25: How to Build a $30M Referral-Based Real Estate Team with Sonja Halstead

29: He Left Boston With $0 in Connections and Built a Luxury Empire in La Jolla — Pete Middleton on Vision, Massive Action & Writing Your Future Into Existence

What does it take to pack up your life, move to a city where you know exactly two people, and build one of the most respected luxury real estate brands in the country from scratch? Pete Middleton did it twice.  In this episode, Sherri sits down with Pete, a 34-year real estate veteran, founder of a luxury boutique brokerage he sold to Realogy, leader of the Middleton Team at eXp Realty across La Jolla and Nashville, and the man behind the tagline “Pete Knows Real Estate”, to talk about the mindset, vision, and relentless execution that have defined his career. From growing up in his parents’ real estate office at age eight to writing his future into existence at 3 am, to turning down $1.5M from Compass to protect 20 families, Pete’s story is one of the most compelling in this series. In this episode, you'll learn: * How a chance encounter at a Brian Buffini event in 1996 completely redirected Pete’s career trajectory * Why he wrote his future out in present tense at 2am, and why every single thing he wrote came true * How he moved to San Diego knowing nobody and built from scratch to 21st in the world at RE/MAX * The “start with the end and work backwards” approach he uses for every major decision * Why he turned down $1.5M from Compass to protect 20 families, and what happened next * How he moved 24 high-end listings to eXp in one afternoon with zero client pushback * The “flip the switch” philosophy his wife taught him for managing fear and self-doubt * Why he believes the most expensive thing in the world is a closed mind * What “massive action” actually looks like when you want luxury listings * Why every human being gets one or two great opportunities in their lifetime, and how not to miss yours Connect with Pete: * Pete Middleton Website [https://www.petemiddleton.com/] * Middleton Team Website [https://middletonteam.com/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thepetemiddleton/] * Middleton Team Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themiddletonteam/] * Pete Knows Real Estate Website [https://lajollabythesea.com/place/pete-knows-real-estate/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/petemiddleton] Your next steps: * Download the  7-Day playbook here [https://contactus.sherrijohnson.com/playbook-7day-1]. * Schedule your FREE discovery call [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/6wbXdjj4B4IMoJTW0r5l]. * Connect with Sherri on Instagram: @_sherrijohnson [https://www.instagram.com/_sherrijohnson/] The Sherri Johnson Show is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

28: Stop Marketing to Buyers and Sellers — Start Targeting Motivated Movers with Kendall Bonner

Most real estate agents are fishing in the same overcrowded waters, chasing the same expired listings, the same Zillow leads, and posting the same interest-rate content nobody’s reading. Kendall Bonner calls this the Red Ocean, and she has a better way. In this episode, Sherri sits down with Kendall Bonner, Florida-licensed attorney, HousingWire 2024 Woman of Influence, former VP of Industry Relations at eXp Realty, and author of the newly published The Motivated Mover Method, to talk about the framework that built her business accidentally and that she’s now codified into a repeatable system any agent can use. The concept is simple and powerful: buyers and sellers don’t self-identify as buyers and sellers until you label them. But if you talk to people about their life transitions, the divorce, the debt, the downsizing, the growing family, you can find them before the transition is even on their radar. That’s Blue Ocean, and that’s the Motivated Mover Method. In this episode, you'll learn: * Why buyers and sellers don’t self-identify until it’s almost too late, and what to do instead * The 14 Data D’s and how predictive analytics can help you find clients before they know they’re ready * What “message to moment alignment” means and how it disrupts the pattern of everyday marketing * The difference between Red Ocean and Blue Ocean sourcing, and which one you’re swimming in right now * Three immediately actionable tips for finding motivated movers in your current database and on social media * Why niching down actually opens more doors, not fewer * How to build strategic referral partnerships with attorneys, OBGYNs, pediatricians, and senior care facilities * The biggest mistake team leaders make when trying to scale, and why you become the bottleneck * What new agents should focus on (and what they should completely ignore) * Why a strategy without a system is always incomplete Connect with Kendall: * The Kendall Bonner Team [https://www.besttamparealestateagents.com/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/connectwithkendall/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendallbonner/] * SMART Talk for Real Estate Agents [https://www.youtube.com/c/KendallEBonner] * The Industry Speaks Academy [https://speakonrealestatestages.com/] * The Motivated Mover Method: A Repeatable System for Real Estate Agents to Build a Predictable Pipeline of Clients Ready to Move by Kendall Bonner [https://www.amazon.com/Motivated-Mover-Method-Repeatable-Predictable-ebook/dp/B0GGZ83XWD] Your next steps: * Download the  7-Day playbook here [https://contactus.sherrijohnson.com/playbook-7day-1]. * Schedule your FREE discovery call [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/6wbXdjj4B4IMoJTW0r5l]. * Connect with Sherri on Instagram: @_sherrijohnson [https://www.instagram.com/_sherrijohnson/] The Sherri Johnson Show is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

27: The Big Lie About Owning a Brokerage, and the Freedom Mitch Ribak Found on the Other Side

What does it really cost to own a brokerage? Mitch Ribak built one of the most successful independent brokerages in Florida, with 120 agents, 700 transactions a year, $4.5 million in gross revenue, and he netted $90,000.  In this episode, Sherri sits down with Mitch, an entrepreneur, author of The Big Lie, and leader of a 2,200-agent eXp organization spanning 48 states and 7 countries, to talk about what he calls the hardest truth in real estate: most brokers and team leaders don’t own a business; they own a crappy job. Mitch shares how he walked away from a potential $3.5M brokerage sale, why he ran his brokerage for 13 years purely out of ego, and what the mirror moment at age 56 taught him about legacy, freedom, and building something that lasts beyond you. In this episode, you'll learn: * Why $4.5M in revenue and a 120-agent brokerage only netted $90K, and what that really means for broker owners * The big lie about selling your brokerage (and why the $3.5M offer wasn’t what it seemed) * How Mitch cut his expenses from $65K/month to $15K and hit his freedom number in 18 months * Why he calls himself the “godfather of internet lead conversion” and what ISAs looked like 20 years ago * The mirror accountability tool he uses every single day * What proximity really means at eXp, and why it’s the #1 reason top producers stay * How a single agent went from paying her broker $400K/year to funding her kids’ college at SMU * Why every agent at a brokerage is going to leave eventually, and how to build a business that survives that * The difference between being a technician and being a business owner * What Mitch would tell every broker looking in the mirror right now Connect with Mitch: * Website [http://www.mitchribak.com] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mitch.ribak] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCByD0GA6Qa-yIXA5ltqtX4w] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mitchribak] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitch-ribak-8497531] * Read Mitch’s books [https://www.amazon.com/Books-Mitch-Ribak/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AMitch%2BRibak] (The Big Lie [https://www.amazon.com/Big-Lie-Estate-hamster-Wheel-ebook/dp/B0CZX7WRF2/ref=sr_1_2?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VPhViKC3dUnnfdwE65liM3UlVWWp6EsQKcEjxxisXCu0y1el4yoE82Um4I14Koa9-Wnhi4jV29oucAgqneu1_Q.h3OrwFdjCcplYYYCMMK3ZCIWPZtUcPLeQx3om1i9PiQ&dib_tag=se&qid=1777453707&refinements=p_27%3AMitch+Ribak&s=books&sr=1-2] is available on Amazon or email Mitch directly [http://mitch@mitchrealty.com] for a free PDF) Your next steps: * Download the  7-Day playbook here [https://contactus.sherrijohnson.com/playbook-7day-1]. * Schedule your FREE discovery call [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/6wbXdjj4B4IMoJTW0r5l]. * Connect with Sherri on Instagram: @_sherrijohnson [https://www.instagram.com/_sherrijohnson/] The Sherri Johnson Show is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

26: From $500 to #1 in the Nation: Malinda Koncar on Building a $21M Solo Real Estate Business Without Buying a Single Lead

What does it take to go from one $50,000 transaction (and a $500 commission) to ranking #1 in the nation for units sold at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, as a solo agent? Malinda Koncar did exactly that. Dual-licensed in Pennsylvania and Ohio and working the corridor between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, Malinda closed 229 sides and nearly $21M in sales volume in 2025 without a team, without buying a single lead, and without a CRM. In this episode, Sherri sits down with Malinda to pull back the curtain on the mindset, daily habits, and strategic pivots that turned a bartending fitness coach with zero sphere into the most productive solo agent in her brand. In this episode, you'll learn: * How Malinda went from $500 her first year to 229 transactions, and what the leap from $3M to $9M in sales actually looked like * Why she has never paid for a lead, and where her business actually comes from * The mindset shift from tracking appointments to tracking contracts (and why it changed everything) * Her “cocktails, mocktails & home sales” video strategy and how social media drives ~1/3 of her lead gen * How she runs 16 active listings and 15 pending transactions with one virtual assistant * Why she walks into every listing appointment already assuming she’s getting the listing, and how that mindset converts * The gratitude journal and manifestation practices behind her compounding success * What new and seasoned agents should focus on right now, and what to stop doing Connect with Malinda * Malinda Koncar, REALTOR [https://beacons.ai/malindakoncarrealtor] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/malinda.koncar] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/malindakoncar/] * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@awkwardlyhonestagent] Your next steps: * Download the  7-Day playbook here [https://contactus.sherrijohnson.com/playbook-7day-1]. * Schedule your FREE discovery call [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/6wbXdjj4B4IMoJTW0r5l]. * Connect with Sherri on Instagram: @_sherrijohnson [https://www.instagram.com/_sherrijohnson/] The Sherri Johnson Show is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

25: How to Build a $30M Referral-Based Real Estate Team with Sonja Halstead

What does it actually take to go from zero to number one in your market in just three years WITHOUT buying a single lead? Sonja Halstead of The Halstead Team (KW Elevate, Wadsworth, OH) has the answer, and it's simpler than you think. With 26+ years in the business, 170–200 homes sold per year, and a team running roughly $30M in annual volume, Sonja has built one of the most dominant referral-based real estate businesses in Ohio. She's joined Sherri today to pull back the curtain on exactly how she did it. In this episode, you'll learn: * How Sonja went from rookie agent to #1 in Wadsworth by 2002 — and what she did those first three years that most agents skip * Why she's never bought a lead and how she generates ~80% of her business purely from referrals * Her 4AM daily routine — and the non-negotiable habits she credits for consistent, predictable production year after year * Why mailing 5–10 handwritten cards every single day is still one of the highest-ROI activities in real estate * The "Oz behind the curtain" move every agent at $10M+ needs to make (and why it's the best hire you'll ever make) * How she built and kept a loyal 8-person team for years — including her son — by letting them run their business inside her business * How she pushed through bankruptcy, divorce, and caregiving through a spouse's illness without losing momentum * Why confidence at the listing appointment is the #1 skill new agents need to master — and how to develop it fast Connect with Sonja: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/sonjahalsteadrealtor] Your next steps: * Download the  7-Day playbook here [https://contactus.sherrijohnson.com/playbook-7day-1]. * Schedule your FREE discovery call [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/6wbXdjj4B4IMoJTW0r5l]. * Connect with Sherri on Instagram: @_sherrijohnson [https://www.instagram.com/_sherrijohnson/] The Sherri Johnson Show is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.