Work Hard, Play Hard, and Give Back - A Real Estate Podcast

S1E7 - Debra Asher: Real Estate Education & Adapting for Success

• Coldwell Banker American Homes • Season 1 • Episode 7

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What if the key to success in real estate is continuous learning and adaptation? Join us as we welcome Deb Asher, Director of Business Development for Coldwell Banker American Homes, to share her wealth of experience and insights on the importance of education in the real estate industry. Deb delves into the Academy at American Homes, an education platform offering a wide range of sessions featuring managers, attorneys, vendors, and real estate professionals. She also discusses the role of technology and flexibility provided by pre-recorded sessions, making it easier for agents to access the information they need.

Ever wondered how a real estate professional can transition from managing an office to becoming a trainer and co-founder of a training firm? Listen as we recount the inspiring journey of a real estate professional who overcame significant challenges to co-found ProCaliber Associates. This segment highlights the importance of ongoing training and adapting communication skills to better serve clients, ultimately aiming to elevate industry standards. Learn about the "Soaring to Success" course, a comprehensive program designed to help agents refine their skills and achieve higher levels of success.

As the real estate industry evolves, so too must the practices and strategies of those within it. We explore the enduring fundamentals of effective communication and understanding client needs amidst changing technologies and practices. Special attention is given to the decoupling of commissions between buyer and seller agents, and the educational efforts required to adapt to this shift. Finally, get to know Deb's adventurous spirit, from her skydiving and flying experiences to her involvement with the Heart of American Homes Foundation, showcasing her passion for giving back to the community. This episode is brimming with valuable insights and personal anecdotes, making it a must-listen for anyone in the real estate field.

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Speaker 1:

Hi, welcome to Work Hard, play Hard and Give Back a real estate podcast. I'm Mike Litzner, broker owner of Colwell Banker. Here we are at the studio at American Homes at Smithtown and I have our guest speaker today, deb Asher, director of Business Development for Colwell Banker American Homes. Welcome to the show.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much, Michael. I really feel so honored to be here Great.

Speaker 1:

No, it's our honor to have you. I know we have a great story to tell today, so I'm excited to get started.

Speaker 1:

Excited to get started so it's going to be great. Just before we get into it, just remember to like, subscribe and don't forget to stay. For the end we have to drop the mic question. It's always a lot of fun. So you bring so much experience to the table for real estate, you know as director of business development. Tell us a little bit about what your title slash job. What does that mean for for real estate agents?

Speaker 2:

I would say that my position uh brings to the table for our real estate professionals the education platform. We have a huge education platform and, in my opinion, education is something that is a constant, no matter how long you've been in the industry, especially with things changing. We have big changes.

Speaker 1:

Now more than ever.

Speaker 2:

Now more than ever, the focus is to provide as much information, education possible and support that's all kind of connected to our team. You know the education platform isn't just directed at myself. You know I do a lot of the sessions, but what I love about it is that we have diverse speakers. We have managers, we have attorneys, we have some of our vendors from the mortgage industry, we have our own real estate professionals that take a session on and it really gives the overall information that's necessary to run your business.

Speaker 1:

Right, which is great. So what you're referencing just so our audience is on the same page with us is the Academy at American Alms.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. I was going to add that in the sense of on the JET platform. It's not only the platform that's there. We have so many tools that is all broker-provided, but all of those tools are all connected to the education. So it's not. Yes, the Academy is there every. What I always want to make clear to everybody, because I get questions when are sessions, what's the date? And it's there. Our program is out now until December. So you know I try to reinforce. Anyone that wants to know what's happening, when it's happening, can go on to the Academy and check the schedule, put a date down that is in November, if they wanted to, for a specific topic in addition on the calendar now and save it to their calendar now.

Speaker 2:

And we also have on the Academy the pre-recorded sessions. So every session that we do is pre-recorded. So I love that, also because we have a lot of technology sessions and it gives people the opportunity and I reinforce that when the session is live, I reinforce that you can listen, take notes. Don't try to do it while it's being live, because it's a lot, it's a lot of information.

Speaker 1:

If you're too busy you're not listening. Then you miss the next part of it.

Speaker 2:

Exactly exactly. So they have the opportunity to go into the library and, to you know, choose whatever topic you know, and if it's technology, obviously they could stop it. They could, you know, practice it, they could practice it, they could go back and look at it again. And the Jet platform is all part of the business development.

Speaker 1:

So let me dive into something here first. So obviously I'm familiar with the Academy at American Homes and I will just say it's an impressive platform. I don't think there's anyone in our industry locally that has anything like it. So, as someone who's had a front row seat to see it organically developed, and you being a major proponent, leader in developing this, it's an incredible platform that needs to be looked at and taken advantage of. So obviously, in developing this, it's an incredible platform that needs to be looked at and taken advantage of. So obviously, in developing this and looking at this, your background is in education. So why don't we go back a few steps, a little bit, and say, well, how does someone get their real estate license, start in sales and then they pivot to education? What light goes off that says, okay, I'm going to be an educator?

Speaker 2:

Well, it's so funny that you should say that, because I was just speaking to somebody the other day and we were talking about longevity in a career. Yeah, so I don't know if it's on your questions there, but—.

Speaker 1:

No, I'm keeping them secret. You'll find out when you're ready, when you're ready.

Speaker 2:

But I started my career in 1982. Yeah, a couple of years ago. A couple of years ago.

Speaker 1:

Deborah Asher has been a realtor for over 22 years. Her career has spanned every aspect of the real estate industry sales management recruiting, training, coaching and motivational speaking on a local and national level.

Speaker 2:

The thing that I was saying to this person the other day, you know, when we talked about longevity, I said, listen, I don't think. At least I didn't. You know, go through high school and say, oh, when I grow up or be a little kid, you know who wants to be a fireman or a policeman, and you know, I don't think we have kids running around going. I want to be a realtor, you know. So what actually happened for me to get started?

Speaker 2:

In 82, we were in our home first purchase seven years, four bedroom, two bath, six-year-old splanch home in Selden for $34,000. That'll give you an idea. And seven years later I had three children. The youngest was two, you know, two, four and seven. And I was looking for some income supplement, right. And I was looking through the penny saver and you know there was an ad real estate, sales, part-time, full-time, be your own boss, make your own hours, unlimited income, kind of like we have today, only it's on the internet today, right, and I, you know, I was like, oh, real estate, you know that guy who sold us our house.

Speaker 1:

He didn't, he really didn't do anything.

Speaker 2:

You know, showed us there's a lot of realtors listening today.

Speaker 1:

Right, but this is the truth.

Speaker 2:

I have to tell it because it's I share it when I do my my classes. You know, he didn't really do anything. You know, showed us three houses. The first one was beautiful, that's the one we bought. The other two were not, and you know, and that was it. So when I looked at this ad, I was like I could do that. You know, perception yes.

Speaker 1:

All right, that's a good agent who made it look easy.

Speaker 2:

The perception of the consumer, even today that comes into the industry, of the consumer, even today that comes into the industry, doesn't necessarily take in everything that this position holds. I am so focused on belief of everyone who comes into this industry wants to be successful. The thing is, they must recognize that they're a business owner, right.

Speaker 1:

It's a business owner. We always say you're in business for yourself, but not by yourself.

Speaker 2:

Exactly, and what ended up happening was that I went on an interview and at that time you didn't have to take any schooling, you just studied for the Department of State test. You took the test, got your license, they gave you a year to see if you liked it, and then you took a 45-hour course and so I started with a broker that I interviewed and he said oh, you're going to get a desk and you're going to get a phone and business cards and leads. I was like three kids.

Speaker 1:

Let me get out. That was a big deal in the early 80s. Now kids grow up with it. Yes, I know, At three years old they get a desk and a phone.

Speaker 2:

But the bottom line was that when I was told you know where are the leads, you know you've got to go out there and get them, I was like what? So I said I'm going to do this, I'm going to make my one sale and then that's it. But that wasn't it. The idea for me, and what I share, is that this is the most amazing business to be an entrepreneur, to have an unlimited income of what you want to earn.

Speaker 2:

And I think what ended up happening with me kind of going from sales which I loved when I was in sales I had left that one company. I was only there a couple of weeks and I joined an independent company that grew to 17, 18 offices and I kind of grew with that company and there were things that I found out about myself that you don't know, things that I found out about myself that you don't know. You know you don't realize. And I think that to me, when I was kind of pointed to education while I was with the company, I started to do some training. I became a director of recruiting there and training, but on not a scale like we have. I think maybe there were 175 agents at the time. It was something that I wanted to get out the word of my own you know trepidations and my own fears, and let everybody know that it's marvelous, it is wonderful and it's so rewarding, not only the financial part but the people part.

Speaker 1:

Right. Well, there's a fundamental in training and you and I have had this conversation. A lot of people think it's sales and it's press, press, press, press, sell, sell, sell, sell. And, as we always say, one of the fundamental principles of doing our business correctly is you get paid a lot of money to help people, and I don't think the average consumer understands that. There's a certain amount of agents that don't understand that either.

Speaker 1:

But when you're doing this correctly, you're putting your clients needs, wants, interest. You know in the forefront and you know guiding them and helping them. And that's when you touch on the rewarding. I think that's the part that people think when they say a realtor's oh, it's rewarding, they think it's all about the money and it's can be rewarding monetarily. You know, because in order to make money, you you've got to help other people. You get paid a lot of money to help other people. So as long as you keep your eye on that ball, you know it really helps everyone. So I think the most rewarding thing that hit me earlier on and maybe you experienced the same was I got to a closing and not only were they handing me a pretty large, large check. You know and I we've both been in this for 40 plus years, so I was young and it was like wow and our client came over and gave me a big hug exactly.

Speaker 1:

They're hugging you while they're giving you a big check. I'm like wow this is a really good business.

Speaker 2:

I like this exactly it is, and that, to me, is so rewarding. That accomplishment, that's huge. When you are helping people, regardless of whether somebody is moving, putting their home up for sale, moving to a new chapter, or somebody is beginning a new chapter in their life. It's a feeling that you have to experience it, to to um, you know, really get it. And I think that that is what I see in our um, in our real estate professionals.

Speaker 2:

You know, you, you you mentioned before about the, our education platform, the jet platform. You know what we have for our real estate professionals, what we provide them. I can actually say it's not existent in many of our competitors because it's not just teaching, it's what our leadership team, what everyone brings to the table to help that individual agent Support is critical. You know, I don't care what level of production somebody is at, Support is huge and you know so. It's not only that the tools are there, but, like anything, you know, even knowledge. Knowledge is wonderful, right, but it's the application of knowledge, yes, that that makes the success I always say, um, there's two sides of learning.

Speaker 1:

There's the information side, but then what did you learn? What are you going to do with it? So it what's the most most overlooked part of learning is the application, and if you don't use it, you lose it Exactly. So it's that one, too, and I think you know you have agents out there that's like, oh yeah, I know what I'm doing and going it alone as a maverick, I feel like you lose so much, right? Yes, over the years, right? So how many times have you had to learn and now relearn and then relearn? Yeah, how many times have you had to learn and now relearn and then relearn? Yeah, we talked about your advent, coming into the business. We talked about becoming a recruiter and growing, and then you switched at some point to become educator, and obviously your path goes further, because you talked about training nationally, across the country. So what was in the thought process, what was the light that went off, that you went to education? How did that happen?

Speaker 2:

I can't pinpoint that all right because I think it was a gradual thing, as I said, with the smaller company that you know well 18 offices, but smaller in a sense it was only in Suffolk County and I started to feel I was making a difference in people, people who came in maybe with those same perceptions that I had easy, you know and it was like a light that I saw in them to say oh yeah, I don't know what the word is, but every moment means something in your life. You know, you stop at a red light, or you don't make the light, or I don't know. I don't know what that word is Fate.

Speaker 1:

Fate or an epiphany.

Speaker 2:

Something, something to that effect. And I was brought into the Century 21 system to manage a new office that they had and I had an arrangement with this new broker and this was what was supposed to happen. And I went in, I had a little box of things that I set up on a desk and, you know, first week, second week went by and I'm doing what I'm supposed to do and his part now was supposed to come to do what he was supposed to do and nothing happened and I was like, okay, what's going on? And gave him another day or two and basically I wasn't compensated and I was like, yeah, this is not happening. And I got my little box back, put it all in, got in my car there's the curve in the road that we all experience in life, that we all experience in life.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but that segment, short as it was, led me to the gentleman who was the regional franchise salesperson and he knew me from my prior company trying to recruit the broker into the system at that time, and he met with me and then he set up an interview with the regional director and that regional director invited me to attend an event that they were having at the Huntington Townhouse. Now I'm really dating myself. Okay, target is there now okay. But I went in. Target is there now okay. But I went in and there had to be 700, 800 people overhead projector, because we're going back in the you know like 91 or something like that. And I watched him, you know, do this event speaking and everybody's at the edge of their seat.

Speaker 2:

So that evening I went for my interview. Now, mind you, the biggest amount of people that I probably spoke in front of was about maybe 75 at one time. And we're interviewing, we're talking, everything is going fine, and all of a sudden he looks at me, he goes. Were you at the event today? So I said yes, I was. He goes, what do you think? I said, oh, my God, it was amazing. Could you do that? I said do what he goes. Could you hold the attention of 750 people for three hours? I literally took a deep breath.

Speaker 2:

You feel like sinking and I looked at him with all the confidence in the world and said, absolutely. He says to me you're hired. Then I said can I excuse?

Speaker 1:

myself.

Speaker 2:

And I kind of walked out and I was like, oh my God, am I going to be in front of 700 people tomorrow? But somewhere there was that, something that desire to do that we have to come away from our real estate jargon. Our real estate jargon might be hi. My name is Marisha. I'm a GRI, I do a CMA which I'm MLS. What does that mean? It means nothing to the consumer Just because I got this position. There was constant training, learning.

Speaker 1:

What do you call it? Train the trainer.

Speaker 2:

Train the trainer. Yeah, I was very blessed with the foundation to bring the skills that were inside me but to make them more prevalent.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so now, over the years, this led to obviously not only training within the Century 21 system. How long did that last, by the way? Six years, Okay, and then is that where you pivoted to ProCalibur Associates.

Speaker 2:

Oh, yes, yes. Why don't you tell our?

Speaker 1:

audience about that. This is, I think, really a bold move on your part, but I give you so much credit. Thank you, because that's going to be a wonderful experience it was amazing.

Speaker 2:

At the time when I was with the system, there were lots of changes going on. Basically, the position of 60 regional trainers was reduced to six. I was honored to be one of those six, but it involved a totally different schedule. I still had a 15-year-old home, so it couldn't really work. What ended up happening was my life partner who at the time wasn't my life partner, but Peter Zaborski, also worked at the Center 21 system.

Speaker 2:

He was a great writer and I was a great I don't want to say great, I don't want to say that about myself deliverer, I could deliver messages and I've been fortunate to be told that by so many. You make it so easy to understand. So anyway, so I could be the deliverer, the communicator, and Peter and I started like talking and things like that, because I was traveling around the country with Century 21 at that time and what I recognized is that in the real estate industry, the training that was being provided, it wasn't just on Long Island or in New York or in the Northeast region, it was national and it was to me it was too salesy. It was too that pushy, hard sell. Not everyone can adapt to that and there were a lot of people coming in the industry and leaving the industry.

Speaker 1:

Unfortunately, I think that's still true today, though.

Speaker 2:

Not here for us, not at Coal Bank or American Homes. I like that. So we, you know we started to collaborate on different ideas and points of difference. You know, and you'll know, I know it's got to be in there somewhere, me being a pain about words, but that is all part of points of difference, taking that perception that I mentioned earlier, the job being easy. But the perception of the consumer is also that we don't do a lot and it's more on the negative side than positive. That's how it was in 1982. And it's not that much different today. So to me, anything that could be done to raise that level of professionalism the way we speak, the way we deliver the, the, the way we market ourselves um, it all falls together.

Speaker 1:

Focus on our client, which is amongst going back to some of the biggest changes now. Having a client and a fiduciary responsibility is overlooked too much and it needs to be the primary focus.

Speaker 2:

The primary focus. Would you agree with that Absolutely? And so, with Procaliber Associates, we became a corporation you know those big bottle plastic things with change that you fill with change. That's what we used. The funding Peter used his change change and we got our incorporated and the rest is history. Um started to market, he marketed, I went out. It started in broker offices, then it moved to um, uh, like the hotels where I now had conferences.

Speaker 1:

So what was the biggest audience?

Speaker 2:

Oh, probably about 1,200 people out in Colorado, because, from part of being pro-caliber, I became part of a speaker group and that gave me the opportunity to travel around the country and deliver programs that we wrote. And I'm still writing programs today. It's just doing things differently, you know, and it's very important, and I'm so taken back if I go to a library function or something and I see people who took a class in 2000,. You know, and they'll say to me, deb, I am still doing this, I'm still doing that, I'm still using this, and it makes a difference.

Speaker 1:

Well, as much as all the technologies come into our business, the fundamentals don't change. It's still a people business, exactly the thought process of serving people never seems to change. No, we can do it more efficiently, more effectively, more creatively. We can do it more efficiently, more effectively, more creatively. But if you don't have a focus on your fiduciary, I think you're not going to make it in this business, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

And the same way we talked about communication my communicating I feel like I'm sharing that door to open for our real estate professionals and anyone that I've touched in the past prior to really enhance their communication skills, because when they are sitting, they might not be in an audience in front of an audience of a thousand people, but when they're sitting across a table from their future client, they are in a position of needing to communicate, and they're communicating not only what their value is, that they're bringing to the table, but why it's important for them, why it's important for that seller to hire them, why it's important for the buyer to hire them.

Speaker 1:

I think that's one of the things. I love what you just said. I want to make sure it's not missed there. We often talk about the why and too many times I think salespeople feature drop it's, feature drop. It's like there's something sexy that they saw on HGTV, feature drop something and yet they don't tie it down to what it means to our client. It's so important to understand the why's. Once you explain your why to people, they're like oh, they embrace it, like oh, thank you so much for caring.

Speaker 2:

Yes, exactly, and they do. People do see that, you know, and it's even the simplicity of explaining the process. You know, we don't want to ever take for granted that just because somebody might have, you know, sold a home before, it doesn't mean that they knew the process or knew the backdoor stuff that we do that nobody tells them about, and that goes back to evidencing their value, you know, and so that to me is an important part to be able to for me, and I say that to them. You know, you may be here thinking you're being educated, I said, but you're here so you can educate.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes, coming back to train the trainer.

Speaker 2:

Train the trainer, so our agents need to train their buyers, clients and their seller clients.

Speaker 1:

That's right. It's interesting you hear over the years from agents and certain statements and buyers are liars, or buyers aren't loyal, right, and it always kind of bugs me a little bit because I'm like buyers are loyal, People want to be loyal to you, but you've got to earn it right Exactly, and when you evidence your value to them and you show them that you care, buyers will be loyal to you.

Speaker 1:

Because there's too many people running around that have no clue. Yes, so when they find someone who actually can deliver and care, do it while caring.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and that comes through. That has to come from here and I think that that is part of what so many of our Coal Banker American Homes family members carry. There is a caring and that caring listen, there's frustrations in this, but anyone that runs a business, you know whether you have a restaurant or a barbershop, you know it's a business. You have to go in every day, open that door and you know you have to work it.

Speaker 1:

Deal with the good and the bad. Yeah, exactly, there's always challenges. If it was that easy then everybody would do it yeah.

Speaker 1:

So, deb, you developed a course called Soaring to Success. Right Then this came out of ProCalibur Associates and then you brought it to American Homes. I think agents or people that are thinking of becoming agents should know about this course, because it's not just about CE credits or getting a license. It's a fundamental course of building blocks to help you build a business worth owning. Can you share with our audience a little bit about this?

Speaker 2:

So this program, as you said, goes back from ProCalibur Associates and I've tweaked it over the years. Of course, in certain areas I'm working on it now because of the changes that have come into the industry. Correct, but this is a 10-session program. But this is a 10-session program. It's a commitment that our real estate professionals make to take the program.

Speaker 1:

I am hard on attendance because it's so. They sign up for one, they sign up for all 10?

Speaker 2:

They sign up for all 10. I have a little absentee that I give a little teeny window to, but the program covers everything within the industry that you need for the running of your business, and it's not just for people who are starting the business, and that goes back to my past clients that I said that I could still see. You know, there I have people who who take this class, who are 25, 30 years in, and they take it because they need that point of difference, they need that refresher.

Speaker 1:

It also helps them take their business to the next level.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Yes, there are different levels and agents sometimes get comfortable at a certain level. At a certain level it's really hard to make that breakthrough to the next level, Having been through it, obviously, myself 30 years ago.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, probably. Yes, you were yeah when I brought it into Westbury and to East.

Speaker 1:

Meadow. I haven't been through it though. I can tell you firsthand but it helps get you back focused on the fundamentals and really polishing your game.

Speaker 2:

Polishing your game recognizing more value in yourself, what to bring to the consumer. But two courses I call them my bookends. Two courses the first session and the last session talk about self. You talked about mindset before, and one of the programs that I was fortunate to take when I was with the Century 21 system was a program called Investment in Excellence and it talked about the mind and how we think. It's an amazing session and I was able to create my own session to put it into Soaring to Success. So I start with that, because I think it's important to lay the groundwork for your mindset, and then we go through everything in the program, from the buyer consultation, the seller consultation, you know, for sale by owners, failed sales technology that we bring into it. It's everything that's necessary and I end with time management. So it's the bookends.

Speaker 1:

That's another topic that's so overlooked. We don't see that that often and yet one of the challenges I always found agents talk about and struggle with is the time management, because we're a seven day a week business and when you buy in the right way, there's always another house to show, there's always another call to make, there's always another something going on and you need that work-life balance absolutely believe it or not, between the mindset and the time management and the running of the business.

Speaker 2:

I really try to emphasize, as crazy as this is going to sound, that we can have a stress-less lifestyle. Right, you know we can do that.

Speaker 1:

So you can work hard and play hard. We can work hard play hard and even get back at the end of the day, exactly Right there. So, Deb, we've looked at the largest set of changes we've seen in 40 years, right with the lawsuit and NARA's settlement and what have you. So let's talk a little bit about what those changes are and how the agents are meeting it and what it means, maybe even to the consumer.

Speaker 2:

So I agree. Yes, this is probably the biggest change that I've seen in the industry for the 42 years that I've been in the position for our real estate professionals. Number one when there's change, there's different ways that people will handle change. You know somebody who wants to come out of their comfort zone. They kind of step out. They're a little leery. You know this change incorporated everyone and when we are, you know, kind of pushed with our back up against the wall, you know we have no choice but to move with it. And I think that was the important factor for us, meaning we started the preparation of this change in June, right Way before the actual dates that were required.

Speaker 1:

Yes, which, for the audience that doesn't know, it was August 17th. We were given from the settlement, so to speak, as a date to make adjustments.

Speaker 2:

To make it happen. We started educating our real estate professionals back in June, the summer people would say, oh, it's the summertime. We had such great attendance at the leaderships, all the leadership. I gave them so much applause for their dedication and for their support. You know doing more than one session a week and so on and so forth, just to make sure that everybody was provided the information, and then not only provided the information but to be able to practice it. You know to work in groups and you know role playing. You know I try to groups and you know role playing. You know I try to use the word practice because I'm the fussy lady with words, but that was important and it was so successful because it gave everybody. Oh, I didn't think about that. And again, when you have everybody going back, you have newer agents and you have agents that you know years and years and years of experience.

Speaker 1:

But the newer agents are still learning and they seem to be more open.

Speaker 2:

Because they don't have any baggage.

Speaker 1:

Well, I kind of look at it this way, right and tell me if I'm off on this. But when you're a successful agent, it's like you've already learned what you're talking points and how you want to handle it. And now industry changes and you're sitting there saying wait, I'm finally, really good at this, don't move my cheese.

Speaker 2:

Exactly exactly, they're not as open to change.

Speaker 1:

But because there was no choice, everyone's going to have to change. I think our agents I give them credit have been open to the change because they know you have no choice and you need to understand it. So I think it may be important for the people who aren't in the industry maybe just to share. I think the biggest part of the lawsuit that was settled is the way brokerage and their commissions are handled. So it's always been traditional that the seller puts the house on the market with a broker. That broker negotiates the commission and then there's usually a co-broker and there's a sharing of the commission.

Speaker 1:

And I guess the crux of the lawsuit was what they call a decoupling of commissions, right? So it's now, um, there's always been two brokers, a buy side and sell side, as two agents, you know, in brokerages and there still is, except for now there's the buyer negotiates their commission with their buyer agreement and the seller negotiates their commission on the seller side. So essentially, at the end of the day, would it be fair to say that it's it's brokerage? It's still servicing people, it's still.

Speaker 2:

It really, it's semantics, the way things were moved around. I don't know why it was positioned. You know, seller pays the fee, you know, and I would always say that's a great area, because it's really a pile of money in the middle of the table that the buyer is bringing to the table and it kind of everybody gets pieces of it and we call it proceeds.

Speaker 1:

Proceeds from the net proceeds and we've always gotten paid out of proceeds Out of net proceeds and that has not changed the last 100 years.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I mean, it's an option. It's depending upon different types of ways it's structured, but the majority is it's still the same. Yeah, it's still the same, yeah.

Speaker 1:

It's still the same. One of the biggest changes that I think I like and again, as much as I want to preface this, as much as agents do not like change the change that might come out of this is that we've had something in New York State called sub-agency, where literally the listing broker gets hired by the seller and, in theory, the listing broker hires the selling broker, or the selling broker works for the listing broker, so thereby works for the sub-agent of the seller. No-transcript. You show them properties, sometimes over weeks, maybe a month or more, and you finally find this beautiful property. It's perfect for them. You go to show it, the house is vacant, so it's a seller you've never met.

Speaker 1:

Exactly Now you get into negotiations and it's like oh yeah, I know these buyers' dog's name, I know the kid's names, but I represent this seller who I've never met before, made for an awkwardness or some of the gray area. I think that our industry was in and I believe the new version of decoupling will actually be cleaner and a better opportunity for buyers. Exactly never been through this process before. Right, exactly you know sellers have actually bought a house and now maybe reselling if they haven't sold for 10, 20, 30 years. A lot of times, first time buyers come to this, they don't know what they're doing and no one's advocating for them.

Speaker 2:

There was a survey done back in the 90s and they surveyed new homeowners and in that survey they asked the question was it your agent? Did the agent work for you or did they work for the seller? 97% oh, they work for question was it your agent? Did the agent work for you or did they work for the seller? 97% oh, they work for me, they work for me. So that in itself was like an issue Problematic, Problematic, exactly. So now it's a beautiful thing. It really is a beautiful thing, Because I could never wrap my head around the fact of why would somebody not want somebody advocating for them?

Speaker 1:

Yes, exactly, exactly so. I think it's a great opportunity for agents who can really find the value and the needs of that client and really hold their hand and walk them through Exactly Into a better place.

Speaker 2:

Into a better place, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I really believe agents need to lean into this. This is not an optional thing, number one, but it's also an opportunity and I think the agents who figure out how to restructure their business in this are going to blossom and prosper Absolutely. I always feel change as much as if it's uncomfortable, is a huge opportunity.

Speaker 2:

And part of going back to Soaring to success for just a second two and a half sessions is specific to the buyer consultation. You know, and it is a full-blown consultation. I mean people can kind of visualize, you know, sitting with a seller in their home and so on, and that's another thing. I always put out points of difference. You know, offer the opportunity to provide a consultation in the buyer's home, they may take it, they may not, but it's a choice and that's part of the point of difference.

Speaker 1:

So we like to get into the play hard, which is really just a little more for personalization or humanization. Before I pivot that, I just want to remind our audience please remember to like and subscribe. We value your viewership and love having you join us. So let me ask you a personal question here what's a non-real estate interest of Deb Asher? What's the human?

Speaker 2:

side. Oh my goodness, well, family, I have my family.

Speaker 2:

I have 10 grandkids. They keep me quite busy. Lots of adventures that we go on, lots of things that we do, but personally I love fishing. Ah okay, I have a Jeep with four-wheel drive, I have my drive-on pass and I love going out and hanging out there. I get to enjoy the beach and everybody says, oh, you've got a beautiful tan. And I'm like, yeah, I work hard at it. What's so cool is that when I go out and I go early because you've got to get a good spot there's a lot of men that fish, you know.

Speaker 1:

And.

Speaker 2:

I come out, you know I open up my hatch and I, you know I get my pole out, I put my rod holder in the sand and know I catch them, like, looking like, what is this one doing? You know, that type of thing. To me it's an awesome feeling. My granddaughters love to fish and I feel like I'm sharing something with them. Yeah, that you know, you could, you can do anything you want, and I always say that to them my boys too, because I have five grandsons, five granddaughters, right, right.

Speaker 1:

so obviously there's an adventurous side to Deb Asher here, so let me ask you what's the most adventurous thing you've ever done?

Speaker 2:

So for my 60th birthday, I jumped out of an airplane.

Speaker 1:

Okay, did you have a parachute? I did, thanks, didn't do it by myself.

Speaker 2:

I'm not that brave. Yep, thanks, didn't do it by myself. I'm not that brave. Yeah, yeah, was talking with my neighbors and her husband is, you know, he's done the skydiving a few times, yeah, and I said that's on my bucket list. Lo and behold, a month later we scheduled it out in Santa Mariches and it was. It was amazing. Yeah, you know, I wasn't nervous. I also flew a plane.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it was amazing. I wasn't nervous. I also flew a plane, I did not know that.

Speaker 2:

I'll share just quick about that.

Speaker 1:

What's it like getting on that edge of the plane while it's flying and making that step, did you have to get your nerve up to?

Speaker 2:

lean up.

Speaker 1:

I wasn't.

Speaker 2:

You know what's so funny? Because I do think about it. I wasn't nervous, I don't know why I wasn't nervous. What made me more nervous, believe it or not, was the free fall was wonderful, but it was when the parachute opened, you know. And all of a sudden, when you watch parachutes, all of a sudden it's like you go back up, you know, and it was that up. I was like, oh, this is not good, my stomach is here and I'm up here, or something like that.

Speaker 2:

But I was a late graduate of college. It was always another goal I had, and I graduated from Farmingdale University in 1997. My youngest graduated high school in 98. So I wanted to make sure I got my college degree before he graduated and I took classes at night and so on and so forth. But I learned that when you're coming to the end of one goal, you need to have another, you know.

Speaker 2:

And so I would always drive, for years driving by Republic Airport, and I said, oh, I said I'm going to take flying lessons. My objective was not to solo, my objective was to fly and to be able to just take off and land with the pilot. I didn't want to do it on my own. When I went in they said to me oh, flying lessons, you know, for $50, you can do a demo. I said a demo and they were like, yeah, and you know, you do this, you do that. And I was like, oh, sign me up. So I did it. I had to check the oil, I had to check the air pressure. You had to feel the wings for the. I was like what's this about? Then I'm up there and it's like keep your nose straight. I like to look out the window. No, looking out the window.

Speaker 1:

It was like I remember that you're not a passenger anymore. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2:

I was like, oh, this is too much work, but I did it. They don't let you fly it over land, just saying they do it over the water. So I was between Fire Island and the mainland. It was an awesome experience. It was awesome. I love it. Didn't take the lessons, but I did that. You could say you checked the box yes. So that was another cool thing, but fishing is my thing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so, deb, one of the things we like to talk about is you know giving back it's a big part of the culture of the company and obviously the podcast Work hard, play hard and give back, and I know you're a huge proponent and very involved with the Heart of American Homes Foundation. Can you share a little bit with our audience, Sure.

Speaker 2:

First of all, I am so again honored to be a part of this foundation. Heart of American Homes Foundation is a non-profit foundation that helps people that are close to us, people that we know. St Jude's can make you cry. That's something that we do, yes and it's a wonderful charity. We do give to that charity. Wonderful Easter Seals was something that was also part of our past All wonderful and helping people.

Speaker 2:

The Heart of American Homes Foundation helps people that we know and we could see the result. My own family has had situations, helps people that we know and we could see the result. You know my own family has had situations personally. My daughter-in-law is a cancer survivor and she was out of work and the Heart of American Homes Foundation was there to help her. So many of our real estate professionals they're family members, friends. It is an organization that is there to help. We have different ways that we have fundraisers. I'm hearing that the horse racing is coming up.

Speaker 2:

So, many people are so excited about that. That's a great fundraiser. Our agents give back through their compensation checks. Yes, they do Our employees.

Speaker 2:

It is something that we give and the company matches those that are also contributing. So Tom and Mike are huge for that, and the wonderful thing about it is that we are all volunteering. And the wonderful thing about it is that we are all volunteering. So, unlike some organizations that have no choice but to have a staff that they have to compensate and some of the dollar money isn't all going to the individual or to the cause, ours is.

Speaker 1:

There's zero overhead. Overhead exactly. Rent free, employee free $100,.

Speaker 2:

$100 is going into that fund, yes, and so I encourage everyone. If you are not familiar with it, call me, email me, speak to your manager in the office, and anyone that's not with Coal Bank or American Homes call me anyway, but definitely it's open to assisting everyone.

Speaker 1:

You can find the website right.

Speaker 2:

Heartofamericanhomesorg.

Speaker 1:

Again remind our audience to like and subscribe. It's time for the drop the mic question. One of the things I know you're kind of famous for is your martinis Martini.

Speaker 2:

It's martini time. Okay, here we go.

Speaker 1:

It's martini time, so is there a specific martini and or recipe that you'd like to share with our audience?

Speaker 2:

As Mike knows and he knows this because we do a lot of Zoom meetings and sometimes we have our marketing committee meeting around 5, and so I have my martini in the freezer already and my key thing is you know it's Kettle One Vodka. I'm a dirty girl, so I get the olive juice with the vermouth in it that they sell and I freeze my glass. I have my little tin tumbler Put that in. It stays in the freezer for about a half an hour. Shake it up. My glass is like frozen.

Speaker 1:

Okay, is it a vodka or gin? Vodka, kettle and vodka. Okay, so you're a vodka girl, I'm a vodka girl, all right.

Speaker 2:

That's it, and it is the best.

Speaker 1:

All right, good, good, good. Well, we always want to get to know the personal side. There's a human side to all of us. Sometimes we get lost in our real estate persona. If anyone was interested in training or getting a real estate license, maybe you know.

Speaker 2:

They can go right to our website, cbamhomescom. Click on career and I will definitely get your information and you know nothing like Caldwell Bank or American Homes family. You want to share your email address if anyone wants to Dasher. Just saying like the reindeer dasher at cbamhomescom.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. All right, Deb. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much for having me. It was fun. No, it's awesome. Thank you, thanks. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1:

I just