From Recruiting to Real Estate: Karen Saez’s Rise in Northeast Florida
Real Estate Excellence
What would you risk—your career, your comfort, or your security—to build the life you really want? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes welcomes Karen Saez. Karen shares her incredible journey from corporate recruiting at Deutsche Bank to owning a bar and eventually finding her true passion in real estate. As a bilingual advisor and former military spouse, Karen brings heart, hustle, and unique experience to the Jacksonville market. She dives deep into what it takes to break into the industry, create a client-first business, and overcome the personal and...
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Selling $5M Homes in Ponte Vedra Beach
Real Estate Excellence
What if the key to succeeding in the luxury real estate market isn't flash or fame—but quiet consistency and old-school relationship-building? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with luxury real estate veteran Michael Curet, a former pro tennis writer turned top-tier coastal agent. With nearly three decades in the game, Michael shares how he transitioned from ATP rankings to real estate royalty in northeast Florida. He opens up about the early hustle, key relationships, and how his sports background uniquely positioned him to serve elite clientele,...
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She Flipped the NYC Brokerage Model --And Agents Are Thriving
Real Estate Excellence
What does it really take to lead one of Manhattan’s most iconic brokerages through a historic acquisition while preserving its soul and scaling its influence? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Kevelyn Guzman, a visionary leader who took a 100-year-old boutique Manhattan brokerage through a transformative acquisition by Coldwell Banker. She opens up about her journey from Wall Street to real estate, her philosophy of treating agents as clients, and her approach to maintaining culture, innovation, and collaboration in a fiercely competitive...
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How to 2.5x Your Sales in a Down Market: $8M to $20M in 2025
Real Estate Excellence
What if the secret to your real estate breakthrough isn't a better market... but a better mindset? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes welcomes Kaitlin Chernyshov. Kaitin shares how she went from uncertainty and switching seven brokerages to becoming one of Northeast Florida’s top-producing agents. Despite working in what headlines call the worst real estate market in recent years, she has already closed over 40 homes and is tracking more than 20 million in sales for 2025. Kaitlin unpacks the mindset shift that sparked her explosive growth, her transition...
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Jamie McLaughlin: From Classroom to Closing - Top St Johns Cty Realtor
Real Estate Excellence
Are you just buying a house, or are you investing in a lifestyle that matches your future? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes welcomes former middle school math teacher turned real estate agent, Jamie McLaughlin. Jamie shares her inspiring journey from the classroom to becoming a trusted realtor in St. Johns County, Florida. With deep roots in the community and a teacher’s heart, Jamie brings patience, structure, and honesty to every transaction—serving not just clients, but building long-lasting relationships. Tracy dives into the challenges and...
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Tiffany High: How Wholesalers / Flippers Build Predictable Scalable Businesses
Real Estate Excellence
What would change if you stopped chasing one off flips and rebuilt a real business that runs without you? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Tiffany High. Tiffany lays out how she left a demanding corporate path to be present for family, stumbled into flipping, then scaled from 40 flips in year one to a virtual operation closing 20 plus deals a month. The turning point was tearing everything down in 90 days and rebuilding with systems, training, and leadership so the company could run without constant firefighting. She explains why newbies...
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Maria Raymer: Top 1% Realtor JAX/St Augustine/Ponte Vedra
Real Estate Excellence
What do buyers and sellers really need an agent for, beyond opening doors and filling forms In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down Maria Raymer. Maria’s journey from a young agent who questioned her value to a market leader known for straight talk and service. She explains how treating people with honesty and investing real time in them creates momentum that money follows. She shares how early office mentorship and daily reps built skill and confidence, plus how to communicate value even when you are new and your clients are older than you are....
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Corey Hasting: Christie's International Real Estate First Coast
Real Estate Excellence
What bold move would you make if you knew your entire team’s future was on the line? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Corey Hasting for his third appearance — this time unveiling the biggest pivot of his career. At just 27, Corey launched a boutique Engel & Völkers franchise in Jacksonville Beach and scaled it into five thriving offices with 138 agents. But instead of resting on awards and billion-dollar sales, he shocked the market by transitioning his entire brokerage to Christie’s International Real Estate First Coast. Corey...
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Gail DeMarco: Top St Johns County FL Agent
Real Estate Excellence
What would change in your business if you treated time as your most valuable commodity and priced every hour accordingly? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with luxury agent and team leader Gail DeMarco. Gail drops the polite filter and lays out how she built a near billion in lifetime sales by staying lean, obsessing over data, and designing a brand that shows up everywhere. From four open houses every weekend to hyper-focused farming and YouTube consistency, she explains exactly how she creates momentum in new markets and turns listings into...
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Jamie Hallman: "Consider It Closed" Professional TC's
Real Estate Excellence
What if the key to scaling your real estate business isn’t selling more homes, but learning how to delegate smarter? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Jamie Hallman, founder of Consider It Closed and a powerhouse in the world of transaction coordination. Jamie shares her fascinating journey from working as a registered dietitian to traveling the world on a mission trip, and ultimately discovering her passion and skillset were perfectly aligned with real estate coordination. She opens up about how her solutions-driven mindset, love for...
info_outlineWhat if your smartest, most efficient business partner was already on your laptop — and free?
In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes dives deep with with 24-year-old trailblazer Bella Taazieh — a rising force in Northeast Florida real estate who’s harnessing AI to build a modern, personal, and wildly productive business. Bella unpacks how she’s blending ChatGPT, Gamma, Notebook LM, and more to save hours, close deals faster, and create lead-gen systems that work for her — even while she’s at the beach.
From building her own GPT assistant to turning transcripts into podcasts and sending weekly AI-generated “Deals of the Week,” Bella’s strategies are not just innovative — they’re replicable. She breaks down how even the busiest solo agent can reclaim time and scale their impact by letting AI carry the heavy lift. Whether you're tech-curious or AI-obsessed, this is the blueprint episode you've been waiting for.
If you're a realtor stuck in the hustle and grind, it's time to future-proof your business! Subscribe now, share this episode with your team, and follow Bella for game-changing content. Want Bella’s GPT tools? DM her now on Instagram @bellataazieh and unlock your AI-powered future!
Highlights:
00:00 – 07:58 Bella’s AI Philosophy & Client-Centered Automation
- Why AI isn't impersonal—it's powerful
- Helping more clients without losing personal touch
- Fear vs. opportunity: why agents must adapt
- Hiring AI without payroll
- Examples of AI replacing team roles
10:11–21:16 ChatGPT as Your Smartest Assistant
- Bella’s “Who Am I” project: feeding ChatGPT her story
- Letting AI learn your tone, habits, and goals
- Using ChatGPT for negotiations and emotional intelligence
- AI-generated bios for branding
- Using AI like a personal coach or mentor
21:17–33:15 Building Lead Funnels: 250 Leads with Zero Ads
- Creating the “Deals of the Week” email funnel
- Turning weekly listings into relationship-building touchpoints
- Mass emails that feel personal
- Workshop results: leads within 11 minutes
- Why simple formatting and real-time data beat Canva graphics
33:16–45:00 Custom GPTs & Gamma AI for Seller Presentations
- What a custom GPT is and why you need one
- Bella’s Control+Me GPT and its four powerful commands
- How she created presentations in 5 minutes with Gamma AI
- Real-world example of winning a listing on short notice
- Beat experienced agents using speed + AI insights
45:01–57:45 Notebook LM & The AI Podcast Hack
- What is Notebook LM and how to use it
- Turning training sessions into listenable podcasts
- AI-generated conversation between two fake hosts
- Training your team with AI audio content
- Brainstorming business models from knowledge conversion
57:46–01:09:35 Automating as a Solo Agent: Scaling with Systems
- Using Trello + Zapier + ChatGPT for email workflows
- Email funnels that feel personal but are fully automated
- Creating daily motivation prompts from AI
- Monday GPT: the brutal but honest motivator
- Why AI saves time, energy, and sanity
1:09:36–01:18:51Branding, Follow-Up & Where Agents Waste Time
- Branding is not your logo—it’s your legacy
- Using AI to stay top-of-mind with leads weekly
- Automating touchpoints without sounding generic
- Following up with 200+ leads in 5 minutes
- Top two AI strategies every agent should implement now
Quotes:
“Every single one of my clients feels loved—because I use AI to give them more of me, not less.” – Bella Taazieh
“I created a GPT called Control+Me. It’s my assistant, strategist, and motivator all in one.” – Bella Taazieh
“I built a Deals of the Week system that gave me 250 leads, 5 consultations, and didn’t cost me a dime.” – Bella Taazieh
“AI isn’t here to replace agents—it’s here to empower the ones who are willing to lead.” – Bella Taazieh
To contact Bella Taazieh, learn more about her business, and make her a part of your network, make sure to follow her on her Instagram.
Connect with Bella Taazieh!
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bellataaziehrealtor
Connect with me!
Website: toprealtorjacksonville.com
Website: toprealtorstaugustine.com
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