This week, I joined 300 Compass real estate professionals and employees for the third-ever Southern California Luxury Summit at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach.

The event came together beautifully, with ample opportunities to network at the opening and closing cocktail parties, collaborate and share across panels, keynotes, and special presentations, and experience one of our country’s greatest luxury destinations, Orange County.

And if you’re reading this and on the fence about attending an upcoming regional event or Compass REtreat (Happening October 27–29, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana), I highly encourage you to go.

The greatest value of these gatherings isn’t always found in the keynote. Sometimes it’s the conversation you have walking between sessions, the person you sit next to at dinner, or the idea someone shares that completely changes the way you approach your business.

I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with luxury power players Chris Clements, Jen Winston, Ryan Jancula, Clare O’Connor, and Sam O’Connor to talk about leveraging lifestyle to build a luxury business.

Chris Clements spoke about living the life of his luxury clientele.

That means more than knowing where his clients go. It’s grabbing coffee at the local shop. Spending time at the yacht club. Understanding the places, people, and experiences that shape the community he serves.

The goal isn’t simply to know where luxury clients spend their time. It’s to understand the world they live in well enough to help them access it for themselves.

Jen Winston spoke about connection.

Her luxury business is deeply intertwined with her community, from her children’s school to her social circles to the way she shows up every day.

There’s an important distinction here. Building relationships isn’t about forcing your way into a community. It’s about genuinely showing up.

Luxury clients don’t necessarily need another person trying to sell them something. They want people who understand them, their lives, and what matters to them.

Ryan Jancula reminded us of something deceptively simple: we all have the same 24 hours in a day.

For his luxury clients, time is one of the most valuable things he can give back.

He doesn’t accomplish that by rushing through the process. He has built an operation that runs efficiently and consistently, allowing him to deliver an exceptional experience again and again while protecting his own time and, perhaps more importantly, his clients’ time.

That is luxury.

Not just doing more. Creating more space for what matters.

Sam and Clare O’Connor challenged us to think outside the box, but never outside of high standards.

They shared examples of uniquely elevated touchpoints that can define an experience in ways clients remember, including having homes energetically cleansed on behalf of their clients.

It may not be something every client expects. That’s precisely the point.

The best luxury experiences aren’t always the most expensive ones. They’re the ones that demonstrate you were paying attention.

After nine years in real estate and countless conversations with thousands of professionals, clients, and leaders across our industry, I’ve come to believe that we sometimes overcomplicate the idea of luxury.

When we hear “luxury,” we tend to imagine a different stratosphere.

And in some ways, that’s true. The price points may be higher. The expectations may be higher. The resources available to the client may be greater.

But the people living those lives are still right here on the ground, living their lives human to human.

They laugh when something is funny. They care about where their children will make their childhood memories. They want to feel understood. They value their time. They care about energy. They want community. And ultimately, they want the same thing most of us want: a home that feels like a sanctuary.

That’s the part of luxury I think we can sometimes lose sight of.

Sure we have to learn the market. Understand the neighborhoods. Know the private clubs, trusted advisors, designers, architects, schools, and experiences that matter to high net worth individuals. Understand the importance of access, discretion, privacy, and anticipating a need before it’s ever expressed. Be prepared to meet extraordinary standards.

But, serving luxury clients doesn’t mean simply putting them on a pedestal. It means understanding the extraordinary lives they lead while never losing sight of the human being living it.

The best luxury professionals I’ve encountered aren’t performing luxury.

They’re living with an extraordinary level of awareness.

They notice the details. They listen closely. They understand that time is valuable. They know that access matters. They create experiences instead of transactions.

And most importantly, they remember that behind every extraordinary home is a person with an ordinary human desire: to feel at home.

That’s why gatherings like the Southern California Luxury Summit and Compass REtreat matter.

You don’t attend simply to collect ideas. You attend to expand your perspective.

You meet people who challenge the way you think. You hear how someone else has solved a problem you’ve been wrestling with. You discover a standard you didn’t know existed. And sometimes, you leave with one idea that fundamentally changes the way you serve your clients.

The luxury business is constantly evolving.

The fundamentals of being human aren’t.

And I think the professionals who understand both will always have an advantage.

This June, I was at VidCon in Anaheim speaking on a panel alongside some incredible creators and entrepreneurs. While the event is known for bringing together the biggest names in the creator economy, I'm especially proud to be there representing an industry that I believe has belonged in this conversation for a long time: real estate.

For nearly a decade at Compass, I've had the privilege of coaching some of the most ambitious real estate professionals in the country on how to grow their businesses. We've talked about marketing strategy, operational scale, customer experience, and brand positioning.

But over the years, one lesson became impossible to ignore…

The agents who built the biggest businesses weren't simply selling homes.

They were building audiences.

Long before "creator" became a career path, many of the best real estate professionals were already living it.

At first, the playbook was straightforward. Post the listing. Share the headshot. Celebrate the closing. Highlight the client testimonial.

Then something shifted.

The agents who truly separated themselves realized their brand couldn't just be about what they sold. It had to be about what they stood for.

Today, the strongest real estate brands live at the intersection of expertise, lifestyle, education, and storytelling.

It's the agent who doesn't just know a neighborhood, they make you feel what it's like to live there.

It's the advisor who doesn't just market a property, they curate the story around it.

It's the professional who understands that trust isn't earned when someone is ready to transact. It's built months, sometimes years, beforehand through consistent value.

I entered this industry during one of the most fascinating marketing transformations we've ever seen.

Instagram changed how agents presented themselves. Suddenly, visual storytelling mattered as much as market expertise.

Then TikTok accelerated everything, rewarding authenticity, consistency, and personality over polished perfection.

Now we're entering another chapter.

Today's real estate professionals aren't just practitioners.

They're educators.

They're entertainers.

They're local experts.

They're community builders.

Content has become one of the most powerful business development tools available, not because it replaces relationships, but because it creates them at scale.

The best creators don't simply generate views. They generate trust.

And trust is still the most valuable currency in real estate.

If I could leave agents with three pieces of advice as they step into content creation, it would be this.

First, just start. Every creator you admire had a first post, and chances are, it wasn't very good. They were nervous. They questioned whether anyone would watch. They hit publish anyway. The only way to become a creator is to create. You can't improve a video you never post, and you can't build an audience if you're waiting for perfection.

Second, create in a way that's authentic to you. You don't have to copy someone else's style, share every detail of your personal life, or chase every trend. Your boundaries are yours to define. The most enduring brands aren't built by imitation, they're built by consistently sharing a unique perspective. People aren't looking for perfect, they're looking to connect to like-minded ideas and people.

Finally, don't judge your success by today's metrics. One post won't build your business, just as one listing won't define your career. Views and likes can be encouraging, but they're not the ultimate measure of success. Focus on showing up consistently, refining your voice, and providing value. Brands are built through repetition, trust is built through consistency, and influence compounds over time.

One of the reasons I'm so excited to be part of this year's conversation is because of Pop.Store, whose platform is pushing the creator economy even further. They're helping creators and professionals move beyond simply publishing content by combining AI-powered tools like Echo Me with a full-funnel approach that helps turn attention into meaningful engagement, relationships, and business growth. They ensure you do not simply have followers, but that you can take them with you through your brand experience.

That's a future I believe in, because content has never been the end goal.

Connection is.

As AI continues to reshape marketing, I actually believe authenticity becomes even more valuable. Technology can make us faster, more efficient, and more capable. But it can't replace genuine perspective, lived experience, or human trust.

Those will always belong to the creator.

I'm grateful to Pop.Store for inviting me to be one of the first voices from the real estate industry on a stage like VidCon alongside Andrew Jevin (Compass) and Glennda Baker (Coldwell Banker).

Next week, You're a Natural presented by Pop.Store returns with one of my favorite conversations so far.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Tessa Hilton and Barron Hilton (Compass)for a live recording at VidCon in Anaheim, California, a gathering of some of the world's most influential creators, storytellers, and entrepreneurs. It felt like the perfect setting because our conversation wasn't really about content. It was about identity. I'm thrilled for my audience and all of you to tune into their episode launching on Tuesday, August 11th.

There's a temptation today to think great creators simply understand social media. Spend an hour with Tessa and Barron, and you'll realize that's giving them far too little credit.

What makes their work resonate isn't an algorithm. It's that every piece of content carries pieces of the people behind it.

At one point before leading one of the most recognizable real estate brands in the country, both Tessa and Barron were DJs. Music wasn't just a hobby, it was part of how they learned to create emotion, read an audience, build anticipation, and understand rhythm. That chapter of their lives never disappeared. It simply found a new medium.

Watch their content closely, and you'll notice it. The pacing. The soundtrack. The atmosphere. The emotion. They don't select music because it's trending, they select it because it belongs. Every creative decision serves the story they're trying to tell.

That struck me because it's a reminder that our previous chapters rarely stay in the past.

The best creators don't compartmentalize their experiences. They collect them.

For Tessa and Barron, careers and passions spanning film, wealth management, music, fashion, entrepreneurship, and real estate don't compete with one another. Together, they've become a creative tapestry. Every discipline informs the next. Every lesson becomes another thread. The result isn't content that feels manufactured, it feels unmistakably theirs.

I think that's an important lesson for anyone building a business, a brand, or a body of work.

The strongest stories, regardless of where they're told, are rooted in authenticity. They're built from the experiences, curiosities, passions, and perspectives that make their creator impossible to replicate.

Too often, people believe they need to reinvent themselves every time they enter a new chapter. The Hiltons demonstrate the opposite. They bring the truest parts of themselves into every new room they enter.

Their careers have evolved.

Their platforms have changed.

Their audiences have grown.

But their creative identity has remained remarkably consistent.

What impressed me most wasn't simply the quality of what they produce, although it is exceptional. It was the intentionality behind it. Every frame, every song, every conversation, every detail reflects an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship. Nothing feels accidental.

Quality, after all, is rarely the product of perfection.

It's the product of carrying your highest standards with you, wherever your career leads.

That may be the greatest takeaway from our conversation. The work that resonates most isn't created by chasing what's popular. It's created by drawing from every version of yourself you've ever been.

When you stop trying to create like everyone else and instead create from the totality of your own experiences, your work becomes impossible to imitate.

That's exactly what Tessa Hilton and Barron Hilton have built.

And it's exactly why I can't wait for you to hear this conversation when Episode 3 of You're a Natural premieres next week on Tuesday wherever you listen and watch podcasts.

Listen to episodes 1 and 2 now.

Today is a special day.

My podcast, You’re a Natural, presented by Pop.Store, is officially out in the world with two conversations featuring leaders I admire deeply. A very special thank you to Josephine (Jo) Wong and Andrew Jevin, my debut guests, for trusting me with their stories and inspiring everyone who listens.

This milestone matters to me for many reasons.

First, it's one thing to dream about creating something. It's another to actually bring it to life. Alongside Pop.Store and an incredibly dedicated team, we turned an idea into something real. Now this passion project belongs to the world, and I'm excited to watch it find its audience. My hope is that You're a Natural becomes a lasting voice in the leadership space, not for recognition, but because of the impact I know it can have on people navigating their careers, ambitions, and defining moments.

That brings me to the second reason this means so much.

I wouldn't be here without the leaders and mentors who believed in me before I believed in myself. I was a kid with debilitating ADHD and a lot of self-doubt; I barely passed the fifth grade. Yet, I took a chance, left home, moved to Los Angeles without a plan or college degree, and built my career one opportunity at a time.

I was a radio host for The Walt Disney Company, a speaker and master of ceremonies at countless events, a Justin Bieber impersonator, a signed model, the manager of a Santa House, and a VIP events and sales coordinator at the famous Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Eventually, I joined Caruso, where I spent seven years learning from some of the very best in business.

That journey ultimately led me to Compass nine years ago, where I now serve as Head of National Agent Programming. During the pandemic, I made another decision that once felt entirely out of reach: to pursue higher education, earning my Bachelor’s in Communications from San Diego State University, where I graduated with honors…not bad for the same kid who almost failed out of middle school! Today, I'm proud to be an MBA candidate at Boston University.

With all of that, I hear so often from people who meet me today, “Wow, you’re such a natural at what you do.”

The point is simple. There was nothing "natural" about my path. Every chapter was built through curiosity, grit, resilience, and the instinctual awareness to pay attention to those ahead of me on their journey. That's exactly why this podcast exists.

I will continue to share my own story which I’m excited to do, but even more than that, I can't wait to share the stories of the remarkable leaders who will join me in the studio. My hope is that somewhere in each conversation, you'll find the perspective, encouragement, or push you need to write the next chapter of your own story.

I hope you'll join me as we grow together, learn together, and become naturals together. New episodes will launch every other Tuesday, wherever you watch or listen to podcasts.

This is You're a Natural.

I'm Nick Belardo.

Episodes Here.