Luke Joachim is a Redfin Premier agent serving customers in the Hudson Valley, New York. He joined Redfin in August 2024 after several years at Houlihan Lawrence. We caught up with Luke to hear more about his experience at Redfin so far. You can follow him on Instagram.
Tell me about your career before Redfin.
Before real estate I was a wedding DJ, running my own business as an entrepreneur for 20 years. My first introduction to real estate was when my wife and I went to buy our first house, and I really enjoyed the experience. At the time, we were thinking about starting a family, but I was doing a lot of travel for the DJ business and was out of town most weekends; booked 6-18 months in advance. I was already missing family celebrations without much flexibility, so I needed to make a change. I started thinking about how I could be more local and have more autonomy over my schedule so I could be available for my family. I decided to get my real estate license.
I was just getting started when the pandemic hit. Being a tech-savvy person was a big advantage during that strange time. I could collaborate with more experienced agents by saying, “Hey, I’ll do a virtual open house for you, I’ll do photos, I’ll make a property video.” That’s really what got me started and helped me build a solid business in my first five years.
What challenges did you encounter as a traditional agent?
I’m originally from California, so I didn’t have a built-in network here in New York. I had to build my own business and connections, so I leaned on online leads, social media, and marketing. I put in the time, effort and money to attract my own clients. I was doing four to six deals a year, which in my area equals a good income, and I even won yearly awards for that level of production. But still, I always worried about where my next deal was coming from and how to keep the business flowing.
Why did you join Redfin?
I was working at a prestigious local brokerage in my area. I had done a deal with a top Redfin agent the year prior who was interested in having me join Redfin, but to be honest I just wasn’t motivated by the idea of earning a salary. But when I heard Redfin was transitioning to a commission-based plan with Redfin Next, it made more sense. Now having the growing family I wanted with two young kids, I was paying for benefits out of pocket on top of Zillow leads, marketing, and video content.
Once I understood the “business in a box” approach, I quickly realized this was the next step for me if I wanted to scale my business. I wouldn’t need to build my own team from scratch—the infrastructure was already in place. I’d have benefits, a consistent stream of leads, and support. I just hit my one-year mark, and it’s worked out even better than I expected. I’m happy to be here.
What makes Redfin different from other brokerages?
Redfin’s model allows you to have a totally different approach to your work. Honestly, it was really scary for me to become an employee because I’d always been an entrepreneur. The only times I’d worked as an employee were when I was a teacher and when I worked at a music store during college. I never liked having a manager. By nature I’m a Rabid Squirrel (editor’s note: Rabid Squirrel is a term used at Redfin to describe someone who is focused, frugal, fast, and always finds a way to win for our customers). I like to be a creative problem solver and do things my way from soup to nuts. But what’s been great about Redfin is that I have a support system without being micromanaged. All of those worries went away.
I’m more consistently busy now than I’ve ever been, going from 4–6 deals a year to about 30 this year so far, but the difference is I don’t feel guilty when I put my phone down to spend time with family. I’m still a workaholic, but my work is focused on guiding my clients through buying and selling a home, not marketing or generating leads for my business. I’m not constantly worried about where my next client is coming from. I feel secure that my income, my leads, and my team are all in place. It’s a completely different mindset.
What’s been your biggest success since joining?
For me, the biggest success is being able to balance family time with a very lucrative and fulfilling career. I’ve exponentially increased my sales while also gaining freedom from the stress of running my own business.
I also love the metrics. I’m a competitive person, and in a traditional brokerage or running a business, you’re kind of just running your own race. With Redfin, the metrics are right there, I have other Rabbid Squirrels to chase, and that’s pushed me to be number one in as many categories as I can. It looks like I’ll make President’s Club this year, and I’m even mentoring a newer agent now. The acknowledgment you get in this setting is something I didn’t have as an entrepreneur, and it’s been really rewarding.
How has joining Redfin changed the way you work?
Agent Tools has been a great co-pilot, reminding me who to contact and when. The tech is more comprehensive and advanced than what I’ve demoed and experienced at other brokerages. Being able to text, call, and manage outreach directly through the platform is a game-changer. Not to mention, the direct connection to the number #1 brokerage app. My clients that are buying can schedule a showing right through the app and my sellers get their own dashboard to keep up with everything we’re doing for their property tied in with the proprietary data we have directly from the Redfin app. No longer do my clients have to text me a Redfin link to ask to tour, and I’m not manually collecting the number of views to send to my sellers in an update email.
But the biggest shift has been the team model. As a solo agent, I had to do everything myself. At Redfin, I have a dedicated transaction coordinator to keep my pending deals on track, a listing coordinator to prepare my listings for my final review, and tour coordinators that can efficiently schedule associate agents to open doors when I’m not able. Learning how to delegate and focus on what really moves the needle has been transformative. I remember my first really busy weekend: I was touring with clients, and five other clients were out touring with associate agents. They were texting me, asking questions, and my head was spinning. Eventually, I realized I didn’t need to be on every single tour. My role could be more about being available to negotiate, problem-solve, and guide the team. That shift has helped me grow as an agent and as a leader.
Redfin is entering a new era as a part of Rocket Companies. What opportunities are you most excited about?
I think it’s exciting—we’re building a cohesive, one-stop shop. Most brokerages have their own mortgage company, but not a true partnership like Rocket and Redfin. With the company excitement here and across the country, it really feels like a game-changer. As with any big shift we still have some things to figure out, but I see huge potential. What really resonated with me was the “Own the Dream” initiative. That mission is emotional and inspiring to me, especially given the popular narrative that my generation will be forever renters. Being on the side that helps people achieve homeownership—that’s meaningful to me.
I also appreciate that while competitors are leaning into exclusivity, Redfin is leaning into inclusivity. There’s a world where brokerages go off the MLS, or we can continue to work together, like Realtors have for decades, and keep pushing to make it more inclusive for all home buyers and sellers. I know which future I want to be part of.
What advice would you give other agents considering Redfin?
New York is a market where Redfin doesn’t have as much name recognition, which makes it an exciting time to join. When I told my old colleagues I was leaving for Redfin, a lot of them didn’t even know what it was. Some thought I was getting out of real estate and moving into a tech job. But that’s exactly the opportunity—you can be at the forefront of building Redfin’s presence here. In a few years there might not be as much room for new agents to define what Redfin looks like in this market. Right now, you can shape it.
We’re the tech brokerage with the number-one real estate app, we’ve partnered with a world-class lender, and we’re growing with experienced agents bringing local expertise. We’re not the “new kid” anymore—we’re building something big.
How does working at Redfin provide a better experience for your customers?
The team system combined with the app is the biggest differentiator. With a traditional agent, your experience is tied to their schedule and their individual systems. At Redfin, we can get you into homes on your schedule while still giving you the support of an experienced lead agent all in one place
On the selling side, having two different listing models—standard or Concierge—plus competitive commissions and the added national discount for buying and selling with any agent in any state at Redfin is huge. I don’t think any other company does that at this scale.
And because Redfin agents are so productive, we are exponentially more experienced and are always in the know. Just the other day at a listing consult, I could tell the seller how many buyers are viewing homes in the area online in the app and how many buyers are currently touring with our agents homes that have the exact same criteria. I also knew what all of the competition looks like—not only the inside of the homes, but what the demand is looking like at different price points, because I have active buyers already making offers in the neighborhood. That’s the kind of edge you get working with us.
Redfin is looking for ambitious, mission-driven agents and managers to join our team nationwide. If you’re interested in joining some of the top agents in the industry and growing your business with Redfin, visit our career page or join our talent community.
