Team Leaders & Brokers Episodes

Five years after her first appearance on the show (Episode 3), Bailey Martin returns with a different story to tell. Earlier this year she left her longtime brokerage to open STA Sunrise Realty, built on a simple premise: real estate should feel human. Bailey has held her license for about a decade, spending seven years at her previous brokerage before striking out on her own. She's lived the markets she sells — eight years in World Golf Village, now over a year on Anastasia Island — and that firsthand experience shapes how she works with clients navigating St. Johns County's shifting landscape. The conversation covers what's really happening with sellers who bought at the top of the market and now can't afford to sell without bringing cash to closing, why she gave up her own 4% mortgage rate to move to the island, and how she coaches first-time buyers through a process most of them know nothing about going in. Her signature move with every client, especially those relocating…

Holly Frandsen didn't come up through real estate — she came up through sports marketing, and it shows in how she runs listings today. On this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Holly joins Tracy Hayes to break down how she and her mother-in-law, Tracy Frandsen, built the Frandsen Team at Christie's International Real Estate First Coast, and why keeping the team small and hands-on beats scaling up for its own sake. Holly walks through the content strategy behind the team's organic growth — 1,200 Instagram followers with individual videos pulling 40,000+ views, built on short, keyword-packed clips that withhold just enough information to generate real leads. From there, the conversation moves into buyer strategy across St. Johns and Clay County: what Rivertown and Eagle Harbor actually deliver that online research misses, how to price a resale home honestly against new construction incentives, and the CDD fees, insurance costs, and HOA line items that a pre-approval lett…

Holly Taylor spent nine years teaching elementary and special education before building The Taylor Team at Herron Real Estate in St. Augustine — closing 93 transactions worth $36 million in 2025 alone. In this episode, Holly and Tracy dig into what teachers bring to real estate that sales training can't replicate, then move into hyperlocal buyer and seller strategy for St. Johns County: the CDD-versus-HOA fee confusion that trips up new residents, why the Florida homestead exemption deadline costs unprepared buyers real money every year, and the lingering myths around VA loan offers that still cost military buyers negotiating power. Holly also walks through what a military family's compressed PCS timeline actually looks like from the agent's side, what buyers need to know before choosing SilverLeaf as new schools and amenities come online, and how she's advising buyers to win offers in a St. Augustine market where only 9% of homes sell over asking. It's a grounded, practical conversat…

Tanya Cosmini first joined Tracy on Episode 97 when she had just launched Realty ONE Group Elevate in St. Augustine. Four years later she's back — and the real education is what nobody told her was coming. Tanya breaks down what it actually takes to go from top-producing solo agent to broker-owner: the recruiting cycle that takes one to two years (not one meeting), why answering the phone is still the single biggest differentiator in brokerage, and how she built a collaborative culture where agents thrive instead of compete. She covers strategic pricing in St. Johns County — where 97% of listings are selling at or near list price — and why agents who ignore that data are losing listings. New construction, buyer agreements, realtor safety with Forewarn, leveraging virtual assistants, when to hire your first TC, and how she blends Buffini's referral systems with Tom Ferry's open house principles into a coaching program designed to get new agents under contract within 120 days. …

When tens of thousands of agents walked away from real estate during the 2023-2025 rate crisis, Laura Jean Ranneklev did the opposite. She opened her own brokerage — REMAX Welcome Home in St. Johns County — and went on to sell the six highest-priced homes in Durbin Crossing history. In Episode 326 of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, host Tracy Hayes sits down with Laura — a marketer, designer, and broker-owner who has spent nearly 20 years building one of the most recognizable personal brands in Northeast Florida. In her own neighborhood, they call her The Pineapple Lady. "They may not remember my name, but they remember that I love pineapples," she says. That's not an accident. That's brand discipline most agents never build. Tracy and Laura cover everything an agent, buyer, or seller in St. Johns County needs to hear right now: - Why she launched REMAX Welcome Home during one of the most volatile rate environments in decades — and how the REMAX/Real Brokerage merger anno…

Joselyn Reyes Carrion grew up in Puerto Rico dreaming of becoming a real estate agent. Today she's a Platinum Agent with United Real Estate Gallery, team lead of the iMath Group, and Jacksonville's 2025 Best Realtor as recognized by Folio Weekly. With over 300 families served and 9 years of experience across Duval, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns County, Joselyn brings strategy, heart, and relentless advocacy to every transaction. In this episode, Tracy and Joselyn cover what's actually happening on the ground in Jacksonville's 2026 market — from where relocating buyers are landing and why, to how the full cost of homeownership is catching buyers off guard. Joselyn shares how she navigates the insurance conversation, how she guides buyers through new construction versus resale decisions, and what it takes to serve military families on a 60-day PCS timeline from 2,000 miles away. Joselyn also gets personal — talking about building the iMath Team from scratch as a single mom of three,…

EPISODE 319 — ALLISON CHANCE | ANCHORED REAL ESTATE GROUP Allison Chance returns to the Real Estate Excellence Podcast for the first time since Episode 45, and five years later she has a lot to share. As the founder of Anchored Real Estate Group, a Military Relocation Professional, and a Navy wife who relocated eight times in ten years, Allison brings a perspective on Jacksonville real estate that very few agents can match — she has lived the experience her clients are going through. In this episode, Tracy and Allison dig into what is really happening on the ground in Northeast Florida right now. Allison breaks down why pricing a home correctly on day one is the single most important decision a seller can make, and why the strategy of listing high and dropping in small increments is quietly costing sellers thousands. She walks through her one-page listing presentation approach, how she reads cumulative days on market to set realistic expectations, and why sellers who wait for the pe…

Episode 313 features Megan Jernigan—five-time Diamond-Elite producer and Team Lead of The Jernigan Group at Compass—sharing what it really takes to build a high-performing real estate team in Nashville and serve clients across Williamson, Davidson, Sumner, and Wilson Counties. Megan doesn’t sugarcoat leadership. She talks about why your “team” is bigger than the people on payroll—your lender, inspector, flooring partner, movers—and why the standard is simple: “Everybody has to care.” She also breaks down the career reality for agents: “Year three is kind of the year that you're like, okay, I'm in or I'm out,” and why getting through that phase is where long-term momentum is built. This episode is packed with practical strategy: how she stays aggressive and proactive in finding buyers and sellers, why being physically present in neighborhoods (especially new construction) builds instant credibility, and how she protects the client experience by pushing value back to the customer—…

Episode 311 – Kim Knapp (NEFAR President): “Do It Right – Keep It Real” In this episode of Real Estate Excellence, Tracy sits down with Kim Knapp, one of the most influential leaders in Northeast Florida real estate—now serving as President of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) for 2025 while continuing to lead the Fleming Island office for Coldwell Banker Vanguard. Kim breaks down her 2025 vision for NEFAR and what agents actually need right now: stronger mindset, better contract knowledge, higher professionalism, and a commitment to doing things the right way. She shares details on major initiatives like the Top Five Forum (bringing together the top 5% of local producers with high-level speakers), expanding broker communication, building ready-to-use education slide packs, launching more regional lunch-and-learns, and increasing involvement with a goal of 500 engaged volunteers. They also dig into the realities agents are facing today—post-settlement chan…

In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Christina Swyers, a multi-state real estate team leader, relocation specialist, and founder of Prime Living Properties. Licensed in both Missouri and Florida, Christina shares how she built a cross-market business while relocating her life and production to Northeast Florida. Christina breaks down what agents actually need to succeed — from choosing the right brokerage and building a powerful referral network to leveraging social media, video, and authentic relationships to stay top of mind. She offers real insight into negotiation, confidence, and why preparation and communication are non-negotiable in today’s market. The conversation dives deep into relocation challenges, including taxes, HOAs, CDD fees, and new construction pitfalls buyers often overlook. Christina also explains why local lenders, outside inspections, and strong representation matter — especially when working with builders. F…

EP. 301 – Jonathan Lickstein: What Makes a Great Broker in 2025 Jonathan Lickstein, COO of LoKation Real Estate, joins the Real Estate Excellence Podcast to break down what truly separates top brokers from the rest. Leading over 5,000 agents across six states, Jonathan shares how real leadership, agent support, and smart brokerage structure are transforming the industry. From his early career selling real estate in Honduras to building one of Florida’s fastest-growing brokerages, Jonathan reveals the mindsets and systems that help agents thrive. In this episode: The traits of truly great brokers What agents should demand from their brokerage Why support and access matter more than splits How AI and automation are changing brokerage leadership The secret to agent retention and real culture 🎧 Listen in and learn what it takes to lead—and to be led—at the highest level. 📍 Featuring insights for agents across Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, and all …