Jamie Knight, a 20-plus-year real estate veteran and Epic agent in Lafayette, Louisiana, joins the podcast to share how a chance suggestion to get his license turned into a thriving referral-based business closing 35–50 deals a year. He opens up about the personal turning point—having twin boys five years ago—that pushed him to become more intentional, move companies after 18 years, launch his own podcast (Real South Agents), and show up authentically online.
The conversation digs into the fundamentals that actually drive referrals: warm calls to past clients, a weekly community-focused email newsletter pulling a 40–50% open rate, and genuinely caring about people through life’s ups and downs. Jamie also breaks down his faceless, long-form home tour strategy on TikTok (@bayoubroker), Instagram, and Facebook—explaining why 7-to-10-minute vertical walkthroughs are winning the algorithm, and why framing videos for buyers rather than sellers makes all the difference.
About the host:
Jeff Hamm is a real estate broker with Ivester Jackson | Christie’s International Real Estate, serving Lake Norman & Charlotte, North Carolina and Banner Elk, North Carolina. He specializes in luxury, waterfront, mountain, and investment property, with a focus on buyer representation. He is also the founder and host of The Best of LKN and Banner Elk Living.
Learn more and contact Jeff:
LKNreal.com
BannerElkLiving.com
Jeff Hamm is a North Carolina real estate broker with Ivester Jackson | Christie’s International Real Estate, serving two of the state’s most sought-after markets: Lake Norman and Banner Elk and the greater High Country. He specializes in luxury and second-home property, from Lake Norman’s waterfront, golf, and lakefront communities to High Country communities including The Lodges at Eagles Nest, Elk River Club, Farm at Banner Elk, Diamond Creek, and Echota. He also works with buyers of condominiums, homes in active adult and family-friendly neighborhoods, and short-term rental and investment properties. His focus is buyer representation, where his relationships with each region’s top listing brokers, builders, and designers give his clients a measurable edge.
Jeff is also the founder and host of two local media platforms, The Best of LKN (since 2020) and Banner Elk Living. Each includes a podcast and newsletter that spotlight the area’s most admired small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs. He publishes the annual Lake Norman Visitors Guide and Banner Elk Guide, produces regular market reports for both regions, and hosts The Best of Lake Norman Business Network and the Banner Elk Business Network.