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A Platform Doesn’t Equal Clients: Gina Kirschenheiter on Reset, Uncertainty, and Why Preparedness Beats Chanel Bags
- Wendy Forsythe
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
The Real Housewife who only knows uncertainty (and built a real estate business anyway)
This was fun!
Rapid-fire Q&A. No script. Just me and Gina Kirschenheiter from Real Housewives of Orange County sitting down at Inman Connect NYC asking each other anything.
Real estate questions. Life questions. Industry predictions. Social media trends. Personal stories.
And what emerged was an honest conversation about what it actually takes to build a real estate business in 2026 and a lot of giggles along the way.
The Question Everyone Wants to Ask
"Just because I have this platform doesn't mean that it's easy for me."
That's what Gina said when I asked what's surprised her about building The Gated Group (her real estate business with fiancé Travis Mullen).
"Just because I have this built-in audience and this following doesn't translate into actual clients, into business."
People have this preconceived notion.
Gina initially thought it might help more than it actually does.
The reality?
"I'm working it."
She's at the farmers market. In her local area. Doing the work.
"Most of my business is referral business because we do a good job and then that person tells another person and then we get our business. Just how everybody else puts on their pants—one leg at a time."
What Having a Platform Actually Does
Does it help for visibility? Yes.
Does it help on the buy side? Yes.
Is it a powerful marketing tool to market properties better and reach more audience? Absolutely.
And that is powerful when going into listing appointments.
But it doesn't GET her those listing appointments.
"I get those listing appointments. I don't count on it to get me business. I'm getting me business."
That's the truth nobody talks about.
Platform creates opportunity. But you still have to execute.
My 2026 Predictions (Not Very Rosy)
Gina asked me for three predictions for 2026.
Here's what I gave her:
Prediction #1: More Mergers & Acquisitions
We're seeing them already. Brokerages, tech companies, service companies.
It's a time of consolidation.
Gina put it perfectly: "Everybody's eating everybody."
Prediction #2: More Lawsuits
Yeah. No comment because we'll both get sued! (LOL!)
But it's a byproduct of the time we're in.
Unfortunately, we're going to see more.
Prediction #3: More Uncertainty
This is where I got real.
"I'm not very rosy, I'm afraid. My normally optimistic self."
It is a time of uncertainty.
Regulations. Lawsuits. Market conditions. A lot is happening.
My word for 2026: RESET.
The RESET Mindset
You can't control mergers and acquisitions.
You can't control lawsuits.
You can't control market uncertainty.
But you CAN reset YOUR focus.
What you do in your business. Your marketing. Your branding. Your lead generation.
Ask yourself: "What do I need to change? What do I need to alter given the conditions of the market, what's happening in the industry, what's happening from a regulatory and governmental perspective?"
Make sure you're competing and hitting your goals.
"Always be thinking of the pivot and the reset."
Honestly, that should probably be your mindset every year.
Gina's Superpower: Comfortable in Uncertainty
Here's where Gina completely killed it with a great perspective.
She joined real estate 2.5 years ago.
"All I've ever known is uncertainty. So I'm actually very comfortable operating in uncertainty."
Think about that.
If we're going into a third year of uncertainty, even agents who've been doing this for a very long time are getting more comfortable with it now.
It's just kind of the way it is.
"Once you get really comfortable in it and you can exist in it, if you can win in it and thrive in it, you're in it for the long haul. And then eventually we will come out of it. And then I am hoping it will be just easier."
"I actually feel grateful that I entered the business at probably the worst time."
I got my license in a really bad market too.
When you don't know any better, it just is what it is.
It's actually a blessing.
What Gina Controls
She can't control the three predictions I gave.
But here's what she can control:
What she does in her business
Pivoting and changing
Trying things
If it doesn't work, trying something different
Editing and executing differently depending on what's working
"The one thing that really helps and helps everybody is just consistency. Doing the job. Over and over and over again. If you get up every day and you go to work in some capacity, whatever that looks like for you, you will find success."
Simple. True. Powerful.
Social Media Ideas for 2026
Gina is always thinking about social media. (She batch-creates content with Emily Simpson—Here Real Housewives and real life bestie– Gina plans everything, Emily shows up with no idea what they're doing, and Emily never says no. That's why they're best friends.)
Netflix-Style Listing Videos
This is trending and Gina loves it.
Don't just speak about 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, square footage.
Go into the history of the home. Not the current homeowner (privacy is crucial), but the history of the area. Speak to the community.
"You're visually seeing the house, but then you're seeing the agent and then you're splicing in fun facts about all of those things. So you're cultivating and curating more of an overall feeling about this house. It's an experience versus just a regular listing video."
"We always have to up the ante."
Use Trending Content
Trending videos, TikToks, audios—they are going to hit the algorithm.
Easy wins.
Dip into that pool.
But Elevate With Your Creativity
"We're going to have to come up with more elevated, creative ways of rolling out our content because now everybody's catching on and they're all doing the same thing. What was unique and creative last year is a little stale. So we've got to keep upping the ante"
Truth.
Win in Your Head Before You Win at the Kitchen Table
Gina asked about my toughest sale or highest priced negotiation.
Upon reflection the real challenge wasn't the price point.
The real challenge was overcoming my own impostor syndrome.
I started selling real estate in my 20s.
Could I compete against more experienced agents for luxury listings?
Was I ready?
Did I have the experience? The moxy? The flashy car? The right clothes? The right look to be the luxury agent who could get that million-dollar listing?
The Breakthrough
"I had to win in my head before I won at the kitchen table."
When I overcame that impostor syndrome, I had the breakthrough.
I could go into any listing appointment. If sellers would listen and give me a chance, I was so darn prepared.
I knew everything about that property.I knew everything about the market.I had my pre-listing package delivered before I showed up.
I had my listing presentation on lock.I had my pricing presentation down.
I was ready for every objection.I was ready to show them exactly what the marketing plan was going to be.
I won way more of those than I ever lost.
But it was all in my head.
Preparedness Over Chanel Bags
Gina's response to that story was perfect.
"Authenticity and preparedness is always going to win over somebody just carrying a Chanel bag. That's the bottom line."
People who are wealthy, people with money—they don't necessarily care about fancy bags.
They want you to look presentable, obviously.
But they care if you understand what's going on. They care if you're prepared. They care if you're going to represent them well and protect them through this process. They care if you know what you're talking about.
"I think it is a much better use of your time: Rather than chasing luxury, educate yourself. People with money know how money works. You don't. And that's free. Education is free. Educate yourself. Know how money works. And you will be far more valuable to people with money than if you show up in a fancy car with a fancy bag."
Drop the mic.
Personal Branding & Authenticity
Someone asked Gina about personal branding.
"Who they are is your brand. It's not rocket science. We're sharing who we are to make connections with people, to attract people to us. Those are the people we want to work with. Those are the people who want to work with you."
"If you just put yourself out there authentically, you also just form more natural, significant relationships that work better."
AI in Personal Branding
"AI has a place in all of this. I think it can help you save time. Absolutely."
"But if you try to replace yourself with AI, you will not be successful because it needs to really come from you. It needs to be driven from you."
People who are now posting just AI-generated photos? They don't get any engagement.
It has to be both.
"If you're trying to figure it out, just do less. Just start showing up and showing who you are."
Simple. Powerful. True.
Why eXp Leadership Works
We talked about why Gina loves being at eXp.
"A lot of our upper level management were actually agents. It makes a difference. It really does. It makes a difference the way you're all running the company and the way that you value us as a part of the company. We do feel seen and valued."
Many of us still hold our licenses. I just did my CE credits for California (painful).
We think through that lens in making decisions.
And my favorite panel at Inman? Our CEO Leo Perea on the kickoff panel with three CEOs.
"He talks from the point of view of a practitioner. He understands what's happening out there."
He translates how he leads eXp through all the industry changes to practitioners in the audience.
He got the first round of applause.
Another CEO turned to the audience and said: "I couldn't add anything to that. I lost."
That's leadership.
My Takeaways
Platform doesn't equal clients. You still have to do the work.
Reset is the mindset for 2026. Control what you can control.
Uncertainty can be a superpower if you get comfortable in it.
Consistency wins. Doing the job over and over and over.
Preparedness beats Chanel bags. Educate yourself. Know how money works.
Win in your head before you win at the kitchen table.
Authenticity creates natural, significant relationships.
AI is a tool. Don't replace yourself with it.
Just show up and show who you are.
Listen to the full rapid-fire Q&A here
This was fun, honest, and real. Exactly what we needed.
Let's keep building together.
— Wendy
P.S. We need help picking a hype song for me. Gina asked and I flopped under pressure. Comment below with suggestions. I promise to report back.
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