The Unseen Course of Behind Panelist Choice and the Influence of Sharing Fashions for Actual Property Success
In 2024, greater than 70 KW®-affiliated brokers took the principle stage at Keller Williams’ annual Mega Agent Camp (MAC). They have been invited to look as panelists at MAC to share the practices they use to reach actual property, together with the non-public tales behind their success.
Yearly, agent panelists are chosen from throughout KW’s worldwide community of greater than 160,000 affiliated brokers. That obtained us questioning: What are the standards for choice? How does an agent land onstage on the trade’s main agent schooling and coaching occasion — and what does it really feel wish to be up there? We talked with KWRI’s supervisor of trade and studying, Pleasure Powell, together with previous MAC panelists, to be taught extra about what makes MAC so particular.
Confirmed Fashions for Success at Any Scale
MAC began again within the early 2000s, when a motivated group of top-producing brokers convened in a resort ballroom to brainstorm and share concepts, with Keller Williams’ founder, Gary Keller, serving as their information and moderator. On the heart of their dialogue was one focusing query: What would it not take to internet 1,000,000 {dollars} in private revenue? Over time, the gathering was formalized into an annual studying expertise for all KW®-affiliated brokers, with a recurring deal with 5 key matters: leads, listings, leverage, wealth, and well being.
Whereas the venue has modified, the core idea behind MAC stays the identical: Collect main brokers from throughout KW® market facilities to share confirmed strategies for achievement. And whereas the impression of the occasion extends past borders, the seek for panelists begins on the native degree.
Yearly, KW® market heart leaders are requested to appoint high-achieving brokers to look as MAC panelists. The search isn’t simply restricted to the U.S. and Canada, however contains nominees from Keller Williams Worldwide. From farming and promoting methods to open homes and investing, leaders are requested to establish why a nominee stands out and what makes that agent’s strategy contemporary or distinctive.
The nomination course of, which begins yearly in early spring with an internet questionnaire, usually delivers 150-200 agent nominees. Pleasure Powell heads up the vetting and choice course of, looking for actual property execs who’ve a confirmed mannequin that may be successfully communicated, distilled right into a one-page set of steps, and applied by any agent in any market. It’s no small job.
And whereas MAC traditionally featured agent panelists with exceptionally excessive gross sales quantity or closed models, and people with massive groups, the occasion has developed lately to incorporate brokers at a broader vary of manufacturing ranges, together with solo brokers and people with small or growing groups. Why the shift? As Pleasure says, it’s as a result of good fashions are good fashions at any scale. Listening to from essentially the most elite brokers may be extremely inspiring, but it surely may also be intimidating. Typically, it’s simpler to be taught from somebody who’s only a few steps forward of you.
An In-Depth Interview Course of
Pleasure says the vetting course of for panelists goes deep. It takes about 4 months to finish, and begins with a one-on-one interview. Along with Pleasure, different KWRI leaders help in conducting calls, whereas Jason Abrams and Gary Keller usually have the ultimate say on panelist choice. Over the course of their search, the crew could undertake a number of interviews with a candidate to make sure their mannequin or system follows a replicable course of. “We actually do our due diligence,” Pleasure stated.
All through the method, the KWRI crew works to categorize every panelist’s contribution underneath the occasion’s 5 fundamental matters and to establish new and rising themes within the present market. It takes a particular sort of alchemy to make sure every panel contains a complementary mixture of brokers and fashions — not not like making an attempt to reach on the excellent seating chart for a marriage reception.
As panels come collectively, a candidate could also be requested to affix a gaggle stay onstage, or as an alternative, document a video explaining the small print of their mannequin and precisely how they use it of their enterprise. In some circumstances, an agent could also be requested to have their one-pager included in that yr’s occasion playbook, even when they don’t seem onstage at MAC. As the method evolves, ultimate speaker choice can change up till a couple of weeks earlier than the occasion in August. All of it comes right down to figuring out the absolute best worth for the viewers.
Sustaining a Studying Mindset
The query usually arises round the advantages of attending an occasion that options the identical core matters yr over yr. Pleasure says the reply may be discovered within the altering nature of the trade and the essential significance of sustaining a studying mindset. Or as Gary likes to say, you may train somebody one thing they don’t know, or train them one thing they already know, however another way. By means of instance, Pleasure explains, it’s possible you’ll know YouTube is usually a extremely efficient technique of reaching potential patrons or sellers. Nevertheless it’s not till you hear firsthand how another person efficiently makes use of it of their enterprise that you could be be keen to do the identical – and there’s no substitute for utilizing a confirmed mannequin that’s working proper now, in at present’s market.
KW® agent Will Van Wickler is among the youngest panelists to have appeared on the MAC stage. Whereas nonetheless in his first yr in enterprise, Will’s manufacturing elevated from $200k to over 1,000,000 {dollars} in GCI. He remembers speaking with Donnie Brookman from the KW LABS crew about his gross sales methods; the following factor he knew, he was fielding a name immediately from Jason Abrams. “I keep in mind I used to be strolling out of my market heart, and I missed a name from Austin, Texas,” Will stated. When he referred to as again, Jason invited Will to look onstage at MAC. “I used to be shocked. I imply, I used to be a really rookie agent,” Will stated. He booked his flight for MAC that day.
Will was featured on the MAC fundamental stage in 2023 and once more in 2024. He says the momentum from serving as a panelist has opened up untold alternatives for touring and talking — and for serving to different brokers. He was additionally invited to affix Gary’s mastermind group, and his enterprise has continued to develop exponentially.
However Will says probably the greatest elements about serving as a panelist is being “behind the scenes” with different notable KW® brokers, and realizing they’re simply common folks. “These are all very regular folks, however you wouldn’t know that if you’re sitting behind 5,000 different folks [in the audience],” Will stated. On the subject of the superstars of our trade, he notes, “The one distinction between me and them is a system they observe.”
Whereas Will says it’s a real honor to be a featured agent, his major cause for attending MAC and different KW coaching occasions is to find new fashions to implement in his personal enterprise. “I get essentially the most worth out of going persistently; they’re the one occasions I’m going to,” he stated. No matter whether or not enterprise is up or down, Will stated, “It’s non-negotiable for me.”
A Pinnacle Profession Second
Susan Lombardo joined the Keller Williams Atlanta-North Fulton market heart after a brief stint at a smaller brokerage. Whereas attending her first Household Reunion (FR) in 2018, she stated she was blown away by the training alternatives obtainable to KW® brokers. She recalled seeing Cody Gibson onstage at FR, speaking about what he’d completed by way of KW. “I keep in mind considering, ‘Wow, that may be so cool if I obtained adequate at my craft that I could possibly be on that stage in the future.’” She stated the seed was planted six weeks within the door.
Susan had earned her actual property license following a 20-year company profession. Six years into her work as a solo agent, she was seeing success from her extremely efficient strategy to farming. She was requested to function a panelist at FR breakout periods a couple of years in a row, however Susan by no means knew she was within the working for MAC. At Mega Agent Camp 2024, she discovered herself heart stage in a one-on-one interview with Gary.
“Understanding the caliber of who results in the funnel on the finish — to get that far was sort of surreal,” Susan stated. “I don’t assume there’s something that may make you’re feeling extra seen and legit than Gary telling you that he mainly hand-selected you as a panelist.”
However what about nerves? When it got here to stepping onstage for an unscripted interview with the founding father of the world’s largest actual property franchise by agent depend, Susan stated she didn’t really feel the slightest bit uneasy. She credit Gary with making her really feel comfy each backstage and underneath the lights — and the sensation of happiness she felt for different brokers onstage, whereas sitting within the viewers.
For a lot of within the trade who expertise success, “there are lots of very deep climbs out of very large holes,” Susan mirrored. As the primary in her household to graduate from highschool (and school), she contains herself amongst that cohort. It makes listening to tales of accomplishment all of the extra significant. “You simply can’t not be completely happy for anyone at a pinnacle of success, of hard-earned dedication to their craft.”
When it was her flip, Susan introduced that understanding along with her. “I knew from sitting within the viewers that each one of us desires to be that agent,” she stated. “I had determined, earlier than I walked on the stage, that nerves wouldn’t include me, that I used to be going to completely take pleasure in that second.”
Sharing As a Accountability
For each brokers, sharing their information at MAC has had a compounding impact. Jason Abrams has since interviewed each Will and Susan on The Millionaire Actual Property Agent Podcast, which was ranked by HousingWire in 2025 because the No. 1 podcast for actual property brokers and brokers. Each brokers have been additionally quoted in Jay Papasan’s latest ebook, Rookie Actual Property Agent: Launch a Limitless Profession That Lasts. Every interview or quote serves as one other level of impression.
However what’s it wish to share the small print of your small business with such a large viewers? Requested in the event that they felt like they have been gifting away proprietary secrets and techniques, Susan and Will had an identical reply. Each really feel a way of obligation to present again in recognition of those that have helped them by serving to propel different KW® brokers to the following degree.
On the subject of sharing his fashions and techniques, Will defined, “I’ve an abundance mindset.” Even when all people else have been to make use of his strategy, he is aware of there’s nonetheless room for him to reach his market. “I’m extraordinarily clear,” Will stated. “I reply each query.”
Susan seems to her mentors and colleagues with heartfelt gratitude. “I really feel an absolute accountability for all of the individuals who have stretched a hand out to me once I was new and rising,” she stated. “When you’ve benefited from the wellspring of data of different folks which might be keen to share with you, then you must move it on.”
“If anyone can look again on their profession, and I stated, or did, or shared something that helped them alongside, that’s a win for me,” Susan continued. “I’ll be within the entrance row clapping for you.”
