In this episode of The Business of Real Estate Podcast (TBORE), hosts Lynn Hoffmann and Eric Johnson are joined by Emily Barry, a powerhouse team leader from the Niagara region who has successfully bridged the gap between traditional relationship-based real estate and cutting-edge technology. Emily pulls back the curtain on: The Transition to CEO: Moving from doing "everything myself" for ten years to leading a high-performing team by prioritizing agent development over control. The Husband-Wife Dynamic: How leveraging her husband Joe's background in accounting and data has created a "spreadsheet-driven" engine that fuels their marketing success. The AI Revolution: Emily shares her journey of using AI not just for "lead gen," but as a thought partner that handles standard operating procedures, training agendas, and complex price analysis. Human-Centric Tech: Why AI will never replace the "kitchen table conversation," but how it can make an agent faster, smarter, and more confident when delivering data to stressed clients. 💬 About Emily Barry With two decades in the industry, Emily Barry is a highly respected team leader at eXp Realty in Niagara. Known for her "surgery-level" expertise in transaction management and her early adoption of AI tools, Emily focuses on cloning her success by providing her agents with the skills, reps, and technical advantages needed to thrive in any market cycle.

In this episode of The Business of Real Estate Podcast (TBORE), hosts Lynn Hoffmann and Eric Johnson dive deep into the realities of the 2026 market. They emphasize that the era of being a passive "order taker" is officially over, replaced by a need for high-level skills, deep market education, and a resilient mindset.

⏱️ Top 10 Timestamps 0:00 – Introduction: Recruiting, Teams & The Business of Real Estate 1:20 – Jessica's Recruiting Journey Across Major Brokerages 3:05 – Why Most Team Leads Don't Actually Know What They're Looking For 5:10 – The Real Cost of a 50/50 Split: Value vs. Income 7:50 – Why Agents Leave Teams (and What Team Leads Miss) 10:05 – Leads, Support & Camaraderie: Why Agents Join Teams 13:00 – The Sweet Spot Agent: Why 3–5 Deal Agents Win on Teams 17:25 – Why New Agents Should Start on a Team 20:10 – What Agents Should Look for in a Team Leader 27:15 – Shadowing, Mentorship & Accountability That Actually Works In this insightful episode of The Business of Real Estate Podcast, hosts Lynn Hoffmann and Eric Johnson sit down with Jessica Tsaturyan, Escarpment Niagara's recruiter extraordinaire, to unpack the realities of recruiting, team structures, and what truly makes a real estate team successful. Drawing from years of hands-on recruiting experience, Jessica breaks down why so many teams struggle to attract and retain talent, the disconnect between splits and value propositions, and how changing market conditions have reshaped what agents actually need. Together, they explore why agents leave teams, how team leaders can better articulate their value, and why mentorship, systems, and accountability matter more than ever. This episode is essential listening for team leaders, solo agents considering teams, and agents navigating their next career move in an increasingly competitive real estate landscape.

🔑 In This Episode You'll Learn: Why most teams fail to clearly communicate their value proposition What agents are really looking for when joining a team How splits, support, and systems impact long-term retention Why 3–5 deal agents are the ideal team recruits The importance of shadowing, mentorship, and accountability How to run a real estate team like a true business—not a side hustle

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