In this episode of the Real Estate Remix, Mike pulls one lesson from his conversation with Dan, a longtime youth sports builder who turned a sports program into a community movement.
Dan watched youth sports drift into a pay to play model. Families got priced out, participation shrank, and the mission started to get replaced by a "what is in it for me" mindset. Instead of accepting that reality, Dan rebuilt the system.
He replaced registration fees with community service. Kids could earn their spot by volunteering. What happened next is the point of this episode. Many kids gave more hours than required, not because they had to, but because they started to enjoy giving back.
Real estate takeaway: Most agents treat community like a branding tactic. Dan treated it like infrastructure. That is the shift. Community is not a campaign, it is your operating system. It creates trust, belonging, and long term relationships that outlast any market cycle.
The Service Ladder Framework: To apply the lesson, Mike lays out a simple three level service ladder that any agent can run.
Level One: One hour per month of local service. Invite clients and past clients to join you. Keep it simple, consistent, and easy to say yes to.
Level Two: For every closing, fund one specific local need. Youth sports fees, equipment, a scholarship, groceries, utility assistance, something clear and tangible.
Level Three: Partner with a local nonprofit and create a recurring volunteer day. Document it to build culture and momentum, not to brag. The goal is to create a movement people want to be part of.
What to say to invite people
"What cause do you care about locally"
"Who could use a hand right now"
"I am putting together a small group for one hour next month, want to join"
Why this works: Dan shared that the most rewarding part was reconnecting years later and hearing how those experiences shaped people. That is the long game. When you build community first, referrals become the byproduct, not the goal.
Key Moments
How service created more buy in than money ever did
Why people give more than required when the culture is real
How agents can build a repeatable service system without it feeling performative
Episode focus, turning service into a real estate growth lever
Key idea, community is not marketing, it is positioning and trust
Action step, choose one cause, build a three level service ladder, invite clients monthly
------------------------------------
Be sure to follow the show so you don’t miss new episodes
Want more tools and templates for your real estate business? Head to AccomplishedRE.com
And don’t guess your way through another quarter. Book a free 15-minute consult at calendly.com/accomplishedreand we’ll help you install the systems top agents use to scale
See you tomorrow on The REal Estate REmix
