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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: December, 2017
Dec 8, 2017

Is this stripper pole structural? Susie Nelson-Crowley, realtor and CRS in the Tampa Bay area, will tell you that a pole, stage, DJ booth, and party tubs don’t necessarily mean an impossible sale. Tune in to learn how Susie allows her clients the space to see and experience the potential of their new home – despite themed rooms and a party house website.  

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:

  • 00:35 – Susie is from Tampa, Florida
  • 00:58 – She’s been in Real Estate for 15 years and is a CRS, she services the Tampa Bay area
  • 02:05 – She is a Certified Residential Specialist: She is a realtor with additional education and enough transactions to be identified as a cut above the rest
  • 03:22 – Her crazy story in Real Estate
  • 03:28 – Was working with a new client and was mostly working with husband (wife worked in an office and was less flexible)
  • 03:44 – They wanted to put sweat equity into their investment
  • 04:03 – In the era of short-sales and bank-owned properties, they found a home in a rural area and went to the home
  • 04:35 – Home must’ve been grand in its day, and it was beautiful with corridors and windows...until they saw a stage and a pole
  • 05:35 – Embarrassed with the new client, she looked up to the roof and said, “Gee, I wonder if that’s structural”
  • 05:52 – As they walk through the house, what it was used for becomes more obvious
  • 05:58 – There was a bar, a coat check room, a DJ stand, and upstairs the rooms had titles (The Safari Suite, The Jungle Suite), party tubs, and fitting wallpaper
  • 06:44 – They could see where cameras must’ve been in the rooms
  • 07:10 – She was thinking, “Don’t touch anything in this house!”
  • 07:25 – Her clients bought the house; they could see what it could be
  • 07:35 – Home inspector is dry, walks through home saying, “We won’t have any problem knowing which room is which!” They’re already named!
  • 08:09 – Neighbors were happy it was purchased, they had the address changed with the municipality because it was listed online as a “party house”
  • 09:01 – Home inspectors need to be focused and detailed, it’s not based on personality
  • 09:28 – The inspector protects the buyer and the realtor, and can be the best to-do list if you’re getting a fixer-upper
  • 10:10 – A realtor’s personal distaste for a property could cloud the potential the client sees in the house – let them make their own decision
  • 10:55 – Realtors need to take a backseat and let the buyer experience the home themselves
  • 11:30 – Realtor provides important information as needed
  • 11:42 – If you are looking for a realtor in the Tampa/Tampa Bay area, contact Susie through her website at: tamparealestatepulse.com and check out her blog

3 Key Points

  1. If you are realtor, consider becoming a CRS – It shows that you are a cut above the rest.
  2. Select a home inspector based on their attention to detail and work – not personality.
  3. As a realtor, let your clients experience the home themselves; they may see potential where you don’t.

Credits

Dec 5, 2017

NAR President Bill Brown has been through the ringer for the last few months, but it hasn’t put a damper on this year’s Thanksgiving (except that he couldn’t wash down his turkey with a beer!). Tune in to learn why Bill was extra-thankful this Thanksgiving, and why it’s never too early to think about the future. Bill dives into the tax reform discussion and urges NAR members to participate and be a voice for the people – you DO make a difference and must ACT when called to do so!

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:

  • 00:29 – NAR President Bill Brown from Oakland; this is his first post-presidential interview
  • 01:15 – Who he is, how he came into real estate, his story
  • 01:45 – Second generation realtor, father started in the business in the 60s
  • 02:24 – Both he and his brother were inspired and Bill knew what he wanted to do by sophomore/junior year of high school
  • 02:40 – What attracted Bill to real estate
  • 02:55 – The idea of working for himself, enjoys competition, was good with numbers rather than showing homes
  • 03:44 – Stuck with what he knew – the numbers game – and felt it was easy if he had the grasp of the numbers
  • 04:15 – Believes anyone can learn commercial or apartment brokerage with devotion
  • 04:30 – Before, people could do a little of everything, now you need to be a specialist
  • 04:45 – Concentrate on the product type you do best
  • 04:50 – Bill says he’s impatient but it has gotten a lot better in the past 3-4 months
  • 05:20 – Broker told him a story about patience 10 years ago
  • 05:40 – A new broker had just graduated from Stanford, but was told it could take 6-9 months to get his first deal
  • 05:53 – On his 8th or 9th day, he picked up the phone, got a listing, and made $125,000
  • 06:13 – Guy got BMW, rented new apartment in San Francisco, but didn’t get another deal for another year and a half
  • 06:28 – You must be smart, especially when just starting out
  • 06:40 – Realtor retirement and investment planning
  • 07:01 – Many realtors make good money and don’t have anything to show for it at 50-55
  • 07:45 – Bill wants realtors to be thinking about retirement early
  • 07:57 – He knew a realtor, Tracy Saizan who put away 10-20% of every deal and has saved a good deal that way
  • 08:18 – Kudos to Sharon Millett who chaired the PAC; members will be able to take advantage of the partnership with Merrill Lynch/ Bank of America
  • 08:37 – His legacy will be this basis for financial planning
  • 09:15 – Not all members are making a living: His friend runs an MLS with 17,000 members
  • 09:25 – Half of the members have not made a deal in a year and 30% haven’t even turned the MLS on
  • 09:36 – The business is getting more competitive and people think it’s easy and don’t have the required commitment
  • 10:04 – It’s time for young people to start thinking 10-20 years’ out
  • 10:39 – He’s been a president through some monumental changes in politics
  • 11:08 – His thoughts on political changes and how it’ll affect the real estate industry
  • 11:20 – Looks back at 1986 Tax Reform for context: Property values went down and interest rates up, it’s a very similar situation
  • 11:45 – He likes the action in legislative changes and was glad he was president during this time
  • 11:51 – Had a meeting in D.C. with Chairman of Ways and Means Kevin Brady
  • 12:02 – Brought up what happened to real estate after the 1986 tax reform, and Brady said that the decline in property values will only last 3-4 years
  • 12:15 – Said that they are looking 10 years’ out
  • 12:23 – They want 80-90% of Americans to fill out their own simplified tax returns
  • 12:45 – In CA, if you eliminate state/local tax deductions, mortgage interest rate deductions, home values decrease 21-24%, it’s hard to find a home
  • 13:05 - $1 million buys you nothing in the area where he lives
  • 13:14 - $500,000 deduction is useless there, it’s a big deal to not be able to write off your taxes
  • 13:33 – 35% of Bay area home buyers will rethink buying a home if the tax reform passes
  • 13:50 – Ramifications of this tax reform are unbelievable, especially in high-cost states
  • 14:00 – NAR core value is to protect private property rights
  • 14:16 – Back in 1986 they promised to never lower the mortgage interest deduction
  • 14:35 – If you are a congressman or senator that has gotten NAR support and you vote for this bill, NAR will be very active on the other side of the election in 2018
  • 14:55 – CA has 9 Republican congressmen, and 3 voted against the bill: the other 6 voted against their constituents
  • 15:40 – Tax reform provisions that bother Bill that aren’t related to property taxes and mortgage interest deduction
  • 16:26 – Tax reform takes away the incentive to buy a home
  • 16:36 – Other side will say that the itemized deduction has doubled, but the mortgage interest deduction pushes the buyer over the threshold
  • 17:25 – If a couple gets married, saves, and tax reform hits, they’ve lost their down payment and years of saving
  • 18:00 – Car wash manager makes $85,000 a year, but didn’t want to buy a house because of what his friends experienced in the recession
  • 18:50 – The timing is still fresh for a lot of people who were impacted by the recession
  • 19:30 – How Bill landed in voluntary leadership
  • 19:51 – He was an apartment broker in 1982 with brother and father when rent control came on the horizon
  • 20:15 – City council voted it down, but tenants got an initiative on the ballot and it was going to impact his ability to make a living
  • 20:45 – He went to the Board of Realtors and volunteered to help against rent control and became a chair
  • 21:20 – Realtors do help members make money and stay in business, he decided to get on local association committees, and became president in 1984
  • 21:57 – Started at committee level, has chaired at pretty much every public policy and PAC committee at CAR while involved there, and in 2008 was president of his state association
  • 22:20 – Members need to participate with time and money to help make initiatives successful
  • 22:40 – When he graduated college, he knew his dad would take him under his wing
  • 23:10 – Glad he was interested in real estate early-on
  • 23:39 – Why don’t more realtors get involved?
  • 23:50 – We haven’t found a way to get members to understand the importance of what they are doing
  • 24:08 – Call to Action: A few clicks to flood senator offices with letters for legislative change
  • 24:45 – Members need to understand importance of their participation
  • 24:58 – People that aren’t making a living doing it don’t care, or ones that do figure that others will do it; leadership needs to work on messaging and members need to know importance of participation
  • 26:22 – Individuals can get involved and make an impact
  • 26:46 – Only 21% of members sent letter to congressperson for a Call to Action for the tax reform, but average response for other trade associations is 3%
  • 27:40 – Coalition of Homeowners – 8 million members willing to participate
  • 28:30 – Realtors give clients a voice and tools to be heard
  • 29:04 – Realtors vote, have lobbyists in D.C., are active in their communities, and give voice to the people
  • 29:17 – Last act as president: A fly-in of 78 realtors to tell their side of story
  • 29:40 – Politicians know that realtors are a strong voice and know that if they don’t support them, they’ll go after them come election-time
  • 30:37 – You can’t undo the tax reform
  • 30:55 – Speculation, economic theory cannot promise anything
  • 31:14 – He supports paying lower taxes because ½ of what you send to D.C. will get wasted
  • 31:44 – If you give a tax break, you take away a tax break from someone else
  • 32:24 – Don’t make changes on the backs of home-owning Americans
  • 33:25 – Realtors that talk to officials can make sure they know what is written in the reform and understand it
  • 35:25 – Bill was sitting in a congressman office and his aid came in and said he had a vote in 10 minutes; he didn’t know what the vote was for, his aid told him
  • 36:19 - Jerry Giovaniello won lobbyist of the year, and seeing realtor faces in their office makes an impact on congressmen’s decisions
  • 37:13 – What happened to Bill this year
  • 37:35 – Never thought anything would happen to him medically
  • 37:48 – He has a finger operation 2-3 years ago and it got infected, they gave him vancomycin to take 2 times/day
  • 38:16 – After 3-4 days he felt horrible and it triggered lung problems
  • 38:52 – He had to go on supplemental oxygen and in and out of the emergency room
  • 39:15 – In August everything looked different and was turning white; he thought he was dying and his wife was overseas
  • 39:53 – UCSF got an ambulance to take him to their hospital
  • 40:20 – They found a lung transplant donor very quickly and he underwent surgery
  • 41:03 – He had a successful surgery but the lung donor had a MRSA infection in the lung and pneumonia, so they transplanted it then treated the MRSA and pneumonia
  • 41:41 – Had to be fed through feeding tubes, they were removed, then fluid was leaking into stomach, had to go into emergency surgery again
  • 44:05 – A typical lung transplant is in the hospital for 2-3 weeks, then they go to a hotel to be close by while healing; he was in the hospital for 7 weeks and then was in a hotel for another 6 weeks
  • 45:25 – It was a very trying time; it was exhausting and horrible, but got him well
  • 46:30 – He met a transplant patient who gave up after a week and wanted to go home with pain medication; she ultimately decided to finish the treatment
  • 47:35 – Nurses want you to get out “as fast as you can” and inspire patients to get better faster
  • 47:55 – Wants to write the donor family a thank you letter; hasn’t been able to take a deep breath in 1-2 years
  • 48:40 – Re/Max broker Kynse Leigh Lee has kidney and pancreas transplant and uses hashtag #dontburygoodorgans and got to meet donor family
  • 49:56 – Discussing organ-donating outreach for realtors
  • 50:24 – UCSF is #1 in the nation for lung transplants, but they don’t have enough organs; he was very lucky...(blessed!)
  • 52:50 – This is the first Thanksgiving where he has the ultimate gift to be grateful for
  • 53:55 – He put his health first; his wife Heather and his brother Kevin and his wife (RN) were his caregivers for the entire time he was at the hotel and he is grateful
  • 55:20 – Become an organ donor and take care of yourself and your loved ones
  • 56:16 – To learn how to get involved, send Leigh Brown a message on Twitter or any social network

3 Key Points

  1. One person can make an impact – Get involved and make your voice heard by politicians...their votes impact your life.
  2. You matter: Think about your future, your retirement plan, your family, and your health.
  3. Become an organ donor!

Credits

Dec 1, 2017

Are you INSPIRED? Jessica is, and she believes the #1 key to being better and achieving more is finding your inspiration. As the head of the Oklahoma Realtors Association, Jessica breaks down the Code of Ethics, what it means, and how it is used to uphold the name of realtors nation-wide. Tune in to learn why you must be familiar with the Code of Ethics, whether you are a realtor or a client, and how you can do your part to raise the bar in the industry.

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:

  • 00:38 – Jessica is the head of the Oklahoma Realtors Association
  • 00:56 – She runs the association and has been in management for 5 years, she was a real estate broker before that
  • 01:30 – She manages over 11,000 realtors in the state
  • 01:44 – Complaints filed and professionalism in the industry; what has she seen?
  • 02:32 – All associations offer Professional Standards Administration and all realtors agree to abide by a code of ethics
  • 02:52 – Code of Ethics is administered by state or local association; in OK the Association manages it state-wide
  • 03:10 – Ethics complaints and arbitration requests can be filed through Association
  • 03:19 – Ethics complaints are reviewed by peer panel
  • 03:52 – Read a copy of the Code of Ethics at http://www.nar.realtor/
  • 04:02 – Good realtors know the Code of Ethics
  • 04:45 – Local association: new members start here, MLS, education benefits, advocacy work, professionalism piece
  • 05:05 – Conglomeration of local associations with oversight and the voice of the state realtors and National Realtors Association (NAR)
  • 05:45 – Code of Ethics is broken into 3 parts: duties to public, duties to customers and clients, and duties realtor-to-realtor
  • 05:55 – The public or a realtor can (and should!) file a complaint when a breach has been made
  • 06:10 – Not all realtors are created equal, and filing complaints allows the bad seeds to be weeded out so they don’t continue to hurt others
  • 06:28 – What kinds of complaints come in?
  • 06:35 – Article 12: Whether a realtor has displayed a true and accurate picture in advertising
  • 06:48 – Instagram or over-Photoshopped photos that look nothing like the true home
  • 07:05 – Some Photoshop is okay (lifting shadows, blurring dead grass spot in yard)
  • 07:14 – Example of inaccurate photos: removing power lines from back yard
  • 07:45 – Why is it bad to over-Photoshop?
  • 07:54 – Being caught off-guard and surprised; many people nowadays are purchasing their home online
  • 08:10 – They may not even see the house until they’ve already closed and are moving in
  • 08:30 – Realtors and the public want realtors to raise the bar of professionalism
  • 08:39 – Turn in the people violating the Code of Ethics to help raise the bar
  • 08:47 – Code of Ethics also warns against slander, how does this affect turning people in?
  • 09:02 – You are doing worse if you slander online via social media
  • 09:20 – Do something about it but don’t slander, turn them in if they are in violation
  • 09:40 – What kind of realtor-to-realtor misconduct do you see?
  • 09:44 – Article 2: Exaggeration, misrepresentation, and concealment of pertinent facts
  • 09:59 – Revealing facts or confidential information; Agents give away the client’s negotiation position via text message trying to get a deal and the other agent turns them in
  • 10:40 – How would you ever know if your realtor is doing this? There is no way to know
  • 10:51 – Keep educating members to remain upright and forthright in everything they do; you never know who you are dealing with
  • 11:20 – Jessica was a consumer recently: What questions did she ask to select a realtor?
  • 11:49 – She chose someone in leadership in the city where she was buying
  • 12:09 – Ask questions before agreeing to work with someone
  • 12:19 – How many houses have you sold? How experienced are you? How many deals do you have going on right now?
  • 12:45 – She went for someone in a volunteer leadership role, she thinks the public should, too
  • 13:38 – Leader will have a vested interest in the realtor organization in general, are committed to Code of Ethics, giving back to association, and a higher level of professionalism
  • 13:56 – People that are not volunteers can be professional, too, volunteers are just more likely to uphold standards
  • 14:14 – Great realtors should consider volunteering to be heard; 1 in 287 Americans is a realtor, stand out as one less likely to cause trouble
  • 15:18 – Realtors can be on top of their game with a desire to serve, get educated, and do a better job
  • 15:53 – If a midline realtor want to get better, more active, and more educated about entire picture
  • 16:20 – Find inspiration (mentor, group, giving back)
  • 16:59 – She finds her inspiration through her support system at home
  • 17:24 – If you aren’t at the top of your game, there are resources to get better and stop selling consumers short
  • 18:13 – Oklahoma realtors can email Jessica directly at: jmh@okrealtors.com
  • 18:29 – Follow Jessica on social media: Twitter & Facebook
  • 18:30 – Reach out to your state association leadership to get involved and heard

3 Key Points

  1. Become familiar with the Code of Ethics whether you are a realtor or client.
  2. File a complaint if you see a breach of the code; this is how the bar of professionalism in the industry can be raised.
  3. As a client, ask questions to ensure your realtor is a good fit and as a realtor, step up your game, get involved, and strive to be better.
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