In the latest episode of the RealTrending podcast, host Tracey Velt sits down with Kamini Lane, CEO and president of Coldwell Banker Real Estate. In this fireside chat, Velt and Lane explore her approach to leadership, Coldwell Banker’s unique focus on agent development, and the training program designed to teach effective communication.
Lane also shares key insights from her first year leading Coldwell Banker after her previous role as president of Sotheby’s International Realty. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Kamini Lane: It was a great time. I think 2024 was such a pivotal time in the real estate industry with all the changes associated with the NAR settlement. I spent the first quarter in the listening and learning role.
Velt: Some buyer’s agents did not need to show the value in a presentation. Are there any specific initiatives or anything that you’re doing to really help your agents through all of this?
Lane: The best agents in the business have always been able to articulate their value. One of the things we rolled out was a program called Perfect Pitch – which is focused on getting agents to articulate their value proposition.
What’s your 30-second elevator speech? What’s your three-minute speech while standing in line at a hot dog stand? What is your unique value proposition? And I tend to break those three things down into relevance, credibility, and authenticity.
Velt: Tell me about your 2025 growth strategy and goals.
Lane: We want to be the home for the best real estate agents in the industry. It’s kind of a singular focus, if you will, right? And so we build everything else around that. We want to be the destination for real estate agents who see this as an honorable profession, who see themselves as trusted real estate professionals, trusted real estate advisors. I don’t need to have the largest selection. Our local leaders carefully select each person who joins the company.
Velt: Is there growth through mergers and acquisitions that you are looking at, or is that not something that you are actively pursuing?
Lane: We want to be a destination for agents who are motivated to be productive. We want to help agents who feel we can coach them to thrive. M&A is therefore not part of the growth strategy at the moment.
To end the conversation, Lane shares her unique leadership strategy that influenced the culture at Coldwell Banker when she first arrived.
Velt: Can you share your approach to leadership and how it impacts Coldwell Banker’s culture?
Lane: So I have a pretty simple leadership philosophy. It is clarity, transparency and authenticity. And you’ve heard me say that word a few times. I believe it is the duty of all leaders to be very clear about the direction the company is going, the business objectives and what is expected of each individual in the company.
