Washington state Realtor Mike Kent has a voice as smooth as velvet, and he uses it to get Whatcom County listeners to make their housing transactions go more smoothly.

Every Saturday morning at 10:00 am, thousands of listeners from north of Seattle to Vancouver join Kent on his hit program "Radio Real Estate" on KGMI am on Saturdays at 7:00 a.m.

"It's like a free real estate course for consumers," says Kent who covers home-related topics from banking and mortgages to current real estate trends locally, regionally and nationally.

While it is remarkable when a Realtor has a radio show, it is even more noteworthy that such a Realtor has only been in the industry for five years. In 1999, Kent was selected as Whatcom County Association of Realtors' Rookie of the Year, among numerous other awards. He is currently president of the association.

"I have been blessed with one of the most successful starts in the business," admits Kent. "I love what I do and feel fortunate to help so many others realize their dreams."

How did Kent get started? "I used to travel a lot for 15 years in every state and province," says Kent, "and my partner asked to buy me out. I decided to take some time off, I was 44, and picked up a copy of What Color Is Your Parachute? and got halfway through on the third day of what was supposed to be a six-month vacation. I was fly-fishing, and reading the book, and came back and said, "Let's pack our bags and go. I am going to become a Realtor.

"I love marketing, and I knew that the Internet would play a big role in every business," he continues, "so I got my license and a month after I got my license I went with John L. Scott Realtors. I knew I had to differentiate myself so I developed my website, and no one had been doing radio, so I approached the radio station with the idea that I could do a segment on real estate on any existing program."

The radio station responded with the suggestion that Kent take out an ad, which he did. "They called me back and gave me a spot on a program called 'Community Connection,' so I did that for about a year. One day, they said, 'Would you be willing to do a one-hour talk show?' That was two years ago. I jumped at the chance."

How challenging is it to prepare a talk show in addition to running a real estate practice? "I carried over the same skills that I use as a marketing person and as a Realtor -- communicate with people. The listening skills on talk radio are as important as they are in the marketplace," replies Kent. "I've never had a real challenge to the show. I decide what is coming up and throughout the week, I think about what I am going to ask. It's a better show if it is candid. I want to have a conversation, to bring knowledge to buyers and sellers. I go to Realty Times to see what the current topics are, whether interest rates might or might not rise. The Internet is an incredible resource. I don't think it would be as easy to put on the show if it weren't for the Internet."

Kent says he never runs out of topics. That's because he doesn't use the show to talk about himself or his listings. His formula works. The show is always sold of advertising spaces, which is the "Nielson" rating most media goes by.

"I use the show as a venue to give real estate education to consumers," says Kent, "and to elevate the Realtor status in the community. My guests are agents in my office and from other offices. I don't want to listen about houses Mike has for sale. I want to do segments on what our local tax auditor is doing to change rates, or what our county planning and development director is up to. I want to stay abreast of commercial and residential building trends. Now he sends me stats every month that we use on the show. Next week, we will have someone with home theater systems and we'll discuss where to spend money and whether you should build a home theater system or design one to take with you. Everyone wants one, but what is the best approach? What can you do that is portable? There is a listing right now that has a plasma screen so the home has the price with or without the TV."

Kent also indulges his inner Art Linkletter with segments that involve children and houses. For the Thanksgiving show, he asked children of Realtors to be on and asked them questions like "What are you thankful for?" and "How much should a home cost?" "Sixteen dollars," was one child's thoughtful reply.

"You never run out of topics if you make it about community service," advises Kent. "Now I have people lined up to go on the show to send messages to the community."

You would think that his show would cause him problems among other Realtors, but Kent keeps that problem at bay by referring callers from the show to other brokers and agents, and donating the referral fee (disclosed, of course) to his favorite charity -- Royal Family Kid's Camp.

"It's a local chapter for kids to go to camp, and it is a wonderful program," says Kent. "All this month, I have a charity on for a 10-minute segment of the show, like people from the local mission to bring attention to the plight of the homeless. It is a great venue for local charities to get the word out."

He's proud that the radio station says listeners are paying attention.

"We are having huge growth in the community," says Kent. "I've had anti-growth groups on and building association presidents. We don't want to make the show political, but we do want to provide a platform for everyone to speak. I am trying to make sure Realtors are always at the table on matters such as zoning, growth, etc. The show communicates our role in developing the community, not just that we sell houses."