Ready. Fire. Aim. ..The “Small Town → #1 Team” Blueprint with Matt Smith

What does it look like to go from a graduating class of 30… to building a powerhouse real estate team that dominates market share?

In this episode of R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life, Shane Kilby and Duane Murphy sit down with Matt Smith (Missouri team leader + John Cheplak coach) for a masterclass on work ethic, sales simplicity, leadership growth, and legacy.

Matt shares the raw backstory: working a sawmill at 12 years old, quitting the family business with no “perfect plan,” learning sales the hard way, then jumping into real estate and closing 70+ homes in his first year. 

But the real value is what comes after the success how he hit leadership ceilings, lost great people, learned humility the hard way, and rebuilt his leadership identity around impact.

If you’re an agent, team leader, or future leader trying to grow without losing yourself (or your people), this one will light you up.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “sales = solving problems” (and how to go deeper than surface pain)
• The dangerous transition from top producer → leader (and why many fail it)
• The next jump: leader → leader of leaders
• How ego and “press clippings” can quietly wreck culture
• The mindset shift from proving people wrong to impacting lives
• The leadership concept that hit everyone: don’t pour from your cup—overflow it
• Why Matt says: stop living for your resume… start living for your eulogy

🔥 Smash subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with one agent who needs a push right now.

🎙 Thank You for Tuning in to the R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life Podcast!

We appreciate you joining us for another powerful episode where we dive deep into the world of real estate, mindset, and business growth. If you found value in this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your network!

👉 Never Miss an Episode!

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform:

📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r-e-a-l-real-estate-agent-life-podcast/id1790088933

📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2LAAYbtPUqYJdTVl83hZXS?si=bf6691d7eccf4688

📍 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@R.E.A.L.RealEstateAgentLif-l6z

📲 Stay Connected & Join the Conversation!

🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shane.kilby

🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanekilby/

🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanekilby/

💡 Want to be a guest on the show?...

Chapters

• 0:33 00:00:33 — Introducing Matt Smith (40+ team, ~5,000 units, market share)
• 2:01 00:02:01 — Matt’s backstory: tiny town, 30-kid graduating class
• 2:33 00:02:33 — Working the sawmill at 12: where work ethic was forged
• 4:05 00:04:05 — “What connected you to real estate?” (the origin story)
• 6:13 00:06:13 — Quitting the sawmill: action-first mentality
• 7:18 00:07:18 — Getting fired… for going on interviews (and why it mattered)
• 8:18 00:08:18 — Matt’s sales philosophy: Sales = Solving Problems
• 9:42 00:09:42 — Zero sales experience → #1 in the region in 3 months
• 10:07 00:10:07 — The Christmas party moment: “How much can I make?”
• 10:55 00:10:55 — Plot twist: he quit… before realizing he needed a license
• 13:09 00:13:09 — Biggest success: building lives through people + leadership
• 16:10 00:16:10 — Biggest failure: ego, toxicity, lost relationships (hard lessons)
• 20:06 00:20:06 — Stay hungry, stay humble: leadership ceilings + reaching back
• 20:54 00:20:54 — 3 sticking points: producer → leader → leader of leaders
• 25:58 00:25:58 — Fulfillment over money: oxygen mask + overflowing cup analogy
• 28:38 00:28:38 — Greatest influences: books, mentors, and “South Stars”
• 33:21 00:33:21 — Best culture book: The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
• 33:58 00:33:58 — Biggest influence today: Jon Cheplak (mission alignment)
• 38:14 00:38:14 — Advice to younger self: “It’ll all be worth it.”
• 40:02 00:40:02 — Success loves speed: stop waiting, just do it now
• 42:04 00:42:04 — Legacy question: “How do you want to be remembered?”
• 43:06 00:43:06 — Live for your eulogy, not your resume
• 44:01 00:44:39 — Matt’s mission statement (what drives him daily)