Porch Swing Podcast

BAM Media

Welcome to Porch Swing Podcast where once a month, Justin Benson and George Laughton sit down for unfiltered conversations with leaders shaping the real estate industry. Part strategy session, part front porch talk, built for real estate pros and entrepreneurs who'd rather be the wise one in the room than just another door opener.

Episodes

  1. 6h ago

    HousingWire CEO on Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Betting on Yourself

    Clayton Collins, CEO of HousingWire, joins Justin Benson, George Laughton, and guest host Kala Laos, CEO of Zoodealio, to talk about leaving investment banking for entrepreneurship, how he used a search fund to acquire HousingWire, and how his leadership style has evolved over 10 years. He also covers running a remote team, keeping a growing company from becoming bureaucratic, what surprised him about real estate’s coaching culture, and the 2021 moment that taught him to trust his team. 🔔 Subscribe to Porch Swing Podcast today: https://youtube.com/@porchswingpod?sub_confirmation=1 Resources:https://hwmedia.com/ ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00–01:27 HousingWire CEO Clayton Collins pulls up a seat on the porch 03:22 Warren Buffett’s folksy image was a strategy 04:00 From investment banker to entrepreneur 06:26 Search funds: The entrepreneur path for people without the big idea 07:15 How Collins found HousingWire 09:13 The one question that built his investor network 13:23 “Have a bias toward action.” 15:25 Munger’s rule and how Collins’ experience was different 16:55 What Collins would tell young entrepreneurs today (that he wished he’d known) 20:52 Kala: “What didn’t you know that quickly uncovered once you stepped in?” 23:23 The CEO’s hardest question: How do I change as the business changes? 24:16 His first big bet as a leader: Hiring a sales leader 25:05 How his leadership style has changed from 2016 to 2026 28:19 What surprised him most about the real estate industry 34:20 Missing his first RealTrends event for his son’s birth 39:08 What Collins would look for in a chief of staff 48:41 What Collins would warn his 2016 self about 51:14 Is 4 million sales the new baseline? 53:30 “Hard markets forge careers and they forge great companies.” 55:27 Beyond family, the people Collins wants to thank for the life he’s built ——— ✅ Stay Connected With Us 👉 Connect with Justin Benson: https://www.instagram.com/justinbenson/ 👉 Connect with George Laughton: https://www.instagram.com/georgelaughton/ 👉 Connect with Kala Laos: https://www.instagram.com/kalalaos/ 👉 Connect with Clayton Collins: https://www.instagram.com/housingclayton/ ——— 🔔 Subscribe to the BAM YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/aatxhaka 📩 Subscribe to BAM Newsletter: https://newsletters.nowbam.com/bam-daily 🧐 Check out BAM: https://nowbam.com/ BAM PARTNERS 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨 is the intuitive AI assistant built for high-performing real estate teams that listens, coaches, and guides your agents in real time so they can close with confidence → https://shilo.ai/ #entrepreneurship #realestatecoaching #investors

  2. Oct 7

    The President of NextHome on Layoffs, Lawsuits, and Leading Through Chaos

    James Dwiggins, President of NextHome, joins Justin Benson and George Laughton to discuss why he sold NextHome to eXp, his fear the MLS won't survive five years, why he calls private listings an abomination, why most proptech won't survive AI, and why agents pick the broker before the brand. 🔔 Subscribe to Porch Swing Podcast today: https://youtube.com/@porchswingpod?sub_confirmation=1 James Dwiggins' Podcast, Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered: https://www.youtube.com/@RealEstateInsidersUnfiltered ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00–01:38 Intro 05:00 “Always say the things you don’t think you can say.” 06:23 How James Dwiggins got to where he is as President of NextHome 12:15 Why the use of a real estate agent is at an all-time high 19:24 The 1st thing Dwiggins & his business partner created: virtual tours 20:33 The founder’s curse: too far ahead in a late-adopting industry 23:28 There’s no key to success. “The question is what are you willing to give up to get there.” 27:15 Why most proptech companies won’t survive (and what separates those that will) 31:20 Messy middle moments and what Dwiggins learned from them 33:55 “The hardest part as a founder is knowing when to make a tough call.” 34:47 The $20K payroll loan that taught him "Your word is everything" 37:33 The problem with leadership: “the leader doesn’t know when to get out of the way.” 40:12 Stretched to the brink in 2024: Why Dwiggins spoke out knowing he’d be sued 44:44 “If the MLS goes down, the whole system fails.” 46:32 NextHome’s acquisition by eXp and why private listings are “an abomination” 50:03 Why Dwiggins fears the MLS won’t survive the next five years 53:00 “Agents choose the broker first. They choose the brand second.” 56:48 People (outside family) Dwiggins wants to thank for the life he built. ——— ✅ Stay Connected With Us — 👉 Connect with Justin Benson: https://www.instagram.com/justinbenson/ 👉 Connect with George Laughton: https://www.instagram.com/georgelaughton/ 👉 Connect with James Dwiggins: https://www.instagram.com/james.dwiggins/ ——— 🔔 Subscribe to the BAM YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/aatxhaka 📩 Subscribe to BAM Newsletter: https://newsletters.nowbam.com/bam-daily 🧐 Check out BAM: https://nowbam.com/ BAM PARTNERS 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨 is the intuitive AI assistant built for high-performing real estate teams that listens, coaches, and guides your agents in real time so they can close with confidence → https://shilo.ai/ #JamesDwiggins #realestate #proptech

  3. Aug 12

    Tom Ferry’s Wake Up Call For Real Estate Agents

    In the debut episode of Porch Swing, Tom Ferry joins Justin Benson, George Laughton, and Lindsay Fricks for an honest talk about ambition, fear, protecting your mind like an athlete protects their body, and why constraint tends to create the biggest breakthroughs. 🔔 Subscribe to Porch Swing Podcast today: https://youtube.com/@porchswingpod?sub_confirmation=1 ⏰ Timestamps: 03:16 The Biochemistry Degree Nobody Saw Coming07:36 Why Your Mind Is the Only Tool You Actually Have12:18 The Conversation That Changed Tom Ferry’s Career18:36 Munger's Paradox: Never Underestimate the Man Who Overestimates Himself26:47 The "Brutal Public A** Kicking" Every Ambitious Person Needs37:51 The Defensive Reaction That Kills Ambitious People's Growth47:31 Jim Carrey's Commencement Line on Letting Go of Outcomes59:58 The Inman Rant on AI Being Wrong All the Time (and Why That's Fine)01:03:22 You Can't Just Be a Door Opener Anymore ——— ✅ Stay Connected With Us — 👉 Connect with Justin Benson: https://www.instagram.com/justinbenson/ 👉 Connect with George Laughton: https://www.instagram.com/georgelaughton/ 👉 Connect with Lindsay Fricks: https://www.instagram.com/lindsay.fricks/ 👉 Connect with Tom Ferry: https://www.instagram.com/tomferry/ ——— 🔔 Subscribe to the BAM YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/aatxhaka 📩 Subscribe to BAM Newsletter: https://newsletters.nowbam.com/bam-daily 🧐 Check out BAM: https://nowbam.com/ BAM PARTNERS 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨 is the intuitive AI assistant built for high-performing real estate teams that listens, coaches, and guides your agents in real time so they can close with confidence → https://shilo.ai/ #TomFerry #RealEstateCoaching #RealEstatePodcast

About

Welcome to Porch Swing Podcast where once a month, Justin Benson and George Laughton sit down for unfiltered conversations with leaders shaping the real estate industry. Part strategy session, part front porch talk, built for real estate pros and entrepreneurs who'd rather be the wise one in the room than just another door opener.