Key Takeaways
- Reinvention requires courage and a willingness to evolve when life takes unexpected turns.
- Success in business and life depends on planning, consistency, and authentic relationships.
- True balance isn’t about perfection but about learning to flow with each season of life.
The REI Agent with Kortney Wilson
Value-rich, The REI Agent podcast takes a holistic approach to life through real estate.
Hosted by Mattias Clymer, an agent and investor, alongside his wife Erica Clymer, a licensed therapist, the show features guests who strive to live bold and fulfilled lives through business and real estate investing.
You are personally invited to witness inspiring conversations with agents and investors who share their journeys, strategies, and wisdom.
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The Courage to Start Over
From the outside looking in, Kortney Wilson’s career seemed to follow a perfectly scripted melody, signed to Disney Records, chasing her country music dreams in Nashville.
But as life often proves, even the brightest stage lights can dim, only to reveal a brand-new spotlight waiting to shine elsewhere.
When her home flooded over the holidays, Kortney and her husband were forced to pivot.
What began as a desperate renovation to survive became the foundation of a new empire.
“Our house flooded while it was listed for sale. We were broke, but I renovated it anyway. That disaster changed everything.”
In that moment of chaos, Kortney found her calling in transformation, not just of homes, but of entire lives.
Building a Career Brick by Brick
What started as one renovation project soon grew into something much larger.
Kortney earned her real estate license, determined to take control of her family’s future.
She learned early that success in real estate wasn’t just about properties, it was about persistence, creativity, and the courage to take calculated risks.
Her ability to see beauty in imperfection led to HGTV calling. “We ended up having a show called Masters of Flip, and later Making It Home. Now I’m working on Life is Messy, a show that’s less about big renovations and more about real people.”
Through these ventures, Kortney proved that reinvention is possible at any stage of life when purpose fuels the pivot.
The Myth of Balance
When asked how she manages a TV career, a real estate business, rentals, and motherhood, Kortney laughs.
“I don’t believe in balance. I don’t know what that is. Life ebbs and flows.”
Instead of striving for balance, she embraces momentum. Some seasons are overflowing with projects, while others allow her to slow down and recharge.
This honest perspective is what makes her relatable to agents and investors who juggle countless roles every day.
Kortney’s version of balance is learning to trust the flow, working hard during harvest and resting during the drought.
Lessons in Burnout and Reconnection
After selling over 100 homes in her third year as an agent, Kortney hit a wall. Burnout became real. But rather than quit, she adapted. She built a team, delegated tasks, and learned to protect her energy.
“Hire someone to do what you’re not good at. It’s hard to let go, but it’s how you grow.”
From admin help to social media management, Kortney encourages agents to treat their business like a business.
Success, she insists, isn’t about doing everything; it’s about focusing on what you do best and finding people who can do the rest.
Owning Your Brand and Story
Today, Kortney balances her TV success with her real estate brand, often battling public perception.
“People see me doing makeup ads or traveling and think I don’t sell real estate anymore. But that’s what pays the bills!”
Her solution? Blend it all. She’s learning to show more of her real estate life alongside her lifestyle content, teaching others that your personal brand is an ecosystem, not a single lane.
For realtors struggling to build recognition online, Kortney’s advice is clear: authenticity beats perfection every time.
“If you’re awkward on camera, fine. Find a way to make it work for you. Just don’t make excuses for not doing it.”
Success Without Excuses
Kortney’s words hit hard for anyone chasing success in a crowded market.
“Ten percent of agents do ninety percent of the business. Decide which percentage you’re in.”
She believes dreams mean nothing without a plan. The top performers, she says, are the ones who show up every day with purpose and consistency.
And perhaps her most powerful reminder: “Build relationships before transactions. Let people know you’ve got them, even after closing.”
In an industry built on trust, Kortney’s approach isn’t just good business, it’s good humanity.
A Life of Learning and Letting Go
Though she jokes that she doesn’t read, Kortney’s favorite audiobook captures her entire philosophy.
“Let Them by Mel Robbins changed how I move through the world. You can’t control everything. Let people show you who they are, and keep moving forward.”
From Rich Dad, Poor Dad to her own hands-on mistakes, every lesson shaped the confident leader she’s become today, a woman who built an empire from the ashes of a flooded home.
The Power of Reinvention
Kortney Wilson’s story is one of transformation, resilience, and relentless growth.
What began with a dream to sing country music turned into a purpose to inspire others to rebuild, both their homes and their lives.
Her message is universal: reinvention isn’t about starting over. It’s about evolving with courage and intention.
“You’re not always going to be chosen. You’re not always going to win. But you can always move forward.”
In a world obsessed with perfection, Kortney reminds us that life, like real estate, is beautifully imperfect.
And that’s exactly where the magic happens.
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories on The REI Agent podcast, your go-to source for insights, inspiration, and strategies from top agents and investors who are living their best lives through real estate.
For more content and episodes, visit reiagent.com.
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Contact Kortney Wilson
Mentioned References
Transcript
[Mattias]
Welcome back to the REI Agent. I am here with Kortney Wilson. Kortney, thanks so much for joining us.
[Kortney Wilson]
Thank you so much for having me, Mattias. I appreciate it.
[Mattias]
Yeah, give us a bird’s eye view if people don’t know who you are about what you do.
[Kortney Wilson]
Wow, that’s a… How far are we going back? I’ll give you like a one minute version.
I was born in Canada. I moved to Nashville when I was 18, about 28 years ago to pursue music. And I got a record deal with Disney.
Thought I was gonna be a good old country music star and life happened. And though I had a good little run, my music career was short-lived. And that resulted in me kind of evolving my path a little bit.
And my ex-husband and I, so my husband at the time, we started flipping houses, essentially to get us out of a real big pickle where our house flooded. And yeah, over the holidays, because we were so broke, we turned the heat off to save some money and came home to like three feet of water while it was listed for sale. Yeah, it was brutal.
But you know, it’s one of those like shit, sick of life stories where you like, you know, what came out of it was awesome. And we ended up, I did a little renovation and our realtor at the time was like, hmm, you gotta have an act for this. Like, have you ever thought about flipping houses?
So we started flipping houses from that point forward. And typically taking our time, like not taking a year to flip, but maybe one a year because we were performers. We wanted to still be music artists.
And so it was a few years later that I ended up getting my real estate license and, you know, predominantly to represent myself. But I also was like, well, if I’m gonna do this, you know, and at that point I had two or three kids. I have three now, but that point I had two or three kids and they were young babies.
And I was like, okay, wait, this feast or famine in the music industry is kind of getting to me. So maybe I’ll, you know, throw some more eggs in the basket of real estate. And from there, we ended up having a show with HGTV.
Flipping houses called Masters of Flip and then making it home with my new co-host, Kenny. And then I just finished filming a show, a new show that will start airing early 2026 called Life is Messy, where I’m actually taking more of my real estate expertise to help, I’m calling it like light hoarders meets light intervention. It’s a very different show for me.
So not massive renovations, very, very relatable. Like, you know, as realtors, we’ve all walked into the house and had people tell us exactly what they’re willing to do now that they’re gonna sell it, you know? And we’re like, dang, if you could have done this, you know, when you bought it, you would really have enjoyed your house.
So it’s kind of like that.
[Mattias]
I love it. Man, I have a lot in common with you. I don’t have a TV show.
But you know- Good for you.
[Kortney Wilson]
You’re probably better off.
[Mattias]
I’ve always loved music. I’ve been, you know, somewhat in music my whole life. I kind of took a hiatus with that and then recently started a band as kind of a joke.
And we have our first concert coming up soon, which I’m really excited about, but I’m curious if you- You need to plug your concert.
[Kortney Wilson]
What are you playing? I mean, never miss an opportunity. Isn’t that the ultimate, like, you know, advice we have for realtors?
[Mattias]
A hundred percent. Well, and I was just curious if you have had that side of yourself still, like now that you’ve been uber successful in a different area, like, does that a side of yourself that you still, like, need to bring back or have, want to explore still?
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, you know, I’m going to lift up my camera here. I’ve got a baby grand over there that’s been calling my name for about three years that I haven’t touched. But I, I, it is on my list.
And I say this genuinely and transparently. It has been on my list for a couple of months and it keeps getting passed on to the next day because I’ve been super busy, but nonetheless, it keeps getting repeated on the next day that I am going to make my way back to music. More from a vanity standpoint, like, I just want to play for myself for the first time in my life.
I don’t want to, like, go on tour or try to pursue a record deal or anything. But, like, I miss music. I’m starting to miss it.
I took a break. Much in the same way that I took a break from real estate for a bit. I was really burned out.
So, you know, you can burn out on anything if you have too much of it.
[Mattias]
Yeah, and I think it’s about, like, you know, having success in life. I think it’s good to then, you know, bring about some semblance of balance where you can do things that are for you and that you enjoy, et cetera. And certainly, I’m not expecting a music career to blossom out of my show here coming up.
You never know.
[Kortney Wilson]
You might pick up a client out of it, though. You never know.
[Mattias]
Yeah, there you go. I’m going to hand out business cards.
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, there you go.
[Mattias]
So, now, how has your work been balanced? So, you have real estate sales. Are you working with people, residential?
Do you have a team? Yeah. Versus, like, Flips Now versus, like, the TV show?
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, well, so, when I first got into real estate, I was hot and heavy. So, I had both the TV show and I was just killing it. Like, within the brokerage firm, I was the rookie of the year.
I did 100 transactions, I think, my third year in real estate, which was insane. But I burned out really quickly. And I was like, damn, this is not going to work for me.
Now, I’m full disclosure, because I know that when I was reading, you know, even the prep stuff for the podcast, balance was all over it. I don’t believe in balance. I don’t know what balance is.
Can’t speak to balance. Don’t talk to me if you’re, you know, don’t look to me for advice on balance. I don’t know what that is.
But, you know, things, it ebbs and flows, and sometimes I’m super, super, super busy. And then other times, it lays flat for a bit. And there are issues with both of those things, because balance just doesn’t seem to be a thing for me.
And I think coming from TV, you know, you’re filming, so you’re right in the middle of it. And when you’re filming a TV show, you typically don’t break, right? So, you’re in it.
And during those times, it became harder for me to show houses and to be the same kind of realtor that I was before. So, I did have a small team.
[Mattias]
Okay.
[Kortney Wilson]
I’ve always had kind of a small team. I have a smaller team now than I’ve ever had. I have a couple of agents on the team, and they, you know, do their own thing.
And then when I need them to take something off my plate, they do that as well, especially when I’m filming or showing houses. So, that’s been very helpful. But I now have, like, rekindled my love for real estate, in a way.
And I think it’s partly because I’m not flipping houses. So, I’m not in it every day. You know, if I’m taking on a big house project, it might be one a year.
But I’m just not doing that. It’s not conducive to the market right now. Especially where I am in Nashville.
You know, you have to pay so much for a fixer-upper. So, it’s allowed me a little bit more space. And, like, I used to never show houses to buyers at all, like, for the last few years.
And this year, I’ve sort of picked that back up again. And I’m like, wait, I kind of, I like this again. So, it ebbs and flows, you know?
And I don’t, I think, you know, to have a successful business, you sort of need to acknowledge that. Or the burnout is bad, especially in real estate. You know, I have a brand new agent right now, and she’s killing it.
And doing so well, but in the back of my head, I’m like, okay, she is a prime subject for burnout, right? Because she’s so ambitious. But there are both sides of the coin.
You have got the other people that you can’t, you know, you’re trying to, like, lift them up.
[Mattias]
Sure.
[Kortney Wilson]
To get things done, yeah.
[Mattias]
Well, and I think balance is definitely, probably not the right word. And, you know, there’s something to the state of flow. Like, when you’re so engaged, and it’s so gross in what you’re doing, that time seems to melt away.
And I think more so than, you know, trying to balance everything, it’s more that you have that element in your life where you are fulfilled with what you’re doing. You’re so fulfilled that you are just, yeah, engaging it so much. But also trying not to lose sight on, you know, your health, or.
[Kortney Wilson]
For sure, and like, everybody has their own, like, some people have seven kids. Other people have one. Some people, you know, don’t have kids at all.
And, you know, but they have a side business. Like, everyone is trying to do the best that they can. I recently took a course within EXP when I joined there.
I moved over from Compass earlier this year. And I took it because I knew that my agents were gonna have to take it underneath me, and I wanted to kind of get a feeling for, like, what the course was about. And it was all over the map, the type of people that were taking this.
And some of the questions that were asked during the course, like, I kind of rolled my eyes. Like, oh my gosh, are we really going back here to, like, how do I create consistency in my business? But it also, I had to, like, take a breath when I did it, because I was like, wait, there’s a way for me to apply this to my life, right?
And so I’ve, this year, gone back to the basics of, like, what does it mean to be a good realtor? What does it mean to follow through? What does it mean to be consistent, you know, in my branding?
What does it mean to make connections? Like, and coming right back, you know, to the beginning, which has been awesome for me.
[Mattias]
Yeah, I love it. It can be good to have a good reminder, because, I mean, somebody who is as established as you probably can just have, not do much, and have the phone ring. Somebody that’s starting out has to do, you know, a lot to try to attract business and get that repeat business, et cetera.
People are probably asking you to find time for me.
[Kortney Wilson]
True, yeah, true, but I also, like, I also feel like one of my obstacles in being a realtor here in Nashville is that I have several brands. So if you’re watching my main Instagram channel, you know, with hundreds of thousands of followers, you’re seeing funny content with my husband, you’re seeing brand deals for makeup and hair products, and, you know, a partnered trip on a cruise line, you’re seeing lots of stuff. So it’s very easy to look at that and say, oh, she’s not doing real estate anymore.
[Mattias]
Right.
[Kortney Wilson]
And so one of the things, one of the obstacles that I’ve had has been, like, oh, no, hell no, I am doing real estate. Not only that, that pays the bills. So please call me, and then I’ll find out, oh my God, they didn’t, you know, they used a random person because they thought I wasn’t doing it.
So I’m having to really stretch, and, like, I’m even trying to incorporate more brand content into the main page and not just my real estate page, which is hard, but yeah. So that can be an obstacle. So, you know, for those listeners out there who are like, okay, well, you know, I pay the bills, you know, as a mechanic, or, you know, as a teacher, and that’s what everybody knows me, it’s an obstacle to shift that brand because people want to know who they’re working with now.
And in a day and age of social media, there’s zero excuses for them to just, you know, not choose who they connect with.
[Mattias]
Yeah, no, I could definitely see that. I mean, I definitely get calls, and do you even have time for me? And, you know, I don’t think, Bonnie means I’m at the point where I’ve had people not reach out.
I mean, there’s probably, if they thought I was too busy, but I could see that definitely being something that you would have to struggle with. I’m curious if we shift back to kind of when you were hustling and doing 100 deals, at what point, I mean, did you start off with somebody, like an admin, or at what point did you feel like you needed somebody else to help?
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, so I wasn’t, I didn’t have any admin in the beginning, which is, I remember other agents being like, how are you doing it? But in my life, I get a lot of how are you doing all this? Like, how do you have a podcast, how do you have a TV show, and three kids, and a real estate business, and rentals, I manage my own rentals, for example.
I have 13 rentals, and I don’t use a company, I do it myself. So like, I, it was a bit before I brought somebody on. I was probably three years before I brought somebody on, and it was because basically I had other things going on.
I think it’s important to hire somebody to do all the things that you’re not good at, you know? Like, it’s really hard to let go, but it is ultimately the way that you grow. And I also acknowledge, you know, because I didn’t grow up with money, so like, I have that deep-seated thing inside me, like, oh my gosh, if I can save a dollar, I’ll do it myself.
So it’s a real mind shift to go, oh my gosh, do I spend money on somebody that’s admin, or for social media, or like a marketing person? But I don’t know many people who have done it who haven’t ultimately said that it made them money to do that.
[Mattias]
Yeah, and it could be a process too, right? I mean, it’s not that you always pick the right person right off the bat, and so there’s definitely probably a learning curve of being a boss to your employees as well.
[Kortney Wilson]
It’s a commitment, you know? And it’s always, you know, because people will leave you. I mean, they’re gonna grow too.
And you want them to grow, but you also, you know, don’t want, you know, you don’t want them, you don’t want to grow them to leave, have them leave you high and dry. So like, you have to find the right people. So I’m not suggesting, you know, just hire anybody.
But in the beginning, it might be as simple as just a transaction coordinator. And you get that feeling of like, oh wow, I can take my hands off the wheel, and just have somebody deal with that side of it. It might be as simple as having a social media manager, which I think probably is one of the best things that you can have in this day and age.
[Mattias]
Yeah, seriously, I mean, that’s, I mean, we should ask you some tips about social media, because that is, I think, I see that done poorly, so often, or not at all.
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, well, if you have questions, she’s right here. Emma, say hi. Hi.
Emma is my social media manager, and she’s always, you know, a few feet away from me most days, unless she’s editing podcasts and stuff. But she’s in a day and age where people, especially our, well, the next generation, maybe not my generation, I feel like I’m older than most now, but you probably have your hands in more than one thing. It’s not as simple as just like, hey, I’m gonna run an ad in a newspaper, you know?
Like, when I started in real estate 15 years ago, they were still running newspaper ads for open houses. So how did we come so far so quickly? That’s jaunting for somebody who didn’t grow up in social media.
[Mattias]
Yeah, totally. It is, and I think it just becomes a job. And, you know, when you become a real estate agent, you often just feel like you have to wear all the hats, and you have to do everything.
And if you aren’t good at the social media, if you’re not good at the whatever, it’s, you need to learn how to do it. You need to get better at doing it. And I think what we both can agree upon is like, it’s often you need to focus more on what you’re good at, and lean into that, and then get, you know, other people to help you with the other things, like social media, if that’s not what you’re gifted at naturally.
Exactly. And do you do any batching of content? Do you like kind of plan out like maybe, you know, I’m gonna do record like five reels or something like that?
[Kortney Wilson]
Or is it? Yeah, well, I, how do I answer that question? Yes, I guess I do.
Cause I, you know, we are always, we, when I have what’s called a shoot day, so like after this podcast, it’s a shoot afternoon. So we have, we have branded content. We, you know, branded deals that we have to get out.
We’ll usually take an opportunity to add like a funny video or two, or a real estate video. And what I’m learning even for real estate is, I’m not really needing to be too much in the video itself. So like, so people who are like, I don’t really wanna be on camera.
Well, number one, get over yourself. And then two, seriously, get over yourself. Like go sit, you know, in front of the mirror in the bathroom when nobody’s looking and talk to yourself.
Get very comfortable with the image that’s across from you, the voice that you hear, cause everybody hates their own voice. I did. And then find ways to not have to be in the video all that much, you know, work it, work around it where you’re doing tips or tricks or things where you’re just in the beginning or the end of the video and you’re just doing a voiceover for the rest of it.
There are ways for us to play to our own strengths. If you’re awkward on video, unless you’re so awkward that it’s funny, don’t go, don’t do it. Don’t do it the way that I would do it, where I would take, take you on a tour.
Instead, do it as a voiceover where you’re just in the beginning or your face comes up. Like, I would say my best advice is don’t make excuses for, for not doing it, right? Find a way that works for you.
There’s a gazillion ways. There are people with millions more followers than me that, you know, just put a picture up with, you know, you know, type over it.
[Mattias]
Yeah. And, yeah, yeah.
[Kortney Wilson]
So yes, I, we always have to, there’s always gonna be a week where we, I’m completely out of commission. So we’re always banking content, you know, no matter what the brand is. Like next week we have four podcasts that we’re shooting, which is a lot.
But we know that coming up, I’m out of commission for a couple of weeks.
[Mattias]
Sure.
[Kortney Wilson]
So we’re trying to bank several.
[Mattias]
It’s a lot of organization.
[Kortney Wilson]
A lot, yeah.
[Mattias]
Yeah, it’s a lot of moving parts. And to add to what you were saying too, I mean, I think it’s good to get used to talking, get used to being on camera and hearing your own voice. You can do get over it.
I have.
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah.
[Mattias]
It does take a little bit for everybody, I think. But there’s also 11 Labs where you could record you reading a paragraph and then you could, in theory, just have the AIs be you and talk, do a voiceover for you.
[Kortney Wilson]
I haven’t tried that yet, but I’ve heard about, I’ve heard of it. It’s pretty cool.
[Mattias]
Yeah, so I mean, there’s those options as well. But I think it is a skill that you can learn and you can get better at, for sure.
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
[Mattias]
So it sounds like you kind of have to do some time blocking as far as like weeks and recording. I mean, do you have a regular time blocking system in place that, or answering emails or that kind of stuff since you’re such a busy person?
[Kortney Wilson]
No, so I don’t do it the way that it was taught to me. I do it in a way that works for me. But I am a big proponent of time blocking if you don’t, if you are not a good self motivator, especially, so for me, my morning, like I have a book here every day, whatever didn’t get carried, whatever didn’t get crossed off gets carried over.
So my big thing is a to-do list. I have like a digital one too for different things, but I still enjoy the act of crossing it off. I don’t care if it’s the freaking dishwasher, like unload the dishwasher.
I like the feeling of feeling accomplished in my day. So I write everything down, and usually in the morning it’ll be like answer emails, but I am one of those people that answers emails all day long. The things that I time block for are the things that I could easily push off.
Shooting content, like as realtors, we have to show houses at all hours of the day. Like it’s, you know, something comes up and if it’s a hot commodity, I’m rolling. So I need to be able to get ahead in all the other areas of my life so I can drop it like it’s hot, as they say.
And, you know, go show a house. And so that’s the hardest part to me about being a realtor is that you almost have to, your whole life has to be played ahead a little bit, and you have to be a really good planner in order to be a really good agent and stay on top of it. Because otherwise you’re missing the ball or you’re not like, one of the things that I do, I don’t necessarily time block in my calendar, but usually when I’m drinking my coffee in the afternoon, my afternoon coffee, not my morning, I will sit there and go through each of my buyers, the emails that have come through for, you know, that they’re getting so that I can go, okay, maybe there’s nothing, you know, but maybe the update is that there’s nothing, you know?
And I think a lot of agents just go, well, there was nothing. So I will make a point to text my client and say, hey, FYI, been looking at everything the last couple of days, eh, slim pickings. And then it immediately warrants a response back, be like, yeah, I was seeing that, I was noticing that.
That is a good agent to me. That is somebody that’s communicating because now she knows I’m looking. If I don’t say anything, and I have had, I’ve worked with agents before who just be like, well, I didn’t reach out because there was no update.
I’m like, that’s the update.
[Mattias]
Yeah, yeah, I mean, that’s definitely, in slower markets, that’s definitely the thing they advise for listings too, right? Like there’s nothing, no showings, nothing that happened, like you should still reach out and have some sort of time where maybe you have a Monday morning that you go through and you reach out to all your clients and give them updates. Yeah, that’s great advice.
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, so time blocking, not so much, but I’m really good at being self-motivated and creating that list in the morning and getting to it. The only stuff that I will time block is with, now, when you have somebody that you’re working with, like a transaction coordinator or a market media consultant or whatever it is, that sort of forces your hand to time block for those things. So you’re kind of holding yourself accountable with that hire.
[Mattias]
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I am curious if you have any golden nuggets that you wanna share to any aspiring realtors or realtors that have been around but need some inspiration.
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, I think, you know, 10% of the agents are gonna do 90% of the business and you really just have to decide which percentage you’re in, because I’m going after it. There are gonna be people like me that are gonna make time to do the video, to reach out to the client, to run the ad, and I really think so much of it comes from not saying you want it, because saying you want it really is just like, you know, the dream is nothing without a plan. Anybody can dream anything.
Anybody can say, oh yeah, my intent is to be this. But what is your damn plan? And if I put 10 realtors in front of me, none of them do not have a plan.
It’s like, well, like I was thinking, I was like, did you do it? Well, I don’t know. I just don’t wanna do it until, what is that?
So if you’re listening to this, it’s like there is a real big difference in the people that are, that actually are able to achieve those goals or those benchmarks that they put before themselves. They have the benchmarks. They did it, they made a plan.
They were like, hey, I’m gonna reach out to X amount of people every single day. I’m gonna comment on the Facebook posts and the Instagram reels and the, I’m gonna make sure that my name’s coming up, that I’m, and, you know, I think one of the greatest things that I ever did when I first became a realtor, and I do that in any business today, whether, like, I mean, when I started a podcast, my podcast, The Shit Stick of Life, I immediately went to a couple of friends who had extremely massive podcasts, like way out of my league podcast.
And I was like, can you tell me everything? What mistakes am I about to make? So a realtor can do that too, right?
When I became a real estate agent in Nashville, I took a couple of people to lunch. I said, can I buy your lunch? Can I buy you a coffee?
Can I just pick your brain? You’re gonna find that people, not everybody, but most people are willing to help you when you ask for help. And people like me believe there’s room for all of us.
So there’s not, you know, that, when somebody else is doing something, it’s not jealousy. It’s like, oh man, I’m gonna learn from them. I’m gonna figure it out.
Like, we’re out there. So there’s room for all of us. I’m very good friends with a handful of realtors, female realtors, especially, who you would think we would all be cutthroat, and we’re not.
Like, we’re all like, hey, did you, you know, did you hear she started? And she, like, just got her first two transactions. We should do something for her.
So like, I think, you know, be that person. Throw that energy out there into the world, and then also ask for that back. Ask for help.
[Mattias]
Yeah, yeah, and, you know, see if you can provide value for, you know, like a, be willing to do whatever a top agent needs in your firm, right? Like, I mean, like, try to give them some value as well so that they are more likely to help you and more likely to pass on leads if they can’t, you know, if it’s service or whatever.
[Kortney Wilson]
I mean, there’s- Yeah, and then the other piece of advice that I really have is build relationships before transactions. You know, have, make sure people know you’ve got them, that this isn’t so transactional that, like, you’ve closed the house and that’s it. I’m always encouraging my clients to, like, reach out to me.
You know, I may not have the answer, but this doesn’t end at the transaction. I have, you know, I have knowledge. If you’re looking to, whatever your expertise is, right?
Like, mine is design. Like, if you want me to come over and help you place your furniture, come on. I work for lattes.
Let’s do it, you know? So, like, I think there’s that, too, and I think a lot of realtors are transactional, and then they never hear from you, and they hope that you, you hope that your client reaches out to you four years later when they, you know, had a couple babies and they want to buy, but they’ve probably been reached out by others because most of my friends know several realtors.
[Mattias]
Yeah, exactly. They’re gonna have a new person in their life that they might choose to work with, or just, you know.
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, yeah, and I’ve learned that the hard way, too. Like, I’m not, this isn’t, like, me on my high horse. Everything that I’m talking about, I have made mistakes, which is, you know, how I’ve gotten better is that I’m learning from those mistakes, and I continue to do that.
So, you know, be open-minded that, you know, it’s always changing, and this isn’t a pyramid scheme. You know, every agent gets to work their way up to the top on their own time.
[Mattias]
Yeah, yeah, I love it. Do you have a fundamental book you think everybody, every agent, every person should read, or maybe just the one that you currently really love?
[Kortney Wilson]
So, yeah, I recognize that you asked this question before even the podcast. You’re like, hey, I want you to recommend a book, and my answer is I don’t read. But I was a big reader for many, many years, and then I just stopped.
But I do listen to books. I actually have a New York Times bestseller this week on my podcast next week, and I’m listening to her audiobook, because I’m gonna, it’s amazing. So I’m an audiobook girl, but that counts, right?
[Erica]
Yeah, absolutely.
[Kortney Wilson]
Okay, audiobooks count. Okay, so the book that is not real estate-esque, but it has profoundly helped me in my life, I think both men and women should read it, is called Let Them by Mel Robbins. And I think it’s one of those books that helps you in both your personal life, like in your personal life, your relationships with other people, but in your professional life.
Because you’re not gonna be able to please everyone. You’re not always gonna be the one chosen. You’re not always gonna get the respect that you think you deserve.
And you have to let people show you who they are. Let them, and then keep moving forward one step at a time to be who you are. Don’t let that thing stop you from moving forward.
And yeah, I’m not a big, like I remember when I got a record deal with Disney when I was 19, everybody was like, oh, you need to read The Artist’s Way. You need to write this. You need to read, like, I didn’t read any of it.
I did read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, which was very profoundly impactful for me in my 20s. But other than that, I’m definitely the person that’s gonna go and learn by making the mistakes or learn by being in the presence of people that are way better than me and way cooler than me.
[Mattias]
Yeah, well, and you doing a podcast, for example, like you’re talking to super successful, interesting people all the time, and that’s a great way to learn. It’s one of the perks I like.
[Kortney Wilson]
Oh, I mean, sometimes I’m like, oh my God, how did I not know that I’m such a moron? And they’re like, no, you’re not a moron. And I’m like, no, no, no, you’re right.
I’m not a moron. I learned I’m not a moron. This makes me great for being able to take in this information.
And I think real estate’s, you know, when we all go to real estate school, I mean, somebody that teaches real estate school is gonna, like, roll their eyes at me right now, but we don’t learn how to be a good realtor, I don’t think. You know, it doesn’t take much in this country to go get your real estate license, but the proof is in the pudding because the people that actually get out there and do transactions or work under somebody else until they figure it out, the doers are the ones that learn. And sometimes they’re learning through their mistakes, but they’re learning.
[Mattias]
Absolutely. No, I agree completely. And then, what are the numbers of ways that people can find you?
If they’re not already following you, their Instagrams, what are they?
[Kortney Wilson]
Yeah, I have, my main page is @allthingskortneywilson. See, the person next to me is like, no, you’re wrong. It’s @allthingskortneywilson.
My name is spelled K-O-R-T-N-E-Y. But if you put all things K in, it comes up automatically. And then, my real estate page is @thekortneywilsongroup.
And that’s basically on all accounts, whether it’s YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and yeah, and that’s how you find me.
[Mattias]
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being on the show. It’s been an honor and a great conversation.
[Kortney Wilson]
Mattias, thank you so much for having me.
[Mattias]
Thanks for listening to the REI Agent. If you enjoyed this episode, hit subscribe to catch new shows every week. Visit REIAgent.com for more content. Until next time, keep building the life you want. All content in this show is not investment advice or mental health therapy. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.
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