A Sneak Peek Inside a Successful Real Estate Radio Show
11 years ago, Brandon Rimes became a familiar presence in the daily lives of thousands of people through his real estate radio show.
Since launching his radio show 11 years ago, Brandon Rimes has become a familiar presence in the daily lives of his thousands of listeners. “The loyalty that you find there isn’t just about consistent listening; it translates into genuine trust and lasting partnerships,” says the owner of the Platinum MVP Team at Keller Williams in Tampa.
Originally called “The Real Estate Quarterback Show,” his program was rebranded to “The Consumer Quarterback Show” after several years of helping consumers navigate their buying decisions in real estate and beyond. This broader focus positioned Rimes as a trusted adviser and has been successful in generating buyer and seller leads.
He recently landed a multimillion-dollar listing after a listener called and asked him to handle the sale.
“I’m closing a record deal this month at $7.5 million that was a direct referral from one of my show partners. Last month, an 82-year-old man with vacant land came to see me. A buyer was trying to negotiate a deal and wanted his own attorney to handle the closing, but I [gave] the seller some good advice and ended up representing both sides of the transaction. When I say ‘I,’ I’m referring to ‘we’ because my wife, Lindsay, and I co-own the team. Lindsay does it all: manages the office, trains the agents and navigates our systems and technology. That allows me to focus on being a good talk-show host and driving business.”
So far, Rimes has invested $1 million into growing his media presence. “I’m blessed to be on a great station,” he says. “In the beginning, the show was on a smaller, second-tier station for an hour. Since then, I negotiated a second hour and jockeyed my way to a better time spot.” His show airs on 93.7 FM and AM 860 The Answer during the 4 p.m. drive time each weekday. “We also air the best show of the week at 7 a.m. every Sunday on 102.5 The Bone, which is popular throughout Tampa Bay and also reaches Naples and Fort Myers,” he says, adding that videos of his radio segments are posted to YouTube and streamed on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku. “We also post it on Rumble, and we have our podcast on Apple iTunes and Spotify.”
Here’s how he orchestrates the show:
1. Dynamic guest lineup
Featuring a variety of guests draws a broader audience, creates thought-provoking conversations and enhances the overall appeal and impact of the show, Rimes says. His lineup rotates every few weeks and includes entrepreneurs, estate planning experts, real estate professionals, appraisers, mortgage brokers, attorneys, financial advisers, CPAs, doctors, self-defense experts, private pilots, sports stars, local celebrities and political figures.
Potential guests are invited to appear on Rimes’ show if they have a following, quality content and can mutually benefit from the collaboration. “Ideally, I want to grow my sphere through their sphere,” Rimes says. “If it’s a nonprofit, I won’t charge them; and if it’s a business partner relationship, that will usually be a paid expert contributor. I don’t make any money on the show—my real estate business pays my household bills—it’s basically a marketing arm.”
2. Consumer advocacy
Rimes, who started as a defensive back on the University of South Florida’s inaugural football team before transferring to Ferrum College as a quarterback, says his show serves as a metaphor for guiding his audience. His aim as the “consumer quarterback” is to educate, entertain, engage and encourage his listeners to live their best lives.
“One cool thing I do for my sellers is feature all my real estate listings live on air,” Rimes says. “That’s a bonus and a differentiator since most agents don’t have a daily talk show. My approach to prospecting is somewhat ‘old school.’ I don’t mind getting on the phone, and I do a lot of expired and canceled listings as well as FSBOs [For Sale by Owners]. Having a radio show gives me a unique advantage, so my pitch really stands out from the competition.”
Rimes has also written three books: “Become the MVP in Your Industry by Surfing the Radio Waves,” “The Real Estate Quarterback’s Consumer Advocacy Playbook” and “Quarterbacking Success: Your Playbook to Real Estate Riches!” “I recorded the audio version to my latest book in the studio,” he says.
He also donates valuable airtime to segments that spotlight various causes, such as children’s cancer centers, veteran’s organizations, Habitat for Humanity, Warrick Dunn Charities and local nonprofits.
3. Clever cross-promotion
“The Consumer Quarterback Show” YouTube channel has amassed nearly 2,000 subscribers and features more than 2,500 videos highlighting a mix of past live streams, expert contributors and featured properties. “Every show we [produce] we are also videotaping,” Rimes says. “Viewers can go to YouTube and watch all these different shows of me interviewing various experts and see that the credibility and the knowledge base is there. It also helps with SEO.”
He says the visibility of the radio show contributed to his wife landing a 92-unit complex in Gainesville earlier this year. “Within the first two weeks, my wife and her team sold between three and five units, including several penthouses.” The complex combines residential units with commercial retail and restaurant spaces on the lower floor, which is also attracting prospects.
4. Supercharged recording days
Rimes isn’t required to be live in the studio every day, which allows him to host a radio show while simultaneously managing a successful real estate business. “We record back-to-back shows on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon and 1 p.m.,” he explains.
“In terms of technology, you can buy everything you need [to host a radio show] online. You need decent cameras and a high-level MacBook that has some good capabilities.”
He runs everything through mimoLive, a live broadcasting program for Mac users. “All the cameras are set up and all the mics and audio are there, so I just go into the studio; and then we do the video side and mesh everything together and upload it.”
Thanks to technology, just about anybody with the desire to launch their own radio show can give it a go, Rimes says, but he believes that it requires a specific personality type. “I think you need that outgoing, extrovert type of personality to excel,” he says.
Leslie C. Stone is a Vero Beach-based freelance writer.