In this episode of Realty Resilience, host Dave Nations sits down with John Pace, a 20-year industry veteran and team leader based in Richmond, Virginia. John shares the honest, behind-the-scenes evolution of his business—from handing out leads and burning out to building a 130-transaction team centered on systems, standards, and sustainable growth.
John walks through the mistakes that nearly broke his business—including giving away his best leads too early, hiring without training, and confusing volume with value. But instead of quitting, he rebuilt everything—starting with admin, then systems, then structure. Now, his agents walk into a business with full-time support, clear expectations, and a consistent lead flow from a well-oiled event-based database strategy.
This episode is a masterclass in what it really takes to scale a real estate team—without losing your weekends, your clients, or your sanity.
Tips from Today:
Don’t build a team that depends on you handing out leads—teach your agents how to generate, convert, and sustain their own pipeline.
Your operations team is your foundation—hire slow, train intentionally, and build in redundancy.
Build a business that makes agents look good the day they walk in the door—support creates stickiness.
Stop chasing volume—chase structure. Growth without systems is just burnout in disguise.
Client events aren’t just fun—they’re the engine behind a scalable, referral-based business.
🎯 Ready to grow your real estate business with clarity and systems that work?

Check out the Cornerstone Course—our self-paced program built for agents ready to scale smart.
👉 https://go.heartwood-coaching.com/
Looking for more ways to elevate your real estate career? Connect with us today and follow along with our socials!

Looking for more ways to elevate your real estate career? Connect with us today and follow along with our socials!
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