Real Estate Moguls: Recent Episodes
TFOCB Studios
The Real Estate market is booming! Whether you look in the suburbs or the city, Chicago continues to expand, creating incredible opportunities for those in the know.
We’ll connect with Chicago’s Real Estate Moguls to bring you the wisdom and expertise to help make your next real estate move a lucrative one; on the Real Estate Moguls Podcast.
Liza Irazoque's story is one of determination, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Born and raised in Chicago to Mexican parents, Liza's journey is deeply rooted in her multicultural upbringing. Her parents ensured she stayed connected to her heritage by taking annual trips to Mexico, which instilled in her a deep appreciation for her culture. This strong sense of identity has been a driving force in her career and personal life.
Liza’s professional journey took an unexpected turn when she decided to move to Cancun. Initially intended as a short vacation, it turned into a three-year stint selling timeshares. "I arrived on a Wednesday, saw a job post, and by Saturday, I was already working," Liza recalls. Her experience in Cancun not only deepened her connection to Mexico but also honed her sales skills, preparing her for her future in real estate.
When COVID-19 hit, Liza found herself back in Chicago. The pandemic shutdowns brought her back home, where she sought new opportunities. Driving by a real estate school one day, she decided to pivot her career. "I wasn't doing anything at the moment, and with no one traveling, timeshares were at a standstill. So, I thought, why not give real estate a try?" she explains.
Transitioning from selling timeshares to real estate wasn't as drastic as it might seem. Both roles required her to connect with people and understand their needs. However, the motivations of her clients were different. "In timeshares, people are on vacation, and there's often buyer's remorse. In real estate, clients already want to buy a home; it's a significant, tangible investment for their families," Liza notes.
Liza’s ability to read people and adapt her approach has been crucial to her success. She emphasizes the importance of making connections and collaborating with colleagues to better serve clients. "I'm a people's person. I love to interact and be involved in various organizations. Building relationships and collaborating is key to providing the best for my clients," she says.
Her approach to real estate is holistic, taking into account the emotional and psychological aspects of buying a home. "We're more than just brokers; we're psychologists, financial advisors, and problem-solvers for our clients. It's about preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, making sure clients feel comfortable and prepared for any scenario," Liza explains.
One of Liza’s notable strengths is her ability to anticipate and manage client expectations. By preparing clients for potential challenges, she ensures they remain calm and confident throughout the transaction. "If anything goes wrong, they remember I warned them, and we can pivot together," she says.
Liza’s personal journey has also influenced her professional approach. Having struggled with weight and self-esteem issues, she underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2019, transforming her life. This personal victory has given her a newfound confidence and a passion for running, with two marathons under her belt. "Running is my me-time, a way to de-stress and reflect on life and business. It’s about the journey, not just the destination," Liza shares.
Her success in real estate is a testament to her adaptability, resilience, and strong work ethic. As she continues to grow her career, Liza remains committed to learning and evolving. "Challenges are a part of life and business. Staying informed and connected with industry changes through organizations like YPN and NARUP helps me adapt and thrive," she states.
Looking ahead, Liza is excited about her new chapter as a solo agent. After gaining valuable experience on teams, she's eager to implement her learnings into her own business. "I want to see what I can achieve on my own, applying everything I’ve learned to provide the best service to my clients," she says.
Liza Irazoque's journey from Cancun to Chicago, and from timeshares to real estate, is a powerful reminder that adaptability and a strong sense of identity can lead to extraordinary success. Her story is one of embracing change, building connections, and striving for excellence in every endeavor.
Jeff Weinberg, President of Drexel Properties, has a fascinating story that intertwines the worlds of hospitality and real estate. Born and raised in Chicago, Jeff’s roots are deeply embedded in the city’s rich restaurant culture. His family owned several well-known establishments, including the iconic Diner Grill on Irving Park in Lakeview, which has been serving the community since 1934. Jeff fondly recalls the vibrant energy of the diner, a place where late-night revelers would go to sober up or enjoy a post-game meal after a Cubs game.
Despite the allure of the family business, Jeff felt a different calling in his mid-twenties. As his friends started buying condos, Jeff realized he didn’t just want a space in the sky—he wanted to own the ground beneath it. At 26, he purchased his first property, a two-flat in West Lakeview, marking the beginning of his real estate journey. A decade later, he founded Drexel Properties, starting with a 20-unit building in Hyde Park. This transition from hospitality to real estate wasn’t just about financial growth for Jeff; it was about creating lasting value.
Jeff's success in real estate is rooted in his ability to see properties not just as investments, but as communities that need nurturing. His background in the restaurant industry instilled in him a strong service mindset, which he applies to his property management business. Jeff says, “I run my property management company like a restaurant. I want my tenants to love where they live and feel great every day when they come home.” This philosophy has been central to his success, as he believes every business is ultimately a service business.
In the early 2000s, Jeff’s ventures expanded beyond buying properties. He took on challenging projects like converting apartment buildings into condominiums and even building a single-family home from the ground up. He enjoyed the tangible progress of construction, likening it to the satisfaction of seeing wood being cut and buildings rising. Yet, his heart remained in managing multifamily apartments, where he could directly impact people’s lives.
Jeff’s approach to real estate is deeply personal. He values relationships and believes in taking care of people, whether they are tenants, investors, or partners. He recounts a story of a building with numerous code violations that others wouldn’t touch. Jeff saw an opportunity and worked closely with city officials to resolve the issues, demonstrating his problem-solving skills and dedication to improving communities.
His service mindset extends beyond his professional life. Jeff is actively involved in mentoring programs like Chicago Scholars, which supports first-generation college students from inner-city high schools. He also participates in Students Run Chicago, a program that trains high school students for marathons. Jeff’s commitment to giving back is rooted in his own experiences of humble beginnings and the desire to create opportunities for others.
Jeff’s dedication to service and community is evident in every aspect of his work. He advises businesses to adopt a service mindset, focusing on solving problems immediately rather than making excuses. He believes that taking care of people leads to better business outcomes and a more fulfilling life. “If you solve the problem first, people will help you solve the problem,” he says, highlighting the importance of empathy and proactive problem-solving.
As Jeff looks to the future, his goals include pulling back from the day-to-day demands of his business to focus more on mentoring and giving back. He wants to help young people find paths to success, just as he did, and create generational wealth and independence. His story is a testament to the power of showing up, taking care of people, and staying true to one’s values.
Greg Dekalb sits down with John Thomas, a seasoned real estate expert who has been in the industry since he was 19. John’s journey is a testament to creativity, risk-taking, and an unwavering pursuit of knowledge. His story is filled with valuable insights that can inspire and guide you in your own real estate endeavors.
John’s foray into real estate began while he was still in college, with his first deal involving Fred Smith of Federal Express. Recognizing the unsustainable nature of Federal Express’s retail space strategy, John proposed a revenue-sharing model that integrated companies with similar demographics. This innovative approach set the stage for his future success.
One of the key takeaways from John’s story is the importance of understanding the market. “Knowledge is the key to real estate,” John emphasizes. By staying informed about market trends and conditions, you can make more effective and strategic decisions. John’s anti-cyclical investment strategy, where he buys assets that others overlook, has been a cornerstone of his success. Whether it’s hotels, shopping centers, or industrial buildings, he consistently goes against the market grain, finding opportunities where others see risk.
John’s career is also marked by his ability to reposition assets. An excellent example of this is his purchase of a hospital in Elgin for $900,000, which he later leased to the state of Illinois. This knack for transforming properties into profitable ventures underscores the value of creative thinking in real estate.
Despite facing significant challenges, including a stint in prison and losing a billion-dollar fortune, John’s resilience and adaptability shine through. He shares how he used his time in prison to teach fellow inmates about real estate, helping them rebuild their lives post-incarceration. “Being a felon doesn’t define you as a person,” John asserts. His story is a powerful reminder that no matter the setbacks, you can always rebuild and come back stronger.
John’s current venture, BlockStar, is a testament to his forward-thinking approach. Combining real estate with artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, BlockStar aims to revolutionize the way properties are bought and sold. “We’re the first company totally tied to assets, tied to real estate,” John explains. This innovative approach not only provides liquidity to property owners but also opens up new avenues for investment.
Throughout the episode, John’s insights offer practical advice for anyone interested in real estate. He stresses the importance of cash flow in any deal and advises against falling in love with transactions that don’t generate revenue. This pragmatic approach is crucial for long-term success in the industry.
John also highlights the importance of observation and local knowledge. By paying attention to the conditions of properties in your neighborhood, you can identify opportunities that others might miss. This hands-on approach can be especially valuable when starting out in real estate.
Moreover, John’s story underscores the significance of perseverance and making connections. He encourages you not to be afraid of making phone calls and pushing ahead despite rejections. His own experience of re-entering the real estate market after prison serves as a powerful example of what determination and persistence can achieve.
John Thomas’s story is a rich source of inspiration and practical wisdom. His journey from humble beginnings to becoming a real estate mogul demonstrates that with knowledge, creativity, and resilience, you can navigate the complexities of the real estate market and achieve remarkable success.
In a recent episode of "The Real Estate Moguls Podcast," host Nick DeGregorio sat down with Sean Lyons, founder and partner of Triad Real Estate Partners and Jackson Dearborn Partners, to delve into the principles that have propelled Sean and his companies to remarkable heights. This conversation is a treasure trove of wisdom, filled with actionable insights for anyone looking to excel in the real estate industry or any field.
Sean Lyons' journey is a testament to resilience and persistence. As Nick and Sean discuss, Triad Real Estate Partners has completed an astonishing $6.8 billion in real estate valuations, with over a billion in total closings. Since its inception in 2017, Jackson Dearborn Partners has undertaken 11 development projects totaling over $650 million in capitalization. These numbers are impressive, but the story behind them is even more compelling.
Sean attributes much of his success to a mindset of persistence and focusing on controllable factors. "Our business is really challenging, like a lot of businesses are," Sean notes. "We can really only focus on the things that we can control, and I think by doing that, we've been able to make progress year over year." This mindset has not only sustained his business but has also forged strong professional relationships built on mutual respect and shared values.
Nick guides the conversation towards the importance of daily habits and routines. Sean's approach, inspired by Darren Hardy's "The Compound Effect," emphasizes the power of small, consistent actions. "Do the little things every day," Sean advises. "The belief that if you continue to do the same things day in, day out, those efforts compound over time and ultimately produce positive results."
Education and early career experiences also play a crucial role in shaping one's professional journey. Sean reflects on his time at Boston College and Marcus & Millichap, highlighting how these experiences laid the foundation for his current success. "Every step along the way was a necessary step in order for me to be sitting here talking to you now," he tells Nick.
A significant part of Sean's philosophy revolves around maintaining a work-life balance, a lesson he learned through his role as a father of four. He emphasizes the importance of controlling one's time to prioritize what truly matters. "Time is the one commodity that none of us get any more of," Sean explains. "To me, that's the definition of success."
For those aspiring to transition from brokerage to development, Sean offers invaluable advice: find a mentor. Teaming up with someone who has walked the path before can provide the necessary support and legitimacy. "We wouldn't have been able to do the majority of what we've been able to do to date without the help of our partner Chris Saunders," he shares.
As the episode concludes, Sean leaves listeners with a powerful piece of advice: focus on what you can control. "When something comes at me, a challenge or an issue, I immediately put it into one of two categories: can I influence or control the outcome here in any way? If the answer is yes, it goes to one side of the ledger. If the answer is no, it goes to another side."
This conversation with Sean Lyons is a must-listen for anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of real estate with resilience, strategy, and a focus on what truly matters.
Sherri Jordan, the dynamic force behind Suite 527 Realty Group, brings a compelling narrative of resilience and transformation to the Real Estate Moguls Podcast. Growing up in Chicago’s Englewood, Sherri experienced the true essence of community and witnessed firsthand the impact of home ownership.
Her journey from a 15-year-old witnessing her mother’s first home purchase to becoming a real estate broker is nothing short of inspiring. Sherri’s story is one of overcoming adversity, marked by her personal experience with predatory lending and the 2008 market crash.
These challenges fueled her passion for educating others about the importance of home ownership, particularly in black and brown communities. Through her brokerage, Sherri is dedicated to not just transactions, but transforming lives by fostering financial literacy and generational wealth.
Her message is clear: With education and perseverance, anyone can achieve their dreams. Tune in to hear Sherri’s full story and gain valuable insights for your own real estate journey.
In the latest episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast, host Nick DeGregorio sits down with Blake Zack, a dynamic figure in the commercial real estate industry. Blake’s story is one of perseverance, strategic networking, and the relentless pursuit of growth. His journey from humble beginnings in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to becoming a key player at Select Leaders is filled with inspiring lessons and actionable insights.
Blake's path to success was not straightforward. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in communications and a minor in marketing. He was deeply involved in various organizations, including serving as the president of Hillel, where he honed his leadership and networking skills. Reflecting on his college years, Blake shares, “Eastern Michigan taught me a lot of different skills that I never thought I would learn in the classroom. It was through involvement in organizations and hands-on experiences.”
After college, Blake faced his first major career challenge. He started at United Wholesale Mortgage during the pandemic, a time of great uncertainty. Blake recalls, “The environment of sales and mortgages wasn't something I was passionate about, but it was an opportunity I took advantage of during COVID.” His tenure at the mortgage company was marked by significant learning and growth, setting the stage for his future endeavors.
The turning point in Blake’s career came with a rejection from BizNow, a leading commercial real estate news and events company. This setback, however, fueled his determination. “Rejection motivated me,” Blake says. He eventually secured a role at BizNow and relocated to Chicago, a city he now calls home. His move to BizNow allowed him to leverage his skills in sales and networking, ultimately leading to his current position at Select Leaders, where he plays a strategic role in executive recruitment.
Nick DeGregorio, the charismatic host, expertly navigates the conversation, highlighting Blake’s resilience and adaptability. Nick’s engaging style brings out the best in his guests, and this episode is no exception. He delves into Blake’s experiences and extracts valuable lessons that are applicable to anyone aspiring to succeed in their careers.
One of the standout moments in the episode is Blake’s discussion about the importance of preparation and persistence. “Preparation is everything. If I'm not prepared, I'm not going to be successful,” he emphasizes. This principle is evident in Blake’s meticulous approach to his work and his dedication to continuous learning.
Blake also shares his passion for community building and collaboration. His initiative, Catapult CRE, aims to propel young careers in commercial real estate to the next level. “It’s about getting people back out there, not just sitting at home being remote,” he explains. This initiative underscores his belief in the power of networking and face-to-face interactions.
Throughout the episode, Blake’s humility and gratitude shine through. He credits much of his success to his supportive family and mentors. “I would not be here without my family and everyone who has been supportive throughout my career,” he notes. This sense of appreciation and the recognition of the role of community in personal growth is a recurring theme in Blake’s narrative.
Nick’s insightful questions and ability to relate to his guest make for a compelling episode. He draws out practical advice from Blake that listeners can apply to their own lives. Whether it’s using social media for networking or being persistent in the face of rejection, the lessons are clear and actionable.
Blake’s final words of wisdom resonate deeply: “Advocate for yourself. If you're not happy, speak up. And always be prepared.” His story is a testament to the power of resilience, strategic networking, and continuous self-improvement. This episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of career growth and achieve success in the real estate industry.
In the latest episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, Grigory Pekarsky, co-founder and managing broker of Vesta Preferred Realty, offers a rich tapestry of insights that interweave the hard-earned truths of the real estate industry with the personal growth that accompanies entrepreneurial ventures.
Grigory’s journey from a potential veterinary path at Michigan State to leading a top real estate team in Chicago paints a vivid picture of how adaptability and resilience pave the way to success.
His story is one of transformation and tenacity. Born in Moscow and raised in Detroit before making a leap to Chicago, his initial career aspiration was to become a veterinarian. However, his true calling lay elsewhere. Grigory realized, “I love animals, not so much the pathway of being a veterinarian,” a revelation that led him to pivot towards finance and eventually real estate.
His philosophy extends beyond mere business metrics, focusing profoundly on personal fulfillment and mental well-being. Grigory’s approach is encapsulated when he explains, “It's almost like you have these alter egos; one of them is Party Greg, but there’s also Work Greg and Family Greg. You got to go all in for all of them.” This philosophy highlights the importance of balance and the understanding that success in any field requires a holistic commitment.
A cornerstone of Grigory’s success is his emphasis on the ‘why’ behind actions rather than just the outcomes. “We never focus on results... You can't control your results,” he states, underscoring a philosophy that values process over product. This mindset shift is crucial, especially in an industry as volatile as real estate.
Vesta Preferred stands out not just for its business achievements but for its rigorous selection process, emphasizing attitude and work ethic over mere experience. Grigory is clear on this, noting, “I don't care if you did $20 million in real estate... I’d rather take somebody that's fresh out of college, that is just hungry and wants to learn.” This approach ensures that the team remains agile and aligned with the company’s core values, fostering an environment where every member contributes to and benefits from the collective success.
The discussion also delves into the complexities of leadership within such a high-stakes industry. Grigory acknowledges the challenges and potential pitfalls of partnerships and recruitment. He candidly shares lessons from previous failures, emphasizing the growth that comes from them: “Fifteen years of failure will get you there... We've been pretty on fire for the last five years.” His story is a testament to the idea that enduring success often follows numerous trials and errors, each providing valuable lessons.
Moreover, Grigory’s narrative is a compelling reminder of the importance of authenticity and adaptability in leadership. His strategies for recruitment and team building, particularly in leveraging social media and digital platforms to enhance Vesta’s brand and attract the right talent, illustrate a forward-thinking approach to modern real estate practices.
Grigory Pekarsky’s episode offers more than just a glimpse into the life of a successful real estate broker—it provides a blueprint for personal and professional growth. His journey encourages us to embrace change, prioritize mental health, and always strive for a balanced life, lessons that are applicable far beyond the realm of real estate.
Dive into the inspiring journey of Cinny Chui
From mastering her studies to mastering the market, Cinny's story is a lesson in ambition and success.
Discover how she turned her real estate dreams into multi-million-dollar realities.
Don't miss out on her invaluable insights and tips!
In an inspiring episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast, Jennie Raymer delves deep into the world of real estate with her guest, Bob Tierney, who shares his remarkable journey from working in construction to becoming a real estate investor. Bob's story is not just a narrative of personal triumph but a roadmap filled with insights, wisdom, and actionable advice for anyone looking to navigate the complex world of real estate investing.
Bob's tale begins in the trenches of manual labor, where his passion for craftsmanship and architecture was born. He recounts the hardships of his early life, a testament to his resilience and determination.
It's through these formative experiences that Bob discovered the transformative power of real estate, not just as a means to personal wealth but as a way to make a meaningful impact on others' lives.
Jennie, with her keen understanding and genuine curiosity, guides the conversation to uncover the layers of Bob's success. One of the most poignant moments is when Bob discusses the epiphany that shifted his perspective: job security is an oxymoron. This realization propelled him into the world of real estate investing, where he learned to navigate the market's ups and downs with savvy and strategy.
Bob emphasizes the importance of education and mentorship in his journey.
"We're limited by our own perspectives and what we think is true," he shares, highlighting the value of challenging one's beliefs and assumptions. His advice to Jennie's audience? Dive into learning, be open to new opportunities, and most importantly, surround yourself with people who have walked the path you aspire to tread.
The conversation takes a practical turn as Bob shares his strategies for success, from the power of short sales to the cash flow benefits of buy-and-hold real estate. Jennie skillfully extracts lessons from Bob's experiences, presenting them as relatable insights for her audience. It's clear that Bob's approach to real estate is about more than transactions; it's about transformation—of properties, lives, and communities.
Bob's story, as presented by Jennie, serves as a beacon for aspiring real estate moguls. It's a narrative filled with challenges, learning, and growth. "Focus on building a business that creates cash flow," Bob advises, encapsulating his philosophy in a simple yet profound statement.
This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom, not just for real estate enthusiasts but for anyone seeking to build a life of purpose and prosperity.
In the latest episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting Nadiia Glavin, a beacon of perseverance, adaptability, and triumph in the face of adversity. Nadiia's journey from a non-English speaking student to a real estate mogul in Chicago embodies not just the essence of the American Dream but serves as a masterclass in resilience, tenacity, and the art of leveraging opportunities.
Nadiia's story begins in Ukraine, where she was born and raised, and traces her bold decision to explore life in the United States through a work and travel program. Landing in Daytona Beach, Florida, with limited English, she faced overwhelming challenges that could have easily deterred a lesser spirit. Yet, it was her indomitable will and a relentless pursuit of improvement that not only saw her through these trials but also paved the way for her remarkable success in the United States.
What sets Nadiia apart is not just her success in real estate but her profound understanding of the importance of struggle in achieving true satisfaction. "You can truly taste the success and enjoy the happiness if you fought for it and if you suffered or struggled at some certain points and then you finally got it. That's the only way," Nadiia shares. This insight is not just about real estate; it's a life lesson on the value of perseverance and hard work.
Her transition from working in hospitality to becoming a revered name in real estate was not a straightforward path. It required learning a new language, adapting to a new culture, and mastering a new field—all of which she did with exceptional grace and determination. Today, Nadiia not only thrives in her career but also gives back to her community, exemplifying the power of resilience and the impact of giving.
Nadiia's story is a testament to the fact that success is not just about achieving your goals but about the journey you undertake to get there. Her advice for those starting in real estate, or any field for that matter, revolves around understanding your 'big why,' investing in yourself, and never shying away from the hard work required to turn dreams into reality.
In a world where success stories are often stripped of their struggles, Nadiia Glavin reminds us of the beauty in the battle. Her narrative is not just inspirational; it's instructional, offering actionable insights for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of career advancement and personal growth.
Dive into the world of luxury with Ri Prasad! Uncover the secrets of success in real estate, from building lasting relationships to navigating complex transactions.
Tune into our latest #RealEstateMoguls episode for an inspiring story of dedication, expertise, and the transformative power of homeownership.
Your next level in real estate wisdom awaits!
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In a recent episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting LaQuan Henley, a name synonymous with resilience and success in the real estate sector. Henley, with his deep-rooted wisdom and remarkable journey, left an indelible impression on our audience.
Henley's story isn't just about real estate; it's a testament to the power of persistence, the importance of relationships, and the art of transformation. From cold-calling in his early career to navigating the tumultuous world of real estate, Henley's journey is rich with lessons for aspiring moguls.
His philosophy, influenced by personal development giants like Tony Robbins and Les Brown, resonates with anyone striving for success. "Tribulations work with patience," he remarks, emphasizing the virtue of enduring through challenges. This mindset has been pivotal in Henley's approach to business and life.
Henley's story underlines a crucial lesson: the journey is as important as the destination. Enjoying the process, embracing the struggles, and learning from every step are vital. He advises, "Enjoy the journey... be mindful of the healing portion as you start to move forward when stuff hits the fan."
His journey through personal and professional hardships, including navigating the complexities of foreclosures and pre-foreclosures, is a masterclass in resilience.
An interesting take away from Henley's narrative is his analogy of being 'green' versus 'ripe'. "When you're green, you grow; when you're ripe, you rot," he quotes Tony Robbins. This analogy beautifully encapsulates the cycle of growth, success, and the constant need for renewal – a cycle all too familiar in the volatile world of real estate.
Henley's insights into relationship-building in business are especially noteworthy. He believes in the power of a strong network, asserting, "You cannot make a dollar without someone else." This principle has guided his approach to building a team and cultivating meaningful professional relationships.
LaQuan Henley's appearance on the Real Estate Moguls Podcast was not just a narrative of real estate success. It was a deeper exploration of life principles – endurance, growth, and the significance of relationships.
Henley's journey is a beacon of inspiration, showing us that with the right mindset, challenges can transform into opportunities for growth and success.
In the latest episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, we dive deep into the inspiring journey of Byron Sellers, the co-founder of Mobile Home Elite Investors. Sellers' story is not just a narrative of business acumen but a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and vision.
From the suburbs of Chicago to the forefront of the mobile home investing world, Byron Sellers' path is a blend of inspiration, wisdom, and practical knowledge. This episode transcends the typical entrepreneurial success story, delving into the psyche of a man who transformed adversity into opportunity.
Byron's journey began in the grips of the corporate rat race, a familiar yet suffocating environment for many. His eureka moment came while listening to a podcast during his stint as a Lyft driver. The revelation? The untapped potential of mobile home investing.
This marked the beginning of a transformative journey that reshaped not only his career but also his life perspective.
One of Byron's most poignant reflections is the cost of inaction, a theme that resonates deeply with listeners. "You have to ask yourself, what does it cost me for every minute that I don't move forward? Does it cost me time? Does it cost me money?
Most of our fear is just a creative story that we chose to believe," he shares. This insight is a powerful reminder of the invisible price tag attached to our fears and hesitations.
Sellers' approach to mobile home investing is characterized by diligence, creativity, and a profound understanding of the market. He and his partner, embarking on this venture together, called 50 mobile home parks daily, a testament to their commitment and strategic planning. Byron's experience underscores the importance of perseverance, thorough research, and trusting one's intuition in business.
Moreover, Byron's story is a beacon of hope for aspiring entrepreneurs. It illustrates the significance of personal development and mental fortitude. His journey highlights the transformative impact of self-education and the courage to take unconventional paths.
Byron Sellers' story on Real Estate Moguls Podcast is more than an account of financial success; it's a blueprint for personal and professional growth. It's a narrative that encourages us to challenge our fears, embrace new opportunities, and write our own stories of triumph.
Mark Hinrichs shares his secrets to success, how building strong rapport is vital, and why he continues to serve his Omaha friends from the vibrant heart of Chicago.
In a recent episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast, host Jaymi Block sat down with Lydia Memeti, a real estate dynamo with a fascinating story that encapsulates the spirit of success in the industry. Their conversation was not just about business; it dug deep into Lydia's life, values, and how her background shaped her success.
Lydia, an Albanian native, migrated to a new country without the comfort of knowing the language. This experience is reminiscent of the journey many immigrants face, filled with struggles and the challenge of navigating unfamiliar territories. But as Lydia shared with Jaymi, “when I first came to the country, I didn't speak English... I promised myself once the day I come that I can help, I really will help.” Her dedication to her community resonates with her role in real estate – both are about building foundations and creating lasting connections.
One of the significant lessons Lydia's story imparts is the importance of genuine relationships in real estate. Beyond the brick and mortar, real estate is about fostering connections. Jaymi, with her knack for bringing out the most inspirational stories, highlighted the essence of Lydia's message, "Realize that our world is much smaller than you may think."
This means that while the world may seem vast, our ability to connect makes it a close-knit community. As you delve into real estate or any business, remember that personal connections can lead to opportunities in the most unexpected places.
During their chat, Lydia emphasized the value of a supportive environment in fostering success. This point is crucial. When you're surrounded by a community that uplifts and collaborates, rather than competes, the journey becomes enriching. "It's definitely a collaborative, not a co-competitive type of atmosphere," Lydia remarked, highlighting her unique office environment. Take a moment to reflect on your surroundings. Are they encouraging you to grow, or are they hindering your progress?
What's compelling about Lydia's journey, which Jaymi adeptly illuminated, is Lydia's unwavering commitment to serve. From aiding refugees to being a pillar in her community, she remarked, "I've helped the community quite a bit... I got an award from the Albanian community." These accolades, while commendable, are merely a reflection of Lydia's dedication. As you navigate your journey, consider what mark you want to leave. How do you want to be remembered?
Finally, one cannot discuss real estate without mentioning the tactical aspects. Both Jaymi and Lydia stressed the significance of being present and available. In Lydia's words, "Pick up the phone. People need to hear voices, not email." This simple, yet profound advice is applicable beyond real estate. In an era dominated by digital communication, the human touch, a simple phone call, can make a difference.
In wrapping up their enlightening conversation, Jaymi left us with an overarching message: success in real estate, or any venture, is not merely about transactions or deals. It's about the stories, the relationships, and the impact you leave. Lydia Memeti's journey serves as a testament to that truth. So, as you carve out your path, ask yourself: What legacy will you build?
Wendy Andrade of @properties Christie's International Real Estate joins us on the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to share her story.
In a captivating episode of "The Real Estate Moguls Podcast," host Jennie Raymer welcomes Eugene Marshall, an adept tax strategist and real estate expert. Eugene's keen insights and practical strategies can empower anyone willing to tap into the often-misunderstood realm of real estate tax.
A watch is a staple accessory for Eugene, not just as a fashion statement but as a powerful symbol of his time-conscious approach to networking, a skill critical to his success in the real estate field. "When you wear a watch, there's something about looking at your watch when you're having a conversation where the other person knows that you don't have a whole lot of time," Eugene explains.
But it's his application of this principle in the realm of tax strategies that truly showcases his expertise. Just as he values time, Eugene appreciates the importance of efficiency and effective planning when it comes to real estate taxes.
During his conversation with Jennie, Eugene discusses his tax advisory firm and how it's geared towards providing tax planning, preparation, and representation to individuals and small businesses. It's his belief that comprehensive tax strategies can significantly impact the profitability of real estate investments.
He declares, "We're all working towards something. We're all looking five years out, some of us 10, 20 years out, and we got our five-year goals." The long-term vision that Eugene advocates for is not only applicable to networking or business growth, but also vital in mapping out effective tax strategies.
With his vast experience in the tax space, Eugene recognizes the need for an action plan that serves both immediate and future financial objectives. For him, it's about setting and breaking down goals – from five-year plans to quarterly, strategic 90-days, and even annual goals. This approach is as applicable to real estate tax planning as it is to broader business strategies.
Imagine applying this principle to your own real estate investments, creating an efficient and effective tax plan that aligns with your long-term financial goals. Eugene's insights could guide you through this process, highlighting the importance of goal-oriented planning in tax strategy.
It's not often you get to sit down with an expert like Eugene, absorbing knowledge that can genuinely influence your real estate business. With Jennie as our guide, we're granted an insider's look into the critical world of real estate tax planning and strategy.
So, as you step back from this insightful episode, remember Eugene's sage advice. Consider your own financial goals, plan strategically, and never underestimate the power of an effective real estate tax strategy. There's much more to learn from Eugene's wisdom than just the minutes on his watch.
In the world of real estate, where success often seems synonymous with wealth and ambition, there are individuals like Nick DeGregorio who redefine what it means to be a true industry leader. Nick, a commercial real estate broker, is not only focused on achieving professional excellence, but he is also dedicated to making a positive impact on his community. His story is one of purpose, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of giving back.
Nick's journey began with a realization that true success goes beyond monetary gains. He understood that while financial prosperity is important, it is equally essential to uplift and support underserved communities. Motivated by this vision, Nick founded an initiative called "Transcending through Real Estate," combining his passion for football and his desire to positively impact millions of lives.
Through his work, Nick aims to bring hope and transformation to the Chicago land area, a community plagued by violence and underutilization. Inspired by a mother figure in his life, he was guided by her heartwarming presence and instilled with the values of compassion and empathy. Nick's desire to give back stems from the gratitude he feels for having had a supportive community and a loving family. He is determined to provide the same opportunities and mentorship to those who lack such guidance in their lives.
During his career, Nick encountered challenges that tested his resolve. He faced personal losses and battled with self-image issues when he developed severe acne. But instead of allowing these setbacks to define him, Nick sought inspiration from motivational speakers and podcasts, such as Ed Mylet, Brendan Bouchard, and Tony Robbins. Their words of wisdom helped him overcome his obstacles, reminding him that there is so much more to life than superficial concerns.
To achieve his goals and maintain peak performance, Nick adheres to a disciplined routine. He wakes up at 4:30 a.m., dedicating time to set goals and express gratitude. He also prioritizes physical fitness, recognizing that being the best version of himself is vital not only for his clients but also for his personal growth. Nick's unwavering commitment to his craft and his willingness to put in the hard work are the driving forces behind his success.
In his podcast episode, Nick shared his insights and experiences with authenticity and charisma. He emphasized the importance of persistence, sacrifice, and a strong work ethic in realizing one's dreams. While others may only see the highlights of his journey, Nick's dedication to continuous self-improvement and his unwavering pursuit of excellence shine through in every aspect of his life.
As we delve into Nick’s story, we are reminded that success goes beyond material achievements. It is about making a positive impact, both in our professional pursuits and in the lives of those around us. Nick's journey inspires us to overcome adversity, embrace our unique experiences, and find ways to give back to our communities. Let us take his lessons to heart, striving to create a world where compassion and purpose drive our actions.
As Nick continues to pave his path in the real estate industry, we can eagerly anticipate the positive transformations he will bring and the lives he will touch. To connect with Nick and learn more about his work, reach out to him on LinkedIn or follow him on Instagram.
In a world that often focuses solely on financial gain, individuals like Nick DeGregorio remind us of the power of purpose and the importance of giving back. Let us embrace his message and strive to make a difference in our own lives, communities, and industries.
In the captivating episode of "The Real Estate Moguls Podcast," hosted by Jennie Raymer, we are introduced to the incredible journey of real estate broker Joey Bachewicz. His story is one of resilience, determination, and the unwavering belief in the power of real estate investments. As we dive into his experiences, we uncover valuable lessons and insights that can guide us towards building our own path to financial success.
Joey Bachewicz, a true expert in his field, shares his wisdom and knowledge with the utmost passion and authenticity. His story serves as an inspiration for anyone looking to create wealth and achieve financial freedom through real estate. As the host, Jennie Raymer skillfully guides the conversation, highlighting the key moments and extracting valuable nuggets of information for the listeners.
One of the fundamental lessons we learn from Joey's journey is the importance of mindset and discipline when it comes to investing in real estate. He emphasizes that by understanding the trajectory of a property, one can strategically pay off a mortgage in a shorter period of time, often less than ten years. With the right approach and without adding additional funds, it is even possible to pay off a property in as little as five to seven years. Joey's practical advice and insights empower the reader to envision their own successful real estate ventures.
The discussion also touches upon the realm of Airbnb rentals, revealing the potential for additional income streams. Joey highlights the importance of reviewing guest reviews and emphasizes Airbnb's protocol of having the registered guest be the one to arrive at the property. While he acknowledges a few instances of uncomfortable situations, Joey assures that such occurrences are rare and can be managed effectively through proper screening and adherence to Airbnb guidelines.
Joey's experience challenges the common misconception that one needs to start with large properties or multi-unit buildings to enter the real estate investment realm. He advocates for starting small in the Airbnb market, where one can have more control and gradually expand once confidence and experience are gained. His own journey began with a 25-unit building at the age of 22, demonstrating that ambitious goals are within reach for anyone willing to put in the effort.
As we navigate through Joey's real estate ventures, we are reminded that the current economic climate provides abundant opportunities for investment. While some may view rising interest rates as a deterrent, Joey highlights the potential for distressed properties and foreclosures, which can become prime investment opportunities. By adopting the right mindset and actively seeking out these opportunities, one can create their own success story regardless of market conditions.
Joey Bachewicz's journey as a real estate broker is a testament to the power of perseverance and strategic thinking. By following his footsteps and embracing the opportunities available, you can embark on a transformative path towards financial independence. Remember, the key lies not only in seizing existing opportunities but also in creating your own. As Joey affirms, "You don't find great deals, you gotta create 'em." The real estate investment realm is waiting for you to make your mark, so start building your empire today.
In a recent episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast, host Mark Grzymala had the pleasure of sitting down with Ashlii Brummel, a remarkable individual who is leaving a lasting mark on the construction industry. With her passion, determination, and involvement with the Associated Subcontractors of America (ASA), Ashlii is empowering professionals and bridging the gap between old and new ways in the field.
Ashlii's journey with ASA began several years ago when she was invited to an award ceremony by Judy Tips from Langford Painting. She was instantly captivated by the organization's wealth of knowledge and the supportive community it provided. She explains, "Walking in, there was a lot of heart there. They were welcoming, and you could go to anybody and ask for help."
Her dedication to ASA led her to join the Expo Committee, where she had the opportunity to interact with vendors, general contractors, and promote the annual expo. Ashlii's passion and commitment shone through, and she eventually rose through the ranks, becoming the Chair and later the Board Liaison for the Expo.
Speaking about the success of the recent expo, Ashlii shares, "This expo was sold out completely. We had 151 vendors, and we had a waitlist of vendors wanting to get involved. We did even better than the year before, which was truly amazing." The expo, a two-day event in Oak Brook, brings together professionals from all sectors of the construction industry, providing a platform for networking, learning, and showcasing the latest innovations.
Beyond her involvement with ASA, Ashlii has also made a significant impact through philanthropy work with a trade school called ACE Amandla. She explains, "ACE Amandla is a trade school in downtown Chicago geared towards the construction industry. We wanted to bridge the gap between old and new ways in the industry, and ASA raised money for ACE, donating laptops and providing hands-on experiences for the students."
Away from her professional endeavors, Ashlii embraces a sense of adventure and fun. She recently purchased a dirt bike, which has become her escape and source of excitement. She shares, "I'm out in the Campton Hills area, and I bought a little land where I have chickens, ducks, and even a turkey. Riding the dirt bike and chasing the animals around brings me joy and encourages me to keep going."
Looking ahead, Ashlii envisions herself as the President of ASA and continuing her journey with Christopher Glass Services, where she has experienced growth and loyalty. She expresses her gratitude for the opportunities she has had and her commitment to making a positive impact in the construction industry.
Through Ashlii's inspiring story and involvement with ASA, listeners can find encouragement to pursue their passions, embrace opportunities for growth, and make a difference in their respective fields. As she emphasizes, "Learn to fall and get yourself back up. It's all about persevering and staying dedicated to your goals."
Mark Grzymala, the host of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast, skillfully guides the conversation, allowing Ashlii's wisdom and experiences to shine. Together, they offer a valuable resource for anyone seeking inspiration and insights into the construction industry.
In conclusion, Ashlii Brummel's dedication and impact on the construction industry through her involvement with ASA and philanthropy work highlight the importance of community, continuous learning, and making a difference. Her story serves as a reminder that with passion and perseverance, one can create a meaningful and fulfilling career while leaving a lasting legacy.
On the latest episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast, host Alicia Dale speaks with Lindsay Guhl, a top-performing real estate broker. Guhl’s success is rooted in her dedication to providing exceptional service to her clients, as well as her ability to adapt to changes in the industry.
Guhl shares her personal journey in the real estate industry, which began with her working as an assistant and climbing the ranks to become one of the top brokers in the business. She emphasizes the importance of hard work, perseverance, and staying true to your values.
One of Guhl’s strengths is her ability to adapt to the changing landscape of real estate. She discusses the impact of technology on the industry and how brokers must stay current and embrace new tools to remain competitive.
Guhl also emphasizes the importance of building relationships with clients and understanding their needs in order to provide the best service possible.
Throughout the episode, host Alicia Dale adds valuable insight and commentary, emphasizing the importance of building a brand and creating a positive reputation in the industry. Dale also highlights the importance of continuing education and staying informed about the latest trends and regulations in real estate.
Guhl and Dale offer valuable lessons for listeners looking to succeed in the real estate industry. From the importance of hard work and perseverance to the need for adaptation and innovation, their insights can be applied to any career path.
As Guhl notes, “Success isn’t about being the best; it’s about being better than you were yesterday.” By staying focused on personal growth and constantly striving to improve, anyone can achieve success.
This episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast provides inspiration, wisdom, and knowledge for listeners. Lindsay Guhl’s personal story and expertise, combined with Alicia Dale’s valuable insights, make for a captivating and engaging discussion that is not to be missed.
The Real Estate Moguls Podcast brings to light the stories of some of the most successful figures in the real estate industry. In this episode, Jennie Raymer talks with Jaymi Block, a real estate broker with years of experience in the industry. Jaymi shares her journey and the valuable lessons she learned along the way, which can serve as inspiration for anyone looking to build a successful career in real estate.
Jaymi's story is not just about her success in real estate, but also about her determination to overcome the challenges that come with building a business. As Jaymi shares, she initially struggled to make a name for herself in the industry, but she refused to give up. Her persistence and hard work paid off, and she was eventually able to build a successful real estate business.
One of the key takeaways from Jaymi's story is the importance of building a strong network. According to Jaymi, networking is the key to success in the real estate industry.
She emphasizes the importance of making connections and building relationships with clients, colleagues, and other industry professionals. Jaymi's own success is a testament to the power of networking, as she was able to build her business by leveraging her connections and relationships.
Another important lesson from Jaymi's story is the need to be adaptable and willing to change. Jaymi's success did not come easily, and she had to learn to adapt to changing market conditions and client needs. She also had to be willing to pivot her business when necessary, which allowed her to stay ahead of the competition.
Throughout the episode, Jennie Raymer provides insightful commentary and asks thoughtful questions, making for an engaging and informative conversation.
Her expertise as a mortgage lender adds another layer of depth to the discussion, providing listeners with valuable insights into the real estate industry.
Jaymi Block's story is a testament to the power of hard work, persistence, and networking in building a successful real estate business. Her journey provides valuable lessons for anyone looking to build their own business, and her success serves as an inspiration for all aspiring real estate moguls.
As Jaymi says, "if you're willing to work hard and be persistent, you can achieve anything you set your mind to."
Real estate investing can be a lucrative business for those who are willing to put in the work. In this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, we talk to Andre Haynes, a successful real estate investor who shares his tips and experiences in the industry.
Haynes began his real estate journey working alongside a real estate broker, but quickly realized that he wanted to be more involved in the actual investment process. He started by flipping houses and eventually moved on to investing in rental properties. Through his own experiences, Haynes has learned some valuable lessons that he shares with aspiring professionals, entrepreneurs, real estate investors, brokers, and mortgage lenders.
One of the most important things that Haynes stresses is the importance of networking. Real estate investing is a relationship business, and having a strong network of contacts can make all the difference. This includes building relationships with real estate agents, contractors, and other investors in your area. By building these relationships, you can gain access to off-market properties and learn about potential investment opportunities before they hit the market.
Another key to success in real estate investing is having a solid understanding of the numbers. Haynes emphasizes the importance of knowing your market and doing your due diligence before making any investment decisions. This includes understanding the current market trends, analyzing the potential returns, and calculating the expenses associated with the property.
Haynes also stresses the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity. Real estate investing is not always easy, and there will be obstacles along the way. However, by staying focused and motivated, you can overcome these obstacles and achieve your goals.
Haynes emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and education. The real estate industry is constantly evolving, and it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices. This can include attending seminars, reading industry publications, and networking with other investors.
Real estate investing can be a lucrative business for those who are willing to put in the work. Through his own experiences, Andre Haynes has learned some valuable lessons that he shares with aspiring professionals, entrepreneurs, real estate investors, brokers, and mortgage lenders. By building a strong network, understanding the numbers, persevering through adversity, and continuously learning, you can achieve success in the real estate industry.
Real estate brokerage is a fiercely competitive industry that requires a combination of skill, hard work, and a bit of luck. In the latest episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, Jason Finn interviews Marjorie Allabastro, a top-performing real estate broker with over two decades of experience in the industry.
Marjorie shares her insights on how to succeed as a broker, while also delving into her personal story and how it shaped her career.
As the founder of Allabastro Realty Group, Marjorie has built a reputation as one of the most successful brokers in her area. Her business philosophy is centered around providing personalized attention to each client, ensuring their real estate needs are met with the utmost professionalism and care. This approach has earned her a loyal client base and numerous accolades throughout her career.
Marjorie discusses the importance of building strong relationships with clients and how to maintain them. She emphasizes that listening to clients' needs and being proactive are key to building trust and establishing a long-term business relationship.
Marjorie also highlights the value of continuously educating oneself about the industry, staying up-to-date with the latest trends and technology, and building a network of trusted professionals.
Jason’s expertise in the industry adds depth to the conversation, and his ability to keep the interview engaging and captivating is a testament to his skills as a podcast host.
One of the key takeaways from Marjorie's story is the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges. She recounts a time when she faced a particularly difficult deal, but refused to give up despite the odds stacked against her. Her determination paid off in the end, as she successfully closed the deal and solidified her reputation as a skilled negotiator.
Marjorie’s story is an inspiring example of what it takes to succeed in the highly competitive world of real estate brokerage. Her emphasis on building relationships, continuous learning, and perseverance are valuable lessons that can be applied to any industry.
Jason Finn's insightful commentary and engaging interviewing style make the Real Estate Moguls Podcast a must-listen for anyone looking to gain valuable insights into the real estate industry.
Attorney and CEO Imran Khan interviews Michael Kogelis, CEO of Big City Optical to discuss the success of his business and the strategies he used to grow it quickly.
Expanding a business takes a lot of effort, dedication, and smart strategies. Big City Optical, a company that specializes in optometry, has managed to open 16 stores in just over five years in Chicago. Kogelis goes over how the company approached expanding their business from a real estate perspective.
The company started in the Pilsen neighborhood, which was an underserved community in terms of quality optometry.
Kogelis said that they treated their investment in opening their first store like "dollar cost averaging," where they continued to invest even when they faced challenges and made mistakes. They turned their mistakes into investments and opened more stores, learning from their experiences along the way.
Kogelis also talked about their goal to open three to four stores each year and how they are looking for preexisting optical practices to expand their business.
He shared that the only thing that mattered for their business was the number of patient care exams they did on a daily basis, which they focused on through marketing and converting shoppers into buyers. When it comes to real estate, Kogelis said that the location was a top priority, and he looked for places where they didn't have to advertise for people to find their location.
He prioritized co-tenancy and being around other businesses that had clients that they wanted to target. Kogelis also talked about how he prioritized the profile of the location and the clients around it, which drove how much he was willing to spend on rent.
One of the key takeaways from Kogelis's interview is that having a laser focus on one specific aspect of growing a business is critical. In their case, it was patient count and exams, which drove their growth. Kogelis also talked about how important it was to work with real estate brokers who took the time to understand their business and find them the right locations.
Big City Optical's success in expanding their business in a short period of time is a testament to their smart investment strategies, laser focus on growth, and the importance of finding the right real estate locations. Kogelis's insights on how they approached expanding their business from a real estate standpoint provide valuable lessons for other businesses looking to expand.
Growing up in Sicily, Greg Cirone never thought he'd end up living in Chicago, let alone becoming a successful real estate mogul. But fate had other plans for him. Born in the Windy City, Cirone moved back to Sicily with his family when he was just seven years old.
Despite the warm sun and close-knit community in Sicily, he felt the pull of his birthplace and eventually returned to Chicago to hone his English and explore new opportunities. With a background in banking and a passion for real estate, Cirone knew he wanted to make a name for himself in the industry.
However, he didn't have the confidence to jump right in, so he worked part-time as a real estate agent while saving up one year's salary. This allowed him to build up his skills, network, and financial safety net, so that he could fully commit to a career in real estate.
Cirone's entrepreneurial spirit was inherited from his grandparents, both of whom were successful entrepreneurs in their own right.
One owned a lemon and olive business, while the other dabbled in real estate. These influences, combined with Cirone's natural gift for connecting with people, helped him establish himself as a top real estate agent in Chicago.
Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cirone saw opportunity in the real estate market and continued to build his business. He quickly became known for his expertise, professionalism, and approachable personality, earning the trust and respect of clients and colleagues alike.
Today, Greg Cirone is a respected figure in the Chicago real estate community, known for his expertise, integrity, and passion for helping people find their dream homes. He is living proof that success can come from unexpected places and that hard work, perseverance, and a bit of luck can take you to great heights.
Greg Cirone's story is a testament to the American dream, and the power of following your passions and never giving up. Whether you're from Sicily or Chicago, success is possible for anyone who is willing to work for it.
Growing up in Sicily, Greg Cirone never thought he'd end up living in Chicago, let alone becoming a successful real estate mogul. But fate had other plans for him. Born in the Windy City, Cirone moved back to Sicily with his family when he was just seven years old.
Despite the warm sun and close-knit community in Sicily, he felt the pull of his birthplace and eventually returned to Chicago to hone his English and explore new opportunities. With a background in banking and a passion for real estate, Cirone knew he wanted to make a name for himself in the industry.
However, he didn't have the confidence to jump right in, so he worked part-time as a real estate agent while saving up one year's salary. This allowed him to build up his skills, network, and financial safety net, so that he could fully commit to a career in real estate.
Cirone's entrepreneurial spirit was inherited from his grandparents, both of whom were successful entrepreneurs in their own right.
One owned a lemon and olive business, while the other dabbled in real estate. These influences, combined with Cirone's natural gift for connecting with people, helped him establish himself as a top real estate agent in Chicago.
Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cirone saw opportunity in the real estate market and continued to build his business. He quickly became known for his expertise, professionalism, and approachable personality, earning the trust and respect of clients and colleagues alike.
Today, Greg Cirone is a respected figure in the Chicago real estate community, known for his expertise, integrity, and passion for helping people find their dream homes. He is living proof that success can come from unexpected places and that hard work, perseverance, and a bit of luck can take you to great heights.
Greg Cirone's story is a testament to the American dream, and the power of following your passions and never giving up. Whether you're from Sicily or Chicago, success is possible for anyone who is willing to work for it.
Melissa Campobasso, a Real Estate Broker with Remax Destiny, joins us on The Real Estate Moguls Podcast to discuss her journey into the world of real estate.
A native of the northwest suburbs of Chicago, specifically Hoffman Estates, Melissa originally had a fascination with the legal field and began her career as a paralegal in a real estate office for a real estate attorney.
Though she had family in the real estate business, she never considered it as a career path until she was immersed in it for three years, working with real estate brokers and learning about short sales and foreclosures during the market crash of 2009.
It was her cousin, who is her broker owner at Remax, that ultimately influenced her to pursue a career in real estate. She saw how well Melissa understood and navigated the complicated and nuanced world of real estate contracts and encouraged her to pursue her license.
Despite initial hesitation, Melissa decided to take the leap and join her cousin's office, and has never looked back.
Melissa emphasizes that starting in the industry during the market crash of 2009 was a unique experience that has greatly benefited her. She was able to learn about the most challenging aspects of real estate transactions, such as short sales and foreclosures, and has developed a deep understanding of the intricacies of the industry.
Additionally, starting at this time has given her a sense of perspective and appreciation for the hard work and effort that goes into succeeding in the industry, even in difficult market conditions.
Throughout her career, Melissa has also developed a passion for the more personable aspect of real estate, working with clients and helping them navigate the often-complicated process of buying or selling a home. She takes pride in educating herself about different properties and markets, and enjoys the constant learning and growth that comes with working in the industry.
Melissa is a Real Estate Broker with a wealth of experience and knowledge. Her unique journey into the world of real estate, starting during the market crash of 2009, has given her a deep understanding and appreciation for the complexities and challenges of the industry.
Her passion for the more personable aspect of real estate and her dedication to constantly learning and growing make her a valuable asset to her clients and the industry as a whole.
Melissa Campobasso, a Real Estate Broker with Remax Destiny, joins us on The Real Estate Moguls Podcast to discuss her journey into the world of real estate.
A native of the northwest suburbs of Chicago, specifically Hoffman Estate, Melissa originally had a fascination with the legal field and began her career as a paralegal in a real estate office for a real estate attorney.
Though she had family in the real estate business, she never considered it as a career path until she was immersed in it for three years, working with real estate brokers and learning about short sales and foreclosures during the market crash of 2009.
It was her cousin, who is her broker owner at Remax, that ultimately influenced her to pursue a career in real estate. She saw how well Melissa understood and navigated the complicated and nuanced world of real estate contracts and encouraged her to pursue her license.
Despite initial hesitation, Melissa decided to take the leap and join her cousin's office, and has never looked back.
Melissa emphasizes that starting in the industry during the market crash of 2009 was a unique experience that has greatly benefited her. She was able to learn about the most challenging aspects of real estate transactions, such as short sales and foreclosures, and has developed a deep understanding of the intricacies of the industry.
Additionally, starting at this time has given her a sense of perspective and appreciation for the hard work and effort that goes into succeeding in the industry, even in difficult market conditions.
Throughout her career, Melissa has also developed a passion for the more personable aspect of real estate, working with clients and helping them navigate the often-complicated process of buying or selling a home. She takes pride in educating herself about different properties and markets, and enjoys the constant learning and growth that comes with working in the industry.
Melissa is a Real Estate Broker with a wealth of experience and knowledge. Her unique journey into the world of real estate, starting during the market crash of 2009, has given her a deep understanding and appreciation for the complexities and challenges of the industry.
Her passion for the more personable aspect of real estate and her dedication to constantly learning and growing make her a valuable asset to her clients and the industry as a whole.
Sarah Ware is Designated Managing Broker of Ware Realty Group and the 2022-2023 President of the Chicago Realtors.
Born and raised in the Pullman area on Chicago's Southside, Sarah comes from a middle-class background and had a passion for real estate from a young age. She would often read the real estate section of the newspaper and complete word search puzzles, not realizing that it would eventually become her career path.
After graduating high school, Sarah began working in corporate America, first at First Chicago (now Chase) in the corporate trust department as a secretary.
She quickly realized her passion for real estate and began buying and selling properties on the side. She bought her first condo at the young age of 21, and sold it four years later for a $40,000 profit.
Sarah's corporate background helped her in her real estate career, as she had experience working in the real estate department of a large corporation.
She also worked for a property management company and an engineering firm that specialized in real estate project management. Eventually, she left corporate America and joined US Equities, where she continued to work in project management for real estate development.
Sarah's passion for real estate and her background in corporate America and project management have made her a successful managing broker and the current president of the Chicago Realtors. She has a unique perspective on the industry, having been involved in all aspects of the real estate industry and understands the importance of personal and professional growth in the field.
Her story is a testament to the fact that sometimes our paths in life can take unexpected turns and lead us to our true passion.
Sarah Ware is a Managing Broker of Ware Realty Group and the 2022-2023 President of the Chicago Realtors.
Born and raised in the Pullman area on Chicago's Southside, Sarah comes from a middle-class background and had a passion for real estate from a young age. She would often read the real estate section of the newspaper and complete word search puzzles, not realizing that it would eventually become her career path.
After graduating high school, Sarah began working in corporate America, first at First Chicago (now Chase) in the corporate trust department as a secretary.
She quickly realized her passion for real estate and began buying and selling properties on the side. She bought her first condo at the young age of 21, and sold it four years later for a $40,000 profit.
Sarah's corporate background helped her in her real estate career, as she had experience working in the real estate department of a large corporation.
She also worked for a property management company and an engineering firm that specialized in real estate project management. Eventually, she left corporate America and joined US Equities, where she continued to work in project management for real estate development.
Sarah's passion for real estate and her background in corporate America and project management have made her a successful managing broker and the current president of the Chicago Realtors. She has a unique perspective on the industry, having been involved in all aspects of the real estate industry and understands the importance of personal and professional growth in the field.
Her story is a testament to the fact that sometimes our paths in life can take unexpected turns and lead us to our true passion.
Keisha Williams, a real estate broker with Fulton Grace Realty, joins us on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls to share her unique journey into the real estate industry.
She started her career in the mortgage industry and quickly discovered a passion for learning and growing in the field. Despite facing challenges, Keisha's biggest motivator was her children and her desire for a better life for them.
With her background in fashion and love for aesthetics, she eventually made the leap to real estate, overcoming failure and taking risks to achieve success.
Keisha's background in fashion and design gave her a unique perspective on the real estate industry. She saw the potential in homes to be not only functional but also beautiful, and this passion is evident in her approach to her clients.
Keisha's experience in the mortgage industry, combined with her drive and determination, has made her a successful real estate broker, and she is an inspiration to others in the industry.
Keisha's story is a reminder that success is not determined by your background or circumstances, but by your willingness to work hard and take risks. She embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and the drive to overcome challenges and reach for success.
Her family background, with her mother being a hard worker and her father taking risks, has given her a unique combination of qualities that have served her well in the real estate industry.
Keisha is a true real estate mogul, and her story is a testament to the power of hard work, perseverance, and the determination to reach for success. Whether you are starting a new career or looking to take your real estate business to the next level, Keisha's story is one to be inspired by.
Her approach to the industry and her love for the work she does is a testament to her success and her ability to make a difference in the lives of her clients.
Ryan McKane, a realtor with Redfin, joins us on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to share his journey of 20 years in real estate.
Growing up in Orland Park and being in the business through his stepmother, who owned her own real estate company, Ryan found his way into the industry after working in various fields including construction, bartending, and waiting tables.
He also took acting classes and worked in a steel plating factory. After being completely covered in chemicals, Ryan called his stepmom and has been in real estate ever since.
Ryan explains how the industry has evolved, from faxing offers to the internet, and how personal and self-development have been key to his success in the industry.
Cherise Baggett is a real estate broker whose background is rooted in agriculture and city life. Growing up in Iowa and being raised in Chicago, she's had the unique experience of having the best of both worlds.
Her family has a history in agriculture, with her father's side having farms in Oklahoma, and her upbringing in the city has given her a balance and understanding of the two worlds.
Her experiences growing up and the adversity she faced have shaped her into the strong and resilient woman she is today. Even in the face of difficult times, she has become a believer in miracles and has used her experiences to fuel her passion for real estate.
Interestingly, Baggett comes from a family of real estate and military professionals, with both her parents working for the Department of HUD and many of her siblings in the military. While it wasn't her calling, she has found her niche in the real estate industry and has made Chicago her home.
Ragland's unique background and experiences have undoubtedly played a role in her success as a real estate broker.
Her deep understanding of both the rural and urban worlds, coupled with the resilience and determination she's gained from overcoming adversity, have undoubtedly helped her excel in her field.
Through her work in real estate, Baggett has been able to make a real impact in the lives of her clients, helping them to find their dream homes and shaping the communities they live in.
Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, and how our experiences, both good and bad, can shape us into the individuals we are today.
On this episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast we’re joined by Thamar Jones, a Real Estate Broker with Jameson Sotheby's International Realty.
Originally from Mississippi, Thamar has only been in Chicago for five years, but has quickly made a name for herself in the industry. When asked what brought her to Chicago, Thamar explains that she was simply looking for a better opportunity and was open to going anywhere.
Chicago was the first place that presented an opportunity that made sense, so she took the chance and hasn't looked back.
Thamar's move to Chicago was not without its challenges, however. When she and her mother first arrived, they only had two days to find a place for Thamar to live. Despite this, Thamar was able to find a place in just 48 hours, thanks to her background in property management and her ability to ask the right questions.
When asked what drew her to the field of real estate, Thamar explains that it found her, rather than the other way around.
Originally, she was leaning towards a career in marketing and PR, but a conversation with a property manager during her time as a college tutor opened her eyes to the possibilities of a career in real estate.
Thamar's story is a testament to the power of determination and perseverance. Despite facing a difficult situation, she was able to find a way to make it work and set herself up for success in the competitive field of real estate.
Her passion for the industry and ability to think on her feet have undoubtedly played a large role in her rapid success.
Thamar's story is not only inspirational, but it also shows that if you have the will, you can find a way to make things work. Her experience is a reminder that no matter how daunting a task may seem, with the right mindset and approach, anything is possible.
Abby Powell is a real estate broker with Dream Town Realty, originally from the northwest side of Chicago. Growing up in Park Ridge, a suburb located just 10 minutes from O'Hare airport, Abby's family has a long history in the area with her grandfather relocating from the East coast to Chicago in 1970 and purchasing his first house in Park Ridge.
After moving back from college in 2013, Abby was introduced to the world of real estate through a sales position at a company which specialized in Google business tours and virtual tours for large establishments and commercial properties.
Despite her initial interest in the field from a photography standpoint, it wasn't until a few years later when an opportunity presented itself as an assistant to an old neighbor who was getting into real estate full-time, that Abby decided to pursue a career in the industry.
Abby cites her love for people and her background in marketing and advertising as the reasons why she was drawn to the real estate industry.
She enjoys the independence and autonomy that comes with being a real estate broker and the ability to use her skills in marketing and advertising to help her clients.
The real estate industry is not for the faint of heart and it takes a special kind of person to endure the ups and downs of the market.
Abby, however, is a natural people person and her outgoing personality, combined with her background in marketing and advertising, makes her well-suited for the fast-paced world of real estate. She is a driven and experienced real estate broker with a passion for helping her clients find their dream homes.
Her deep knowledge of the Chicago area and her ability to connect with her clients on a personal level make her an invaluable asset in the real estate industry.
Haylee Schwartz, a successful real estate broker, has had a journey filled with grit and determination.
From starting her career as an assistant to a top producer in the North Shore, to working for one of the top developers in the city, Haylee has always been driven to grow and learn more.
When she started her career, Haylee did not have a clear idea of what she wanted to do with her life. After studying hospitality management, she thought she would become an event planner.
However, after interning for a music production company for two summers and seeing the lack of opportunities in the industry, she found herself unsure of her path. It was then that her friend's mother, a successful real estate agent, suggested she get her license and work for her.
Haylee took the opportunity and was immediately drawn to the fast-paced and ever-changing nature of the industry. She moved to the city and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a broker and joining one of the top real estate companies in the city.
Growing up with a single mother, Haylee was surrounded by strong women and that has played a significant role in her becoming the successful woman she is today.
Her mother's strength and resilience during her parents' divorce was a major inspiration for Haylee. She was determined to not let the adversity in her life define her and that mindset has propelled her to where she is today.
Haylee continues to strive for growth and success in her real estate career and hopes to be an inspiration to many.
Andrew Stoll joins us on this episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast, to take us on a journey through his life-long connection to Elgin, Illinois and how it led to his passion for real estate. Born and raised in Elgin, Stoll moved away briefly but ultimately found himself drawn back to the community where he has since become deeply involved.
But it was not a predetermined path that led Stoll to real estate. Instead, it was a chance encounter with a friend that sparked the idea to invest in real estate. With no prior experience or knowledge, the two set out to raise enough money to purchase a $36,000 house at a sheriff's auction.
Though their initial flip resulted in minimal profit, the experience was so enjoyable that they decided to obtain their real estate licenses and become brokers.
Through this process, Stoll learned valuable lessons about entrepreneurship, specifically that overthinking can prevent people from pursuing their passions and taking on challenging endeavors.
He also discovered that the thrill of the chase, rather than the end result, was what truly drove him. As he progressed in his career, Stoll recognized the potential to not only invest in real estate but also to assist others in doing the same.
This realization came after observing the money paid to real estate agents to sell their flipped houses, leading him to obtain his license and supplement that income.
With over eight years of experience as a licensed broker and a decade in the industry, Stoll's journey in real estate has been a winding and enlightening one.
His passion for the field and dedication to the Elgin community continues to drive him forward as he strives to bring new opportunities and growth to the area.
In this episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast, guest and real estate broker Kimberly Offord shares her journey into entrepreneurship and real estate.
Growing up, Offord was inspired by her grandmother who owned a beauty salon and worked for herself. Despite studying marketing in college, Offord found herself working in the accounting department of an advertising agency and feeling unfulfilled.
It wasn't until a friend quit her job and started selling real estate that Offord became interested in the profession.
Initially, Offord had misconceptions about the industry and thought of it as "slimy" sales. However, after watching her friend's success and enjoyment in the field, she decided to take the real estate license test and passed on her first try.
Starting off part-time, Offord quickly fell in love with the work and was shocked at how well her background in marketing translated to the field of real estate.
As she explains, "marketing is everything" in real estate, as it is crucial for both representing oneself and clients.
Offord also emphasizes the importance of understanding that in real estate, the realtor is the brand, and it's crucial to market oneself effectively.
Additionally, she highlights the value of her degrees from Columbia College and Northwestern University, which she didn't initially see a use for, but have proved to be perfect for her career in real estate.
Offord's story showcases the unexpected paths that can lead to success in entrepreneurship and the real estate industry. Her insights on the importance of marketing and personal branding offer valuable lessons for those looking to break into the field.
Real estate broker Tiffany Vondran joins us on The Real Estate Moguls Podcast to discuss her 14-year career in the real estate industry. Hailing from Freeport, Illinois, Tiffany has always had a love for the city and knew early on that she needed to make her way to the big city to pursue her passions.
Tiffany initially began her career in the legal field, working as a paralegal for a real estate attorney. However, after realizing that the job wasn't quite what she expected, she decided to take her real estate licensing exam in order to learn more about the process.
In 2008, during the economic downturn, Tiffany found herself out of a job and decided to fully dive into the world of real estate.
When asked about her mindset at the time, Tiffany admits that she was scared but ultimately believes that losing her job was one of the best things to happen to her.
She has found great success in the industry, citing that building a strong relationship with her clients and providing them with the information they need to make informed decisions has been key to her success.
Tiffany attributes much of her growth and success to her ability to stay in touch with past clients and receive referrals and repeat business. She also mentions the importance of her database and how she has grown it organically through word of mouth.
Finally, when discussing the role of social media in her career, Tiffany admits that it wasn't a big player when she first started in the industry, but over time it has become more important. She acknowledges that she still struggles with social media but recognizes its importance in reaching a wider audience and building her brand.
Tiffany's 14-year career in real estate is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and ability to build strong relationships with her clients.
Her story serves as inspiration for those who may be facing a difficult career transition or are just starting out in the industry. With her strong sense of community and genuine approach, Tiffany is a true real estate mogul.
In this episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast, we welcome real estate broker Jill Scott. Scott discusses how her passion for real estate and family intersect, and how she got her start in the industry in 2014.
She tells a humorous story about how her then-boyfriend, now-husband tricked her into taking a client out on a weekend, which ultimately led to her closing the deal and falling in love with the field.
Scott also shares about her and her husband's upbringing in Indianapolis and how they reconnected years later on Tinder. The conversation turns to the topic of balancing a career in real estate with being a mother, as Scott is currently pregnant with her third child.
She reflects on how her perspective on being a stay-at-home mom has changed and the challenges of building a team she trusts and relies on to make time for other aspects of her life.
Scott also addresses the misconception that the real estate industry is only about showing beautiful houses and the glamorous lifestyle often depicted on TV.
She emphasizes the importance of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into being a successful real estate broker, such as building a reliable team, making time for other aspects of life, and effectively navigating the challenges that come with balancing multiple passions.
Scott's journey in the real estate industry serves as an inspiration to anyone who wants to pursue a career in the field while also prioritizing family. Her determination and ability to balance both passions is a testament to the fact that with hard work and dedication, it is possible to have it all.
Her story is a reminder that even the most serendipitous moments in life, such as meeting her husband on a dating app, can lead to incredible opportunities and success.
Ron Granado, a Title Company Sales Manager, shared his unique story on the latest episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast.
Born in Chicago, Granado's birth parents emigrated from Brazil in the late 1960s during a time of military dictatorship.
They settled in Chicago, but Granado never fully understood why they chose that city over more common destinations for Brazilian immigrants such as Florida or California.
Granado's story took a turn when his parents separated and he went to live with an aunt and uncle in Rio, Brazil. While there, he was registered as a citizen, and later returned to the US as a teenager. He grew up in Chicago and later moved to Florida for college.
Yet, he struggled to find direction and purpose, and took a trip to Brazil to clear his head. Granado eventually returned to Chicago, where he met his now wife and started to get his life on track. He finished college, obtained his series and insurance licenses, and took a job in wholesale lending.
However, the job was in a sector that led to the mortgage crash and the bank was taken over by the feds. Despite this setback, Granado persevered and eventually found his way into the title company sales industry where he has been successful.
Throughout his journey, Granado has faced many challenges, but has remained resilient and determined to find success.
His story is a reminder that even in the face of adversity, it is possible to overcome obstacles and achieve one's goals.
Darien Veal is a real estate broker with four years of experience in the industry. However, his journey in real estate began well before that.
He has been a property owner, landlord, part of a foreclosure, and even a tenant. This diverse background has given him a unique perspective on the industry and has primed him for his current role.
Veal is originally from Chicago's Grand Crossing neighborhood, where he was born and raised.
He worked for a Fortune 500 company for over 20 years and witnessed firsthand the transformation of neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Cabrini Green.
However, he noticed that the neighborhoods he grew up in, such as Chatham, South Shore, and Grand Crossing, remained unchanged.
This motivated him to enter the real estate industry and advocate for home ownership in underrepresented communities.
Veal is a broker with Exit Strategy Realty, which is located in the Bucktown-Wicker Park area of Chicago. He chose to work with this company because of its mission to help clients make informed decisions when it comes to buying and selling property.
He believes that the pandemic has made real estate a more transactional business, but he is determined to continue his mission of advocating for home ownership in underrepresented communities.
Caroline Chambers, a Real Estate Broker originally from the Chicagoland area, particularly Downers Grove, is our guest on this episode of "The Real Estate Moguls Podcast."
Caroline has a deep love for Chicago and has been living in the city for longer than she did in the suburbs, making her a true city person.
She came to the city in her twenties and fell in love with it, despite initially thinking it would be a temporary stay. Caroline believes that Chicago has a bit of a public relations problem, but emphasizes that if you live here, you realize that it's a great city and a gem.
Caroline's career in real estate wasn't her first profession. After college in the nineties, when the job market wasn't great, she worked a variety of different jobs, mostly in non-for-profit work.
She worked with people with disabilities in recreation therapy, taught special Olympic tennis, and did a lot of work towards inclusion for people with disabilities. She also worked as a job coach and found jobs for people with disabilities.
Caroline eventually came to the city and worked for Misericordia Home, a huge non-profit on the north side of Chicago, where she was promoted to the director of volunteers and in-house.
She handled a lot of their fundraisers and their candy days, which is a great organization.
After working there for a while, she decided to transition into real estate, and it's been a natural fit for her. She loves the city and loves helping people find their perfect home in it.
Alonzo Abron is a managing broker and owner of A Progeny Global, a real estate company based in the Chicagoland area. He's been in the industry for quite some time and has built a reputation as a successful real estate broker.
Growing up, Alonzo had an entrepreneurial spirit, starting his own businesses at a young age, such as leaf raking and snow shoveling.
He eventually found himself drawn to real estate and took a broker class, which led him to a career in the industry. He joined Century 21 and quickly learned the tools of the trade, such as the MLS and how to analyze property.
But it wasn't until the market crashed that Alonzo truly found his passion in real estate. He realized that in a down market, there are a lot of opportunities for investing.
He began studying the history of real estate and became particularly interested in investing.
Today, A Progeny Global is a thriving company that specializes in transacting for residential real estate. The company has an office of seven brokers and is known for its ability to bring Chicago's real estate market to the global stage and vice versa.
The name of the company, A Progeny Global, is symbolic of the company's global ambitions.
Alonzo's journey in the real estate industry has been a rewarding one, and he's excited to continue growing and expanding his business. He's a true example of how passion, hard work, and determination can lead to success in the real estate industry.
Growing up a Blackhawks fan on Chicago’s North Shore, Danny O'Donoghue listened to many games on the radio. Inspired by Pat Foley and Dale Tallon, Danny dreamed of becoming a radio announcer. Though his career would be limited to a single experience in high school, he learned the value of storytelling and the impact it can have on others. Now a Real Estate Broker with Compass, he joins us to share his story.
Being the oldest sibling and grandchild, Danny feels a sense of responsibility for others that translates into the way he takes care of his clients through real estate and outside of real estate.
“I'm the oldest of my siblings. I'm the oldest grandchild on both sides of my family. I just feel an innate desire to help people get to where they're supposed to be. It's a weird way of saying ‘I feel a (sense of) responsibility.’
What I realized is I always try to live by the golden rule: ‘Treat others how you'd want to be treated.’’’
Another way Danny shows up for others is to openly discuss tough topics. One of those Danny recognized as needing to be talked about is mental health. As he points out, it isn’t always easy for people his age or older to bring up.
“I'm definitely a person that believes that mental health is super important and is something that most people struggle with in some capacity, whether it be addiction or just general depression.
I'm one of those folks that tries to be open about it. People my age, or older especially, aren't comfortable talking about feelings. So, I try to be someone that is more willing to do it and one of the ways is checking in with people.”
Tune in to hear more on Danny’s story and his take on the current real estate market.
Leigh Marcus of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate is consistently ranked amongst the top producing Realtors in Chicago. Yet, it’s his approach to business and life that distinguishes him as one of the most successful real estate brokers in Illinois. A native of Long Island, New York, Leigh planted his roots in the midwest after he was recruited to attend Indiana University. Being drawn to midwest culture and people, he made his way up to Chicago after graduating college. Yet he wouldn’t find his career in real estate, until he met his wife Lindsey.
Prior to becoming a Realtor, Leigh found himself in technology sales. Lindsey had been a commercial real estate broker, before switching over to residential real estate. Deciding to make the plunge into real estate himself, he did so during the recession of ‘08. Despite the struggles, he found success and sheds light on the trajectory towards it.
“The best thing about real estate is there's no easy path. There is no overnight success. Whenever you see any success in real estate, it's one of those industries where no one was given what they have. You have to earn it. You have to work hard.
No matter what you see online, what image anyone presents, it is about relationships. How many people you talk to, and doing the hard work to really hone your skills.”
Yet for Leigh, it’s more than just transacting on real estate. He’s also passionate about giving back to the industry that’s given so much to him. As he points out, 88% of Realtors fail within 18 months of starting their real estate careers. Also astonishing, 50% of all Realtors make $0 each year.
“You are helping people, coaching people, through the largest transaction of their life when emotions are at their highest. Plus, it's their personal space. You are so intimately connected with your clients, because you're seeing what they're looking for in a home, what they're buying, what they're selling. You know the family, you know the kids' names.
That's part of what we do on a daily basis. I think a lot of people, and I would probably say a lot of the ones that don't make it early on, never really anticipated how much of this is emotional. How emotional this business is, not just your own emotions, but the people that you are working with. And managing those emotions and expectations.”
Tune in to hear more on Leigh’s journey in real estate, as he shares his insights to creating a successful business and brand.
When you're starting a new business, it can be hard to find the right partner. You want someone who shares your vision, but you also want someone who brings an entirely different set of skills and experiences to the table. Meet Stephanie Pellegrino and Andrea Quinones, the two real estate moguls and partners at Platinum Partners Realtors. While they both have been working together since 2019, Stephanie and Andrea come from very different professional backgrounds.
Stephanie’s journey in real estate dates back to her high school days.
“I actually started in high school when I worked for a new home builder and liked it. Then I did more after I graduated from college with a developer in the city, some high rises in the south loop, Evanston, the North Shore.”
Although her passion was in real estate and had very good relationships with the industry, she went to college for a different course.
“I saw people making a lot of money quickly and I love working with people because I love people. And so I always liked the industry, but I went to college for marketing and communications.
After graduation, Stephanie spent several years in the corporate world, working for several companies, before finding her way to Platinum Partners Realtors.
Andrea on the other hand was busy with her hair business at the time, and Stephanie became her loyal client. It didn’t take long for them to realize they shared a lot in common: married at the same time, both had twins at the same time, and knew a lot of the same people. They were simply on the same page in life. One conversation led to another and then the real estate topics caught Andrea’s attention.
“As my kids were growing, I was getting interested in real estate. I had friends that were lenders, also other Realtor friends, and it started to interest me. I was looking to make more money, but still stay in the hair business. Stephanie started to talk to me about it and told me Platinum Partners was offering classes and she would be willing to mentor me if I decided to go that direction.”
There are so many benefits of starting a business together as a team rather than going into it all along. With Andrea and Stephanie partnering right from the beginning, it was easier for them to run their real estate business, even with their respective family responsibilities.
“I think in our situation where you have a family and you're trying to balance everything, having a partner just makes everything easier for both the client and for us. So we can always accommodate the client because one of us is usually available.”
To date, Stephanie and Andrea have worked with all forms of clients, including helping others rebuild their credit scores. They have experienced firsthand how bad credit is affecting the younger generation and insist that there’s a need to educate the youths about finances right from school levels.
“If we could develop a program and implement it in the schools, just teaching the basics of finance and saving, I think it would go a long way. Our kids both go to private schools, so they don't necessarily have that funding for those types of classes. We're hoping somewhere down the line, when time frees up, we'd like to go into some of these schools and develop some kind of course, even if it's once per month or once per quarter.”
Tune in and learn more about the real estate industry, how it can be a huge investment and source of revenue for you and more on different ways you can teach your kids about financial literacy.
As an Account Executive with Landtrust Title Services. Ania Pulit does more than just provide underwriting for real estate transactions. She really enjoys building relationships with people and being a connector. She joins us to share her story and the work she provides, behind the scenes of every real estate transaction.
‘The biggest reason why I was attracted to real estate was just not the work, but at the same time, it was the aspect of the relationships you build along the way. If you also like the industry, and you're having fun with what you're doing, then you don't work a day in your life.”
Having moved to Chicago from Poland when she was 16, Ania was thrust into learning the language at an accelerated pace. While a funny story to share now, she shares how a mixup of grades placed her in an advanced english course in her first American school.
“When I moved here, I had to take a placement test for my high school. One was for math and the other one was for English. I knew I did really well with math. I wasn't too sure about English. When I received my schedule, little did I understand what advanced journalism class meant.
I happily went to that class expecting it was the ESL level class. The first couple of weeks were very rough. My first homework assignment was to write a 40 line poem about America. It wasn't an easy assignment. Probably made me cry the first day um, but I thought maybe they just need me to learn English much quicker than I was used to.
When my mom went to a parent teacher conference, the teacher realized that I'd been in the country for just a month; where he was under the impression I’d been there two years. So,he was pretty tough on me.
Once he found out that it was just a month, he took his own time to help me out and get a kickstart with my English. He didn't want to let me go back to ESL, and I have to say that it helped me a whole lot to pick up English much quicker.’
Tune in to hear more on Ania’s story and how she helps Real Estate Clients, Attorneys and Agents behind the scenes of every real estate transaction.
As passionate as she is about real estate, Michelle Martin is equally passionate about her roles as Fundraiser, Advocate, Educator, and Speaker for the non profit organizations she volunteers for. Focusing on mental health, with an emphasis on psychedelics as an essential option for treatment, Michelle has found the right balance to help her find success in both areas of her life. A Real Estate Consultant & Investor with the Michelle Martin Group of @properties, she sits down with us to share her story. Michelle’s father was a big influence in her decision to pursue a career in real estate. As he was a general contractor, she recalls going to open houses with him and the lessons she learned along the way. “I grew up with him driving me to the job site. He’d hand me the broom and I'd have my tasks for the day. I cleaned toilets, you name it, So I learned hard work; but I also was able to watch him. So I got a general grasp of, okay, this is how you build a house. This is what goes into it.”
Yet despite the role her father played in Michelle pursuing real estate, she acknowledges the mentors that played a critical role in her development as a broker. Wanting to pay it forward, she discusses the creation of her team and the motivations behind the Michelle Martin Group.
“I love helping people. I thought about how to also take that skill I feel I honed a bit, which was being a mentor, and add that to the mix. So, I started a team. The team today is, I'd say, a little bit more of a non-traditional team.”
With a heart to help people, Michelle is extremely passionate about her advocacy work in treating mental health.
“When it comes to psychedelics, there is this whole world that, I mean, we haven't even tapped into yet. I remember when I was younger, someone said ‘We only use a certain percentage of our brain,’ and I automatically got so interested in the brain.Why is it so big, yet we only can access so much. I think psychedelics are going to lead us in a way where we can really access and get into areas, um, that, that we haven't explored before. And a lot of healing, a lot of healing coming.”
Tune in to hear about Michelle's journey in real estate and her advocacy work focused on treating mental health with the use of psychedelics.
Managing broker, Vanessa Valterra of Amare Realty sits down on the Real Estate Moguls podcast to share her story of trusting your gut and perseverance. Immigrating from Mexico with her family when she was around eight years old, Vanessa watched both of her parents work incredibly hard. Inspired by her uncle, as a little girl she wanted to go into the medical field. “And I did go into the medical field, actually. I went into nursing and I loved it because I love helping people. I love being there and I love learning.”
Her path to get there wasn’t easy but with the coaching from a guidance counselor at her high school, Vanessa not only graduated fourth in her class of 490 students, she attended college on a full ride scholarship.
While Vanessa was in school and working in a clinic, she bought her first condo. She had friends that were realtors and were top producers.
“Sometimes they were like, I need help, can you come to the office and help me with it? Things that you can do without having a license. And then one of them encouraged me to get licensed. And I was like, I'm not going to do this. This is not for me.”
Around this time, Vanessa was realizing how difficult it was to ever take any time off in the medical world. She decided to get licensed and try out real estate part time at first.
“Then my friend is like, well, you know, when you become a realtor, you have your own hours. And I'm like, okay, let me think about this. And that's how it kind of happened.”
From there, Vanessa decided to make a complete career shift and transition into real estate full time. However, her parents at first didn’t understand why she wanted to leave such a great job in the medical field.
“One thing that my parents told me when I was a little kid is that when you find your path, you're going to know it. And who cares if everything's falling apart? Who cares what everybody is telling you? You’ve got to believe in yourself and you gotta be stubborn enough to take a risk and take a chance because that's the way life is. You gotta take a risk. So I did it.”
Tune in to this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to hear more about Vanessa’s story and her advice to others who are getting started on their own real estate journey.
https://www.tfocb.com/real-estate/podcast/vanessa-valtierra
Anya Rivtis, Real Estate Agent with Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty, sits down with us on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast. Born in the Ukraine, Anya immigrated to Chicago with her family when she was about eight-years-old. Though she grew up in the Northwest Suburbs, the city was always calling her name. After school, Anya got her start in the mortgage business starting off as an assistant helping with both pre- and post-closings. Eventually she worked her way up to become a partner of her own firm in Rosemont. Then the market crash of 2008 happened. “From there on out, I worked a lot of sales and event management type of jobs and ended up working at Macon Construction for President and Senior Vice President of the company. It was wonderful. I worked on projects like the Hayden out in the West Loop and did a lot of community meetings and met with aldermen. It still wasn't exactly where I needed to be. And I felt that I needed to spread my wings and fly a little bit more. I decided that Real Estate was a passion.” Anya talks about how the biggest draw going into Real Estate was the opportunity to be her own boss and be in control. A goal of hers has always been to have a career where she doens’t have to sit in an office. She says most people like to talk about the freedom and flexibility Real Estate offers and while that’s true, “in order to succeed and in order to grow, you have to put in 200% at a time to grow that business.” Having the mortgage foundation in her career gave her the financial background to truly help her clients make the right decisions and understand what it takes to really buy a home. “I always like to educate my clients as best as I can, but also for me, being a realtor it's not just opening a door, it's allowing someone to create a home.” Anya goes on to discuss the trends she’s seen in the market as a result of the pandemic. She mentions that while in general, not much has changed in terms of their desire to own a home, the pandemic has certainly changed “how people look at homes, look at space, look at what their needs are.” For her, at the end of the day, it’s about making a personal connection with her clients and helping them find the place they could raise their kids in, have parties and entertain in, a place where “they can grow as individuals.” “When you walk into a home with your client and you see their eyes start to sparkle and that little smile comes out and you're like, this is it, we found the right one. We've hit the jackpot here.” Tune in to this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to hear more about Anya’s story, her passion behind Real Estate, and more.
On this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, Alexandria Ward, Managing Broker of Forward Realty sits down with us to share her story. Alexandria officially stepped into the Real Estate world in 2015. It all began around the time she watched her dad make a bad investment on an income property in 2006 right before the bubble burst and tells us she wishes she knew then what she knows now. At this time, not many people in her family owned homes and as a single mom, she wanted to take care of her kids. “It's too much to work a nine to five. I drop them off at school. I pick them up. Real Estate allows me to do everything pretty much and help people, which is my number one thing I want to help people.” When she first started her career in Real Estate in 2015, she knew she wanted to open up her own brokerage within 5 years. She officially opened Forward Realty in January of 2020 but within a few months when the pandemic hit, she was convinced it would fail. “I didn't know what COVID was. I'm a hypochondriac. I just thought I was going to die when I walk outside. It was a lot on me that some clients didn't care. They were like, look, I want to see this house and I'm like, oh my God, we're in a lockdown. But I still fought through it because for my clients I'm going to do what I can.” Alexandria’s attitude of truly helping her clients is likely what helped her see 500% growth within the first year of Forward Realty. Though, it came with a price. With the pandemic every deal would turn into three deals when things would fall through on appraisals or inspections. The around the clock work combined with the pressures of a Global pandemic led Alexandria to take a mental health break. She took a step back to focus on her and leaned into something her family has always told her she’s had a knack for since she was little, “they tell me since I've been young, I've always been very protective of my time and what I'm doing with that time.” One of the secrets to her success has not only been her selectiveness with her clientele but also her collaboration with other realtors. “I'm extremely selective about my clientele, but I still can help people. So even if I’m not taking you out looking or have a hand with the person that you're dealing with, I team up with a lot of different realtors.” Alexandria goes on to discuss what’s next for her. “When I first started real estate, even with the bigger companies, I found myself getting lost. didn't have anybody to call. I passed the test, but I didn't know how to write a contract. I didn't know what to do. What I want to do is I want to help a lot of people. I want to create a system for people who are trying to do what I'm doing. Even with my own brokers, I want to help them become sponsoring brokers if that's what they want to do.” Tune into this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to find out more about Alexandria’s story, how she started Forward Realty, and about her mission to help other realtors.
On this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, we’re joined by Berkshire Hathaway Realtor, Alejandro Tribin, Growing up in Colombia, Alejandro was exposed to real estate from a young age. He watched his stepfather making commercial real estate deals and often worked with him on weekends and during holiday breaks. However, when Alejandro came to the U.S to finish college, he started working for the Colombian Consulate as the Consul General’s Chief of Staff. “It was a great experience because it exposed me to mandatories and it was really great. Then in 2005 I had the opportunity to move to Chicago working with the Colombian government promoting investments into the country. I was working with U.S. companies or U.S. funds in the Chicago area and the Midwest, primarily that we're looking to potentially open operations there or do acquisitions.” After spending quite a bit of time in that arena, Alejandro realized he wanted to be his own boss. Having been exposed to real estate and being intrigued by the commercial side of the business, he began to grow his business. A few years into his business, though, came the market crash. “So I stopped for a while. I got back into promoting Colombia working with investors that were looking into it and I actually got to meet a lot of great people at some of the big equity firms here, like Equity International.” After getting married and having kids, both he and his wife, an executive in her own right, realized someone needed to have a more flexible schedule. Thus, he found himself back in real estate but this time around, decided to start with the residential side. As he puts it, residential real estate is very similar to business consulting. “People don't really realize that they can afford a house and they keep paying a landlord. It’s about helping them understand why, how is it viable and what does it take for them to be homeowners?” Regardless of what position he’s been in, one thing always rings true for how Alejandro approaches clients and that is always with compassion. Tune in to this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to hear more about Alejandro’s story and how he’s taken his skills from working with the Colombian Consulate to the Real Estate world.
Ardit Dizdari, a realtor with @Properties sits down with us on this episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast. Ardit grew up in Albania during the 90s which, as he says, was a very tumultuous time “from civil war to war right next door to us.”. Leaving home at 13 to attend boarding school, he came to America in 2003 after graduating. Upon moving to America, Ardit found himself, like many immigrants, working in the restaurant industry. He shares how much he loved working with people spending 15 years in the industry. Along the way, he met his now-husband, Bobby. “We worked in the evenings and we had our days ourselves. And then at one point we decided that we wanted to pivot and switch careers. We had friends that had gone into real estate. And we both knew, or at least I knew that I really still wanted to work with people and we decided to give it a try.” They did everything together: took classes together, took the exam together, and then they signed up with @properites together as well. What they realized quickly was that they needed to find a way to work together that catered to each of their personalities. “We realized that he likes to have more of the organizational stuff, reaching out to people, he kind of runs the back of the house. He runs listings and he’s really detail oriented. I like to be in the car, driving around with clients and working with buyers mainly. Each aspect we've taken with the business kind of suits our personalities.” Despite moving into real estate shortly before the pandemic, Ardit shares how COVID didn’t actually slow them down. In fact, they had a steady stream of clients looking for a second bedroom to use as a home office or more yard space since no one was able to leave home. They leaned into their own personal brand as a team. According to Ardit, what sets them apart is how they are able to feed off of each other’s creativity as a team. “It's all about brainstorming sometimes because everyone has access to the same property, sees the same things, but at the end of the day, it's coming up with creative solutions. If there are no properties in this specific area, start throwing ideas around and you know what, I'm running out of ideas. Bobby starts coming up with ideas so you can have great and vice versa. Tune in to this episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast to hear more about Ardit’s journey and how he and his husband have built up a brand inspired by their time in the hospitality industry and a whole lot of teamwork.
Stephanie Welter is not only a Real Estate Broker, but she is also a licensed Loan Originator. On this episode, Stephanie sits down with her boss and mentor, Michael Chance; Partner and Senior Mortgage Consultant at ClearPath Mortgage. Jumping right into the conversation, the two begin discussing rates and the factors around what could affect a change in current loan rates. Despite the unpredictability of the market, Michael shares some insight on what he thinks the near future holds for interest rates. “As far as what's gonna happen in the future, I mean, that's really one of those things that's impossible to predict. I'm not gonna make any assumptions as to what's going to happen, but I've been hearing that rates are going to stay somewhat about where they're at.” Beyond just interest rates, the two go on to discuss ways to help yourself when applying for a loan. Stephanie shares ways she helps her clients through the tools and resources available to her. “One of my favorite tools to use when running a loan is the credit simulator app. You can basically look at someone's credit report, pull up what's called a simulator and say ‘if I put $35 towards my best buy card, my Equifax is gonna go up by 30 points or whatever.’” Doing so not only can improve a borrower’s score, but it can also make the difference between the type of loan one would qualify for. As Stephanie explains, simply paying the right creditors could qualify a borrower for a conventional loan versus FHA. Despite the experience and wisdom Stephanie has gained in the field, as she opens about the beginning of her career, she reveals that it didn’t come without its bumps in the road. "I embraced a lot of sleepless nights when I first started, my husband has a story where he remembers my second loan ever, where I was laying on the floor, the kitchen floor, just crying because it was the one where they reported like 50 grand or 60 grand. Then we got the taxes and it was 20 grand. We were like, oh shoot, but we saved the deal. There are a lot of emotions in it, but I think the longer you're in the game the more creative you can get with the solution.” Tune in to hear more on other ways these two help their customers achieve their home ownership and some of the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
John Grafft joins us on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast. John, a current realtor at Compass, grew up in the Northwest suburbs but relocated to Chicago to attend DePaul and has been here ever since. John opens by telling us his story of how he got into Real Estate. It can be summarized in two words: magic mushrooms. Picture a college-aged John having wild weekend experience working with different realtors in Chicago trying to find an apartment for him and his friends. It culminates with a Realtor offering to sell him drugs and John realizing he could do a much better job himself. “I started working on this business plan and created a company called Renters Refuge that helps students find apartments.” Already making 25 grand as a college student, his business really took off once he graduated. However, while he had become a successful rental agent, he didn’t want to get pigeonholed in that position. Years later as an award-winning Realtor for Compass, John does his best to continue to learn wherever he goes. “I get guidance from a number of different places. I talked to a lot of different people in a lot of different industries. One of the beauties of this business, as you learn, you meet so many people in different areas and you learn what they do and you learn how they approach things and hearing someone who's good, someone who's at the top of their game has a different philosophy, has a different vantage point than most others. If you’re interested in honing your real estate skills, looking to break through into the industry or simply curious about what it takes, tune in to John sharing his wisdom on all things from starting your own business to becoming a top agent. https://www.tfocb.com/real-estate/podcast/profile/john-grafft
Stephanie Welter, a realtor with Keller Williams Realty, sits down with Scott Sanders and Jarrett Svensen of Bright Leaf Homes on this episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast. Scott started Bright Leaf Homes, a custom home building and remodeling company, back in 2008 after working in production home building. He didn’t like the cookie cutter style that he saw and knew he wanted to create something different. Over a decade later, Bright Leaf now has 16 employees and has developed an effective business model: “As we grew as a company, we realized what we wanted. Take the home building experience and package it all together to be sort of a one-stop shop. Part of that is having somebody who can help clients find a piece of property, help clients find a home to renovate or a piece of land to build on, help clients sell their existing property, help clients do mortgage financing, all of it.” Jarrett saw what Bright Leaf was doing from the side lines and knew he needed to be a part of it. A Science Teacher turned real estate agent, Jarrett lived in an area that Bright Leaf started developing heavily in. What drew him in was the scientific approach to what they were doing. “So I started lingering. I started stalking them a little bit and then one day I reached out to Scott directly and I'm like, I don't know what I can do for you, but I know I can do something for you.” That led to Jarrett starting and becoming the managing broker of Bright Leaf Realty. Together, along with the other 14 members of the Bright Leaf family, they are not only selling custom home builds and renovations, they are investing in educating their clients on every step of the process. “We're not really selling people on what we are building. We're educating people on what we're building.” Listen to this episode of The Real Estate Moguls podcast to learn more about Scott’s journey to building Bright Leaf, how they’ve created their success, a breakdown of what the process of wanting to build a house really looks like, and more.
Boyan Salha joins us on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast. From Bulgaria to Chicago, Boyan shares his journey from Computer Scientist to Real Estate extraordinaire. Graduating from college in 2004, Boyan didn’t know yet what he wanted to do with his life. However, at the time, computer science was a newer thing in Bulgaria and a lot of people were seeing a good future. With that in mind, Boyan graduated with a degree in engineering. Around that time, an uncle who was a watchmaker would have Boyan help during school breaks. This led to him pursuing watch repair as a profession. “I decided to go to Switzerland and go to the best watchmaking school to learn the trade. Back in the day I don't think there was another watchmaker in Bulgaria who went to Switzerland to have an actual watchmaking education.” However, after graduating from school in Switzerland and moving back to Bulgaria, Boyan realized there wasn’t a future for him in his home country; he wanted more. He had visited the United States during a student exchange program and knew this country was the place for him. In 2005 he found himself Chicago’s newest resident. “So I came here. I decided to stay and started working in downtown Chicago for a watchmaking company. For a couple of years I was always working. It took me a while to realize that I came here for a reason and the reason wasn't watchmaking.” After reading “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki, Boyan was inspired by the philosophy and caught the bug to get into real estate. That coupled with meeting his wife in 2012 and both agreeing that they should buy a two-flat and rent the other unit catapulted him into industry. “I was very inspired by that book and I'm like, I want to do real estate. Do you want to sign up for some classes? And magically, somehow, within a week we received an email from an organization offering real estate state classes. The name of the organization was Rich Dad. I'm like, whoa, my goodness, this is not happening.” Tune in to this special episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to hear more about Boyan’s story, the culture shift he experienced to get to where he is today, and his fresh perspective on how to be successful in the Real Estate Industry.
On this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, TJ Rubin, President and Founder of Fulton Grace Realty, sits down with us to tell us more about his interesting trajectory into the market. An attorney by trade, TJ moved to Chicago from Nashville, TN in 2005. After practicing law for a few years here, he saved up to buy his first small apartment building. Attorney by day and landlord by night, he gained a lot of experience in renting very quickly from dealing with renters themselves to HVAC and plumbing. After losing his day job in law in 2008, he decided to follow his hobby of being a landlord full time. It went from renting his own units to helping others rent theirs to eventually working with developers. A passion for entrepreneurship was born. “There was a fire that started burning after I started renting some apartments on my own and I realized that I really liked this business and I liked doing it.” Now at his own firm, Fulton Grace, he works with his team to, in his words, “build something beautiful and blaze our own trail.” TJ discusses what it’s like to start your own business in the Real Estate industry, especially when you’ve never worked at another firm before, unlike many of his current team members. For TJ, though, it’s all about the people behind the name and the brand. “I think we've really developed the brand and the name and did something special, but it has to do with the people behind it. The name doesn't make the company, it's the other way around.” Listen in on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to get into the mind of the brains behind a successful Chicago Real Estate operation. TJ shares his story, his insights, and advice on navigating the complexities and dynamics of the real estate space. https://www.tfocb.com/real-estate/podcast/profile/tj-rubin
With their upcoming https://www.eventbrite.com/e/real-estate-2022-spring-market-kick-off-event-at-fame-february-23rd-tickets-257356709847 (Real Estate 2022 Spring Market Kick-Off Event at FAME) coming up on February 23rd, Greg DeKalb and Tony Paolella share some insights to help you step up your networking game. While Tony P Productions has been putting on networking events throughout Chicago for the last several years, their focus on the real estate market has only begun. Having a foot already in the real estate community, this is a natural transition for the duo; as Tony comes from real estate finance world. What started off as newsletter sharing networking events taking place in the city, evolved into a production company that put on events with upwards of 350 guests. "It actually started with a business development company Tony and I put together called appointments IQ; working with small business owners to help them fill their pipeline with new prospects and opportunities. We were building that business and we were doing a lot of networking. We decided to put together the newsletter of all the upcoming events and over time that database continued to grow and grow." From that point on, the two have put on numerous of events of their own and connected thousands of people. What makes Tony P's different to similar events around the city is the attention given to the guest experience. Tony and Greg take the time to know who their guests are, before they arrive, so they know who to connect them. Beyond that, Tony offers advice on how to form friendships first, in a formula he uses to help him succeed in networking. "It's the form technique: if you Google form and networking, it's an acronym FRM. When you meet someone new, it's always good to ask a lot of questions, get the conversation going. I can ask someone in these different categories and keep the conversation going. Plus you get to learn about someone else as. Ramble about yourself all the time, which a lot of people do when they're nervous, they don't know what to do. So they start, they start bragging about their company or their products or something, and then they hand your car and then they walk away and they're like, okay, that person knows nothing about me." Tony and Greg go on to share about their own experiences and offer more advice on how to create meaningful relationships in business. Tune in to hear more.
On this episode of The Real Estate Moguls podcast, Erik Boyd sits down and shares the story of his eclectic background and how it led him to real estate. Born and raised in Germany until he was 10, Erik moved with his mom back to her hometown on the western side of South Dakota for his formative years. He headed to Chicago for grad school with the intention of getting his degree and moving to NYC afterward to pursue his acting career. Then September 11thh happened and he changed directions, staying in Chicago and getting a job at the Peninsula Hotel in food and beverage. Erik spent the next 20 years in the industry with his last position being the General Manager of Pops for Champagne. He also owns a daycare with his wife. When COVID hit, it put him in a tough position. “My positions were eliminated when COVID hit. So I was just kind of sitting back wondering, all right, what are we going to do? Is it coming back? I was waiting for it to come back.” After seeing some of his friends getting into the real estate space, Erik reached out to them and asked him how it was going. They all said it was just an extension of the hospitality industry. “We're basically doing the same thing, you know, we're, we're servicing and helping and taking care of people.” He was sold. About a month and a half later, he had his license. He shares how having a hospitality background laid the foundation for him seamlessly transitioning his skills to helping people find and sell their homes. It’s still a hustle, though. As Erik says, “I'm not gonna lie. In real estate, they are not going to come to you. You have to work. I probably work more than I ever did in the hospitality industry. Hard work aside, Erik admits he loves his new career path. “The thing that I think I like the best is not only helping people and seeing the joy and the happiness of helping them find a place, watching their reactions. But more than anything, I like not being tied down to one place.” Whether you’re looking at transitioning into a new career path from hospitality or want to learn more about what it takes to get up and running in real estate, tune into this episode of The Real Estate Moguls podcast to hear more about Erik’s story and his own tips and tricks of the trade he’s learned thus far.
Tanya Diaz, dedicated managing broker of Main Event Real Estate, sits down on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to talk about all things life and what it’s like starting your own business. Tanya runs her business alongside her husband, David, a former lightweight World Champion boxer and 1996 U.S. Olympian. The name of their brokerage, “Main Event,” is an homage to his athletic career while also highlighting the importance that buying/selling a home plays in a person’s life. Unlike some of our other podcast guests who got into Real Estate after other ventures, Tanya grew up with it in her blood. As a young girl, her father was in the business of flipping houses and would often take her and her sister to his latest rehab project after school. She fell in love with it and quickly got her own license early on after high school. However, after her husband’s boxing career took off, she traded it selling homes for raising her beautiful children. Getting back into the business in 2013, she shares what it was like to discover how different the industry was in the age of technology. “I remember coming back in and I had asked the current managing broker about a fax machine and he's like fax, we don't even fax anymore. You know, it was a big change from being out of it for so long. It was a big surprise to me.” Starting her own brokerage may have been even more of a surprise for Tanya. The biggest challenge of leaving a good job at another company to create her own was her self-doubt. Tanya shares what it was like to deal with imposter syndrome and how she looked to other Latinas who started their own companies as inspiration. “I would listen to different podcasts of these women who were very empowering. I didn't want to have that imposter syndrome.’ Find out more about the recipe for Tanya’s success, what she looks for when building a team, and how to overcome imposter syndrome as a Latina in real estate on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast.
This episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast features Commercial Real Estate broker, Heriberto Ruiz. After spending 19 years as a lender for Northern Trust bank, Heriberto realized that his commercial real estate clients were building generational wealth for themselves and their children. He decided he wanted to take a page out of their book and started his own commercial real estate business about seven years ago. “In residential real estate, there's I think a lot more brokers that do it better than I do for sure. But on the commercial side, I understood the lending side which differentiated me from any other broker, because I knew that if it was good enough for a bank to lend on it, then it was probably a good deal for my clients.” Heriberto goes through the differences between commercial and residential real estate. The biggest difference? Money. Heriberto says, “It's a lot more expensive than residential real estate. Even your search engines are more expensive and there aren't a lot of places where you can search for commercial real estate.” A Puerto Rican man himself, Heriberto has focused his business efforts in helping the Latino and minority communities in Chicago. He noticed a lot of help was needed on the leasing side because many Latinos he saw were signing leases that were bad for them. For Herberto, it’s about what’s doing right by the client, making sure they’re not being taken advantage of. Listen in on this Commercial Real Estate episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast to learn more tricks of the trade that Heriberto has learned along the way.
Salvador Romero’s story is one that showcases how you never know what small decisions can do for the path you’re on. Born in Chicago to a young mother, Salvador’s grandparents took him to Mexico to raise him there until he was about 12 years old. After coming back to Chicago, he found himself getting into fitness not having a lot of confidence in high school. While pursuing a science degree from Concordia, he started working at GNC which eventually led him to personal training and sales. As a hobby, a barber friend introduced him to cutting hair. That hobby of his is what inevitably led Salvador to real estate. “It was my friend the barber. He's a flipper, so I was motivated by him. He's a young guy, successful. He's a barber and then he's also flipping houses.” Then, while he was helping his mom buy her dream home, he met the broker that worked with them. He was struck by how invested this broker was in actually helping them realize their dream home and not only in it for the money. “That's kind of what gave me a different perspective of real estate and of a real estate broker.” That broker is now his mentor. Since then, Salvador has learned to take his sales experience from his early days at GNC and at a gym and translate it into real estate. In his words, “it was more of actually helping out the people and in the end people would always look out for you when they see that you actually helped them out. It's people first, you know, that's where I feel like it makes the difference.” Tune in on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to hear more about Salvador’s journey and how his success lies in putting people first.
Jonathan Klem, from Quality Builders, sits down on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls podcast to share his expertise and provide value to our listeners around the investor side of real estate. At some point, Jonathan moved to Louisville and knew he didn’t want to pay rent anymore. He bought a house, decided to flip it while moving to Norway, and when he got back, he sold it. At that point, he moved back to Chicago and decided to double down into the Chicago real estate game. “I think everything kind of built up to that point after flipping that first house in Louisville. I've always been more of the jump out of the plane and build your parachute on the way down.” Various parts of his life leading up to diving head first into real estate investment have paved the way for his success. He spent time in construction working for Walsh Construction Group and a couple of years working for the tech company Nest Egg. Both gave him insights into technology and construction and how both are changing the world. “Real estate itself is light years behind other industries, as far as technology goes. And construction, even further behind. And so the two things we’re really stressing at Quality Builders is technology and transparency.” One of the biggest lessons Jonathan has learned along the way is to conquer your mindset and lean into your fears. “Once you can conquer your mindset and lean into those fears is when you can really experience some serious growth and expansion.” Tune in to learn more about how Jonathan works with his investors, what he’s looking for in an investor profile, and more advice on how to be successful in the Chicago real estate market.
Rarely do you see people who’s childhood dream was to sell homes. There’s always a breaking point in someone’s journey that takes them down that path. Salma Manaa is no exception and on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, she has quite the story to tell. Growing up, Salma was dedicated to the vision that her family and society had for her: go to medical school and become a successful doctor. Serendipitously, while in college getting her Bachelor’s in Biology, she wanted a part-time office job and kept knocking on a particular Mortgage Broker’s door until that broker finally said yes. The next thing she knew, Salma was getting more tasks assigned to her at work and had a life changing conversation with that broker where she told Salma “you’re not supposed to go to medical school.” As Salma puts it, “I will never forget that conversation. Long story short, I graduated, I did the whole nine yards. I took my MCat. I applied for school. I almost got in, I got some interviews and I just never went. I went full-time in the mortgage industry.” An only child of an immigrant family from Egypt, that didn’t go over so well at first. That didn’t stop Salma. From an early age, she always had a passion for helping people. At the time, she didn’t realize there were other ways than being a doctor. Now, it’s the touching stories of people who are being turned out on the streets or can’t afford a home that keep her motivated every day to help them close on their loans. “They're constantly calling me, texting me and they're just like, you really changed my life. And that's really what I really want. That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to change people's lives.” Tune in on this episode of the podcast to hear more about Salma’s inspirational story of following your heart and how she finds success in helping others realize their home owning dreams.
On this episode of the Real Estate Moguls podcast, Ashley Kain Silver shares her story of a teacher turned Real Estate Broker - though it wasn’t that direct of a path. After going to college and grad school to become a teacher, she realized being in the classroom wasn’t for her. Making a slightly tangential move, she started working for Non Profits in the education space instead focusing on policy and politics. Eventually, she transitioned to political campaigning full time. One thing she realized she loved about the job - networking. Cut to moving to the suburbs with two kids under two and Ashley needed a career change. “So I had to find myself a new career and my father actually suggested why don't you go into real estate? And I had never thought about it and it actually turned out to be the best job I've ever had. “ As a Real Estate Broker, one thing Ashley discovered about herself was that by nature she is truly an empath. Her business relationships don’t end when a house closes and all the contracts have been signed. “My clients have all come back to me. I've had a few clients that are on their second homes. I have people that have been in my life for a long time. All my clients are my friends afterwards.” She goes on to discuss how relationships are so critical in the real estate industry. Sometimes, it’s simply not a good fit with a client and they’re better off working with someone else. Ashley laments how it can be tough as a Real Estate Broker turning away business or recommending another broker but, at the end of the day, it’s what’s best for the transaction. Listen in on this episode to hear more about Ashley’s story, tips, and experiences working as a Real Estate Broker in Chicago.
Yolanda Jeffries shares her own unique journey into Real Estate on this episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast. It all started when Yolanda wanted to sell her own home, one that she had purchased during the housing market crash and was under water at the time. After trying, to no avail, to find a real estate agent who could actually follow through on their word and sell her home and taking some bad advice from one of them, Yolanda decided to take matters into her own hands. “I was like, you know, if you can't do it, I'm going to enroll myself in this class, finish this class, pass the state exam and go and sell my own home.” Posting on social media about her own story about her short-sale situation and the steps she was taking to solve it opened the floodgates of so many other people out there who had similar stories to her and were also given bad advice from realtors. “I wanted to make sure that that information stopped. We needed to halt that, right? So these people could solve that problem that they had. And so I guess I became the Crusader for them.” Yolanda goes on to share how after receiving an MBA and working in the finance industry for years she saw how she was sitting on the wrong side of the table when it came to making money. There was so much more to be made in Real Estate with the earning potential being unlimited. In her words, “I am real to Yolanda J and she doesn’t play. Especially when it comes down to things she really wants.” Hear more about this boss-lady’s story, her tips and tricks to success in the industry, and her winning attitude that attracts success to her on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast. https://www.tfocb.com/real-estate/podcast/profile/yolanda-jeffries
On this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, we’re joined by Mortgage Lender, Tim Brigham.
Tim had built a successful mortgage business alongside his business partner and was on top of the world when one incident changed his life forever. His two-year-old son passed out at Target and needed to be rushed to the hospital. Tim and his wife discovered that their son has an advanced form of asthma. The life changing-moment happened while they were staying at the hospital for three days to do testing. When his son was invited to pick out superheroes with the other kids, Tim realized there were a lot of kids much sicker than his son.
“It really messed me up to the point where I decided I wanted to do something. So my son was fine. He's great to this day, no issue. but I wasn’t. It just bothers me that there are kids sitting in hospital rooms with IV bags and all this stuff.”
After that, Tim kept telling his business partner and the people in his office that he needed to start dressing up as Batman for these kids. At first, they thought he was crazy but the more he talked about it, the more he wore them down until they raised money to purchase a movie-quality Batman suit and Tim had their full support behind him.
“These people are incredible. The parents, you've never seen strength like this because you never see one sitting around upset. They're looking at their kid going, you know, you can do this.”
According to Tim, after going through this ordeal with his family and opening up his life to helping bring joy to children in the hospital, there’s now a language that he can speak behind the scenes.
“If you've experienced something with your family, with people that have had something, I don't know what it is, but it pulls it out of them and they share their stories with me.”
Listen in on this heart warming episode of the Real Estate Moguls podcast and hear more about how the lessons Tim has learned along the way have completely transformed him as a person and as a result, have transformed his mortgage business.
Stephanie Welter from Keller Williams joins us on this episode of the Real Estate Mogul Podcast. Originally from Jackson Park, Stephanie first fell in love with real estate when she and her husband were searching for their own house. At the time, working for a non-profit, Stephanie asked the Real Estate Broker they worked with about switching careers. At the time, though, it didn’t make sense and the numbers showed that 80% of realtors fail in their first year. She goes on to tell us the winding story riddled with unsuccessful interviews that eventually led her back to real estate. Overcoming the fear she had based on a statistic of failure wasn’t easy. Stephanie shares how her brother, a Chicago Police Officer with a loan office side hustle, helped her reach an epiphany: “I'm like, okay, I can't afford to live on a realtor starting salary. So they say. I also can't afford to live on the loan officer license because my brother said, ‘this is a side gig.’ And so I was like, why don't I do both?” The first step was to make sure that was legal in illinois. Could Stephanie be both a realtor and a loan officer? The legal answer was yes but it took her some time to find a brokerage that agreed. Tune in on this episode to hear more about Stephanie’s journey in real estate and learn what it’s like to be both a Loan Officer and Real Estate Broker.
On this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast, Caleb Jennings, originally from Elgin, IL, sits down and chats about his journey to real estate. Making his way from Elgin Community College to UIC, Caleb’s first plan was to go into academia combining his love of History and Political Science. That led to an introduction to the labor movement where he worked for a Union for 17 years. Eventually, Caleb credits his best friend to helping him make the transition out of the world: “He's always been in my ear saying, ‘Hey, you work really hard. If you came into the mortgage business you could do pretty well.” Moving full steam ahead into this new unchartered world with Compass Mortgage, Caleb was able to bridge his previous life with his new life. Since beginning his mortgage journey, he has helped many union workers, especially at the Ford Plant. “We give them discounts on closing costs and it was a way to tap into the community that I knew.” Caleb shares the key to his success working with agents. It comes down to three main things: closing on time, communicating consistently and weekly, and following up on every referral. On another side of it, he works closely on community strategies. “It's like I identified a community and I, how can I engage that community in different ways to get better?” Caleb also shares how he built a strong team around him and strong relationships with people from agents, to attorneys to help create a strong approach to his clients. Whether you’re looking to level up your own business strategy or you’re getting started on your journey, tune in and hear how Caleb was able to create a strong, successful business.
Michaela Gordon, a Real Estate Broker with @ Properties, sits down on the Real Estate Moguls Podcast to tell her story and chat about all things real estate. Michaela starts off this episode by telling us about how she got into real estate in the first place. She attended Illinois Institute of Technology where she received the equivalent of a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in architecture. But on the day of her graduation, Michaela had a change of heart: “I sat on the steps [of this famous building], like a couple of weeks before graduation, I looked at my girlfriend and I was like, I'm not going to be an architect.” She goes on to explain in detail why she made that decision and sheds more light on what the life of a young architect is like. Despite having a bad first impression of real estate via a relative when she was only 13, Michaela had a vision of marrying real estate with what she learned in architecture school. “What I could do is I could sell real estate, but while selling real estate, I could essentially get those same clients to let me design whatever they're buying. And so I could in theory, be my version of an architect.” Michaela set off on a journey to make her real estate dream a reality. She shares some incredible and funny stories on things she encountered on that journey. Tune in as Michaela shares her story, insight into understanding how humans use space, and what it’s like working in real-estate and design day to day on this episode of The Real Estate Mogul’s Podcast.
Justine Pasculado, Residential Real Estate Broker for Berkshire Hathaway, sits down to share her approach to real estate on this episode of The Real Estate Moguls Podcast. Initially, Justine’s fate seemed to lie in the world of Nursing. After being in and out of college trying to figure out what she wanted to do, she landed on Nursing: “I grew up in a household where having a nine to five job is really important. Nursing kind of just felt like a no brainer.” Then one day her brother gave her a copy of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and she was introduced to the world of Real Estate investing and a fresh perspective on working a 9 to 5. That was where her move into real estate began and her mindset shifted from one of poverty to one of abundance. She goes on to share what the culture shock was like being thrown into a brand new world and how her passion for aesthetics and design helps her in her real estate career. She also discusses challenges from communication tactics with clients and other realtors to the pandemic and the effect it had on the real estate market. Listen in as these two talk about Justine’s story and the future of real estate in Chicago. Justine also shares a personal anecdote about why people should work with her on this episode of the Real Estate Moguls Podcast.
Bill Pendley is a Mortgage Consultant with Caliber Home Loans in Downers Grove, IL with over 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry. He sits down to chat about how he approaches relationships and how he’s found success by strategically positioning his talents to help him meet prospective clients. “I picked up a drone and that created a lot of relationships that I didn't realize were even going to come from that. It just started out as a hobby at first. I was working with a bank at the time, so there's a whole different level of compliance when it comes to banking. So, I picked up a drone as a hobby, and I just used it as more of a therapeutic way to get out and take some pictures and videos of some cool landscape. And then next thing you know, I was introduced to a photographer and I just asked her, do you need a drone guy? And she goes, ‘actually, yes.’ And I was like, ‘Oh gosh, put me right in front of somebody that I don't know anything about, but I would be willing to do whatever you need me to do.’ So, she hired me one or two times on a trial basis. She liked what she saw and so next thing you know, I started meeting agents while I was doing this.” Despite the success Bill found in meeting prospects, he admits that it presented another challenge: his brand identity. He discovered that people started to relate to him for his drone work and weren’t seeing him as the mortgage consultant he hoped they would. That’s when Bill says he started tuning his personal brand to be one of mortgages + drones, and not the other way around. “I need to make sure people know what I do that actually pays my bills as a loan. So, if you want me to help you, I can help you in both areas. I've had people that kind of use it as a way to kind of check me out and see what I'm doing.”
Staci Yesner dedicated 20 years of her life to education specializing in children with severe disabilities. When an internal restructure of the school eliminated her position, she was left trying to figure out the next step in her career. She was so specialized in what she did, it was extremely difficult to find anything that fit. That’s when she took a leap of faith and passed the real estate exam on her first try. Having no experience in the industry, Staci worked her tail off, quickly becoming the go-to person in the office. She learned and soaked up all the information she could and since she picked up her first buyer within 6 months, the rest is history. Staci loves working with first time home buyers relishing the opportunity to educate them on the home buying process. A problem solver by training, she found a way to apply her social work skills to helping her clients navigate the process. She dedicates her time and expertise to her clients even well beyond the transaction ensuring their satisfaction. While her first love will always be social work, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, she’s excited and inspired to use her skills to grow her real estate business. When she’s not working on that, she volunteers at Gilda’s club Chicago and is on the Board of Directors of Esperanza Community Services. At the core of everything she devotes her life to is helping people.
Mark Ainley is the host of the Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast and founding partner of GC Realty & Development. Though GC Realty & Development is a full service Chicago property management company, Mark works closely with “small portfolio” investors looking to buy investment properties without the headache that comes with managing them. Though originally started as a commercial brokerage firm, their first listing was a “million dollar house,” representing both the sellers and the buyers. With their first commission bringing in $55,000, they decided they were in the luxury real estate market. Ironically, that would be the last luxury listing they’d get. From there it was fate that would bring them into the business of property management. However, the path to building a successful firm would start a little rough for Mark. “The first investment property I ever bought, before I got my real estate license, I did everything wrong. I put a bad tenant in there. I gave her a second chance. I didn't collect the full deposit upfront. I was driving over to the house collecting like $17 to $25 at a time. I did everything wrong and ended up having to file for eviction. I said at that point I am never managing a property again.” It wasn’t until he was at the closing table, as a broker, for his client (who also happens to be an attorney) asked Mark to manage that very property. “I said, Paul, you helped me get out of the worst thing I've ever done, why would you ask me? He said ‘I know you're smart enough that you're not going to do that again.’ I said, ‘Paul, I don't even know what to charge you.’ He's like, ‘I'll give you 50 bucks a month.’ ‘Paul, you're an attorney. You're gonna want a contract. So, at that point, GC property management was born. He (Paul) is still our first client. He still owns that one condo and we still use a modified version of that same management agreement.” Mark’s typical investor client profile consists of one to six door properties and one to six total properties in their portfolio. Tune in as Mark shares real estate investor insights…
Jennifer Hernandez hosts the Real Estate Mogul podcasts joined by guests Daphne Pinkney from the Pinkney Team Royalty and Frank Montro with Keller Williams Preferred. Frank, who’s been in the industry for 38 years, tells us how he convinced investors to bring the North Side look to the South Side, spending more money to replace the “cheap Home Depot look.” After a video of what he was accomplishing went viral, he was officially dubbed “King of the South Side.” Jennifer goes on to dub Daphne, mother of six, the Queen of the Buyer’s side. Like Frank, Daphne and her husband wanted to give back to another underserved community in our city, the West Side. Taking a page out of Frank’s book, they too have been investing in bringing quality living to West Side Chicago. They go on to discuss the power and challenges in persuading investors to put their money in areas that need help to thrive and for Frank, how he’s seen other people copy what he started so long ago. “It kinda caught on, then now, you know, I look at other people and they're out there doing some cool stuff. So then I'm learning from them.” They go on to discuss the current state of affairs in real estate (the supply is low and the demand is high) and how things have fluctuated throughout the last few decades. Each shares their opinions and observations, weaving in their own advice and tidbits for anyone listening who’s in the market on either side. Whether you’re in the market yourself or you’re curious to hear about the ins and outs of real estate, from three insightful experts, tune in to the Real Estate Moguls podcast!
At face-value it seems like Jon is in the traditional real estate business of helping clients buy and sell. However, in reality he’s brought his innate entrepreneurialism to the world of real estate by way of managing properties. He created Third City Properties a few years ago, focusing on investing in and managing multi-family and mixed use properties. After spending 16 years as a consultant in the corporate world, Jon realized it wasn’t what he wanted to spend his life doing. Taking a five-month leave of absence at Chase Bank, Jon bought his first investment property, dipping his toe in the real estate water. A successful venture, he made the decision to not return from his leave of absence and dove head first into the world of investment property. Like many before him, Jon says that it’s truly a track for people to start their careers in the corporate world before venturing into real estate. Much of the structure and professionalism that comes with working in corporate America applies seamlessly to managing your own business within real estate. As a kid, Jon’s family moved from a fairly large city in Oklahoma to a small town in Western Wisconsin: “That move was pretty defining for me. I mean, my whole life was in Oklahoma.” That move would go on to prepare him for multiple global relocations throughout his life including Amsterdam and Dubai eventually leading him to Chicago and Third City Properties. Each place along the way taught him something different to apply to his business today. Tune in as Jon talks about his life, how it led him to where he is today, and his work with the Austin African American Networking Association.
As a first time home buyer or investor, it can be difficult navigating the real estate market. As Amanda Stapleton point out, it's important to work with agents who are going to take care of you and help you throughout the entire process. "As a listing agent, I'm noticing that a lot of first time buyers are coming to properties by themselves, without a realtor. They're going to inspections by themselves. As a first time buyer, you should be getting that support from your real estate agent.You shouldn't be showing up to an open house or looking at a property without your realtor." It's also important to choose an experienced real estate broker with a reputation that precedes her or him, as Jennifer Hernandez explains. "When you're putting in those offers, they're looking up the agent to see how many deals they've closed. And if you're, you know, if you're working with a newer agent, you might want to work with a more seasoned one, This market, right now, is a really difficult one which none of us have really experienced quite before." But as Jennifer explains, as long as you are working with the right team of brokers, lenders and attorneys there is no fear to investing in real estate - regardless of your experience or economic situation. "Don't be fearful apply today. Don't think you're a credit specialist. Let the professionals advise you on what you need to do to get in a home and don't ever take no for an answer just because they could not do it down the street."
After a fun-filled trip visiting a friend, Dave Nimick quit his job in San Francisco, packed his bags and moved to Chicago, never looking back. He quickly seized an opportunity at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and worked his way up to District Manager. After about four years, he decided to invest in a multi-unit property in Wrigleyville and was bit by, what he calls, the Real Estate bug. One purchase was all it took for Dave to switch up his career and become a Realtor. Taking his experience as a young entrepreneur in California and his time in the corporate world and applying it to real estate helped ease the transition and get him up and running quickly. His move to a new industry didn’t make sense to everyone: “I was doing well at a job that people don't usually leave and people are like, what are you doing? But, I knew I had a voice just saying, ‘you should go into real estate.’ I'm good with people. It's in my DNA to negotiate.” Expanding on his passion for negotiating, Dave tells how he originally discovered this love helping his friends buy cars in their early twenties. It’s now transformed into what he wakes up every morning to do: Meet new people and negotiate real estate deals. Tune in as Dave shares some of the challenges he’s faced as a realtor and in his life and how those challenges have helped him hone his craft. From bartering for leather jackets in Morocco to going through the loss of his parents, Dave takes you through the twists and turns of the life of a realtor and the strategies that have helped him thrive.