Our Featured Guest for October 11, 2026 is Todd Drowlette and our Entrepreneur Spotlight Guests are Christine Haupt, Camila Rodriguez Drowlette, Brandon Bellamy and Samuel Desany.
What does it take to build a successful commercial real estate business, identify profitable property investments, and turn ambitious ideas into real opportunities? On this episode of Passage to Profit – The Road to Entrepreneurship, hosts Richard and Elizabeth Gearhart welcome Todd Drowlette, founder of TITAN Commercial Realty Group and star of A&E’s The Real Estate Commission, alongside team members Brandon Bellamy, Samuel Desany, Christine Haupt, and Camila Rodriguez Drowlette. Together, they share practical insights into commercial real estate investing, brokerage, property management, business growth, and the innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Todd Drowlette discusses lessons from more than 1,700 real estate transactions valued at over $2 billion. He explains why persistence is essential in a competitive industry, how starting with small deals can lead to lasting client relationships, and why investors should focus on a property’s underlying value rather than simply chasing a low purchase price. He also offers advice on evaluating commercial and residential real estate agents, assessing property locations, understanding customer demographics, and identifying the right broker for a specific transaction. Todd reveals how he pursued an authentic television series about commercial real estate, built opportunities through persistence, and used multiple media platforms to grow his business and network. He also previews the second season of The Real Estate Commission, scheduled to begin airing and streaming on March 20, 2027, with larger transactions and more national brands.
Todd Drowlette: Commercial Real Estate Investing and Business Growth
Todd Drowlette is the founder of TITAN Commercial Realty Group, a commercial real estate developer and broker, and the central figure in A&E’s The Real Estate Commission. He shares the career-changing networking opportunity that helped launch his real estate career and explains how persistence, relationship-building, and experience shaped his approach to business. Todd discusses the fundamentals of profitable property acquisitions, commercial real estate market analysis, tenant relationships, brokerage selection, and the importance of understanding what customers and businesses need from a location. He also explains how he developed a television show by producing content, demonstrating audience interest, and continuing to pitch the concept until a network opportunity emerged.
Learn more: The Real Estate Commission | TITAN Commercial Realty Group
Brandon Bellamy: Commercial Real Estate Brokerage and AI-Powered Opportunity Research
Brandon Bellamy is a licensed real estate broker at TITAN Commercial Realty Group and has been with the company since its founding. He explains the distinction between a licensed real estate salesperson and a broker, including the experience and licensing requirements involved in becoming a broker in New York. Brandon also shares how he uses AI as a tool for identifying commercial real estate opportunities. By analyzing property information and municipal assessment records, he can identify buildings similar to a property he is marketing and find potential owners to contact. His approach illustrates how AI-assisted research can help commercial real estate professionals discover prospects and develop more targeted business strategies.
Samuel Desany: AI Automation, Software Development and Commercial Real Estate
Samuel Desany is a licensed real estate salesperson at TITAN Commercial Realty Group who also helps the company develop AI-driven tools and software workflows. After discovering the company through a screening of The Real Estate Commission, Samuel built a relationship with the team, obtained his real estate license, and began combining hands-on industry experience with technology development. He describes using AI to assist with website development, front-end and back-end coding, marketing research, and data-intensive commercial real estate tasks. One example discussed in the episode involves automating the collection of marketing brochures and demographic reports—a process that previously required three people working full-time for approximately three weeks, but could be completed in about three and a half hours with the new workflow. Samuel’s experience demonstrates how AI automation can reduce repetitive work and help a business team devote more time to higher-value activities.
Christine Haupt: Asset Management, Client Relationships and Long-Term Business Success
Christine Haupt is the Director of Asset Management at TITAN Commercial Realty Group and has worked alongside Todd Drowlette for more than two decades. She describes how a career change from banking into real estate ultimately led her to TITAN. Christine shares an important lesson from Todd’s early career: accepting smaller transactions can build valuable market knowledge, experience, and client relationships that eventually lead to larger opportunities. She also discusses the importance of responsible spending, understanding tenants, and making informed decisions about rental rates. Her perspective highlights the operational discipline, client service, and long-term relationship management behind a successful commercial real estate business.
Camila Rodriguez Drowlette: Career Development, Real Estate and Teamwork
Camila Rodriguez Drowlette is a licensed real estate salesperson who works with TITAN Commercial Realty Group and is Todd Drowlette’s wife. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, she explains how independently learning English opened professional opportunities, helped her secure better-paying work, and ultimately contributed to her path to the United States. Camila discusses how working directly with the TITAN team helped her understand the complexities of commercial real estate and how collaboration and mentorship have supported her professional development. Her story illustrates how learning new skills, building relationships, and remaining open to new opportunities can change a person’s career trajectory.
Real AI Use Cases: How Businesses Are Applying Artificial Intelligence
The episode also features a Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable discussion about practical applications of AI in everyday business operations. Todd explains how his team uses AI to accelerate marketing research and demographic analysis. Brandon describes using AI to identify comparable properties and potential prospects. Samuel discusses AI-assisted software and website development. Richard Gearhart shares how he used Microsoft Copilot to produce an initial business valuation from financial information, while Elizabeth Gearhart discusses using AI tools to transform podcast transcripts into search-optimized descriptions, frequently asked questions, and other content—and exploring AI-assisted workflows for developing a book based on real-world business applications.
These examples demonstrate how business owners can use AI for research, coding, data analysis, business valuation estimates, content creation, and workflow automation. The conversation focuses on applying technology to specific business problems rather than adopting AI simply because it is popular.
Entrepreneurial Lessons: Persistence, Relationships and Seizing Opportunities
Throughout the episode, the guests share lessons about what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. Todd emphasizes being direct and communicating honestly. Christine encourages business owners to ask for help when they do not know something and to recognize the long-term value of smaller opportunities. Brandon highlights perseverance and resilience, while Samuel advises people to keep working toward their goals. Camila stresses the importance of surrounding yourself with people you genuinely enjoy. Richard reflects on how the physical work environment can influence business performance, and Elizabeth encourages entrepreneurs to act when they recognize an opportunity.
Whether you are a commercial real estate investor, property owner, entrepreneur, broker, business executive, or professional interested in AI automation, this episode of Passage to Profit offers actionable perspectives on making better decisions, building lasting relationships, evaluating opportunities, and using technology to improve business efficiency.
FAQs:
Who is Todd Drowlette?
Todd Drowlette is the founder of TITAN Commercial Realty Group, a commercial real estate developer and broker, and the star of A&E’s The Real Estate Commission. He has completed more than 1,700 real estate transactions valued at over $2 billion. In this episode, he shares insights on property investment, brokerage, business development, persistence, and building a television series around authentic commercial real estate transactions.
What is TITAN Commercial Realty Group?
TITAN Commercial Realty Group is the commercial real estate company founded by Todd Drowlette. In this episode, members of the TITAN team discuss commercial real estate brokerage, asset management, tenant relationships, property research, AI automation, and strategies for identifying business opportunities. Website: https://titancommercialrealtygroup.com/
What is A&E’s The Real Estate Commission?
The Real Estate Commission is a television docuseries featuring Todd Drowlette and the commercial real estate team at TITAN Commercial Realty Group. Todd discusses the importance of documenting real transactions and business challenges rather than relying on staged reality-TV scenarios. The episode previews the second season, scheduled to begin airing and streaming on March 20, 2027. Website: https://therealestatecommission.com/
How can investors identify a good commercial real estate investment?
Todd Drowlette recommends evaluating a property’s underlying value, location, customer demographics, traffic patterns, parking, and suitability for the intended business or tenants. Investors should not purchase a property simply because its price appears attractive. They should consider whether the location and property fundamentals support sustainable demand and a sound investment.
What should you look for when hiring a commercial real estate broker?
According to Todd Drowlette, investors should look for a broker whose experience and specialty match the transaction. Ask about relevant deals completed, experience with the property type, market knowledge, professional relationships, and ability to handle the specific assignment. For residential properties, Todd also recommends reviewing transaction history, average time on the market, and pricing strategies.
How can AI help commercial real estate professionals find opportunities?
AI can help commercial real estate professionals analyze property records, compare similar buildings, identify potential prospects, research demographics, and automate repetitive tasks. Brandon Bellamy describes using AI to identify owners of properties similar to a building he is marketing, while Samuel Desany discusses software development and automated research workflows.
How can AI automation save businesses time?
AI automation can reduce the time spent on repetitive research, report preparation, coding, data analysis, and content creation. In the episode, Todd describes an AI-assisted workflow that gathers marketing brochures and demographic reports in approximately three and a half hours—a task that previously took three people working full-time about three weeks.
What business lessons can entrepreneurs learn from Todd Drowlette and his team?
The guests emphasize persistence, resilience, relationship-building, continuous learning, responsible spending, and acting on opportunities. Christine Haupt explains how smaller transactions can create lasting client relationships, Brandon Bellamy highlights perseverance, Samuel Desany encourages sustained effort toward meaningful goals, and Camila Rodriguez Drowlette stresses the importance of surrounding yourself with people who support your personal and professional growth.