Inside FirstTeam’s billion-dollar growth strategy with CEO Michele Harrington

This week on the Power House podcast, Diego sits down with Michele Harrington, CEO of FirstTeam Real Estate out of Orange County, California. Michele initially started her career in the Marine Corps, but after being stationed in Orange County, she not only fell in love with the beauty of Southern California, she also got bit by the entrepreneurial bug. Now, she leads California’s largest independent brokerage. Michele and Diego talk about what sets FirstTeam apart from other brokerages and the recruitment strategies that are helping them surpass their goal of $1 billion in recruited teams. They also talk about empowering women in leadership positions and their plans to expand outside of California. Here's what you'll learn: Women hold only 26% of leadership positions in real estate, despite being a majority of agents. Empowering women to pursue leadership roles is crucial for the growth of the industry. Their recruitment strategies focus on training new agents and placing them in existing teams. FirstTeam is on track to surpass $1 billion in recruited teams this year. The company aims for organic growth by expanding into adjacent markets. Michele's upcoming book emphasizes the importance of self-discipline in achieving success. Related to this episode: Michele Harrington | LinkedIn FirstTeam Real Estate HousingWire | YouTube Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Diego Sanchez speaks with CEOs, founders, and executives from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders.  Diego Sanchez is the president of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.