Who doesn’t like giving (or receiving!) a good gift, right? Angela Burgess, CEO of the Gaston Association of Realtors, got creative with her gift-giving one Christmas, and the experience left her with a greater appreciation for thoughtful, connecting gifts. It’s easy to get stuck giving generic gifts that end up getting tossed, forgotten or – dare I say it – re-gifted. But, give a gift that connects to a memory or cherished moment with a client, family member, or friend, and you’ve given something much greater than just a one-time gift. Listen in to hear what Angela did, and get inspired to get creative with your gift-giving, too.

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 – Angela is the CEO of the Gaston Association of Realtors and has over 25 years of experience as an executive administrator
• 03:05 – Angela’s gifts to her adult children on the last Christmas in their home
• 03:50 – Their family stopped giving Christmas gifts years ago, but in the attic, she found her children’s old toys to give as gifts to each of her adult kids
• 04:25 – Her kids played with Star Wars games and toys they had had as kids and it was beautiful to sit with those memories
• 05:45 – Adult kids can buy things themselves, so it was nice to gift something that held a memory and created a beautiful moment
• 06:24 – Realtors get to know their clients very well and can give their clients a gift that has a deeper connection
• 07:33 – There are memories in the making in the things clients find when clearing out their home
• 08:35 – Realtors can help clients make memories
• 08:50 – Angela found out recently that she’s going to be a grandma and she’s excited to give more childhood gifts this Christmas
• 09:52 – She looks for stocking stuffers when she travels
• 10:40 – The intentionality of gift-giving
• 11:00 – Gift-giving can be a great opportunity for deepening the connection with family and clients
• 12:00 – Angela’s contact information: angela@gastonrealtors.com 

3 Key Points

• A routine attic purge could be an opportunity for finding memories and gifts!
• Realtors can help clients make memories.
• Give creative gifts to deepen the connection with your family, friends, and clients.

Credits

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

Did you know that it’s impossible to feel anxiety and gratitude at the same time? Amy Broghamer, author and realtor, does which is why she gifted doughnuts to her local firefighters after a bitter sale. Amy tells us the dirty details of the sale and what she did to turn her day around afterwards. Little did she know she’d be seeing those firefighters again so soon – at her own home! Get ready to hear another crazy story, and see why practicing gratitude pays off, sometimes instantly!

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:

• 01:30 – Amy’s background; she’s been in the industry for 13 years and sells about 40 to 50 homes a year
• 02:00 – She works in Cincinnati and nearby Kentucky; she wrote a book called “The Playbook for Success”
• 02:45 – Amy’s CSIRE story
• 03:00 – She was about to close on a property and the buyer’s agent called her to ask if she’s been to the house recently
• 03:30 – Pictures showed garbage all over the front yard and the buyers were mortified at the final walk-through
• 04:30 – The sellers had no concern about the trash, they didn’t realize what had been done while they weren’t there and that the buyers weren’t happy
• 05:40 – Her clients were upset that the buyers couldn’t see past the trash, although a lot of the trash wouldn’t be picked up because it was all over the yard
• 06:20 – She asked the sellers put themselves in the buyer’s shoes; she recommended they hire a person to help haul away the trash
• 07:15 – She brought donuts to the closing to alleviate the stress and tension, her clients were upset at her and rejected the donuts
• 08:30 – She considered eating all the donuts but took them to the Fire Department to show her gratitude instead
• 10:30 – Her husband called her about an hour later to tell her their house had caught on fire; it was a mulch fire fueled by the landscaping lighting
• 12:00 – She pulled into her driveway and saw the two firefighters she had given the donuts to an hour earlier
• 16:15 – How to contact Amy: Find her on Facebook or on her website 

3 Key Points

• You can’t experience anxiety and gratitude at the same time, so you must replace anxiety with gratitude!
• Watch out for mulch fires and hazardous landscape lighting!
• Be grateful for your local fire department! 

Resources

• Get free copy of Amy’s book here.
• Get the best doughnuts here.
• See the town’s best firefighters here.

Credits

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

Perfect timing because it’s almost Halloween and we’ve got a story that’s going to give you the spooks! Glenn Bill, 30-year real estate industry veteran, recounts the story of a home with bad history and creepy vibes. He tells us of the importance of psychologically affected property disclosures and gives insight on how to learn of your state’s disclosure requirements. Listen in to hear Glenn’s crazy stories – and get a glimpse into the spooky, funny, and just plain unbelievable world of real estate.

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:

• 00:30 –Glenn is a 30-year veteran in the real estate industry and is based in Indianapolis with a team of 6
• 01:30 – His CSIRE story
• 01:40 – Glen started out doing estate work and professional farming work
• 02:00 – He went to a home that was recommended to him, and when he entered it had blood on the walls and carpet
• 02:30 – There had been a murder suicide at the home, and they asked him what the marketing plan should be
• 03:00 – The price was listed at a great price but people said they felt a presence and bad karma at the property
• 03:30 – Glenn believes spirits are real and psychologically affected property disclosures are needed; it was a tragic and creepy sale
• 04:00 – Another (funnier) CSIRE story
• 04:10 – He’s had air conditioners sent to and replaced at the wrong address and he’s sold the wrong home
• 04:30 – There’s nothing better than the industry and the people in the real estate industry
• 05:00 – Buyers in 1989 had to rely on word-of-mouth for a property, that house today would have a whole different buying process
• 05:40 – How psychologically affected property disclosures would look like in Glenn’s opinion
• 06:00 – In Indiana it exists, although it isn’t commonly used; the seller must disclose if a death, killing, or other psychologically affected occurrence happened in the home
• 06:45 – Check with your state to see what disclosure requirements exists, and ask the right questions
• 07:30 – Glen knows of a property where an axe murder occurred, but the people living there don’t feel anything odd or strange
• 08:00 – How to reach Glenn: com
• 08:30 – He wrote a book called, “The ABC’s of Attitude” 

3 Key Points

• Different strokes for different folks!
• See what the disclosure agreement requirements are for your state – especially if you feel something spooky at a property.
• The processes to buy a house today have evolved so buyers are better educated on a property before they visit it.

Credits

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

As the owner of her own real estate company, broker Addie Owens has seen her fair share of crazy shit in real estate. But what happens when she finds herself at a home she dubs “The Panty Palace”? Tune in to hear Addie’s reasons why she never visits a vacant home alone, and why safety measures are as equally important for your clients are they are for you.

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:

• 00:40 - Addie’s Background
• 00:48 - She’s from a small town in the middle of Florida
• 01:03 - She’s been in the business for 13 years with REO properties as her main source of business
• 01:12 - She has 2 kids, ages 18 and 19 and she is married with a dog
• 02:00 - The “Panty Palace”
• 02:20 - She was contacted by a bank and assured that this mobile home was vacant
• 03:07 - She contacted a locksmith and planned to meet at the mobile home together since it was in a heavily wooded rural area
• 03:32 - The locksmith arrived early, and called her to confirm the house was vacant because he saw signs of life like a running fridge and food on the counter
• 04:10 - She thought it could probably be a squatter so she called the local authorities to help handle the matter
• 04:30 - She arrives and can barely get to the door because the ramp is covered by overgrown Jasmine vines
• 04:54 - Managed to get inside only to find the place littered with beer cans and a dirty stained chair
• 05:35 - There was also a two-foot deep perimeter of Sunday circular ads throughout the whole house
• 05:58 - The local deputies arrived and in the master bedroom they found “mounds of panties of all shapes and sizes” that were strewn everywhere
• 06:49 - Inside the second bathroom they discovered little plastic bottles that were filled with tiny amounts of fluid and they realized he was collecting his own fluids along with a freezer in each bedroom the police wouldn’t touch without a warrant
• 07:54 - While they were there, the occupant came back to the home
• 08:27 - Occupant was about to eat lunch when the locksmith came by so he fled because he had told the bank he had moved out
• 09:44 - She couldn’t secure the house until the eviction process got started
• 10:38 - Property Preservation crew calls to tell her the occupant built a shack at the end of the property and had been living there since his eviction
• 10:57 - She ultimately declined the property because of the unsafe situation
• 11:56 - Addie’s Safety Measures
• 12:12 - Now she always schedules an appointment with a locksmith or Property Preservation before visiting a vacant lot
• 13:24 - She modified her email signature to include that she requires a copy of a driver’s license before taking clients on showings and encourages her other realtors to do the same
• 13:41 - There is always the opportunity for squatters, you can’t take your location for granted
• 14:12 - It’s beneficial to have a mentor help walk you through some of these challenges
• 14:58 - Addie’s contact information: visit her website at www.addieowens.com where you can contact her directly

3 Key Points

1. Don’t go visit a site alone, especially if it’s in a secluded area
2. Squatters can happen anywhere, never take your environment for granted
3. Have established safety measures in place to protect both you and your clients

Credits

• Audio Production by Chris Mottram
• Show Notes provided by Katie Allard