Mike Ferry’s Podcast the Original: 2,800 Deals. Zero Recruiting — Mike Ferry Interviews Craig Tan

In Episode 23, Mike Ferry sits down with Craig Tan, founder and broker of Huntington & Ellis in Las Vegas. Craig got his real estate license at 19 in Long Island, New York. At 21, he moved to Las Vegas with nothing lined up. Today, nearly 22 years later, his brokerage runs almost 190 agents across two offices. He hasn’t recruited a single one.

Growth Without Recruiting

Instead, agents come to Craig. He built that reputation slowly, without ever picking up the phone to recruit. As a result, the company now tracks toward roughly 2,800 transactions this year, up from just over 2,400 last year. That growth continues even as the broader Las Vegas market softens. Craig also runs a 40-agent listing team. That team took over the production he used to handle personally, once his workload across the brokerage, his team, and his own listing appointments became unsustainable.

Presence Over Systems

Craig credits much of this growth to presence and accessibility rather than any single system. He keeps 10 to 12 open coaching slots on his calendar every week. He also walks both offices daily and sees 60 to 75 agents show up in person on any given day. That environment, he explains, quietly eliminates excuses. It’s hard to complain about a slow market when the agent next to you just took two listings.

Hiring, Leadership, and Staying Independent

The conversation also turns to hiring philosophy and leadership. Craig argues that most brokerages spend too much time propping up their bottom 30% instead of investing in top performers. Building real hiring standards, he says, naturally attracts stronger agents. On leadership, he defines it simply: never ask an agent to do something you haven’t done yourself. He also stresses meeting each person where they are, since not everyone wants to close 150 deals a year. Mike and Craig close by discussing acquisition offers Craig has turned down. In his experience, the brand above the door matters far less than who’s actually leading inside it.