The conventional real estate model is built on a “grow or die” mentality. If you’re not scaling fast, recruiting a ton of agents, and running a massive team, you’re falling behind…or so the industry says.

But what if growth is the very thing that burns you out?

Melissa Ricks saw the pressure to build a mega team, start a brokerage, and grow at all costs, and walked the other way.

While most team leaders were chasing volume and headcount, Melissa was doing something radical: fighting to stay small.

And it worked. She built a wildly efficient, deeply intentional team, and in her highest-producing year, sold 210 homes as the only agent on her team.

No revolving door of recruits. No burnout. Just a business rooted in service, systems, and sanity.

In this episode, Melissa shares what she saw in the traditional model that made her reject it, and how she built a business that supports her life, not the other way around.

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

-The turnover trap

Team leaders are constantly working hard to reduce agent turnover. Is the model (not the agents) the real problem?

-The burnout-proof model you’ve never heard of

What does it look like to close 200+ deals and still protect your peace, your family, and your joy?

-Pour into people

The problem with real estate’s obsession with numbers and scale is that people often get lost in the shuffle. Why does Melissa focus more on the people than the production?

-Stop outsourcing your happiness to your volume
So many team leaders are miserable because they are chasing numbers. How do we determine if this model aligns with us? How do we redefine success for ourselves?

Guest Bio

Melissa Ricks is a full-time agent servicing sellers and buyers in NE Florida. She specializes in first-time home buyers, military and retirement relocations, new construction and sellers in all circumstances. The MRE Dream Team provides 5-star customer service with weekly updates to all parties involved for a smooth transaction. Since 2016, Melissa Ricks has served families in the greater NE Florida region and takes pride in providing 5-star experiences, as well as providing peace of mind during the process of selling and buying for all of her clients. She has been fortunate to sell several hundred homes over the years and is honored to be a part of the top 1% of Real Estate professionals in her market. Follow @melissaricksexperience on Instagram.

About Your Hosts

Hosted by Josh Rogers and Kelly Melody, co-founders of F3 Home Team, the #1 Large Real Estate Team in Northeast Florida for the past two years. After being let down by the conventional real estate team model, Josh and Kelly set out to build a team with their own vision - where their key values of Faith, Family, and Freedom guide everything they do. By keeping their team intentional, focused, and lean, they can work with agents they love, have fun every day, and still hit all their financial goals. Now, they’ve expanded their vision to include helping other team leaders achieve the same thing.

Follow the Lean & Mean Real Estate Team on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone’s life!

In real estate, success doesn’t always lead to fulfillment - sometimes it only creates regret.

So many team leaders fall into the trap of thinking that more agents, more units, and more leads are the ticket to more freedom.

But what happens when the drive to be #1 leaves you exhausted, broke, and wondering why you started in the first place?

That’s exactly where this episode begins, with a team leader running a 30-agent team, working harder than ever, and still watching the numbers fall short.

She’s not lazy. She’s not clueless. She’s simply running the wrong race.

Her goal to be #1 in her state has come at a heavy cost. Burnout, broken systems, and no profit to show for it.

Many people are in this boat right now, stuck in the trap of more, wishing for something different. They reach the huge goal, but look back and realize it wasn’t worth it.

What if instead of setting the goal of more, we set the goal of figuring out what enough looks like for us?

That’s what we’re diving into in this episode. We’re unpacking what so many team leaders get wrong, and how to pivot toward a model that’s not only profitable, but actually worth repeating year after year.

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

-The trap of “more”
If 30 agents aren’t making you money… will 50 fix the problem? Or just magnify it?

-Why “number one” might be the wrong goal
Do you really want to be #1, or do you just want to feel like you’ve made it?

-When hustle becomes a hamster wheel
Are you running harder every year but getting nowhere? Here’s why clarity, not growth, is your missing piece.

-The question every team leader should ask
Forget units and income. Ask yourself: Was it worth it? And more importantly, would I do it again?

About Your Hosts

Hosted by Josh Rogers and Kelly Melody, co-founders of F3 Home Team, the #1 Large Real Estate Team in Northeast Florida for the past two years. After being let down by the conventional real estate team model, Josh and Kelly set out to build a team with their own vision - where their key values of Faith, Family, and Freedom guide everything they do. By keeping their team intentional, focused, and lean, they can work with agents they love, have fun every day, and still hit all their financial goals. Now, they’ve expanded their vision to include helping other team leaders achieve the same thing.

Follow the Lean & Mean Real Estate Team on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone’s life!

Most real estate team leaders make leads their main recruitment tool. After all, what else could possibly convince someone to join your team?

But there’s a catch.

Building your entire recruitment model around leads is a short-term play with long-term consequences.

Lisa Ritter has seen it all. With decades in the business, she’s led large teams, scaled brokerages, and tested every model under the sun.

Here’s what she learned: A lean, lead-independent team will always outperform a lead-reliant one.

Lead-focused teams often attract the wrong kind of agent, the kind who wants results without the reps. Instead of developing professionals who know how to generate business and serve clients deeply, you create a revolving door of entitlement.

Worse, this model fuels the "used car salesman" stereotype our industry has struggled to shake. It’s transactional, and it sets everyone up to fail.

But there’s a better way.

In this episode, Lisa unpacks the traps most team leaders fall into, and shares how to build a team that thrives on purpose, not handouts.

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

-Look for a white-hot why

Every potential recruit will tell you they are a hard worker, so how do you know if they’ll back it up with action?

-Entitled vs. inspired agents

Can making leads your main value prop actually sabotage your team’s culture?

-How to motivate (not micromanage) your agents

If you’re a team leader still in production, how do you pour into your people without overwhelming yourself?

Guest Bio

Lisa Ritter is a REALTOR®, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Results in Omaha, Nebraska, and co-leader of The Ritter Team. With over 20 years in the real estate industry, she has earned 13 "Best of Omaha" awards and holds prestigious designations including Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI). Lisa served as the 2015 President of the Nebraska REALTORS® Association and was appointed as a Nebraska Real Estate Commissioner in 2019. Known for her commitment to agent development and ethical leadership, Lisa is passionate about building sustainable real estate businesses that prioritize autonomy, purpose, and long-term success over dependency on leads. Find Lisa on Facebook.

About Your Hosts

Hosted by Josh Rogers and Kelly Melody, co-founders of F3 Home Team, the #1 Large Real Estate Team in Northeast Florida for the past two years. After being let down by the conventional real estate team model, Josh and Kelly set out to build a team with their own vision, where their key values of Faith, Family, and Freedom guide everything they do. By keeping their team intentional, focused, and lean, they can work with agents they love, have fun every day, and still hit all their financial goals. Now, they’ve expanded their vision to include helping other team leaders achieve the same thing.

Follow the Lean & Mean Real Estate Team on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone’s life!