Why 10% of Agents Sell 90% of Homes

Summary

Podcast Summary – Pitch Me with Kayvon Kay

Episode: Why 10% of Agents Sell 90% of Homes
Guest: Leigh Brown, Leadership Guru & Real Estate Broker
Date: September 17, 2025

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Overview

This episode of Pitch Me dives deep into the realism and discipline behind top-performing real estate agents, exploring why only a small percentage of agents dominate the majority of the market. Host Kayvon Kay and guest Leigh Brown share stories, actionable insights, and unfiltered truths about building a lasting career in real estate, effective sales techniques, and the evolving challenges facing the industry today.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Leigh Brown’s Unique Background & Ethos

• Retro Kitchen Backdrop: Leigh’s office is set up with a historical kitchen set, inspired by Betty Fieser’s original TV studio from the 1950s, which she found in a house she was listing ([00:58]).
• Personal Story: Leigh is a North Carolina native with roots going back to colonial times, a family farm background, and a circuitous journey from Wall Street to chainsaw sales and eventually to her own real estate brokerage ([01:47]).
  • “Basically living the American dream every day.” – Leigh Brown ([01:47])

Defining Real Estate Success: Small, Mighty, & Highly Productive

• Small Team, High Output: Leigh leads a team of four agents—one of the top 1,000 brokerages in the country—emphasizing quality over quantity ([03:39]).
  • “Small but mighty. And the reality is we’re still one of the top 1,000 brokerages in the country…If you have highly productive people, I’d rather have my small crew than a bunch of non-producers.” – Leigh Brown ([03:39])
• Rejection of 'Boutique': Leigh resists the “boutique” label, aiming to be accessible to clients at all price points:
  • “I avoid the word boutique… I don’t want the person at the lower end of the price spectrum to feel like they can’t call me... I want everybody to have top professional service.” – Leigh Brown ([04:27])

Client-Centric Philosophy

• Service for All: Leigh recalls her father’s advice to treat every client call as an honor, regardless of the price point ([05:24]):
  • “From day one, I don’t care what your price point is, I’m going to treat you like you are the multimillion dollar property.” – Leigh Brown ([05:36])
• Building Futures: Real estate as a way to empower families and help them build stable futures ([06:45]).

Why 10% of Agents Sell 90% of Homes (Main Theme)

• Discipline & Commitment: Top agents treat real estate as a full-time, disciplined career—part-timers rarely succeed ([08:17]):
  • “You have to make a disciplined choice on day one. You’re either in or you’re not... Commitment takes you from the bottom to the top in a way that knowledge really can't do.” – Leigh Brown ([08:17])
  • “There’s no such thing as being half pregnant. You are or you’re not.” – Kayvon Kay ([09:01])
• Professional Identity: Selling real estate isn’t just a job, it’s an identity ([09:22]):
  • “You become it. It’s not what you do, it’s who you are...” – Kayvon Kay ([09:23])

The Pitfalls of Amateurs & Undervaluing Themselves

• Value in Professionalism: Leigh warns against agents offering free services, which devalues their expertise ([09:40]):
  • “The value isn’t in the stuff. The value is in you. Your ability to listen and help somebody else figure out how to respond in the marketplace.” – Leigh Brown ([10:13])

What Does a Real Estate Agent Actually Do?

• Professional Problem Solvers: The core of real estate is solving complex, often unpredictable problems ([11:11]):
  • “The truest explanation… is a professional problem solver.” – Leigh Brown ([11:11])
• Compensation Is Proof: The distinction between amateur and professional is whether you get paid for solving problems ([11:24]):
  • “If you suck at sales, you’re not going to get compensated.” – Leigh Brown ([11:24])

Emotional Intangibles & Personalization

• Real Estate ≠ Commodities: Buying a house is always emotional—much less repeatable and quantifiable than say, buying a car ([29:36]):
  • “Houses are emotional purchases. They’re not commodities. And what changes in a house is the unspoken parts. That could be the smell...” – Leigh Brown ([29:36])
• Personalized Process: Every client requires a different approach, especially families looking for stability ([13:10]):
  • “It boils down to the fact that it’s got to be a personalized solution. And isn’t that everything in life?” – Leigh Brown ([13:10])

Prospecting with Intention & Integrity

• Intentional Networking: Leigh succeeds by genuinely participating where her values align—at church, Habitat for Humanity, or the local gas station ([18:32]).
  • Example: Making connections at a gas station led to significant commercial real estate opportunities ([18:32]).
  • “Wherever you spend time and people can figure out who you are, they will reward you with business. And it’s not an overnight success, but it’s a long-term strategy that actually works.” – Leigh Brown ([19:57])

Leveraging Technology Without Losing the Human Touch

• AI and Adaptation: Both guests recognize AI as inevitable, but stress maintaining real human relationships ([21:01]):
  • “The ones that learn how to use AI and adapt…they’re the ones that will succeed. The ones that are fighting, they’ll find themselves beautifully equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.” – Kayvon Kay ([21:01])
• Small-Town Mentality, Big Impact: Leigh’s low-cost, high-visibility sales trick: answer (or pretend to answer) calls in public to spark conversations and prospect ([23:37]):
  • “Wherever you live is actually smaller than you think…if you treat your area like a small town by showing up.” – Leigh Brown ([24:30])

Industry Challenges & Change Management

• Lawsuits & Regulation: The real estate industry faces ongoing lawsuits and regulatory changes that impact brokers at every level ([26:59]).
  • “All I can look at it and think is these lawyers are making a big pile of money off of all this fussing…” – Leigh Brown ([27:26])
• Resilience Required: Change is constant; those who weather it, adapt, and evolve will come out stronger ([28:11]):

How the Buying Process Has Changed

• Information Shift: Buyers now come highly informed, sometimes knowing as much as (or more than) agents before touring ([29:36]).
• Experience Still Matters: Physical experience (smells, feel, community) is irreplaceable; the agent’s expertise is more valued during negotiation and due diligence than in property selection ([30:02]-[32:05]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Time | Quote | Speaker | |----------|------------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | 05:36 | “From day one, I don’t care what your price point is, I’m going to treat you like you are the multimillion dollar property.” | Leigh Brown | | 08:17 | “You have to make a disciplined choice on day one. You’re either in or you’re not.” | Leigh Brown | | 09:01 | “There’s no such thing as being half pregnant. You are or you’re not.” | Kayvon Kay | | 11:11 | “The truest explanation of a real estate agent is a professional problem solver.” | Leigh Brown | | 10:13 | “The value isn’t in the stuff. The value is in you. Your ability to listen and help somebody else figure out how to respond in the marketplace.” | Leigh Brown | | 13:10 | “It boils down to the fact that it’s got to be a personalized solution. And isn’t that everything in life?” | Leigh Brown | | 21:01 | “The ones that learn how to use AI and adapt…they’re the ones that will succeed.” | Kayvon Kay | | 24:30 | “Wherever you live is actually smaller than you think…if you treat your area like a small town by showing up.” | Leigh Brown | | 27:26 | “All I can look at it and think is these lawyers are making a big pile of money off of all this fussing…” | Leigh Brown |

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Leigh’s Backstory and Office Set Origin – [00:51]-[01:31]
• Philosophy on Serving All Clients – [05:21]-[06:10]
• Why Only 10% Succeed in Real Estate – [07:51]-[09:22]
• What Makes a True Professional – [11:11]-[12:17]
• On Commitment and Sales Identity – [09:01]-[09:23]
• Intentional Networking and Early Hustle – [18:32]-[20:10]
• Dealing With Industry Disruption (AI, Lawsuits, Regulation) – [26:59]-[28:29]
• Evolution of the Sales (& Buying) Process – [29:36]-[33:23]
• Leveraging Local Presence (Sales Trick) – [23:37]-[25:19]

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Conclusion

This episode brings the unvarnished realities of real estate sales to life. Leigh Brown’s unwavering commitment to professionalism, intentionality, and service demonstrates why a mere ten percent of agents have lasting, outsized impact in the industry. By treating every client equally, focusing on personal connections, and adapting to change, Leigh models the attitude needed not just to survive, but to thrive in today’s competitive real estate world.

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Connect with Leigh Brown:

• Social (all platforms): Leigh Thomas Brown
• Website: leighbrown.com
• Podcast: Real Talk with Leigh Brown

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Host: Kayvon Kay
Podcast: Pitch Me
Apply to pitch: pitchmepodcast.com

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“If you want to be a top producer, treat every connection as an honor, play to your strengths, and never stop learning—no matter how much the industry changes.”

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to Pitch Me the podcast where real salespeople, entrepreneurs and business owners step into the spotlight to pitch their products or service and get unfiltered real time feedback from the 38 million dollar high ticket sales titan himself, Kayvon K. No fluff, no sugarcoating, just brutal honesty, actionable insights and next level sales strategies to help you close bigger deals faster. If you want to pitch like a pro, dominate every sales conversation and take your business to the next level, you're in the right place. This is Pitch Me. Let's get started. And we're back on another episode with Pitch Me. And today I'm excited we have the leadership guru, awesome, awesome entrepreneur, Leigh Brown. Lee, how are we doing?

[B]

I'm even better now because I get to show off my little retro kitchen. In fact, you got your little fancy high tech background. We're like yin and yang here.

[A]

I actually, I noticed that do like your little fancy retro kitchen. What was the inspiration by that?

[B]

Oh, it's a long story. So I don't know how much your listeners want to hear, but the very first female led syndicated TV program was out of Charlotte, North Carolina back in the 50s and it was a lady named Betty Faser. So it was one of your home EC shows. She showed you how to cook things and how to fix a stain. And then a few years ago I found her set in the basement of a house that I was going to list for sale and I was like, that's Betty Fieser's kitchen. And so I asked if I could buy it. Shazam. I have taken her whole set and recreated it here in my office. And it's my favorite backdrop ever.

[A]

And with that story, I love it. And I know if you haven't actually little plug here, if you're listening on Apple, come to YouTube so you can actually physically see the set we're talking about. I love it. So Lee, tell us, tell us a little bit. Like who's Lee? What is Lee all about?

[B]

Well, I'm a North Carolina native and my roots here go all the way back to the colonial days of North Carolina. My family are patriots. And the birthday of the country is coming up here next year, which is wild. And we are a farm family and I grew up into a kid who went to go to Wall street, which wasn't for me. I sold chainsaws. That was great. But it wasn't for me and I landed in real estate as an entrepreneur 25 years ago. I still live here. I hang out with my family as much as I can. I Have two kids who are eligible to fly the nest as soon as they can, get a good job, and a husband who is more patient than he should be and basically living the American dream every day.

[A]

I love it. And with a lot of energy too. It's, it's awesome. It's awesome. So, real estate agent.

[B]

Well, I would say I'm actually a real estate broker because fancier, you know, vocabulary matters when you're trying to elevate your game. I do own my own brokerage and I have worked with buyers and sellers personally for 25 years. But at this stage in my career, I work with a select few buyers and sellers because I can cherry pick, which is a good Eric. And now we can educate all over the world on how to conduct real estate in a more professional way and be more profitable.

[A]

Okay, so I want to get into that because that's, that's very interesting because I actually have a little bit. I used to do some real estate training. So I remember back in the day the lunch and learns and the guy would come in at lunch and sell you a product and, and you know, speak to real estate agents. Believe it or not, imagine myself back then, I was selling websites before real estate agents were even on websites. Yes. So we were telling them how, you know, if you don't have a website, you go out of business nowadays. Right. If you don't have even social, heck, if you don't even have a podcast, you probably go out of business these days. So I get it, I love it. But you didn't just turn, and you're right, you didn't just turn into a real estate agent. You created your own brokerage. How many agents do you have?

[B]

Oh, there's only four of us. You know, we're small but mighty. And the reality is we're still one of the top 1,000 brokerages in the country. And it's always a good reminder to people that size is not always the way you measure things. If you have highly productive people, I'd rather have my small crew of highly productive people than a bunch of non producers.

[A]

So already we're going to change that for you because when I hear the language and terminology, I want to make sure we catch on. We said small, but we ain't small. We are boutique. You're a boutique broker?

[B]

Well, but I generally don't like that word. Can I tell you why? Oh, yes, because it imports an opinion that we're the luxury top end kind of brokerage, but we work with everybody from a single wide trailer and we do represent luxury homes too.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I avoid the word boutique and you can fix me on this if it would help. But I don't want the person at the lower end of the price spectrum to feel like they can't call me because I want everybody to have top professional service. So help me recraft.

[A]

Yeah, that's great. So we would have to figure out what's another way of saying boutique that doesn't isolate just with everything that you are, the way you speak and the way you hold yourself. I actually thought you were luxury.

[B]

Well, thank you. I'll tell my hairdresser.

[A]

He appreciate just, just. I thought for sure you're probably doing a little bit more. Well, I mean, are we talking ultra luxury, you know, $30 million homes? But I definitely thinking you're doing at least million dollar plus homes, not dealing with, you know, trailers, I think you said. Right. But you go all the way.

[B]

You know, it's the original affordable housing. And one thing I learned from my dad, my dad's a retired realtor. I should absolutely point out he was, by the way, the first realtor in Charlotte, North Carolina to have his own website. He was kind of fancy.

[A]

Yeah, pretty good.

[B]

But he told me on day one in this business, and actually he told me this in my other sales lives too, when the phone rings, it is someone who could have called anybody.

[A]

Anybody. Yeah.

[B]

And you have received the honor of that phone call. Never let them down. And so from day one is, I don't care what your price point is. I'm going to treat you like you are the multimillion dollar property because you never know what's happening in somebody else's life and how you can lift them up by being the one person who poured into them when everybody else told them they weren't enough. And I love my luxury properties. They're pretty fun to sell. But there's something special about the person who scratched and scraped and made it happen because now they're in the game too.

[A]

I, I absolutely love that. Again, I see how real estate's bigger for you than just selling homes and commissions right out of the gate. And you just said it there indirectly. The last thing is people who scraped and figured out whatever they had to do, make the, the meet the, the down payment to get in their first home. Doesn't matter the size of the home. You're helping people get into a home. People who maybe felt they never even had the ability to get at a home. You find them the right home, you're finding them right. Like the right process for them so they can walk in with their own keys. And I can see that you're very passionate about that. So that's fantastic.

[B]

Well, we, we want people to build a future that's financially stable. And I think every entrepreneur, one of our goals is to hire people so that we can provide a future for other people. It's so exciting when you get to grow jobs because other people then get to change their lives. Real estate's the same way. When somebody gets in now, later they can play up, but if they don't get in on step one, they're never going to be able to progress. And man, it's, it's just so empowering to watch somebody else make it happen. I didn't do it for them, I just helped show them the way. And then they get to go do big things and I get to sit back like a mom and say, good job, baby, good job.

[A]

Yeah, I, I love it. And you do that with a small, mighty, like we said, a small mighty, strong team. You're not looking to be bloated, you're looking to go deep and you're looking to be effective.

[B]

Oh, honey, I've had those days. I've had the lots of agents days and it's lots of headaches because even in the larger number of agents you still have a core that are wildly committed professionals and they are crushing it and you have a whole bunch, you're like, I don't have enough leads.

[A]

Yeah. So let's talk, I mean it's not, this broadcast isn't about that, but let's, let's talk about that because I think there's something there for all salespeople which, and I, and I, and I don't know what the stat is, but back in the day it was something like, again, typical, like 10% of the real estate agents make 90, you know, sell 90% of the homes. Why, why do you, would you say still accurate? Still accurate? Yeah. So why, why do you think that is?

[B]

Well, I personally believe that because real estate, you have to make a disciplined choice on day one. You're either in or you're not. And I love part time agents who feel like they could sell a house here and there, but they're not in. And they don't get up and treat it like a job and give themselves the discipline and manage themselves to success. Those top producers, they're up in the morning, they have a calendar, they have a schedule, they've got a plan, they got checklist and they will knock it down. The person over here, who wants to sell one house every three years isn't committed. And the commitment takes you from the bottom to the top in a way that knowledge really can't do. Matter so much more.

[A]

I love it because what, like, indirectly, what I always say is, there's no such thing as being half pregnant. You are or you're not. AKA you're committed and you're all in or you're out. There's no such thing as. I say, if I. If I was teaching or selling real estate, if I was in a real estate room right now, I'd be saying, this is. There's no such thing as a real estate agent who gets to take his cape off on Friday.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

You either take that, you put that cape on, and you. And you become it. It's not what you do, it's who you are or you're not. Because there's too many other real estate agents, as you know, that are committed and they're just going to eat your lunch. And that's where the 10% come from that make up 90% of the homes.

[B]

Well, it's so funny you mentioned that, because my hairdresser, who I paid exorbitant amounts of money to look like this, I'll be very honest. And he's wonderful. He texted me the other day and he said one of his clients has gone into real estate. And I said, oh, do tell, I can't wait to hear about it. And this person, because they're trying to break into the market, is offering everything for free. And he said, that doesn't make any sense. I said, you're right, it doesn't. Because in our business, we are paid success fees, and until you've sold the property, you ain't getting paid nothing. And so he's putting all this money out in hopes of one day getting compensated. He'll be broke within the year because he doesn't understand the value that he brings. The value isn't in the stuff. The value is in you. Your ability to listen and help somebody else figure out how to respond in the marketplace. And that comes from communication, being aware, being knowledgeable, and being in there, not about throwing money at it. You can't throw money at things and expect it to get fixed.

[A]

Let's unpack this if we have the time. Oh, my God. Like, there's so much there, right? So we can't throw money at things, right? Without what I heard here is like, without actually understanding, communicate and really know what you're doing in this job. So let's let's. This is really interesting. I love this. If we were to take a step back and say, okay, what do you. What is a real estate agent? We understand what a real estate broker is. You know, real estate broker, you know, owns the office and basically owns the business and has real estate agents under them. But in this case, what is a real estate agent? What is a real estate agent really do?

[B]

The truest explanation of a real estate agent is a professional problem solver.

[A]

Wow. Okay. Well, that's what sales is, is problem solving.

[B]

It is.

[A]

I mean, welcome to sales 101. Yes.

[B]

Compensated. When I solve a problem. So I'm not an amateur and I get very irritated with people who don't understand that the difference in a professional and an amateur is compensation. And if you suck at sales, you're not going to get compensated. In fact, there's always an episode of the office that will correlate to things in life. And if you remember when Pam tried sales and she was mad that she wasn't making any money and she said, oh, I guess it is fair that I don't get paid when I didn't sell anything. It was hilarious and true. So I'm professional and I'm a problem solver because in real estate I don't know what I'm going to encounter. I don't sell a commodity. I'm selling on emotion all the time. And not just my client, but the other side. And then I might have a survey issue, an inspection issue, a money issue, a human issue, I don't know. But my job as the pro is to say, okay, that's what we got, let's figure it out. And every day it's a let's figure it out day.

[A]

And it's, it's interesting because you're solving one of life's biggest problems, right? For like most people is owning a home, right? Finding the right home with a budget that they're excited about and that they're going to be again, I'm against the mortgage stuff, but you know, buy into a mortgage for 30 years.

[B]

Well, we want to look at the mortgage and the way that it's properly processed, which is it should be considered short term debt. Smart people lever themselves to get into the game and then pay it down. If you let your 30 year mortgage last 30 years, you did something wrong.

[A]

Okay, so I'm from Canada, right? So it's a little different there with the, with the mortgage are very special. But, but what I have, so I have this philosophy is you buy, you rent out what you own and you rent where you live. What's your thought on that, on that philosophy?

[B]

It depends on the person. Because if it's you as a single person and you're not emotionally connected, that might work. But if you are a parent and you've got a spouse and three little kids, they need stability. And if we look at what happens to children's educational futures, the longer they stay in properties, the better off they are as they learn and grow. Because kids need stability. So if you're a family with kids, you buy it and you live in it instead of paying somebody else rent. And when the kids are out of the house. Sure. Become an investor or be super duper smart. Buy a duplex, put your family in one side, rent the other side out. There's ways to accomplish it, but it boils down to the fact that it's got to be a personalized solution. And isn't that everything in life? We should stop commoditizing everything and get back to how each person has a unique perspective on it.

[A]

True problem solver in front of us. Right. Identify the problem, we'll figure out the solution. I love that. So if there's agents, I mean salespeople like sitting here because I even thought many people told me, oh, you should be in real estate, you know, agent. And I've always said no, like I know what I am, I know who I am. And it was just, it never really spoke to me. I understand it. Sure the commissions are incredible, especially when you get into like the 5, 10, 20 million dollar homes. But it's not for me. But what I love about it is what you just said. It's problem solving, it's sales, it's. You're in the people business.

[B]

Well, are we all, I mean, isn't everything sales? You have to have a winning package to get people to listen to your show and to watch your show. And that package is how you present it, how you put it together and who you bring on the show. It could be you're in the. Well, let's go back to the office again. Dunder Mifflin was a mid level paper processing company. But what was their key was the salespeople who sold the product so that somebody else could have their needs met. People that are good in real estate or people. People. We're probably terrible with the details, but we hire for that. Everything in life, if you would think about it, is sales. Dating is sales. I have a 19 year old and a 20 year old, they're terrible at dating, which I think all the young people are now you should do a whole series on what's happening to dating. But they're scared of failure. And I keep telling them that's the whole point. Dating is for the failure so that you recognize the success when you find it. And it's no different than me talking to some buyers and can't help you. Can't help you got one. It's just all a numbers game.

[A]

Yeah, I think we can go down that date. I just did actually a video on the whole dating what I think about the dating world, but we won't go down there. But the, the, the point of that video was very simply was the re. Like the whole dating world is messed up right now because actually being real and authentic is actually seen as weak today. You have to be manipulative. You got to play games. You got a gaslight if you want to win, which is so complete backwards of what true dating was, which chivalry was what picking up a girl and being your authentic self and showing her who you are and showing your heart and being kind. You do that, you lose. You actually lose the date. It's crazy. I don't want to get into it because that's not what this is, but.

[B]

It'S actually people doing their lips. Explain that to me.

[A]

Oh, my God. I don't even even get me. I. Oh, we gonna go down that.

[B]

Just because I'm middle aged, because I look at it and thinking, baby girl, what are you doing?

[A]

The. It's not even what's happening to their physically, to their body, but it is destroying them mentally and they don't realize it. And what happens is, is as you know, like they start being delusional, like they get body dysphormia and they start real like, forgetting that, like their lips are already too big. And you know who I actually blame? Outside of everyone else, you can blame, you know, media, all that. But the injectors, yeah, the injectors were like you who cared about their people, they would turn people away. So I know some professional injectors where I live, they tell me horror stories where they. But they turn people away. They don't let. They don't. And then. But the problem is those people will go to another one, another one, another one, until they find someone who's willing to just inject them. And they have these big lips. And I feel so bad for these young girls because they think it's pretty. They think it's cool. They think it's Miami and it's so gross. And it's and, and men don't like it. All ages. Men don't actually like it. We. We don't.

[B]

No. Women do it for each other. And that's where the. You go back to the fatal flaw in dating. If women are trying to impress other women instead of the men they're trying to attract, and they wonder why the men aren't attracted. Play to the right audience. Oh, wait, that sales. You play to the right audience, you're always talking to somebody where they are so that you can connect. But if you're talking in a. In a horizontal fashion instead of a vertical fashion, that's why you're not moving up.

[A]

Yeah, no, I hear that. I love that. So let's. Let's talk about. You're established now, right? So I would say as a. As a. As a result of all your hard work, your commitment, your dedication, I'm sure the phone rings for you. You don't have a lead problem. You pick up the phone, you close. But what was it like before that? Because you got. You had to work hard to get there. So what was your process like? What did you do to get to the position where, you know, the phone's ringing?

[B]

I go everywhere people are. Now, I'll preface this by saying I'm an introvert. I'm an intj. And so I had to fight my own preferences to go be successful in this business. But I wanted it because I wasn't cut out for the corporate world. I did not fit in corporate sales. So if I don't fit there, I may as well make this work. So, for example, at the gas station, one of my favorite stories ever, you spend a lot of money on gas in real estate because you're hauling and hoping you're taking people all over. And instead of paying at the pump, I would go inside and pay for my gas. Well, the same fellow was in there all the time. And finally he said to me, why are you buying so much gas? And I said, well, I'm in real estate. Why are you here all the time? And he said, I own this gas station. And I said, tell me about that. And he said, why would I spend money on labor when I can work here myself? Because a lot of our gas station owners are very understanding of their labor cost. Well, he and I struck up a friendship, and as it turns out, he owns 22 gas stations in the area. Yeah, commercial broker I am, because I was in there all the time. He and I had a very congenial relationship where I wasn't the kind of customer That I see on the TikTok who walks in thinking they're better than the proprietor. And I engaged with him. And so he has my business cards and he hands them out. And then I would volunteer at places that mean something to me, like my church and also Habitat for Humanity. Not just going to a nonprofit because other people are there, but the places where my heart is in time and wherever you spend time and people can figure out who you are, they will reward you with business. And it's not an overnight success, but it's a long term strategy that actually works.

[A]

So what came up for me there, and I just was so important, was intention and integrity. And when I say intention, you were intentional of where you went because you just said you're not just showing up there because you're broke or told you to, or you read someone told you to do that. You're showing up because you know, yeah, it could help with business, but you're intentionally showing up to the places where business or no business is where you're supposed to be. You're also getting something out of it yourself just for being there, providing, whatever, whether it's giving or taking. And, and as a result, you're intentional in your integrity. And that's the type of people want. People want to be business, where they want to be in business with people that they can know like and trust well.

[B]

And especially if you look at the changing world of AI, which I'm. I don't like in so many ways, but I use it in several ways. So I'm. I guess I'm a hypocrite.

[A]

Whatever you got to, you got to. You got to use it. You got to respect it, you got to use it, but you got to understand how to use it. Because I believe that we live in a world two. There's two. Two things are going to happen, like two groups of people. The group that's going to fight it, you're going to say AI is not taking over. And then the group that understand it's here, it's been here forever, but it's here and it's here forever. And the ones that learn how to use the AI and adapt to the AI, they're the ones that are going to exist, they're the ones that are going to succeed. And the ones that are fighting, they're going to find themselves beautifully equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.

[B]

Well, but they can also be in my third group of beautifully equipped. But by knowing AI but still hating it and that it should take over and won the world. So we'll be the third questioning group.

[A]

Yeah, but you're using it. You are, you know, you gotta, you gotta.

[B]

But I use it for, I take my human piece and let it. Yeah, I can be a little abrupt in emails, I'll admit it. And so one of the good uses of chat is to take my very abrupt emails and say, please soften this a little bit. Yeah, soften it. And then I can edit because it needs to be edited because I don't use 87 emoji. And so spoiler alert for any of your viewers and listeners, if you use chat GPT get, go back and backspace over those 47 emojis.

[A]

Get rid of the emojis and the dashes. The dashes. What are you leaving the dashes? And I tell people like, oh, you don't want to get caught in GPT. Two things. Just simply do take out the emojis and take out the dashes. That is it.

[B]

You know, it's going to start using ellipse soon because that's what my mother uses in every one of her tests text. And So I know ChatGPT is going to learn that from her. And then I got three things to watch for. But anyway, so I can go back and I can take my piece, get it softened and then edit it. So it does add a step in, but it actually helps me with my connections. And I'll take the help side of AI. But I brought that up because if I think about where it's going to interrupt relationships, salespeople are going to have a lot of relationships interrupted because they're forgetting the intentionality of the face to face. And an example I'll use is this. I can get the grocery store app to put my list together. Cause the grocery store, by scanning my little barcode knows exactly what I'm going to buy week over week and replenish it. But I will not do that. Because when I walk into the store, I get to interact with the staff and the other customers and I can drop strike up a conversation. Here's my favorite sales trick. I will pick up my phone and say, good afternoon, Leigh Brown. And I say it nice and loud so everybody around me can hear that I'm in the store. And then I'll hang up my fake phone call and they'll come over and say, oh, I had a question about this and that.

[A]

And I'll say, oh, wow, you do that?

[B]

Of course I do. That is the easiest prospecting ever.

[A]

You know what it cost me $0 and I want, I don't think people picked up that. I don't know if a lot of people would have picked up what you just did there. I did. That's genius. So you know, again, know your audience, know yourself, be self aware. You want to be a great salesperson. You know your audience, you know the city you're in. It sounds like it's a smaller mom and pop. Everybody, I mean, I'm sure your billboards are everywhere. And everybody knows Leigh Brown. So Lee Brown walks in the, into the grocery store and out brings, brings her phone out. This is just awesome. And she goes, hey, Lee Brown here, right, Has a little bit of a fake conversation, gets off. Oh, who's Lee Brown? I know Lee Brown. People are sudden coming up to you and there is bubbly Lee Brown just saying here, how can I solve your problems?

[B]

Well, you know what's interesting? My, my city is about 180,000 people. It's not a tiny place, but wherever you live is actually smaller than you think because you frequent the same gas stations, the same grocery stores, the same restaurants. We're humans and by nature we are mimetic creatures. We do what other people are doing and we repeat our own patterns. So if you treat your area, I mean, you could live in Toronto and treat your area like a small town by showing up. I'm in there so frequently, they know me. And frankly, one of the reasons I have the hairdo that I do is because it is recognizable from a distance. I don't want to have everybody else's look because then I lose my advantage. And I also have never tried to get rid of my southern accent because I know it is a get out of jail free card with a whole lot of the inappropriate things that I've been known to say.

[A]

Yeah, I love it. So. And then you said earlier, you don't just, you're not just a brokerage. You said you talk, you do speeches and you travel all over the US As a leader, as a spokesperson for real estate, for brokerages.

[B]

Well, as a hired gun really, to come into associations and brokerages and leadership events, to talk about sales and leadership and sometimes the practical side of real estate, but more frequently about the strategy side and the strategic planning. And what are you supposed to do when everything's changing? AI is going to be this generational game changer like email was when it came out in what, 92 and 93. It's that big of a shift and a lot of people are panicked right now, which I think is where the I ain't touching it comes from is just, I don't, I don't, I don't want to learn anything else. I don't, don't make me learn it. And so they're in panic and I come in and I can talk about the changes I've been through in my life and in this profession and help give people a little bit of juice and fire back. But I won't lie to you, my favorite place to go is to Asia to teach. I've spoken on five continents and what I have found is that Asian audiences are so hungry for ideas and information, they are dialed all the way in. God, love on my. American audiences get a little bit numbed and they can't put these things down and they get so dialed into this little poisonous device, they lose sight of where they are. Yeah, it's a challenge that we have out there, but I love nothing more than a challenge.

[A]

I love it. So what do you think is, what do you think that these real estate agents, you know, are facing right now? Like, what are some of the threats that are happening?

[B]

Oh, my heavens. If you look at the newspapers, there's a headline every day. This lawsuit and that lawsuit and our trade associations are being sued by this person and that one in class action. And the brokerages are going after the multiple listing services. And it is daily drama. And all I can look at it and think is these lawyers are making a big pile of money off of all this fussing because we all know what happens when you're mad and I'm mad and we sue each other. Who wins?

[A]

No, I don't ever deal with lawyers because the only people that win, people don't realize that only people that win are lawyers. Like, I don't like, like everything I can do to not deal with a.

[B]

Lawyer unless it's a traffic ticket, in which case lawyer will save you a lot of money.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Different conversation. But when I look at the upheaval around the lawsuits and how the structure of real estate is being changed by regulatory agencies and by lawsuits and legal reactions, Those are the 30,000 foot changes that are impacting the day to day life of a tiny entrepreneur. Because most real estate brokers are solopreneurs. They're doing it on their own. They may expand, but their practice is being changed by the upper level. And, and they don't really know how to react to that. And so I feel one of my roles is to encourage them because every other time an industry has gone through an upheaval, there are A lot that have come out the other side stronger. The question is if you're going to be the one that comes out or if you're going to give up and go somewhere else. And right now is the time to make that choice.

[A]

How's the buying process change for. For buyers? Like, so someone you know in the market, like, you know, 10 years ago, they. I'm assuming it's changed quite a bit. Uh, and the reason I'm asking. So you give you the reason I'm. What's coming up for me. I know, for instance, the car industry. The car industry. And you just go shopping for a car. You would. On average, I think it was like four to five dealerships you would go to. Now it's 1.1. Me personally, I don't even go to the dealership. I already know the car I'm buying. I. I know the car better than the salesperson does, better than even the general manager does, because I've already built it 125 times on the line. I know the colors, I know the specs, I know everything. I come in, I don't even need to go to the dealership. I just make a call, credit card, send me the papers. I'm done. How is that? How you seeing that that's changed in real estate? And the reason I'm saying that is good. Real estate agents, I could tell, right. They bring in the drone, they bring in that type of. Whatever that video is, where it's 3D. You can walk right through the house. You can envision yourself in the house with your family. I don't even need to go see it. I, you know, I go see it just for due diligence. I already know if I want to be in that or not. Like, how does that affect the real estate agents?

[B]

Well, there's a really important distinction between automobiles and houses. And that's the. On the automobile side, you're definitely buying a commodity item because the car that you built could be built again and replicated. And it is what it is. Houses are emotional purchases. They're not commodities. And what changes in a house is the unspoken parts. And that could be the smell.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If you've ever been in a smoker's home or somebody who owned cats, it's going to have a different price in the market than something else. And we don't currently have smell o vision, although I'm sure that's coming right after AI and then we'll have that handle. But when I take somebody into a house, there's this Weird sense that it's either home or it's not.

[A]

You can feel it. Can you feel it right away in their eyes?

[B]

They start sparkling. They're like. I'm like, oh, this is the house. And if they walk in the wrong house, you're like, well, I mean, it checks. All the boxes looked good online, but it's not your house. And if it's not your house, we keep going.

[A]

Yeah. Are you. Are you. Are you up front like that? Do you just say, let's just move. Let's just stop wasting time?

[B]

Why are we looking around if you're not buying it? That's like going on a date with somebody you're never going to marry. Why would you waste their time and yours? And the thing you have to remember, too, is that when you're viewing a home, somebody else lives there. They'd like to come back and finish supper. They'd like to come back their day. But you're spending an hour somewhere, you're not going to vibe. Well, that's just rude. Realizing there's an emotional component and it's because a car, you'll drive it, you'll enjoy it, it becomes your own. And then when you go to trade it in, you just take all your crap out and put it in the next car with the house. But that's where your babies lay their head down to sleep at night. And that's where mama had her last Thanksgiving. And. Or for y', all, it's your last Canada Day. And. And we just love it so much. And yeah, you've got all these memories wrapped up into it. So look at fewer houses. But if you look at the buying process, the reason it hasn't gone on Amazon is because if you click to buy, it's still. You don't know the house. Because it's. The community drives the value, the smell drives the value, the feel drives the value more than just the bedrooms, bathroom, square footage. And so in a Internet world, our buyers find their own houses. It's quite frequently. I got a text just a little bit ago. We found the house. Okay, great. So why do they need it?

[A]

That's what I was saying. It's changed where you used to actually probably have to really go find the house for them. They already found that between mls, all the websites, blah, blah, blah, they found the house. They're just getting you to broker it.

[B]

Right. And so that's the hard part. Because the hard part is from the time you find it until we get you into it, it's the hiccups. You don't even know. So my professional problem solver, Hatch, well, what happens if we've got an encroachment on the survey? What happens if there is mold in the crawl space? What do we do if, do we still buy it? Do we not? And my job is to counsel through the entire process and help them figure out how to be financially stable in this house. And when I'm working with someone buying a home, we're going to make sure they're equipped for taxes, they're equipped for insurance, and the unknown things that are going to happen. The FAQs on a Zillow can give you some ballpark ideas, but they don't understand North Carolina law, which is different than South Carolina law, which is different than California laws. You have state specific laws, state specific regulations. I've got geographical things to consider. So my dirt here is different than the dirt two hours east here. The weather in Canada is far different than the weather in North Carolina. How does that impact a house? So my knowledge actually is more visible now because they don't have to look at 57 houses, they look at three and buy one. But they get to see my knowledge sooner. So it's just a different way that the time is allocated.

[A]

It has changed then because you just said like used to be like 57, you know, houses, now it's three. Like, it's like they go to a couple houses and that's about it. So it's changed anymore.

[B]

And that's a good thing. But the sad part of it though is sometimes you rule out a house from the Internet that could have been perfect because in your head you said I have to have X, Y, Z. But houses are so different with the way that they feel when you walk in. And you know the number one phrase on HGTV is natural light. Well, your definition of natural light might be different than mine.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So if you fail to look at a house because you think it's not right, well, sometimes you do need to walk in and, and see how it sits because it's a different kind of purchase.

[A]

So it's an experience. And you're right, it's a very emotional, very, you know, heavy financial experience. And you're, you're basically the doctor, the sales person, the therapist, and then the friend through it all and making sure that we feel, see, we feel safe purchasing the home knowing that we're buying the best home for our needs. And I'm sure because you've been doing this, you have a book of homes that maybe are not being Shown up on Zilla or whatever it might be that, you know, that'd be perfect for our needs. Like.

[B]

Well, that's the goal. Right. Is to say, well, let's, let's talk about it. Because I am visible in the community. So people do come to me and say, we're going to sell. If you hear of somebody before, before we go.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Hardcore with it, let us know. Well, I can, I can quietly have conversations and that benefits people sometimes. But I'll be honest with you, I think sellers get the best outcome by being fully exposed to the market. And a lot of times when they want me to quietly get the word out there, it's because they haven't really committed to packing up yet. They don't really want it to sell. And so they're testing the waters. And I don't mind helping people process through because it can be a long process. It's big.

[A]

Well. And it's a big decision. Right. Like you said, like, especially if you're talking with a family who's been in there for 20 years and mom has all the memories, it's not as easy as people think. Just pick up and, and walk away. Moving. What do they say? The biggest stressors. Right. Moving career and what's the other one? In public speaking? Yeah. Yeah. Public speaking. That's their number one fear.

[B]

Death.

[A]

Yeah. Their number one fear. The number one fear is public speaking. But the biggest stressors are in change. Right. Is moving relationship and career. Yeah. So what else, what else do I have to ask that the listeners need to hear about. About Lee Brown? Because I, I get it. I love it. You are like, if I. I'll tell you this, if I was in your area, you're going to be my real estate agent.

[B]

Well, I appreciate that confidence, you know, but the. I missed Toronto. My son and I went to a game at Jay Stadium.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And we stayed in that hotel that looks out over the field because who doesn't take their kid there? And somehow that became his favorite team. So we're the oddballs that in North Carolina, everybody else likes the Atlanta Braves. My poor boy likes a Toronto Blue Jays.

[A]

And I love it. I love it. Where can people find you if they want to learn a little bit more about you? If someone's listening, they in your area and. Or want to bring you on as a speaker, even just talk real estate with you. Where can they find you?

[B]

Well, I am Lee Thomas Brown on all the platforms. You know, you got to include your maiden name when you're a lady because people just don't know when they met you one time. And and I'm Leigh Brown. On my website it's pretty easy to find me. If you see a a fast talking Southern woman with her hair swooped out, that's me. And I love helping people find the best version of themselves and just grabbing the reins of their own life to keep going, whether it's through real estate or through being better leaders in life. And I'd love to connect with you. And my podcast is Real Talk with Lee Brown. So maybe I'll talk you into coming onto my show sometime and we'll turn the tables on you and make you talk a little bit.

[A]

I love it. I think we should do that again. Thank you so much, Lee. Thanks for being here. That's another episode of Pitch Me and you've just listened to Pitch Me with Kayvon K, the podcast where sales are redefined, objections are destroyed, and high ticket closers are born. Want to take your pitch to the next level? Subscribe now, leave a review and join the Pitch Me community. And if you're brave enough to pitch live on this show, head over to www.pitchmepodcast.com and apply today. Until next time, keep pitching, keep closing, and keep connecting.