In this episode of the eRealEstateCoach podcast, we sit down with rockstar REALTOR® and Brokerage Owner, Rio Ingram. From patrolling the streets of Los Angeles as a police officer to dominating the Pacific Northwest real estate market, Rio has built an extraordinary business by mastering the art of relationship-building in unique and powerful ways. After rapidly growing a successful real estate team, he set his sights on something bigger—creating a thriving brokerage built on community, collaboration, and a shared commitment to local impact. His passion for rewarding and empowering agents has fueled explosive growth, proving that small-town success can rival even the biggest markets. Tune in as Rio shares his insights on leadership, culture, and the key strategies that have driven his brokerage’s rapid expansion. Whether you’re an agent, team leader, or brokerage owner, this episode is packed with takeaways to help you level up your business!

When you step into the role of recruiter for your team or office, you have to shift gears. You likely came from production, where you were a top agent and a confident salesperson. Talking to buyers and sellers felt natural.

But then you put on the recruiter hat, and suddenly making that first call to a potential recruit feels daunting—like the phone weighs a thousand pounds. It feels awkward and uncomfortable. Why is that?

It’s because you don’t have the skillset yet. Confidence comes from competence, and competence comes from learning and practice. The good news is you can develop those skills by getting coached and learning from others who’ve been where you are. We’ll share some tips and tools to help with that in a moment, but first, let me give you something to think about.

If you’re serious about growing your team or office, you need to commit at least one hour a day to recruiting. Without that, your business is at risk.

Here’s where...

You might’ve had a call where you had a great conversation with a potential recruit—someone you thought would join your company—and then suddenly they went cold. They didn’t join.

What happened?

Well, it’s not about your offer. It’s not about you, what you said, or didn’t say. It’s about their timing. Timing is unique for every agent. Every agent has a runway—that is, the time it takes for them to join your firm. Some have a short runway, some a long one, and others a really long runway.

It’s not about your timeline; it’s about theirs. And here’s the key: the fortune is in the follow-up. But you don’t want to apply pressure.

Here’s what the worst recruiter does: “Jim, we’ve got to get you over here. Let’s make it happen!”

That approach is all about your needs, not theirs.

People often have legitimate reasons they can’t make a change right now. They may have things going...

Do you think your buyers have unrealistic expectations about the homes they’re seeing because of TV shows about housing, fixing up, and flipping?

The answer is absolutely yes.

In fact, 73% of homebuyers have unrealistic expectations based on their TV viewing habits.

So, what can we do about it? We can either do nothing and have them feel disappointed every time they walk into a house, or we can reset their expectations and shift their mindset. Here’s how we do it.

Many of us are already using buyer questionnaires before meeting with clients—sent via text, JotForm, or Google Forms. These questionnaires help us understand their needs. One useful question to add could be:

"Do you watch reality TV about housing? If so, what are your favorite shows?"

When you get this feedback, it gives you insight and lets you address the issue during your first meeting.

For example, in your buyer presentation, you might say:

"Hey, I noticed you like to watch reality TV about housing....

I've heard this so many times over the years: "My market's different, Jim." When it comes to recruiting, people say, "We're in a tiny market, a rural market, a niche market, or a very cliquey market. People here don’t make moves like they do in big cities. Recruiting doesn’t work here."

Let me tell you something: I come from a small town with a population of 25,000. I’ve worked in big cities, small towns, medium-sized cities, and even cliquey ones. Here’s the reality: the numbers behind recruiting aren’t something I’m making up. These are national statistics.

The average agent in America moves every five years.

Look at your entire database of agents in your market and think about this: every single one of them will likely move in the next five years.

Statistically, some will move sooner, some later, but overall, they’re going to move.

The question is: where are they going to go?

Think about your own career. Did you stay at one company...

What's the number one motivator for someone to move from Company A to Company B? It's not the commission plan, so get that out of your head.

The answer is this: the reason I'm going to move from Company A to Company B is because I believe Company B can help me close more transactions.

Transaction count is the number one motivator for all agents. Yet, when I talk to most brokers and ask them to list the top five reasons someone should join their firm, the first things they often mention are: "We've got a great culture here. It's a family organization really connected to the community. People just trust each other. We've got a great staff."

These are all fantastic qualities, but let me tell you what that is: soft value.

Soft values are what keep agents at your company. People love to work at places with great culture, a charitable spirit, an open-door policy, and strong support staff.

But soft value isn't what moves an agent from Company A to Company B.

What moves agents is one thing:...

Hey guys, let’s talk about your power base and why it matters. Your power base number is a great way to measure the health of your database. In real estate, our databases generate the majority of our sales—this has been proven time and time again.

Let’s break it down with some math, because the path is in the math:

If you have a database of 200 people, how many transactions should that generate? The ratio is simple: 10 to 1. For every 10 people in your database, you should generate one sale. So, a 200-person database should produce about 20 transactions.

That’s a general guideline. Let’s make it personal. To find your power base number, take the number of transactions you’ve closed in the past 12 months and divide it by the total number of people in your database.

For example, if you have 200 people in your database but only closed 10 transactions, divide 200 by 10. That gives you 20, meaning for every 20 people, you’re averaging one closed...

What if your next transaction is embedded in your current transactions? This is such an easy concept but often overlooked by many agents. Every escrow you have is a pathway to more escrows. Let me share three key strategies to help you leverage this opportunity.

First, introduce every single person you're in escrow with to your VIP program. You might say, "I don’t have a VIP program." Well, you need to start one. A VIP program simply means telling your clients:

"Now that you’re my client and we're closing this transaction, I’d like to invite you to my VIP club. Here’s how it works: If you hear someone thinking about doing real estate business and refer them to me—even if they don’t close—that act alone makes you a VIP. As part of the VIP club, you’ll get access to special events throughout the year, quarterly prizes, and a grand prize at the end of the year. Plus, for every referral you send, you’ll receive a small gift from me."...

Here's a question for you: When you're working with a buyer for the first time, do you have a pre-buy meeting checklist?

If not, you're probably not delivering the highest level of service possible. A pre-buy meeting checklist helps you prepare to serve your clients at the highest level.

What could that checklist look like? Let me share some items on my checklist that might give you an "aha" moment to add to your own.

1. Research the Buyer

First, I research the buyer. I do a Google search to ensure there are no red flags and check their social media. This helps me gather additional information that may not have come up during our initial conversation.

I also connect with them on social media, talk to their lender to understand their financial needs, and reach out to whoever referred them. These steps help me get a comprehensive understanding of who they are.

2. Prepare the Buyer

Next, I prepare the buyer. I send them a qualifying questionnaire—just four or five...

Here’s a question: Of the three types of real estate companies I’m about to describe, which do you think is the most dangerous to own in terms of survival?

• Type 1: Small boutique company with 1–30 agents, operating in a metro or small town.
• Type 2: Mid-size firm with 30–70 agents, maybe up to 100 in a bigger city.
• Type 3: Large firms with 70–100+ agents, scaling up to hundreds or even thousands.

Which one is the most dangerous?

For brokerage owners watching this, the answer is the mid-size company.

Here’s why: mid-size companies lack the economies of scale that smaller or larger companies enjoy.

• Small boutique companies operate on a lean footprint with minimal staff. They can hit their niche, maintain high profitability, and foster strong loyalty among their agents. They’re easier to manage and highly efficient.
• Large firms benefit from collective contributions. Even small amounts from many agents add up, allowing for investment in larger...