Leo Pareja Burned the Boats... Then Built a Path to eXp CEO

In this episode of The Playmakers Podcast, Andrew Flachner sits down with eXp Realty CEO Leo Pareja.

Pareja shares how he went from losing everything in the 2008 recession to becoming a top producer at Keller Williams, and eventually, took the helm of eXp Realty—the fastest-growing brokerage in the world. Along the way, he explains how vibe-coding is going to transform the real estate industry, why he spoke up about NAR’s massive settlement, and how he’s sought out (and even paid) his real estate mentors.

What you'll hear

• How Pareja went from losing 14 properties in 2008 to becoming a leader in the REO biz
• Why he told eXp Realty Chairman Glenn Sanford he didn’t want the CEO role, and how he landed it anyway
• Lessons from the mentors Pareja paid to teach him how to go from selling tens of homes, to hundreds
• Why he decided to speak up about the NAR settlement, and how it’s transforming real estate for new agents
• Why vibe-coding is letting veteran agents create the tools they’ve wanted their entire careers
• How he went from winning a Zillow Hackathon to creating a tech company
• Why he spends most of his time as CEO interfacing with agents, and most of his personal time with his family

If you’re in real estate (or want to be) this conversation is chock full of insights you won’t want to miss.

Chapters

1. 00:00Intro
2. 03:32Pareja’s Start as a Teen Agent
3. 13:01From Losing Everything to Becoming a Top Producer
4. 18:18Finding (and Paying) Your Mentors
5. 22:11How to Raise Funds and Leverage Talent
6. 24:50Using a Hackathon to Build a Tech Company
7. 29:21Becoming the CEO of eXp Realty
8. 37:20Consequences of the NAR Settlement
9. 42:33Dealing With Private Listings
10. 45:19Prioritizing Facetime With Agents
11. 47:45How Vibe Coding is Letting Agents Innovate
12. 51:47Making Time for Family