How to Escape the Production Trap and Build a $1B Expansion Empire w/ Rob Ellerman | Episode 84
Release Date: 11/07/2024
Real Producers
Most people dream of breaking into luxury real estate, imagining a glamorous life of lavish parties, jaw-dropping listings, and red-carpet moments. They see the glossy Instagram photos, the million-dollar deals, and the VIP lifestyle. But what they don’t see is the grit, sacrifice, and relentless hustle behind the scenes. The truth is, success in luxury real estate isn’t just about "looking the part", it’s about building the skills, relationships, and experiences that get you in the right rooms. And yes, sometimes that means “faking it till you make it”, but in the right...
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In real estate, success often feels like it's just out of reach. We see others climbing to new heights, owning multiple properties, building vast networks, and achieving financial freedom, but rarely do we hear about the risks they took to get there. The truth is, we all want success without understanding the sacrifices and risks successful people face. It's easy to envy their achievements without recognizing the challenges that come with the journey. But here's the reality: without risks, you won't learn. Growth in real estate (and life, for that matter) is all about stepping outside of...
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On this podcast, we’ve seen many traits and habits that lead to real estate success. Of course, drive, discipline, and sales mastery are necessary if you want to build an awesome business and legacy. But the exceptional agents we feature on this show have another thing in common. Their ability to withstand temporary pain in the pursuit of long-term growth. That pain takes on many forms: being vulnerable about where your business is bleeding. Receiving and applying feedback. Not focusing on flashy accolades like GCI and rather prioritizing net profit. Using...
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Success in real estate—or any sales-driven business—isn’t just about chasing leads. It’s about cultivating real relationships and intentionally putting yourself in the right rooms. Because let’s face it: leads can get you in the door, but relationships are what keep you in the game. The environments we choose to step into can radically accelerate our growth. Being in the right rooms—whether that’s a mastermind, a networking event, or a simple lunch with other top producers—can unlock opportunities we may never have uncovered on our own. You get to learn from people who are a...
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In some jobs, being authentic and outspoken on social media can get you fired. But in real estate, that authenticity could be the thing that separates you from cookie cutter agents and gets you hired by buyers and sellers. That was Ryan Cecil’s experience. After getting fired for her social media content, she found that real estate agents who show their personality attract more clients. Her online marketing and community-building efforts have created a highly successful real estate trajectory, going from $5 million in sales to $16.8 million in just a few years. Ryan’s...
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In real estate, many agents who decide to build teams are focused on what the team will do for them. It’s often about using leverage for the team leader to achieve what they personally want. Maybe that’s why the industry has so many problems around perception and professionalism. What would happen if a leader built around the concept of how they impact others and focused on the “why” of their people? You get a solid culture, a ton of production, and an environment they’ll never want to leave. That’s what Erin Krueger built in Nashville. Her team is built so well...
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Most businesses and entrepreneurs are laser focused on building brands that appeal to the consumer. They spend a ton of money on getting Instagram followers and going viral, but to no avail. What they don’t realize is that there’s a better (and less expensive) way to get in front of the consumer - and that’s through real estate agents. One relationship with a top producing agent in your city could be worth millions. Instead of trying to win consumers one-for-one, the right agent could lead you to their database of thousands of clients and customers. Industries like...
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In real estate, agents wear many hats. We’re marketers, advisors, entrepreneurs, and salespeople, but one important role we tend to overlook is community builders. We’re in a unique position to influence and inspire people, using homeownership to close the wealth gap. It’s easy to focus on what real estate can do for us, but we can’t lose sight of what it does for our communities. Through real estate ownership, many people have been able to change the trajectory of their lives and step into financial freedom. That’s why a real estate transaction has so much emotion attached to it....
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Horses and human beings during a real estate transaction are a lot alike - they need to be handled with emotional intelligence. Purchasing or selling a home is a high stakes scenario with a lot of money and emotion on the line. Just like horses are sensitive to the emotions of their riders, consumers are sensitive to the emotions of their agent. Unfortunately, a lot of deals go south and people get hurt because agents lack the EQ required for things to go smoothly. In order to be great agents, we have to apply level-headedness to our transactions, and avoid showing strong emotions...
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“Invest in real estate, it’s the true path to wealth” they say. That’s not the whole story. True wealth doesn’t come from simply racking up assets, but by building business enterprises that produce passive income. So while buying up single-family, multi-family, short-term rentals and other investments is a big piece of the puzzle, that’s only step one. To fully experience the power of real estate, we have to take it a step further, and run those investments like a business. The challenge is: most people (even real estate agents) get so caught up in earning...
info_outlineThere are two ways to maximize your income as a real estate agent. You can stay in production, hold onto the entire transaction and never experience the time freedom this business offers.
Or you can relinquish the transaction, get your time back and earn money through leverage and expansion.
For the short-sighted, option 1 works, but that’s how we end up with agents who are stuck selling real estate longer than they need to. The agents who give up money for more time have balance and a sustainable career trajectory in the business.
Rob Ellerman chose the second option, and grew his income through expansion teams instead of production, and today he’s closing in on $1 billion in volume. What drove him to build his business this way? Why is a slow market such a good time to double down on advertising?
How can team leaders provide value to their agents? In this episode, I’m joined by entrepreneur, expansion team leader and the first Real Producer cover in Kansas City, Rob Ellerman. He shares why he took a different path to growth, marketing strategies and the biggest mistake agents make.
The most money you can make on any given transaction is if you do the whole thing yourself. I’m willing to give money up in order to have more time. -Rob Ellerman
Things You’ll Learn In This Episode
- A Warren Buffett approach to expansion
Typically when agents do expansion teams, they expand within the same brokerage brand. Why does Rob expand through different brands in different locations?
- Time to double down on advertising
In a recession, most agents will back out of paying for billboard advertising. Why is this actually the best time to pay for it?
- The problem with growing through production
The majority of real estate agents would pick a higher commission check over time freedom. Does this set them up for a trap later on?
Guest Bio
Rob Ellerman is a real estate leader, entrepreneur and owner of the Rob Ellerman Team with The ReeceNichols Company. With expansion teams in several cities, Rob’s Team earns over $800 million annually and is one of the fastest growing real estate teams in the country. The Rob Ellerman team is #1 in Kansas City for homes sold and #1 team in Missouri and Kansas. Follow @therobellermanteam on Instagram.
About Your Host
Real Producers Podcast is hosted by Remington Ramsey, creator of the Real Producers brand that reaches more than 120 markets nationwide. He is a real estate investor as well as an avid reader and writer. Remington calls Indianapolis home and enjoys life on the lake surrounded by his wife and their three girls.
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