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

S1E10 - Partnership, Perseverance, and Prosperity: Tom Gallagher's Journey with Mike Litzner

• Coldwell Banker American Homes • Season 1 • Episode 10

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In the Season 1 finale of "Work Hard, Play Hard, and Give Back," host Mike Litzner sits down with his long-time business partner and co-owner of Coldwell Banker American Homes, Tom Gallagher. With over 36 years of working together, they delve into the secrets behind their enduring partnership and how they've built an incredible company from a small real estate office to a leading firm in the industry.

They discuss balancing financial acumen with building close relationships, the importance of a strong company culture rooted in family values, and how involving family members in the business has shaped their leadership style. Tom shares his unique journey into real estate, starting from owning Blimpie franchises and racquetball clubs to purchasing their first real estate office together.

The conversation covers surviving economic downturns, the strategic transition from Century 21 to Coldwell Banker, and Tom's invaluable advice for new agents entering the industry. They also highlight their passion for giving back through the Heart of American Homes Foundation, discussing favorite fundraisers and the impact they've made in their community.

In the "Drop the Mic" segment, Tom shares a humorous anecdote that showcases his knack for storytelling, followed by a funny story from their years working together. The episode wraps up with Tom offering additional real estate insights and how listeners can reach out to him.

Connect with Tom Gallagher:

- Email: tgallagher@cbamhomes.com
- Phone: 516-526-2229

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Speaker 1:

Hi and welcome to the Work Hard, play Hard and Give Back a real estate podcast. I'm Mike Litzner, host of our show and co-owner of Colwell Banker American Homes. We're here at the studio at American Homes in Franklin Square. I want to thank all our viewers for being here. Remember please like and subscribe. And remember to stay around for the drop the mic question. I have the pleasure of having my business partner of over 36 years, the co-founder of Coldwell Banker American Homes, tom Gallagher. Welcome to the show, tom.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, michael. Okay, just so you know, it's 36 years, six months and seven days.

Speaker 1:

We're counting. Yes, I've been counting for a long time yes, exactly, it's one of the things you do, right? Yes, he likes to count, so, um, our anniversary, april fool's day, right? Officially so, uh, which is that we always say it's telling. So, um, obviously, we made it over over 36 years. People say it's, uh, more of a of a marriage, so to speak. We've been together longer than most marriages, so what do you think has been the key to keeping our partnership strong and together for all these years?

Speaker 2:

It's an excellent question. First of all, we both love the business, we love the chase, we love trying to do better the next time. I also believe that if we both did the same thing in the business, we wouldn't have lasted 36 and a half years, someone would have died?

Speaker 2:

Yes, okay, and you know I was rooting for it to be you, thanks, but no, okay. You know you've always been the guy to go out there. The can't sit still and run out. And you know, try to find the next new adventure or the next new acquisition. Or you know what we can do to make things better, and I always stayed behind and, you know, made sure we had the financial ability to do so.

Speaker 2:

Or, stability, you know and we've always did the mommy-daddy thing also, okay, where, you know, we do a lot of nice things in the company. And you know it's about family. Okay, you and I are family. We, you know it's about family. Okay, you and I are family, we're the brothers that you know that we didn't know that we missed, but apparently we did. You know, we've said in the past where both of us have lost a brother, right, right, you know, and God sent each other to replace them. So I still believe that to this day. Yeah, you know. So you know, between that and you know the fact that you know we just both don't like to lose, okay, yeah, it's. You know we'll both find different ways to get there, but we do it together. Yeah, right, and you know, I know you pick on me and I pick on you. That's true, but nobody else better pick on us.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

So it's, you know it's been good. It's brothers that got together and turned something small into something special.

Speaker 1:

Yes. So, tommy, you've always had this unique ability to deep dive into numbers and financials and, at the same time, managed to balance that with building close relationships with agents and community. And what have you? How do you balance the two sides of that?

Speaker 2:

Well, first of all, in order for us to be able to be successful and help people, the numbers are important, okay, but it's not the only thing. Right, all right. Much like when you, when you're a real estate agent and you and you build your own business, it's usually based on personal relationships. I believe a hundred percent that that's the best way to build a relationship with the, with the people in your company. You know we say family and we have. You know we're 36 years together, but we also have people with us 33 years, 34 years. You know we just had an admin leave after 28 years and it was like a part of your family moving away to Florida or something.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's true, you know, we had a dinner. What? 48 people there showed up for an admin, you know, and she wasn't an admin, she was Debbie, she was, she was family. Um, you know. So, you know, and we have so many people like that and you know, over the years, you know that one of the things I love to do, and you know, I send out on our behalf a gift to every baby born in the company that I'm aware of. Obviously, right, right, you know so, whether it's their new parent or new grandma or grandpa, you know it's the most exciting thing, okay, and we want to share in that. You know that excitement, yes, exactly.

Speaker 2:

You know so it just comes natural, I think, to me to try to be personal with you know, with our people, because you know, what do they always say? Right, they don't care what you know until they know that you care. And it's not just a business strategy, it's who we are. Okay, we actually do care.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, now it's that right brain, left brain thing, so you have this unique communication style.

Speaker 2:

And then, at the same time, though, it's like we always joke about you, about you being a human calculator, right? So have you always had that gift with numbers? I? I believe it's all the way back to card playing, okay, from the five years old, playing canasta with my mom and my aunts and stuff like that, and knowing how to figure out things. And right right, you know it just, it is something that came naturally, but I believe it was cultivated. You know it just, it is something that came naturally, but I believe it was cultivated through. You know, playing cards and always playing games and trying to figure things out. And you know, from an early age I've always been the guy kind of in charge of that. You know whether it was our friends, whether we go to dinner, whether whatever it is, just give it to me, I'll figure it out, right, right right, Our company culture.

Speaker 1:

Let's talk a little bit about that. Our company culture is really built on common sense. I think we care about our agents, we care about our communities that we service. How do you think we've stayed true to those values as the company has grown over the years?

Speaker 2:

Well, when you look at the name of the podcast and our company motto, which is work hard, play hard and give back, we do that, we're always working, but we also have managed to have time to have fun. Let's go Mets tomorrow.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes.

Speaker 2:

All right, so we do that. But also to give back. Nothing makes us, or me certainly feel better than helping someone in need. I'm sorry that they're in need, but that we have the ability to give back and help them Just through our know, just through our foundation, the Heart of American Homes, where you know we have every office involved and so many people contribute a portion of their salaries or when they have a real estate closing just to build up the fund. You know, in the last week we've helped somebody who had a heart attack and had no health insurance, somebody passed away in the company and you know they didn't have enough money to pay the funeral expenses.

Speaker 2:

Or whatever, it is Okay and that you know they're, they're so grateful that somebody cared about them. Yeah, exactly, so you know, and I think we've instilled that not just in, obviously, ourselves, but all of our support staff. They, you know, they get it. They'll let us know if something's happening or somebody could use a hand, or you know you know it's easy to support the little league teams in a town or a soccer event or you know, if there's a cancer walk or things like that. They're all important.

Speaker 1:

But helping people one-on-one, that's a real special, real special thing, both of your daughters both work with us, Obviously a big contributor to our company culture as well. How has having them involved in the business shaped the way you feel like you've been a leader for this company?

Speaker 2:

Wow, that's interesting because both of them bossed me around and I said I have to go to work to see my family and then they're not nice to me. They are great both of my daughters. They really have, I believe, emulated the work hard, play hard, get back. I see them all the time. One of my favorite pictures from Lindsay she was on a yacht in Croatia, yeah, okay, and she sent me a picture and it looked like one of the corona pictures where you see 30 people dancing on the deck.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And then you see a computer and it's her behind the computer and we had over a million dollars in closings that week and she paid everybody within one day from a yacht in Croatia. Yeah, okay, and I'm like that's my girl. Yeah, okay, she's working hard.

Speaker 2:

She's certainly playing hard, right, and for the give back part, yeah you know, besides being involved, she was a woman of the year in East Meadow, yeah, two years ago, for all of her hard work in the community. But she's also on a lot of charity boards. She's in a Gavin Scott Heart she's a board member for that where they help families who have children going through heart-related issues, and it supports the family, whether it's paying for hotels or so they can be there for their children. So just very, very proud of her.

Speaker 2:

And then Dana God love her. She is the life of it. You know, when she comes into the room it's the entertainment portion of the day has arrived. Okay, yeah, she talks a lot, but she's got the greatest heart. She's always involved in everything you can do. She's the mom of my two granddaughters and just a great mom, a great person. And now that she's taken over the relocation director, we've been doing a lot better with that and she's very, very passionate and returning phone calls on the weekends and getting back to people and I'm like I don't know if she's afraid not to work hard. But she does.

Speaker 1:

People forget that real estate is a seven-day-a-week job so you've got to have the heart to get into it and be into it and stuff. So I find it interesting that she is able to balance being mom, wife and relocation coordinator for corporate accounts. So I give her a lot of credit for making that all happen.

Speaker 2:

She bribes my granddaughters. Okay, if you guys will be quiet while I make this phone call. All right, there'll be something special for you later on. Whatever it takes right, that's it. I used to bribe them when they were younger. They just learned how to do it.

Speaker 1:

So this is how the lessons they learn, right? Yeah, all right. So, tommy, so it's 1983, 84. I get into real estate and two years later you wind up coming into the office, a small office in East Meadow called Berman Realty, for our audience. Why don't you share your path into real estate and what it looked like?

Speaker 2:

All right, share your path into real estate and what it looked like. All right, well, at the age of 21, I got married to the lovely Mary Lou in 36 years of Mike but 46 years of Mary Lou. So apparently I'm a keeper and you know they can't get rid of me, even if they try, right. But I also, at the age of 22, owned a Blimpies franchise Right, and then by the time I was 25, I had two Blimpies franchise right, and then by the time I was 25, I had two blimpy franchises as well as racquetball clubs. I had food concessions and three racquetball clubs and it was a good business. But it was a lot of a lot of time and effort and you're working with, you know, kids, and the older I got, the more the kids got, you know, annoying and you know who shows up, who doesn't show up, who's stealing. So I decided I'm going to sell all of them except one and try real estate.

Speaker 2:

My best friend's mom owned this small little real estate company, berman Realty, yeah, and I said, well, if I'm going to try it, I should try it with them. And I walked in and you know, of course they hired me and it was really Mike. Two other agents, both in their 60s, no-transcript, you know. It was like, okay, well, he's the only guy that's close to my age I can talk to and we formed a friendship and we went out to things together.

Speaker 2:

About 14 months into my being there, my best friend's mom had a stroke and she needed to sell the business. That's right. And the other couple said to us well, why don't you guys buy it? Okay, so, for the sum of $12,500, mike and I bought our first real estate office. Yeah, and you know, from there it was just him and I and the two other agents and a rental agent. And then Mike's sister was the, you know, our first admin. That's right, I forgot about that. Yeah, dottie, okay, and you know. And then came in, and then Arlene Gregory came in and she was working part-time and you know arlene part of our story, you know she was with us, you know, and still with us, okay, but you know we're just retired last year but having been with us for all, almost all of the 36 years, yeah, um, so you know that's uh, that's pretty impressive, I think, on her part for putting up with us.

Speaker 1:

For 36 years. Yes, you know, yes, you know.

Speaker 2:

So that was it. And then, about five years in, you know, we went from one location to another location and you know, then we bought our first building, okay, in East Meadow in 92. And then, you know, somebody said to us well, you know, la Rosa Realty in Westbury, you know they might be selling Right and would you be interested? Now, that was Jerry Rosenthal, father of Ted Rosenthal, who was our attorney and one of our dearest friends. And you know he said you guys should buy it. And well, we worked out a deal so we had our second office. Yeah, you know, mike and I flipped who got to go to Westbury. He lost, so you know, he went to Westbury. But it turned out to be the best thing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, first time we were separated. Yes, right, yes, because you're going back to the first building we bought. We actually shared an office and our desks faced each other. I was like I always used to joke that he had a better view than I did, so that was interesting. So yeah, and then when we had those two offices and then it was like one of us needs to go up to that office and you wanted me to go and I wanted you to go, and I'm like, so we had to have this debate because we're 50-50 partners, so who was the guy that we had be the tiebreaker?

Speaker 2:

So Rick O'Neill who was vice president for Century 21.

Speaker 2:

We came in and we both stated our cases and he chose Mike to go to Westbury and I said I grew up in East Meadow. Okay, yes, you know, all my contacts are East Meadow. I was, you know, on my way to become the president of the chamber of commerce, which Michael also did a couple years later. But you know, I was an East Meadow kid. I grew up, you know, I went. I just went to my 50th high school reunion. Um, you know, most of them, you know, had graduated. I didn't, but I went anyway. No, obviously kidding, but you know so, you know a lot of fun. I was East Meadow and it was the right choice. Then, a few years later, there was the other Century 21 in town. Right, right, right. Actually, to go back a little bit, we were both, we were independents at that time Holmes, america, berman Realty, a small little local franchise. We switched to Century 21 in 1995. And then, you know so, we had the two offices, both of them Century 21.

Speaker 1:

Right and American Homes came from, in other words, homes America, we were Homes America.

Speaker 2:

We had to, you know, change the name, right, that was Evelyn Murphy, god rest her soul. She said well, why don't you just make it American Homes? And there you go, also crucial, back in the days when there were phone books, okay, and you look things up, century 21, american homes came first, before century 21, art kaufman, which was the other, the other, the other office in town, right, okay, three years later we bought that office. Okay, that was our third office and from there it rolled on. We took over another office in Baldwin and then we opened up our first startup in Merrick, right, you know. Then we went and we opened up in Jamaica, which is now our Fresh Meadows office, you know so. And it kept rolling. So we quickly went, you know, from, you know, six to seven to eight, our first partnership, a one tour where we became partners, but the managing partners was another couple of guys, don Scanlon and Al Cornella.

Speaker 1:

Right right.

Speaker 2:

And you know that was in 2005. And 20 years later, we're still partners with them. Right exactly 2007,. We added five offices under that same arrangement. That didn't work out so well because that was 2007. Yeah, October of 2007, the market went crazy and for three years it was brutal. The one thing I'm very proud of with Mike and I is that every time there's been a down market, we've survived and came out stronger on the other end. Very much so, and that's part of his perseverance and my knowing how to budget the balance pay things, and it's been the history of us is that you just won't quit.

Speaker 2:

I'll make sure everything gets paid and, you know, nobody gets, nobody gets angry. So it's uh, we went a lot of years without making a lot of money ourselves, okay, but all of our agents got paid, all of our admins got paid and, yeah, I think we let one person go in that three or four year period, yeah, and the 30 something years I would definitely say 2007 to 2009 was definitely the toughest market and change we've ever faced.

Speaker 1:

All right, would you agree with that without a doubt it was, you know.

Speaker 2:

You know I'm I'm noted and I'm very proud that there were our november rents that are due. Now, okay, and you know, today's october 7th all the checks are written already and they'll while I'm away on vacation. I've already told my admin to send these out on the 15th. They'll always be a couple weeks early. During that period of time I would put dates on the envelope when we had to send them out so they'd be in on time.

Speaker 2:

Yeah okay and I would just all right, this one's got to go out on October 5th, all right, this one's October 8th. Hopefully we have a closing between now and then, but but we did it okay we did it and, you know, once again came out stronger.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly, exactly, all right. So, tommy, we've gone through some of the legacy of how our company built. You want to share with them, like the, the transition. You know, we went through a huge transition three and a half years ago, from century 21 to coldwell banker.

Speaker 2:

Okay, and I and I went kicking and screaming yes, you did, yeah, so so we mentioned that you know we had grown to 13 offices and you know we added a couple more and you know, cut a couple. As the situation came about. Um, we were 25 years, a Century 21 company. We were honored with the Art Bartlett Cup, which is for basically the top franchise in the country. We were always in the top 10 or 15 as far as production and we attended everything and we had so many friends in there. And then the opportunity came for us to take Caldwell Bankers' corporate offices. We're NRT.

Speaker 2:

They you know, they're a big, big company across the country. Yeah, just their Long Island operations, Just their Long Island operations. They had 13 offices and you know, we were able to take that with our 13 offices, put them together and merge some of the offices together, cut out a lot of overhead. That's the business part of me talking. You know where it made sense, you know, and it's been a very successful venture. But I said I went kicking and screaming because of all my friends and being, you know, a gold jacket for 25 years and it's just, it was difficult. I'm not as young and vibrant as Michael Wait, I'm 65 years old. I would tell him you know how old I am.

Speaker 1:

I'm like yes, I do, I do know Because I keep telling you.

Speaker 2:

So now I'm going to do change. People don't like change Damn, I didn't like change but it turned out to be pretty successful. We've Made a very good, good go of it. We're in the top ten of any Cold War banker in the country. We're the number one in New York State and you know, while those numbers are impressive, I think what's even better is the amount of people that we've gained that are now part of our family. Alright, and you know.

Speaker 2:

So you have 25 years with one thing and you add this in and they don't know us and we don't know them. We weren't very, you know, in Suffolk County. We were not. You know, we did business there but we didn't have any operations there. And to add them in, and you know, after a feeling out period, you know what they're just good people. You know period. You know what they're just good people, real estate people for the most part. You've got to be special to be in the business. Anybody can get a license. But to be successful and to do well, I really believe that you have to have a certain caring, a certain style, a certain way about you that it's not about us, it's about the. You know, it's about our clients and you know, most of the people that we have throughout the entire company now are kind of that way and that's why, at you know, 68 years old. Well, 68, one month and seven days old. Okay, I'm still doing this because I like the people I'm around, you know.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so what one piece of advice, Tommy, would you give to a new agent starting out today?

Speaker 2:

You know what, if you're shy and you're afraid to talk to people, this is not the business for you. All right, you know I was talking to somebody today. I was getting this beautiful haircut I have for you guys.

Speaker 2:

And you know he goes. Well, you know what do you think he goes. How do you, how do you make it? I go, you know if I can go to a 7-Eleven and the first 10 people who walk in the door, all right, I'll ask them. Have you know anybody who bought or sold a house or rented anything in the last year? Everybody knows somebody. Okay, it's, you know, my cousin, my aunt, my uncle, uncle, my grandparents sold the house. Okay, I don't care if it's in new york, we do visits across the world, all right, so, but everybody knows somebody. So, really, working your sphere of influence, okay, and you know, looking to the people who already know and love you, I would say anyway, when they used to get christmas cards, I'd say anybody, anybody who sent you a christmas card, a birthday card, or wished you a happy birthday on Facebook or whatever it is those are your people.

Speaker 2:

They already know and love you, so why wouldn't they want to do business with you and recommend you to do business? So if you do nothing else, okay, just get those names. Get the people who know and love you already to be on your side, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Great piece of advice. Great piece of advice. They always say referrals happen by design, not by accident. Sure, and do a good job. Yeah, okay, I'm assuming that. I'm assuming that, well, you know what?

Speaker 2:

Between them being new and us not being so new. It's a great combination. So if your friends out out there looking for a good place to work with people who actually care about you and will help you succeed, where do people look?

Speaker 1:

for yes, and our locations are footprints right. We stretch all the way from Brooklyn through Queens, nassau and Suffolk County, as far east as Wading River right now.

Speaker 2:

Well, yeah, we're out there so far, but I know you okay, and you're probably trying to get me to stretch that further. If he says Westchester, just know I'm gone okay.

Speaker 1:

That's awesome. Now I have a new goal To get rid of me, okay. So I want to kind of move to the play hard part of our episode and stuff. All right, so we know you're a conservative guy and one of your greatest joys in your life granddaughters.

Speaker 2:

Oh, my babies.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

My girls yeah. So how has?

Speaker 1:

being a grandfather changed your outlook on life.

Speaker 2:

You know what it's so funny? Because I love my daughters. They're amazing, okay, and you know, I couldn't have been happier. I'm so blessed to have a great, great family life. Yeah, and then these girls came along and, oh my God, who knew that? That was the payoff? Yeah, okay, it's just so much fun. You know, they come in. I don't know if anybody has seen any videos on reels and stuff where, you know, the granddaughter or grandson comes out of the house and they see grandma and grandpa and they go right past grandma and go right to grandpa.

Speaker 2:

Okay, well, that's me, I'm Papa. Okay, and you know, it's all about Papa. And I wonder what Papa's doing. And can we call Papa now? And you know, it's just terrific. Okay, I love you know, mackenzie, my seven and a�2-year-old Just fills my heart with joy. She's actually Michael. She's very, very energetic and bouncing all over the place and just doing. You know she can't wait. Okay, finish what you're doing before you get to the next thing. I can't, I've got to do it, you know. And then my 4-year-old Addison oh man, she's all about Papa, you know. And then my four-year-old Addison oh man, she's all about Papa. We have breakfast every morning. I have 18 minutes with her every morning between the two schools. And, just my favorite part, no matter what my day is going to be like, it starts beautifully because of that little girl man. She loves me and I love her and makes me pictures. And you know, mackenzie yesterday made me a picture of the Mets apple. Okay, you know, when they hit a home run, just things like that, it's just so cool.

Speaker 1:

All right, there's also the other thing when you talk about Papa, it's Papacom, right Well?

Speaker 2:

yes, both of my daughters and my wife also call me Papacom. The com is for cranky old man, which I don't think is very nice, occasionally accurate, but still not very nice. I'm nothing but nice to them.

Speaker 1:

There you go. So you're a diehard Mets fan, you love to sing, you love to tell jokes. Let's say you had one night and you had to choose Going to a Mets game, hitting a stage for karaoke or standing on stage performing comedy. Which one's calling your name?

Speaker 2:

Wow, yes to all three. Yeah, okay, we can probably work that out. Yeah, I love telling jokes, okay, and the Mets, you know they'll break my heart, okay, but a good audience for me. Telling jokes, that's definitely what I would go for. There we go. Even more than singing, though, where no one else can understand me, when everything I do is wrong. Well, my singing I can do three or four songs and my voice will give out, but jokes, they're never-ending.

Speaker 1:

We're debating whether or not we want you to tell a joke on this episode or not. We've shared plenty of personal experiences together over the years, including drinking vodka, playing blackjack and playing golf. You want to share a memorable experience about one of these, and more of one. Which one do you think you're best at?

Speaker 2:

Okay, once again hitting on all my hot spots.

Speaker 1:

Yes, exactly.

Speaker 2:

I'm an avid golfer, but not a very good one, so we'll leave that out, okay. And drinking vodka while it's something anybody can do, we tend to do a little bit more of it when we're together. So I think you are the problem. I might be, but blackjack, blackjack is about numbers. There you go in a row, I'll say ha, ha, ha, ha, because that means I'm going to win four hands in a row. Next, right, okay. So it's just you know, and that we actually do, pretty well, considering you know that it's a house game, correct, if you follow the right system and you do it. And then, once again, it's numbers, yep.

Speaker 1:

So I think blackjack All right For our audience. Officially, Tom's the one who actually taught me how to play blackjack, so we play the identical system every time.

Speaker 2:

And, if I may add, I taught him and yet he's a much crazier gambler than I am. He bets a lot more money. You know why? Because I'm the guy that holds on to the money and I've got to make sure we have enough and I have a system and I don't want to do anything that would take away from my kids and Mike's just crazy. You're giving my secrets away.

Speaker 1:

Let's pivot a little bit to giving back. We started talking before about the heart of American Homes. Right, it's a passion, it's a foundation that's tax-exempt, but we've put together to serve our communities and to help people. So, officially, you're chairman of the board. You want to share a little bit more about the foundation, the Heart of American Homes Foundation, with our audience.

Speaker 2:

Sure, okay, well, actually, mike and I, we've both been in Kiwanis, okay, for probably 35 years now.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And it's been a passion for both of us. We run a golf outing each year in memory of our dear friend Steve Eisman, Passed away almost nine years now. It still breaks our heart every day, but we run a golf outing that used to raise about $10,000 or $12,000. We raise almost $40,000 a year each year now in his memory. He's the one who got us involved in Kiwanis in the first place and now that money goes to send kids to camp. 30, 40 kids a year go to camp.

Speaker 2:

That would never have that opportunity otherwise, as well as food baskets and helping kids and scholarships, and you know so that money goes a long way helping people just in the East Meadow community, scholarships and you know so the money goes a long way helping people just in the East Meadow community and from that you know the ability to give back and we do enjoy it. You know both of us took our children. Then Mike still actually does the food baskets, okay, where you know he gets all the names together, sends people out. You know, groups them together. We're serving, you know, about 120 families. Every year mike sends everybody out. Okay, you know which, which direction.

Speaker 2:

You know these four houses are together or you know wherever it can be so you know, he, we, both of us can't give a lot of consistent time, but if you give us a project, it's just another thing that we do and I'm very proud of. When our children were younger, we would take them with us to deliver the food baskets because they've led pretty good lives and I'm very proud of that. But they should see that not everybody has that opportunity and I really believe it's what set all of them on the way to be the good people that they are today. They're not just successful and happy, but they all contribute back to the community, in know, to the community in different ways. Yeah, very much so you know what? So you want to talk about how proud we are about business? I'm not as proud about business as I am about the families that both of us have been able to raise. Very much so you know. But so Kiwanis set the tone. But then in the company, we were always big with Easterseals, with Century 21, we were one of the top five fundraisers in the entire system, uh, for many years, and you know we enjoyed that, uh, when we became call a banker, the St Jude's, and we're very, very active in that.

Speaker 2:

Um, however, our people when we tried to get them. You know our people, I mean our agents and our employees and everybody. You know they. They said that's great, but we don't get to see the results of that. You know, we know we're helping, right, okay, but we don't see the results. And they wanted to do something more more localized, which gave us the impetus. We're part of a brainstorming group where quite a few of those companies have their own foundations and we decided to start our own 501C3. And it's just been, you know, it really has been my passion, as well as Mike's, obviously. You know, just being able to help, okay, we've had so many sad situations where there was nowhere else to go but us. Okay, and you know, even some people in the community the local church has a St Vincent de Paul and they'll you know they don't have a lot of money They'll call on us to help somebody in the community and you know what? We're happy to do it, because this is what we've been raising the money for.

Speaker 1:

What do you consider your favorite heart of American home story?

Speaker 2:

Wow, you know, once again, there's a lot of. This is something we're giving people in need. Yes, however, you know we've had an admin in our company who, you know, through a comedy of error there's nothing funny about it didn't have insurance and didn't, you know, have the ability to, you know, to pay for what was going to be needed. And we were able to. You know, personally, mike and I added her to our insurance with the best insurance possible, but also our entire office and the community raised so much money for her, okay, that you know she was able to pay for anything she needed, any co-pays, anything that went along the line. The people in the company chauffeured her back and forth to her appointments and sat with her after her operation. And you know, just like a whole community, we love you type thing, and you know that feeling and we've done that in six or seven different situations. You know where. You know the people who are in need and man did not only do they come out, they came out in droves and and and did. We were trying to raise five thousand dollars. We raised fifteen thousand dollars, yeah, yeah, and you know. So. Now, instead of, we have a scholarship fund. Okay, on top of taking care of the expenses that needed to be taken care of at that time, right, right.

Speaker 2:

So is there one favorite one? It's not a favorite one because it's usually a sad thing, but, damn, am I proud about our people and ourselves. Give ourselves a little pat on the back because, you know, mike and I fund quite a bit of it. But, you know, so do the agents, and we do a couple of fundraisers. What's your favorite fundraiser? Well, okay of it. But you know, so do the agents, and we do a couple of fundraisers. And what's your favorite fundraiser? Well, okay, well, you know what they. They had the. Uh, we did a comedy night. That was good, okay. But the night at the races, I think, is everybody's favorite. Um, that's a blast. You know, we get on the little wooden horses and hop around and, uh, you know, and, and they get excited, and then we try to outbid each other to buy a horse and it's a lot of silliness.

Speaker 1:

What did we bet on just one of those fundraisers? Didn't we net like over $20,000?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, one of the first times we did it, we raised $27,000. Yeah, okay, that was a great night.

Speaker 1:

And they had fun. Yes, it was a blast, they had fun. It it was fun, it was a blast.

Speaker 2:

It was. You know. Actually we were supposed to do one coming up and the hall won't allow us to do it anymore because they got in trouble with the state for doing gambling. I don't think it's gambling, it's fundraising.

Speaker 2:

It's fundraising, yeah, you know. So we're looking for a new venue. But look, we'll be here soon and you guys have a lot of fun. It sells out early. We get over 250 people people normally. Yeah, you know, you know, everybody contributes, every every one of our offices gets together and contributes a basket. So I like that too. It's not just Mike and I or just a board doing it, it's the entire company. They get together, they do a lot of retreats, they do Italian thing and they do wine baskets. They, you know, and they have a lot of fun doing it. A little flavor from their area, it's, it's it's team building, it's, you know, but it's team building, but also it's life building. You can feel good after going to that event and saying you did something special tonight.

Speaker 1:

Now one of the things I love about the foundation is that you know, would you say we probably raise $100,000 a year, $150,000, $160,000 a year, okay, which is obviously it's real money so it can make real impact in the community, but that the foundation is set up to have no expenses, so literally 100% of that money goes back into the community. So there's no rent, it's housed in our offices, there's no employees, there's literally zero overhead for the organization other than, obviously, the cost of running the actual fundraiser. So when you see you know the net. So when we see you know some of the scenarios that we come across and just to be able to, just you know, have the foundation board vote, you know, and just make it happen, I think it's wow, it's a wow moment for us.

Speaker 2:

I love it. Yeah, I love the ability to get something done in a few hours that would take others weeks to get approval on. We have our board, we have our executive committee and it's great what Michael said about everybody's doing this not for free, because they're taking their time and their effort and obviously contributing money, but they're giving from their heart. Our attorney we mentioned Ted Rosenthal before when he sets this up and does the legal work for free, okay. When our accountant does the tax returns and it's you know you've got to be careful when it's a tax-exempt organization but they do it. They do it for free, okay. Everybody contributes in their own way. Everybody's there, they kick in and you know it's not that they're our favorite people because they do it, because they were already good people.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

But I love that they follow our lead into. You know, everybody's going to contribute to make this as special as it is.

Speaker 1:

If someone wants to make a donation to the Heart of American Homes Foundation, do you want to direct them to our website? Yep.

Speaker 2:

The Heart of American Homes website, you'll find it. There's a Donate Now button. We take Venmo, we take checks. Okay, I'll take your car, the car's, for cash. I'll do whatever you got to do.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Because I can trust you It'll be money well spent. Yeah, you'll feel good about the people that we help and if you ever need to know, we'll tell you a few stories about you know, I won't tell you who they are, but I'll tell you what we did for them. There you go, good.

Speaker 1:

Good, all right. Well, I want to remind the audience please like and subscribe, and I want to go to the drop the mic question. So this is always a little left field here. I'm not sure if I can get away with doing this or not, but since you have this knack for telling jokes now, I've heard a lot of your jokes here, and I'm not sure this is going to be ready for primetime or PG. What's one of your go-to jokes that you can share with our audience? Okay, well, knowing that, they don't offend any.

Speaker 2:

However, I have no problem offending Remax or any of their agents.

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay, and away we go.

Speaker 2:

All right. So one day the president of RE-MAX is walking past his son's room and he hears him praying and he goes oh, that's nice. And he hears him say God bless mommy, god bless daddy, god bless sister, god bless brother, god bless grandma, goodbye grandpa. He's like whoa, what is that? Sure enough, the next day grandpa passes away. He starts to worry about what's going on. So he pays more attention to his son and a few weeks later he hears his son praying again God bless Mommy, god bless Daddy, god bless Sister, god bless Brother, goodbye Grandma. Sure enough, the next day Grandma passes away. So now he's a little worried. Just like the setup we have here, he puts all kinds of recording devices in the kid's room and the camera. And, sure enough, the day comes when he says God bless Mommy, god bless Sister, God bless Brother, goodbye Dad.

Speaker 2:

He's like oh man. So the next day he's all worried. He doesn't take the balloon to work, okay, he walks. He avoids ladders, okay. He gets home 7.30 at night and he tells his wife you know, I had the worst day. I was so worried all day I thought something was going to happen to me and it was terrible. And she goes, you had a bad day the mailman died on the porch.

Speaker 2:

Ooh.

Speaker 1:

I apologize to any RE-MAC agents, but not really okay, because you shouldn't be there. You should be with us, having worked together for all these years, or business partners together, what's one funny story that jumps off the page.

Speaker 2:

Well, I don't know if I can tell this one.

Speaker 1:

You might have to edit that out.

Speaker 2:

However, okay, a long time ago, mike and I had a difficult client and what we did was we had a name for him and we actually, you know, would use his now pseudonym all the time when we spoke about him. Well, we used to send out a lot of mailings in the neighborhood and we sent out mailings and apparently somebody and we're still arguing about it to this day okay, who did it? Okay, but he did get a piece of mail with his pseudonym name on it and he wasn't happy and he came in and we had been in a little bit of litigation with this gentleman because he took his house with the market, even though we were in contract, and it was a whole big thing and Mike had to go to court. Ebts, ebts.

Speaker 2:

Rightbts right okay examination before trial, and you know, and they're, and they're doing this whole examination. He comes back to me and he's red as I. He's a red-faced guy, okay, but he was just you know. He came back to you, so why didn't you tell me? You know who. You did this. I go, I didn't do it, you did it back and forth, but still what I'm telling you?

Speaker 1:

this happened 32 years ago, wait wait, I think our audience was missing the part that first of all, exhibit n comes up and they had a mailing with an avery label on it with his, his pseudonym name on it and his address, and I had to read it into the testimony, which I still remember. The stenographer going like this and just stopping and looking, having our eyes peek out above the glasses, she blushed and then went back down to this. The attorney immediately says I want a recess.

Speaker 2:

And he said what the hell is wrong with you?

Speaker 1:

guys. I'm like freaking Gallagher, it was Litzner, I'm telling you, yeah so, but then for our audience we have to say he gives me this thing and says, uh well, it's the miracle on 33rd street explanation, that's well no what you did.

Speaker 2:

You settled okay, and I go why'd you settle? He goes well, had the evidence, and we what? The name that we called him. It was on the hey I, I go, so what? Okay, it's the miracle of 34th Street Defense, if you guys recall that movie. How did they prove that there really was a Santa Claus? Well, the US mail, okay, delivered all the mail to the Santa Claus. At the trial, okay, so therefore you can't go against that. The government said that there's really a Santa Claus. Well, the mail delivered to this guy, the name that we called him. They knew he was what we said, okay, so therefore, we should have won the trial, but Mike very rarely gives in.

Speaker 2:

This one he gave in.

Speaker 1:

Now I know everyone's going to be asking me after this episode comes out. It's like what the heck is a pseudonym?

Speaker 2:

Well, you got to prove that you saw the video, that you saw the podcast. Okay, and if you do in private, we'll tell you what we call them.

Speaker 1:

And yeah, only if, only if you like and subscribe, then you can get us. You get the special uh pseudonym name well, tommy um, love having you on the show today. Um, I know our audience appreciates your sense of humor and, uh, more importantly, your charitable heart. So, um, if anyone wants to reach out to you, have any questions about real estate or a career in real estate, how do they reach Tom Gallagher?

Speaker 2:

All right. So if anybody would ever like to talk to me about real estate or even a little bit of help in life, I'd be more than happy to talk to you. You can reach me at tgallagher, at cbamhomescom. You can reach me at 516-526-2229. Okay, just you know, reach out, I'd be happy to help you whatever I can thank you great.

Speaker 1:

Well, thanks for joining us on the show today. I love you, my friend. I love you too, man bye.