Dave Mattes: 30 Years in Reading, PA and the Equal-Partner Shift That Hit 150 Deals

Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: Dave Mattes is a veteran real estate agent with RE/MAX of Reading in Berks County, Pennsylvania, with roots in the business going back to 1995. He now co-leads an 8-agent team alongside his wife Mel, who recently became a full equal partner in running the business, and together they broke 150 units last year. Episode Summary: Dave Mattes walks through his three-decade real estate journey, from stumbling into the business through a builder connection to a detour into mortgages and back into selling, eventually building an 8-agent team with his wife Mel in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He shares why fundamentals like repeat and referral business, disciplined follow-up, and database relationships still drive the bulk of his production even as the industry debates AI and shrinking agent counts. What's Covered: Dave recounts his path from a 1995 start at a small independent brokerage through a five-year mortgage career and back into full-time sales at RE/MAX of Reading He identifies key turning points including realizing agents could sell 50plus homes a year, attending the RE/MAX R4 convention surrounded by top producers, and bringing his wife Mel on as a full equal partner The team now runs 8 agents, broke 150 transactions last year after being stuck near 100 for three years, and generates 65 to 80 percent of business from repeat and referral clients plus probate and senior specialist designations Dave details his team's follow-up cadence, touching new leads multiple times on day one, tapering to weekly then biweekly contact for up to a year, framed around the mindset of providing a service rather than pestering He advises new agents entering an unfamiliar market to start with open houses and local networking groups, and tells growth-minded agents to build and consistently touch a top 50 relationship list every month Dave discusses his current light use of AI for listing descriptions and generating radio show content, his belief that agents are only scratching the surface of AI's potential, and his conviction that relationship fundamentals will still define success in five years Timestamps: 00:00:24 Dave's start in real estate in 1995 02:42 Detour into mortgages from 2000 to 2005 04:19 Building the current 8-agent team with wife Mel 04:34 Team production: breaking 150 deals after years stuck at 100 06:09 Turning points: discovering limitless production and the R4 convention 08:07 Mel becoming an equal partner in the business 09:03 Starting from scratch: open houses and networking groups 10:00 Lead sources: 65 to 80 percent repeat and referral, probate designation 12:42 Follow-up system and speed-to-lead cadence 16:17 One tactical move to grow in the next 12 months: database and top 50 list 17:29 Dave's biggest challenge: time management and schedule control 18:21 Current AI usage for listings and radio show content 24:00 Where to find Dave and his team