AJ Unfiltered - Real Estate Podcast

Nick McLean: Why 71% Of Real Estate Agents Made $0 Last Year — And The Brokerage Model That's Replacing The Industry

$200 million real estate team CEO Nick McLean reveals why 71% of real estate agents made $0 last year, why the cap model is killing big-box brokerages like Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Royal LePage, and why he's building Team Growth Brokerage (TGB) — the subscription brokerage model he believes will replace the traditional real estate brokerage entirely.  In this real estate podcast episode, Nick McLean and AJ Hazzi cover:  ✅ Why most real estate agents fail in their first 2 years  ✅ The truth about real estate commission splits and caps  ✅ How to build a profitable real estate team in 2026  ✅ Why the $16K cap model is a trap for agents  ✅ The real estate brokerage model that's replacing big-box franchises  ✅ How top real estate teams charge premium commissions (and why clients pay)  ✅ Real estate team profitability: margins, splits, and the "mothership tax"  ✅ Why 142,000 indie brokerages are about to sunset  ✅ How AI will change the real estate agent's role  ✅ Rev Capture: the future of how real estate agents will earn money  Nick McLean built and ran one of the most profitable indie real estate teams in the Pacific Northwest, doing over $200 million a year in volume. He co-founded Reside, a real estate team coaching and consulting platform, and exited the company in just 30 months. He's now launching Team Growth Brokerage (TGB) — a team-only brokerage platform built specifically for real estate team leaders.  Whether you're a new real estate agent, a top producer thinking about joining a team, a team leader trying to scale, or a broker-owner watching the industry shift — this conversation will change how you see the real estate business.  🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more real estate podcast episodes  👍 Like if you got value  💬 Comment your biggest takeaway —  📍 Connect with Nick McLean: Instagram: @[handle]  Team Growth Brokerage: [TGB link]  📍 Connect with AJ Hazzi: Instagram: @ajhazzi  Vantage West Realty: vantagewestrealty.com   🎙️ AJ Unfiltered is a real estate podcast for top-producing real estate agents, team leaders, and broker-owners. Hosted by AJ Hazzi, founder of Vantage West Realty in Kelowna, BC — covering real estate team building, brokerage models, real estate commissions, agent training, and how to build a real estate business that actually makes money. New episodes weekly. #realestate #realestateagent #realestatepodcast #realestateteam #realestatebrokerage #realestatecoach #realestatecommission #realestatetraining #kellerwilliams #remax #expreality #realestateagent2026 #realestatecareer #realestateteamleader #realestatebusiness

Why Most Realtors Are Working for Free In a Broken Real Estate System | AJ Unfiltered: Todd Walters

Why are so many realtors working harder than ever and still struggling to make a consistent income? In this episode of AJ Unfiltered, AJ sits down with Todd Walters, CEO of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, to break down why the traditional real estate business model is broken and how it quietly forces many real estate agents to work for free. This conversation goes deep into the real estate commission model, the structure of modern brokerages, and why the industry rewards volume and recruitment over certainty, alignment, and long-term sustainability for agents. AJ and Todd discuss: - Why the real estate system is fundamentally broken - How the current commission-based model creates misaligned incentives - Why many realtors do all the work upfront with no guaranteed outcome - What buyers and sellers actually want from real estate agents - Why certainty matters more than leads, branding, or technology - The flaws in publicly traded real estate brokerage models - What the real estate office of the future really looks like - Why most agents struggle to build real businesses in real estate If you are a real estate agent, broker, team leader, or investor, this episode will challenge how you think about the real estate industry, agent compensation, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable real estate business. This is not a motivational episode. It’s a hard look at why the system works the way it does, who it benefits, and why so many agents feel stuck. 🎙 AJ Unfiltered is where we have honest conversations about real estate, business models, money, leadership, and the systems that shape how people work and live. 👇 Leave your questions and comments below. We read them. And yes, we respond. Todd Walters - https://www.instagram.com/toddwalterscoach AJ on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ajhazzi/

Why Property Management Is Becoming Essential for Realtors | AJ Unfiltered #6: Ezra Cremers

Most realtors spend their entire career riding the commission rollercoaster. Feast one month. Stress the next. Reset to zero every year. In this episode of AJ Unfiltered, I sit down with Ezra Cremers, a real estate operator who has built and scaled a high-performing property management business alongside sales — and used it to create predictable income, leverage, and long-term stability. Ezra isn’t a guru. He’s in the trenches, running real doors, managing real clients, and building systems that actually work. This conversation breaks down why more realtors are adding property management to their business — not as a side hustle, but as a foundation. We cover: - Why most realtors never build predictable income - How property management changes a realtor’s financial base - The difference between selling homes and owning a real estate business - Why commission-only models lead to burnout - How recurring revenue reduces pressure and improves client decision-making - What “correct” property management looks like (and why most people get it wrong) - When property management makes sense for realtors — and when it doesn’t This isn’t about hype or “passive income.” It’s about building a business that can actually support your life. If you’re a realtor, team leader, or broker questioning the long-term sustainability of your model, this episode will challenge how you think about income, leverage, and growth. Property management isn’t glamorous. But for many realtors, it’s the missing piece. 🎙️ AJ Unfiltered — real conversations about real estate, leverage, and longevity. 👉 Watch until the end to understand why predictable income is becoming a competitive advantage for realtors.

The ACE of Influence Audiobook

The ACE of Influence is not a sales book. It’s a recalibration of what it means to be a professional in real estate. In a world where technology, AI, and automation are stripping away the value of “order-takers,” this book makes one argument clear: the future belongs to consultants who can lead, influence, and protect their clients through life’s largest financial decisions. AJ Hazzi introduces the ACE Framework — Authority, Conviction, and Empathy — the three forces that multiply into real influence. Not charisma. Not scripts. Not gimmicks. Influence earned through competence, clarity, and care. Inside, you’ll learn how to: - Step out of the salesperson role and into the identity of a trusted advisor - Lead clients with confidence instead of reacting to emotions or misinformation - Set and manage expectations so trust compounds instead of eroding - Communicate in a way that removes doubt and creates certainty - Use technology and AI as leverage without losing the human edge - Build authority that attracts clients before you ever meet them - Carry conviction that clients borrow when their own confidence wavers - Practice empathy without surrendering leadership This book is part philosophy, part operating system for modern real estate professionals who refuse to be commoditized. If you believe real estate decisions shape lives, families, and long-term wealth — and that guiding those decisions is a responsibility, not a transaction — The ACE of Influence will give you the mindset, standards, and framework to become truly irreplaceable.

The Hidden System Only Top Agents Are Using Now | AJ Unfiltered #5: Dave Z

There’s a hidden system top agents are using right now to double their production, stop burning out, and actually buy back their time. Today on AJ Unfiltered #5, Dave Z breaks down the leverage model that helped him net 84% in his real estate business — without building a traditional team and without doing endless showings. If you’re a solo agent stuck in the grind, a team leader trying to scale, or a broker-owner rethinking your entire model after the commission changes… this episode is the blueprint. We cover: 🔹 Why the solo agent model is collapsing 🔹 How top agents are leveraging showing agents on demand 🔹 The exact workflow Dave uses to produce 46 appointments in a week 🔹 How his business runs at 4% cost of goods 🔹 Why most agents burn out (and how to fix it) 🔹 How to use VAs + systems to replace 80% of your workload 🔹 What clients really want in 2025 🔹 The future of buyer representation after NAR’s commission changes This is the kind of conversation the industry doesn’t want to have — but every agent needs to hear. If you’re tired of doing everything yourself, if you’re drowning in showings, if your pipeline is inconsistent, or if you’re stuck under an old brokerage model… this episode will completely change how you see your business.