I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE
I’m Matt van Winkle, real estate agent, former Founder/CEO of a 700 agent brokerage, and creator of the Neighborhood Expert System. I’m also the #1 real estate agent in Steiner Ranch, Austin, Texas, the place I call home. It’s where I live, work, and put this system into practice every day to earn the trust of my neighbors.
From Building Brokerages to Becoming the Neighborhood Expert
My path to neighborhood expert wasn't traditional. I spent years helping agents build real estate businesses from the bottom up. As CEO of RE/MAX Northwest, I grew the company from 1 agent to over 700 across 16 offices, overseeing more than $30 billion in sales.
Along the way, I trained over 5,000 agents through my Full Leverage Agent training program. The agents who followed the systematic approach increased their business by an average of 65% over two years, with an average GCI of $383,000.
But here's what I learned: the agents who succeeded long-term weren't the ones chasing every new tactic. They were the ones who systematically became the neighborhood expert of their local markets.
The Steiner Ranch Experiment
After a decade, I got tired of the brokerage side of the business. I wanted to get back to why I got into real estate in the first place, to have a good income, a good business, and the flexibility to spend time with my family.
We decided to move to Austin to be closer to family and start over from scratch in Steiner Ranch. I applied the same neighborhood expert system I'd been teaching agents for years. The systematic approach that created lasting success for thousands of my coaching clients and agents.
The result? I became the #1 agent in Steiner Ranch in under 12 months.
Not because I'm naturally good at social media (I'm not). Not because I had years of relationships in the area (I didn't). And not because there wasn't already significant established competition (there was).
I succeeded because I stopped trying random tactics and started using a system that coordinates every touchpoint to build unshakeable market authority.
Why I Built The Neighborhood Expert System
After proving the approach worked in my own backyard, agents started asking for the exact framework. Not the theory, the actual week-by-week system I used to become the Neighborhood Expert in Steiner Ranch.
That's how the Neighborhood Expert System was born.
It's not based on what I think might work or what worked 3 years ago. It's the exact approach I use every week to stay #1 in my own neighborhood while competing against other successful agents who live and work here too.
Living Proof Every Day
This isn't a course I created and moved on from. This is the system I use every Monday morning to maintain my market position. Every template you get, I use. Every weekly plan you follow, I follow.
When you implement the Neighborhood Expert System, you're not following theoretical advice from a consultant. You're following the exact playbook of an agent who uses it daily to  be recognized as the Neighborhood Expert of one of Austin's most competitive neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Expert Philosophy
Through training 5,000+ agents and building multiple successful real estate businesses, I've learned that sustainable success comes from systems, not shortcuts.
The Neighborhood Expert System exists to give agents the calm, compounding growth systems that create lasting market authority. No hype. No get-rich-quick promises. Just proven approaches that work when you work them. Everything we build is tested in real markets by real agents producing real results.
Beyond Real Estate
When I'm not working real estate or building systems for agents, I'm home in Steiner Ranch with my family. This community isn't just my market—it's where my kids go to school, where we shop, and where we've built our life.
That dual perspective (resident and #1 real estate agent) informs everything about how I approach neighborhood real estate. It's not just about winning market share. It's about becoming a trusted advisor to the people in your community.
Connect With Me
Want to see the system in action? Follow my Steiner Ranch content on YouTube and Instagram. You'll see exactly how the Neighborhood Expert System works in real time.
Have questions about the Neighborhood Expert System? Email me directly ([email protected]). I read and respond to every message from agents serious about building lasting local authority.
The neighborhood expert approach works. I know because I live it every day.