
$130M+ in Sales: Derek Smith’s Real Estate Strategies
A telecom store manager from Texas got his real estate license in 2018. In 2025, he closed just under $50M, and he has sold more than $130M in his career. On this episode of the Forward One podcast, hosts Paul Morris and Josh sit down with LA agent Derek Smith to break down how he did it. In this episode, he shares his real strategies for getting and closing millions in deals. Timestamps 0:00 Welcome 0:15 How Derek got into real estate 1:20 Reality TV vs. the real work 2:36 $50M in 2025, $130M career 4:08 How he got business as a new agent 4:55 "Follow the money" 6:35 How to stand out with investors 8:32 The cold-call script (live role-play) 11:09 Building trust and the Brentwood deal 12:17 Forcing your way into top neighborhoods 12:58 Niche vs. jack of all trades 16:28 Why new agents should start in a niche 17:37 Branding and negotiation 18:42 Staying accountable without a boss 19:19 Weekly goals: five offers, one or two escrows 21:24 What he does when he misses the week 23:15 Finding inventory through other agents 26:07 The sticky-note accountability idea 28:03 Rapid-fire round


















