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).