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

S3E5 - Sandra Caruso: Leadership, Growth, and Building from the Ground Up

• Coldwell Banker American Homes • Season 3 • Episode 5

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In this episode of Work Hard, Play Hard, and Give Back, Mike Litzner sits down with Sandra Caruso, Regional Manager of the Mount Sinai and Wading River offices for Coldwell Banker American Homes.

Sandra shares what it really takes to lead 100+ agents across two distinct markets, how her experience as an agent shapes her leadership style, and why understanding people, not just transactions, is the foundation of long-term success.

The conversation also goes inside the brand new Mount Sinai office, built from the ground up, including how modern spaces and in-house studios are helping agents elevate their marketing and better serve their clients.

From fiduciary responsibility and negotiation nuance to community involvement, mentorship, and giving back, this episode offers a behind the scenes look at leadership in today’s real estate landscape.

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SPEAKER_00:

Action.

SPEAKER_01:

Hey, I'm Mike Litzner from Co-Old Banker American Homes. I'm here with the Work Hard, Play Hard, and Give Back a Real Estate podcast. I'm at the studio at American Homes in the inaugural recording event in Mount Sinai. I'm here with Sandra Caruso, our regional office manager for the Mount Sinai Regional Office. Sandra, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much, Mike, and thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely, absolutely. So I'm looking forward to a really good show. I just want to remind our audience right now, if you like what you're seeing, please remember to like and subscribe. We'd love to have you see this episode and obviously many others as uh we continue record. Oh, and by the way, you gotta remember to stay for the end. We have the drop the mic question. We always have fun with the drop the mic question. So, Sandra, you're an associate broker, branch manager. You've had your license for how many years now?

SPEAKER_00:

Since 2014.

SPEAKER_01:

So a couple couple of years, as they say, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So how do how does your experience selling real estate directly in inform and train the agents in their training or and guidance to them to help them develop their own business?

SPEAKER_00:

Right. Well, um, I think you know, relating from experience is really the best thing you can do when you are working with the agents and encouraging them. You know, it's it's one of the things that you know makes it more real, even more so for the newer agents to the industry. I do like to reference, you know, where I started and you know what that journey has been like.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. What's your favorite part about you know engaging agents and you know really managing an office?

SPEAKER_00:

My favorite part, um, number one is the relationships I make. Yeah. It's important to know who people are as an individual instead of just looking at them all as, you know, under one blanket. I mean, they are we are a team.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and you got a lot of great agents here too.

SPEAKER_00:

So I I'm very blessed. I have a lot of great agents here. Some of were here before I came along. Right, right. Um, so uh, you know, one of the great things is seeing people grow, seeing people step out of their comfort zone, seeing people work toward, you know, a future, you know. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01:

So you manage two key offices, both Mount Sinai and Waiting River, right? Ten miles apart. That's got to be a challenge, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh yeah, it's some challenge, but at the same time, I love a challenge. You know, I feel like that's what life is about. You lean into challenges. Um, the office in Waiting River was a completely different culture.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

They were a mom and pop shop, as you know. Right, right. And um, you know, most of their business was uh, you know, in in their immediate market area in a three or four-town radius. Right. And, you know, that's been a great journey. Getting to know those people individually, that's very important, I think, for any leader is to know the people on the team.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, how you relate to people, you can't relate to everyone in the same way.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Yes. And I always like to say, you you you you don't treat everyone equally. That's one of those misnomers that is thrown out. You treat everyone fairly, but you they don't all have the same needs. So you can't treat them equally. So you have to really adjust to them. And the only way to adjust to them is is to get to know them, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

So that's a great piece of advice. Anyone who's thinking about getting into leadership, that's a nugget there. That's it's a great takeaway. So appreciate you sharing.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

What do you think the biggest differences are in the in the two markets? You know, you have Wading River on the east side, and you know, ten miles east of Mount Sinai here. What are the biggest differences in the marketplace?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you know, when you go further east, um, you know, you have obviously less population. So you have bigger properties, you have beautiful homes further east. I mean, there are beautiful properties here too. Right. But I think that real estate, there's more real estate turning as you go a little bit more west. Right. Um, a lot more transactions when you look at the market reports on one key, you know, it it's all evident, it's all there.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, it's when you have a higher population, right? So you have more houses? Absolutely. You have more inventory.

SPEAKER_00:

More inventory.

SPEAKER_01:

So it's interesting. So the does the Mount Sinai office sell closer to the Mount Sinai market or are they more spread out as opposed to Waiting River?

SPEAKER_00:

Mount Sinai is more spread out.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

So and that's not just about a location thing, it's really about a brand thing. So Coldwell Banker, you know, is widely recognized internationally. Internationally, absolutely. And so when you go somewhere and you're coming from a company like Coldwell Bank or a brand, consumers know who you are. And I think that lends a lot more opportunity for agents being able to expand their marketplace and work in multiple marketplaces. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

One of the things I kind of like, it's like I feel like the Mount Sinai office is a really centralized office. It allows you access, you know, we're uh to so many different markets at the same time. We have great visibility right here on 25A.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

It allows us really to specialize in a diverse marketplace in, you know, from from the three villages on the north side, all the way, you know, east to the Waiting River. So I think Waiting River, it feels like it complements Mount Sinai.

SPEAKER_00:

So what I'm seeing is that some of the Waiting River agents have expanded their market area. And I think that's really important.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

It's important because you don't want to put your eggs all in one basket. Right. The market changes. Yeah. And I think 2025 has overall been uh a little slower.

SPEAKER_01:

It's a flat market. The uh the MLS stats, you know, uh, you know, uh bear that out. So that's a factual statement, absolutely absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. And even with Mount Sinai, um, you know, we sell in Quorum, Medford, Patchog. I mean, we're even further west. We even take listings in Nassau County.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

And again, I think it's just one of the great things about our brand is that you know we're recognized everywhere.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, allows the NA to be more nimble, so to speak.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And really market and really play in a sandbox where their sphere of influence is, instead of the everyone having to come to them, they go, they they can reach out much further.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh yeah, for sure. And then, you know, having 20 offices. Cobalt Bank or American homes um is a great thing.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, all the offices are welcoming to other agents, which I think is a big benefit. So when we're uh in another market area, we can meet with clients uh where they are.

SPEAKER_01:

So let me switch a little bit up here. So we have agent testimonials, which we can track. Um they're out on your website and what have you. And we looked at yours, and your agent testimony testimonials consistently describe you as an excellent leader who makes managing look easy. And oh, by the way, always encouraging. That's not surprising to me. I haven't met you when you meet Sandra, you'll know her personality. She's very upbeat. So, um, what is your secret to maintaining such a positive, supportive culture, even in a high-pressure world of real estate?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I think I absolutely am a people person. I've been that way since uh I'm a kid. You know, I like to get to know people, um, even in my background with relationships and friends. I don't expect the same thing from every person. But, you know, staying positive, I like to do things like meditate, spiritual. Um, you know, and I think one of the most important things in life is knowing how to communicate with people.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And, you know, seeing people for who they really are and bringing out uh positive things. When someone's feeling low, you want to remind them of their great qualities. Yeah. And that's one of the things I get to use in leadership.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. And I I think you kind of touched on a little bit. It's it's it's adjusting to the agent because when you're in a high-paced, you know, high-pressure business like real estate and you're working on commission, you know, sometimes the stakes are high, and agents will normally, you know, reach out when you know, obviously they need help or something's going sideways. And it's that panicked, reactive, you know, um, response and like and adjusting because you can't come at them with the same high-pressured response back. It's making them heard and sometimes just diffusing them first, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Right. You know, making people feel heard or really listening to listening uh to be more authentic is really important, and making yourself available to support other people.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, realtors are not just, you know, people who sell real estate, they're people. And for me as a leader, I have to stay grounded. There are certain practices I do, like the meditation or just sitting in silence, and that helps me to clear my head and helps me to troubleshoot better when it's my own issue or if it's something with the agents, and I try to calm them down as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Now having over a hundred agents in the two locations, you know, um under your care and custody, so to speak, how do you pack that into you know the hours in a day, the days in a week?

SPEAKER_00:

It is demanding, it is demanding, but you know, I I was well aware when I took this opportunity to go into uh management that uh I was gonna be on call. Uh what I remember about me being a new agent is that you know I didn't want to call my manager after hours. I didn't want to call her on the weekend. And here's how I feel if somebody's calling me, they're trying to put something together. Right. They need help. Right. And so being approachable and being available uh is very important to me.

SPEAKER_01:

Now, for part of our audience who's not licensed, see, we we have a a really nice following of licensed agents and brokers, but we also have an audience of you know consumers who are interested in real estate. So um I don't know if they for you know from their vantage point they understand the nuance that goes into putting a transaction together andor managing that transaction. So when we talk about the challenges, you know, you do you want to share maybe you know uh a couple of industry stories, you know, of what you've what you know, or unique stories of what we you know has come up and how we've really attacked it and or problem solved it?

SPEAKER_00:

Wow, that's a big question. I know.

SPEAKER_01:

I think a lot is that one.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. So, you know, for new agents, you know, first of all, and I think this has a lot to do with your question, is training. Yeah, you know, education is really important, um, coaching is really important, coaching from me, you know, as the manager. Right, right. Um, and you know, I relate experiences with these agents as they're bringing me an issue, and then I can respond with, well, here's what I found, or here's what helped me.

SPEAKER_01:

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00:

And, you know, the goal is, you know, you always want to be a very good communicator. If you're working a troubled deal with another agent, and you're not getting the cooperation uh that you should be getting, or they're not treating you respectfully. I think how we speak and the points we make make it about the good of the clients is really uh always something to keep in the center of your mind.

SPEAKER_01:

Fiduciary responsibility.

SPEAKER_00:

Fiduciary responsibility for sure. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

So, Sandra, I I think a better question would be is you're known as a fierce advocate for your agents. Can you share for our audience, you know, um from your perspective, maybe like, you know, a crazy or fun story um that's popped up that, or you know, like a challenge that you had to kind of, you know, meet and find a creative solution for.

SPEAKER_00:

One of the stories I had was um an agent had took a turn of turn of the century listing, uh really cool house. Yeah, uh crazy seller. The house was on the market two years prior to them getting the listing. So I was doing a lot of coaching uh, you know, with the agent to get the seller on board. Right, right. And price the home was overpriced, that's no shock to uh any real estate professionals uh that are watching this. And so, you know, I gave some suggestions um, you know, to the agent on what he needs to do was really clean up the curb appeal, um, which was kind of uh a lot of overgrown shrubs, and um, you know, talked about the price, and the seller, you know, uh said, Well, I'll lower my price just a little, and it still wasn't where it should be. Right, right. Uh so hence, you know, there were l limited showings in the beginning, and you know, I helped her have that conversation again with the seller. Right. And so the seller did come down. Uh, we were starting to get more showings on that listing, and um we had another agent send her buyers to the house. Okay. And the agent without representation. Without representation.

SPEAKER_01:

I hate when agents do that. By the way, let me just say this to our agents listening. We have a fiduciary responsibility, and this is a service business. I hate when agents don't show up. We need to show up. It raises the professionalism of everyone in this industry. So big big point here. I didn't want to miss you.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, no, so true. Um, so what wound up happening was this agent sent her buyers to come without her. Uh, buyers seemed to like the house, and I was communicating a lot with this agent because this agent was newer to the business.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00:

And I told, you know, in my coaching, I told her let these buyers take their time when they come in the home. Right. You know, do a guided tour and then give them space to walk around. She could see that the buyers love the house.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

So, because the house was old, um, the agent submitted an offer on behalf of the buyers, which was too low.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00:

The seller was not having it. So I said, listen, here's what you should do. Lower the price, not to the tune of the local offer, do an open house weekend Saturday and Sunday, and have the homeowner do an inspection in advance. So the agent did that. She encouraged the seller to have the home inspection done because we kind of had a sense that this agent was, you know, gonna have her own buddy inspector come. Right, right, and renegotiate again. And renegotiate. Yeah. So we needed to know uh that the home was in sound condition. Right. There were no major problems. And so what happened was that we did not accept, the offer did not get accepted. Right. Uh her low ball offer. We lowered the price, but not to the offer price, and then did the double open house weekend.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

And then she was livid.

SPEAKER_01:

Did you get additional offers?

SPEAKER_00:

No, we didn't get additional offers. Okay. The price lowered. We did have more buyers come to the open house. Absolutely. But when she saw it, the thing was when I was coaching the agent, the the buyers really loved the house. She could see that.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

This agent was friends with their mother, one of their mothers. Okay. And so she was fighting for the best deal.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

And then what wound up happening was we did the uh open house weekend, and she didn't want us to, you know, move forward with it, which had no right to impose that expectation. And then what happened was um she called up screaming.

SPEAKER_01:

So the buyer's agent tried to bully the listing agent.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm shocked.

SPEAKER_00:

The buyer's agent tried to bully the list agent.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And so then I got on the phone with the um buyer's agent and said, listen, this is this let me remind you that we work for the seller.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

My fiduciary is to the seller, yours is to the buyer.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

So he has adjusted his price. We're entertaining other offers.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

So um did she finally back down?

SPEAKER_00:

So she s yells, scream, hung up.

SPEAKER_01:

Don't you find it interesting that like usually the agent that's wrong if they say something that's wrong and you call them out, they just say it again louder, and because you say it louder and scream, you know, and more demanding doesn't make it right.

SPEAKER_00:

Doesn't make it right, 100%. Yeah. And so, you know, the factor of the matter is there's no reason to scream.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct.

SPEAKER_00:

We represent the seller, my agent represents the seller.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh your buyers seem to really love the house. You work in their best interest.

SPEAKER_01:

So she was just upset that they finally had to concede, that they finally conceded.

SPEAKER_00:

They did. So the deal got put together and it all went through.

SPEAKER_01:

I think the interesting part, and this is what I think uh our audience wants to hear, especially if like there's someone out there who's not licensed. The real bread and butter of this business is I think is service, fiduciary responsibility, transaction management, the nuance that goes into negotiations. Right. You know, so it's really interesting sometimes when you get to get a front row seat here and see what happens, you know, and uh, you know, how these transactions get made or don't or not get made.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. Or, you know, one of the phrases that kind of uh is is aggravating to hear is hey, when an agent says, I want to do a deal with you, right? Listen, it's not about you and me.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

It is about our clients, it's about representation and you know, living up to our fulfilling our fiduciary responsibility to them. And at the end of the day, we want to put a deal together.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. I think agents need to stop trying to sell houses and and continue and or start helping people. Because when when the buyer comes in and you show them a house and they don't like it, it's not trying to sell them a house that they don't like, it's about helping them understand what their choices are in the marketplace within their price range, right? You know, that make better sense for them. And it doesn't matter which house they buy, if you're a good agent and you're hired by them, you get paid either way. So it's not about the commission, it's really about helping them.

SPEAKER_00:

That's what separates, you know, the top-tier agents from some of the other agents uh who think of this as just a transaction. Really, what it is, it's it's a relationship that you build with your client. And I think that's really uh the most important thing. Um one of the rewards to that is referrals.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. I always say referrals happen by design, not by accident.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

And if you know that you hear this uh there's no buyer loyalty anymore. And I say, I don't believe that. I think you there's loyalty out there, you just have to earn it. And if you're not earning it, then you gotta look in the mirror and say, What can I be doing better as an agent, as a licensee, to earn that, you know? And how do I serve my client? How do I help them? If you put them first, it's amazing how calmer comes back around, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. And and I really do have to say, in all honesty, I have such a great team of agents. Yeah, just from their, you know. Own sense of self as a professional and a person, they understand fiduciary responsibility. They understand, you know, that when they're working with other realtors in the business that you're both working to accomplish something good. Correct. And that really is the truth. So I really don't have a lot of cases where we hear these crazy stories. The agents here are very well trained and you know have a great mindset.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So the market in Mount Sunday and Waiting River areas can be highly competitive. What's one innovative tool or training strategy you introduced in the offices that helps your agents stay ahead of the curve?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. Well, you know, again, leaning into our education, I think, is really important. Um, communicating and knowing that they have me as an advocate and someone as a sound barrier, you know, sometimes as you're, you know, talking to your leader or they're talking to me, and they're conscientious of how they're uh telling, talking about a situation, they're actually figuring it out.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Just from, you know, slowing down and listening to themselves and getting a better picture. Um so I I think it's really um just helping people to see things more objectively and more clearly.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's excellent. That's excellent. So at American Homes, we recently launched the Gemini Pro account for every agent, which is the AI accounts, right? Um can you tell us so far, you know, how are the agents reacting to that?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, so I'm definitely seeing more excitement now. I saw some trepidation with always scary because you bring something new in, right? Yes, you bring something new in. I think even more so for the more uh experienced agents who've been in the business a very long time, you know, for so many years. Yeah, you know, we they were doing things a certain way.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, and I found that in the past year and a half there have been a lot of changes thrown at us.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, society throws at us. It's not just you know us, but it's us trying to understand where society's going and where technology's, you know, overlapping that and how how it can best help us serve our clients better.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. And I think you know, with the company providing us with the suite of uh, you know, um Gemini Pro and uh AI technology, they're starting to lean into it. Yeah, they're saying, oh, wait a minute, this is cool.

SPEAKER_01:

I was actually surprised with how well received Gemini Pro was from our agent so far.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely, and you know, that's exciting for me to see too as a leader when you know uh they're embracing a new tool or a new way of doing business and actually refines your business and helps them to manage their business a little bit better. You know, yeah, property descriptions or um, you know, uh brushing up on their bios. Yeah, it's exciting to see people who have been doing things for a long time a certain way, yeah, lean into this and you know, see the benefits of it. And I think with all the training and the coaching we do, you know, at an office level and at the company level, I think, you know, is very powerful and a positive influence in teaching them how to use it and knowing how to leverage it.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. Congratulations first on being the champion of the new, newly constructed Mount Sinai office that we're sitting here at the studio at American Homes here in Mount Sinai. So you've been instrumental in the development of this massive project, brand new state-of-the-art uh building and facility from the ground up, no less. What was the most challenging aspect of being part of that project? And how does this new physical space empower the agents and clients in the in the in this region?

SPEAKER_00:

Putting this together or being involved into the making of this new building, you know, obviously added more to my schedule.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, it did.

SPEAKER_00:

And doing the videos with you, um, that was a lot of fun. Also kind of pushed me a little out of my comfort zone.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh, you know, I'm not so worried about vanity as much as, you know, the message that we're putting out there. And, you know, being in this building, it feels good every day to walk in here into this beautiful environment.

SPEAKER_01:

I I gotta say, I think I even sense a little jealousy from a few other managers. This is a pretty nice space here. So if I do say so myself. So even though we've done a pretty good job in some of our other offices, I think we outdid ourselves. So if anyone's out there hasn't seen the office yet, or would love to see it, um, I'd say reach out to Sandra. How do they get a personal tour of the office?

SPEAKER_00:

Sure. Well, first you got to call me. Yeah. So my number is 631-946-0261. I'd love to give you a tour of the building. Um, you know, one of the other things you may not have seen as much in some of our videos is the patio outside.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And, you know, we really want to embrace the community to, you know, come in.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, we're gonna have some nice events out there.

SPEAKER_00:

We sure are.

SPEAKER_01:

Now we're also sitting here at the studio at American Homes in Mount Sonite. So how do you think having a space like this in the office can help your agents level up their marketing?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I think this is uh very important. I think video is um a way for people to see agents as their authentic selves. This does not have to be a commercial. We're not making music videos. We really not yet, anyway.

SPEAKER_01:

Well dance for listings, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, I'm gonna get a dance instructor in here. There's plenty of space to uh learn a few moves. Yeah, but I think more importantly, you know, I think people uh want to deal with real people and we have great people, and um, you know, I think sending their message out through video and use leveraging the studio to do that uh is is only gonna have a positive impact on their business, and it's also gonna help build confidence, you know. A lot of times people are afraid to step out of their comfort zone. Yeah, but in this industry, I think you have to be forward-thinking and you have to embrace stepping out of your comfort zone.

SPEAKER_01:

So, Sandra, we've got to kind of uh pivot a little bit here because uh I know we covered a lot about work. We always like to get to know the person behind the behind the microphone a little bit too. But before we pivot to the play hard part portion of our show, I just want to remind our audience if you like what we're doing here, please remember to like and subscribe. We'd love to have you at future episodes. So, Sandra, managing an office is a full-time job, right? Yes. Managing two, plus launching a new building, you know, going through a move, and making it look easy for the agents because they don't need to be bogged down in the minutiae that it takes to go through this, right? So we've been through this marathon. Where does Sandra find time to relax? What does playhard mean to Sandra Crusoe?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. Well, downtime in the summer, that's a no-brainer. Every Sunday um I head out to Montauk with my family. Yeah, we get on the road nice and early. Takes us about an hour and a half to get there, and we spend the whole day on the beach and looking at the ocean. You know, we drive on the beach, so it's an easy setup. Yeah, you don't have to carry anything, you just unpack, and everything is amplified when we're out there. You know, the breeze.

SPEAKER_01:

Do you have a favorite beach out there?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, yeah, Hither Hills. Okay. Hither Hills, that's where we do.

SPEAKER_01:

Do you need a permit to drive on that beach?

SPEAKER_00:

You do need um uh a permit. It's a state permit.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. So I know Hither Hills. That's a beautiful beach for along that. That's the place, that's the place out there?

SPEAKER_00:

That's the place out there, and my phone doesn't work that good out there. So I really get to unplug and uh, you know, you can whale watch right from the beach. We see dolphin, we've seen seals, yeah, walk the beach, you know, just um I just let everything drop. Any stresses, I let it fall from the side.

SPEAKER_01:

So, what is one passion or hobby that you have that people in the industry would be surprised to learn about?

SPEAKER_00:

My passion um is serving at mass. I absolutely love being a part of my parish. I love the people I've gotten to know over the many years that I'm there. Uh I'm a lector and a Eucharistic minister. Okay. And so um I just love participating in mass and you know, reading, uh doing the first and second reading, and um I just love that. It brings me a lot of peace and therapeutic, uh, and it definitely grounds me.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah. That's well, that's important, uh obviously. Obviously. So, all right, so let's switch a little bit. So, rumor has it you're you're an accomplished jujitsu and Reiki practitioner.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, so what is the best takeaway you learn from engaging in those specific arts?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh wow, uh well doing jujitsu, getting my black belt, um, that was really a big deal to me.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

It was again, you know, uh stepping out of your comfort zone.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

When I first signed up, you know, I would show up there in my white a white belt and white ghee.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And meanwhile, I just finished serving dinner at home and cleaning up the mess, and the next thing I know, I'm with a room full of mostly men and um a lot of them younger than me. Kicking and punching. Kicking and punching. Oh, all right.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, someone someone didn't help with the dishes now. I know where you were taking that out on.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, no, that was really great.

SPEAKER_01:

So we went through the belts. How many belts are there? You start with a white belt to 12 belts. All right, to get to the black belt.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, so that's a that that's a path that you had to challenge yourself.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. It was I was training uh three times a week. Okay. I loved the training, it was extremely empowering. Um, it helped me in a lot of other ways too. It helped me to build confidence, raise my testosterone up a little bit, which is I think a good thing.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um you know, you need to be fearless. Yeah. Um, I mean, you have to have a certain amount of logical fear. Right, right, right. But um, I apply that to business, I apply it to my life.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Now, Reiki, explain for our audience here what Reiki is. And it seems to me from what little I understand, it's it's kind of the opposite of jujitsu.

SPEAKER_00:

It is, Mike. Um Reiki is energy healing, okay. Um, which is about aligning the chakras, okay, you know, and keeping them all b balanced. Chakras are like spinning wheels of energy. So when people are feeling stress, illness, injury, um, some of those uh spinning wheels uh of the chakras may stop spinning. And so during a Reiki treatment, it's the laying of hands. Uh you can put your hands directly on someone or just inches above them, and you know, you bring them to a deep, relaxed, meditative state on a massage table.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

And uh have the music playing and the whole, you know, vibe going. And I did a lot of demonstrations across Long Island. I took it into healthcare.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh used to get a bunch of Reiki practitioners where we would facilitate um guided meditations and a little bit of seated Reiki.

SPEAKER_01:

Are there a few agents that you think could use some Reiki healing? Or not? For sure. For sure.

SPEAKER_00:

So we actually did a few Reiki sessions at the office after hours in the old building, and I'm looking forward to bringing that back and getting some Reiki practitioners to come in and join.

SPEAKER_01:

So it was well received by the agents, huh?

SPEAKER_00:

Well received, yeah. And a lot of times, you know, part of uh being a Reiki master, I'm also an empath. So I can tell when an agent is having a tough time. And sometimes I'll invite them to step in my office quietly and uh ask them if they're okay. Okay, and usually that uh starts some tears flowing. Okay. But you need to get that out, and you know, work needs to be a safe place.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, very much so.

SPEAKER_00:

I like that. Your energy has to be positive.

SPEAKER_01:

I want to spit start switching to the give back. You know, a big part of what we do at American Homes is, you know, charity. We have a commitment to you know being part of the community. So as a local leader in Mount Sinai Witting River communities, what role do you play in the offices promoting local services to your agents?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. Well, we're very passionate about giving back.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So Long Island Cares is a big one for us. You know, we're always participating uh in food drives or collecting food uh from some clients and agents. In fact, I have a bunch of food uh in the kitchen area that we'll be donating.

SPEAKER_02:

Great, great.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh we did uh one of the big hits was the bicycle Christmas drive. Right, right. That we did a few years ago. Uh that was one of my favorites. All of our agents bought bicycles. Okay. They were having some really good deals at Walmart.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

And so everybody was buying one or two, and we had a couple of agents that bought three bicycles. Okay, nice. And we donated uh 24, 24 bicycles to Angels of Long Island.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. Angels of Long Island is a non-profit.

SPEAKER_00:

A non-for-profit organization. Uh they have a big location in uh Patchog.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

And they also have um one in uh Shirley. They serve a lot of communities, they're very well known. Uh we also uh do coat drives and we deliver coats to them.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

We do a number of things.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so they're like a liaison between community groups and needy, the the needs in the local communities.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. And they have a store where you know people um who are financially struggling uh can get things, um, you know, use clothing uh at discounted prices. Some of them um don't have any money and they just get the donations. Yeah. So uh they're a wonderful uh organization. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01:

So in your experience, how does an an office that is generally involved in its local community through volunteering and local support create a better environment for for for agents and clients they serve?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I think it's important um also for community to to know that our agents are not just about selling real estate, we're about supporting the community.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And any way that we can be there to help make the community a better place, um, we want them to know that, you know, we'll get them involved. Uh, you know, when we're doing um the coat drive. Uh, you know, we'll say if you have any coats that you're, you know, uh need to get rid of, you need to make room, give them to us, we'll donate them on your behalf.

SPEAKER_01:

So are there any upcoming um charitable uh initiatives that you're working on right now?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, right now we have the um mitten tree.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. Yes, I saw that uh coming in in the in the lobby.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, so the tree out there um is a collection of all hats, mittens, and scarves that the agents purchased. Um we have a lot of them, they're all on the Christmas tree.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

On Friday, uh Rosemary Costa, who took the initiative on this, uh she'll be bringing them um to uh the organization where they're gonna be distributing it to kids in need who need to stay warm this winter.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, that's great. Love that. Yeah, love that. Now, did did we have a um a dog adoption somewhat in the recent past? Oh yes.

SPEAKER_00:

So dog adoptions are a big passion of ours. So we are going to continually do that.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

So that's more of a warmer weather type of event. Uh so we do a lot of that. You know, right now we're gonna be collecting, starting the coat collections. So that's coming up.

SPEAKER_01:

So if the community wants to donate coats um for less fortunate, they can just drop them off here at the Mount Sinai office at 276 Route 25A, Mount Sinai.

SPEAKER_00:

Give it a little shout out to help.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh we'll take donations on behalf of the community as well as from our agents or anyone who has the ability to contribute, and um we'll make sure it winds up in the right place, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, we're still doing a toy drive and toys for tots. So we're always collecting. Yes, you know, and food too. We'll take food donations, um, you know, donations uh like underwear, socks for the VA.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh so there's a lot of different things that we engage in.

SPEAKER_01:

So where do you get your ideas for the charitable things that were do they seem to find you? Or do they come in through through the agents instead?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you know, it's really a collaborative thing. We'll talk about that at meetings. Yeah. You know, what we you know, what we can do to help serve the community. Yeah. And so it's really a collaboration.

SPEAKER_01:

Great, great, love that. It's time for the drop the mic question. I just want to remind our audience if you like what we're doing here, please remember to like and subscribe. We'd love to have you at future episodes. So, here's the question.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh God.

SPEAKER_01:

So when someone pisses you off, what is your go-to move? An onion or a Big Mac?

SPEAKER_00:

I think the Big Mac.

SPEAKER_01:

I was thinking the Big Mac too.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, definitely the Big Mac.

SPEAKER_01:

So you shouldn't tell me these stories, all right, because you never know where it's gonna come back. But sheriff, come on, let's have a little bit of fun. Why not? Why not?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, I'm gonna try to cut this story short. So this is going back, um, gonna say 30 years ago, 35 years ago. I'm driving down um Middle Country Road, and there's, you know, a lot of traffic. This young whippersnapper, who was younger than me at the time. I was young, but he was younger. He and his girlfriend cut me off, move into the left lane. I'm in the right lane, and I beat my horn and I'm, you know, raising my hand, not my finger. So at every stoplight, we were exchanging unpleasantries. Okay. Okay. So now I say to them, I said, your girlfriend's a dog. Okay. So with that, at the next traffic light, I see her window going down, and I'm like, uh-oh. So now I'm buzzing mine to come up. She takes an ice cream and throws it at my car, hits my window, didn't hit me, and it's running down my car. And I'm like, oh, you want a food fight? Because I had stopped at McDonald's and had a big Big Mac and fries in my bag. So while I'm driving, I got one hand in the bag, I got it on my lap, I'm unwrapping it. I take the top bun off. And now I can't wait to get to the next red light. Her windows open, they're laughing at me, and I just went, whipped it, hit her right in the face, side of the face with a Big Mac. So that's literally what a Big Mac attack is. And then it turned into a high speed chase. And we're now we're on um Nichols Road. I'm terrified to go home, and I'm terrified driving at a speed that. And I never drove at before. So I actually drove to the fifth precinct in Patchog.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

And uh and they were waiting outside the parking lot. And I go in and I tell the police officers I'm being chased, and they're like, What happened? And I tell them, and they're hysterical. So a police car escorted me home, followed behind me to make sure I was okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

So is is that the moment you decided to take up jujitsu? Self-defense?

SPEAKER_00:

No, actually, that wasn't an influence. I took jujitsu later on.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, there we go. There we go. So here's the takeaway lessons for our audience is don't mess with realtors. We're a tough breed. We're a tough breed. So, Sandra, I want to say thank you for joining us here. Thank you for let you know allowing us to record our inaugural recording in the studio at American Homes here at Mount Sinai. So excited to see what your team does with the studio and the and the new location. So congratulations on that and and and great luck.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much. It's a great opportunity, and we all feel very blessed to work under your leadership, yours and Tom's. You guys are amazing.

SPEAKER_01:

So thank you. Thank you. Excuse me. I just got a promotion, everybody.