How to 2.5x Your Sales in a Down Market: $8M to $20M in 2025
Release Date: 10/27/2025
Why Listings Sit, Buyers Hesitate, and Top Agents Still Win | Alexis Gamel
Real Estate Excellence
If buyers finally have more leverage again, are they prepared to use it wisely or are they still waiting for a crash that may never come? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Alexis Gamel. Alexis is a Northeast Florida real estate agent with deep roots in development, construction, residential strategy, and beach market expertise. In this conversation, she shares how her background in land sales, custom homes, and family life shaped the way she now helps buyers and sellers make smarter decisions. The episode explores pricing strategy, the...
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How The Listings Lab Can 10X Your Business With Jess Lenouvel
Real Estate Excellence
What would change in your business if you stopped chasing ready now leads and started building trust with people much earlier in their decision-making journey? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Jess Lenouvel. Jess is the founder of The Listings Lab, author of More Money Less Hustle, and a real estate marketing strategist known for helping agents build scalable businesses through digital marketing, systems, and psychology. In this conversation, she explains why outdated prospecting methods are failing, why most agents misunderstand branding, and...
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Jacksonville Relocation, New Construction, Beach Luxury and Pricing Right with Taylor Diaz
Real Estate Excellence
What does it really take to make it in real estate when the flexibility everyone talks about turns out to be one of the biggest myths in the business? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Taylor Diaz. Taylor is a Northeast Florida real estate agent who shares how she went from working in the medical field to building a career in real estate through discipline, mentorship, and long term relationship building. In this conversation, she opens up about getting licensed during COVID, joining Sarah Rocco’s highly structured team, and learning how...
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How to Sell Luxury Real Estate in 2026: Leigh Howe Amelia Island
Real Estate Excellence
What do luxury buyers need to understand about owning on Amelia Island that most agents never explain? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Leigh Howe. Leigh shares a career path that started far from traditional real estate. She moved from teaching, nursing, retail, and sales into land development and homebuilding after she and her husband took on a 100 acre project in Gainesville. That experience gave her deep knowledge in zoning, infrastructure, construction, customer selections, and the human side of real estate. She explains how surviving...
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How To Successfully Build A Top Producing Real Estate Team: Megan Jernigan
Real Estate Excellence
What happens when you stop chasing commissions and start obsessing over service, systems, and solving problems before they explode? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Megan Jernigan shares how she built a high performing real estate business in Nashville by committing to service, discipline, and relentless follow through. She explains that strong vendor relationships are not about perks or kickbacks, but about responsiveness, trust, and doing what is best for the client every single time. She also opens up about leaving the security of a...
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Mindset In Motion with Debbi DiMaggio
Real Estate Excellence
What if the only thing standing between you and your next breakthrough is the decision to move before you feel ready? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Debbi DiMaggio. Debbi shares how clarity, belief, and relentless action shaped her 35 year career in real estate and her life beyond it. From writing down ten things she wanted at age 25 to building a thriving business during the Great Recession, Debbi reveals how mindset in motion became her secret weapon. She explains why most agents do not need more motivation. They need movement. Debbi...
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NEFAR President Kim Knapp: 2026 Playbook for Florida Realtors | AI, Contracts & Leadership
Real Estate Excellence
If you had to prove your value to every buyer before showing a single home, what would you change first in your process? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Kim Knapp. Kim shares her vision for leading the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors in 2025 with a focus on doing it right and keeping it real. She talks about building stronger volunteer leadership systems, reconnecting members through local councils and training, and pulling top producers closer with a Top Five Forum featuring an NAR economist and business coaching. The...
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Tina Priest: Military Spouse to Real Estate Agent Star
Real Estate Excellence
If you had to lose the paperwork and keep only one habit to grow your business this year would it be answering the phone or following up? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Tina Priest. Tina shares how her service first mindset shaped her path into real estate through military life social work and operational leadership. She explains why Hover Girl Properties focuses on boundaries transparency and real relationships so clients feel seen not processed, especially when timelines are tight and emotions are high. You will hear practical habits...
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How Christina Swyers Built a Cross-Market Real Estate Business Through Relocation, Leadership, and Grit
Real Estate Excellence
What would your real estate career look like if you stopped learning and finally acted? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Christina Swyers breaks down the mindset, systems, and discipline that transformed her from a brand-new agent into a multi-state real estate leader. She shares how she rebuilt her entire business after relocating 1,000 miles to Florida, proving that success follows those who take action, stay uncomfortable, and relentlessly meet new people. Her story reveals how the right network, the right brokerage, and the right habits...
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Winning in New Construction Sales: Discipline, Builder Strategy & Buyer Wins with Jerry Strums
Real Estate Excellence
Are you using every resource in front of you or waiting for success to knock on your door? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Jerry Strums of Richmond Homes to explore the world of new construction from the builder’s side. From military buyers to first-time homeowners, Jerry shares what it takes to succeed in Northeast Florida’s competitive housing market—and how agents can better partner with site reps for smooth transactions and happier clients. Listeners will discover the unspoken rules of registering buyers, the power of relationship...
info_outlineWhat 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 from buyer-heavy business to dominating listings, and the creative open house tactics that actually work. She also talks about starting her team at United Real Estate, hiring the right support, and building a business fueled almost entirely by referrals. Whether you're new to real estate or stuck in a rut, Kaitlin’s story will show you what’s possible when purpose meets strategy.
Looking to reignite your real estate momentum? Follow Kaitlin Chernyshov on Instagram and TikTok. Then hit subscribe to the podcast for more proven growth strategies from real agents winning in today's market.
Highlights:
00:00 – 08:25 Finding Direction in Real Estate
- Kaitlin introduces her seven-year journey
- Switching brokerages seven times
- Why she finally found her home at United
- Launching Market Makers team
- How she tripled her business in one year
08:26 – 17:03 Creating Open House Magic
- How she transitioned from 90 percent buyers to 70 percent listings
- Using open houses as conversion tools
- The Santa and Grinch event that led to a closing
- Turning a no-show open house into a double deal
- From open house guest to future team member
17:04 – 25:45 Scaling with Structure and Support
- Starting her own team within United
- Leading agents while maintaining production
- Hiring a transaction coordinator and social media help
- Shifting from solo hustling to systemized growth
- Building referrals from past clients
25:46 – 34:12 What Buyers and Sellers Need to Hear in 2025
- Why waiting for rates might be a mistake
- Her own buying experience during high interest
- Advice for buyers on timing and equity
- Local market resilience in Jacksonville
- St. Johns County as a top family relocation spot
34:13 – 48:18 Mastering the Listing Side of Real Estate
- Overcoming seller hesitation with proof and data
- Turning expired listings around in under 30 days
- Smart staging on a budget
- How she communicates tough feedback to sellers
- Understanding what buyers want today
48:19 – 1:08:43 Mindset, Teams and Market Predictions
- When Kaitlin stopped stressing over her next deal
- Pre-listing inspections and preventing deal fallout
- What she looks for in a brokerage
- The social side of real estate success
- Why 2025 may shift from buyer to seller’s market
Quotes:
"I treat every closing like it’s my own and that’s what makes the difference" – Kaitlin Chernyshov
"When I stopped obsessing about where the next deal was coming from it all started to flow" – Kaitlin Chernyshov
"People say open houses don’t work I’ve sold over ten from them" – Kaitlin Chernyshov
"You can be successful anywhere but the right environment accelerates everything" – Kaitlin Chernyshov
To contact Kaitlin Chernyshov, learn more about her business, and make her a part of your network, make sure to follow her on her Website, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Connect with Kaitlin Chernyshov!
Website: https://kaitlinchernyshov.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitlinchernyshovrealestate
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15jC681zA3/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/me?trk=p_mwlite_me_notifications-secondary_nav
Connect with me!
Website: toprealtorjacksonville.com
Website: toprealtorstaugustine.com
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