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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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Now displaying: September, 2018
Sep 25, 2018

Have you ever been afraid of walking into an unfamiliar house and coming face to face with a dead animal? Well never fear, because New Jersey broker Tiffany DeLucia is here to tell you all about her several encounters with corpses, both animal and human. Tune in as Tiffany explains how she sold a house with a dead raccoon inside and why it’s important to stay safe while selling 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:

  • 00:40 - Tiffany’s Background
    • 00:48 - She’s been in real estate for 22 years and “basically came out of the womb and started selling.”
    • 00:54 - She lives in New Jersey and covers North Central New Jersey
  • 01:46 - Tiffany’s CSIRE Story
    • 01:53 - She tends to discover dead bodies - animal and human at her listings
    • 02:12 - Recently had an investor purchase a home from a bank and discovered a dead body in the septic system
    • 02:45 - House was historic and no one knew who the person was or how they ended up there
    • 04:11 - The last home she sold had a dead raccoon in the wall that the bank refused to remove
    • 05:00 - Had to put in the notes on MLS that there was a dead raccoon in the wall that won’t be removed but in the end had 17 offers on the property
    • 05:50 - Never crossed her mind not to tell people about the raccoon in the wall
    • 06:15 - This can be a reminder that it’s ok to disclose everything on the property
  • 07:30 - How Tiffany handles animal and human corpses
    • 07:40 - First experience was in Vermont listing a beautiful primary home
    • 08:13 - Received a call that the owner was trying to kill himself while there was a showing
    • 08:46 - Called the real estate commission and they told her the owner wasn’t of sound mind and she couldn’t list the property
    • 09:20 - She has encountered emergency situations plenty of times and has had to call police or fire services
  • 09:40 - Tiffany also trains other real estate professionals
    • 09:48 - She tries to make her lessons fun and memorable by joking to help make the ideas stick
    • 10:42 - Sometimes it’s a scary business and you need to be prepared
    • 11:45 - She joined a leadership academy through North Central Jersey Association of Realtors and emphasizes safety the most
  • 12:04 - Tiffany’s contact information: Cell number: (862) 242-0390 or email her at tiffanys@remax.net 

3 Key Points

  1. Be sure to check all aspects of a house when purchasing - including the septic system
  2. A house can sell even in less than ideal circumstances
  3. Safety is important to keep in mind while selling real estate 

Credits

Sep 18, 2018

Part 2 with the one and only Sher Powers of Nashville. Sher built an extensive background in investment real estate before becoming a full-service REALTOR®. In this episode, Sher tops last episode’s story of too many cockroaches with a hair-raising story of a house full of guns and a spying homeowner. Sher also imparts a couple of hard-earned lessons for new realtors to 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:

  • 01:00 — A re-cap of Sher’s background
    • 01:01 — From Nashville, TN
    • 01:04 — Has a small, boutique agency called Urbane Residential Specialists
    • 01:08 — Works with investors to buy, fixup, renovate and resell, as well as with 1st-time homebuyers
  • 01:43 — What drove Sher to become a full-service realtor
    • 02:11 — Ended up in a partnership doing eight renovations a month
    • 02:27 — Would see 1st-time homebuyers unhappy with circumstances of their purchase
    • 02:52 — Realized entry-level realtors were representing the most vulnerable buyers
    • 03:14 — “My heart was really drawn to 1st-time buyers and helping them have a great first experience.”
  • 05:10 — Sher’s CSIRE story
    • 05:11 — She was working with a family, 1st-time homebuyers, who were looking at entry-level properties
    • 05:42 — As Sher and the couple walked through the house, they found 50 weapons, all out in the open
    • 05:59 — “There were grenades.”
    • 07:10 — Client commented that whoever lived in the house was scary, and they didn’t think they wanted to do business with them, and then they heard a giggle
    • 07:29 — “I’m getting goosebumps telling you now.”
    • 07:40 — After a second giggle, Sher realized they were being spied on, and they decided to get out of there
    • 08:32 — “We were basically being spied on by this guy who had an arsenal.”
  • 10:09 — Houses on the market need to be prepared for the public to come through
    • 10:27 — Realtors can’t be with their clients the whole time
    • 10:44 — Lock up anything related to weaponry, lock up prescription drugs
    • 11:03 — Tell your realtor about any cameras or safe houses inside the house
  • 12:19 — Never allow sellers to stay after closing unless money is held in escrow
    • 12:28 — Had to spend her entire commission on replacing a hardwood floor
    • 12:35 — Seller had asked if they could move out after closing
    • 12:50 — Left a beautiful rug in the living room, which revealed an unfinished floor beneath
    • 13:20 — “The entire floor had been cut out.”
  • 15:10 — Make sure sellers know what is deemed a fixture in the contract
    • 15:15 — Final walk-through had already been done when she got the call from her client
    • 15:29 — “They’ve taken all the rose bushes.”
    • 15:52 — Seller had removed 30 or 40 plants from the yard
    • 17:07 — Got the seller to purchase a large gift card to a nursery to try to match the size and look of the original landscaping
    • 17:48 — “It’s a challenge for every realtor to figure out what their clients are thinking.”
  • 19:59 — Sher’s contact information: Visit her websites com and Urbane Residential Specialists or Urbane Residential Specialists on Facebook

3 Key Points

  1. Sellers need to put away any unsafe possessions before the public comes through, such as weapons and medications.
  2. Don’t let sellers stay in the property past closing without extra money in escrow.
  3. Read the current version of your standard contract so you can educate your clients.    

Credits

Sep 11, 2018

Real estate is not what you ever expected it to be, until you end up in the middle of something fun. Power-house broker Sher Powers tells us about the worst experience she ever had viewing an investor property in Nashville, when she opened the door to hundreds of cockroaches. Sher has worked in both normal and investment real estate, and she’s learned to expect the unexpected. Tune in to find out why Sher values renovations over resells, and how agents can ensure their clients get the best market rate for investor properties.

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:

  • 01:06 — Sher’s background and how she got into real estate
    • 01:08 — Started as a real estate investor, buying property to renovate and resell
    • 01:29 — Hit a snag in partnership and ended up with a portfolio of 24 rentals and no cash reserves to cover repairs and tenant needs and make readys
    • 01:45 — Used license to survive – became a realtor
    • 02:08 — Wanted to help new agents and new buyers
    • 02:33 — Specializes in 1st-time buyers and investors who renovate for re-sell
  • 02:22 — Why doesn’t Sher call them flips
    • 02:58 — “There is nothing flippant or flippy about doing a full renovation – it’s a lot of work.”
    • 03:44 — Flipping is a quick, non-emotional transaction, compared to renovation, which is about creating a house that someone will love
    • 04:08 — 1st-time homebuyers deserve good expectations and good education
  • 04:15 — Renovations are houses being brought back to life
    • 04:22 — They’re ideal for entry-level buyers
    • 04:30 — Improve neighborhoods one house at a time
    • 04:47 — On seeing the buyer’s response to their renovated home: “I love the experience; I never get tired of it.”
  • 06:28 — Sher’s CSIRE story
    • 06:35 — Went to Nashville with a client to view an inexpensive property; the client had to return to the car, so Sher entered alone
    • 07:00 — “Leigh, I am not exaggerating—I wish I was—hundreds of cockroaches fell on my head.”
    • 08:11 — Her client got bug spray from the car and sprayed her with it
    • 08:28 — She still can’t watch Indiana Jones because it triggers the memory
    • 09:34 — In real estate, you will see hoarders, and you will see families that live in ways that is heartbreaking
    • 10:11 — “There is a heartache that goes with buying destitute property.”
    • 11:51 — She never enters a house without using her toe to push the door open
  • 12:30 — Note for agents to think about
    • 12:44 — Sher once encountered a tenant who did not want the property shown or sold
    • 13:04 — “He answered the door stark naked.”
    • 13:56 — Encourages her clients to negotiate on the front-end, where buyers can see the property from the inside before making an offer
    • 14:34 — If you’re wanting to sell an investment property, it needs to be vacant
    • 15:42 — Do everything you can to make it easy for the tenant to say yes
  • 16:31 — Sher’s contact information: Visit her website Urbane Residential Specialists or Urbane Residential Specialists on Facebook 

3 Key Points

  1. Renovations are different from resells.
  2. Investors should be prepared for the unexpected when viewing investment property.
  3. Vacant investment property will yield a higher market price than occupied. 

Credits

Sep 4, 2018

Summary:

Early in Leigh York’s colorful career, an eventful sale involving missed medication, a fire, and a rolled pickup taught her to keep calm in the midst of craziness. She has learned that however she reacts to a situation is exactly how her client will react, so it is best to model level-headedness.

Leigh is also working to at the National Association level to set industry standards for realtors and instructors that would keep them active in the field while teaching in order to stay fresh.

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:

  • 0:40 – Leigh York’s background
    • 0:50 – The third–generation of her family in real estate, Leigh started “before the turn of the century” exclusively in farm and ranch. That morphed into development. Now, rather than drive over 5 counties, she covers half of one very large county in Fort Worth, TX.
    • 1:40 – Leigh also loves to travel, teach, and speak to other realtors. She also does consulting on culture for other businesses. Got to do it all!
  • 3:30 Leigh’s CSIRE story 
    • 3:34 While she was doing predominantly farm & ranch, Leigh sold a piece of property. She met with a sweet, wonderful woman selling her little house on a large piece of property––more or less the family farm.
    • 4:40 – The seller explained that all of her kids wanted the property and if she died they would just fight over it, so she wanted to sell it.
    • 5:00 – Leigh lists the property, gets it on the market, and communicates frequently with the seller. The lady mentions that her oldest son is upset, but he shouldn’t be a bother.
    • 5:30 – Within about ten days of closing, Leigh’s husband, who happens to be the volunteer Fire Chief in the area, calls to say there’s a fire on the property.
    • 6:40 – When Leigh arrives she sees that the grass from the front of the house all the way out to the road is blackened. But she’s got good real estate karma.
    • 7:20 – The son had decided that if he couldn’t have the house, nobody could—and he was going to burn it down. He goes behind the house, sets a fire about 10 feet away, and leaves. The fire burns to within one foot of house, splits and burns around the house, then meets at the front of the house and burns all the way to the road. It never touched the house!
    • 8:30 – Before Leigh can call the owner, her cousin, the City Marshall, calls to let her know that the son is en route to the hospital to be admitted to the psychiatric ward.
    • 9:00 – The son apparently had mental health issues and had not been taking his medications for a few days. He had gone to a neighboring town, taken a pickup truck on a test drive without a salesperson, driven to his mom’s house to set it on fire, and on the drive back to the dealership rolled the pickup!
    • 9:40 – So now Leigh has to call the mom/seller and tell her that not only was her place on fire, but that her son is in the hospital and on his way to jail.
    • 10:00 – While she’s on the phone with the seller, the rep for the buyer is trying to call because of course the buyer has family in the area and has heard about the fire.
    • 10:30 – Leigh keeps calm. She did not call the seller and say, “There’s been a huge fire and your kid is in the hospital.” She said, “You know, we’ve had an interesting day out here, and I want you to know that everyone is safe. Let me catch you up on what happened.”
    • 10:45 – The seller’s response was calm. She replied, “OK, you go handle the buyers and I’ll take go care of the kid.” So they continued the negotiations.
    • 11:00 – The house was OK and the grass was going to grow back, so they just replaced some fence posts. It didn’t even delay closing––everything was fine!
  • 11:15 – The importance of keeping calm 
  • 11:35 – However you react to a situation is exactly how your client is going to react, so keep calm and let your client reflect that good behavior.
  • 11:50 – This kind of calm behavior is what can set you apart as a realtor. If you fly off the handle to protect your client, it’s not going to help. So much of a realtor’s skill is reflected in the way they convey information.
  • 13:00 – Real estate instructors can help their students by talking about the psychology of what they do. If Leigh is teaching a class on contracts, she doesn’t just teach people how to fill in the blanks. She also talks about who they’re representing, what they’re going to talk about with the client, and how that conversation might sound.
  • 13:50 – They role play or talk it through so that they can know how to stay calm when the other party doesn’t agree with what goes in the blank on the contract.
  • How do we train buyers to select the right representative?
    • 14:20 – We have to coach consumers to interview their representative. Don’t just take whoever answers the phone.
  • 15:00 – The need for best practices for instructors
    • 15:45 – We need to pay more attention to who gets to be an instructor. They need to be active in the market. If you haven’t handled a transaction in 6 months, you don’t have as much credibility as someone who is on the phone with a client right before she comes to teach. The market changes day to day.
    • 16:30 – Leigh Brown is a volunteer leader in the Residential Real Estate Council – a group of realtors who want to focus more on education and who carry the CRS designation. During her volunteer presidential year, they implemented new standards for instructors, and it was met with some pushback and angst.
    • 17:00 – They had some instructors who had not sold anything in 40 years! While the mechanics of selling may have stayed mostly the same, the entire climate has changed, consumer expectations are different, and the legal side has moved dramatically as regards liability.
    • 17:30 – Being active in selling makes Leigh York a better instructor and speaker, and being an instructor and speaker makes her a better seller in her market. Each aspect helps the other.
    • 18:00 – In Leigh York’s volunteer role in professional standards in the National Association, she is working on the idea that there needs to be standards for instructors and all realtors. She started out as just once voice, but her voice is growing. She believes they will get there––just not at “Leigh speed.”
    • 20:30 – It does seem like all of this begins with people being nicer to each other. 
  • 20:45 – Contact Leigh York at Leigh@LeighYork.com, or call 817-613-2420. She’s on Facebook and Instagram as well.

3 Key Points

  1. Stay calm and let your client reflect that good behavior.
  2. Consumers need to choose a realtor carefully—don’t just use the person who picks up the phone.
  3. Real Estate instructors need to be active in the business in order to be good teachers.

Credits

1