Real Estate Elevated with Cheryl Knowlton, CSP

After closing 4,000 home sales, Marguerite Crespillo breaks down how she sold 18 houses in her first six months and why the future of real estate belongs to those who master relationships, not algorithms. This conversation dives into marriage, mindset, and the relationship revolution reshaping the industry.   In this episode, Cheryl Knowlton and Marguerite Crespillo discuss: Early days in real estate and the first 18 transactions Building and dismantling a 120-agent brokerage Creative lead generation and HUD home strategies Surviving grief, marriage struggles, and writing "100 Things I Love About You" Relationship Revolution Academy and the future of human connection in real estate   Key Takeaways: Rapid success in real estate is possible when ambition is matched with relentless action, creativity, and a willingness to do the unglamorous work others avoid. It's the agent's job to educate, demystify, and show the path to ownership. Technology and AI can support the process, but trust, guidance, and human connection remain irreplaceable in a complex, high-stakes transaction. Long-term relationships, whether in marriage or business, are sustained by deliberately focusing on what is good, not obsessing over what is broken. When life and business feel overwhelming, the most powerful move is often to pause, work on yourself, and intentionally invest in the relationships that matter most.   "I do not believe that AI can replace that light in your eyes. I don't believe they can." - Marguerite Crespillo   Strategize right. File smarter. Make taxes work for your life, not against it.- https://gtgtax.com/ About the guest, Marguerite Crespillo: Marguerite Crespillo has been a trusted real estate professional since 1993, building a successful career spanning more than three decades and helping over 4,000 families achieve their real estate goals. Her commitment to exceptional service and long-term relationships has allowed her to serve multiple generations of clients, from parents to their children and grandchildren. Passionate about helping others build wealth through real estate, Marguerite shares her extensive industry knowledge through her podcast, Real Estate Real World, and her online training programs, where she mentors professionals seeking growth in both business and life.  Born and raised in Northern California, Marguerite's journey reflects the power of hard work, perseverance, and service. She is also the author of the bestselling book 100 Things I Love About You, inspired by her marriage to her husband Joe and the values that have sustained their family for more than 30 years. Together, they have raised six children and are proud grandparents to eight grandchildren. Grateful for the opportunities real estate has provided, Marguerite remains dedicated to empowering families and professionals through her experience, leadership, and passion for lifelong learning.   Connect with Marguerite Crespillo: Website: https://margueritecrespillo.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcrespillo/  Contact number: +1 (916) 996-3777 Email: [email protected]    Connect with Cheryl Knowlton: Website: www.cherylknows.com  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwvWKXBC6fKn1dLGY11hxIg  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theknowltonteam/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylknowlton/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylknows/  Show Notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Money isn't just about numbers; it's your personality on display. In this kickoff to a powerful mini-series, Cheryl unpacks the nine Enneagram money stories and shows real estate pros why their financial patterns start long before the commission check ever hits the account.   In this episode, Cheryl Knowlton discusses: Enneagram overview and core motivations Nine Enneagram money stories and shadows Money patterns vs. money "problems" Permission as the key to financial breakthrough Upcoming deep dives, assessments, and Enneagram & Money retreat   Key Takeaways: Money behavior is driven by the core motivations and fears behind each Enneagram type. Real estate and mortgage professionals often struggle financially, not from lack of knowledge, but from unexamined money patterns. Each Enneagram type has both gifts and shadows around money, and understanding both is crucial to creating healthier financial decisions. The real breakthrough begins when you give yourself permission to rest, to receive, to spend, to be imperfect, and to take up space in financial conversations. Knowing your true Enneagram type unlocks a powerful self-leadership journey.   "If knowledge were the answer, real estate and mortgage professionals would be the wealthiest, most financially peaceful people on this earth." - Cheryl Knowlton   Strategize right. File smarter. Make taxes work for your life, not against it.- https://gtgtax.com/   Connect with Cheryl Knowlton: Website: www.cherylknows.com  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwvWKXBC6fKn1dLGY11hxIg  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theknowltonteam/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylknowlton/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylknows/  Show Notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Many agents build successful careers without ever building a financial plan or exit strategy. In this episode, you'll learn how money behaviors, tax strategy, and smart investing can turn your real estate business into a true wealth engine.   In this episode, Cheryl Knowlton and Dan Mullen discuss: Early career path from aspiring pilot to CPA and mortgage professional Friction between tax preparers, lenders, and real estate professionals Real estate agents investing in their own product and building wealth Money stories, childhood conditioning, and financial behavior Exit strategies, succession planning, and retirement for real estate agents   Key Takeaways: Understanding how tax returns are used beyond the IRS, by lenders, insurers, and others, is essential for making smarter financial and business decisions. Real estate professionals can build long-term wealth by investing in their own product, but the strongest strategy also includes thoughtful diversification beyond real estate. Many agents lack any real exit strategy because their entire business and brand are tied to them personally, leaving nothing to sell when they step away. Early money experiences and family messages often create unconscious "money stories" that drive financial behavior until they're examined and rewritten. Talking openly about money, networking with financial professionals, and learning how money truly works can help agents better serve clients and design a life and business they can actually retire from.   "If you are the brand and you leave your business so often, it's worth absolutely nothing." - Dan Mullen About the guest, Dan Mullen: Dan Mullen is a mortgage advisor and a partner at a tax firm, a combination that gives him a unique advantage in helping self-employed clients qualify for mortgages. Because these borrowers are underwritten using tax returns rather than W-2s and paystubs, Dan's deep understanding of tax documentation allows him to navigate the process more effectively. Having seen firsthand the pain and frustration caused by mortgage letter requests, he is on a personal crusade to help tax preparers avoid them and to bridge the gap between mortgage underwriters and tax professionals.   Connect with Dan Mullen: Website: https://www.futureandmain.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielbmullen/    Connect with Cheryl Knowlton: Website: www.cherylknows.com  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwvWKXBC6fKn1dLGY11hxIg  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theknowltonteam/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylknowlton/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylknows/  Show Notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

After 27 years in real estate and 23 years on stage, Cheryl is making a major pivot grounded in radical self-awareness, the Enneagram, and the courage to stop performing and start leading as her true self. In this deeply vulnerable solo episode, she reveals how understanding your story and motivation becomes your greatest leadership advantage.   In this episode, Cheryl Knowlton discusses: 27-year real estate journey and career milestones Adoption, identity, and lifelong questions of "Who am I?" Discovering and mistyping her Enneagram type (Three vs. Seven) The Authenticity Advantage and self-leadership in real estate New keynote, workshops, and future offerings for leaders and teams   Key Takeaways: Self-awareness is not a luxury for leaders; it is the foundational skill that drives culture, retention, and long-term performance. Many high achievers unknowingly build their careers on someone else's definition of success, performing a version of themselves instead of leading from who they truly are. Personality tools like the Enneagram are powerful not because they label behavior, but because they reveal the deeper motivations and fears driving that behavior. The gap between who you are at work and who you are when no one is watching is often where burnout, disconnection, and people-pleasing take root. Your story unlocks your most authentic, impactful leadership.   "You cannot lead others well until you lead yourself. You cannot lead yourself until you truly, truly know yourself." - Cheryl Knowlton   Connect with Cheryl Knowlton: Website: www.cherylknows.com  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwvWKXBC6fKn1dLGY11hxIg  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theknowltonteam/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylknowlton/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylknows/  Show Notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

When your business collapses, your bar gets chained shut, and you're sleeping on a red IKEA couch, what's next? In this episode, you'll hear how one driven agent turned desperation into a billion-dollar real estate enterprise by mastering high-intent lead generation, brand building, and AI-powered systems that are reshaping the future of real estate.   In this episode, Cheryl Knowlton and Chris Watters discuss: Humbling failure, desperation, and rebuilding through prospecting High-intent leads vs fragile, low-conversion lead-buying models Building a local brand and scaling a million-dollar real estate team The Real Estate Enterprise Model and adjacent revenue streams Practical AI tools today and a bold vision for the future of real estate   Key Takeaways: Focusing obsessively on daily prospecting, especially with high-intent sellers, can turn a struggling career into consistent, high-volume production. Not all leads are created equal; internet and PPC leads often convert at very low rates, while life-event-driven sellers (divorce, probate, distress) are far more motivated and time-sensitive. Long-term durability comes from building a recognizable local brand and reinvesting early. AI can dramatically improve listing and buyer appointment outcomes by surfacing red flags, summarizing conversations, generating follow-up tasks, and revealing what behaviors correlate with winning more business. The role of real estate agents is shifting toward being true advisors and subject-matter experts, as self-touring, autonomous vehicles, and AI agents begin to handle more of the transactional and logistical work.   "I was, you know, 24 years old and incredibly humbled … I couldn't afford my rent. I went and slept on my girlfriend's red IKEA couch at the time." - Chris Watters About the guest, Chris Watters: Mr. Watters has been a trusted real estate advisor to over 3000 families across Central Texas for the past 15 years. Giving him a level of market expertise that indirectly creates an enormous competitive advantage for his clients. Watters' has been recognized by Inc5000, the Wall Street Journal, and several local publications as the top broker in Central Texas. His clients are getting their homes sold for up to $50,000 more than the average agent. Christopher Watters is a central Texas native. His extensive knowledge has proven invaluable to his clients looking for the inside scoop when relocating to Central Texas. In 2010, he founded his own practice, Watters International Realty. In 2015, he began to open branches across Texas and North America, duplicating his success in new markets, partnering with local market experts and leaders.   Connect with Chris Watters: Website: https://christopherwatters.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriswatters/    Connect with Cheryl Knowlton: Website: www.cherylknows.com  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwvWKXBC6fKn1dLGY11hxIg  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theknowltonteam/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylknowlton/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylknows/  Show Notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

When your entire job revolves around meeting strangers in empty properties, safety isn't optional; it's survival. In this episode, retired detective Dale Anderson shares hard-earned, real-world tactics to help real estate agents recognize danger, trust their instincts, and make it home alive.   In this episode, Cheryl Knowlton and Dale Anderson discuss: Why real estate is far more dangerous than most agents realize The tragic story and lasting legacy of Beverly Carter Situational awareness and trusting your gut Open house and showing safety strategies Using tools, habits, and training to prevent violence   Key Takeaways: Good-hearted people often underestimate danger because they don't naturally think like predators, which makes proactive safety training essential. Violent criminals frequently target real estate professionals based on the perception that agents are wealthy and vulnerable. Simple preparation, like how you park, where you stand in a home, and knowing your exits, can dramatically change the outcome of a critical moment. Listening to your intuition and acting on it immediately, even if it feels "rude" or overcautious, may be the difference between surviving and becoming a headline. Safety tools and habits (avoiding driving clients, not working alone, choosing the right footwear) are not inconveniences; they are lifelines for you and the people who want you to come home.   "Ladies and gentlemen, if you're ever in a situation where someone's going to pull you into a van or into a trunk, whatever is going to happen after you get stuffed in that van or that trunk is way worse than standing there and fighting to survive at that moment." - Dale Anderson About the guest, Dale Anderson: Dale Anderson is a retired police officer with roughly 30 years in law enforcement, including 20 years at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and 13 years as a detective focused on the most violent offenders in Clark County, Nevada. After retiring in 2019 and moving to North Idaho, he founded Frontline Training and Consulting, shifting from teaching cops to training real estate professionals and the general public in real-world safety, situational awareness, and surviving violent encounters. Now a national speaker, he draws on his extensive experience with violent criminals to help agents recognize danger, trust their instincts, and build habits that get them home safely at the end of the day.   National Association of Realtors Safety Resources: https://www.nar.realtor/safety  Forewarn App: https://www.forewarn.com/    Connect with Dale Anderson: Website: https://frontlinetrainingandconsulting.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-anderson-frontline-training-and-consulting-b82ab097/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontline_6363/ :  Emaik: [email protected]  Phone: 702-439-1279    Connect with Cheryl Knowlton: Website: www.cherylknows.com  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwvWKXBC6fKn1dLGY11hxIg  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theknowltonteam/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylknowlton/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylknows/  Show Notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.