Kansas City RealTalk

Mike Frazier became the President and Chief Executive Officer of ReeceNichols after years spent working in corporate finance. He has led his brokerage through several shifts in the market and economy, learning along the way what makes agents successful, and he shares some of those lessons in this conversation with host Alex Goering.

KCRAR & Heartland MLS CEO Kipp Cooper shares key takeaways from navigating industry challenges, such as litigation and the pandemic, as well as opportunities for agents as the industry shifts.

It's the 200th episode of Kansas City RealTalk! Producer Amber sits down with Alex as he reflects on his career, including his advice for new agents building their career and experienced agents facing a changing industry.

Alex's book recommendations:
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary W. Keller
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
Breath by James Nestor
Strong Ground by Brené Brown

From down payment resources to CMAs and more, Heartland MLS® offers a vast array of resources and tools with your subscription. Heartland MLS® instructor Kyle Niemann shares tips, tricks and resources you may not be taking full advantage of.

Learn more about the new Heartland MLS brand: https://www.heartlandmls.com/

Learn more about Heartland MLS Advisory Councils: https://kcrar.com/kcrar-members/heartland-mls/about-heartland-mls/heartland-mls-advisory-councils/

How is it possible to build affordable homes in 2026, let alone keep them affordable when housing is appreciating at such a rapid rate? Lindsay Hicks, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City, shares how Habitat is doing just that, and how REALTORS® can get involved.

More info on REALTORS® Rock the Block: kcrar.com/rocktheblock

Is the new construction residential market in Kansas City trending toward affordability? Will Ruder,
Executive Vice President of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City, offers an update on the new construction market and sheds light on an important issue.

https://constructionsuicideprevention.com/

Content warning: Discussion of suicide prevention

Michele DuPont is the 2025 REALTOR® of the Year, 2026 chair of the YPN Committee, and current Director on the KCRAR and KR Boards. She shares how industry involvement has served her career and how other agents can get involved and grow their networks.

Learn more about YPN at kcrar.com/YPN

Learn more about committee service at kcrar.com/volunteer

Don Burns is a third-generation real estate broker who has worked with thousands of agents throughout his career. He talks with Alex about the qualities of successful agents and how brokers can support a healthier industry.

A writer for the New York Times recently published an article recording his experience selling his home without the help of an agent, but instead using a chatbot. Local broker and tech expert Michael Pierce joins us for a conversation about that writer's experience as well as the feasibility of this practice as the use of A.I. continues to rise.

Read the article from the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/technology/sell-house-with-ai-no-realtor.html

Recorded live at KCRAR in May, local city officials, including three mayors, share the latest developments in their cities.
- Chris Lievsay, Mayor of Blue Springs, Mo.
- Julie Sayers, Mayor of Lenexa, Kan.
- Jesse Smith, Mayor of North Kansas City, Mo.
- David Johnston, County Administrator for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan.

How do short-term rentals affect the housing market and economy in the Kansas City region? A new study commissioned by KCRAR tells us. KCRAR VP of Government Affairs James Toy joins us to share some of the findings of this study.

View the study results: https://kcrar.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Kansas-City-Short-Term-Rental-Study-Results.pdf

Marc-Antoine Juanéda is Director of Product Management at Cotality Real Estate Solutions, overseeing industry-leading products such as Matrix, MLS-Touch, and Prospects CRM, used by over 1.2 million real estate professionals across North America. After his stage presentation at Recharge 2026, he sat down with Alex to share what's to come for Cotality and the future of real estate tech now that A.I. is becoming ubiquitous.

Lundy Inc. founder and CEO Justin Lundy shares the history behind Finding Homes, Nora and Navigator as well as how Heartland MLS users can use the new A.I. assistant to streamline their workflow and save time.

The National Association of REALTORS® is taking a new approach to member value. Sherry Chris, NAR Special Advisor of Brokerages, and Bobbi Howe, NAR VP of Association Affairs, share what members may not know NAR is providing. In conversation with Alex, they dive even deeper than Recharge attendees saw on stage.

Rayse Co-CEO Christian Dwiggins sits down with Alex to talk about the importance of transparency and how agents can leverage the new Heartland MLS benefit, Rayse, to showcase their value with clients.

Taryn Kelly is a REALTOR®, real estate instructor and Chair of the 2026 KCRAR Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. To kick off Fair Housing Month, she talks with Alex about lessons she's learned through teaching Fair Housing and how agents can continue to uphold the critical law of Fair Housing.

Book Bit: Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig

Long Island Divided: https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/real-estate-agents-investigation/

Jessica Thomas is the 2026 President of Heartland MLS. The last time she was on the show, the industry was adapting to new rules and forms after the NAR settlement. On today's episode, we check in with Jessica on how the industry has adjusted since then, and where MLS technology may be headed in the future.

More on Heartland MLS (including the map!): https://kcrar.com/kcrar-members/heartland-mls/about-heartland-mls/

You've likely encountered Kyle Talbot's videos on social media through his channels, Moving to KC and The KC Scene. Kyle talks with Alex about how he used content creation to build his real estate business from the ground up, operating a media brand with over 121k followers.

James Toy is the new Vice President of Government Affairs for KCRAR. He talks with Alex about affordable housing, short term rentals and other timely issues affecting housing in our area, as well as what's new for the structure of advocacy at the Association.

Heather Bortnick is the President of the Koehler Bortnick Team at ReeceNichols, one of the top producing real estate teams in the Kansas City region. She talks with Alex about growing her business with her mother, balancing her work and personal life, adjusting to a changing market and more.