Charleston's Leading Producers Podcast

Jake
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Real conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents and business leaders in the Charleston area. Hosted by Jake Cummings, this podcast goes beyond the surface-level advice. We dive into the real strategies, messy trial-and-error moments, and breakthrough insights that separate top producers from everyone else. Each episode breaks down what's actually working in today's market - from building a business that fits you to navigating shifts most agents aren't paying attention to. If you're a real estate professional looking to thrive, not just survive, this is for you. New episodes drop weekly.

  1. 5d ago

    Ep. #25 | Courtney Davis

    Send us Fan Mail Courtney Davis — (@charlestonhomesbycourtney) Carolina One agent, Summers Corner specialist, and one of the most referred agents in the greater Charleston area — didn't launch her real estate career with a built-out database or a marketing playbook. She launched it from her kitchen island at 10pm, two kids at home, husband on the road, and decided to go all in. What she built from that moment is a referral-driven business that runs on rhythm, intentionality, and an unapologetic commitment to being real with her clients. In this conversation, Courtney reveals: Why she does a 90-minute buyer interview before anything else — and what questions tell her whether a client is the right fitHow she manages relocation buyers by breaking an overwhelming move into small steps they can actually celebrateThe weekly and monthly check-in system she borrowed from Ninja Selling that keeps her focused when the market gets noisyWhat it actually looks like to "fight" for a client — and why it means staying calm when a builder gets annoyedHow she learned to tell clients "we're not a good fit" — and why it's protected her business and her sanityThe way she communicates boundaries around family time without losing client trustWhy agents who obsess over what everyone else is doing are losing the one thing that makes them valuable: themselvesThis one isn't a highlight reel conversation. It's a real look at how a working mom with two young kids, no paid leads, and a whole lot of intention built a business where clients fight to work with her — not the other way around. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

    39 min

  2. Jul 1

    Ep. #24 | Chris Dion

    Send us Fan Mail Chris Dion (@chris_dion_selling_kiawah) and wife Lauren (@laurendionrealestate) make up the Selling Kiawah Team at Akers Ellis, specializing exclusively in Kiawah Island — one of the most prestigious coastal markets on the East Coast. Before moving into residential real estate, Chris spent nearly a decade in commercial real estate, a background that fundamentally shaped how he thinks about pricing, client conversations, and the power of a focused niche. In this conversation, Chris reveals: Why walking away from a broader market and doubling down on one island was the best business decision he ever madeHow his commercial real estate background lets him have deeper, higher-trust conversations with buyers and sellers that most residential agents can't touchThe postcard strategy that keeps the Selling Kiawah Team top of mind with every property owner on the island — and where old-school marketing still outperforms digital in luxury marketsWhy being radically honest about pricing — even when it costs him the listing — has built a reputation that brings business back aroundHow a 304-day listing with a competitor turned into a same-day sale at 98% of list price the moment Chris took overThe spreadsheet system Chris built to pull hyper-specific neighborhood comparables on Kiawah — and why using island-wide data is the fastest way to lose a seller's trustWhat working alongside your spouse actually looks like day-to-day when both people know their laneThis one's a masterclass in niche clarity, pricing integrity, and what it looks like to build a business around depth rather than volume. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

    39 min

  3. Jun 24

    Ep. #23 | Featuring Chandler Townsend

    Send us Fan Mail Chandler Townsend (@ctownsells) is the founder and team leader of CTown Sells under LPT Realty — one of the most recognizable real estate brands in the Lowcountry. Chandler also hosts LowCountry LowDown, his own podcast built on the same philosophy he sells with: be real, be yourself, and let the results speak. He runs his team alongside his wife Mariah (@mmmariah.townsendd), stays in personal production, and has built a culture most team leaders talk about but never actually create. In this conversation, Chandler reveals: Why authenticity isn't a personality trait — it's a business strategy, and the industry's lack of it is costing agents referrals they'll never even know they lostHow he scheduled family time like a $100 million client — and why that decision made him a better producer, not a worse oneThe real reason he stayed in personal production after launching his team (and why every team leader should be closing at least a couple deals a year)The biggest mistake agents make as they get more experienced — and why it's costing them the client relationships that drive long-term businessWhat agents get wrong about Summerville: the "new vs. old" identity split most people don't see comingHis honest take on building a team — the financial reality, the leadership responsibility, and why some agents should stay soloWhy the 2020-2021 market was a curse disguised as a blessing — and what getting your ass kicked actually teaches youThis one goes deeper than tactics. Chandler is the real thing — a guy who built something he'd genuinely want to be a part of, and figured out how to stay human while doing it. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans  About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

    43 min

  4. Jun 17

    Ep. #22 | At Home with Courtney and Alicia

    Send us Fan Mail Courtney & Alicia @athomewithcourtneyandalicia are the best-friend duo behind The At Home Team, known for their candid, family-forward content and a partnership built on total transparency. Returning to Charleston's Leading Producers, they open up about what it actually takes to build a business — and a content presence — that feels real. In this conversation, Courtney & Alicia reveal: Why bringing their kids into their marketing made their business more relatable — and more referableHow a "best friends first, business partners second" partnership avoids the resentment most team splits run intoThe income-split system that removes every closing-day surprise before the transaction even startsWhy "done is better than perfect" is the mindset shift that gets agents off the sidelines and onto cameraThe hard pricing and condition conversations agents are having with sellers in today's stalled marketHow new construction incentives are reshaping the way resale listings have to compete and get marketedWhy a phone-recorded blooper outperforms a professionally produced reel — and what that means for your content strategyWhat it really takes to build the kind of trust that lets two agents combine finances and never look backThis is a real-talk conversation about partnership, authenticity, and showing up — even when it's not polished — for agents who are tired of waiting until everything feels ready. Follow CLP: @charlestonsleadingproducers Follow Courtney & Alicia: @athomewithcourtneyandalicia | YouTube: At Home with Courtney and Alicia About Charleston's Leading Producers Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

    30 min

  5. May 13

    Ep. #21 | Featuring Rachel Austin

    Send us Fan Mail Rachel Austin (@chshomeswithrachel) didn't come up through real estate the traditional way. She moved to Charleston in the middle of a pandemic, met a future brokerage leader at a dog park, got licensed, and had her first closing two months later. What she built since then isn't a highlight reel — it's a real career, built through mindset work, structure, and learning to actually ask for the business. In this conversation, Rachel reveals: Why social media is a 'thief of joy' — and why you have to show up anywayHow she used E + R = O to restructure her days and stop letting bad mornings wreck her businessThe scarcity mindset trap that quietly poisons agent-to-agent relationships and deal outcomesWhat changed when she started time-blocking prospecting instead of just setting goalsWhy she stopped hoping clients would choose her — and started asking them toThe toughest part of transitioning from teaching (where effort and pay are equal) to sales (where they're not)How she applies E + R = O to everything from missed workouts to frustrated buyersWhat she'd tell the 2020 version of herself who was waiting to be pickedNo frameworks, no production metrics, no top-of-market strategy breakdown. Just two people being honest about what building a real estate career actually feels like from the inside. If you've ever felt like you were doing everything right and still waiting for it to click — this conversation is for you. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

    38 min

  6. Apr 22

    Connection, Faith, and Starting Over | Katt Potts

    Send us Fan Mail Katt Potts (@kp.associates78) is the broker in charge of NextHome the Agency Group (@nexthome_theagencygroup) in Summerville, SC — a growing brokerage of 60+ agents now expanding into downtown Charleston. She's a Goose Creek native, a Trident Tech dental program graduate and former program director, who then jumped into real estate with $600, no experience, and an unshakeable belief that God put her here for a reason. In her first year, she sold 24 homes. By year six, she was running NextHome. In this conversation, Kat reveals: Why there's no secret sauce in real estate — and what the "it factor" actually looks like in personThe biggest mistake top producers never make: why staying connected with past clients is the single highest-ROI activity in the businessWhy she tells agents to stop paying for leads — and what to do insteaHow she pairs new agents with mentors based on personality, not just production numberThe quarterly goal-setting process she uses with every agent at her brokerageWhy praying with buyers on the property isn't unusual for her — it's just who she isThe mindset shift that helped her stop taking it personally when a friend listed with someone else This one is raw, real, and deeply human. Less tactics episode more of a reminder of why we got into this industry in the first place. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

    41 min

  7. Apr 15

    You Don't Need 100k Followers: How She Built a Loyal Client Base Through Authentic Social Media | Taelor Pryor

    Send us Fan Mail Taelor Pryor (@taelorpryor) is a Mount Pleasant native, Gamecock alum, and Top 40 Under 40 real estate producer with The Boulevard — one of Charleston's largest and most successful brokerages. She carved out a career in residential real estate after pivoting from industrial safety equipment sales and commercial real estate — and built her business almost entirely through Instagram and genuine community connection. In this conversation, Taylor reveals: Why posting market stats and 'just listed' content is costing you trust— and what to post insteadHow she went from no team, no clients, and no roadmap to Top 40 Under 40 by leaning into social media before it was obviousThe mentor relationship that gave her the structure she didn't know she needed — and how to find yoursWhat she tells herself when the comparison trap kicks in (and why 100 loyal followers beat 100,000 passive ones)The real reason fast communication is her #1 trust-builder with clientsHow she bridges the gap between personal content and business — without ever sounding like she's fishing for listingsA candid, refreshing conversation with someone who figured out that showing up as yourself is the most powerful business strategy there is. Real talk, no fluff. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans About Charleston's Leading Producers: Weekly conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents in Charleston. No fluff. No theory. Just proven strategies from agents doing the work and getting the results.

    37 min

  8. Apr 8

    Bike Taxis, Baseball, and 50 Transactions a Year | Tradd Bastian

    Send us Fan Mail Tradd Bastian (@traddbastian) is the founder of Bastian and Associates and a top producer with Serhant. A native Charlestonian, Tradd consistently closes over forty transactions per year, has been recognized as a Charleston Top 40 Under 40 leader, and has spent nearly two decades building one of the most authentic, relationship-driven businesses in the market — while not paying for leads. In this conversation, Tradd reveals: Why he recommends not paying for leads — and what he tells new agents who ask about itHow baseball is integral to his sanity and his businessHow he went from flipping washers and dryers on Craigslist to owning investment properties with zero dollars of his own moneyWhy communicating the way your client wants to be communicated with is the most underrated skill in the businessWhat he tells every new agent before they get their licenseThe mindset shift that separates agents who last from the 80% who leave within two years: patience + consistencyTradd doesn't dress it up. He doesn't sugarcoat. He's been through the grind — property management, construction jobs, bike taxis, the whole thing — and he'll tell you exactly what it took to get here. This one's a masterclass in building a real business without shortcuts. Follow Charleston's Leading Producers: @jakecummings_homeloans

    42 min
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About

Real conversations with the highest-producing real estate agents and business leaders in the Charleston area. Hosted by Jake Cummings, this podcast goes beyond the surface-level advice. We dive into the real strategies, messy trial-and-error moments, and breakthrough insights that separate top producers from everyone else. Each episode breaks down what's actually working in today's market - from building a business that fits you to navigating shifts most agents aren't paying attention to. If you're a real estate professional looking to thrive, not just survive, this is for you. New episodes drop weekly.

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