KW® agent and broker Gregory Tran originally got his real estate license so he wouldn’t have to wait for agents to open the door on potential investment properties. When he decided to build a real estate business, Gregory thought he was required to be like other agents: to look like them, dress like them, and build businesses like them. It was only after he built up a team that he realized success actually required being true to himself — and going solo.
Permission Granted
“In the beginning, I thought a real estate agent was supposed to look a certain way, talk a certain way, do certain things. And so that’s what I tried to be, and every time I went to work, I felt like I was playing dress-up.”
Sitting comfortably in a chair in a black graphic tee at KW’s Mega Camp 2026 Summit Studios, Gregory Tran reflects on his early days in real estate. When he got ready for work, he always felt like he was putting on a costume — button-up shirt, dress pants, dress shoes. Back then, his business was doing okay, but he wasn’t flourishing on any front — personally or professionally. Then COVID hit. It took working from home for Gregory to realize that business actually got better when he relaxed into his own style — sartorial and otherwise.
A glance at Gregory’s Instagram channel shows he’s built a winning brand and business by staying true to his personality (including deadpan humor and a pair of signature red sandals). Behind the relaxed exterior is an agent who knows his stuff: Gregory is a member of Gary Keller’s Top Agents Mastermind group, and in 2026, he was named a top producer at Keller Williams® Austin SW Market Center.
But the transition from what Gregory believed he needed to do to build a winning business to what actually drove success took years. In addition to dressing for the part he thought he was meant to play, Gregory built out a sizeable team of agents, following the example of other agents around him. But there was one big problem. He didn’t like managing people — and it showed. A self-described introvert, Gregory found it draining to support his team, and he craved solitude.
Just before the pandemic, most of Gregory’s team had left, and he found himself at an inflection point, questioning his efficacy as an agent and business owner. It was only then that he finally considered the advice of his operations director: Work with a coach.
“Every time I went to work, I felt like I was playing dress-up.”
“I had to hit a certain unhappiness factor before I became open-minded enough to take some of the advice and do some of the things that I wasn’t used to.”
“Working as a solo agent with a lean support team gave him back weekday evenings and weekends with his family.”
Becoming Coachable
Gregory had been resistant to coaching. In truth, he simply didn’t want to. He figured he could build on his know-how in other arenas and fast-track his way to the top by skipping steps and doing things his way. But he had to admit that wasn’t working. Now that he was at a crossroads, Gregory became more open to receiving guidance.
“I don’t think I was very coachable for a long time,” Gregory says. “I think I had to hit a certain unhappiness factor before I became open-minded enough to take some of the advice and do some of the things that I wasn’t used to.”
To appease his colleague, Gregory started interviewing coaches. He clicked with one, and realized coaching was exactly what he needed. In short order, he started implementing changes, including restructuring his business with himself at the center as a solo agent. That decision allowed him to do more of what he enjoyed (working directly with clients), and less of what he didn’t (managing people).
While scale can come from headcount, Gregory’s pivot showed there are other ways to grow. For the introverted agent, working lean can free up the time and energy a bigger team is supposed to buy.
For years, Gregory thought building out a team was the ticket to freedom. Instead, it turned out that working as a solo agent with a lean support team gave him back weekday evenings and weekends with his family. It also gave him the freedom to build his brand around his own interests. Rather than focusing his marketing and outreach solely on properties listed and sold, he started offering guidance on real estate investing. By leaning into his own passions and personality, he attracted a similarly oriented clientele and regular referrals. That’s when business got really good.
Moving From Wall Street to Main Street
Gregory had never planned on becoming a real estate agent.
Following a 13-year career as a stock trader on Wall Street, he got interested in real estate investing. Gregory pursued his real estate license so he could show himself homes without waiting on an intermediary. He never intended to sell houses — until he started attending team meetings at his Market Center.
As he saw how other KW® agents were building profitable businesses, Gregory realized he could build his own enterprise by leaning into KW’s models and systems.
“I think the thing that really attracted me was building something that was bigger than myself,” Gregory explains. “When I was a trader, sure, we worked in some teams, and we may have had some businesses, but ultimately it was every person for themselves. Everyone was just trying to make a buck or two. So to hear people talk about these businesses and communities that they had grown, that just felt like something bigger.”
As he came to discover, there’s more than one way to build a business worth owning.
Rather than scaling through a team, Gregory built his business around who he is. Most of his clients come through people who know him or have heard of him, and he brings an investor’s perspective to every purchase and sale. And he still works with his coach.
Gregory says it took him a decade to give himself full permission to do what he wanted to do most.
“I think what I’m most proud of is that I’ve been able to build this business that revolves around the life that I want, instead of building a business that I’m trying to fit my life around.”
“I’ve been able to build this business that revolves around the life that I want, instead of building a business that I’m trying to fit my life around.”
Next up on Front and Center, Mike McCann talks about celebrating 40 years at the heart of real estate in Philadelphia, and what it takes to turn hungry agents into long-term, loyal team members.
