The Golden Wong Show

Low inventory. Rising rates. Frustrated buyers. Ambitious (or maybe overly ambitious) sellers. We've seen it all recently, and it's no surprise that buyers and sellers have a lot of questions about how to navigate the current market. In this episode of the podcast, @properties Christie's International Real Estate co-CEOs Thad Wong and Mike Golden join host Amy Corr to talk about how agents should best approach these conversations with clients. From working with buyers who are worried about overpaying to managing unrealistic expectations among sellers, listen to hear their tips and advice for agents today.

Many real estate agents are coming off their best year ever in terms of production, but @properties Christie's International Real Estate co-CEOs Mike Golden and Thad Wong say they shouldn't expect to coast through 2022. In this episode, Mike and Thad emphasize why agents need to start preparing now for the inevitable market headwinds that will emerge within the next couple of years. They also give their take on how to keep the momentum going; whether the luxury market has peaked; and how artificial intelligence will impact your business. They kick it off with @properties' recent acquisition of Christie's International Real Estate and what it means for you. Listen now.

Back in 2000, Mike Golden and Thad Wong decided to combine the “@” sign with the word “properties” to denote a tech-forward take on a traditional bricks-and-mortar business. Over the next two decades, they developed the real estate industry's first end-to-end technology suite for agents (pl@tform) and built @properties into one of the nation's largest brokerage firms. In this episode, host Amy Corr catches up with Mike and Thad to talk about @properties' tech strategy and what's next for pl@tform as the company expands nationally. They also give their take on iBuyers and how agents can maintain their value proposition in the face of disruptors.

When @properties co-founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong started the Road to Rolex program in 2004, they had no idea that one day they would be awarding 90 Rolex watches to the firm's top-producing agents in a single year. All told, nearly 600 agents have earned that coveted watch for achieving roughly $10 million in annual sales volume for their first time with @properties. So, as we celebrate a new class of Rolex winners, host Amy Corr catches up with Mike and Thad to find out how the program came to be. Then, Amy talks with @properties agents Laura Meier and Jake Hansen about their journey to hitting that sales milestone in two very different markets.

To kick off the first episode of 2021, host Amy Corr and special guest Kevin Van Eck have a conversation about “The Perfect Series” and how this new coaching and training program helps our agents strive for perfection in various aspects of their business. Later, Zenlist founder and CEO Tom MacLeod joins the show to talk about how Zenlist's collaborative home search app creates value for agents and homebuyers, especially in markets where inventory is at record lows. And of course, it wouldn't be The Golden Wong Show without @properties co-founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong. Throughout the show, Mike and Thad chime in and discuss everything from what they consider “perfect” in their lives, to how Zenlist is solving a growing problem in our industry when it comes to online home search.

@properties has a history of making contrarian moves. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the company recently introduced its national franchise brand – and the timing is no mistake. In this episode, @properties co-founders Thad Wong and Mike Golden are joined by Chris Lim, who came on board to lead the company's national rollout. To kick things off, they talk about what led Chris to move halfway across the country during a pandemic and how his real estate journey reflects that of Mike and Thad's. They also dive into how this move affects local @properties agents, what sets @properties apart from the crowd, and what the company looks like five years down the road.

@properties has a track record of looking through the challenges we face and coming out even stronger, and 2020 is no exception. So to kick off this episode, company co-founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong talk about why they are so bullish about Chicago's downtown residential market. The duo is joined by @properties VP of Brokerage Services Rick Sobin, who shares his boots-on-the-ground insights on the city marketplace. They also talk about why the headlines don't tell the full story of what's happening in the local real estate market and how agents can overcome supply and demand challenges in both the city and the suburbs.

Just a couple months ago, the outlook for the local real estate market seemed grim in the face of COVID-19. And yet the market has come roaring back this summer as buyers and sellers refocus their attention on their real estate goals. Host Amy Corr talks to @properties co-founders Thad Wong and Mike Golden about the state of the market and what agents should do to be in the best position for success. They also discuss why cooperation between agents is so important right now, how agents can take advantage of increased market activity while still finding the time to prospect, and what new proprietary tech tools @properties has rolled out as the company expands its pl@tform development team.

As the real estate industry adapts and evolves, it's critical that agents have the support and motivation needed to sustain and grow their business. So when COVID-19 hit, @properties' Amy Corr and Kevin Van Eck hit the ground running. The duo leads the firm's industry-renowned coaching and training programs, and suddenly they are as much a part of our agents' morning routines as the likes of Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Given their time in the spotlight, it only made sense to turn the tables and have co-founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong interview Amy and Kevin. Listen to find out who is actually an introvert, what famous person would play them in a movie, how they came up with the concept of “Coffee Talks” and “Do It Now,” how they plan for each day, and more.

The 2020 real estate market was off to a hot start, and then suddenly COVID-19 hit. Now as we shelter in place and adapt to our new normal, host Amy Corr dials in with @properties co-founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong to find out how @properties is moving forward during this crisis and why they have never felt more optimistic about the company's future. They also share some key advice for agents, including the one thing agents should be focusing on right now to create value, what they need to communicate to their clients, and how to handle this situation from a financial standpoint.

Relationships are everything in real estate. But the fragility of relationships can be exposed when a friend or relative questions whether they should hire you to sell their home. Or another friend expects you to discount your commission. Or agent-couples try to balance work and personal life. Fortunately, Thad and Mike have your back! @properties' co-founders give their advice on how to successfully navigate a variety of situations in which the lines between personal and professional relationships are blurred. Plus, with awards season wrapping up, Mike and Thad share their own “Best of” picks, including “Best Pump-up Song for a Big Showing” and “Best Movie With a Real Estate Storyline.”

Host Amy Corr says it best: a lot can happen in a decade. As we kick off 2020, @properties co-founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong reflect on the drastic changes we've experienced in our marketplace and industry over the last 10 years, before gazing into the crystal ball to see where we'll be 10 years from now. They also share why they are optimistic about the spring market and how agents can leverage market share to build their business.

Since its earliest days, @properties has sought to seamlessly integrate the entire real estate transaction from start to finish. Now, that mission includes mortgages. Host Amy Corr speaks with co-founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong about their latest endeavor, Proper Rate, and how the new mortgage company will impact clients and @brokers alike. And before they turn off their mics for the last time in 2019, Mike and Thad offer brokers some key advice for effective business planning in 2020.

Whether it's an Instagrammable mural in Bucktown, a risqué magazine ad, or a quirky Royal Tenenbaums reference, @properties' approach to marketing is anything but traditional. Host Amy Corr is back with co-founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong, and special guest and Marketing VP, Natasha Patla, to talk about @properties' industry-leading marketing programs; and to share valuable advice for agents, including how to market on a shoestring, when and where to invest marketing dollars, and what is even more important than creativity for successful campaigns.

@properties was born in the dot-com boom and took its name from a universal tech symbol. But co-founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong admit things were pretty analog in the early days, right down to the “Under Construction” website. However, @ would go on to become one of the most tech-forward brokerage firms in the industry, developing a proprietary end-to-end software solution recently dubbed pl@tform™. Host Amy Corr talks with Mike and Thad to learn how they transformed their spirited startup into a leader in real estate tech.

It was the start of the new millennium. Justin Timberlake was still a member of *NSYNC. Y2K created a scare. And Mike Golden and Thad Wong founded @properties in Chicago. The duo sits down with host Amy Corr to talk about how their entrepreneurial spirit and mutual appreciation for fine haberdashery initially brought them together, and how they eventually built @properties into a company generating $10 billion in annual sales. As @ heads into its 20th year, Mike and Thad reminisce about seminal moments in the company's history and talk about what the future holds.

The Golden Wong Show - Trailer by @properties