What It Actually Takes to Succeed After You’re Licensed w/ Craig Grant
Release Date: 01/27/2026
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_outlineThe 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 in the classroom.
And if you think you can wing it because you’re smart, you’re in for a reality check.
There’s a big difference between being licensed and being prepared, and the agents who stop confusing a license with readiness are the ones who don’t flame out in the first few years.
And the kind of support you get matters; it has to set you up for success in today’s industry, where AI and technology are no longer optional, but expected.
What do agents need to learn to succeed? What does being prepared actually look like in 2026?
In this episode, I’m joined by Craig Grant, one of the most respected voices in real estate tech and education, as we talk CRM, AI, relationships, and why the right rooms and the right training change everything.
Things You’ll Learn In This Episode
The license is not the skillset
Pre-licensing teaches protection, not production. Why are so many agents still shocked when they get licensed and realize they have no business model in place?
Your database is your pipeline (if you run it like one)
A CRM isn’t optional if you want longevity. What’s the cost of managing your business with sticky notes and “I’ll remember”?
Relationships beat automation every time
Automated follow-up is the minimum; friendship is the differentiator. How do you stop treating clients like transactions and start building a real connection from day one?
Guest Bio
Craig Grant is a real estate instructor, course creator, coach, and technologist. Craig Grant is considered one of the most sought-after technology, marketing & cybersecurity speakers around. Whether it be at an industry event, in the classroom, or online, one thing that fuels Craig is to help today’s real estate professionals embrace and get over their fear of technology so that it can work for them and not against them. Connect with Craig on LinkedIn, and find out more about the BEATS Conference at beatsconference.com.
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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