What if your leads did the hard work for you?

That's the idea behind Mike Heddle's five verticals. In this episode, the team leader and broker of Heddle Real Estate (Royal LePage, Hamilton, Ontario) breaks down the income streams that generate 120 to 140 organic leads a month, and the system that makes sure not a single one falls through the cracks.

Christine and Mike discuss:

• Why he calls them "verticals" (pillars of income) instead of sources of income
• The 5 verticals: institutional relationships, new development, investors, referral networks, and center of influence
• How a nap and a prank call from his sister sparked his first big vertical
• The "Deal of the Week" campaign he's run every Friday for 10 years straight
• His CRM lead stages, from hot prospect to nurture to the "jerk rule" trash bucket
• The 3 leading indicators he tracks (hint: not dials)
• How he nurtures past clients with his Home Advisory Club and Mastery 90s
• The filter he runs every "shiny object" through before adding it to the business
• Why AI can make you efficient, but can't build the relationship for you

Mike's model gives you a blueprint for building a business that doesn't depend on any one thing.

Connect with Mike:

Website: heddlerealestate.ca

Instagram & Facebook: @mike.heddle

Connect with Christine: Sign up for The SunBeam newsletter at postandbeamcreative.com

Some agents market their community involvement. Corrie Harding-Keizs lives it.

Corrie Harding-Keizs is our guest this week. She's the broker and team leader of CHK Real Estate, a top 1% Royal LePage team serving South Mississauga, South Oakville, South Etobicoke, and downtown Toronto. Her whole business grew out of one simple thing: curiosity about the place she calls home.

Corrie shares how showing up in her community, at school events, food drives, an annual neighborhood yard sale, and her new video series Rooted built a reputation and a referral engine she never set out to create. As Corrie puts it, the business was never the goal. It was the gift.

If you have ever felt pressure to market yourself in a way that does not feel like you, this one is for you. Corrie shows what it looks like to lead with heart, stay consistent, and let your real estate business grow from who you actually are.

Visit Corrie's team

Follow Corrie on Instagram

corrie@corriehardingteam.com

What do you do when the safe path stops being safe?

Jess Lane spent 20 years building iconic brands like Jim Beam, Visa, Miller, and Porsche. She helped a fintech company reach billion-dollar unicorn status. That same year, she was laid off with 150 other people, and then applied to 496 jobs.

That low point became her turning point.

In this episode, Jess joins Christine to share how she combined two decades of go-to-market experience with a master's in psychology to build The Full Cup Co, a career design company that helps people choose themselves and design what comes next.

Jess shares her philosophy on why your unique blueprint is the best way to stand out in a world that sounds more and more like AI, how self-determination theory explains what actually keeps you motivated for the long haul, and why real estate agents are uniquely positioned to solve one of the biggest human problems out there: loneliness.

If you have ever felt stuck, boxed in by who you were "supposed" to be, or unsure how to build something durable enough to weather a slow year, this one is for you.

Connect with Jess:

• Website: fullcupco.com
• LinkedIn: Jess Lane
• Instagram: @thefullcupco

Connect with Christine:

Sign up for The SunBeam newsletter at postandbeamcreative.com.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend, follow the show on your favorite podcast app, and subscribe on YouTube so you never miss another episode.

This episode is supported by BKeeperAI. Learn more at bkeeperai.com.

Can you really build a real estate business on Instagram without chasing viral fame or a massive follower count? Chris Wannamaker says yes, and he has the numbers to prove it.

In this episode, Christine George sits down with Chris Wannamaker, co-team leader at The W Group at RE/MAX Connect in Toronto. After a successful career in PR and advertising at Edelman, the world's largest PR firm, Chris moved into real estate eight years ago and now earns 30% of his personal book of business through Instagram.

Chris shares exactly how he does it: a modest ad spend of $100 to $150 behind each listing video, a same-day personal message to every new follower, and a simple iPhone shortcut that lets him do it all in about five minutes a day. No bots, no autoresponders, no 200,000 purchased followers. Just a targeted, engaged audience of around 9,000 people who actually know him.

We also get into the personal-versus-professional content mix, the content systems that keep his team consistent without burnout, and why he invests real money in client events and his CRM to take those online relationships offline.

Chris Wannamaker, Co-Team Leader, The W Group at RE/MAX Connect

Website: wgrouprealestate.ca

Instagram: @cwans

Sign up for The SunBeam newsletter at postbeamcreative.com.

This is the season's Best Of, where Christine went back through some of her favorite conversations and pulled together seven tips that really resonated. They're sorted into the three things your whole business runs on: getting people to know you, like you, and trust you.

In the KNOW section, Angie Javier from realtor.com shares the slightly nerve-wracking thing she does when an agent says business has slowed down, Google expert Tasia Custode demystifies the Google Workspace ecosystem, and SEO expert Emily Gertenbach explains why your first-person expertise is the one thing AI can't copy.

In the LIKE section, brand strategist Scott Coligan makes the case for looking outside real estate to stand out, and Marc Davison challenges what you think personal branding really is.

In the TRUST section, happiness expert Valerie Alexander gives you a simple framework for the culture behind your brand, and we close a little closer to home with BKeeperAI co-founders on why human verification is our non-negotiable.

Show Notes

Featured in this episode:

• Angie Javier, (from Ep. 136)
• Tasia Custode, Google expert (from Ep. 137)
• Emily Gertenbach, SEO, EG Creative Content (from Ep. 139)
• Scott Coligan, fractional CMO, Human Experience Method (from Ep. 135)
• Marc Davison, 1000 Watt (from Ep. 134)
• Valerie Alexander, Speak Happiness (from Ep. 138)
• Laura O'Connor and Eric Hunsberger, BKeeperAI co-founders (from Ep. 140)

Chapters:

• 00:00 A look back at the season
• 00:36 Welcome: three sections, seven tips
• 01:30 Angie Javier: can buyers actually find you online?
• 04:42 Tasia Custode: the Google Workspace ecosystem, explained
• 06:46 Emily Gertenbach: why your first-person expertise is the real SEO
• 11:50 A quick word: BKeeperAI early access
• 12:48 Scott Coligan: stand out by looking outside real estate
• 14:37 Marc Davison: the brand assets you're already sitting on
• 19:07 Valerie Alexander: the three things that build trust behind the scenes
• 23:00 Closer to home: BKeeperAI and human verification
• 23:50 Close

Links:

• Subscribe to The SunBeam newsletter
• BKeeperAI

Your website might be beautiful and still not be working. This week, website developer and brand strategist Katy Martin of Joyful Design Co. joins Christine to make a case that surprises a lot of agents: content matters more than color.

Katy shares the simple litmus test for whether your headline is actually unique, why photography is the most important investment you can make in your site, and what a website is even for now that AI answers most questions before someone ever clicks through. You'll also learn how to read the story hiding in your website data, and the one thing to go check on your homepage today.

This conversation will show you how to make your website communicate, connect, and convert.

Visit Katy: https://joyfuldesign.co/

Check out our branding and website collaboration packages: https://www.postandbeamcreative.com/real-estate-branding

Most startup conversations happen after the success. This one's different. I'm sitting down with my two BKeeperAI co-founders, Laura O'Connor and Eric Hunsberger, right in the middle of our launch.

We get into where the idea actually came from (it starts with a box of receipts and a lot of dread), why we built an expense tool with no app to open — just text — and the one thing we decided we'd never compromise on, even though it costs more: real human support.

We also talk about the decision we debated longer than anyone would guess, the difference between tension and conflict on a founding team, and what success actually looks like 12 months from now. If you've ever wanted to build something - or you just dread tax season - this take a listen.

SEO might be the most misunderstood topic in real estate marketing, and honestly, a lot of what you've heard about it is either wrong or already outdated.

In this episode, Christine sits down with Emily Gertenbach, a content writer and SEO expert who has a lot to say about what's actually working in search right now and a lot to say about AI.

They break down what SEO really is in easy-to-understand terms, why your blog is more critical than ever, and what Google just said that essentially debunked the entire concept of "GEO" as a separate strategy. Emily also explains why AI-generated content is likely hurting your search performance rather than helping it, and what to do instead.

Resources mentioned:

• Emily Gertenbach's website: egcreativecontent.com
• Emily on LinkedIn: Emily Gertenbach
• Fathom Analytics: usefathom.com
• Google Search Console: search.google.com/search-console
• BkeeperAI (Christine's expense tracking tool for solopreneurs): bkeeperai.com

What happens behind the counter or behind the scenes of your brokerage shows up at the front door. In this episode, I'm joined by returning guest Valerie Alexander, happiness expert, TED Talk speaker (over 1 million views!), author of Happiness as a Second Language, and founder of the Science of Workplace Happiness.

Valerie and unwrap why unhappy workforces are costing U.S. businesses $700 billion a year, and what that means for your real estate business specifically. We talk about the three things every employee (and contractor) needs to feel engaged: accomplishment, autonomy, and acknowledgment. We get into why so many leaders are "accidental managers," what happens when you let your top producer behave badly, and how to protect your brand even when you're not in the room.

Whether you're a solo agent with a VA and a transaction coordinator or a team leader managing a full brokerage, this conversation will shift how you think about culture, leadership, and what your brand is really saying when you're not the one saying it.

Make sure to follow Valerie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speakhappiness-keynotespeaker/

Visit her website:

https://www.speakhappiness.com/

Think you know Google? Think again. In this episode, Christine sits down with Tasia Custode, Google expert, content creator, and host of Talk Techie to Me, to break down how real estate agents can use the Google ecosystem to get found faster, build trust, and streamline their business. From optimizing your Google Business Profile to leveraging Gemini inside Gmail, this conversation is packed with practical tools you can start using today. You'll walk away knowing exactly where you're leaving time and opportunity on the table and what to do about it.

Real estate success isn't about choosing between old-school and new-school; it's about blending both. In this episode, Christine sits down with Angie Javier, national speaker and content creator at realtor.com, to talk about what separates thriving agents from struggling ones in today's market.

Angie brings a rare perspective: she's worked at the agent level, the brokerage level, and at a hyper-local print marketing company, before landing at one of real estate's most recognized platforms. Her answer to what agents most commonly get wrong? They're either fully offline or fully online, and that split is costing them business.

In this conversation, you'll hear how to build a marketing plan that actually motivates you, why your bio needs to be optimized not just for clients but for AI, the difference between GEO and AEO (and why every agent needs to know it), and why the most successful agents never let technology replace the human touch.

Most real estate agents look to other real estate agents for inspiration. That's the problem.

In this episode, I'm joined by Scott Coligan, fractional CMO, former Miller Coors brand strategist, and one of the smartest consumer insights minds I know (and someone I've had the privilege of knowing since I hired him in 2007). Scott developed something called the Human Experience Method, a disruptive approach to consumer research that replaced sterile focus groups with deep ethnographic immersion, and the lessons he learned apply directly to how real estate agents can build brands that people actually feel something about.

We talk about what it really means to understand your client at a human level, why distinction is something you can intentionally create (and how industries like bereavement can actually help you), what Heywell's scrappy startup success can teach agents about investing in the right things early, and why your personality is your packaging.

If you've ever wondered how to stand out in a commodity market, take a listen.

You and your brand strategist have a disagreement — and it's a good one.

Marc Davison is the co-founder and creative director of 1000Watt, one of the most respected branding firms in real estate. With 40+ years of brand-building experience, he's one of the sharpest thinkers in the business. He's also, by his own admission, anti-personal brand.

In this episode, we go head-to-head on one of the hottest debated topics in real estate marketing. Marc argues that personal branding is a manufactured concept - a 1980s relic that's kept agents stuck in "Deborah with her dog" mode while sitting on an explosive vault of real business assets they've never thought to use. I push back, make the case for why personal brand still matters in today's market, and, somewhere in the middle, we find much more common ground than we expected.

Marc is also obsessed with customer experience. He spent all of 2024 mapping 100 buyer pain points and 100 seller pain points, and talks about why the "just sold" postcard is actively working against you, and what it actually means to build a brand versus just building a profile.

Connect with Marc at marc@1000watt.net

What if the real competitive advantage in business isn’t better technology… but stronger community?

In this episode, Christine George sits down with Stacey Soleil, Head of Community at Cloze, to unpack why community is quickly becoming one of the most important business strategies in today’s automated world.

Stacey describes community as the “connective tissue” between people, products, and purpose, the place where customers stop being users and become partners. Together, they explore why belonging drives loyalty, how community reduces churn in tech, and why real estate professionals should think of themselves as the connective force in their own local networks.

You’ll learn:

• The difference between community, customer support, and customer success
• Why belonging creates “stickiness” in businesses and brands
• How AI fits into community building (and where humans still matter most)
• What community looks like for real estate agents and local businesses
• Why personality is the secret ingredient to building loyal communities

Connect with Stacey on Instagram

Learn more about Cloze.

What if the reason you’re not getting invited to speak isn’t your talent… it’s your readiness?

In this episode, Christine spoke with nationally recognized real estate speaker Kendall Bonner, founder of Industry Speaks Academy, to talk about what it really takes to move from expert to industry contributor.

Kendall breaks down the three credibility elements every speaker needs:

• Street credibility

• Performance credibility

• Referral credibility

They talk about why event organizers don’t build events around speakers. They build them around topics.

Why beautiful storytelling isn’t enough.

And how to shift from ego to contribution so you actually get invited back.

If you’ve ever felt the nudge to get on stage or use your voice in a bigger way, this episode will help you understand the assignment of the room.

To learn more about Kendall's Academy, visit Industry Speaks Academy here.

What if the reason you’re not getting invited to speak isn’t your talent… it’s your readiness?

In this episode, Christine speaks with nationally recognized real estate speaker Kendall Bonner, founder of Industry Speaks Academy, to talk about what it really takes to move from expert to industry contributor.

Kendall breaks down the three credibility elements every speaker needs:

• Street credibility

• Performance credibility

• Referral credibility

We talk about why event organizers don’t build events around speakers.

Why beautiful storytelling isn’t enough.

And how to shift from ego to contribution so you actually get invited back.

If you’ve ever felt the nudge to get on stage or use your voice in a bigger way, this episode will help you understand the assignment of the room.

Because speaking isn’t self-promotion.

It’s service.

Find more information about Kendall's Industry Speaks Academy here.

Customer experience isn’t a training manual or a checklist. It’s a mindset that shapes trust, loyalty, and long-term growth.

In this episode of Know Like Trust for Real Estate, Christine George sits down with Elizabeth Dixon, former executive at Chick-fil-A, author of The Power of the Customer Experience, and nationally recognized speaker, to frame what truly creates unforgettable experiences.

Together, they explore:

• Why customer experience starts with leadership and culture not scripts
• The four mindsets every solopreneur needs to adopt
• How frontline moments either build or erode trust
• Why experience is the one thing competitors can’t easily copy
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Connect with Elizabeth and check out her books here: https://www.elizabethdixonspeaks.com/

Customer experience doesn’t end when the contract is signed. It actually starts there.

In this episode of Know Like Trust for Real Estate, Christine George sits down with Melissa Anderson, Director of Customer Success at MoxiWorks, to talk about what truly happens after the sale, and why that phase is where trust is either strengthened or lost.

This conversation goes beyond support desks and tech troubleshooting. Melissa breaks down what real customer success really means, how to uncover a client’s true goals, and why clarity, accountability, and expectation-setting are the foundation of long-term relationships.

If you’re a real estate professional who wants fewer misunderstandings, calmer clients, and more referrals, this episode will change how you think about service, communication, and value.

What if the biggest threat to your real estate business isn’t competition but apathy?

In this episode of Know Like Trust for Real Estate, Christine George sits down with Brittany Hodak, author of Creating Superfans and former Shark Tank entrepreneur, to break down why being “good enough” is the fastest way to be forgotten.

Together, they discuss:

• Why database size doesn’t equal influence
• How to make it easier to refer than forget
• Brittany’s SUPER framework for creating memorable, referral-driven client experiences
• Why consistency is what actually compounds results

This is perfect for the real estate professional who wants to stand out without shouting, build trust without gimmicks, and grow through relationships, not hustle.

Get to know Brittany.

Check out Brittany's Book, Creating Super Fans.

Consider her masterclass specifically for real estate.

Follow Brittany on Instagram.

This replay episode is one every real estate agent needs to hear right now.

AI is everywhere, and depending on who you ask, it’s either going to revolutionize real estate or replace agents altogether. In this conversation, Keith Robinson breaks through the fear, hype, and misinformation to explain what AI is actually changing, and where humans still matter most.

We talk about:

• Why AI is an evolution, not a revolution
• What AI can automate (and what it absolutely can’t)
• Why emotional intelligence, trust, and relationships aren’t going anywhere
• How agents should think about AI as a tool instead of a threat
• Where agents should focus before worrying about the latest tech