As a new realtor, Heidi didn’t know how to keep calm when things got a little stinky at closing time. Now, with 10 years under her belt and her own office, she’s learned that real estate isn’t all glamour and cocktails at the signing table. Not even close. Tune in to hear Heidi’s crazy story about stinky carcasses (yes, you read that correctly), her client on the 6 o’clock news, and how another agent’s calm demeanor saved her from a total meltdown.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:50 – Heidi’s background

• 01:00 – She got into real estate in 2008, is a broker/owner of her own office which is a part of the Next Home Dynamic franchise, which she recently opened
• 01:30 – They serve Freeport, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and her 10-year anniversary will be on her 50th birthday where she’ll celebrate in Charleston

• 03:00 – Heidi’s CSIRE story

• 03:10 – There’s no HDTV-type glamour in real estate, 9 out of 10 people leave the business in the first year
• 03:30 – She listed a doublewide for sale on a family farm; there was that house, a big beautiful farmhouse, and another property that was sold 10-15 years’ prior on a farm
• 04:00 – They’re about to close and 2 days prior the seller calls her and asks if she saw the news
• 04:30 – Turns out the man who owns the other property on the other side of the farm had a dump truck, dump, and large pile of deer carcasses rotting in his driveway
• 05:15 – It was a mile and a half away from the property she was selling, but the stench was still terrible; the seller had called the news to tell the story
• 06:00 – The next day the state came out, cleaned it up, and fired/arrested the guy; he had been living just a few feet from the carcasses
• 07:00 – Real estate isn’t all glamour, and this story shows it
• 07:45 – When she called the other agent, she was calm and just said, “We’ll get through it”
• 08:30 – On the way home from closing, she ran into a deer and it shit all over her windshield

• 08:50 – Keeping calm when things get rough and the benefits of old and new realtors

• 09:05 – Things will resolve themselves, or their magnitude will lessen; new realtors get flighty but need to learn through experience
• 10:10 – You need a mentor; you need someone to call when crazy things happen so you can get some perspective
• 10:35 – It’s ok to hire new realtors, just ask if they have a mentor or broker; new realtors are excited, energized, and are eager to please
• 11:50 – Old-timers can get a little lazy and lack excitement
• 12:15 – Contact Heidi at Heidi@nexthomedynamic.com or visit their website at nexthomedynamic.com

3 Key Points

1. “It’s ok, it’s cool, we’ll figure it out.”
2. It takes experience to learn how to remain calm in tough situations.
3. New realtors can be great to work with, just be sure they have a broker or mentor to lean on.  

Credits

• Audio Production by Chris Mottram
• Show Notes provided by Melissa Valder

Sometimes you’ve gotta keep a secret. And sometimes Mercury Retrograde impacts your client’s decision to sign any contracts (dang you, Mercury!). Isabel Affinito, a young realtor in central Austin, knows this all too well. Listen to her Crazy Shit in Real Estate story that involves Mercury Retrograde (if you don’t know what that is, you’ll just have to tune in to find out!), a divorce mid-sale that she had to keep quiet, self-fulfilled prophesies, and a happy – and relieving – ending for the books.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. 

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:00 – Introducing Isabel
• 01:15 – She’s under 30 years old and already a success, she’s been selling real estate in Austin for 4 years, and sold real estate outside of New Jersey for a couple years
• 02:15 – They live in central Austin now, which is closer to her family in Oklahoma; when driving out of Austin, they say “We’re not in Austin anymore, we’re in Texas”
• 03:30 – Isabel’s CSIRE story
• 03:45 – A client who wanted to sell their house said they wanted to wait until after Mercury Retrograde to sell because contracts aren’t to be signed during that time
• 04:30 – Isabel was respectful, asked questions, and asked if she wouldn’t take an offer if it was given during Mercury Retrograde; the client said she would
• 06:15 – They still listed the house; the clients were awesome and Isabel liked them and they got multiple great offers that first weekend
• 07:10 – She calls the client and finds out the couple is getting a divorce; it was like a self-fulfilled prophecy and things got crazy
• 07:55 – He had bought the property before they got married, so lawyers and multiple parties needed to get involved; she was representing both
• 08:31 – She called for “best and final” and determined that something would be signed in 24 hours; that’s when she found all this out
• 09:04 – All the agents expected a quick resolution and she had to keep everything confidential
• 10:00 – Sometimes the seller’s agent can’t share everything; the other agents started flipping out and wanted to know what was going on
• 11:20 – They thought the sellers were just wanting to get more money; eventually she could tell them that there was a possible divorce going on
• 13:00 – They finally come to an agreement about what’s going to happen with the money and are willing to close; all 3 offers stuck around
• 14:01 – She knew which one was the highest, but the other two were nicer
• 14:56 – By the time they sit at the closing table, they had decided not to divorce; she felt honored to take them through the transaction
• 16:00 – One of the hardest things to learn and maintain as a realtor
• 16:05 – The ability to slow down, stay calm, and act with caution with clients that are highly emotional
• 16:55 – You want a passionate realtor that can slow it down and get serious when needed
• 17:26 – The couple decided to take the money and travel; they’re doing well
• 18:00 – How to contact Isabel: com or on Instagram @funkyhomesofaustin; she also has a new podcast called Funky Homes of Austin

3 Key Points

1. Be respectful of your client’s beliefs and always ask questions. 
2. Crazy shit always happens in real estate!
3. As a realtor, slow down, stay calm, and act with caution.  

Credits

• Audio Production by Chris Mottram
• Show Notes provided by Melissa Valder

Guess who’s joining us from the land down under? Rachael Goldsworthy! Rachael is a long-time realtor with a brokerage in Hawkesbury, Australia, and she’s got a knack for visualizing potential and opportunity when others don’t. Inspired by her less-than-ideal experience when she bought her first home, Rachael launched her real estate career with a mission to improve the consumer service experience in the industry. Tune in as Rachael fills us in on a story of a house full of rats, black walls, and stench – and why she bought it anyway.  

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:00 – Rachael’s Background

• 1:20 – She bought her first property in the late 90s and has a brokerage (they call it agency) with a team of 6 in Hawkesbury
• 02:05 – Buying her first home inspired her to begin a career in real estate; she had dragged the whole family along
• 03:30 – The home was in extremely bad condition but she fell in love anyway; her family thought she was crazy
• 04:50 – It was the worst house on the best street, and she saw an opportunity there; she renovated it and moved away for 2 years
• 05:15 – She listed with a big agency and the agency had placed terrible tenants in her home; they had severely damaged the home and landscaping
• 06:05 – She was sad and disappointed and thought there had to be a better way; she let the company try to sell the house, too
• 07:23 – In Australia you list with one agency; she didn’t know so she got a second agency to try and sell it
• 08:50 – She wasn’t an agent but decided to put an ad in the paper for it; she got two buyers and both wanted it, she sold it for 75% more than her original purchase price
• 09:13 – That marked the moment that she realized she wanted to be in real estate, so she could improve the experience for the consumer
• 09:45 – She’s been constantly growing and learning ever since; she found opportunity in crisis

• 11:00 – Rachael’s marketing approach and how she incorporates customer service

• 11:10 – There are a lot of pain points for the consumer and for real estate agents; agents must continue growing and networking
• 11:30 – She works her business around the gaps she sees in the market

• 12:00 – Rachael can visualize what “could be” with a property; how she conveys this to potential buyers who are viewing “ugly” properties

• 12:55 – It’s all about taking the emotion out of the equation and working with the facts
• 13:07 – Write a list of pros and cons and know what makes the property a good investment
• 14:16 – She knew the bones of the house were good, despite other cosmetic things that looked like a lot of work; she focuses on the good with potential buyers, too
• 15:04 – Focus on the big picture and what will increase the property’s equity; make sure they’re buying for the right reasons and are happy with the purchase

• 16:24 – Rachael’s biggest surprise since entering the industry: People

• 16:38 – She found that the more she invests in others, the more they’re willing to invest in you
• 17:00 – At first, she tried to do everything alone, now she collaborates a lot with others
• 19:00 – Rachael’s contact information: Website RachaelGoldsworthy.com.au or on any social media channel

3 Key Points

1. A good realtor can see an opportunity where others don’t.
2. Always continue growing, learning, and improving the consumer experience.  
3. You don’t have to do everything alone; collaboration is good!  

Credits

• Audio Production by Chris Mottram
• Show Notes provided by Melissa Valder

I see London I see France, I see...someone’s underpants? That’s right, this IS Crazy Shit in Real Estate, after all! Broker and coach Anthony Lamacchia shares with us the crazy story of when he took a buyer through a home and a nearly-naked woman made a surprise appearance. Anthony leads his own brokerage now and, having switched from the family landscaping business, he truly knows what it takes to start in the trenches of real estate. Tune in to find out what Anthony teaches new realtors and what advice his grandfather gave him that all realtors should live by.  

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:05 – Anthony’s background and how he got into real estate

• 02:00 – Selling homes and the online businesses that try to do it differently  
• 03:30 – Getting into real estate in 2004 after leaving the family’s successful landscaping business
• 04:05 – His father is now his biggest fan; he now has a brokerage with 150 people in the company
• 05:20 – He transitioned slowly out of the family business

• 05:45 – What new agents don’t realize

• 6:00 – Be aware of what you communicate to your sphere of influence; if you want to be a full-time realtor, don’t advertise whatever else you’re doing
• 06:35 – Anthony’s grandfather’s advice: If you want to be a realtor “you ought to dress like it”

• 08:30 – Anthony’s CSIRE story

• 08:45 – He drove to Dorchester, Boston for a showing; at the time, it didn’t have the best reputation
• 09:07 – He was new to the business, got the key out of the lockbox, walked up to the door with his first-time female buyer, and knocked
• 09:30 – They thought no one was there, but as they leave a woman comes out of her room in a bra and underwear
• 09:50 – She wasn’t even phased, she just walked past them down the hall; he called his friend and he said it wasn’t a big deal if the buyer didn’t make it one

• 11:15 – Real estate is an entertaining business

• 11:20 – He kicks off the new agent’s training course by saying 75% of the business is being a psychiatrist and 25% is selling real estate
• 11:50 – You must learn how to calm people down and listen

• 12:25 – Anthony is more of a businessman than realtor

• 13:00 – He prefers building up others over personally helping others buy and sell homes
• 13:40 – He helps his agents become successful by using existing tools like Zillow
• 14:20 – He teaches people to take actions in a calculated fashion; nothing he teaches is “new”
• 14:50 – How to contact Anthony and his firm: email Anthony@LamacchiaRealty.com, check out LamacchiaRealty.com, or Crush It in Real Estate on Facebook

3 Key Points

1. If you want to be a successful real estate broker, dress like it.
2. The job of a realtor is 75% psychology and 25% selling real estate.   
3. You can be successful by using existing tools rather than avoiding them.

Credits

• Audio Production by Chris Mottram
• Show Notes provided by Melissa Valder