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_outlineAre you running a business or just duct taping one together?
In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Lauren Duke. Lauren is the founder and CEO of Core Ops Collective, to unpack how she went from military spouse and hairdresser to running operations for one of the nation’s top real estate teams—closing over 3000 transactions and opening 21 expansion locations. Lauren explains why so many agents get stuck wearing every hat, how culture can’t just be “family,” and the difference between surviving and scaling.
She dives into her signature SCALE framework—Set the vision, Capture attention, Acquire business, Lead with systems, Elevate experience—showing agents how to replace chaos with clarity. From CRMs and lead magnets to touch plans and KPI dashboards, Lauren reveals the tools and mindset shifts that free agents from survival mode and position them to grow like true CEOs.
If this conversation gave you clarity, share it with another agent who’s grinding without a plan. Subscribe to Real Estate Excellence, leave a review, and commit to setting up one system this week that will carry your business further.
Highlights:
0:00 - 6:00 Introduction and agent struggles
- Why agents hit a ceiling early
- Misconceptions about brokerage support
- Overwhelm from CRMs and tech tools
- Why systems matter before scaling
6:00 - 15:00 Lauren’s background and entry into real estate
- From hairdresser to military spouse life
- Launching a VA business on Facebook
- First role as a transaction coordinator
- Learning operations by trial and error
15:00 - 25:00 Building and leading teams
- Expanding to 21 locations nationwide
- Managing 100+ agents and staff
- Culture vs. family in teams
- Launching Core Ops Collective after parting ways
25:00 - 41:00 The SCALE framework
- Setting the vision with audits
- Capturing attention with core values
- Acquiring business through CRMs
- Leading with measurable systems
41:00 - 55:00 Systems, automation, and client touch plans
- Building landing pages and lead forms
- Using Facebook groups for lead gen
00:45:30 to 01:22:23 Dashboards, hiring, and team building
· CEO dashboards for KPIs and cost of sale
· Avoiding the pay-per-lead trap
· Setting clear roles and accountability for admins
- Dashboards and KPIs for agents
- Final advice on scaling with clarity
Quotes:
“We replace survival mode with structure.” – Lauren Duke
“You can’t grow a team if you don’t even know how you want to show up for clients.” – Lauren Duke
“If you don’t know your core values, decisions will paralyze you.” – Lauren Duke
“Your assistant should be an extension of you.” – Lauren Duke
To contact Lauren Duke, learn more about her business, and make her a part of your network, make sure to follow her on her Website, Instagram, Facebook, and Podcast.
Connect with Lauren Duke!
Website: https://www.coreopscollective.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreopscollective
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coreopscollective
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0CeMtpitmpW2KB4j05cI7i
Connect with me!
Website: toprealtorjacksonville.com
Website: toprealtorstaugustine.com
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