Starting the new year with strong commercial real estate momentum is not something you need to leave to chance. In episode 251 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak breaks down a simple and highly effective process called The New Year Stack of Leads, designed to help principals and agents create immediate activity in their first week back in January.

Instead of returning from the break feeling sluggish or waiting weeks for momentum to rebuild, this episode shows you how to manufacture it ahead of time. By drafting thoughtful Happy New Year messages before the holidays and scheduling them for your first day back, you set yourself up for inbound inquiries from owners, landlords, and buyers who are ready to talk.

Darren explains how to use the natural etiquette of a New Year greeting to open conversations that matter, create opportunities from existing relationships, and set the tone for a productive start to the new year. He also outlines a simple cadence to follow so those first emails translate into real activity.

What You Will Learn:
🔹 Why New Year messages are an underrated prospecting tool
🔹 How to craft emails that spark real commercial conversations
🔹 A proven follow up cadence to increase response rates
🔹 How principals can prepare their whole team for a strong January

If you want your first week back to be full of opportunity, this episode gives you the template.

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Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/251

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com

Commercial real estate agent performance is often influenced by both mindset and market conditions. In episode 250 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak breaks down what he has learned after onboarding 45 agents into Agent Accelerator over the past three months, and how an agent's confidence levels signal what is ahead for them in 2026.

Darren shares the key question he asks every agent during onboarding: how optimistic or pessimistic they feel about their expected performance over the next 12 months. He then unpacks the second question that reveals the real story: what is driving that score.

Listeners will hear the clear distinction between internal factors such as effort, belief, and momentum, and external factors such as market conditions, competition, or inquiry levels. Darren explains why top performers lean into internal drivers, ask stronger questions, and take ownership of their outcomes.

This episode also includes a transparent breakdown of Darren's recent Black Friday & Cyber Monday campaign for Agent Accelerator, the lessons he learned, and why leaders should be evaluating their own messaging and mindset with the same honesty.

What You Will Learn:
🔹 Why agent optimism is a reliable predictor of future performance
🔹 How internal drivers shape stronger results
🔹 Why external excuses limit confidence and capability
🔹 How leadership influences the questions teams ask
🔹 The value of objectively reviewing campaigns and missed targets

If you want you and your team to perform with confidence in 2026, this episode will show you what to look for and what to shift.

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If you're a commercial real estate agent earning under $500K GCI who wants complete clarity on how to break through to the next level in 2026, grab your spot in The 2026 Game Plan Workshop at cresuccess.co/gameplan

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/250

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com

Life is too short to keep working with clients, colleagues, or collaborators who continually frustrate you.

In episode 249 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership, Darren Krakowiak explains why pejorative labels in your internal dialogue are important signals. They reveal that someone in your professional orbit is no longer aligned with your standards or expectations.

This episode shows commercial real estate principals and agents how to raise the bar, define non-negotiables, and take responsibility for choosing who they work with.

We explore the real cost of keeping the wrong people around; it is not just emotional, it affects productivity, culture, reputation, and long-term performance.

When you learn to filter for five-star clients and partners, you create an environment that energizes you and accelerates the growth of your business.

What You Will Learn:
🔹 Why negative labels are signs that someone does not belong in your orbit
🔹 How low standards damage your brand, culture, and results
🔹 The mindset shift that stops frustration and builds momentum
🔹 How to define five star clients and use them as a filter
🔹 Why holding people accountable protects your business

This episode helps you lead better, grow faster, and stress less by choosing the right people to work with.

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If you're a commercial real estate principal who wants to lead your people better, grow your business faster, and have less stress in your life, visit cresuccess.co/leadership to learn more about working directly with Darren Krakowiak.

Email hello@cresuccess.co and put the word "GROW" in the subject line to take the first step towards accelerating revenue growth in your commercial real estate agency with the right people on your team, serving ideal clients inside a business that just works.

Visit the CRE Success website: cresuccess.co

Read the episode anecdote, get the transcript and watch the video recording of the podcast here: cresuccess.co/blog/249

To share this episode or your thoughts on it, tag us on socials: @cresuccess or use our hashtag: #cresuccess

If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Darren Krakowiak on LinkedIn

Podcast music sourced from audioblocks.com