Charleston's Leading Producers Podcast

Jake
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Business

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. 1d ago

    #35 Showing Up As Yourself | Kortney Oden

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when you stop chasing success and start focusing on the people you serve? On this episode of Charleston’s Leading Producers, Jake sits down with Realtor Kortney Oden to talk about building a real estate business around relationships, authenticity, and advocating for clients. Kortney shares how a difficult season in her family’s life pushed her toward real estate—and how she went from selling 12 homes in her first full year to 22 in her second, with a goal of roughly 33 in her third. They discuss why Charleston isn't one single real estate market, why agents need to understand the neighborhoods they serve instead of relying on headlines, and how Kortney’s decision to be unapologetically herself has helped her build stronger client relationships. The conversation also gets into client advocacy, negotiating with builders, setting expectations, and balancing a demanding real estate career with raising three kids. In this episode: Why relationships matter more than chasing productionHow local market knowledge creates confidenceWhat it means to be a true advocate for your clientsWhy you need to let clients make their own decisionsHow to set expectations around family and availabilityKortney’s journey from financial hardship to a growing real estate businessCharleston’s Leading Producers is about the people building businesses in our market—and the decisions, systems, and relationships behind their success. Connect with Kortney Oden: @kortneyoden.realtor Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans Education over sales. Systems that work. Relationships that last.

  2. 6d ago

    #34 Stop telling clients what to do...educate them instead | Chandler Townsend

    Send us Fan Mail What’s actually happening in the Charleston real estate market right now? Jake sits down with Realtor and team leader Chandler Townsend (@ctownsells) for a wide-ranging conversation about the Charleston market, buyer leverage, negotiating, content creation, and what it really means to educate your clients. Chandler breaks down the latest market data, including inventory, absorption rate, home prices, and days on market—and explains why the headlines don't always tell the full story. They also talk about why buyers shouldn't simply try to “get a deal,” why list price isn't the same thing as market value, and why great Realtors don't tell their clients what to do—they give them the information and clarity to make the right decision themselves. Plus, Chandler shares how his Low Country Lowdown podcast has helped him connect with local business owners, create better content, and build relationships throughout the Charleston community. A conversation about real estate, business, marketing, and the importance of helping people make better decisions. Follow Jake: @jakecummings_homeloans

  3. Sep 14

    #33 | Nicole Musap

    Send us Fan Mail Nicole Musap — @twomaidssummerville Owner, Two Maids of Summerville After sending out 70+ job applications and landing just one interview, Nicole Musap made the decision to stop chasing a job market that wasn't working for her and build something of her own. Today she runs a thriving residential cleaning company serving Summerville and the greater Charleston area — built while raising three kids as a single mom. In this conversation, Nicole reveals: Why 70+ job applications and one interview convinced her to stop job-hunting for goodHow a divorce and a near-constant grind of "used and used and used" led her to set concrete boundaries in businessWhy she believes "a clean home creates room for God to move" — and what that actually means day to dayWhat clutter really does to your mental health, beyond the obviousThe moment prayer changed the course of a health scare during pregnancyWhy hiring, training, and leading a cleaning team is one of the hardest parts of the businessThe single mindset shift — "put God first" — that she says changed everything in six monthsHer advice to the version of herself who was terrified and out of optionsThis is a real, unfiltered conversation about rebuilding after setback — divorce, job loss, burnout — and what it actually takes to trust yourself enough to start over. 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.

  4. Sep 9

    #32 | Emily Frazier

    Send us Fan Mail Emily Frazier (@emilyfrazierfitness, @emilyyourchsrealtor) is a real estate agent with the Southern Roots property team at Coldwell Banker, specializing in military relocation, first-time buyers, and new construction. She got licensed at the end of 2023 and closed her first client the following month — all while running a full schedule as the master trainer for HYLO Fitness. This conversation is proof that you don't have to pick one lane to build something great. In this conversation, Emily reveals: Why she thinks a little bit of luck and a lot of preparation both played a role in her fast startHow her fitness coaching background trained her to dig deeper into what clients are really askingWhat most agents get wrong about VA loans and military relocation transactionsWhy "pick one lane" is advice she'd never follow — and what she built insteadThe old-school follow-up habit she says separates agents who thrive from agents who stall outHow she time-blocks mornings around 5:15am swim practice, coaching, and client care without losing her mindWhy she treats every client — first house or tenth — exactly the sameThis is a real conversation about building two careers at once, and why doing more (not less) might be the thing that actually works. 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.

  5. Aug 21

    #31 | Elissa Campbell

    Send us Fan Mail Elissa Campbell (@penninsulapropertiessc) left a management career in boutique retail on King Street after being let go — and turned it into the launchpad for a real estate career now built around a specialty most agents overlook: 55+ communities in Nexton and beyond. Seven years in, she's become the go-to agent for out-of-state buyers relocating into Charleston's active adult communities, built almost entirely on one broker open house, relentless FSBO outreach, and a refusal to skip the fundamentals. In this conversation, Elissa reveals: Why getting let go from her retail job was the best thing that ever happened to her real estate careerHow three years of calling for three FSBO listing appointments a week built the foundation of her businessThe single broker open house that turned into her 55+ niche — and how word-of-mouth took over from thereWhy she believes every agent needs a niche, even if it finds you instead of the other way aroundThe three-part open house strategy she still runs today, from digital ads to hand-delivered flyersHow she markets 55+ listings to buyers who live out of state, from FaceTime tours to dedicated video walkthroughsHer honest take on AI — where she uses it, and why she keeps her video content deliberately unpolished and realWhat she'd tell the version of herself who just walked away from retail with no idea what real estate would becomeThis is a real, no-shortcuts conversation about building a specialty from the ground up — the grind before the niche, and the discipline it takes to stick with what works instead of chasing the next shiny thing. 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.

  6. Aug 19

    #30 | Chris Prosser

    Send us Fan Mail Chris Prosser @gogreencleansc runs Go Green Clean with his wife Jen, a residential cleaning company serving Summerville and the greater Charleston area. After running the business in Colorado for nearly two decades, Chris and Jen sold everything, moved across the country at 50 as empty nesters, and rebuilt Go Green Clean from the ground up in Summers Corner. In this conversation, Chris reveals: Why he and Jen decided to sell a 20-year-old business and start completely over in a new marketHow they used a 60-90 day transition window to rebuild their hiring practices and company values from scratchWhat kept Go Green Clean's doors open — and their staff paid — through COVIDWhy reliability is a non-negotiable hiring value, not just a marketing lineThe staffing model that works best for a residential cleaning business (and why stay-at-home parents and college students are the ideal hires)How they use move-in/move-out cleans to serve real estate agents and buyersThe belief about "owning a business" Chris had to let go of to actually succeedWhy he thinks the real value of what they do isn't cleaning — it's giving families their weekends backThis is a real, unfiltered conversation about rebuilding a business from zero — the kind of story that resonates whether you run a cleaning company, a real estate business, or anything in between. 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.

  7. Aug 6

    #29 | Destiny Sylvester

    Send us Fan Mail Destiny Sylvester (@destiny_sylvester) is a top producer with BelCross Properties in Morgantown, West Virginia — and one of the few agents in her market working residential, commercial, land development, property management, and investment portfolios all at once. She built her business from the ground up starting in property management back in 2019, right before the world shut down, and never looked back. In this conversation, Destiny reveals: Why she refuses to shake hands or celebrate a deal until the day it actually closesThe tax story that convinces relocating buyers to move to West Virginia on the spotHow growing up on a cattle farm shaped her work ethic more than any sales trainingWhy she'd rather say "I don't know, but I'll figure it out" than fake her way through a client conversationWhat she learned from a commercial mentor about staying tough without being aggressiveWhy doing five different sectors of real estate — not just one — gives her an edge with relocating and long-term buyersThe biggest mistake she sees agents make: selling a house just to sell a house instead of building a client for lifeHow her own transient, military-family background trained her to be self-reliant in any marketThis is a conversation about staying grounded while building a diversified business — real talk from an agent who'd rather be honest than impressive. 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.

  8. Aug 4

    #28 | Collin Fowler

    Send us Fan Mail Collin, owner of Saltwater Moving @saltwatermovingsc, just wrapped a full company rebrand and doubled his business in a single year — built almost entirely on direct partnerships with real estate agents and other pros in the industry. He's proof that you don't need a flashy social strategy to grow; you need training, trust, and a truck people recognize. In this conversation, Collin reveals: Why every mover goes through 6–10 hours of in-house training before they ever step foot in a client's homeHow a simple rebrand — truck wraps, uniforms, a clean website — became Saltwater's biggest marketing winWhat changed when they finally ditched paper contracts for one connected platform (as of February 2026)How an AI phone bot cut client intake calls from 30 minutes down to 5Why Collin builds around referral partnerships instead of chasing homeowners directlyWhat he actually looks for in a "strong partnership"How growing up watching two service-industry parents shaped the way he runs Saltwater todayThe math behind standing out among 45 licensed moving companies in CharlestonThis one's a real-talk masterclass in building a service business on fundamentals — training, marketing, and just putting in the work. 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.

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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.

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