Under Contract

Tim Donovan
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Entrepreneurship

Under Contract is a show for real estate agents and team leaders who want to build a real business, not just chase the next transaction. Host Tim Donovan sits down with top-producing agents and brokers across the country to break down exactly how they built what they built. Their lead generation systems, follow-up philosophy, pricing models, team structures, and the turning points that changed everything.  No fluff, no recycled advice. Just real numbers, real strategies, and the operational details most agents never get to hear straight from the source. Plus an honest look at where AI actually helps a real estate business, and where it doesn't.  New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe if you're serious about scaling.

  1. 6h ago

    Bryan Burnett: Staying at 50 Deals for 7 Years Before Committing to One Listing Appointment Daily

    Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: Bryan Burnett leads the Burnett Group at Century 21 Everest in St. George, Utah, a 16-agent team built after relocating and rebuilding his business from scratch in 2012. He got his real estate license in 2002, drew on door-knocking discipline from his LDS mission to master prospecting, and has personally closed well over 100 deals in a single year. Episode Summary: Bryan Burnett walks through how he broke past the common 40-to-50-deal ceiling by committing to set one listing appointment every day, and how that discipline eventually scaled into a 16-agent team without him giving up personal production. He also shares his hiring philosophy, training systems, KPI tracking, and how AI and database building fit into the team's current growth plan toward 1,000 transactions. What's Covered: Bryan explains how his LDS mission door-knocking background made him immune to rejection and became the foundation for his prospecting approach as a new agent in 2002.He describes stalling at 40 to 50 deals for seven years and the specific commitment, setting one new listing appointment every single day, that broke him through to over 100 transactions a year.He outlines the hiring sequence that let him stop doing everything himself, starting with a personal assistant, then a buyer's agent, then specialized roles like listing and transaction coordinators as volume grew.Bryan details what he screens for when recruiting agents, prioritizing blue-collar work ethic and a people-pleasing service orientation over existing sales skill, since skill set can be taught.He shares the team's simple KPI structure, a minimum of two new pending deals per month per agent, daily script practice, and morning training sessions that mirror his personal production system.He discusses using AI for ranking on AI-driven recommendation platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini, as well as for building listing and offer presentations, and reflects on how personal production remains more profitable than team income even as he pursues a 1,000-transaction goal. Timestamps: 00:01:09 - Getting licensed in 2002 after an LDS mission 00:02:19 - Discovering Mike Ferry prospecting training 00:05:48 - Why agents plateau at 40 to 50 deals 00:07:11 - The daily commitment to one listing appointment that broke the ceiling 00:09:15 - Hiring sequence: assistant, buyer's agent, specialized staff 00:13:11 - How the 16-agent team accidentally started 00:15:34 - Why Bryan still personally produces alongside running the team 00:17:09 - Tracking KPIs: two deals per month minimum 00:22:50 - Using AI for rankings, listing presentations, and offer strategy 00:25:33 - Building a school in Fiji with his daughter 00:27:06 - Personal production versus team profitability

    Bryan Burnett: Staying at 50 Deals for 7 Years Before Committing to One Listing Appointment Daily

  2. 3d ago

    Justin Acker: Treating Accountability as the Greatest Form of Love for His Denver Team

    Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: Justin Acker is the owner of The Acker Group with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, serving the Denver and Highlands Ranch markets. He bought his first home with his mother at eighteen, later moved into full-time real estate in 2012, and has since built a deliberately sized seventeen-agent team built on accountability and repeat referral business. Episode Summary: Justin Acker traces his path from buying a home with his mother as a teenager to building a disciplined, accountability-driven real estate team in Denver. He unpacks how structured one-on-ones, CRM discipline, and honest client advice keep his business consistent, and why he intentionally keeps his team smaller than it could be. What's Covered: Justin explains how buying his first home with his mother at eighteen sparked his early fascination with real estate and wealth-building through homeownership, even though he didn't pursue it as a career until years laterHe describes converting Zillow lead leftovers at a 10 to 13 percent clip early in his career by grinding on follow-up that his mentors weren't doing themselvesJustin breaks down his accountability system, including biweekly and weekly one-on-ones built around six line items covering current deals, call logs, and CRM smart listsHe discusses Zillow's quarterly lost transactions report and how reviewing missed opportunities keeps his team honest about where follow-up breaks downJustin shares a mentor's framing that accountability is the greatest form of love for agents, and why he intentionally caps his team at seventeen agents instead of scaling to fortyHe talks through where AI is helping and still glitching in his business, from building weekly team decks to experimenting with AI-driven outbound calling Timestamps: 00:00 - Introducing Justin Acker and the Acker Group 01:16 - Buying his first home with his mom at eighteen 03:48 - Moving to Colorado and getting into real estate full time 05:33 - Converting leftover leads at a 10 to 13 percent clip 06:43 - Deciding to build a team instead of just his own production 09:10 - Systems and one-on-one accountability structure 12:33 - Zillow's lost transactions report and missed opportunities 19:51 - Why accountability is the greatest form of love 22:15 - Experimenting with AI for outbound calls and marketing decks 29:18 - The work hard play even harder culture motto

    Justin Acker: Treating Accountability as the Greatest Form of Love for His Denver Team

  3. 6d ago

    Julie Busby: Why a Chicago Team Builder Hired a Concierge So Clients Never Feel Handed Off

    Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: Julie Busby is the founder of Busby Group at Compass in Chicago, a referral-driven team serving buyers, sellers, relocating professionals, and athletes. She built a successful real estate business in San Diego before relocating to Chicago in 2011, where she partnered her way to a number one ranking before launching her own brokerage. Episode Summary: Julie Busby traces her path from a one woman San Diego business to a 25 year career leading a high-touch Chicago team built almost entirely on referrals and repeat clients. She explains how a dedicated client concierge, deep vendor relationships, and a collaborative team structure let her deliver white glove service without burning out her brokers or herself. What's Covered: Julie describes shadowing a top-ranked San Diego agent early in her career and later offering free help to a top Chicago broker to rebuild her business from scratch after relocating in 2011She explains why she created a dedicated client concierge role to manage vendor relationships, prevent client confusion when multiple team members reach out, and give clients a buffer so agents can set boundaries after hoursJulie details how she broke into working with relocating professionals and athletes after a chance listing connection, and why being prepared with building relationships ahead of time matters more than chasing that business reactivelyShe shares that Busby Group runs on roughly 95 percent referrals and repeat clients with zero paid lead generation, relying instead on drip campaigns, client gifting, and staying in touch for years after closingJulie attributes her low team turnover to a collaborative structure where brokers fully back each other up on transactions, allowing team members to take extended vacations without losing commission or client trustShe outlines a two-pronged approach to AI, using it internally to streamline systems like Dropbox and offer rough contractor estimates, while also investing in SEO and reviews so clients discover her team through AI-driven searches Timestamps: 01:08 - Julie's early path from selling insurance to real estate in San Diego 02:41 - Rebuilding her business after moving from San Diego to Chicago 06:21 - The moment she realized she needed to build a team 09:12 - Why she created a dedicated client concierge role 13:47 - Building trust with relocating professionals and athlete clients 19:18 - Running a 95 percent referral business with no paid leads 22:28 - The collaborative team structure behind her low agent turnover 25:55 - How Busby Group is integrating AI while protecting client relationships 30:04 - Her top tactical advice for agents who want to double their business

    Julie Busby: Why a Chicago Team Builder Hired a Concierge So Clients Never Feel Handed Off

  4. Oct 17

    Jason Farris: How a Fresno Agent Sold a Stuck Listing by Hiring Actors for an Open House

    Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: Jason Farris is the founder of FresYes, a Fresno, California media brand built around storytelling about local people, food, and lifestyle rather than traditional real estate marketing. He leads FresYes Realty Group with roughly 80 agents under eXp, and serves as the 2026 president of the Fresno Association of Realtors. He also recently acquired the domain Fresno.com, which he is building into a community-wide directory and media platform. Episode Summary: Jason Farris explains how he turned a quirky domain name into an 80,000-subscriber newsletter and a real estate business built on community storytelling rather than listings. He walks through the origin of FresYes, the lessons learned from Facebook and Twitter experiments, a jaw-dropping broker's open that used actors and horses to sell a stuck 20-acre property, and why he restructured his brokerage to put more money in his agents' pockets. He closes with blunt advice for agents who want to grow fast: find the inefficient, unscalable actions everyone else avoids. What's Covered: How Jason went from running a youth entertainment rental company to land sales with his uncle to founding the hyperlocal brand FresYes.com, named after his old company's YES logoWhy the FresYes newsletter hit over 80,000 subscribers with an 83 percent open rate, and the personal unsubscribe outreach and door-hanger campaign that built the list from scratchThe story of staging a 20-acre horse property open house with hired actors, catering, and classic cars that sold the home the next day and led to 50 additional condo sales for the same clientWhy Jason broke up his traditional brokerage of 80 agents and moved everyone to Real Broker, giving agents large raises by cutting commission splits from 65 to 70 thousand dollars down to 12 to 15 thousandThe strategic purchase of Fresno.com to build a community-wide directory and real estate search platform now launching, separate from the FresYes brandHow Jason uses AI for offer analysis tools, digital staging, and calendar management while insisting the newsletter's opening and closing paragraphs stay 100 percent in his own voiceHis closing advice that real value lives in the inefficiencies, illustrated by an expired-listing experiment comparing letters, phone calls, and door knocks Timestamps: 00:00:54 - Guest introduction and episode roadmap 01:27 - Jason's path from youth entertainment business to real estate 04:10 - Origin of the FresYes name and brand 07:17 - Building an 80,000-subscriber newsletter from door hangers 11:08 - Lesson learned losing subscribers to Facebook 20:00 - The 20-acre property broker's open with hired actors and horses 27:16 - Restructuring the brokerage and moving agents to Real Broker 37:01 - Buying Fresno.com and plans for the new platform 43:06 - How Jason uses AI tools while keeping his voice in the newsletter 45:20 - Tactical advice on doubling your business through in-person effort

    Jason Farris: How a Fresno Agent Sold a Stuck Listing by Hiring Actors for an Open House

  5. Oct 16

    Jim Bottrell: The San Diego Team Generating 20 Cash Offers in Under Two Minutes

    Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: Jim Bottrell is a former Marine Corps major and founder of the Jim Bottrell Real Estate Team at eXp Realty, operating across multiple Southern California markets. He built his business from the ground up after flipping houses through the 2008 crash, eventually becoming a regular television and radio voice on real estate topics in San Diego. His team is known for rigorous agent training standards, statistics-driven listing presentations, and a proprietary cash offer platform. Episode Summary: Jim Bottrell traces his path from Marine Corps major and house flipper wiped out by the 2008 crash to building a multi-market real estate team generating roughly two billion dollars in sales. He details the strict standards, data-backed listing presentations, and lead-generation systems that separate his team from typical brokerages, along with his predictions for a coming shakeout in the agent population. What's Covered: Jim describes transitioning from flipping houses as a vertically integrated one-man operation into becoming a realtor right as the market crashed, surviving on open houses for years before building a client base.He explains how Marine Corps discipline shaped his leadership style, including a mandatory listing-training process where agents present to him as the seller on camera and must pass before ever doing a live listing presentation.Jim details his team's statistics-driven approach to winning listings, including selling homes for 6.8 percent more money in about half the time with a 92 percent success rate compared to a 63 percent market average, and pulling up competing agents' stats directly in front of sellers.He outlines the team's proprietary cash offer platform that can generate 16 to 20 cash offers on a house in under two minutes, framing it as giving sellers something better than what they currently have rather than something entirely new.Jim predicts that roughly 40 percent of currently active real estate agents will be gone within six to eight months due to a worsening market, with the remaining agents capturing a much larger share of shrinking transaction volume.He discusses how AI is reshaping real estate, from consumers using AI to find agents and expecting consistent messaging across every platform, to clients trusting ChatGPT's inaccurate deal advice over their own agent's guidance. Timestamps: 01:08 - From Marine Corps major to house flipper 05:06 - Marine leadership versus managing real estate agents 07:37 - Deciding to grow from solo agent to team owner 09:46 - Building his own brokerage from a parking lot in 45 minutes 12:01 - Hitting financial rock bottom before the turnaround 20:59 - Mandatory on-camera listing training before agents go live 22:33 - The cash offer platform generating 16 to 20 offers in minutes 24:28 - Prediction that 40 percent of agents will exit within months 29:01 - How TV and radio appearances grew through storytelling 34:02 - How AI is changing lead generation and client trust 42:00 - The biggest mistake he'd fix: not enforcing standards sooner

    Jim Bottrell: The San Diego Team Generating 20 Cash Offers in Under Two Minutes

  6. Oct 15

    Edgar Munoz: Scaling a Hampton Roads Brokerage to 450 Agents With Military-Style Onboarding

    Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: Edgar Munoz is the broker and co-owner of Iron Valley Real Estate Prestige, serving the Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads market. A Navy veteran who relocated to Virginia after eight years of service, he built his real estate career from a solo agent into a team, then into brokerage ownership, helping grow Iron Valley from roughly 100 agents to about 450 and past a billion dollars in annual sales. Episode Summary: Edgar Munoz traces his path from Ubering at night to study for his real estate license to co-owning a fast-growing brokerage in Hampton Roads, Virginia. He unpacks the lessons from six unproductive months as a new agent, the creative financing tools that opened up his early business, and the mindset shift required to move from top producer to recruiter and owner. The conversation also covers his low-pressure recruiting approach, military-inspired onboarding philosophy, database accountability, and his view on where AI fits into the future of real estate transactions. What's Covered: Edgar describes moving to Virginia after eight years in the Navy, Ubering at night while studying for his real estate license, and going six months without a single sale due to lack of mentorship and training.He explains how joining an experienced team early on taught him creative financing tools like 203K loans and subject-to deals, which let him serve buyers who couldn't qualify through conventional financing alone.Edgar recounts the moment he realized his production was driving another team's marketing success rather than his own, which pushed him to invest in Boomtown leads and build his own team, Realty Fever Group, hiring his first agent from a past client relationship.He discusses the shift required to go from team leader to broker owner, including taking off the sales hat, learning the business side of running a brokerage such as banking, CPAs, and tax obligations, and building ancillary verticals.Edgar details his low-pressure recruiting style, showing up at industry events agents attend and using tools like Corded.io for soft, relationship-based outreach rather than cold calls, plus modeling onboarding after the military's emphasis on a strong first impression.He shares tactical advice for agents wanting to double production, centered on auditing and reactivating their client database, being visible on social media despite self-consciousness, and his broader prediction that AI and salaried industry roles could reshape commission structures within five years. Timestamps: 01:14 - From Navy service to starting a real estate career in Virginia 02:06 - Six months with zero sales as a brand-new agent 03:45 - Ten-year growth story: solo agent to 450-agent, billion-dollar brokerage 05:27 - Learning creative financing and off-market deals from an early team 07:41 - Realizing his own value and launching Realty Fever Group 16:03 - Low-pressure recruiting and using Corded.io for soft intros 19:04 - Military-inspired onboarding and daily coaching for new agents 27:39 - Edgar's take on AI, salaried agents, and the future of commissions 30:55 - Tactical advice: database audits and fixing 'orphan clients' 35:04 - Five-year vision: stepping out of production and into franchising

    Edgar Munoz: Scaling a Hampton Roads Brokerage to 450 Agents With Military-Style Onboarding

  7. Oct 15

    Michael Morris: Building an Inbound Kansas City Business by Refusing to Chase Buyers

    Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: Michael Morris, known online as Big Mike Sells KC, is an eXp Realty agent focused on the Northland area of Kansas City, including Clay and Platte counties. He built a seven-to-eight-figure solo real estate business after leaving the oil fields, using hyper-local content, AI-driven systems, and a deliberate refusal to chase leads. Morris has also publicly documented losing over 100 pounds, a transformation he credits with reshaping his approach to discipline and business. Episode Summary: Michael Morris explains how he built a lazy-by-design, almost entirely inbound real estate business in Kansas City's Northland by producing hyper-local development content instead of typical real estate posts, then automating nearly everything else with AI. He also discusses why he refuses to build a traditional team, how he filters out unserious buyers, and how losing over 100 pounds taught him the same foundational-habit philosophy he now applies to scaling his business. What's Covered: Morris describes leaving the oil fields after failing a drug test and eventually joining a faith-driven, non-traditional real estate group that shaped his habits and work ethic.He runs a solo operation doing seven to eight million a year in production by offloading everything except client calls, showings, and listing appointments to assistants, a transaction coordinator, a loan officer, and AI tools.He explains the shift from generic real estate content to hyper-local development and permit-news videos, which outperformed real estate posts by huge margins and turned him into a recognized local figure.He walks through his lead flow, including a 65 percent open rate newsletter called the Northland Update, AI-assisted social engagement built on principles from the book Contagious, and a growing but still unmonetized website audience.He outlines his future growth plan of referring lay-down buyer leads to vetted agents for a 50-50 split and using paid showing assistants instead of ever building a traditional team.He connects his 100-plus pound weight loss to his business philosophy, emphasizing building a sustainable foundation and taking on small, consistent steps rather than overcommitting and burning out, while also sharing his blunt views on AI cold-calling and why real estate agents still beat portals like Zillow and Redfin on service. Timestamps: 00:01:25 - From failing a drug test in the oil fields to finding real estate 00:05:28 - Inside his solo, assistant and AI-powered business model 00:07:35 - Why he deliberately limits himself to the Northland market 00:10:05 - Building a full suite of AI assistants for content and follow-up 00:14:04 - Why he pivoted from real estate content to local development news 00:21:40 - Using the Contagious framework to turn followers into word-of-mouth referrals 00:25:35 - His future plan to refer lay-down buyers to vetted agents for a 50-50 split 00:35:15 - Breaking down the Northland Update newsletter and its 65 percent open rate 00:38:09 - How losing over 100 pounds reshaped his approach to discipline and foundations 00:44:04 - His take on AI cold-calling and why real estate agents still beat portals like Zillow

    Michael Morris: Building an Inbound Kansas City Business by Refusing to Chase Buyers

  8. Oct 14

    John Armstrong: The ChatGPT Prompt That Got Bloomington Buyers Their $5,000 Back

    Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: John Armstrong is the designated managing broker and owner of RE/MAX Rising in Bloomington, Illinois, and leader of the Armstrong Burns home selling team. A second-generation realtor since 1996, he has twice served as president of the Mid-Illinois Realtor Association and is a Hall of Fame member and past Realtor of the Year. He also hosts On the House, a weekly Bloomington Normal real estate radio show he has run for 15 years. Episode Summary: John Armstrong joins Under Contract to reflect on nearly 30 years in real estate, from payphone showdowns for keys to today's AI-assisted transactions. He shares how he builds and rotates a team of new agents, screens for inner drive, and uses ChatGPT as a daily business partner for training, marketing strategy, and even resolving a disputed home inspection dispute. He closes with a philosophy on karma and professionalism that he believes drives long-term referral business. What's Covered: Armstrong traces real estate's evolution from pre-internet days of controlling listing information and driving buyers around to today's bottom-of-funnel buyers who arrive already informed from online listingsHe describes his team structure as a training ground for brand-new licensees, moving them through stages until they graduate to independent production, while hiring a proven top producer to model best practices for newer agentsHe explains his interview method for spotting inner drive in potential agents, asking about the first time they made money as kids rather than taking claims of ambition at face valueArmstrong details how national headlines miss hyperlocal nuance, citing his market's seller's conditions, five-day average market times during peak season, and a cross-market strategy pairing a seller's market sale with a buyer's market purchaseHe walks through using ChatGPT to staff internal panels, expand his marketing team into outside client work, and build a timeline of evidence that pressured a seller's agent into admitting undisclosed water damage, recovering a buyer's earnest moneyHe closes on a philosophy of professional conduct and karma in the business, arguing that agents who communicate honestly and protect the deal's integrity earn long-term referrals even decades later Timestamps: 01:33 - Looking back at getting licensed in 1996 and growing up as a realtor's kid 04:45 - How market strategies flip between buyer's and seller's markets 06:17 - Structuring a team as a training pipeline for new agents 14:54 - What separates consistent producers from struggling agents 19:04 - What's happening locally in Bloomington that national headlines miss 21:19 - Lessons from 15 years hosting the On the House radio show 26:01 - Where team business actually comes from at different career stages 35:02 - Rethinking team culture around diversity rather than similarity 36:33 - Doing the right thing even when it costs a deal 43:48 - Using ChatGPT to resolve a disputed water damage transaction 48:42 - Closing thoughts on karma and professionalism in real estate

    John Armstrong: The ChatGPT Prompt That Got Bloomington Buyers Their $5,000 Back
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Under Contract is a show for real estate agents and team leaders who want to build a real business, not just chase the next transaction. Host Tim Donovan sits down with top-producing agents and brokers across the country to break down exactly how they built what they built. Their lead generation systems, follow-up philosophy, pricing models, team structures, and the turning points that changed everything.  No fluff, no recycled advice. Just real numbers, real strategies, and the operational details most agents never get to hear straight from the source. Plus an honest look at where AI actually helps a real estate business, and where it doesn't.  New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe if you're serious about scaling.

Information

  • Creator
    Tim Donovan
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Under Contract
  • Show Website
    Under Contract