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Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown

Crazy Sh*t in Real Estate!—a podcast that will shatter the HGTV-induced veneer of real estate, and celebrate the challenges of working in this wild, wacky business. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting https://leighbrown.com DM Leigh Brown on Instagram: @leighthomasbrown DM Leigh Brown on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeighBrownSpeaker/ DM Leigh Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighthomasbrown/ Subscribe to Leigh's other podcast: https://www.leighbrown.com/podcast/real-estate-from-the-rooftops
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Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown
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Now displaying: October, 2016
Oct 28, 2016

Summary:

Have you ever had your client turn out to be a major player in a drug cartel? Todd Ferris has. Listen in to this week’s episode of and he’ll tell you all about it.

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:

  • 00:33 – Introducing Todd Ferris
  • 01:10 – Todd is married to Megan Ferris
  • 02:01 – Todd’s top 3 list
    • 02:08 – Guns, drugs, and a potential kidnapping situation
  • 02:30 – Todd and his wife were visiting a property
    • 02:39 – There’s a guy on the couch with a gun
    • 02:50 – Apparently he was a security guard and did not know about their visit
  • 03:35 – Todd was working with a rental home
    • 03:50 – A family was looking for a rental home and they signed the lease
    • 04:08 – After 2 months, Todd got a call from the landlord about the tenant
    • 04:20 – Todd saw on TV that the family was involved in a drug cartel
    • 05:25 – Todd maintained his professionalism and resolved the situation
  • 06:15 – #1 on Todd’s list
    • 07:08 – Went to show a house with a client, but the seller—in nothing more than a robe—was still in the house
    • 07:48 – The robed-seller followed Todd and his client all around the house during the showing
  • 10:00 – Reach Todd here or email him.  Follow his Facebook and Twitter
  • 11:15 –Are you a listener with a crazy story to share? Ping Leigh at www.crazyshitinrealestate.com

3 Key Points

  1. Get the seller OUT of the house before the showing.
  2. If your clients seem seedy, it might be worth doing a background check.
  3. Always stay professional.

Credits

Oct 25, 2016

Summary:

Today’s guest, Megan Ferris shares not just one, but five of the craziest! Listen as Megan talks about drunk home owners falling down the stairs, tarantula-laden surprises, and a much unwanted gerbil.  

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 – Introducing Megan
  • 00:55 – Megan is a broker agent in Indiana
    • 01:12 – Megan also has a podcast
  • 02:23 – Megan’s top 5 craziest stories
  • 02:53 – #5 – The Drunk Seller
    • 03:30 – In Indiana, sellers aren’t usually there in the property
    • 03:37 – They didn’t know the seller was there
    • 03:48 – Drunk seller led them through the house, bumped into the agent, and fell down a flight of stairs
    • 04:14 – Seller followed the buyer all the way to the car and asked if they were making an offer
  • 05:00 – #4 – Side Table Surprises
  • 06:03 – #3 – Animal Attacks
  • 06:33 – Gerbils and Tarantulas
  • 07:30 – #2 – Keys
    • 07:59 – Megan dropped the key on the porch
    • 08:14 – The key went right through the wooden slots
  • 09:00 – #1 – New buyers from a referral
    • 09:34 – Out in an old scary house
    • 09:42 – Father and son makes gruesome, awkward comments
    • 10:19 – Megan wasn’t sure if they were serious
  • 10:57 – Every single house they went into, there was something crazy
  • 13:18 – Reach Megan at her website and on facebook or call at 317 4459 775
  • 13:57 – Are you a listener with a crazy story to share? Ping Leigh at www.crazyshitinrealestate.com

3 Key Points

  1. Don’t get drunk if you have a showing, or if you’re going to get drunk, don’t be home!
  2. Gruesome jokes, scary jokes, and otherwise inappropriate comments are not what you should say to your realtor during your first meeting.
  3. If you’re showing your home, don’t leave your pets unleashed or uncaged!

Credits

Oct 21, 2016

Summary:

From crazy squatters to different animals lurking on the property…from a machete-wielding weirdo to a suspicious-looking neighbor, today’s guest has seen it all. Listen as Julie Nikolaou shares her outrageous and eventful experiences with a bank owned property she’s currently handling in Appleton, Wisconsin.

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:

  • 00:37 – Introducing Julie
  • 00:59 – Julie deals with bank owned properties (OREO)
  • 01:43 – The start of Julie’s story
  • 02:03 – The ‘caretakers’ were not supposed to be in the property
    • 02:15 – They were squatters
    • 03:05 – Turned out to be “artists”
  • 03:40 – Julie told them “Get evicted or leave on your own”
  • 03:55 – Meeting the executor of the estate
    • 04:02 – There had been death in the property
  • 05:11 – There were many creatures and ‘habitats’ in the property
    • 05:37 – The pond
    • 05:57 – The horses next door had been attacked by someone with a machete
  • 06:31 – Finding about the old owner of the place
    • 07:22 – People coming out to the property to take things
    • 07:47 – The prior owner tried to buy a wife from Mexico
    • 09:03 – Did the owner die or did something happen
  • 10:30 – Neighbor said the prior owner tried to sell his car
    • 11:37 – The executor warns Julie of the neighbor
  • 12:35 – The squatters finally left the property
  • 13:10 – Julie started cleaning
  • 16:07 – Connect with Julie at RPM Homes
  • 17:17 – Are you a listener with a crazy story to share? Ping Leigh at www.crazyshitinrealestate.com

3 Key Points

  1. OREO properties sometimes have unwanted occupants.
  2. You’ll never know what happens on a property visit!
  3. Foreclosures are not always readily available.

Credits

Oct 18, 2016

Summary:

Have you ever driven your clients around in reverse?—Peter Brewer has. In fact, he’s driven his clients around an entire island in reverse when the gearshift in his car stopped working. Hear Peter talk about that wild story and more during this week’s episode of Crazy Shit in 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:

  • 00:27 – Introducing Peter
  • 01:12 – Peter is based in Brisbane, Australia has been in real estate for 35 years
    • 01:21 – Started out as a regular salesman…now he’s an industry leader
  • 02:12 – Real estate is all about perseverance
  • 02:22 – Peter’s story happened Bay Islands in 1980’s
    • 02:56 – This is when it was about doing stuff the hard way
    • 03:00 – Mostly uninhabited
    • 03:15 – Selling between $7K and $8K
    • 03:53 – Dumpy old cars on each island
      • 04:35 – Not only won’t the car start, but it won’t go into drive
      • 05:09 – Car was stuck in reverse, so Peter drove them around the island in reverse
    • 05:39 – The moral of the story—Peter sold a piece of property!
  • 05:58 – The days of the single page contract are missed!
  • 06:47 – Today’s realtors struggle to remember the days before fax machines, emails, cell phones, etc.
  • 07:27 – We can all make excuses, but we can’t all execute on expectations
    • 07:54 – You’re paid to drive results
  • 08:07 – The real estate industry is about driving results for the customer, never forget it
  • 08:27 – Australia doesn’t have buying agents
  • 08:40 – In Australia, the seller pays the commission—there’s only one agent, so buy beware
  • 09:47 – Do you need a buying agent?
    • 09:58 – It depends on the resources available
  • 10:14 – What a buyer agent would cost in Australia
    • 10:31 – 1.5% or 2% of the value of the property
  • 11:05 – Most consumers have no idea what they’re doing when it comes to real estate—there’s a difference between having access to information and knowing what to do with it
  • 12:39 – How to  reach Peter Brewer
    • 12:48 – ThatPeterBrewer.com
  • 14:00 – Are you a listener with a crazy story to share? Ping Leigh at www.crazyshitinrealestate.com

3 Key Points

  1. You’re in the business to make execute the deal—no excuses.
  2. Understand that the real estate business is not universal—different countries have radically different processes.
  3. Buying agents aren’t always necessary.

Credits

Oct 14, 2016

Summary:

Ask yourself how it would feel to stand in the same room where an abusive husband is berating his wife about money? Can you feel the tension? Can you see the danger and the risk? Cassie Wells can because she lived that exact moment. In today’s episode of CSIRE, Cassie will share her crazy story and talk about some important real estate rights you might now be aware of.

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 – Introducing Cassie Wells
  • 00:41 – Cassie entered real estate in 1995
  • 00:46 – Cassie works with Crye-Leike Realtors
  • 01:32 – Cassie’s past client referred her daughter
    • 02:01 – Her client refinanced the house and took the proceeds
    • 02:16 – Cassie and the wife listed and sold the house
  • 02:30 – Right before closing, Cassie was told the abusive husband was expecting cash
  • 02:57 – Cassie prepared with the title lady
  • 03:27 – The husband had to come in to sign for the Curtesy and Dower Rights
  • 04:40 – Cassie had him sign and he asked where the check is
    • 05:05 – The title lady explained the wife owned it before they got married and that the husband didn’t have any equity
  • 05:28 – The husband politely left the building
  • 05:48 – It’s a blessing to have different personalities in the room
  • 06:42 – Make sure your realtors know all the elements in the equation things
  • 08:13 – Connect with Cassie at cassie@cassiewales.com or call her at 501 993 1973 or check out her website
  • 08:47 – Are you a listener with a crazy story to share? Ping Leigh at crazyshitinrealestate.com

3 Key Points

  1. Always be prepared. You never know what will happen.
  2. If you plan properly, there’s always a way to get out of an abusive relationship.
  3. Know the laws on the state you’re buying property in!

Credits

Oct 11, 2016

Summary:

If you’ve been in real estate long enough, there’s a good chance you’ve run headlong into a hoarders—hoarders are everywhere!—and your next client could be one. Listen as today’s guest Sharon McRill shares her outrageous experiences with hoarders—from finding a single ruby earring in a room with piled up stock perspectives, to discovering photos from the 1930s and tracking down the original owner.

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 – Introducing Sharon McRill
  • 00:41 – Sharon is the owner and founder of Betty Brigade
    • 00:58 – Sharon works with hoarders
    • 01:43 – You have no idea what you’ll find in a hoarder home
  • 02:18 – Sharon got hired to an estate sale inside the house and get all the stuff out
    • 02:32 – Her client hoarded stock perspectives from 1960s until she died in the 2000s
    • 03:02 – There were two rooms full of perspectives
    • 03:11 – The crazy part? There were actual live stock certificates and Sharon and her team had to go through each pile!
    • 03:25 – They found $8,000 cash, a gold coin collection, and loose gold
    • 04:36 – The daughter asked Sharon’s team to find a single ruby earring in the room
    • 05:08 – They found the ruby earring that had been in there for 30 years!
  • 05:43 – Hoarding is an illness
  • 05:53 – Sharon also worked with a lady who hoarded things she dumped out of her purse
    • 06:06 – There were gum wrappers, candy, half pens, crumbs, cookie packages, and all kinds of ridiculous stuff!
    • 06:35 – Sharon would put the blank receipts in the trash and the client would get it back because she couldn’t let it go
  • 07:55 – Real estate agents walk away from listing these houses
  • 08:22 – There is a way to get the hoarded items cleared out quickly without having to put them in trash
  • 08:36 – Calling up an estate seller is not always the best way to go
  • 09:04 – Sharon is picky with her staff and makes sure they are fully background checked
  • 09:16 – There is no special insurance, just a bonding certificate
  • 10:31 – Sharon is in the tool room of another client which hadn’t been cleaned for 50 years!
    • 10:48 – The tool room had layers of dirt and a lot of mice
    • 11:00 – Sharon found a cupboard with a tool shelf full of bank statements from the 1960s and 1970s
    • 11:41 – There were photos of the home owners from the 1930s which Sharon gave to the daughter
  • 12:17 – Reach Sharon at Betty Brigade
  • 13:00 – Are you a listener with a crazy story to share? Ping Leigh at crazyshitinrealestate.com

3 Key Points

  1. Hoarding is a disease.
  2. When working with a hoarder, always return what you find.
  3. Secure a bonding certificate to protect yourself and your clients from liability.

Credits

Oct 7, 2016

On today’s episode of Crazy $hit In Real Estate, Leigh sits down for an interview with The Real Estate Geek, Tony Iacoviello. Listen as Tony talks about the time he wandered into a nudist mobile park, only to end up selling and listing many of the properties in there. Tony will also highlight other nude encounters and explain how he handles a lack of clothing in the professional setting.

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:

  • 00:37 – Tony’s introduction
    • o 01:00 – Tony does real estate in Toronto, Canada
    • o 02:24 – Tony seems to attract nudists
  • 03:36 – Tony’s first story starts with the mobile home park
    • o 04:53 – Tony started working in a nudist trailer park
    • o 05:02 – Meet a lot of clients there
  • 05:10 – Nudists don’t mind if you show up wearing clothes
  • 05:25 – “You’ll hear a lot of stories there”
  • 06:20 – Trying to be a professional, Tony took his first meeting with grace
    • o 07:02 – Try your best not to stare!
  • 07:34 – Don’t talk about it (nudity) much
  • 08:01 – Tony’s friend had monopoly on the park’s listings
  • 08:26 – One gentleman from the park approached Tony
    • o 08:58 – The gentleman pulls Tony to the side and starts sharing stories
  • 09:18 – Tony and the gentleman developed a certain kind of friendship
  • 10:05 – Tony runs into the gentleman in the bar and the gentleman buys him a drink
  • 10:20 – Tony and Mike were sitting at the bar and Bob comes in
    • o 10:43 – Mike says he gave Bob a heart attack 25 years ago
    • o 14:40 – Bob makes his way to Mike and Tony at the bar
    • o 14:47 – Tony quickly finishes up his beer to go home
    • o 14:55 – As Tony was about to excuse himself, Bob turns to him and says, “Did Mike ever tell you the story of how he gave me my first heart attack?”
  • 15:25 – Tony worked as a buyer’s assistant with his friend on the nudist park
  • 15:49 – Tony sold a bunch of the mobile homes
  • 16:28 – Another nudist client emailed Tony
    • o 16:53 – The client wanted to sell his home and buy one in Hamilton
    • o 18:08 – The client says he wanted to be comfortable in his own home
    • o 18:18 – For the listing presentation, client says he wants to be naked the entire time!
    • o 18:38 – The client’s name was very similar to a person Tony knows
  • 19:00 – Tony gave it a shot
  • 19:37 – The client seemed to get the impression that Tony was going to get naked with him!
  • 19:45 – Tony explained that he dealt with different clients with different backgrounds
    • o 20:45 – Hamilton is a multi-cultural place
  • 21:06 – Client says he frequents one of the nudist parks – Ponderosa
  • 21:26 – Tony declined going to Ponderosa
  • 21:38 – Before going to the client’s house, Tony phoned his friend, Conrad
    • o 22:02 – “I just wanted you to know the lengths I would go to, to make you money”
    • o 22:09 – Conrad got nervous so Tony told him the story –and Conrad wished him luck
  • 22:23 – Tony went over the house and the client was actually clothed!
  • 22:47 – Client confirms to Tony that he’s okay with the nudism thing –and stripped down naked!
  • 23:08 – They ended up the listing presentation that way and client again asked Tony if he wanted to try it
  • 23:18 – Tony declined politely
  • 23:57 – Find Tony through The Geeky Agent
  • 24:06 – Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube
  • 24:30 – Are you a listener with a crazy story to share? Ping Leigh at www.crazyshitinrealestate.com

3 Key Points

  1. In real estate, you have to be prepared for everything—even nudist clients.
  2. Respect other people’s beliefs and their way of life.
  3. Decline politely when offered something you don’t want.

Credits

Oct 4, 2016

Summary:

Do you smell smoke?—Wally Conway did. While one Jacksonville realtor was busy working about the house painters being able to finish their work, Wally was busy extinguishing an electrical fire that almost took a house up in flames…  

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 – Today’s guest is one of the best known home inspectors in the United States, Wally Conway
  • 00:45 – Home inspectors see crazy things, but they also HEAR crazy things
  • 01:05 – Kids Say The Darndist Things?
    • 01:15 – Well after 22 years, 30,000 homes, and 60,000 agents, Wally also knows that Real estate agents say the darndist things as well
  • 01:36 – The craziest thing Wally has ever seen was in the Ortega neighborhood of Jacksonville
    • 03:20 – No buyer at this point, just painters and the listing agent
    • 03:35 – “Hey Wally, I smell smoke”
    • 04:00 – Fire was coming out of the electric meter can
    • 04:25 – You CAN’T secure the power, if you do, the painters won’t be able to finish today
    • 04:55 – If we don’t cut the power, there will be no house to paint
  • 05:40 – Should you or should you not inspect a home before listing?
    • 05:55 – Homes inspected before listing sell faster and closer to the asking price
    • 06:33 – As the agent, you never want to be the one to tell the home owner “your baby is ugly.”
    • 07:20 – MrHomeInspection.com or www.gohomepro.com 

3 Key Points

  1. Inspect before you list—it’s the safe bet.
  2. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, never forget it.
  3. If you’re a realtor, never lose sight of the BIG picture.

Credits

1