The Modern Agent’s Advantage: Systems That Sell Homes While You Sleep w/ Dave Charest and Stephanie Alonso
Release Date: 11/18/2025
What It Actually Takes to Succeed After You’re Licensed w/ Craig Grant
Social Selling Made Simple
The hard truth about real estate is that getting your license doesn’t prepare you to sell homes. It only makes you legally allowed to try. Pre-licensing only teaches us consumer protection. We learn nothing about lead generation, building a brand, running a database, using a CRM, or building a real business with staying power. Real estate success doesn’t come from passing a test or “figuring it out as you go”; it comes from systems, support, and real education. The kind you get from strong instructors, the right broker environment, and intentionally building skills you weren’t taught...
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The Real Reason You Can't Get a Mentor (Stop Doing This)
Social Selling Made Simple
One of the most common questions I hear in real estate is, “Will you mentor me?” Here’s the truth: most people asking that question haven’t done a single thing to earn mentorship. They don’t know us, we don’t know them, there’s no shared work or contribution, just an expectation that access should be free because they asked nicely. Let’s clear something up. Mentorship doesn’t come from chasing people down hallways or sending hopeful DMs; it comes from contribution. What most agents miss is the ultimate power move that doesn’t seem like one at first. It puts you in...
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The Human–AI Combo That Gives Real Estate Agents an Edge w/ Blair Knowles
Social Selling Made Simple
One of the biggest misconceptions in real estate right now is the belief that AI should take agents completely out of the process. We constantly hear agents asking, “How do I automate this so I never have to touch it again?” But that’s the wrong mentality, and it’s actually where you start losing money instead of making more of it. Because AI isn’t at a point where it can replace us, and more importantly, we don’t want it to get there. The real power of AI isn’t replacement; it’s acceleration. It collapses the time it takes to write, plan, organize, produce content,...
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AEO Is the New Gateway to Real Estate Leads: Here’s How to Use It w/ Ken Tucker
Social Selling Made Simple
For years, we’ve been taught that SEO was the key to being found online, write the blogs, keep the website fresh, get your backlinks, and trust the process. But there’s a new shift happening in real estate that most agents haven’t caught onto yet. AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, is quietly becoming more powerful than traditional SEO. And it makes perfect sense. Buyers and sellers aren’t searching the way they used to. They’re asking full questions out loud into their phones, their cars, and their AI tools. They don’t want links…they want answers. AEO is built for...
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The Modern Agent’s Advantage: Systems That Sell Homes While You Sleep w/ Dave Charest and Stephanie Alonso
Social Selling Made Simple
Most agents think marketing has gotten harder, that technology, AI, and algorithms have made everything too complicated. But the truth is, it’s never been easier to be a marketer and to actually get results. You can create video content without showing your face. You can automate your emails, SMS, and social posts in minutes. You can turn one idea into ten pieces of content that generate leads while you sleep. Yet most agents still struggle to grow; not because the tools are hard, but because they’re doing what everyone else is doing… or worse, doing the bare minimum. In today’s...
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Chicago REALTORS® Hall of Fame: What It Means to Me
Social Selling Made Simple
Real estate ain't just about buying and selling houses, it's about people. The families we help, the communities we build, the dreams we make possible through ownership. Anybody can chase closings. But being a REALTOR® means something deeper; it means showing up with integrity, protecting consumers, and building trust one deal, one class, one conversation at a time. And let's get one thing straight, mentorship isn't a Facebook post. It's not about being seen. Mentorship is a promise. It's about opening doors, not hoarding keys. It's not proximity, it's access. Don't just sit beside someone...
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How to Build a Retirement-Ready Real Estate Business with AI w/ Glennda Baker
Social Selling Made Simple
Most agents are a little freaked out by AI, but here’s the truth: it’s not here to replace the real estate professional. It’s here to replace inefficiency. For years, real estate has rewarded the agents who grind harder, not smarter. The ones who show up earlier, stay up later, and never stop hustling. But the next wave of top producers will be the ones who out-automate everyone else. When most agents hear “AI,” they think job loss. But what if it’s actually the key to something real estate’s never offered: predictable income and real financial freedom? What if it’s the missing...
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From Invisible to Irreplaceable: How to Stand Out in Today’s Real Estate Market w/ Knolly Williams
Social Selling Made Simple
“Secret agents don’t get found, and closed mouths don’t get fed.” It’s more than a catchphrase; it’s a survival strategy for today’s market. In an environment where inventory is scarce, clients are cautious, and other agents are everywhere, invisibility will keep you from earning more. If you aren’t proactively creating opportunities, asking for business, and showing up where consumers are, you’ll get overlooked every time. That’s why differentiation isn’t a luxury; it’s the core of winning in real estate right now. And the sharpest ways to position...
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The AI Playbook for Winning Buyer Loyalty in a Post-NAR Settlement World
Social Selling Made Simple
For a long time, buyer representation was an afterthought. Agents leaned on MLS commission notes, dodged tough conversations about compensation, and hoped clients would just go along. But after the NAR settlement, that safety net vanished. Now, if we can’t clearly show our value and lock in a signed buyer rep agreement, we’re at risk of losing clients, income, and even putting ourselves in a legal bind. Here’s the twist: AI isn’t just a cool extra. When we use it right, it can be our sharpest edge in this new reality. With ChatGPT, predictive analytics, and the right...
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The Rise of the Rookie: Why New Agents Are Outpacing Experienced Agents
Social Selling Made Simple
The real estate world has shifted, and whether we like it or not, there’s no going back. Too many agents are still treating the changes as an extinction event, but here’s the truth: if you adapt, we still have the opportunity we’ve had to grow market share in years. Since the settlement, more agents have entered the industry. That means more competition, but also more proof that complacency kills careers. The new agents are hungry, willing to try what others won’t, and most importantly, they’re not afraid to embrace tools like AI to move faster and smarter. I’ve been in...
info_outlineMost agents think marketing has gotten harder, that technology, AI, and algorithms have made everything too complicated. But the truth is, it’s never been easier to be a marketer and to actually get results.
You can create video content without showing your face. You can automate your emails, SMS, and social posts in minutes. You can turn one idea into ten pieces of content that generate leads while you sleep.
Yet most agents still struggle to grow; not because the tools are hard, but because they’re doing what everyone else is doing… or worse, doing the bare minimum.
In today’s market, average doesn’t convert. The agents winning right now aren’t the ones spending the most money; they’re the ones showing up consistently, leveraging automation, and using AI to amplify their expertise instead of hiding behind excuses.
How can you turn one real estate deal into multiple streams of income? How do agents embrace tech?
That’s what I’m unpacking on Constant Contact’s Be a Marketer podcast, where I was featured as a guest.
Along with co-hosts Dave Charest, Stephanie Alonso, I break down why most agents misunderstand marketing, how to simplify your systems, and what it takes to build a business that compounds while you’re off the clock.
Things You’ll Learn In This Episode
The no excuse zone mindset
Success doesn’t come from talent or timing; it comes from eliminating excuses. How do you rewire your habits to operate like an entrepreneur, not an employee?
Consistency over charisma
The most profitable agents aren’t the flashiest; they’re the most consistent. What boring, daily habits separate six-figure producers from struggling agents?
Video is the ultimate multiplier
Video isn’t optional; it’s the only form of content that can be repurposed into text, audio, and leads. How can you use AI and automation to make video your most scalable marketing tool?
Leads, loyalty, and longevity
New agents often wait for brokers to hand them leads. How can CRMs, landing pages, and follow-ups turn your list into a self-sustaining income engine?
Guest Bios
Stephanie Alonso is a speaker and the Senior Director of Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact. She is a dynamic, results-driven sales and strategy leader with a relentless passion for empowering individuals and teams to achieve their highest potential. Stephanie’s track record as a revenue generator, strategic thinker, and sales training and enablement expert has led to success in developing and executing go-to-market strategies that drive revenue growth. Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn.
Dave Charest is a keynote speaker, award-winning podcast host of Be A Marketer, and the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, the digital marketing platform trusted by millions of small businesses. Every day, Dave talks with small business owners about what really works in marketing. His job is to take those lessons, strip out the noise, and make marketing make sense—whether it’s email, social, text, or AI. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn.
Listen to Be a Marketer here.
About Your Host
Marki Lemons Ryhal is a Licensed Managing Broker, REALTOR®, and avid volunteer.
She is a dynamic keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, both on-site and virtual; she's the go-to expert for artificial Intelligence, entrepreneurship, and social media in real estate. Marki Lemons Ryhal is dedicated to all things real estate, and with 25+ years of marketing experience, Marki has taught over 250,000 REALTORS® how to earn up to a 2682% return on their marketing dollars. Marki’s expertise has been featured in Forbes, the Washington Post, Homes.com, and REALTOR® Magazine.
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