Why REAL Broker with Ryan Sautman

In this episode of Why REAL Broker with Ryan Sautman, Ryan sits down with Destinie Marshall, a high-performing real estate team leader out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to discuss her journey in the industry and what ultimately led her to join REAL Broker. Destinie shares her unique path, including early setbacks—being fired twice early in her career - and how those experiences shaped her resilience and leadership style. Through persistence and growth, she built a successful, “small but mighty” team that produced over 70 transactions annually, emphasizing the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and focusing on long-term development over short-term wins. The conversation dives into the challenges of traditional brokerage models, particularly around culture, flexibility, and agent support. Destinie explains how misalignment in values and lack of true partnership pushed her to seek a better fit, ultimately leading her to REAL Broker. She highlights the freedom REAL provides team leaders to run their businesses their way, create customized compensation structures, and eliminate unnecessary fees that can hinder agent growth. The discussion also touches on the financial advantages of REAL, including revenue share and stock incentives, which Destinie describes as a “game changer” compared to traditional profit-sharing models. Beyond brokerage structure, this episode delivers valuable insights for agents at all stages, especially those looking to build or scale a team. Destinie emphasizes the importance of having systems in place before hiring, avoiding ego-driven decisions, and focusing on delivering real value to team members. She encourages agents to think strategically about their business, remain open to change, and prioritize relationships over loyalty to a single brokerage. Overall, this episode is packed with practical advice, real-world experience, and a transparent look at what it takes to grow a sustainable real estate business in today’s evolving market. 

On this episode of Why REAL Broker with Ryan Sautman, Ryan sits down with Philadelphia-area mega agent and team leader Will Holder to discuss his journey from banking into real estate and how he built a thriving, high-producing team. Will shares how he took a leap of faith early in his career, grinding through the early years before scaling his business through systems, support, and eventually team building. His story highlights the importance of consistency, mindset, and learning through mistakes while building a sustainable real estate business. Will dives into the evolution of his team, which has grown to nearly 30 agents supported by a robust backend of administrative and virtual staff. He explains how creating an environment focused on agent success—through training, accountability, and operational support—has allowed his team members to reach new levels of production and income. Rather than a traditional “churn and burn” model, Will emphasizes building a culture where agents can thrive long-term, with goals of helping multiple agents reach six- and even seven-figure earnings. The conversation also explores Will’s decision to transition from a traditional brokerage model to REAL, and how that move has accelerated his growth. From reduced cost structures and scalability to revenue share, stock opportunities, and a true sense of partnership, Will explains why the model aligns with his vision of building a business that benefits both himself and his agents. This episode offers valuable insight for agents and team leaders looking to scale, increase profitability, and rethink what’s possible in today’s real estate landscape. 

On this episode of Why REAL Broker with Ryan Sautman, Ryan sits down with Illinois Managing Broker Jani Burke to explore her decades long journey through the real estate industry and what ultimately led her to REAL. With experience ranging from traditional brokerages to franchise ownership and executive leadership roles, Jani shares a candid perspective on how different models have evolved - and why she has always prioritized what’s truly best for agents and their long-term success. Jani dives into what makes REAL different, highlighting the power of its technology, streamlined systems, and agent-first structure. From AI tools like Leo to the all-in-one reZEN platform, she explains how these systems simplify transactions, improve efficiency, and allow agents to focus on what matters most - serving clients and growing their business. She also emphasizes the importance of having accessible leadership and strong support, noting how REAL’s layered communication and compliance systems make it possible to effectively serve agents across an entire state. The conversation also touches on culture, collaboration, and growth within REAL. Jani and Ryan discuss how the company’s focus on community, co-sponsorship, and shared success creates a more supportive and less competitive environment than traditional models. Whether you’re considering a brokerage change or simply looking to better understand how modern real estate models are evolving, this episode provides valuable insight into building a business that is both scalable and aligned with your personal goals. 

On this episode of Why REAL Broker with Ryan Sautman, Ryan sits down with high-producing agent and team leader Rafay Qamar, who shares his journey from solo agent to running a powerhouse real estate team in the Chicagoland area. With over a decade in the business and annual production reaching up to $180 million, Rafay offers a candid look at the evolution of his career - from owning RE/MAX franchises to leading one of the top teams at Compass, and ultimately making the transition to REAL. His story highlights the lessons learned through experience, including the realization that traditional brokerage models often limit growth and profitability. Rafay dives deep into the analytical process behind his decision to switch brokerages, explaining how a detailed financial breakdown revealed significant inefficiencies in the traditional model. After evaluating nearly 20 different brokerage options, it became clear that the cloud-based model - particularly REAL - offered the flexibility, scalability, and financial upside needed to support his long-term vision. He emphasizes how eliminating unnecessary overhead and removing operational “guardrails” has allowed his team to grow more efficiently, double production, and reinvest back into the business at a much higher level. The conversation also explores the broader opportunities within REAL, including revenue share, stock incentives, and cutting-edge technology like AI-driven tools that enhance both agent productivity and client experience. Rafay explains how these additional income streams and systems have not only transformed his business, but also created wealth-building opportunities for his entire team. Whether you’re a new agent or an experienced team leader, this episode delivers valuable insight into choosing the right platform, scaling a business, and thinking like an entrepreneur in today’s evolving real estate landscape.

On this episode of Why REAL Broker with Ryan Sautman, Ryan sits down with David Joyce, Senior Joint Ventures Manager at OneRealTitle, to discuss how REAL’s integrated title service is changing the closing experience for both agents and clients. David explains how OneRealTitle operates as an extension of the REAL brokerage, focusing on supporting agents while simplifying the closing process through modern technology, seamless integrations, and flexible signing options designed to reduce stress during one of the biggest financial milestones in a client’s life. Ryan and David also dive into the practical advantages OneRealTitle offers to agents, including direct integration with REAL’s Reason platform, streamlined transaction management, and the flexibility to conduct closings virtually or wherever it is most convenient for buyers and sellers. The conversation highlights how eliminating scheduling bottlenecks and providing remote signing options can make transactions smoother for all parties involved, from agents and lenders to buyers and sellers. The episode also explores the growth of OneRealTitle as it expands across multiple states and continues to evolve based on agent feedback. David shares insights into how the company has refined its operations over the past few years and why agents who may have tried it early on should take another look today. For agents interested in leveraging REAL’s ancillary services and building stronger partnerships that support their business, this conversation provides a valuable inside look at how OneRealTitle can help simplify transactions while enhancing the overall client experience. 

On this episode of Why REAL with Ryan Sautman, Ryan sits down with Steve Scarnati, a Realtor serving Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, and Fairfield County, Connecticut, to talk about his 10-year journey in real estate and what led him to make the move to REAL. Steve shares how he started in the business, learned the ropes on a team, grew into a successful solo producer doing around 30 transactions and $15 million in annual volume, and later stepped into leadership at a major national brokerage before realizing he missed being in the trenches helping clients directly.Steve explains that his decision to join REAL was not about leaving a bad situation, but about finding a brokerage model that better matched his long-term goals. He discusses the appeal of agent ownership through stock awards, the opportunity to think beyond just commission income, and the value of building wealth over time. He also highlights the draw of REAL’s technology, AI tools, and forward-thinking platform, along with the chance to learn from top-producing, content-driven agents who are building modern real estate brands.The conversation also dives into some of the biggest surprises Steve found after joining REAL, including the strength of the community, the amount of support available in a cloud-based brokerage, and how well the systems are designed to help agents succeed. Steve offers an honest perspective for agents who may be curious about making a change, encouraging them to stay open-minded, experience the model for themselves, and choose the brokerage that best supports where they want to go over the next 10 years.

On this episode of Why REAL Broker with Ryan Sautman, Ryan sits down with Illinois Managing Broker John Barnak for an inside look at what it really means to lead, produce, and grow inside one of the fastest-growing brokerages in the country. From stepping into the leadership role out of necessity five years ago to now supporting nearly 600 agents statewide, John shares how REAL has evolved - and how he’s grown right alongside it.They break down the biggest shifts at REAL over the past five years, including the powerful ReZEN platform, built-in AI support through “Leo,” and the systems that allow agents to get 24/7 answers without waiting on a phone call. John explains how REAL’s tech infrastructure, support teams, and streamlined processes allow him to remain an active producer while leading at scale - all without sacrificing family time or work-life balance.The conversation also dives into why agents are making the move to REAL, the financial model that rewards top producers, and the culture of community that sets the company apart. Ryan and John don’t shy away from discussing why some agents leave, either - offering a transparent, balanced look at what makes REAL the right fit for driven, growth-minded professionals. If you’re curious about how a virtual brokerage can still deliver real leadership, real systems, and real support, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode of Why REAL Broker with Ryan Sautman, Ryan sits down with Phillip Thomas, a real estate professional with REAL Broker in Rochester, Minnesota, for a candid and insightful discussion on how broker commissions really work. They break down typical commission structures across the industry and explore what agents actually receive in return for the percentages taken by various brokerages. Listeners will gain a clearer understanding of how commission splits impact long-term business growth.Phillip shares firsthand experiences navigating different brokerage models, including big box firms, and explains why it’s critical to evaluate the true value behind the fees. The conversation highlights how easily agents can overlook where their money is going — and why taking a closer look can significantly change their financial trajectory. Transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making are recurring themes throughout the episode.This episode is packed with practical perspective for both new and experienced real estate professionals who want to make smarter partnership and brokerage decisions. Ryan and Phillip emphasize financial prudence, strategic alignment, and keeping long-term goals at the center of every business move. If you want a clearer framework for judging brokerage value and protecting your bottom line, this is a must-listen conversation.