Charleston's Leading Producers Podcast

Ep. #24 | Chris Dion

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545999/fan_mail/new] Chris Dion (@chris_dion_selling_kiawah [https://www.instagram.com/chris_dion_selling_kiawah/]) and wife Lauren (@laurendionrealestate [https://www.instagram.com/laurendionrealestate/]) make up the Selling Kiawah Team at Akers Ellis, specializing exclusively in Kiawah Island — one of the most prestigious coastal markets on the East Coast. Before moving into residential real estate, Chris spent nearly a decade in commercial real estate, a background that fundamentally shaped how he thinks about pricing, client conversations, and the power of a focused niche. In this conversation, Chris reveals: * Why walking away from a broader market and doubling down on one island was the best business decision he ever made * How his commercial real estate background lets him have deeper, higher-trust conversations with buyers and sellers that most residential agents can't touch * The postcard strategy that keeps the Selling Kiawah Team top of mind with every property owner on the island — and where old-school marketing still outperforms digital in luxury markets * Why being radically honest about pricing — even when it costs him the listing — has built a reputation that brings business back around * How a 304-day listing with a competitor turned into a same-day sale at 98% of list price the moment Chris took over * The spreadsheet system Chris built to pull hyper-specific neighborhood comparables on Kiawah — and why using island-wide data is the fastest way to lose a seller's trust * What working alongside your spouse actually looks like day-to-day when both people know their lane This one's a masterclass in niche clarity, pricing integrity, and what it looks like to build a business around depth rather than volume. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans [https://www.instagram.com/jakecummings_homeloans/] About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

Ep. #23 | Featuring Chandler Townsend

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545999/fan_mail/new] Chandler Townsend (@ctownsells [https://www.instagram.com/ctownsells/]) is the founder and team leader of CTown Sells under LPT Realty — one of the most recognizable real estate brands in the Lowcountry. Chandler also hosts LowCountry LowDown, his own podcast built on the same philosophy he sells with: be real, be yourself, and let the results speak. He runs his team alongside his wife Mariah (@mmmariah.townsendd [https://www.instagram.com/mmmariah.townsenddd/]), stays in personal production, and has built a culture most team leaders talk about but never actually create. In this conversation, Chandler reveals: * Why authenticity isn't a personality trait — it's a business strategy, and the industry's lack of it is costing agents referrals they'll never even know they lost * How he scheduled family time like a $100 million client — and why that decision made him a better producer, not a worse one * The real reason he stayed in personal production after launching his team (and why every team leader should be closing at least a couple deals a year) * The biggest mistake agents make as they get more experienced — and why it's costing them the client relationships that drive long-term business * What agents get wrong about Summerville: the "new vs. old" identity split most people don't see coming * His honest take on building a team — the financial reality, the leadership responsibility, and why some agents should stay solo * Why the 2020-2021 market was a curse disguised as a blessing — and what getting your ass kicked actually teaches you This one goes deeper than tactics. Chandler is the real thing — a guy who built something he'd genuinely want to be a part of, and figured out how to stay human while doing it. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans [https://www.instagram.com/jakecummings_homeloans/]  About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

Ep. #22 | At Home with Courtney and Alicia

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545999/fan_mail/new] Courtney & Alicia @athomewithcourtneyandalicia [https://www.instagram.com/athomewithcourtneyandalicia/] are the best-friend duo behind The At Home Team, known for their candid, family-forward content and a partnership built on total transparency. Returning to Charleston's Leading Producers, they open up about what it actually takes to build a business — and a content presence — that feels real. In this conversation, Courtney & Alicia reveal: * Why bringing their kids into their marketing made their business more relatable — and more referable * How a "best friends first, business partners second" partnership avoids the resentment most team splits run into * The income-split system that removes every closing-day surprise before the transaction even starts * Why "done is better than perfect" is the mindset shift that gets agents off the sidelines and onto camera * The hard pricing and condition conversations agents are having with sellers in today's stalled market * How new construction incentives are reshaping the way resale listings have to compete and get marketed * Why a phone-recorded blooper outperforms a professionally produced reel — and what that means for your content strategy * What it really takes to build the kind of trust that lets two agents combine finances and never look back This is a real-talk conversation about partnership, authenticity, and showing up — even when it's not polished — for agents who are tired of waiting until everything feels ready. Follow CLP: @charlestonsleadingproducers Follow Courtney & Alicia: @athomewithcourtneyandalicia [https://www.instagram.com/athomewithcourtneyandalicia/] | YouTube: At Home with Courtney and Alicia [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcDfi4ZgFeZTTOQNU7A0SyQ] About Charleston's Leading Producers Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

Ep. #21 | Featuring Rachel Austin

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545999/fan_mail/new] Rachel Austin (@chshomeswithrachel [https://www.instagram.com/chshomeswithrachel/]) didn't come up through real estate the traditional way. She moved to Charleston in the middle of a pandemic, met a future brokerage leader at a dog park, got licensed, and had her first closing two months later. What she built since then isn't a highlight reel — it's a real career, built through mindset work, structure, and learning to actually ask for the business. In this conversation, Rachel reveals: * Why social media is a 'thief of joy' — and why you have to show up anyway * How she used E + R = O to restructure her days and stop letting bad mornings wreck her business * The scarcity mindset trap that quietly poisons agent-to-agent relationships and deal outcomes * What changed when she started time-blocking prospecting instead of just setting goals * Why she stopped hoping clients would choose her — and started asking them to * The toughest part of transitioning from teaching (where effort and pay are equal) to sales (where they're not) * How she applies E + R = O to everything from missed workouts to frustrated buyers * What she'd tell the 2020 version of herself who was waiting to be picked No frameworks, no production metrics, no top-of-market strategy breakdown. Just two people being honest about what building a real estate career actually feels like from the inside. If you've ever felt like you were doing everything right and still waiting for it to click — this conversation is for you. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans [https://www.instagram.com/jakecummings_homeloans/] About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

Connection, Faith, and Starting Over | Katt Potts

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545999/fan_mail/new] Katt Potts (@kp.associates78 [https://www.instagram.com/kp.associates78]) is the broker in charge of NextHome the Agency Group (@nexthome_theagencygroup [https://www.instagram.com/nexthome_theagencygroup/]) in Summerville, SC — a growing brokerage of 60+ agents now expanding into downtown Charleston. She's a Goose Creek native, a Trident Tech dental program graduate and former program director, who then jumped into real estate with $600, no experience, and an unshakeable belief that God put her here for a reason. In her first year, she sold 24 homes. By year six, she was running NextHome. In this conversation, Kat reveals: * Why there's no secret sauce in real estate — and what the "it factor" actually looks like in person * The biggest mistake top producers never make: why staying connected with past clients is the single highest-ROI activity in the business * Why she tells agents to stop paying for leads — and what to do insteaHow she pairs new agents with mentors based on personality, not just production number * The quarterly goal-setting process she uses with every agent at her brokerage * Why praying with buyers on the property isn't unusual for her — it's just who she is * The mindset shift that helped her stop taking it personally when a friend listed with someone else This one is raw, real, and deeply human. Less tactics episode more of a reminder of why we got into this industry in the first place. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans [https://www.instagram.com/jakecummings_homeloans/] About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.