Mike Ferry’s Podcast the Original: Agent Jason Penrose on 27 Years of Real Estate, Role Play, and Discipline – John Sullivan Interviews Jason Penrose

In this episode, John Sullivan sits down with agent Jason Penrose, a Scottsdale, Arizona team leader who’s held his license since 1999. Jason got his start on a team under Howard Brenton, discovered the Mike Ferry organization at a Tom Ferry action workshop, and finally committed to coaching in 2007. Nearly two decades later, he’s built a team pushing toward 200 transactions a year, with his son Ethan now working alongside him as a fellow agent.

A Family of Agents, Built on Role Play

Ethan Penrose got licensed just after turning 18 and went all in immediately. For his first 18 months, he role-played 2.5 hours a day, five days a week, with Mike Ferry agents across the country, then prospected for another three to four hours daily. Jason credits that intensity for how quickly his son took off, and the two agents now trade feedback on new objections as sellers navigate a market some haven’t seen before: one where they’re upside down on their homes.

Discipline That Doesn’t Stop at Business

Jason explains why discipline in one area of life bleeds into every other area, whether it’s how you work, eat, sleep, or train. He blocks two hours a day for prospecting and lead follow-up, keeps mornings for lead generation and afternoons for appointments, and treats weekends as a genuine reset rather than more hustle. It’s a philosophy shaped in part by the 2007 housing crash, when a coach reminded him that people were working two or three jobs just to get by, and complaining wasn’t an option.

How a Top Agent Qualifies Motivation in a Tougher Market

Jason walks through how he pre-qualifies every appointment, asking sellers why they’re really moving and whether they can absorb a loss if their home won’t appraise for what they paid. He’s not afraid to cancel appointments once the numbers don’t work, because taking a listing without real motivation wastes everyone’s time. His closing philosophy: the market doesn’t decide whether an agent hits their goal, it decides what they’ll have to do to get there.