Starting a brokerage in a market where desk fees run $25K-30K and the average home sells for $300K? That's exactly what Josh Ries is doing in South Dakota—and he's using lead generation systems that cut costs by 78% to do it. Josh didn't set out to become a managing broker. He was consulting on lead generation for teams and brokerages when opportunity knocked. Now he's building a cloud-based brokerage from the ground up in a small market dominated by legacy franchises, and he's doing it with zero agents on day one. This episode breaks down the unglamorous reality of starting from scratch: building systems before recruiting a single agent, defining your value proposition in a sea of sameness, and using targeted digital marketing to attract mid-level producers ready to scale. Katie and Josh dig into the consultative approach that builds relationships instead of burning through leads, why providing value when people don't need you is the only strategy that matters, and how to leverage custom audiences and retargeting to stay omnipresent without being obnoxious. Key Topics: Why you need rock-solid systems before you recruit your first agent (or hire your first assistant) How to identify your ideal avatar and speak directly to their pain points instead of bragging about your stats The shift from authority-based marketing to value-based lead generation—and why people don't care about your awards anymore Using custom audiences, retargeting, and social funnels to stay top of mind without spending a fortune Transitioning from digital nurture to in-person relationships (and why leads die between steps) The difference between transactional selling and consultative relationship building—and which one compounds over time Why cutting your cost per acquisition by 78% starts with knowing your business numbers Whether you're building a team, recruiting for a brokerage, or just trying to grow your solo business, this episode will challenge you to think about growth differently. Stop chasing. Start providing value. Let people come to you when they're ready. Your move: Apply this same framework to your database. Are you providing so much value when people don't need you that when they do, there's no question who they're calling? If not, it's time to rebuild your foundation. Learn more about joining the Next Level Agents community at https://nextlevelagents.com/exp/ ​​Please leave us a review at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/nla⁠⁠⁠