Stay Paid Podcast: "The Leadership & Customer Service Secrets Every Agent Needs"

Guest: Rei Mesa, CEO of BHHS Florida Realty
Date: December 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, hosts Luke Acree and Josh Stike are joined by Rei Mesa, President and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty. Mesa shares four decades of real estate wisdom on leadership, relationships, overcoming adversity, and creating exceptional client experiences. The discussion is packed with takeaways for agents and entrepreneurs on how to work smarter, remain resilient, and elevate customer service, especially during challenging market climates.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rei Mesa’s Real Estate Journey & Leadership Philosophy

(01:42 – 05:06)

• Mesa fell in love with real estate during college at age 18, helping his then-future in-laws at open houses.
• Achieved "Top Rookie of the Year" his first year, earning over $30,000 in 1980—“never looked back.”
• Opened his own brokerage in 1989, later selling it, and was involved in building Prudential Florida WCI Realty, which grew rapidly into a top-5 company.
• Key Leadership Principle:
  • “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I’ve learned more from the mistakes I’ve made than from the successes I’ve had in my career.” (Rei Mesa, 04:23)
• Relationships as Leadership Foundation:
  • “Relationships are like a savings account. You want to make more deposits than withdrawals.”
    (Rei Mesa, 04:54)

Building and Attracting a Winning Team

(05:09 – 07:32)

• Attracting top talent is rooted in relationship-building over time.
• Met long-term team members via industry engagement and by recognizing standout service (e.g., meeting Stacy Benedict at a conference and recruiting her years later).
• Mesa’s Mindset on Industry Competition:
  • “In the industry we don’t have competitors; we have colleagues...we have to work together to get a transaction done for a buyer and a seller.”
    (Rei Mesa, 06:12)

The “Cadence of Accountability” and Resilience in Business

(08:38 – 12:02)

• Navigated significant transitions, including the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and company acquisitions.
• Success in aligning with brands and parent companies was largely due to nurtured, trusted relationships.
• Advice for Leaders:
  • “Focus on what you want to achieve, have a cadence of accountability and continue working towards that. It’s one step at a time…it will happen if you don’t give up.”
    (Rei Mesa, 10:54)

Human Connection & Paying It Forward

(12:02 – 13:26)

• Emphasizes staying connected to agents and customers, regardless of corporate hierarchy.
• Personal involvement—sometimes directly helping agents win listings—reinforces trust and teamwork.

Overcoming Betrayals & Adversity

(13:39 – 15:30)

• Discusses how betrayals and setbacks can harden leaders but cautions against losing vulnerability and optimism.
• Perspective on Adversity:
  • “It’s important to be able to edit and keep the good memories, the valuable memories, and learn from the bad ones. But don’t let that influence the way you behave or the way you’re going to grow going forward.”
    (Rei Mesa, 14:50)
• Operates on the principle of extending trust until proven otherwise.

State of the Market & Action Plan for Agents

(15:54 – 20:33)

• Recaps Florida’s pandemic-era boom (“sold five years of real estate in 18–24 months”) and the need to adapt as markets change.
• Mesa’s “Shrinking Pie” Philosophy:
  • “When the pie shrinks, the table manners have to change. If you were calling 25 customers a week in 2021, now you need to call 75.”
    (Rei Mesa, 18:32–19:04)
• Stresses that successful agents double down on discipline and accountability.

Tangible Steps for Agent Improvement

(22:10 – 24:58)

• Champions coaching agents on:
  • Practicing presentations until they’re second nature
  • Overdelivering on service
  • Leveraging and regularly contacting their sphere of influence
    • “If you were getting married tomorrow…how many people would you invite?…You need to call those 600 people today and remind them you’re in real estate.”
      (Rei Mesa, 23:20)
• Acknowledges that not every agent will follow through—those who do are the ones motivated by commitment, discipline, and drive.

Creating a Full-Service, Client-First Real Estate Model

(24:58 – 28:08)

• BHHS Florida Realty provides integrated services (mortgage, title, insurance, warranty) for a seamless customer experience.
• Mesa’s Competitive Strategy:
  • “We have to start thinking of ourselves less as salespeople and more as consultants…I want to be your real estate consultant…for the rest of your life.”
    (Rei Mesa, 25:55–26:15)
• Believes delivering unexpected, over-the-top service creates raving fans, citing companies like Disney and Chick-fil-A as inspiration for exceeding expectations.

Lasting Leadership & Wealth-Building Advice

(30:51 – 33:01)

• Best Advice from Early Mentors:
  • “You’re going to make a good living helping others buy and sell real estate. But if you want to secure your future, buy real estate for yourself.”
    (Rei Mesa, 30:56)
• Stresses importance of having bought and held property personally.
• Philosophy on Daily Leadership:
  • “We get to choose what position we lead from every day…lead from a position of courage, strength, with a healthy dosage of humility and gratitude. The moment you’re operating from fear and weakness, you’ve already lost the day.”
    (Rei Mesa, 31:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Relationships are like a savings account. You want to make more deposits than withdrawals.”
  — Rei Mesa, 04:54

• “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I’ve learned more from the mistakes I’ve made than from the successes I’ve had.”
  — Rei Mesa, 04:23

• “In the industry we don’t have competitors; we have colleagues…we need to work together to get a transaction done.”
  — Rei Mesa, 06:12

• “When the pie shrinks, the table manners have to change.”
  — Rei Mesa, 18:32

• “Lead from a position of courage, strength, with a healthy dosage of humility and gratitude. The moment you’re operating from fear and weakness, you’ve already lost the day.”
  — Rei Mesa, 31:58

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:42 – Mesa’s career journey, rookie success, and leadership lessons
• 04:54 – Relationships as a “savings account”
• 06:12 – Competition as collaboration in real estate
• 10:54 – Cadence of accountability
• 14:50 – Learning from adversity, staying optimistic
• 18:32 – Adapting effort in a shrinking market
• 23:20 – Sphere of influence as the foundation for business growth
• 25:55 – Moving from salesperson to lifetime consultant
• 30:56 – Wealth-building advice: “buy real estate for yourself”
• 31:58 – Daily choice of courageous leadership

Action Items for Listeners

• Invest in Relationships:
  Identify your “wedding guest” list and find ways to deposit value, big or small, into each relationship.
• Cadence of Accountability:
  Regularly review your goals and processes. Seek accountability through mentors or peers.
• Double Down on Discipline:
  If the market slows, increase your effort and activity.
• Deliver Unexpected Value:
  Strive to surprise and delight clients for genuine raving fan creation.

This episode is a blueprint for agents and entrepreneurs looking to lead with integrity, adapt through market cycles, and build enduring, high-trust relationships in business and life.