Mike Ferry’s Podcast the Original: Richard Berman on Going from 0 to 150 Transactions in 8 Years – Tony Smith Interviews Richard Berman

In this episode, coach Tony Smith sits down with Richard Berman of the Berman Group at Dixon Realty in Reno, Nevada. Richard is now in his eighth year in real estate. He is on track for 150 transactions this year. That climb began after a chance encounter led him to Mike Ferry coaching, even before he earned his license. In this conversation, he walks through the fundamentals that built his business. He also shares the sales background that shaped his work ethic. Above all, he explains why he still believes real estate is the best opportunity available today.

From 58,000 to a Million-Dollar Net

Richard’s first year in real estate netted him just $58,000. That was a steep drop from the $140,000 salary he had left behind. Rather than retreat, he leaned harder into prospecting. As a result, he doubled his income to $200,000 by year two. He credits sheer motivation for that turnaround, sharpened by a grocery-store moment with his wife that made the stakes impossible to ignore. Because of that moment, he chose to master the fundamentals instead of tiptoeing into the business.

A Sales Background Built on Work Ethic

Before real estate, Richard sold jewelry. Then he sold cars. Eventually, he moved into business-to-business direct sales. At the car lot, the bottom performer was fired every month. Because of that pressure, he learned to work bell to bell. He was not yet skilled at closing, so he often handed deals to senior salespeople. Still, that relentless environment instilled the discipline that would later define his real estate career.

The Power of Asking Better Questions

Richard traces his skill at asking questions back to early mentors and Tony Robbins. Both taught him that value comes from the quality of the questions you ask. So at industry events, he made a habit of approaching top producers. He picked apart what they did differently, often just a small tweak to his own approach. In fact, one producer joked that Richard tracked him down at every event with a list of questions ready to go.

Role-Playing as a Daily Discipline

Richard role-played every morning and evening in his early years. He also wrote out his listing presentation daily for 30 days straight, and he kept objection flashcards on his desk. Because of that repetition, he believes the real reason so many agents never gain traction is a skills gap, not a lack of leads. After all, no amount of activity like open houses will convert into transactions if an agent does not know what to say when someone shows up.

Delegating Without Losing the Client Relationship

As his business grew, Richard learned to delegate everything that did not directly make money. Instead, he kept only the tasks that truly matter to the client: negotiating the deal, communicating throughout the transaction, and thanking them at the close. He compares it to a restaurant, where the host does not cook the meal because each role exists for a reason. As a result, he says sellers have never pushed back on the arrangement, since it means faster access to his team.