How To Safely Navigate and Provide Solutions with Seth Lejeune & Jenn Anusky | Episode 107

Why is it that real estate clients (buyers and sellers) consistently feel like they're "wasting" their real estate agent's time? Answer, because a majority of homeowners only buy and sell a few homes in their lifetime. Therefore, it's an unfamiliar process and one that's (unfortunately) not well documented online. Our interview with Seth & Jenn touches upon repping the client right, building a team through teaching to fish, and being consistent with a podcast to scale your business. Sean & Tim love collaborating with other podcast hosts, dive in for another B&R banger!

Big shout-out to our show's loyal and dedicated sponsor: Property Management Redefined. John Sacks and his team love our show and continue to support our mission of helping people through podcasting!

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Until next week, keep learning and keep growing!

** Episode Shout-Outs **
→ Moving Sucks Podcast: http://www.youtube.com/@MovingSucksPodcast
→ Episode Sponsor, Property Management Redefined: https://gopmr.com/

📲 Contact Info 📲
→ Sean Mooney, Mooney Insurance Brokers: www.mooneybrokers.com/
→ Tim Garrity, The Tim Garrity Team: www.timgarrityteam.com/

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Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:00

The consumer constantly thinks that like asking us questions, even if they're not ready, is a like wasting our time.

SPEAKER_11 0:06

Oh, I hate it.

SPEAKER_07 0:07

And no, isn't that crazy?

SPEAKER_11 0:08

They're just like, oh waste my time.

SPEAKER_08 0:10

I can't believe I can't believe I did that. I'm so sorry for wasting your time. Like, what do you think I'm here for?

SPEAKER_03 0:15

Okay. I scheduled the showing on Zillow because I didn't want to bother you. You did what?

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Yeah. You're not wasting my time.

SPEAKER_03 0:21

Stop doing that. We have a whole episode. So we have a whole episode of like things to not do yourself. Number one, everything. Number two, like just and it's getting that kind of stuff out there because it's a misconception. And people don't know what they don't know. Right. Yeah. And so it's informing them of like, okay, so you bought a house now. What is an episode? And it's like, okay, I have this. Like, what do I what do I do? It's a great episode because. Something's gonna break.

SPEAKER_08 0:52

Welcome to the podcast dedicated to real estate, insurance, and building your business. Join us as we take you along our own business building journeys with additional wisdom from our network of local and national experts. Welcome to Bricks and Risk.

SPEAKER_04 1:12

This episode is brought to you by Property Management Redefined. PMR is not just managing properties, we're creating partnerships that build long-term success for property owners. John and his team can be reached at manage at gopmr.com or by phone 267-753-6005. Tim. Yes, Sean. Who's a good client for PMR?

SPEAKER_08 1:39

Property management redefined is looking for property owners who value three things accountability, reliability, and a results-driven approach. You want to maximize returns, but still provide client and tenant satisfaction.

SPEAKER_04 1:53

There's a lot of property managers out there. There are what does PMR do really well?

SPEAKER_08 2:00

Biggest thing is they're seamless and they're worry-free. So with that approach in mind, it allows the property owner to put their trust in PMR and know that the results will be there. The other thing I think a property owner is really gonna value because they do it so well is that they have a local expert team that boots on the ground managing your properties and your tenants' expectations every day so that you feel good about your investments.

SPEAKER_04 2:24

We have millions of listeners out there. Tens of millions. If they want more information, how do they find PMR?

SPEAKER_08 2:30

Right here, guys. Reach out to John Sachs and his team at Property Management Redefine. Take good care of you. I'm Tim Garret. And I'm Show Manny. Today's John, we have two amazing co-guests today, friends of mine from Reel. We have Seth Lejeune, realtor team leader, the SLG team at Reel, as well as the podcast hosts of the Moving Sucks Podcast. And we also have Jen Anuski, realtor and team member with the same team, and also podcast co-host of the Moving Sucks Podcast. How are you doing today, guys?

SPEAKER_03 3:12

Great, never better. What a great introduction.

SPEAKER_08 3:14

Awesome. Love it. Welcome on into the show. All right, we'll start with Seth. So a little background on him. So Seth leads the SLG team based in suburban Philadelphia. He has contrarian views on many things, such as the direction of American real estate brokerage, the economy, and the housing market. As the podcast host of Moving Sucks, he speaks directly to the American real estate consumer about what is actually happening in the market and how to safely navigate real estate decisions. Seth simply doesn't have the capacity for BS, and he believes in just giving good advice always. Now for Jen. Jen doesn't do comfort zones. Every major life decision she's made has been all risk, no certainty, and powered by one thing. She may not always know how, but she damn sure knows why. As a mentor and senior agent at the SLG team, Jen brings that same energy to help her clients and investors make smart, strategic moves that build real wealth. Known for her sharp instincts, creative problem solving, and sense of humor. She's proof that risk and results go hand in hand. All right, so we're gonna start this off pretty casual. How'd you two meet?

SPEAKER_06 4:26

I did last time just dumb.

SPEAKER_03 4:29

So the year was 2021. Okay. And I needed a career change. And I knew that I wanted to be in real estate since 2019. I made a decision I was gonna do it. Um biweekly paychecks are really comfortable though, and I was like, yeah, but I'm raising a two-year-old by myself and uh or one year old by myself at the time. And you know, I was like, so maybe not right this second, but like I'm gonna figure out how to get that done. And you know, then 2021 my hand kind of got forced and lost my job. I was like, sweet, now or never, baby, let's go. And um I had actually reached out to them probably like a a week before that happened, and it was like, all right, I'm gonna start my classes soon, and then I was like, okay, well, I'm gonna start my classes now, and then I was like, all right, I'm coming.

SPEAKER_08 5:12

Did you guys know each other before then?

SPEAKER_03 5:14

Or just so I was literally just looking online for just while I was looking on indeed and looking to get into my foot into real estate somehow and find somebody to like reaching out to people directly saying, I'm not licensed yet, I'm already in my role with my classes, and like I will be. And who wants to roll the dice? Um, they did. Yeah, that's awesome. And with the broker at the time, and then he uh sent, I guess, the video of our interview over to Seth and said, might want to meet this chick, and then what two minutes and one?

SPEAKER_06 5:44

Two minutes and sixteen seconds. I stopped at I said, set up a meeting. Yeah, yeah. Awesome. Cause I could just tell because we had stand I kind of had a standing order where the the broker would be the first interview, and then anyone of interest he'd send to me. And I had seen probably like five, six videos before, and I was like, Yeah. And I saw her and she just started talking and her background and everything like that. I said, I don't it was, I think, like a 25-minute interview. I was like, I don't need to see anymore. Let's meet her. Nice. So that's cool. Um, yeah, you just like know, like you I mean, you've been in the business too. It's like you know the energy you need, and that gut decision, gut decision, and and I think about three days later we were sitting at Rivercrest.

SPEAKER_03 6:24

So I was the only good thing to come out of them investing even in that. Uh to what would you guys buy? Not uh whatever it was to put the job listings out. I think he was like, that was a good one.

SPEAKER_06 6:34

We use WiseHire. Okay. Yeah, we use WiseHire, and then um, because one of the partners was one of the uh actually believe it or not, one of the originators of WiseHire, which is a that huge hiring uh software for real estate and for everyone he lives in Orchestra. Okay. So he was one of the partners in the Remax. So we got free use of it. And so we just blanketed everything and and yeah, she must have uh responded to an ad.

SPEAKER_08 6:58

What um what were you doing for a steady paycheck before you got into real estate?

SPEAKER_03 7:02

I was in retail management for 13 years.

SPEAKER_08 7:03

And what what made you want to get into real estate? So like you just woke up one day and said, ooh, or you were like someone was telling you you had an interest in it, or like what?

SPEAKER_03 7:11

My cousin's a real estate agent, she's been an agent for 10 years. My younger cousin, so she's been doing this for her entire just like I guess like career life. And like I've always had an interest in it. Then I bought my house in 2017, and just like between knowing what skill set I have, so I was really good at my job in retail management and like leading people and problem solving. Nothing is ever the same. There's always fires to be putting out, and there's always problem solving to be had, and you're always on the move, and no today's look the same. Um, and the parts that I enjoyed about that was like was helping people and actually like making an actual difference in their lives. A lot of people think it's just like I'm gonna like sell this shirt or put this alpha together, but it's like people come in with like body image issues or confidence issues, and like you know, the things are tight and being able to like help them through that. I'm like, I want to help people in like a bigger way, and that's a big, big way is selling houses and like protecting people's livelihoods, and you know, seeing that there's a lot of people that don't take that same care to that approach. And I'm like, I want to know that at least there's somebody like me in that industry who's actually gonna take that really seriously in like protecting people and getting them like through that whole transition in life uh with protection and knowing what's going on. Like, I had a great experience with my agent. I'm like, this is exactly what I want to be doing, but you know, I would just the only thing I would wanted to know better was what was happening as it was happening, and that's what I wanted to bring into my career in real estate. Awesome. So you know, or I could have just said, I think we're just gonna try it. Right, right.

SPEAKER_06 8:42

And to that point, like I could tell that she was like a burn, burning, like burner boats type person. It was like, I'm doing this, and it reminded me so much of how I got into the business. Just the drive to like, yeah, I'm like gonna see if it works out, maybe do it part-time, see what happens.

SPEAKER_03 8:58

So many people do. It's like if I ever hear, like, I think I'm gonna try realistic. I'm like, you don't just try to do it. Yeah, don't try, you have to just say, or it's just like a because the bar of entry is so low. Like it's very easy to try. I know, it's so easy to try, but it was like, this is it's like this is what I knew I wanted to be doing, and I'm just going to do it. I had no, like, I didn't really have much of a safety net in under me from like I said, no, this is gonna work. And uh Seth had said, uh, I guess it's probably your version of like a temperature check to see like you're gonna be doing this or not. He's like, Well, the failure rate is uh for real estate agents in their first five years is 87%. And I said, Good thing I'm 13%.

SPEAKER_06 9:34

Yeah. And I was like, okay. You're like, good. Um I'd be really interested to know if you added a zero to the number of hours in the cost to get a license. You know, if it's four or seven and not seven hundred and fifty hours, I think it's seventy five hours. I think when I got licensed, it was like 45 hours. No, it's so not 45. It's 70 hours. But like, you know, to become an appraiser, you have to like you have to apprentice for like two years. You know, like two, like two hundred hours of the year. The real estate industry needs that apprenticeship. But like if you had if it wasn't $500 to get your license, but five thousand? I'd be interested to see what this is.

SPEAKER_04 10:02

Well, it would certainly uh raise the stakes for a level of commitment. Yeah, that's you'd have committed people coming in rather than hey, let me just but it but it would also increase the competency because someone would need that $5,000 sitting aside.

SPEAKER_08 10:16

Aaron Powell Well, what's a bigger risk? Uh misappraising a house or you know, taking someone down the wrong direction of buying or selling a house. I would say the buying and selling is way more fraught with liability than someone going out and doing appraisal and being off like 10 grand. Yeah. Like okay.

SPEAKER_04 10:33

Just guess waiting, wait a couple years and it'll go up 10 grand or something. Yeah, there's like a check on the back end almost, like the bank or you know, someone's gonna absorb that. Where it's you, it's like you're the realtor.

SPEAKER_03 10:44

Well, it's okay because well, the thing is if the appraiser messes up, it's our fault anyway. Right, right. If the lender messes up, it's our fault anyway. If the inspector mess up, it's our fault anyway. Everything's always our fault anyway.

SPEAKER_08 10:54

I'm a realtor, I'm a catch-all. All right, so you you guys have known each other for about five years, met but met by happenstance, but then you decided to co-host a podcast together. And as you know, it's not easy. So why? Why why do a podcast together? Like what what prompted that?

SPEAKER_05 11:09

Well, this isn't the Jen and Uski show, but I'll let her take that one as well.

SPEAKER_06 11:15

Listen, guys, I promise you, I have a lot to say later. I'll let her do all the backgrounds. We just brought it in. Yeah, he's just the IK pretty fast.

SPEAKER_03 11:22

Oh, yeah. Um, no, I uh so I had a we both had a blog. So he had his own blog of um Seth anything.

SPEAKER_08 11:30

I'm a big blogger, I love her here.

SPEAKER_03 11:32

And then I was like, sure, yeah, I'll do that too. So I had a blog with my uh with our teammate Kelly, and it was called Millennia. And as we're like writing it out, I'm like, dude, I was like, nobody is like, our generation is not reading. They're gonna, if they can listen to it or they can watch it, they're gonna do that before they read it. And so I went to her and I'm like, we need to make Millennium a podcast. And she was like, no. And I'm like, then I want to make it a podcast. I don't have any other ideas, but I want to make it a podcast. And so I go to Seth and I was like, Seth, I want to make this a podcast. And he was like, okay. And I'm like, okay. And then he was like, no, I've like, I've already been thinking about wanting to do that anyway. And I'm like, all right, let's let's do it. And then we just did.

SPEAKER_06 12:16

You guys can see why I let her tell the story. Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_03 12:18

It would be really boring if he said it. And he'd be like, Yeah, Jen came to me one day and said that she wanted to podcast us. Okay.

SPEAKER_08 12:23

Was your blog the same concept?

SPEAKER_03 12:25

You were speaking to, you know, millennials and like educating them kind of like about housing or just news or yeah, it was just like so the whole general, like the print the basis of it was nobody is talking to the consumer about like, you know, where to start or what to do, or giving any like from a realtor, somebody who's in this all the time, all day, every day, and not just in a non-clickbaity kind of way. Like anything that is out into the ether for real estate is like doom, gloom, scary, or just uh dramatized.

SPEAKER_06 12:59

Yeah, and it's like selling sunset. Yeah, so it's also about selling something, you know.

SPEAKER_03 13:02

I mean I was gonna say, or they're uh resources like Zillow or anything that is motivated to get a click or get a check or get some kind of financial compensation for something, um, or get views and mine's just like I just want to be able to put the things out there that people need to know. Like the fact like the big big one, one of our first ones or our first one was like you don't need the 20% down to buy a house. And just like being able to have topics of like, you know, what people should know that nobody is actually telling them, even if it's like really boring things, but like it's stuff you need to know. And you know, there's a lot of real estate podcasts, so then we got to looking more into it and like, okay, well, let's explore the space. Does it already exist?

SPEAKER_06 13:45

And I was like, no, yeah, like there's a lot of it's like 95 to 5. Like there's nobody talking to the consumer.

SPEAKER_04 13:53

Well, I think that that the the point you're talking about is the realtor is happy to talk to you when you are like, hey, I'm ready to buy a house. Yeah, and I'm here and I can answer all your questions. But like that period of time where you're hey, like, am I ready to buy a house? Yeah, the exploratory phase.

SPEAKER_06 14:15

Right. Yeah. Doesn't exist. Yeah. So we want to create like an environment where it gives people like while they're commuting or they're just doing the dishes or whatever, they can get the answers without having to like, first of all, feel like an idiot because they don't know the answer. Second of all, in their own time. And the one of the big things out there now is, and I I actually put a an episode out and a blog post about this, is that the consumer constantly thinks that like asking us questions even if they're not ready is a like wasting our time.

SPEAKER_11 14:47

Oh, I hate it.

SPEAKER_07 14:49

And no, isn't that crazy?

SPEAKER_11 14:50

They're just like, oh, waste my time.

SPEAKER_08 14:52

I can't believe, I can't believe I did that. I'm so sorry for wasting your time. Like, what do you think I'm here for?

SPEAKER_03 14:56

It's okay. I scheduled the showing on Zillow because I didn't want to bother you. You did what? Yeah, stop doing that. We have a whole episode. So we have a whole episode of like things to not do yourself. Uh number one, everything. Number two, like just and it's getting that kind of stuff out there because it's a misconception. And people don't know what they don't know. Right. Yeah. And so it's informing them of like, okay, so you bought a house, now what is an episode? And it's like, okay, I have this. Like, what do I what do I do?

SPEAKER_08 15:26

It's a great episode because something's gonna break. Well, and who, aside from us being uh agents who value relationships, customer service, like really wanting to help people, and the failure rate in real estate, a lot of agents out there who maybe don't have the same mindset that we do. Who the hell is gonna help someone with like home ownership once they're in there? Yeah, like seriously. Like, I know we look at that, we're like, no, if you need anything, you need a contractor, you need a connection, you just have a question, like let me know, and I'll walk you through it. I think it's I think it's very valuable having a show and having an episode solely based on that to say, like, look, like it was hard enough and emotional enough, like going through the home buying process, but now that you're in there, like here's some things you want to be careful of because being a homeowner is way harder than actually going through the process of trying to buy real estate. And that's like if if people aren't connected or have like good families or friends that are like involved in their lives, they have no idea where to go for help.

SPEAKER_03 16:24

Well, that's right. So when I said that we had started out, the uh podcast was called Millennia until we realized nobody knows how to spell.

SPEAKER_06 16:31

Um and so just like no one remembers phone numbers anymore. Those skill sets went by the way, so it was an SEO nightmare too.

SPEAKER_03 16:40

So between that and then realizing, like, you know, it's not this isn't like just millennials, it's also like the Gen Z and the Gen X, and like it's kind of like all three of us kind of going through the same thing. And so then we talked like it was we were coming back from triple play last year. Nice, we're in the car, we spent the entire car ride like trying to come up with a different name for it, uh, arguing back and forth, and we agree on just about everything except for things that I wish we could agree on faster. Yeah, creatively, good.

SPEAKER_06 17:07

We're not we're not good when we disagree.

SPEAKER_03 17:09

We're not good disagreeing. We did come up with moving sucks because and then even like to your point where you're saying, like, you know, it's not just about like the buying and selling process, it's just a continuation of like while you're actually there. So when we're coming up with this rebrand of like new name, new logo, what is it gonna look like? What are we gonna do with it? I like I was like, I want a circle included in it somewhere because this is not just like a start and end period, it's something that's continuous and we'll always keep going. Like from when we start until you know, just because you we went to settlement doesn't mean it's over. We're still here, something breaks down, you need a contractor, you need a vendor, you reach out to us, you need a cleaner, you need whatever, like all the way around until then you're gonna have to sell it again. We're back and around, and you're gonna go somewhere else, and it just keeps going.

SPEAKER_08 17:52

So just just like they had a good idea at triple play last year. If they came to triple play this year, they could have joined us at Tony's Baltimore Grill. What do we talk about there? Or some beer and pizza, and we could have all been inspired together. That's what happens to triple play. Magic. I was absolutely magic. I was inspired.

SPEAKER_03 18:14

My hotel reservation was never canceled. I'll just say that.

SPEAKER_08 18:19

It was Mooney's first year. Yeah, what was not to get too off track here, but what was your first impression of triple play?

SPEAKER_04 18:26

Um, I mean of the of the day, of the events, of everything going on. Yeah. Uh the vibe. Uh so the convention was everything I thought it would be. Like you have some tables and vendors and convention. You know, it's a convention. Like so that was kind of like pro forma for like what I would anticipate it to be. And then we went to um Tony's. Tony's, yes, Tony's. Uh that was lovely. Uh food and drink. And we got to like talk and sit down and just kind of like go through ideas and what's going on and industries and podcasts. Like, that was great. Like to kind of talk through ideas and different things there. And then uh what was next?

SPEAKER_08 19:10

What's it the the mastermind?

SPEAKER_04 19:12

Mastermind. That was cool. Um, just to sit in a room with like high performing for me, it wasn't like so much like real estate. It was more like let me be the guy on the outside seeing top performing people talk about their industry and what they do. And because you can always glean stuff from you know if I sat in a room with like 20 insurance people, I'm sure I'm gonna learn a thing or two.

SPEAKER_08 19:35

Yeah, especially if they're good at what they do.

SPEAKER_04 19:37

So I thought that was really cool. Uh the interviews uh we did, I don't know how many we did. We talked to maybe like 30, 30 some like the whole the whole day, probably something like that. Yeah. Um, so those were just good, the just like quick hits of like, what are you doing? What's going on? What's the market? You know, that that kind of stuff. Um and then uh so that was the mastermind. And then after that, it was uh freezing our asses off on the boardwalk. Yeah, we went to uh guaranteed rate, Robbie Wishnick. Uh thank you for having us. Shout out to Robbie. Uh and that was great. Uh like it was just put your hair down, go out, have drink, kind of talk to some different people.

SPEAKER_08 20:19

So Mooney took out his you know, his thing on the back of his ponytail and just like showed everybody your blowout.

SPEAKER_04 20:24

Yeah, just let it just let it fly. Uh we met some people, that girl from Glenn's side. We had a little woot-woot with her. That was cool. Um, and just uh, you know, then from there it was just kind of like downhill, like night night out.

SPEAKER_08 20:40

Yeah, you know, I think we left the Irish pub at like three in the morning.

SPEAKER_03 20:42

Um that's not even something I dared step foot into when I was down there last year. I was like, nah, I'm going to bed.

SPEAKER_08 20:49

They had the 24-hour menu at the Irish pub, and I look at it, it's all ham and cheese sandwich. I was like, I'll take that. I'll take eight. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 20:57

So um overall, uh, you know, industry convention type of thing, kind of what I expected. Uh some partying sprinkle of that.

SPEAKER_03 21:06

Um that's Atlantic City. Yeah. It was good.

SPEAKER_08 21:09

All right, let's shift. So, so you got some strong feelings on real estate teams. We're gonna direct this one to Seth. There you go. You're gonna bring Seth into the fold. Yeah, let's go.

SPEAKER_02 21:18

That's fine. I'll just be here now. Right. We could we can take turns on G and Show.

SPEAKER_06 21:22

She's been she's been a fly on the wall and listening to me bitch and moan for the last four years. So I'm sure she could finish my sentences.

SPEAKER_08 21:27

All right, so you have a team, you know, you've been with Real probably around the same amount of time that that I have.

SPEAKER_04 21:33

So Do you have to scroll that on the bottom of the phone?

SPEAKER_08 21:35

Oh, yeah, yeah. Terry, 1995 scrolling style, italicize. Tim and Seth and Jen with two ends work at Real Broker. Okay. Just we'll throw it back for the legal people. Make sure we uh make sure we disclose properly. Um so you've learned some lessons. What are some of the things you've learned from like starting a team and growing a team and just Having a team in general.

SPEAKER_06 22:02

Yeah. So I um I started as an independent agent. I was on a team and then I left. And actually, Berkshire Hathaway does this pretty well where they have a team, they have teams in groups.

SPEAKER_07 22:11

Is that is that where you started? That's where I started.

SPEAKER_06 22:13

Okay. And I was on a team. And what's the difference between a team and a group?

SPEAKER_11 22:18

Excellent question.

SPEAKER_06 22:19

I'm gonna get there, Sean.

SPEAKER_05 22:20

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 22:22

Jump in the sharp.

SPEAKER_06 22:22

Let me do my thing, Abbott.

SPEAKER_11 22:24

You mean it's so exciting. You could literally shake it.

SPEAKER_06 22:27

You could literally shake me awake. Right, right, right, right. Tell me back here. You could literally shake me awake and I could tell you what I'm about to tell you. So I've said it so many times. No, it's fine. So I joined a team and then I got my first commission and I'm like, what the hell is going on? I never really understood the splits and everything like that. I was just like, I was new and I was like, okay. Yeah. Um as soon as I got my first commission, I was kind of like, all right, so I need to find a new solution. I ended up then joining the colours.

SPEAKER_04 22:58

What was the well, what was the ooh, what was the look?

SPEAKER_06 23:00

What was the commission was just yeah, I mean, how much they took. Like water damage. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:06

I mean, I well, but according to the rest of the world, we're overpaid. And yeah. Good God.

SPEAKER_06 23:12

But I I didn't I never got a lead from the team. I never really I mean I got support, sure, but um it was all my business. So real estate uh teams and groups um are different because like a team is like kind of top-down. You have like a figurehead and then you've got like little baby birds.

SPEAKER_04 23:32

Joe Wilson team, Joe's at the top of the totem pole.

SPEAKER_06 23:35

Yeah, baby birds. It's a good way to put it on. Yeah, baby birds waiting for for leads. And when you're first starting out, that's really how that and it's a great way to get it, yeah. Great way to get agents through the through through those those initial pro you know, initial deals, and then eventually they're empowered to go and do their own deals. Yep. Um the uh the group though at Berkshire Hathaway was actually kind of nice because it was like three, it was just three of us. There was still a figurehead, but she was just like they had to like pick per pick one person. Someone has to be designated. Someone has to be designated. Um, but it was all three of us just piling our commissions in to get uh rid of the franchise fee. And I don't even remember what the math was there, but it was great because we all had our like three three of us had our own businesses. We build it, we could build our own brands. Stronger as a group, and they allowed us to kind of combine to get rid of the franchise fee, and it it was financially much more um it was financially much more advantageous for me, but I got to a point where I started to out earn everyone else in the group, the other two in the group, and then I had too many leads, and I got an opportunity to join a Remax franchise and start a team. Did not know what I was doing in terms of other I mean, I knew the general framework of how many years how many years are you in the business right now when this is kind of going down? Uh four. Four years. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 24:56

I started a brokerage five years in, and people were like, What?

SPEAKER_06 24:59

Yeah. So and I just um no, I I started a team and I inherited when I came out of the Remax, I immediately inherited two. And then it just, you know, the we already told Jen's story. I was I had a guy that worked for me at another company. I just started uh I think I had eight, eight team members at the top in 2023, and I ended up consolidating it all the way back down to just having two agents with me. Nice.

SPEAKER_03 25:26

So uh you can't guess who one of them were.

SPEAKER_06 25:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 25:31

What were you finding? She made the cut. What were you finding? So you had eight, and in my mind and most people's mind, like, that's great. You got eight, it must be doing great, must be leads, sales, everything coming in. But you made the decision to then pare down and niche down.

SPEAKER_06 25:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:48

And like, no, I don't need eight. Like, what was it that kind of like made you go in that direction?

SPEAKER_06 25:53

Well, I found that I I was adding bodies for body's sake, and then thinking that I would have the ability to do two things. One is to feed them with my leads or be able to build their businesses up. But what ended up happening um is I I actually didn't have like the systems and the structure that we have now to like I didn't have a VA. Like I didn't have like command of the CRM or command of like organizational tests, trainings, really anything. I was kind of just a scattered shit show of of activity. And I was just like, if you want to go sell real estate, come on, like let's like join the family, like it'll be great, it'll be fun. But I wanted to get much more tactical with it, with my business, and realized that a lot of those people were taking my attention away from me building my business. Um, and I also in part like I wasn't serving them, like I wasn't able to help them build their business, and I think some of the personnel just wasn't the right fit either. Like, I don't know if they necessarily like I actually every once in a while I'll check on these people who left, and they have largely not done a whole lot after they've left the team. Uh-huh. And I mean, great people, but not necessarily anybody that I could help. Definitely not my style. And uh yeah, Jen and uh another woman, Julie, she they came with us and and and I just pared it all down.

SPEAKER_07 27:12

Did you pare it down when you when you joined Reel? I did not.

SPEAKER_06 27:15

I actually left the Remax that I was at, and we had a one-year stay over at another remax before we went to Rama.

SPEAKER_08 27:21

That was the move to kind of like break off, like do it the do it the way you wanted to do it.

SPEAKER_06 27:25

Yeah, yeah. And I realized that and I learned a ton about rema uh real estate franchises and brokerages just in general. Just I got a I got a top-down view of the of uh that that part of the business, and it was it's I've got lots to say on that too, because I don't think it's necessarily the best vehicle to get. And you you had a brokerage, right?

unknown 27:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 27:46

And I had a little bit of a brokerage at one point. Yeah. Yeah. And oh, I mean, we went. Same kind of thing. So our story is like when we started Copper Hill, it was me and my brother and a friend. There were three of us, probably like your group at Berkshire. And we just said, hey, you know, we could go be a team somewhere, or we could just do this on our own thing, yeah. And we were working for independence. So I I watched two independents like grow brokerages so I could see what they were doing right and a lot of things they were doing wrong. And then I got a broker license like five years in, and I just said, Why don't we just go do it? Like, let's just go be lean. Like the three of us are already closing business, even if it's just the three of us, we're still gonna make more money owning our own brokerage. That was really the fire than like working for another brokerage or like doing it with this guy. And we were just kind of doing it our way, like relationship-based, like organic grassroots, community focused. And then that yeah, that grew in the end of 22. We had almost 50 agents and did almost a hundred million of bowling just that year. Um, so it was just this beast of a company that quite frankly, I was I didn't like it. I didn't like doing it. I didn't like I love selling, I love helping buyers and sellers. I have no interest in getting a burger's license. Oh, it just Jen, it just turned into something, and again, I've talked about it multiple times on the show, but this isn't about that, it's about you guys. Um, so actually, this this shifts into something else that I wanted to ask you. So for SLG, for the SLG team, is your model more like feeding fish, like providing leads, or is it teaching a fish, or is it a hybrid of both?

SPEAKER_05 29:15

I'm actually gonna let Jen answer this because she's the receiving end.

SPEAKER_06 29:18

She's a team member to a team leader. She's the receiving end of of uh the SLG philosophy. So let's see what she's nice.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

Um, let's see how she does.

SPEAKER_03 29:27

Put it this way if you're gonna join the team, the intention is not to join the team and expect leads. Like you don't come here and then just say, like, okay, feed me. Yeah, like not baby bird, where's my thing? Yeah, and like there's there's a very clear like difference in your in your income when you see like like last year, we I we only had two partner deals together. So only two deals of my entire year were team deals. The rest I did myself. And so, you know, you're gonna make more if you source your own leads, and that's what's encouraged on the team, and that's what he helps you do, is like you know, it's it's to teach you how to fish, but you know, but while I'm teaching you here, have some fish.

SPEAKER_08 30:07

Yeah, let's let's work on something.

SPEAKER_03 30:08

Let's make sure that you're not stupid.

SPEAKER_08 30:09

Yeah, we're not gonna start.

SPEAKER_06 30:10

No one's gonna start. We're gonna support you from underneath. Yeah, but we're gonna teach you how to hunt.

SPEAKER_03 30:15

Next year, it's you know, he wants to be able to go out to hunt more to better support us. Um, but all the while we are still growing our own businesses.

SPEAKER_06 30:24

So yeah, I mean the overall philosophy is is that um I want everyone on the team to eventually be built up where they can sit next to me.

SPEAKER_03 30:33

He wants me to surpass him and kick his uh do we curse on this podcast? Sure. He wants me to kick his ass. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 30:38

Yeah. So and um yeah, I I I'm not building a group of people to like here have my leads, peasants, and so I can go golf and golf all day.

SPEAKER_08 30:47

So I can go put on my crown and sit in my throne.

SPEAKER_06 30:49

But but I am in I am in a transition year. This upcoming year is one of the reasons I joined Reel is because I want to get like largely, I don't want to say lar like completely out of servicing, but largely out of servicing and running around.

SPEAKER_08 31:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 31:01

Because I'm at the point where I can go into like I'm part of networking groups and I I can go play golf and find leads. Like I and what I want to do is I just want to feed them and I want to be able to take care of my clients, but I also just don't want to be the one that has to open every door and answer every question.

SPEAKER_08 31:19

Almost like being a rainmaker. Yeah. So you're the one like responsible for like the attraction of the relationships or the opportunities, and then having experienced people like Jen multiple so that you're like, look, I got plenty of people that can service this client here or this seller, maybe this person's better at you know, uh more experienced with listings. So I'm gonna give the listing to him or her, like whatever it might be. Um, so we like to get tactical here. So let's talk about kind of like that perspective. Like you you mentioned hunting. What are some things that you do for the team or like as a team to like find business opportunities? Like, how do you go about doing it?

SPEAKER_06 31:56

Well, I mean, the podcast I think has been a very strong, like passive attractor to business because I'll be. I mean, I was literally in Contrahawkin yesterday having lunch, and the guy at the bar he ended up being somebody I knew. I didn't realize and he's like, Hey S, like, when's your next podcast coming out? You wouldn't believe how many times we're famous and successful our podcast. I had a nickel for every time. No, and and and in the end of nickel, I'd have one nickel. The the the podcast is definitely a great um the podcast has definitely has been a a great way to make it safe for people to reach out to us.

SPEAKER_10 32:37

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 32:38

And but the marketing that we do is um it it's a lot of like passive branding, it's not direct sales. Like I'm not like calling, I'm not doing cold calls. Like I've I build an entire business on warm leads.

SPEAKER_07 32:52

Nice.

SPEAKER_08 32:53

Hey everyone, this is Tim, your favorite bricks and risk co-host. But don't tell Sean. I hope you're enjoying this episode, and I'll get right back to it in a moment. Our audience grows through word of mouth, so if you would please take a moment of your time and give us a review on the platform you're on, that would be fantastic. Please also help spread the BR word by sharing your favorite episode with a friend. We greatly appreciate your time and trust. Now, back to the show.

SPEAKER_06 33:27

So it's about just always being there and making it feel safe for people to call me. Uh, I'm a huge networker. I'm part of two big networking groups, and I mean it just it just shits leads. I mean, I I just I can go into a room and and put my value proposition out there where those people feel safe to extend their reputation. And that's all referral is is an extension of your reputation, right? Totally. So going in, making it sound like you know, or not making it sound, like actually knowing like what the hell you're talking about, being able to talk about current events, understanding what the news cycle is, you know, what like interest rates has been this like huge thing where it's like well, wait, they cut rates, but why are they up? Being able to answer that question, yeah.

SPEAKER_08 34:08

Um because 99 out of 100 people have no clue.

SPEAKER_06 34:11

No clue. And they're like, oh, they cut the rates, so interest rates are coming down. Like, no. No, that's not how it works. Not at all. Um, and so, but I've been, I've got a couple of huge tranches of like I guess of my past life. I've I used to be a poker player. Um, I've settled tons of leads just from my old poker days in my 20s, my family business, which is along like the 422 corridor, and then I've been living along like the skip back corridor, like 79 or 73, like Bluebell, Lansdale. I have 12 and 14-year-old that spits off leads. Uh so between manufacturing it out in the marketplace, just my spheres, uh, and then now past clients. I mean, we have this we have this client, Sammy. She's like Kevin Bacon. I mean, she knows everybody. I met her, we have done three deals with her, and then she has probably given off five.

SPEAKER_07 35:01

Nice.

SPEAKER_06 35:02

And those people have probably done seven deals with me, and now we're getting the parents.

SPEAKER_08 35:06

You're getting the compound effect of Sammy. Right?

SPEAKER_06 35:08

And it's awesome. And Sammy doesn't take good care of Sammy. And I don't know when this is gonna be released, and Sammy doesn't know it yet, but we're taking her and all these people out for a nice dinner. There you go. And we're gonna swipe a credit card. Yeah. So, but being I'll feed that referral bit.

SPEAKER_08 35:21

Relationship focused.

SPEAKER_03 35:22

Oh, if he ever got ever a day where he were to come and say, We're actually gonna switch the business model to do cold calling and door knocking, I'd be like, Where's that bucket at? I am out of here. Uh yeah, no, I mean it's uh we are very, very primarily relationship focused. I mean, between neither of us knowing how to shut the hell up um and talking to anybody and everybody, no matter where we go. Like I was at the bar one day and I that was we were watching the game and talking to some guy, some old man sitting next to me. And uh of course I'm finding some way to bring up that I'm in real estate. And I was like, What, Joe? You want to sell your house? I was like, let's go. And he's like, No, I'm not going for I'm not moving for another five years. And I was like, why? What's in five years? And he tells, and he's like, That's just what I'm gonna be doing that. And I gave him my card. I said, Joe, I'm putting you in my phone. I was like, I'm putting you, I was like, I'm putting that on my calendar. Four years. And so I told him, I said, in five years. I said, and I put it on my calendar. I said, but I'm gonna take off like a couple months though, because like we gotta talk before that. I was like, I'll be following up. We're gonna be talking. And so, like, between just like you know, talking to people and I'll tell you what, you want to get some leads, have some children. Um, I wouldn't maybe I shouldn't recommend that as because they they take away as much as they had, I guess. Um, but yeah, and I mean like I've lived in like every local county that there is, and I mean one of them being Delco and talk about you know a one degree of separation down there.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:45

Um but yeah, it's this isn't a cold business. Love when we like it's and there's like more at stake. Like somebody's referring somebody that they know to you. It's like I you got it. I'm gonna take good care of them.

SPEAKER_04 36:58

Where's the business now with your team? Uh, two two questions. Uh, where's your how's your team like uh situated right now uh with you team members? And the one pain point you said was organizational, getting it to be more like a business. When you pared down, was that intentional to try to improve that? Uh so if the team did grow at some point, you'd you'd have everything in place. You have like a foundation.

SPEAKER_06 37:24

Yeah. So uh when I said I was paring down the team, like I there was a part of it where I just wasn't able to serve them because I didn't have the systems and the organ organizational stuff in in place. Right now it's me as the team leader, and then Jen is like the senior, like kind of lieutenant agent. Yep. Um and uh mentor. So she like so I've empowered her this year. She runs all the huddles, so we do daily huddles every morning. Yep. Um training, you know, the trainings, that type of thing. So uh and that's great because it takes it off my plate, you know. Daily. Daily what?

SPEAKER_03 37:57

We have at 8 30 every morning. We get on a Google Meets call and just uh go over people's days. Like, what do you have to do? What are you doing? How did you market yourself yesterday? Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_06 38:08

Half hour manageable, half hour pretty much with a hard stop. Keeps everyone on their toes. And it makes sure that in the morning everybody is up and working.

SPEAKER_08 38:15

Get your ass up, let's go.

SPEAKER_06 38:16

Because I've already been up for four hours.

SPEAKER_08 38:18

Right, right.

SPEAKER_06 38:18

Eating their lunch. Then they hate that, they hate that shit. That's great. Uh, and they're like pouring their first cup of coffee. I'm like, um, like I'm doing my mid-morning snack, guys. Yeah, like a midday nap. Um, so it's so it's me and then Jen, and then we have two other agents. We actually are looking for two more, one, maybe two more agents.

SPEAKER_03 38:38

We're looking for one, maybe two more agents.

SPEAKER_06 38:40

Yeah, nice, cool. Yeah, you. Yeah. Um, and then we have a TC. Okay. Uh transactional coordinator. Like in-house, like your own person. No, outsource. Yeah, pr kind of quasi. She's at real. Uh, she's gonna be actually moving on, but I've got an interview with someone uh who's gonna basically be exact replacement. Um, and then we have a VA, and now we just hired a second VA. Cool. So when we hired our VA, I think the biggest mistake people make when they hire a VA is they they're like, I have all this like stuff I don't want to do, and I'm just gonna give it to them. But you really have to tranche your VA into either a marketing or administrative side. Agreed. So because just like us, you know, uh VA, you know, across overseas, like there's like the creative side and there's the like the technical administrative side.

SPEAKER_10 39:27

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 39:28

And if you give like an administrative minded person the creative liberties, it's not gonna work. And if you give a you know, a creative person all this administrative stuff, you're gonna kill them slowly and they're gonna walk out or they're not gonna do a very good job. So we did what's called a task audit. And I mean, any business on this planet has three three buckets. You have administrative, you have the technical, and the marketing. The administrative is the supporting of the business, the technical is doing the business, and the marketing is finding the business. Yeah, any business on this planet will have that. We did a task audit of our entire team, and Jen and Julie and I all did it individually, and then we kind of like made a baby out of all of it to see like what do we like to do, what don't we want to do, and what's like our highest dollar per value activity. And when we did it all, and we're kind of control freaks, so we didn't want to like give up all of our docs and all of our administrative stuff. So we were like, we don't really like doing the marketing. Well, I will say we don't like the creative stuff.

SPEAKER_03 40:22

But what was important about doing that is we thought we were gonna be so in our like first conversations about this, like, hey, we're gonna hire one, like the three of us had an idea of like what we wanted this person to do, because that was really the thing, is like which which of those three buckets are they gonna like take over? And we all kind of thought they were gonna do like one thing, and then after doing this task audit, it actually became something completely different.

SPEAKER_04 40:41

Our actual need is this, right?

SPEAKER_03 40:44

Because it was like the marketing side of it, because like I oh, I love Canva. There's nothing that gets like the dopamine and serotonin blasting through my brain, then like pretty things and organizing it and making it look all like aesthetically pleasing, but like that was not the best use of my time when I looked at everything else that had to be done because it was sorted out by like here's what needs to be done, but who has to do it? Is is this something that you can hand off to somebody? And if it was like no, okay, then I have to. And once it was like a visual of being able to see, like, but these are the things that we do have to do, and this can be passed off, and so this also isn't the best uh use of your time when you could be doing this instead. We were like okay, so I guess we're just doing that then.

SPEAKER_06 41:22

So that's basically the entire hiring process. So you guys like like to get tactical and technical. I mean, literally you just put the task you'd say, Do you have an affinity for it?

SPEAKER_07 41:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 41:32

Right? Like, do you like doing it? Do you like this? Do you hate it? Do you like doing it? And then your capabilities, are you good at it or do you suck at it? Like you love doing it, but like a lot of times you're if you're really good at something, you don't like hate doing it. But um, and then it is says it asks AED, automate, eliminate, or delegate.

SPEAKER_07 41:52

Nice.

SPEAKER_06 41:53

Right? So if it's something you don't like doing, are you gonna automate it? You're gonna edit you're gonna eliminate it, or you're gonna delegate it, and then it's assigns who's actually going to do it. And then the best part about it is what is the dollar per value or uh the dollar value to that task. Is it are you do you love doing eight dollar tasks, an eight dollar an hour task, or do you love doing a thousand plus hour you know per hour tasks? Yeah. So it's like puts a real value on that that thing. It's like you might love doing this type of stuff, but you're doing all this like stuff that's that you can just you're valuing and allocating your time that's right properly.

SPEAKER_08 42:28

Because again, like you had said, it's like we we kind of do a little bit of everything, especially when you get started. Yeah. And I think for me too, like when I went through something similar to you, where I had this large group of people that I was responsible for, and that didn't work anymore, that partnership didn't work. I had the opportunity to be like, well, what do I want to do? Like, where where do I want to spend my time? And we were already like investing in developing real estate, so that was that was one thing I wanted to keep doing. But the one thing I really came back to is like I just want to keep helping the good people I know buy and sell real estate or invest in real estate. And and I'm in a spot right now where that that is manageable. You know, I outsource to a transaction coordinator, but I can do all my own marketing, like I can I can do that right now. My team's real small, it's basically like me and my brother Ryan and I is like the team, let's call it, and a couple of people who do business here and there. And I think for me, will that continue for the next like couple years? I don't know. Probably. Or will it turn into kind of something like what you're doing? You're bringing in more of a group of people again. Like maybe I find another Ryan, like someone that I know who's working alongside me who doesn't practice as much, or like maybe it's someone who's doing a few mill in volume and they're like, Hey, you know, I just want to like kinda like be a part of this. You know, I want to learn more about investment or more about podcasting, whatever it is.

SPEAKER_03 43:47

Well that's what's great about this industry is you have the flexibility and you have the ability to do that. It's just I mean, like you said before, there is no ceiling. You can just ceiling. You can just keep running or do what you need to do and then like, you know. As things as like markets change or just as needs change or just you know as a society change, you can just pivot and do things to accommodate.

SPEAKER_06 44:08

There is no industry that has, I mean, for that little piece of paper, that real estate license, it gets you access to so much fun stuff. Yeah. You know? And like I mean, and and money. Like if you work for it. Yeah, but if you work for it, like, I mean, you can make a lot of I mean, it's a pizza shell law school.

SPEAKER_07 44:27

Right.

SPEAKER_06 44:27

Right? And I mean, and we're you know, we're not like, you know, going in and and in a major litigation, you know, in front of the Supreme Court or anything like that.

SPEAKER_08 44:35

We are on the phone sometimes.

SPEAKER_06 44:36

But I'll tell you, I'll tell you you have 40, you have forty, if you have 40 families a year safely move and transition, it's a big deal. It is. And I think people take that for granted. And yeah, she was saying earlier about like people being overpaid. It's like I mean, we're we're all in the we're all in the trenches. Like, it's a big deal, man. These people like they're stressed, you know, and it like we get the like kind of the easy part. Like, I gotta pack all the shit up. Yeah. Like, I like always talk to my my I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 45:06

I have packed some things up before some clients, but also physically myself.

SPEAKER_06 45:10

I I always joke with my seller. I said, you know, there's gonna be a moment when you're like, you're moving out of this house and you're gonna go and you're gonna open up the drawer and you're like, I can't believe like so much stuff. Yeah, so much stuff. And I said, at that point, you want to just take a deep breath and just realize that you're gonna be in your new house before you know it. Yeah, but it is really stressful, you know. And and so you know, we never take that for granted.

SPEAKER_03 45:34

Talk about full circle, it brings us back to why we named the podcast, but we didn't think sucks. Yeah, does it does?

SPEAKER_08 45:40

I don't think anyone disagrees with that either.

SPEAKER_02 45:42

Yeah, I don't think anyone But the tagline is it's time to fix it.

SPEAKER_08 45:45

It's time we fixed that, yeah. Um, all right. So here's a good one. You guys both gave tips for listeners and watchers of bricks and wrists. So Seth had said getting into better rooms, and Jen had said don't try to figure it all out on your own. We'll start with Jen on this one. Why did you put that down as a tip for listeners and watchers?

SPEAKER_03 46:04

Um well to bring us back to what I was saying a little bit ago is um because people don't need to figure this out themselves. Like to want to buy or sell a house, a lot of people just try to go and do their their own uh their own research, the aka they doom scrolled and found somebody who's saying something, and then it gets either defeating or it gets overwhelming, or like, or worse, they think they know and that is worse. And then come to find out that like then it's having to just like retrain people anyway. I'll just say um you you don't have to go through all of that. You need to make one call and that's it. You just like uh to the right person. Um you need like you need to call the agent and that's he gets on. Um but no, like you just you need to make one call, and that's literally all you have to do. Like you don't have to schedule your own showings, you don't have to figure out what your home is worth, you don't have to figure out how much you think you can afford. You don't you literally don't you don't have to I mean you you should budget, um, obviously. Like you have to do what we tell you to do, but like you just need to pick up the phone and make one call or shoot one text and just be open and willing to take our hands. Trusted advisor.

SPEAKER_04 47:19

Well, that's what it is, too. You've been through hundreds of sales, you've kind of seen the lay of the lane, seen all the pitfalls of buying and selling and listing, and like you've seen it all. So, like, is it okay to go about this and try to figure this out on your own or try to find someone that has seen it all that can guide you?

SPEAKER_03 47:39

Right. And this is not one of those things where you want to learn by um like learn. Yeah, you don't want to do trial and error on this one. This is not one you want to, you know, learn by failing. That's a very, very costly lesson to learn when you're emotionally and financially. Honestly. And like, I mean you talk about the emotionally, it's like, you know, you try to figure it all out, and then it gets again, it gets overwhelming, and then you just shut down and you get analysis paralysis, and then you just like you don't take any action because you convince yourself you can't do something, which is why I always say, like, don't figure it out yourself, just be willing to have the conversations with the people I'm gonna introduce you to, like, even down to you don't even have to have your perfect house figured out necessarily, like, you only just need to know that you want to do it. And then we got it from there. Like, we have a questionnaire, it literally breaks down. It's like a seven-page buyer questionnaire, which is very easily broken down to be able to just like guide the conversations of like what you want and don't want. It'll change as we go. It's a this, I guess. But it's like a it's an open conversation to be able to like really narrow down what's important, have them identify, oh, I guess that's not really important. And again, it might change, but to be able to like pinpoint that and we use that to be able to go out and you know, not waste your time. The wasting our time is not doing what we have to do.

SPEAKER_06 48:54

It replaces like five, six showings. So a lot of agents will just take them out and be like, and they do that discovery process by like, let's just go out and explore. I'm like, I don't have time to explore. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 49:02

You're like task auditing your clients.

SPEAKER_06 49:04

Yeah, but um, but I'm like speaking your language. Yeah. No, no, no, but I'm like, I'm like, why you this is uh and I explained to them exactly how they're supposed to do it. I said, this is after the kids go to bed. You guys pour yourself a glass of wine and you sit down and you do this together. And I said, you have to do it together because it's gonna ask you questions, first of all, you didn't even know you needed to have asked. But it's also gonna ask you questions you think you know what each other are gonna answer, but it you can only check one box.

SPEAKER_07 49:29

Right.

SPEAKER_06 49:30

And I said, I've been doing this a long time. I am going to know whether like one of you like filled it out at work on three or three o'clock in the afternoon, like before our seven o'clock appointment. Fool me, people. I I said, I will send you back to fill it out together. I said, because I'm gonna know, because I'm gonna know when we go out that that questionnaire stops aligning with what you guys are saying. I'll be like, You are a kid.

SPEAKER_05 49:55

Did you did you fill this out, Ray?

SPEAKER_06 49:57

Because there's Sammy. We just found her a house. Ray had nothing to do with the questionnaire. And so we when we went out, Sammy's all Sammy's stuff was on that questionnaire. And I said, Ray, did you help Sammy fill this out or did she just fill it out? He's like, Well, I had a yeah, he's a cop. He's like, I had a 12 and 12, and he's like, I I I couldn't look at it. So she just filled it out. And I said, Okay. You guys are gonna go home. No, I know you guys are gonna go home. You're both grounded together, yeah. And then we're gonna re-acclimate, and then and we saw four more houses and we were under contract.

SPEAKER_03 50:32

And it's like, and it's an accountability piece too, because you know, um, some I mean, there is a there's a type of person who has like that wandering eye of just like, ooh, shiny, pretty, whatever, and can kind of get it torn in, like, they'll contradict themselves. And it's like, it's that thing where I can kind of rope them back in and be like, now remember. Yeah, this is what I said you want to go see that. This is the form. This is what you filled, yeah. This is the one thing you said you didn't want, or it's like a like if they say, Oh no, but like, you know what, that's not really all that important. I'm like, okay, so the fact that you both came together and spent some quality time and actually writing this out, and the five other showings that we just had where you specifically said I have to have a second toilet, and now you're telling me it's not that important, uh, says that was a lie.

SPEAKER_06 51:15

So, yes, it is that important because that was a lie. You are not the father. You don't need a second toilet.

SPEAKER_03 51:23

You're not the father. Oh, now it's got two sales going. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_08 51:27

All right. So, Seth, let's get into yours too. So you had said getting into better rooms. So what why does that resonate?

SPEAKER_06 51:35

Because I think that uh kind of piggyback on what she said is that you know you don't have to go it alone. But you know, people think better rooms meaning like uh, you know, masterminds and you know Tony Robbins and all that stuff. But like a better room can be a book, it can be a podcast, it can be like just putting your brain in a different environment. Yeah, you know, it is uh yeah, you can get on a plant, and one of the reasons I'm at Reel is because I and I was literally just talking to uh Dustin, um who's our uh one of my or is a co-sponsor. Um I just at the end of last year, I just said, you know what, I I need to get I need to get out of here.

SPEAKER_03 52:13

So it was a really crazy last two December with this one thinking.

unknown 52:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:19

There's been lots of changes. I said, I said last year, I said next December, which is now right now. So we're not doing this.

SPEAKER_08 52:25

Last December like this.

SPEAKER_03 52:26

No more big changes coming in December going forward, or we couldn't have so yeah, it was last October, and you know, Dustin just, you know, he's like a tide.

SPEAKER_06 52:34

Dustin Broom. Yeah, Dustin Brum. He just keeps sending these emails, and I just finally clicked on one. I was like, you know what? He's you know, he's I'm gonna go out to Salt Lake and see. Cool. And uh like that's a better room, obviously.

SPEAKER_03 52:44

But um talking about Dustin Brum, if we are gonna credit somebody for the moving sucks name. Yeah, he we it actually is Dustin Brom.

SPEAKER_06 52:51

We've we brainstormed with the colour.

SPEAKER_03 52:52

We had him on speedphone while we're in the car. And I'm like, I need you to settle something for us.

SPEAKER_08 52:56

We had a you know, we had him on. We had a conversation. It was awesome. Oh, he's got some wealth and knowledge.

SPEAKER_06 53:01

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And uh yeah, he's got a really cool backstory. But um no better rooms is also it's the relationships you have. It's and it's also not inviting people into your room. It's telling people that they can't come anymore. And that's from that's the relationships, it's your partnerships, it's your clients. Like, I don't want to work with assholes.

SPEAKER_08 53:21

You know, you know what you want. Like you're not gonna deadbolt on the door. Like like the famous Mooney Insurance Brokerage Deadbolt in Ambler, where we always made a chance. Not allowed in. He just locks his office. He's on Butler in Ambler.

SPEAKER_11 53:35

Okay, so are we?

SPEAKER_08 53:36

I'm like, you're on Butler in Ambler, and yet you don't want anyone walking into your office. Nope. Why don't you get off a butler? Give it away. Go back in a corner somewhere. I didn't want to cycle antique shops or garages in the neighborhood. Anyway. Um, all right, so that's super helpful. All right, one thing we like to get into too is you know, there's a lot of great stuff about people's businesses and the things they're doing, but biggest struggle. So Seth had put scaling the team has been hard. So I had a question here. It's like, why scale anyway? Why do you want to scale the team? You had made mention of it earlier, like I don't want to be the boots on the ground every time someone needs help. But what why scale the team? Like, why has that been hard?

SPEAKER_06 54:17

Um, well, scaling the team has been uh well, I scaled it the wrong way, but in the you know, previously. Um and I've had to do a lot of for the last two years since I let those people go, I've had to build all those systems out. So that's been the hard part is like kind of preparing to like grow a little bit. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 54:37

But I'm not just trying to find more agents like me. I mean possible.

SPEAKER_06 54:41

Big shoes to fill. I mean, let's be honest. Brutal task ever. There is only one Jen Nanatsky, let's say everybody knows that. Yeah, go ahead. Uh and in the end, it's been it's just been hard because I'm I'm looking for a specific agent. It's not everyone can come again, better rooms. It's about like protecting the room too.

SPEAKER_08 55:04

Right people.

SPEAKER_06 55:04

And um so that's been hard. Um but also just the the business is the business just keeps coming. So it's like this duality of like, you know, people keep calling me and wanting to do more and more and more and more and more, and I need agents to service it, and I need the systems and this personnel to like to do it. It's it's a very actually a very common like business problem.

SPEAKER_07 55:23

It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 55:24

You know, I mean, uh and that's really what a team is. It's just it's a it's a small business. Um, I think a lot of people don't think about it that way because it's like it's shot shrouded or under a brokerage. Yeah. But it really, I mean, by all the business metrics and mechanics, it is.

SPEAKER_08 55:38

I mean scaling by need instead of like by want. Like there's plenty of people in our industry who are like, I want a team.

SPEAKER_06 55:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 55:45

I want to lead a team. I want my you know, my face to be front and center and know that I got like two people or ten people or fifty people right behind me. There's some people who just want to do that. Then there's people who need to do that. You get to a point where you're like, there are not enough hours in the day to help all these good people get to where they're going and make good money while doing it. So therefore, there's there's the need to bring in additional help, whether it's administrative help or agent help or marketing help or operational or whatever. And that scaling by need, in my own opinion, probably the same as you, is the right way to do it. Because you're like, we are growing through necessity. Like we need people because we can't do it. We're gonna lose opportunity because I forgot to get back to them. I had to get back to five people today, I waited two days, it hit me, and now they're pissed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 56:38

Well, and that was the thing too. I had to like transition my brain into thinking from like going from like a, I guess you could say corporatized, like industry where you know, you just have like my thing was always like I got the promotion. Okay, what's what's the next one? Right. Okay, what's next? Like, okay, I just got that cool next. Like, what what is my next like level up to? So like when I started real estate and he's asking me, like, well, you know, what's your like your five-year-old? I was like, I want to be a team leader because I just thought that was like, you know, next up, and then and then a broker. And then it's like, but no, it there that that's not how it works. Like your your level of like progression within like your business is just like beating out yourself and just being able to have systems to be able to do that. And it's like if it's building out a team or if it's partnering, or you know, it's there is no actual like, you know, ladder, uh, like career ladder, if you will, by like a role name, as much as it is like a modifying your business to meet the needs of what you need to be able to be successful for yourself, whatever that is for you. I mean, not everybody has the same definition.

SPEAKER_04 57:36

Yeah, but you can have a better year, right? My goals are this this year compared to last year. Right. And if I reach these goals, then I am doing better. And I don't need the title to validate my success.

SPEAKER_00 57:51

Right.

SPEAKER_08 57:52

And you're working on something now, Jen, that's kind of like almost like you know, piggybacking on some of the things we're talking about. Talk about your business thing that we were talking about earlier before we started.

SPEAKER_03 58:02

Yes. Uh prep uh preparation without the pressure. So prep without the pressure, it's literally just like um I'm on the phone with my lender, we were just chit-chatting. It's like two days before Thanksgiving, and we were just like checking in with each other, like, hey, what's been going on? Like uh as we get talking, I'm on this rant. I know, me ranting could never. Um and I was like, if there's just one message that I could get out to people in 2026, it's that like just plan. Like uh you're not, I am not a pushy salesperson when I try to say that like you need that we're now in a time where buying a house requires so much more planning than it ever needed to before. Like it's not lost on me that when I bought my house in 2016, well 2016 is 2016 17, like I said impulsively, I'm gonna buy a house. Like, oh, my lease is gonna be up and my friend is wondering now I'm just gonna go buy a house instead. And I made that decision in what I think like October or November, and then I settled in February. But like it's not that's not how it works anymore. I mean it can with the right person, but like it's not pretty, it's not as simple as that because you know, cost of living's gone up and um house prices have gone up, interest rates have gone up, you know, everything's gone up. So like it's not unattainable. So it's you know, I want the people who just have the thought I want to, because I was like, but so many more people want to do this, but just think that they can't, or just don't know where to start, or are afraid to say that they want to, or just have already told themselves they can't.

SPEAKER_04 59:29

I want to Or can't get the plan in place to get on the right track to get going. True. It's like you by doing that is like setting them up to get them on the track.

SPEAKER_03 59:39

Yeah, so it's called planning without pressure. So we just put a name to it, and I was like, she's like, we can do webinars with it, we can just like just put things out for it. It's a mindset. It is a mindset, and it's all it is is it's with no pressure to actually like go into it right now, but you might find that you can. And that's the thing. Like Seth asked me like early, it was probably like mid-year this year, um, as you know, where like I'm third to see kind of like where you know some other deals may come from. And he was like, Well, where are the people that have said like you know, three years ago that they're gonna look in like three years? And I was like, I talked to them then and they bought within that year. And like, because like you know, as soon as you take that step and like you know, follow our instructions and our guides, it's like I'm not gonna make you go buy right away if like that's the same.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:27

But they might be more comfortable with the idea or the. Yeah, they're more ready than they think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:33

Or the opposite, because then also what I find is then the literal polar opposite is people saying, like, well, I'll reach out to you when I'm ready. Then, you know, they're mentally ready. We then go to the lender, they have their stuff run and come to find like, you know, maybe their credit like qualifies for a loan, but like it bumps them right down to FHA where they could be in a far stronger borrowing position had if they just do X, Y, Z. And then there's people who just think that there's just so many layers to it. It could be credit, it can be income, it can be debts, and there's just a lot of like micro decisions that are made that will impact your ability to borrow and ability to buy that you can be making. Like, let's say, let's say you want to buy in two years. That this is not too soon to talk to me about it. Like, I want to buy in two years. Okay, talk to me right now and talk to me and my lender right now because you know, if within that two years, what's like what kind of things are gonna happen? Like, do you get a bonus? Hey, so like you get that bonus, you can reach out to Megan, my lender, and say, what's the best place, where's the best place for me to put that bonus? Like for like ready. Right. Or, you know, if there's like credit, you're in credit card debt and you're working to like pay that off. Well, how much and what is the most strategic way to do that that's going to benefit your home buying position?

SPEAKER_06 1:01:46

By the way, if you want any more answers on this, you can watch the Moving Sucks podcast. Yeah, yeah, release weekly.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:53

Sorry, scroll that through. It's great plug.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:55

More 90s. So that so this program, Moving Sucks, it's all an extension of just our philosophy as a team. I mean, I I always say uh we work with people one, two, three years out because as affordability started to just outstrip income, like it's just logic. You need more of a plan now.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:13

Yeah. Do you guys have any fun on the podcast?

SPEAKER_03 1:02:15

No, it's really dry and boring.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:17

That's what I figure.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:19

I mean, I had to step back from it for a couple months. Um, and I'm sure I'm sure it's just as lively without me. Yeah. But I'm back.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:27

I got I got to just talk about it. Livelier.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:29

You got to make them 20 minutes again. And then I came back and they're back later.

SPEAKER_08 1:02:35

It's like Game of Thrones.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:37

Like, can I can I can I watch eight seasons of Game of Thrones ever?

SPEAKER_08 1:02:40

Definitely can. Um, cool. So uh quotes, you both had one. So, Seth, we'll start with you. If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. I was just gonna say that. This goes back probably back to what you were saying before. Is this is this something you just said? Did you get this uh from somewhere or someone else said?

SPEAKER_06 1:02:59

It feels like it's uh almost like a Jim Rohnish, Brian Tracy-ish type quote I probably picked up. I don't think it's original, but I definitely uh as you build a real estate career, um, you know, uh whether it's you're on like within your team or at your brokerage, like I I feel like there's some brokerages out there that are kind of out of ideas.

SPEAKER_08 1:03:22

You know, uh or just maybe of like an outdated way of doing business or philosophy or whatever.

SPEAKER_11 1:03:28

Like there's not a lot of information.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:30

Yeah, there's not a lot of innovation, you know, and they they at one point were a very innovative company, or there was a there was a lot of smart people.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:38

We're all talking about the same company. What I I think we're all talking about the same company, but go on.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:42

Well, I I could mention multiple companies. Um, but in the end, uh but it's also, you know, um, you know, if you don't have the answer, you go find it.

SPEAKER_08 1:03:50

Yeah, you know it's for you personally.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:52

Yeah, it can be it can be for a lot of things, just like kind of like the better rooms.

SPEAKER_08 1:03:56

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:57

Um it's uh it's one that I agree with that um I don't know everything. There's humility in it too. It's like I don't know everything, so I'm gonna go and get the answers from the people that do.

SPEAKER_08 1:04:08

It's awesome. And then so Jen, yours was no problems, just solutions. All right, we're gonna we're gonna need like an hour.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:16

By Jeninusky.

SPEAKER_08 1:04:18

Why why that one?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:19

Uh wait, you didn't do the By Genesky. It's funnier when he tries to do it by pretending to be so.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:28

It's like it's just so Gen X. So Gen X.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:32

Um No, it came from uh so I ran a store, I ran aspirations store, store manager there, partnered with corporate, um, and making a lot of decisions with uh company wide across Wolverine worldwide. Um and they were just so I come came to found find that I uh got sick of hearing my name. Like I'm not Jen anymore, I'm Janice. Like don't I don't want to hear it anymore. And so people coming up to me with all these problems, and if I heard one more time, Jen, we have a problem, I'm like don't come to me with a problem, come to me with a solution. And I'm like, if you're coming to me with a problem, all you're doing is complaining. If you come to me with a problem and a proposed solution, even if it's not the best one, I am thrilled that you are thinking, like, let's do it. So I would always say, Oh, nope, we don't have problems, we have solutions. And then, and I used to say that in retail all the time. I'm like, I'm like, Jen, we have a problem. I'm like, no, we don't. We have the solution. What is it? And that's just something I kept being known for. So I uh my old uh in retail, they'd call me Janusk or uh Janusky, and uh because there's multiple gens. And uh, if I ever heard, hey, we have a problem, I'm like, nope, we don't. We got a solution. What's it gonna be? And then I came into real estate and I was just like, no problems, just solutions.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:46

Good stuff.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:46

And our office, we uh I'll do that. Uh so Trudy in my office, she'll come to me with something. And I'm like, uh, okay, so what is your plan? What I always ask her, I said, give me. Two solutions and tell me which one is the better solution. And so it it really allows you to think. Right. But then it's like, give me two, and then you have to argue why this is the better. Like it just kind of retrains your brain to You argue? No. Me? No. No.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:19

No, I'd have my assistants calling me while I'm off. And it would be like, Jen, there's blah blah blah. Like, tell me something. And I go, okay. So what did you do to try to handle this yourself before you called me?

SPEAKER_10 1:06:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:31

Well, I just wanted to see what you thought. I said, when have I ever pushed back on you and given you crap for making a decision? I said, and if I think it's not the best one, that's fine. We'll talk about that. I said, but I'm always gonna love if you just took the initiative to try to do something. And if you can back it up, awesome. But just you let just throw something.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:54

And I I also um uh tell the agents, like, we don't car clients with uh problem and not a solution. Yeah, I'd rather wait an hour and have a solution because you call me and be like, well, listen to the appraisal came in low, and then they're like, now what? It's like well, I gotta I gotta go back and check. Like, no, there's there's the four things that can happen, right?

SPEAKER_04 1:07:13

And and uh well, especially in that moment, because in that moment, it's like if you drop that on them, it's like that next it changes the whole thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:24

They already have fear. Why are you giving them more? Right.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:26

Well, but it but it's also that like that conversation, if it's not handled well, is something they're going to tell their friends for years.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:33

Yeah, it's true.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:34

They're gonna be like, oh my god, we and and they're not gonna say, like, well, he called me and he had the problem solution, but they'll be like, he didn't really like know how to handle things, like that'll be their lasting memory, and like right there, there's no referrals coming from that person.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:48

Well, it's like, and we don't sell houses, we just solve problems. Yeah, that's like that's what our job is. Yeah, we don't like a house will sell itself. If somebody likes a house enough, that's what'll sell it. It's like we just but we solve the problems that come along with it.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:02

We like real estate agents, we facilitate the sale. We don't really sell, it's too slow, it's too big. Like you can't be like, but wait, there's more, like and open up a door and be like, I'll buy it.

SPEAKER_10 1:08:14

Try again. Boom.

SPEAKER_08 1:08:15

Like we're like we're more like navigators, yeah, guides, process, captain of the ship. Yeah, our job is yeah, our job is to let people know divorce counseling. Okay, well, choppy waters ahead. Okay, here's what here's what we can do. We can go straight through it, or we could do this, or we could do that. And then that allows people to really think on their toes and be like, you know what? Yeah, to go that way.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:37

And it's guides too, which is like my big thing is like, and I always say this is like more so selfishly than anything, I guess you could say, but in like, say, like for my buyer's process, like I and we differ a little bit on this approach, but mine is like I have my buyer's packet, a copy of the agreement, like all the offer documents are in it. And I go through highlighted sections of the agreement of sale. I'm like, when we go to write an offer, I need five things from you. They're highlighted here. I said, and all I want, I said, I'm gonna go through all of this with you, and it's gonna be really damn boring. I said, and you're gonna retain maybe 40% of it, and that's fine. I said, I want this to be look familiar by the time I need it back. I said, and things remove, like, you know, past like four years, things are moving really, really quick. And I'm like, we don't have time to wait. I don't have time to wait for your docusign. Like, fastest way to my heart is to get a docusign back before my butt can get out of my seat after I hit send. I'm like, okay. So, like, if the less fewer questions you have by the time I send that over, nice. Awesome. So I'd rather like run through all of that with you at first. What questions do you have about what this means? And then when we go to write an offer, you already know the things that I need to know, and then leave it to me and I go do the rest.

SPEAKER_08 1:09:49

Very cool. All right, guys. So before we shut this one down, why don't you tell our watchers and listeners where they can learn more about you and everything you got going on?

SPEAKER_06 1:09:59

Uh, you can find me on Instagram at asketh anything. Uh, we're with the handle, by the way. I know.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:06

It's true.

SPEAKER_06 1:10:07

Yes, really. Like, I'm Did Dustin come up with that? No. That was 2015, man. Oh, look at that. I I started a brand right out of the gate, and I wanted to become I wanted a brand that was recession proof. That and maybe we'll come back and we'll talk a little bit more about it. No matter what market you're in. No, but no, but about the industry itself. And like, I have a really strong feeling. Like a lot of people built these like goofy TikTok followings. But like, if the market turns, like people are gonna want people who know what what they're talking about. True. And it's also just who I am. Like, you're never gonna see me like popping bubbles on TikTok or like in front of a Corvette or anything like that. It's like what you see is what you get, but I'm like very it's an extension of our brand, which is education. Um, so you can find me at SSAnything or at moving sucks podcast on Instagram. Phenomenal. Um, you know, I'm just gonna do that. Yeah, or on YouTube under the same handle this stuff.

SPEAKER_07 1:11:02

How about you, Jen? What's your handle?

SPEAKER_03 1:11:04

Uh Janusky gets it done. So Jay Nusky. Because it's a really easy thing to remember. You know, I won't say on a podcast how you can remember how to spell it, but it's fine. Um, so Januski gets it done. Or Janusky if you want to add me, but that one's private. Uh, or the Moving Sucks podcast.

SPEAKER_08 1:11:20

All right. Well, that's all we have for this one, folks. Thank you for tuning in again to another episode of Bricks and Risk. See you next week. Thank you for joining us on another episode of Bricks and Risk. Our goal is that you walk away with one or two valuable nuggets, and we greatly appreciate you sharing your time with us today. You can find all BR episodes on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and anywhere else you get your podcast content. Until next time, keep learning and keep growing.