Stay Paid Podcast: How Garrett Maroon Closed 650 Homes by Living in Balance

Podcast: Stay Paid Podcast
Episode Title: How Garrett Maroon Closed 650 Homes by Living in Balance
Date: November 13, 2025
Host(s): Luke Acree & Josh Dyke (ReminderMedia)
Guest: Garrett Maroon (Founder, The 210 Collective at eXp Realty, host of Faithful Agent Podcast, author of “The Balanced Breakthrough”)

Episode Overview

This episode features returning guest Garrett Maroon, a real estate agent who has closed over 650 homes primarily through nurturing a small, intentional database of relationships. Garrett shares the philosophies and systems that allowed him to build a high-producing business while protecting time with family and staying true to his faith and priorities. The conversation revolves around redefining success, building an authentic business model, and his new book, The Balanced Breakthrough: Winning at Work Without Losing at Life. This episode is particularly impactful for agents and entrepreneurs striving for balance between professional growth and personal fulfillment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Redefining the Scoreboard of Success

(Starts ~02:18)

• Better Questions Lead to Better Answers:
  Garrett urges agents and business owners to rethink what they measure as “winning.” He emphasizes moving away from industry metrics (number of transactions, GCI) toward a more holistic, self-defined scoreboard.

  • “The industry only cares about how much money you make and how many deals that you do... But we get to define what winning looks like, not the industry.” — Garrett Maroon (04:36)

• Practical Example:
  Changing the goal from “How do I sell 50 homes this year?” to
  “How do I sell 50 homes, take my wife on two day dates a month, and take every seventh week off to spend with my kids?”

• Luke’s Reflection:
  Luke brings up the “dash” concept—what the dash between your birth and death dates on your tombstone really means—a metaphor Garrett explores in his book.

• Garrett’s Personal Dash:
  “What I hope mine says is passionate follower of Jesus, loving husband, great dad... served the people around him, whatever those scenarios are going to be right for me.” — Garrett Maroon (06:35)

2. The Pitfalls of Agent Hustle Culture

(07:19–11:53)

• Many agents unconsciously accept the industry’s definition of success—hustling at the expense of everything else—without questioning if it matches their values.
• Memorable Story:
  The “number one agent in the market” received top awards but was broke and estranged from his family. It’s a cautionary tale about defining success too narrowly.
  • “He’s up on stage... being the #1 agent, then he goes home to an empty house.” — Garrett Maroon (07:40)

3. The Tension Between Family and Production

(09:19)

• Common Dilemma:
  Many agents want more balance but get stuck thinking, “If I don’t grind, I can’t provide.”
• Garrett’s Response:
  Most agents believe they need to do everything, but can rarely prove all tactics are necessary. Instead, analyze what actually works for you and double down on that.

4. The Rule of Eight: Master Before You Multiply

(11:53–16:00)

• Don’t try to master six lead gen methods at once. Identify where most of your business is coming from and rank according to enjoyment and effectiveness.

• The Rule of Eight:
  Focus on your best lead source (often sphere of influence) until you’re at least an 8/10 in consistency and execution—then refine or layer in others.

• Super Relevant Quote:
  “Your entire business is foundationally built on this [your sphere]. Let’s get that to at least an 8 out of 10 every single month... Only then do you have permission to move into open houses and try to make that better.” — Garrett Maroon (12:23)

• Industry Critique:
  Too often, the industry pushes one-size-fits-all tactics (open houses, cold calling) without regard for agent strengths or what truly works for them.

5. Consistency Over Tactics: Don’t Quit Too Soon

(16:10–16:32)

• Luke’s Experience:
  Many agents jump from strategy to strategy, never mastering one, and thus see little ROI.
  • “They haven’t actually developed the systems... until you do that, you’re going to keep finding the same mess.” — Luke Acree (15:51)
• Many successful deals from paid ads or sphere may come YEARS after the first connection—reinforcing the idea that relationships and consistency are more powerful than quick fixes.

Deep Dive: Garrett’s PDA Formula

(16:32–23:09)

• PDA = Predictable, Profitable, Aligned (with who you are)

  • Predictable:
    Develop a “lead generation recipe”—just like a cake recipe, list your ingredients (activities), do them consistently, then “taste and tweak” until you find what works.

    • “Lead generation strategy should be the same thing... Taste and tweak along the way. You'll find your own secret recipe.” — Garrett Maroon (17:45)

  • Profitable:
    Be ruthless about tracking and improving ROI—not just gross results. Example: Lowered event costs from $2,500 to $800, kept the same results.

    • “We could get to a dollar to produce $90 return on every dollar we spend.” — Garrett Maroon (19:55)

  • Aligned:
    Build your business FOR and FROM your authentic self. Don’t try to be who the industry says you should be—excel at what you naturally do best.

    • “Your job is not to be who the industry says you should be. Your job is to figure out who you are already and then go be excellent at that.” — Garrett Maroon (21:06)

Authenticity and The Energy Audit

(24:07–28:03)

• Discovering Your Lane:
  Garrett illustrates how playing to your natural strengths and passions, rather than chasing shiny objects or copying others, drives both joy and results.

  • Tactical Tool:
    Time Audit + Energy Audit
    Every 30 minutes for three days, record what you did. Then mark each with:
    • PLUS (+): Gave you energy
    • MINUS (–): Drained you
    • CIRCLE (o): Neutral

  Use these patterns to figure out what business activities you should double down on.

  • “Pay attention to what actually gives you energy — that's a huge clue right there to say, maybe you should do more of this because this is what you naturally enjoy doing.” — Garrett Maroon (25:46)

Overcoming Laziness vs. Leaning into Gifting

(30:52–36:00)

• Industry Challenge:
  The real estate industry sometimes confuses “laziness” with “misalignment.” There's an overemphasis on activities (like cold calling) as discipline markers.

  • “Are you not willing to make the phone calls because you're lazy, or are you not willing to make the phone calls because...that's not your natural gifting?” — Luke Acree (30:53)

• On Motivation:
  You can’t make someone work hard if they’re truly unmotivated or not self-starting. Sometimes, the honest answer is that a person may be better suited for another industry.

• Faith Perspective:
  Both hosts and Garrett discuss working “heartily as unto the Lord,” and the idea that our work ethic should reflect a deeper purpose.

Stick With It: Persistence and Infinite Runway

(38:12–40:14)

• Do Not Grow Weary:
  Referencing Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
  • “Literally, the only requirement of success is the infinite Runway—the unwillingness to stop.” — Garrett Maroon (39:06)
  • “The only time you can’t afford to fail is the last time you try.” (Charles Kettering)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “We get to define what winning looks like, not the industry.” — Garrett Maroon (04:36)
• “If you ask a better question, it will force you to stop wasting so much time chasing terrible ways to generate business.” — Garrett Maroon (03:36)
• “Your entire business is foundationally built on this [your sphere]. Let’s get that to at least an 8 out of 10 every single month.” — Garrett Maroon (12:23)
• “Your job is not to be who the industry says you should be. Your job is to figure out who you are already and then go be excellent at that.” — Garrett Maroon (21:06)
• “I've never met anybody who gave themselves an infinite Runway that didn’t finally have their plane leave the ground.” — Garrett Maroon (16:15)
• “Authenticity is the secret to success.” — Luke Acree (24:07)
• “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Garrett Maroon quoting Gal 6:9 (38:41)
• “Difference between top producers and mediocre producers in every business: Top producers take action.” — Luke Acree (42:18)

Important Timestamps

• 02:18 – Defining your “scoreboard” for personal and business success
• 06:25 – The “dash” on your headstone—what will your life represent?
• 12:23 – The “rule of eight” and mastering client relationships
• 16:32 – Introduction of the PDA formula (Predictable, Profitable, Aligned)
• 24:27 – How to discover your authentic business model (energy audit)
• 30:53 – Tension between laziness and misalignment in real estate
• 38:41 – The importance of persistence and not giving up
• 40:25 – Where to find Garrett's book and resources

Closing Advice & Book Info

• Find more about Garrett and his book The Balanced Breakthrough:
  • GarrettMaroon.com
  • Available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc.
• Final action step:
  • Define your own scoreboard of success—clarify what your “dash” should stand for and set intentional goals to align business and life.

Summary for the Listener

Garrett Maroon offers a practical, data-driven, and deeply personal roadmap for agents seeking both business excellence and a fulfilling life. This episode challenges listeners to define their own success, focus on mastery and authenticity, weed out unnecessary hustle, and never give up on what matters most. If you’re feeling burnt out or out of alignment, revisit your scoreboard, focus on your strengths, and remember that being true to yourself is the surest path to winning at work—and in life.