectations, and protecting her personal life.What started as a client request slowly turned into a much bigger realization about client behavior, accessibility, and the dangerous habit many agents fall into without even realizing it.Using that experience as the starting point, Kathryn and Patrick unpack:Why agents accidentally train clients to expect constant accessThe difference between great service and unhealthy availabilityHow expectations are set long before the difficult moment happensWhy protecting your time is about more than productivityAnd the simple mindset shifts that help prevent burnout in real estate🎯 This episode is a reminder that boundaries aren’t about caring less about clients. They’re about building a business that doesn’t consume your entire life.If you’re a real estate agent who wants more clarity, better systems, and a business that actually supports your life—not consumes it—make sure you’re subscribed to Seeking the Best. New episodes every week.

May 6, 202652 min

Why I Never Deliver Bad News by Email in Real Estate | The Real Estate Agent Podcast | Seeking the Best

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares a moment from her real estate career that completely shifted how she communicates with clients.It starts with a situation that felt urgent—and a decision that seemed reasonable in the moment.But what followed revealed something deeper about communication, expectations, and the role agents play when things don’t go as planned.From there, Kathryn breaks down:Why certain communication choices create unintended tensionWhat clients actually need from you in high-stakes momentsHow small decisions can shape the entire experienceAnd the simple standard she now follows in situations like this🎯 This episode isn’t about avoiding mistakes—it’s about understanding how to handle them better when they happen.🎧 Seeking the Best is a podcast for real estate agents who want to build a better business—one rooted in clarity, focus, and long-term growth.Hosted by Kathryn Stelljes, a top-producing agent and productivity coach with nearly 20 years of experience, this show is designed to help you think differently, take action, and create a business that actually works for you.With over 300 weekly episodes since 2019, Seeking the Best breaks down real-world strategies, honest lessons, and simple systems you can apply immediately—so you can stop spinning your wheels and start moving forward.For more resources, episode notes, and the Candy Bag, visit: onseekingthebest.com

April 29, 20261 hr 10 min

Why Doing Everything Yourself Is Quietly Destroying Your Real Estate Business | The Real Estate Agent Podcast | Seeking the Best

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares a real story that will hit home for so many real estate agents—the moment you realize you’re doing someone else’s job… again.It’s a holiday weekend. The team leaves on time. Everything looks fine on the surface. But behind the scenes, a listing that should have been entered never got done—and Kathryn steps in to fix it.The client is happy. The listing goes live. No one notices the problem.But that’s exactly the problem.Kathryn breaks down how these moments—where we step in and “save” the situation—are actually building a business that depends entirely on us. Instead of solving the system, we patch the problem. And over time, that creates a cycle where we are stuck doing work that shouldn’t be ours.This episode dives into:Why stepping in feels productive—but isn’t scalableThe difference between tasks and true responsibilityHow unclear roles create bottlenecks and dependencyWhy fixing the system is harder—but necessaryThe long-term cost of being the one who always “handles it”If you’ve ever thought, “It’s just easier if I do it myself,” this episode will challenge that belief—and give you a better way forward.Seeking the Best is a podcast for real estate agents who want to build a better business—one rooted in clarity, focus, and long-term growth.Hosted by Kathryn Stelljes, a top-producing agent and productivity coach with nearly 20 years of experience, this show is designed to help you think differently, take action, and create a business that actually works for you.With over 300 weekly episodes since 2019, Seeking the Best breaks down real-world strategies, honest lessons, and simple systems you can apply immediately—so you can stop spinning your wheels and start moving forward.For more resources, episode notes, and the Candy Bag, visit: onseekingthebest.com

April 22, 20261 hr 13 min

The Appointment Mistakes I Had to Learn the Hard Way | The Real Estate Agent Podcast | Seeking the Best

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn shares real stories from some of the worst listing and buyer appointment mistakes she made early in her real estate career.The bigger lesson is not just that these appointments were awkward. It’s that they all exposed the same problem: bending professional standards in the name of opportunity. Kathryn breaks down how lack of pre-qualification, weak appointment structure, poor boundary setting, and giving up control of the environment can cost agents time, trust, and deals.If you are a new or growing real estate agent, this episode will help you think differently about buyer consultations, listing consultations, seller communication, decision makers, appointment setup, and what it really means to operate like a business professional.Real estate appointment mistakes that cost dealsWhy all decision makers should be presentWhy some appointments should be rescheduled immediatelyThe danger of bending your rules for buyers and sellersHow structure and professionalism improve conversionWhy agents need stronger pre-qualification before appointmentsHow to create a better environment for buyer and listing consultationsIf you are a new real estate agent, a part-time agent, or someone rebuilding your database, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting until you feel more qualified and start treating the relationships already in your life like the foundation of your business.Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.

April 15, 20261 hr 0 min

The Lead Mistake That Cost Me Thousands Of Dollars | The Real Estate Agent Podcast | Seeking the Best

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn Stelljes shares one of the most expensive lessons she learned in nearly 20 years of real estate: spending money on leads before having the systems, speed, and follow-up in place to convert them. She breaks down what happened when she invested in Zillow leads and outsourced prospecting, why it did not produce the return she expected, and what she would do differently now. This conversation is a must-listen for new and growing real estate agents who feel tempted to buy leads before mastering conversion, database building, and the lead sources already working in their business.Kathryn and Patrick unpack the difference between needing more leads and needing better systems, stronger follow-up, and better conversion. They talk about speed to lead, long conversion timelines, the danger of chasing shiny objects, and why agents should focus on maximizing sphere, database, open houses, and proven lead generation before adding expensive new sources. Kathryn also shares a practical best move for the week: building a seller expectation checklist to create more clarity and a better client experience.If you are a new real estate agent, a part-time agent, or someone rebuilding your database, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting until you feel more qualified and start treating the relationships already in your life like the foundation of your business.Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.

April 8, 20261 hr 4 min

The Real Estate Database Mistake That Cost Me Years of Business|The Real Estate Agent Podcast|Seeking the Best

In this episode of Seeking the Best, Kathryn Stelljes kicks off a new season called Lessons I Learned the Hard Way So You Don’t Have To with a deeply personal conversation about one of the biggest mistakes she made early in her real estate career: not building her sphere of influence and database soon enough.Kathryn shares what it was like getting into real estate in 2006 while still in school and bartending in downtown Orlando, surrounded by hundreds of people she knew, served, and built relationships with, but never fully added to her database. Out of fear, insecurity, and feeling like she was not yet “legitimate” as a real estate agent, she kept her career quiet and missed years of opportunity that could have compounded into long-term referrals, repeat business, and deeper relationships.This episode is a powerful reminder for new and growing real estate agents that your business does not start when you finally feel successful. It starts when you decide to be visible, take yourself seriously, and consistently stay in touch with the people already around you.Kathryn and Patrick talk through:why so many agents become “secret agents”how fear keeps agents from telling people they are in real estatewhy sphere of influence marketing works so well over timethe long-term cost of not building a database earlyhow relationships compound into referrals and repeat businesswhy people you already know are often your best opportunityhow to think differently about everyday environments like jobs, schools, events, community groups, and social circleswhat Kathryn would do differently if she were starting over todayIf you are a new real estate agent, a part-time agent, or someone rebuilding your database, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting until you feel more qualified and start treating the relationships already in your life like the foundation of your business.Start with our Real Estate Agent Podcast resource for new and growing agents:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com/real-estate-agent-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read Kathryn’s blog about today’s episode in the Candy Bag or send us your “Question From the Web” at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onseekingthebest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the Seeking the Best YouTube channel for new videos every Thursday and follow us Instagram @onseekingthebest.