Playmakers with Andrew Flachner

Jeremy Wacksman joined Zillow in 2009, during one of the worst housing crises in American history. Seventeen years later, he's leading the company through another tough market, and he has a clear point of view on where agents fit in what comes next.Jeremy is CEO of Zillow Group. Over nearly two decades at the company, he led product, marketing, and operations, helped steer Zillow's early pivot to mobile, and in 2024 succeeded co-founder Rich Barton as CEO.On this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, host Andrew Flachner, CEO of RealScout, sits down with Jeremy for a candid conversation about the decisions that shaped Zillow and the biggest questions facing housing right now. They get into Zillow’s push to become a one-stop shop for the entire move, what AI means for an agent’s job, how Jeremy reads this market, and where Zillow stands on the debate over keeping listing information public.What you'll hear in this episode:Why bad markets can be the best time to make a big moveThe biggest lesson Jeremy learned from Rich BartonWhat led to Zillow's mortgage, transaction software, and super app strategyWhy half of homebuyers say they cried during the processHow Zillow Preferred aligns Zillow's incentives with its agent partnersWhy Jeremy believes AI will enable agentsWhat will actually get Americans moving againZillow Preview and why Jeremy says hidden listings won't lastIf you’re an agent, team leader, or brokerage executive trying to make sense of AI, a stuck market, and the fight over listing access, this is the CEO-level view of where housing is headed.This episode is sponsored by Opendoor. Learn how Opendoor is helping agents grow their businesses by visiting https://opendoor.com/agentsChapters:00:00 Intro02:01 Why Jeremy Left Microsoft for Zillow in 200904:44 Rich Barton’s Lesson: How Zillow Picks Its Big Bets08:05 What Zillow Offers Taught the Company10:14 The Housing Super App (and Why Half of Buyers Cry)13:13 From Buying Leads to Building a Business on Zillow14:43 How Zillow Preferred Aligns Incentives With Agents16:43 Is AI the Next Mobile Moment?18:41 AI Won’t Replace Agents, But...20:22 Broken Market or Long Cycle? What Gets Buyers Moving22:29 Is a Generation Missing Out on Homeownership?24:40 Should Housing Data Be a Public Good?27:28 Zillow Preview, RealScout, and the Velvet Rope Debate29:35 Zillow’s Next Big Swing (and Legacy)31:03 Outro🔥 Subscribe to the podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3?si=f1216c3a30bc4b37Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social:🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/

When four of real estate’s fiercest competitors (AGNT, Keller Williams, HomeServices, and Real REMAX) back the same initiative, it’s worth paying attention. This week’s launch of Open Real Estate puts listing transparency, private listing networks, and the future of the MLS front and center.In this special episode of the Playmakers Podcast, host Andrew Flachner, CEO of RealScout, goes behind the scenes with the leaders building and backing it: Leo Pareja (AGNT), James Dwiggins (NextHome), Tamir Poleg (Real), Chris Kelly (HomeServices), Chris Czarnecki and Jason Abrams (Keller Williams), Bess Freedman (Brown Harris Stevens), OB Jacobi (Windermere), Anthony Lamacchia (Lamacchia Realty), and Michelle Harrington (First Team Real Estate).This isn’t a press release read back to you. Andrew presses on the hard questions (who pays for it, whether it competes with MLSs, whether data has to flow both ways) and gets candid answers, including where the rules are still being written.What you’ll hear in this episode:What Open Real Estate actually isHow “participant view” and “market view” workWhy transparent listing data underpins appraisals, comps, and the 30-year mortgageMichelle Harrington’s listing-table pitchBess Freedman on why the “seller choice” argument is manufacturedWhy hiding days on market and price history hurts buyersHow walled gardens could squeeze out the next Real or eXp before it startsWho’s funding Open Real Estate now, and how agents and brokers could share in data monetization laterIf you’re an agent, team leader, or brokerage executive trying to make sense of the private listing debate, this is the clearest picture yet of where the industry is headed (and what to tell your sellers).Chapters:00:00 Intro03:04 James Dwiggins (NextHome): Why Open Listings Keep 3% Down Possible08:00 Is Compass Still Invited? Seller Choice and the MLS Question13:28 Tamir Poleg (Real): Why Buyers Abroad Have It So Much Worse18:01 Participant View vs. Public: How "Private" Listings Work in ORE21:19 Michelle Harrington (First Team): Maximum Exposure Wins the Listing25:28 Bess Freedman (Brown Harris Stevens): "Seller Choice" Is a Myth31:59 Why the Founding Four Came Together Now (16–17% of GDP at Stake)37:14 The Potluck Problem: Showing Up With Only a Fork38:54 Anthony Lamacchia: "Complete and Radical Transparency"41:43 Keller Williams Leadership on "Seller Informed Choice"49:03 OB Jacobi (Windermere): What the Pacific Northwest Got Right54:22 Leo Pareja (AGNT): How Open Data Keeps Mortgage Rates Low58:22 Who Pays for Open Real Estate (and How It Makes Money)1:05:25 Outro🔥 Subscribe to the podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3?si=f1216c3a30bc4b37Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social:🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/

AI made it easy for every agent to post more content. It also made most of it sound exactly the same.Eric Simon started The Broke Agent in 2015 while sitting dead open houses in Los Angeles as an untrained buyer's agent. Ten years later, it's one of the most followed brands in residential real estate (500K+ followers), and in 2022 he and Byron Lazine co-founded BAM Media, the daily playbook for agents who want to build a brand and close more deals.On this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, host Andrew Flachner (CEO of RealScout) sits down with Eric to unpack what's actually working on social right now, and why so much of what agents post isn't. We play real content from agents and creators and break down why it lands. (Listening instead of watching? You'll follow along just fine.)What you'll hear in this episode:Why AI has turned agent content into "a copy of a copy of a copy"The 3 ingredients of content that builds trustWhy trends get likes but not clientsThe 3 metrics Eric actually watchesEric's weekly posting prescriptionHis "fake off the cuff" methodWhy going viral outside your niche can hurt your reachThe 4 types of trendjackingIf you're an agent who knows you should be posting more but can't stand the idea of adding to the slop, this is your blueprint.Chapters:00:00 Intro02:12 How Open-House Misery Created The Broke Agent04:22 The "Copy of a Copy" Problem12:27 The Netflix Doc Trend14:34 The 3 Things That Actually Build Trust21:05 "AI Won't Replace Agents, But..."23:24 Clichés to Retire26:25 How to Turn Your Personal Life Into Content32:58 Why Memes Stopped Working37:34 Eric's Weekly Posting Plan40:29 Rapid Fire48:03 The 4 Types of Trendjacking54:57 Action Creates Content: Eric's One Takeaway56:06 Outro🔥 Subscribe to the podcast:- Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWc- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3Connect with Andrew Flachner on Social:🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/

Jason Mitchell walked away from $5 million a year in production, then built a single-agent real estate operation into the number one team in North America, something Keller Williams would pay a rumored nine figures to acquire.Jason is the founder of Jason Mitchell Group (JMG), which closed nearly $6 billion in volume and 12,000 transactions last year alone, powered by a referral engine that processes 180,000 leads a year across roughly 80 partnerships and more than 1,000 agents.On this episode of the Playmakers Podcast, host Andrew Flachner, CEO of RealScout, sits down with Jason to break down exactly how he built, ran, and eventually sold one of the most systemized operations in the industry.Jason walks through the mechanics of Mission Control, JMG's proprietary lead-routing system, how referral fee splits actually work, and the agent profile JMG will (and won't) hire. He also opens up about what due diligence with Keller Williams revealed about his own business, and what it felt like emotionally to sell the company he built from scratch.What you'll hear in this episode:How Jason built a referral network handling 180,000 leads a year without losing quality controlThe exact mechanics behind Mission ControlWhy no single referral partner is allowed to make up more than 8% of JMG's businessHow referral fee splits actually work between partners, agents, and the companyThe specific agent profile JMG recruitsWhat Jason refused to compromise on while scaling to 1,200+ agentsHow the Keller Williams acquisition came togetherThe emotional reality of selling a business you spent 15 years buildingWhether you're an agent, a team leader, or running a brokerage, this conversation is a blueprint for building something buyers actually want to acquire.Subscribe to the podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3Connect with Andrew Flachner:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/Chapter List00:00 Intro02:40 What Keller Williams Really Bought: Trust, Scale, and a Repeatable Process05:42 Debunking the Myth That Agents Can't Build a Sellable Business07:29 How a Referral Partnership With Quicken Started It All in 201009:42 The Moment Jason Realized He Was Building a Business, Not Just a Lead Source12:25 Walking Away From $5M a Year in Production to Build the Machine14:13 Why Relationships Alone Never Close the Deal (It's About Execution)15:34 Being First to Market — and Why That Window Just Closed for Everyone Else19:42 The 8% Rule: How JMG Avoids Getting Wiped Out by One Partner22:13 Inside Mission Control: How a Referral Gets Routed and Policed in Real Time28:27 The Money: How Referral Fee Splits Actually Work30:22 The Agent Avatar JMG Hires (and the Ones They Won't Touch)32:15 What Jason Refused to Compromise On While Scaling Past 1,200 Agents40:31 The Investment Banker and the Inside Story of the Keller Williams Deal47:39 The Emotional Side of Selling Your Baby (and the Lessons That Came With It)51:02 Outro

Twenty-four years talking down kidnappers and bank robbers taught Chris Voss something most negotiators get backwards: the goal was never a yes. In this episode, the former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator and author of "Never Split the Difference" breaks down exactly how those hostage-negotiation tactics translate to real estate. If you negotiate with clients, buyers, or other agents every day, you're already doing this work, whether you've named it or not.This is Playmakers, hosted by Andrew Flachner, CEO of RealScout. Andrew sits down with Chris to unpack the specific language patterns that build trust fast, defuse tension, and get deals to actually close (not just get signed and then fall apart in escrow).What makes this conversation different: Chris doesn't just explain the theory, he role-plays real scenarios agents deal with constantly: commission conversations, buyers stalling on interest rates, and clients accusing you of telling them what they want to hear.What you'll hear in this episode:Why "yes-oriented" questions backfireThe real difference between mirroring and body-language mimicryHow to deliver bad news to a clientThe "accusations audit"Why anchoring high or low in price negotiations usually costs you the dealHow to read a stalled dealWhy "that's right" is the moment you know you've earned real trustIf you negotiate for a living, this episode gives you language you can use in your next conversation, not just concepts to think about.Listen to the full episode and subscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/459lPWcSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1iTCsUWhBGEI1y0lXrxYM3Connect with Andrew Flachner:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflachner/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewflachner/"No" Questions: https://www.blackswanltd.com/newsletter/negotiation-training-the-top-4-no-oriented-questions--------------------Chris Voss is a former FBI lead kidnapping negotiator, bestselling author of Never Split The Difference, and founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group; a negotiation, training, coaching, and consulting organization that teaches people how to achieve better outcomes in high-stakes conversations.Recognized globally as a leading authority on negotiation, Chris developed his approach through decades of experience in crisis negotiation. Today, he and The Black Swan Group apply those principles to business, sales, leadership, difficult conversations, and high-stakes communication through The Black Swan Method® and Tactical Empathy®.Never Split The Difference has introduced millions of readers around the world to Chris's negotiation methodology. Through The Black Swan Group, Chris and his team help people go beyond understanding the concepts in the book and develop negotiation as a practical, repeatable performance skill through training, coaching, practice, and live experiences.The Black Swan Group offers in-person negotiation training, live and self-paced online negotiation training, coaching, keynote speaking, and advanced negotiation experiences for business owners, leaders, sales professionals, and other professionals who want to become more effective dealmakers.Learn from Chris Voss and The Black Swan Group:Negotiation training and resources: https://www.blackswanltd.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=playmakerswithandrewflachnerIn-person and live training: https://www.blackswanltd.com/live-events?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=playmakerswithandrewflachnerOnline negotiation training: https://www.blackswanltd.com/online-negotiation-classes?utm_source=youtube&utm=social&utm_campaign=playmakerswithandrewflachner--------------------Chapter List00:00 Intro01:11 Why Chris Voss Is an Authority on Negotiation02:33 The Most Dangerous Negotiation You Don't Know You're In04:45 Inside a Real Hostage Negotiation: Patience and Confronting a Lie09:57 How a $9M Buyer Played His Agent for 18 Months11:47 The "Why Me?" Question, and Why "Yes" Questions Don't Work Anymore21:50 The Real Adversary in a Deal Isn't the Other Person26:26 How to Make Someone Feel Understood (and Why Not to Ask "How Are You?")31:56 Why "That's Right" Beats "You're Right"35:29 Mirroring, the Black Swan Method, and Letting Them Speak First43:51 Anchoring, Compromise, and Why Both Are Mistakes47:14 Role-Play: Commission Objections, Interest Rates, and the Accusations Audit55:39 Tactical Empathy, Text Negotiation, and Managing Your Emotions1:01:38 Rapid Fire: Words to Cut and Delivering Bad News