Podcast Summary: The David Greene Show

Episode: Real Talk Real Estate | Greg Schwartz | Episode 86

Date: October 1, 2025

Host: David Greene
Guest: Greg Schwartz (Real Estate Agent, Investor, Team Lead, Former Property Manager)

Episode Overview

This episode of Real Talk Real Estate delves into the nuts and bolts of running a real estate business focused on investor clients, the strategic use of lease listings, team building, lead generation in a tough market, and scaling an investor-centric agency. David Greene hosts Greg Schwartz, who shares authentic stories about his journey from solo agent to team leader in Bryan and College Station, Texas, a dynamic college-town market.

Key Discussion Points

1. Greg’s Business Model & Team Structure

Location & Volume:

• Based in Bryan and College Station, Texas (“Aggieland”), with 25–30 annual house sales and 10–12 lease listings.
• Market advantages: large college town, stable local economy.

Team Composition:

• Greg leads sales and front-end business.
• Wife (unlicensed) manages admin, compliance, bookkeeping, portfolio management.
• Full-time salaried “apprentice” agent handling lease listings and generating leads.

Quote:

“We provide a value to our investors...I was able to lease out properties faster, get better tenants, and just provide a better service.” – Greg Schwartz (03:08)

2. Lease Listings as a Value Add

• Lease listings offer minimal income but keep clients engaged and prevent them from going to property managers.
• Used as an “entry-level” position for new agents to learn investor services and lead generation.

Memorable Exchange:

“If you're not making money on lease listings...what's the benefit?”
“A lot of the clients we've attracted are in that position and we have a lot of repeat clients as a result.”
– David Greene ↔ Greg Schwartz (04:00–04:54)

Strategic Insights:

• Lease listings help maintain touchpoints, building long-term client relationships.
• Placing tenants keeps clients in-house until they’re ready to buy or sell.

3. Building Confidence & Team Culture

• Onboarding new agents: starting with lease listings, lead gen, and clear transactional expectations.
• Mentorship played a pivotal role in shaping Greg's business outlook.

Quote:

“It’s a long play, but it also gets him aligned with our business, how we run things.” – Greg Schwartz (06:20)

4. Division of Labor & Personal Workflow

• Greg handles sales and acquisitions, wife manages portfolio (26 doors, including Airbnbs).
• Portfolio mix: fourplexes, duplexes, single family, and hybrid short/mid-term rentals.

Time Management:

• “I spend 95% of my time doing real estate...My wife manages our portfolio to include our Airbnbs.” – Greg Schwartz (08:00)

5. Advice for Adapting in a Tough Market

• Agents need to diversify roles, embrace property management/lease listings.
• Value proposition must be unique—not just sales, but holistic client solutions.

Host Perspective:

“If you’re stubbornly identifying as a buyer’s agent or listing agent...you’re basically valuing your comfort over your success.”
– David Greene (09:12)

6. Becoming ‘Their Realtor’: True Client Relationships

• Distinction between “having clients” and being “their realtor.”
• Importance of presentations, clear value proposition, and setting expectations.

Quote:

“You call them a client, do they call you their realtor? ...We look at our database and we’re like, these are my clients. No, they’re not, unless they reciprocate.”
– Greg Schwartz (13:00)

• Use of buyer and listing presentations—tailored, goal-focused, and honest about market realities.
• Screening for client fit during presentations, aligning goals.

Notable Moment:

“If I can’t solve their problem, then we’re wasting each other’s time.” – Greg Schwartz (15:15)

7. Navigating the Buyer’s Agent Landscape Post-Sitzer/Burnett

• Agents must be able to articulate their value; hobbyists or non-professionals will struggle.
• Charging consulting fees ($500 credited at closing) to weed out tire kickers, especially for out-of-town “free education” seekers.

Advice:

“If you want to get up to speed on neighborhoods...there’s a $500 upfront fee that gets credited at closing.” – Greg Schwartz (24:20)

8. Learning the Local Market as an Outsider

• Greg moved from Baltimore to Aggieland—initially didn’t know the main streets, but immersion and asking the right questions filled gaps.
• Importance of acting curious, asking clients questions to learn and build rapport.

David’s Law Enforcement Lesson:

“If I kept asking the suspect questions, their brain wouldn’t be available to figure out how to run or fight.” (29:30)

9. Mindset: W2 vs. 1099 Thinking

• The mission isn’t to check boxes, it's to accomplish outcomes (close deals, build relationships, solve problems).
• Consistency is crucial—focus on a few lead-gen strategies and stick to them (three months minimum before changing).
• Avoid “water cooler” time-wasting; treat every hour as a business resource.

Quote:

“If you can have small talk that doesn’t grow your business during the business day...you don’t have the right mindset.” – Greg Schwartz (43:03)

10. Listings: Critical Execution and Mindset

• Obsession with seeing deals to completion—don’t fumble at the finish line.
• Professional photos and marketplace presentation are non-negotiable.
• Listings compound value: attract buyers, future sellers, referrals, and social proof.

Quote:

“If you sacrifice when you get a listing...that might be responsible for 80% of your business.” – David Greene (48:07)

11. Leveraging AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

• AI (like ChatGPT) should enhance human ability, not substitute for real expertise.
• Use AI to learn, not to offload all critical thought.

Quote:

“Use [AI] to learn; don’t use it to be the replacement.” – Greg Schwartz (50:09)

12. Investor’s Lens and Offer Strategy

• Always look at listings from the buyer’s and seller’s perspectives.
• Use market data, analyze active competition, and educate clients accordingly.
• Motivating sellers with commission-backed repair credits jumpstarts necessary upgrades.

Practical Move:

“If you don’t use it, you lose it...it gets them to call the contractors, get estimates, get the ball rolling.” – Greg Schwartz (55:24)

13. Overcoming Overwhelm: Pick One Problem at a Time

• Businesses always have multiple issues; focus on fixing one bottleneck that will have the biggest impact.
• Sequential problem-solving prevents paralysis.

Quote:

“Pick the one thing you think is the bottleneck...fix that one at a time.” – Greg Schwartz (58:35)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Unique Value for Investors:

  “If you can come in and solve a specific problem that other agents aren’t even thinking about...immediately, I stand out.”
  – Greg Schwartz (11:40)

• On Client Relationships:

  “You call them a client, do they call you their realtor? ...If we’re not providing value, we’re just a guy who is enthusiastic about real estate.”
  – Greg Schwartz (13:00)

• On Presentations in the New Legal Landscape:

  “If you don’t have a buyer presentation...you have a hobby, you have a side hustle, you don’t have a business yet.”
  – Greg Schwartz (19:00)

• On Consistency:

  “Door knocked for two weeks, then Facebook ads, then open houses...You can't do anything in two [weeks].”
  – Greg Schwartz (38:17)

• On Confidence & Critical Mass:

  “Confidence is key. That comes from reps, comes from the systems...from listening to podcasts like this.”
  – Greg Schwartz (60:32)

Timestamps for Main Segments

• 00:31–03:58: Greg’s team, market, and lease listings
• 04:07–06:31: Lease listings as value-add, apprentice structure, long play
• 08:00–09:12: Personal time use, portfolio division
• 09:12–13:33: Market adaptation advice, relationship as “their realtor”
• 15:33–18:04: Buyer/listing presentations, setting and managing expectations
• 19:03–22:23: Post-Sitzer Burnett landscape, value of presentations
• 22:45–24:15: Identifying legit investor clients, $500 consult strategy
• 27:58–30:36: Learning the market as an outsider, the power of questions
• 38:17–43:03: Consistency in lead gen, W2 vs. 1099 mindset
• 45:47–48:07: Importance of marketing listings, finish strong mindset
• 50:04–51:08: Using AI as a supplement, not a crutch
• 54:39–56:14: Seller motivation, credit incentives, psychology of starting
• 58:35–59:46: Overcoming overwhelm: fix one problem at a time
• 60:31–61:09: Confidence, learning from mentors and media

Takeaways for Agents and Investors

• Unique Service is Key: Providing value (ex: finding and managing tenants for investors) positions agents as indispensable.
• Relationships Outlast Transactions: Focus on turning contacts into clients who consider you “their realtor.”
• Process Over Luck: Presentations, expectations, and value are essential, especially post-Sitzer Burnett.
• Consistent, Focused Action: Master 2–3 lead gen methods before expanding.
• Mindset Makes the Agent: Shift from clock-punching to outcome-orientation.
• Leverage Every Listing: Listings should multiply clients, not just close business.
• Use Tech as a Tool: AI should amplify—not replace—your critical and market-specific thinking.
• Always Grow, But Sequentially: Focus on the current bottleneck and move methodically.

Connect with Greg Schwartz

• YouTube: Niche Investing in Bryan and College Station, Texas
• Instagram: @SchwartzRealtyGroup

For podcast listeners or real estate professionals, this episode is packed with actionable insights on building resilient, relationship-focused businesses—especially in challenging markets. Greg’s approach of slow, steady, and strategic action, coupled with deep market and client understanding, offers a template for sustainable growth.