Real Talk with Leigh Brown

Latest Episodes:

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #44 with Scott Lincicome Feb 17, 2017

Show notes

Agents go out of their way to prepare snacks for clients, but what do you do with the clients who pack down their purses with the snacks? Or better yet, rob the whole house that you're showing? In this episode, Leigh welcomes Scott Lincicome who is from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Scott shares his experience dealing with some downright thieves.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

00:21 – Introduction for today's episode
00:41 – Leigh introduces Scott
00:53 – Scott is from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in Pinehurst
01:09 – The largest Harris Teeter store is in Pinehurst
02:23 – Scott calls his clients "snack snatchers" in the story
02:49 – The story started last fall during a estate sale
- 03:32 – 2 days after the sale, Scott got a call from an internet lead —a family who wanted to see the house
- 03:40 – The clients came to the house and said they wanted to buy the house and said they also bought the furniture from the estate sale that happened two days ago
- 04:20 – Scott got a call from an agent with an offer represented by that family that got in contact with him via internet
- 04:58 – The family's agent was negotiating with Scott over the sale of the house
- 05:20 – The family's agent said that every meeting, the family would steal the snacks the agent prepared, thus the nickname "snack snatchers"
- 06:31 – Scott received a call from a different agent about a couple interested in the same property
- 07:00 – The couple turned out to be the snack snatchers from the first agent with whom Scott was already negotiating
08:17 – Three weeks ago….
- 08:22 – The snack snatchers had an offer on another house one street over, with the same builder who partners with Scott
- 08:44 – Two days before the closing, the snack snatchers went to the property with an agent and they unlocked the windows
- 08:54 – The day before closing, the snack snatchers went back into the house through the windows and backed out of the sale, closing day
09:30 – Back to the first story...
- 09:39 – Scott, the agent, and the snack snatchers went to the property
- 09:46 – Scott talked to the agent in the corner about what happened three weeks ago
- 10:00 – While the snack snatchers were touring the house, they got a call from Scott's first agent asking them what was going on
- 10:32 – The husband was on the phone
- 10:52 – The wife said that she still needed to look at one thing and went back inside the house
- 11:00 – The husband told the wife that they needed to go, so they left in their minivan
- 11:20 – The agent went back into the house and noticed that the wife unlocked the back door
- 11:43 – Scott calls the first agent to check on the first property the snack snatchers visited
- 12:00 – Scott drove to the first property to see the lights on, the back door unlocked, and the furniture missing
- 14:30 – Four days after, the snack snatchers were seen around the neighborhood sneaking around
- 15:00 – Scott and some of the people from the neighborhood called the police
- 15:20 – It turned out that the snack snatchers were making an offer again on a house across the property they had just robbed
- 15:51 – The snack snatchers bought the third house
17:45 – Reach Scott at 910-315-7856, or by email and website
19:00 – Tweet Leigh Brown for your very own crazy story in real estate!

3 Key Points

You can usually find crazy clients, but psychotic ones – they're quite rare.
Be more cautious during the viewing—make sure that you're the last to check the house.
Advise your agents of previous problematic clients, so they will be more aware.

Credits

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #43 with Ruth Hauser Feb 14, 2017

Show notes

The smell of cookies baking in the oven, the decor arranged just right, clearing the clutter...all strategies to draw people in. However, a very chic cake left for you to sample? Now, that's just showing off. However, for Ruth, this particular cake was no ordinary cake. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Ruth Hauser who has been in real estate for almost 15 years. She is an agent for Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston in the Raleigh area in North Carolina.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

00:21 – Introduction for today's episode
00:38 – Leigh introduces Ruth
00:59 – Ruth is an agent at Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston
01:15 – She's been in real estate for almost 15 years
02:02 – Ruth's story starts with a house she listed several years ago for a young couple
- 02:11 – Fortunately, her clients were very patient and easy to work with
- 02:19 – The house was always clean and rarely missed a showing
- 02:30 – Their house was under contract with a big investment company
- 02:46 – Eventually, they also went under contract with the house they wanted to purchase
- 02:50 – Home inspections were done and went well
- 02:59 – The house the couple wanted to purchase, had a big chic cake on the kitchen counter
- 03:21 – It was a huge cake and it was partially eaten
- 03:30 – 2 days after the inspection, the investment company purchasing the couple's house terminated the contract
- 03:55 – The couple terminated the purchase with the "cake house" because they needed to sell their house first
- 04:03 – 21 days later, the couple's house went under contract again so they went under contract with the "cake house" for the second time
- 04:18 – Both deals closed this time
- 04:26 – When they went to look back at the "cake house", the cake was still there but was in the garage with more of it, eaten
- 04:49 – The cake looked exactly the same 21 days earlier—no mold, no bugs, and no melting
06:23 – The cake became an inside joke for Ruth and her clients
07:13 – Buyers name houses all the time
07:51 – "You need to be memorable for the right reasons"
09:24 – Reach Ruth through her phone at 919-818-9982 or email her at hauserr@hpw.com
10:32 – Tweet Leigh Brown for your very own crazy story in real estate

3 Key Points

It's a blessing for a realtor to find patient and understanding clients.
There will be times that houses under contract get terminated if "the numbers don't add up."
Make an impact and be memorable to your clients for the right reasons.

Credits

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #42 Rachel Hammer Feb 10, 2017

Show notes

Rachel didn't think she'd be dealing with anymore crises after switching professions. That's the beauty of real estate, you never know what you're going to walk into next. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Rachel Hammer, a board director of the Ottawa Real Estate Board, who has been in real estate for over 11 years. She was a former crisis counselor for the government before she became a realtor. It looks like her experience has come in handy for this particular couple from Ottawa.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

00:22 – Introduction for today's episode
00:37 – Introducing Rachel Hammer, from Ottawa
00:51 – Rachel has been a realtor for 11 years
00:54 – She is also a board director for the Ottawa Real Estate Board
00:58 – She was a crisis counselor for the government in the past
02:23 – Rachel's story happened a year ago
- 02:25 – She got a lead from their brokerage website
- 02:29 – It was a gentleman interested in listing his home
- 02:33 – Rachel contacted him and the man mentioned that his wife was working, so she wouldn't be with them – Rachel didn't think too much about this
- 02:43 – She made an appointment and made a visit
- 02:48 – It was the most beautiful home Rachel was going to list, so she was excited
- 02:54 – The man was casual and laid back and he signed the papers right away
- 03:03 – He told Rachel to set up an appointment with his wife
- 03:13 – It took a few weeks for the wife to reply
- 03:29 – She set-up an appointment
- 03:36 – The woman was crying hysterically and was screaming at Rachel
- 03:55 – Rachel learned that the couple hadn't been together for 2 years and that he was already with another woman
- 04:08 – Rachel couldn't believe the man left Rachel to tell his wife that they were no longer together after 15 years and a child
- 04:19 – The wife allowed Rachel in the house and they talked
- 04:45 – After they talked, the wife asked Rachel if they were going to sign the papers
- 05:00 – Rachel said "no" to be considerate
- 05:11 – Rachel recommended the wife go see a lawyer
- 05:43 – The husband wanted to sell but the wife tried to avoid showings
- 05:52 – Rachel had to come up with a strategy to make the wife excited about the sale
- 06:02 – They looked for a house very similar to the wife's at a price she could afford on her own
- 06:12 – They negotiated two deals within the same week that allowed the wife to move on
- 06:25 – Rachel is still working with the ex-husband to find a new home for him and his new girlfriend
07:00 – Rachel genuinely felt bad for the wife having to go through that sale
07:37 – Each realtor has different qualities
08:08 – Leigh commends Rachel about being client-first and not being selfish when she had the chance to push the sale
08:47 – Rachel believes that things happen for a reason
09:51 – Realtors help clients make the right decisions to find their perfect home
10:58 – The house is usually the last part of that relationship
11:58 – There is NO realtor training for dealing with clients' emotions
12:55 – It's not about how long you've been in the business
14:05 – Build a relationship with your realtors
14:55 – Connect with Rachel on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
15:35 – Tweet Leigh Brown for your very own crazy story in real estate

3 Key Points

A great realtor puts the client first in finding that perfect home.
Show compassion to your clients – it's not always about the money.
Every home, every client, and every situation is different.

Credits

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #41 with Diane Vinson Kolberg Feb 07, 2017

Show notes

Yet another unfortunate pet event—apparently someone forgot to tie up the dogs and the results were fatal. In this episode, Leigh shares the mic with Diane Vinson Kolberg, a real estate broker from Bozeman, Montana. Diane has been in the real estate industry for over 17 years and delves into her unfortunate story as well as the reasons why it is important to set your schedule as a realtor.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes

00:21 – Introduction for today's episode
00:27 – Introducing Diane to the show
00:53 – Diane comes from Bozeman, Montana where it's -25° right now
00:57 – Diane is a real estate broker and has been in the industry for 17 years
01:53 – Diane's tips for looking at properties in Montana, in the winter
02:52 – Diane received an email from one of the producers of a real estate show asking for the best looking developers in her area
03:43 – TV's vision of reality is far different from the truth
04:51 – Diane has a lot of stories, but she decided to share this one
- 05:00 – Diane was showing a house for one of her friends
- 05:09 – Her friend, MIchelle, was unavailable so Diane did the showing
- 05:21 – This story happened 13 years ago
- 05:31 – The place was beautiful
- 05:45 – Michelle was so excited about the place and tried opening a window
- 05:55 – When they looked down at the yard, there were 6 dead kittens lying around
- 06:21 – The dogs got into the kittens
06:43 – Diane's friend, Michelle, was an amazing realtor
07:32 – At one time, Michelle had 14 deals going on at once without an assistant
07:47– When the recession hit, it was really hard for Michelle
08:08 – 6 years ago, Michelle struggled from a cerebral hemorrhage and a stroke
08:20 – She was in a coma for a month, but she lived
08:41 – She still has her sense of humor
08:51 – Say "NO" when you have to
08:58 – "We can't be everything to everybody"
09:57 – Don't let work be a huge burden in your life
10:24 – Be honest and clear about your schedule to your clients – they will understand
11:15 – You have value
12:50 – Connect with Diane through Facebook, email: kolberg@gmail.com, or call her at 406 539 1593
14:10 – Tweet Leigh Brown for your very own crazy story in real estate

3 Key Points

There are prime times throughout the year to put your house up for viewings.
Hustling is good, but keep your priorities in tact. Know when to say "No".
Set a schedule – your clients will be more understanding that you think.

Credits

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #40 with Koki Adasi Feb 03, 2017

Show notes

Koki has not 1, but 5 crazy stories to share—and, to our dismay, we don't even get his most crazy one! In this episode, Leigh interviews Koki Adasi, an associate broker and team leader for Long and Foster Real Estate in Washington DC. With 10 years in the industry, Koki is no stranger to the debauchery that can be found behind closed doors.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

00:21 – Introduction for today's episode
00:27 – Introducing Koki Adasi to the show
00:47 – Koki is a Team Leader and Associate Broker for Long & Foster, in Washington, DC
01:03 – Koki has been in real estate for 10 years
01:55 – There are so many stories Koki has from his 10-year experience
02:07 – The best story Koki has can't be shared
02:18 – One of Leigh's brokers told her before, "If you don't wind up in litigation at some point, you really aren't busy in real estate"
02:39 – Koki shares about the crazy mural
- 02:42 – Koki had a short-sale listing 5-6 years ago
- 02:48 – The house was in disrepair
- 02:54 – The seller had a knee problem and asked Koki to go upstairs by himself
- 03:07 – Koki found this huge mural across the wall which was the picture of the owner in a thong!
- 03:27 – When Koki went downstairs, the owner's boyfriend looked at him, laughing
04:14 – Koki's second story just happened recently
- 04:18 – He was in Virginia, showing a luxury property
- 04:23 – He arrived at the property before his clients
- 04:42 – He pulled up to the house and looked to see if anyone was there
- 04:46 – A highschool kid answered the door
- 05:00 – Koki's clients arrived and they went through the house
- 05:06 – They went into their son's bedroom and saw a young lady in the bed, under the sheets
05:37 – Koki shares his third story
- 05:43 – Koki called the owner early and she said she'll be home for the showing
- 05:52 – Koki and his clients knocked, but no one answered
- 06:00 – As soon as they walked in, the condo smelt like marijuana
- 06:14 – They proceeded to go in and walk around
- 06:26 – The master bedroom door was wide open and they found two people doing the deed
- 06:45 – Koki's client wanted to watch, but he proceeded to leave
07:28 – Koki shares a dog story
- 07:38 – Koki was previewing a property
- 07:41 – The owner said there are dogs in the house that are super friendly
- 07:52 – Koki arrived at the property and tried to make some noise – no dogs in sight
- 07:57 – He walked upstairs and heard dogs barking from the basement
- 08:04 – He went to the top of the stairs and saw not-very-friendly looking pitbulls
- 08:21 – He turned and ran to the bathroom, while the dogs barked ferociously
- 08:28 – The dogs made it to the top of the stairs and were banging the bathroom door
- 08:33 – He wasn't comfortable leaving the property so Koki waited 30 mins for the agent to fetch him
09:20 – Koki's last story happened while they were doing a home inspection
- 09:37 – They knew there was one tenant who was unhappy that the owner was selling the property
- 09:44 – The tenant was following them around
- 09:54 – The tenant threatened Koki's client that if they proceeded to buy the property, he would kill them
- 10:15 – Koki's client is handicapped
- 10:34 – They followed the tenant to his unit and tried to diffuse his anger
- 10:50 – Koki's client said they weren't buying the property
11:52 – Previewing means your realtor goes out to check on the property prior to any showings
12:00 – Leigh believes agents should preview a property before bringing a client over for a viewing
13:12 – Connect with Koki on his website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
14:04 – Tweet Leigh Brown for your very own crazy story in real estate

3 Key Points

Definitely expect to have MORE than one crazy real estate story over the span of your career.
Property owners can sometimes be uncooperative in unexpected ways.
Realtors should always preview the properties before the actual showings for the client.

Credits

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #39 with Steve Westmark Jan 31, 2017

Show notes

Steve Westmark knew he had to keep his cool when he found his seller asleep and the house a mess minutes after the open house was scheduled to begin. Little did he know, he'd be dealing with paramedics and questioned by the police in this unfortunate, real estate story. In this episode, Leigh interviews Steve Westmark, from Minneapolis, Minnesota—a realtor who stayed calm in a terrible situation.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

00:20 – Introduction to today's episode
00:28 – Today Leigh welcomes Steve Westmark!
- 01:03 – Steve started in 1973, right out of elementary school
- 01:09 – Steve works in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis, Minnesota
01:56 – Steve is finally sharing his real-estate story!
- 01:57 – Steve was planning his open house from 1:00-4:00pm
- 02:04 – Steve arrived at the house at 1:05 and luckily no one was there
- 02:21 – When Steve walked into the house, the seller was not prepared
- 02:40 – Steve started cleaning everything and making the house presentable
- 03:10 – Someone rang the bell, but the seller was still sleeping in bed
- 03:37 – Steve walked the client around the house
- 04:00 – Steve told the client about the potential of the house and took a look at the lot
- 04:24 – Steve walked up the bedroom to wake up the seller
- 04:37 – The seller didn't look alive, so Steve called 911
- 05:22 – Steve went back to the room, as advised by 911, to verify whether the seller was dead
- 06:09 – Steve closed the open house, even though interested buyers kept coming
- 07:00 – Another client arrived for the open house at the same time as the police
- 07:51 – Steve walked in the house with the police and answered their questions
- 08:42 – The paramedics came and it was confirmed that the seller died from a heart attack, Steve was released by the police
- 09:18 – Steve called the pastor who referred him to the seller and told him the sad news
10:43 – The family of the seller gave Steve back the listing after 6 months
10:50 – Steve was still able to sell the house
11:08 – Leigh's takeaways from Steve's story
12:10 – Contact Steve Westmark through his website at com or at SteveWestmark.com

3 Key Points

Plan and organize your open house—be there AHEAD of the scheduled time to make sure everything is in order.
Stay calm and keep your cool, even in the most stressful and unplanned situations.
Do your due diligence and check in with your seller before the open house.

Credits

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #38 with Susanne Casey Jan 27, 2017

Show notes

Have you ever considered using Craigslist for your next home purchase? Perhaps it's just reserved for that broken toaster or teal ottoman you've had your eye on. Susanne Casey not only helped one client purchase a house on Craigslist, but THREE clients for the SAME house, over a span of 2 years—poor woman. In this episode, Leigh interviews Susanne Casey from Columbus, Ohio, who takes us into her Craigslist buying fiasco and why sometimes we're just better off calling a realtor.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

00:20 – Introduction to today's episode
00:40 – Today, Leigh welcomes Susanne Casey!
- 01:00 – Susanne is located in Columbus, Ohio
- 01:05 – Real estate is Susanne's 3rd career
- 01:20 – She started as an agent and now has her own team
- 01:39 – Susanne does charity work with a client
03:00 – Susanne is finally sharing her real-estate story!
- 03:02 – Susanne had a Craigslist house that she helped a buyer purchase 3 times in 2 years
- 03:27 – In 2008, Susanne had a great client that saw a house in Craigslist that was listed for sale by the owner
- 04:25 – The house was overpriced and had 3 owners/decision-makers involved
- 05:20 – Susanne asked for a lower offer than posted
- 06:10 – Susanne and her buyer went to visit the house and made an offer
- 07:00 – The seller rejected the offer and Susanne's buyer agreed to go with the listing price; the house was sold
- 07:44 – After almost a year, Susanne saw the house listed again on Craigslist by her client that she had helped purchase the house in the first place
- 08:19 – The previous owners wanted to move back
- 08:50 – Susanne brought in new buyers who bought the house
- 09:06 – 8 months later, the house was on Craigslist again!
- 09:13 – The couple who bought the house was getting a divorce
- 09:38 – Susanne brought another buyer in who was represented by a family member that was a commercial agent
- 10:00 – The buyer lived in the neighborhood for 20 years before and the house hasn't been on Craigslist since
10:43 – Leigh's takeaways from Susanne's story
12:20 – Contact Susanne Casey through her Susanne@SusanneCasey.com and at 614-313-8198

3 Key Points

Putting your house on Craigslist can cause more hassle than it's worth.
Realtors can help you make the right decisions to save money and time.
Don't ever have the two parties, buyer and seller, in the same place.

Credits

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #37 with Melissa Kennedy Jan 24, 2017

Show notes

Melissa Kennedy did her due diligence and advised her client to evaluate over and over again, her decision to buy a trainwreck of a house. Did the client comply? Of course not! Otherwise, we wouldn't have this story. In this episode, Leigh interviews Melissa Kennedy from Pittsburgh. Tune is as Melissa shares just how stubborn a client can be and the repercussions Melissa endured just for doing her job.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

00:20 – Introduction to today's episode
00:44 – Today, Leigh welcomes Melissa Kennedy!
- 00:53 – Melissa has been selling in the suburbs of Pittsburgh for 6 years
- 01:01 – Melissa made $9M last year, by herself
01:16 – Leigh explains the current trend in real estate where agents are turning into teams
02:31 – The $9M equates to about 50 properties that were sold by Melissa
03:18 – Melissa is finally sharing her real-estate story!
- 03:25 – Melissa turned down a listing for the first time
- 03:32 – A past client called Melissa and wanted to make an offer on a house
- 04:07 – Melissa went to the property and took a ton of pictures. She was on the phone with the client describing the place and telling the client how it was worse off than other properties
- 04:26 – The client was really determined to buy
- 04:33 – Melissa advised the client to have a home inspection with a structural engineer
- 04:44 – The house was 100+ years old
- 05:10 – The client decided NOT to see the house or have an inspection
06:06 – One hour before closing:
- 06:13 – Melissa suggested to have a final walkthrough
- 06:24 – They met at the house and the client was blown away by the condition and felt it was worse off than she saw in the photos
- 06:37 – Melissa advised her client to walk away if it was too much for her to handle, but the client wanted to follow through on the sale
- 07:00 – The client was really upset during the closing
- 07:19 – After closing, the client started screaming at Melissa
- 07:30 – The client wanted an idea of what the house could sell for once it was finished and Melissa felt she couldn't offer her a number because it wasn't a finished product
- 08:05 – 2 hours after closing and throughout the weekend, the client was bombarding her with texts and calls, sending pictures and her complaints about the house
- 08:45 – The client was unhappy and wanted to get out of it, somehow
- 09:20 – Melissa told her that she can't "un-sign" the papers
- 10:00 – Melissa decided that she could no longer work with the client
- 10:29 – The client flipped out and wrote Melissa a bad review in Zillow
- 11:09 – The client's new agent was Melissa's ex-boyfriend
- 11:33 – The property was listed, then withdrawn, then listed again with a different agent
12:22 – Leigh's takeaways from Melissa's story
- 13:35 – "The market is so fluid"
14:23 – Contact Melissa Kennedy through email at MelissaKennedy@Northwood.com or at 412-527 -4393

3 Key Points

Having a great track record with previous clients does NOT guarantee a great experience with your next client.
Do NOT blame the agent for your carelessness and please don't harass them; they have lives, too.
The real estate market is never steady—you cannot price, today, a product that isn't finished.

Credits

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #36 with Sean Moore Jan 20, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Leigh interviews Sean Moore, a former police officer who shifted his career into full time real estate. Even though crazy stuff happens in real estate all the time, this police officer's buyer's experience is one of the most unbelievable ones you'll ever hear—mind your ears, there's porn in this one!

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

00:28 – Introducing Sean Moore
00:48 – Sean was formerly a police officer but has been in real estate for 12 years
01:01 – His background is in education and training helped him in his real estate career
01:43 – Pre-licensing doesn't teach you everything you'll face in the field
02:30 – Sean's story happened in his 2nd or 3rd year in the business
- 02:42 – In Columbia, Missouri where he works, new construction was booming
- 02:48 – A plethora of new construction homes were built and the biggest bracket was the starter home or the 3-2-2 (3BR/2T&B/2CG)
- 03:27 – Sean was referred to a first-time buyer couple
- 03:38 – The couple had been clear upfront, informing Sean that they are very thorough in checking properties
- 03:50 – The couple told Sean they would probably look at a hundred houses before they could make a decision
- 04:01 – Sean set ground rules for the couple – including giving a login portal for the couple to check out properties on their database
- 04:17 – He also instructed them to do "drive-bys"
- 05:03 – The family got into a habit of printing out data sheets on Fridays before driving by the houses
- 05:19 – Their criteria was New Construction ONLY
- 05:42 – One particular Friday, Sean answered a phone call, and the woman from the couple was screaming terribly into the phone
  - 06:15 – It took Sean 30-40 seconds to calm the woman down
  - 06:32 – Eventually, he figured out what was going on—there was a porn shoot happening on the property they went to look at
  - 06:42 – The husband got on the phone and validated what his wife said
- 07:20 – Sean got off the phone and called the listing agent, who happened to be a friend of his
- 07:42 – Sean told the agent what happened and his agent thought he was joking
- 08:08 – Sean asked his agent to look into the issue
- 08:17 – The agent called back after an hour and it turned out the builder of the house had a foreman dating a pornstar – and they had full consent to use the home as a stage!
- 08:36 – Sean called his buyer back and apologized for what happened
- 08:53 – The wife's only comment was, "Well, if we to buy that house, Sean, they would have to steam clean those carpets"
09:27 – Sean has better stories in real estate than in law enforcement
10:17 – Past career experiences can definitely help you out in real estate
10:33 – Sean's experiences being a street cop vs real estate agent
11:04 – There was a guy who was a police officer with Sean but left his career for real estate
11:15 – Now, 6 ex-law enforcers in Sean's marketplace are successful realtors
12:06 – Leigh points out that buyers who want to look at a hundred homes may be difficult to work with
12:26 – Sean's professionalism led him to make markers and rules around how he and his buyers could make the home-hunt work
13:06 – In real estate, you track 3 numbers – volume, commission earned and units
13:18 – Focus on the units – these are the people and relationships
14:40 – Reach out to Sean Moore Associates at www.sean-moore.com
15:20 – Tweet Leigh Brown for your very own crazy story in real estate

3 Key Points

Your past career experiences can be of great value and help mightily when launching in to a real estate career.
Always be professional with your clients, even when they aren't behaving in a professional manner.
Be careful of giving your clients free-license to go check out homes unsupervised.

Credits

Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown - Episode #35 with Veronica Figueroa Jan 17, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Leigh welcomes Veronica Figueroa, a realtor based in Orlando, Florida to the Crazy $hit stage! Veronica will talk about her crazy encounters with squatters, agents gone rogue, and agents who flat-out can't control their temper when they sale goes south. She will also share her most important insights and advice for dealing with foreclosures, short-sales, and possible recessions.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

00:27 – Introducing Veronica Figueroa
01:01 – Veronica is based in Orlando, Florida and she's been doing real estate since 2001
01:08 – Contact the Figueroa Team at figueroateam.com
01:43 – Every day you experience more crazy shit in real estate
- 02:10 – All people in real estate can definitely share a story or two
02:43 – People don't realize that squatters are a real issue
- 03:22 – Realtors wear many hats
- 04:31 – Veronica's squatter stories included being threatened to be killed with a baseball bat if she reclaimed the house
- 04:50 – Veronica talks about an agent who wanted a property with squatters
05:53 – What you really experience in real estate is something never taught in textbooks
06:55 – Not all realtors disclose the facts to their clients
07:15 – The agents who succeed in real estate are those who aren't exclusively after money
- 08:04 – A professional realtor should disclose foreclosures
- 08:42 – Pros and cons of foreclosures
09:10 – "What makes a home is a roof over your head with your loved ones"
10:07 – Leigh discuss stock trading, and how you aren't allowed to handle other people's money if you declare bankruptcy
11:46 – Veronica's biggest joy is to help families who have gone through a foreclosure own a home again
12:06 – Veronica shares her short-sale experience
13:06 – Leigh discusses her lessons learned from 2008
13:56 – "It's never fun to see families lose their homes. It's never fun to see families break up over financial matters"
14:57 – How millennials take on home ownership
15:20 – Live within your means
15:47 – Be prepared for the next recession
16:07 – "You can't out hustle hard work"
16:57 – For Orlando, Florida real estate needs, call Veronica and her team at 407 625 3749
17:08 – Veronica's personal phone is 407 301 9574
17:38 – Tweet Leigh Brown for your very own crazy story in real estate

3 Key Points

Real estate isn't how it seems in HD TV.
Always disclose everything to your clients.
Be prepared – you never know when the next recession is.

Credits

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Real Talk with Leigh Brown

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected