Agent 2 Agent

Bree Motta with Goldenwest Credit Union shares how to keep your credit score in good standing. You want to make sure that your credit score is kept in good standing so that when you are ready to purchase a home, you will secure the loan amount you want. “Being prepared is huge!” Although, if you don’t get a loan the first time, you can still receive a loan the second time you apply. Bree gives advice and tips on elevating your credit score to be prepared for your best credit rates.

After spending ten years in corporate, Belladonna Riso with received a severance package one Friday, which created a turning point in her career. With two young children to provide for, Belladonna sat down and made a list of what she wanted out of her new career and crafted her new position from this experience.

With 45 days of income in her bank account, Belladonna went through a list of possible jobs that she could perform that would give her a good income that she would enjoy, with little or no travel to stay at home with her children. She discovered becoming a realtor was at the top of her list. The next day she enrolled in realtor school, and two weeks later, she received her real estate license and has been “off to the races” ever since 2005. Belladonna is an Real Estate Agent with EXP Realty.

Welcome to Nominations Podcast, where we chat with our nominee, Jason Cook with SilverBack Home Warranty, about what realtors need to know about home warranties, the benefits of using a home warranty, and what his experience has taught him about staying in the marketing game long term in reality and which digital marketing aspects are worth your time.

Lisa Piela, who came to us with rave recommendations from a former guest on our Utah Real Estate Podcast. She is the managing member of the My Mortgage Ladies team at Altius Mortgage in Utah.

How Lisa Decided to Join the Real Estate Industry

From her start in banking during high school, Lisa jumped into the financing world and never looked back. “This ended up being something that I fell in love with, and the reason I fell in love with this is that I had amazing mentors and leaders.” Appreciating her mentors' time and effort towards her career, Lisa has stayed in this field because of her healthy beginnings for over 30 years.

Marketing with My Mortgage Ladies

Over the years, she found people introducing her as ‘my mortgage lady.’ “It ended up sticking so much that I used it as a tagline on my signature.” The tagline stuck, and Lisa incorporated her motto into her complete branding package.

Why Mentoring is Important

“Brokers are at the top of the food chain in financing.” She considers the world as her oyster, as she brings in others from the banking and lending side of finance that is migrating into the broker world. This transition can be overwhelming, and Lisa has found a gap in continuing education in that there weren’t any tools to teach those who wanted to transition into brokering.

For the solution, Lisa designed their branch to have mentorship. This involves giving loan officers a complete internship while learning the tools and participating in the training to learn about the world of financing. “We try to make sure that we support them so that they don’t fail or fall. If they do, they have a mentor to reach out to that has the background and experience to help them.” This creates a confident lender who can carry out the process with knowledge and know-how.

Ann Atkin owner of Meth Mob, promotes education on methamphetamine contamination in homes. Ann encourages Utah realtors to protect their clients by suggesting meth testing before purchasing a home. Most homes that are meth houses are not production homes, they are owned by retirees. Grandpa and grandma's homes are the biggest offenders because grandparents will often host grandchildren and their friends. "They've got the room; they are loving and trusting." Every week, she deals with meth decontamination, with most of her business coming from homeowners who have had guests smoking meth inside their home.

Ann recommends extensive testing,” I don’t care if Meth Mob was in your home two weeks ago, test every house, every time!” The #1 user of meth in Utah is a white mother, and the #2 users are construction workers. “What house hasn’t had either of these users in them?”

Kim Beck from Top Dog Realty with Equity Real Estate, is a former dog trainer and wanted to blend a dog theme into her business name. She’s lived in several cities in the US and has also lived abroad. She decided to take the plunge into real estate this year as a brand new agent. 

What Kim Loves About Real Estate

“It’s not just a house, it turns into a home when we move into it where we build memories with their families” Kim says of her job. She loves selling properties that are good for pets and a good fit for the family that is looking for a new place to live.

Welcome to Nominations Podcast, where we chat with our second nominee, Jeff Ingersoll. Jeff  took his first job in Texas with Texas Advisors then moved back to Utah. He went back to school and received his certification to become an Investment Analyst. Jeff is currently with Drive Wealth Advisors. He is an author of the...

Welcome to Nominations Podcast, where we chat with our second nominee, Chris Ferguson of Keller Williams Utah Realtors. He works with and trains realtors who are new to the scene of Utah realty. Listen in to find out what Chris recommends to become a successful Utah realtor, including self-evaluation, business mindset, time management, and skillset....

You may be surprised to find out that a home inspection is not required in Utah! Although this process is not a must-do for homeowners, Harmony suggests having an inspection. “This is typically the largest investment of your life.” You want to make sure your home is safe for your family and understand what significant repairs, if any, will need to be made in the near future. Issues such as radon, meth, and other requirements that pop up as a surprise during the selling of a home can prolong the selling process. Harmony Nordgren from Nook and Kranny Home Inspections on the benefits of a home inspection, why they are essential and how they protect consumers when purchasing or selling a home and why you shouldn’t mop your home 24 hours before a home inspection.

You may be surprised to find out that a home inspection is not required in Utah! Although this process is not a must-do for homeowners, Harmony suggests having an inspection. “This is typically the largest investment of your life.” You want to make sure your home is safe for your family and understand what significant repairs, if any, will need to be made in the near future. Issues such as radon, meth, and other requirements that pop up as a surprise during the selling of a home can prolong the selling process. Harmony Nordgren from Nook and Kranny Home Inspections on the benefits of a home inspection, why they are essential and how they protect consumers when purchasing or selling a home and why you shouldn’t mop your home 24 hours before a home inspection.