Where Brokers Go Wrong (And Where Agents Do Too)

A note before we start: this episode was recorded as 222 but Alissa told our editor it was 223. We held a spot. It got complicated. We're all fine.

Brokers — this one is for you. But agents, don't skip it, because the second half is for you too.

Katy has been at four different brokerages. Alissa has been at exactly one her whole career and considers herself a bit of an anomaly. Together they asked their listeners where brokers go wrong — and got a flood of responses. This episode is the honest, kind, constructive, and occasionally very cathartic result of all of that.

And yes, they also turned it around at the end and talked about where agents go wrong and how they think of their brokers.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- How to choose a broker (Episode 194) and whether to switch (Episode 56) — go there first if you're in that situation - What brokers do wrong in the interview: overpromising, misleading with hype, failing to get to know who you actually are - Why quantity-over-quality recruiting is a real business model — and the financial incentive behind it that finally made sense to Katy after reading an Inman article - The training firehose: why a wall of online self-led classes is not the same as a success path - What Alissa wanted in a brokerage when she was brand new — and what she actually found - The power of a clear success pathway vs. "here are 400 classes, good luck" - Brokers who are so focused on recruiting they forget to pour into the agents already there - The problem with brokers who are also top producers and what happens when your broker is also your competition - What Connie (Alissa's broker) does differently: early morning availability, reading purchase agreements, Monday morning meetings, Fall Fest, and line dancing classes taught by Alissa in the lead-up to the Christmas party - Why fostering community in a real estate office is hard — and how routine and consistency make it happen anyway - The new agent who was handed training coordinator duties instead of being trained herself — and why that burned her out and she left - The big disconnect in team-based brokerage structures: when the team lead replaces the broker entirely - What real broker supervision actually looks like — Connie as a bulldog in arbitration vs. brokers who don't know their agents' names - The Inman quote that said everything: "Behind every poor or marginal agent, there is a marginal, greedy, or incompetent real estate broker" - Mentorship programs that brokers should be fostering — and how veteran agents who want to teach could fill the gap - The listener email: seven years at the same brokerage, a $30,000+ commission gap, an MLS fine she was never reimbursed for, and a broker who still hadn't responded - Where agents go wrong: believing the broker is responsible for their business, over-asking without exhausting resources first, asking the same question to every person in the office, and not respecting their broker's boundaries

Referenced episodes:

- Episode 56: Should You Change Brokers? - Episode 194: How to Choose a Broker - Episodes 1–3: Coffee Dates and Getting Started

Toast of the week goes to Nancy Rio with Repeat Realty in Lewisville, Texas, toasted by her brother Eric Stowe. Nancy sold his home and helped him buy his current one during the 2021 market craziness, had a backup buyer ready when the first fell through, and survived being his realtor — which he admits makes her very good at her job. Cheers to Nancy!

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Hustle Humbly Haunted Houses

Happy Halloween from Hustle Humbly. We dressed up, turned on the spooky music, and asked our listeners to send us their scariest, creepiest, most unbelievable real estate stories. And y'all delivered.

Important disclaimer: if you are triggered by death, crime, bugs, paranormal activity, or just creepy stuff in general — this is probably not the episode for you. Go listen to Episode 220 about free tools for your business. That one is very friendly.

For everyone else: buckle up. We've got haunted hotels, tombstones used as stepping stones, a bag of teeth on a kitchen windowsill, a Chucky doll at the bottom of a basement staircase, a ghost named Mr. Fred who hides your keys, and one very memorable green-faced man in a window. Katy named every story like an Edgar Allan Poe short story, and honestly she was really good at it.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- Louisiana's psychological defects disclosure law — and why it basically doesn't exist because of New Orleans - Alissa's haunted tour of the French Quarter: the Andrew Jackson Hotel, disposable cameras, and photos taken of a sleeping couple from above - Jay from Nebraska and the bag of teeth on the kitchen windowsill of a vacant house ("Teeth to Remain") - McKinsey from Wisconsin: blood stains, toenail clippers, and a very long property showing ("The Blood Stain Showing") - Stacey from Georgia: the house that played Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf — then Enter Sandman by Metallica — every time the door opened, installed by the seller to scare away vandals ("Music Man") - Maddie's stories: the tombstone in the front yard that was a protected historical landmark ("Talk About Curb Appeal"), and a foreclosed house where the people seemed to have simply vanished - Lauren: the husband who hid a dusty old Elf on the Shelf in the attic eaves of the house they were selling to scare future homeowners - Janice: the estate sale where the cleaning lady placed a baseball at the top of the attic stairs to see if it would move — and then Katy pretended it had - Lindsey in Colorado: the HUD murder house she bought anyway, snuck into alone to negotiate with the ghost, gave birth in the master bedroom years later, and called it "the whole spectrum of life and death" - Lisa from London, Ontario: the estate sale home across from a cemetery with an invisible tenant named Mr. Fred who hid keys, rang doorbells, and turned on a ceiling fan during an open house — until asked nicely to stop - Donna from Minnesota: the greenish-faced man peeking from a corner window that was physically impossible to reach from the basement stairs ("Green Face Gremlin") - Stephanie from Florida: the house she couldn't even walk two feet into without a physical panic attack — no known deaths, no history, just pure evil energy - Noel from Maryland: the Victorian farmhouse with an Underground Railroad tunnel, a little girl who ran in the yard daily, and a Shadow Man who kept the horses from getting hay - Noel's second story: her landlord Edgar Allan Poe the third who haunted her apartment after his death — and communicated via a flickering floor lamp — until she told him to stop scaring her kids ("The Tell-Tale Lamp") - Alissa's Myrtles Plantation story — and Haven's core memory of learning about the hanging of the nanny - Karen: walls covered in Texas-sized roaches in a dark vacant house ("The Walls Are Crawling") - Misty from Indiana: the running shower sound in a vacant farmhouse — turns out the water main had burst and was flooding the basement - Rachel from Houston: a squatter living in the seller's art shed, and a grandfather's home with thousands of dead flies and a large black stain where his body was found weeks after his death - Alissa's inherited listing with the green pool — and why dad's ashes were in it - Katy's vacant house she staged alone and brought a plant for the person who used to live there - What states require disclosure of psychological defects and deaths — and a promise to do a full episode on it

Toast of the week goes to Kendra Anderson in Richmond, Virginia, toasted by colleague Carrie Ringgold. Kendra welcomed Carrie to their office, mentored her from day one, shared ideas freely, and closed their first deal together smoothly. Cheers to Kendra!

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Free Tools to Run and Grow Your Real Estate Business

The market is slower. Interest rates hit 8%. The shiny object salespeople are coming for your wallet. And Katy and Alissa are here to tell you: put it away.

This episode is all about the things you can do to run and grow your business that cost absolutely nothing. Because before you spend a single dollar on a lead service or a new tool, you should be maxing out everything that is already free.

Buckle up — this list is longer than you think.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- Why now is actually the time to grow your market share, even when the pie has gotten smaller - Katy's CE class with Brent: inventory stats going back to 2019 and why the November/December "prices are dropping" headline isn't the sky falling - The rate outlook: why agents need a plan that accounts for rates staying higher for at least two more years - Why quarter four is actually the entrepreneur's beginning of the year — what you do now sets up how you enter next year - Canva: the most robust free tool in the industry, what you can make, and when you might want the paid version ($120/year) - Trello: how Alissa has hers set up, where to find the free YouTube tutorial, and why it's the most-watched Hustle Humbly video - Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Keep, and Google Forms — Microsoft Office is not required, y'all - ChatGPT: how to use it for property descriptions, seller top-10 lists, blog posts, difficult client emails, and more - Why AI headshots are still a hard no (at least for now) - Email templates — how to make your own for free, where to get Hustle Humbly's freebies, and why the due diligence template alone is worth it - Social media: it is free, the algorithm is not your enemy, and Gary Vee's advice still stands — document, don't create - Why engaging with your database on social media beats posting for strangers - Chelsea Peterson (Modern Agent Social Club) for free content ideas - Volunteering and community involvement: how Alissa uses Apple Day at school to build database connections - Local Facebook groups, mom groups, and how to use a fall guide freebie to add 50 people to your email list - The board: MLS classes, ForWarn, and every benefit you're already paying for but not using - The Rocket Money app hack and Lee Brown's card-reported-stolen trick for auditing your subscriptions - Email service providers: Mailerlite is free up to 1,000 contacts - Why a business bank account will save you so much time come tax season - The Hustle Humbly AI tool inside the community group — search 220 episodes with one question - Open house checklist: free at hustlehumblypodcast.com/freebies - Free tax tips for Realtors: also at hustlehumblypodcast.com/freebies

Free resources mentioned:

- Canva: canva.com - Trello: trello.com (search "Alyssa Trello class Hustle Humbly" on YouTube) - ChatGPT: chat.openai.com - Google Suite: google.com - Email Templates 101: emailtemplates101.com - Free email templates + open house checklist + tax tips: hustlehumblypodcast.com/freebies - Mailerlite: mailerlite.com - Modern Agent Social Club: follow Chelsea Peterson on Instagram - Rocket Money: rocketmoney.com - ForWarn: available through your local board membership

Toast of the week goes to Joely Triantafyllou in Summit, New Jersey, toasted by Angela Butchi. Joely introduced Angela to the podcast and showed her that bringing your kids to work when you don't have a choice is not just an option — it's inspiring. Cheers to Joely!

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Process Over Outcome

A newer agent asked Alissa if she was nervous about not selling her luxury listing. And honestly? That question unlocked this entire episode.

In a market where houses are sitting, sellers are anxious, and it's easy to spiral into outcome-obsessed thinking, Katy and Alissa are bringing it back to the one thing you can actually control: your process.

Whether you have nine listings or one buyer who might end up renting an apartment, how you show up for every single person — consistently, intentionally, and with your systems intact — is what builds a real estate business that lasts.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- Why Alissa's luxury listing became a masterclass in focusing on the process, not the price tag - The neighborhood agent tour she hosted — and how it led to an unexpected new relationship and a showing on another listing - Why even meeting with a renter who probably won't buy is a good business decision — and how to follow up with intention for years - The condensed time audit: writing down what you actually did today and asking honestly if it serves your future business - Why "I posted on Facebook" is not the same as working - What today's activity has to do with your business two years from now - How Alissa checks in with sellers twice a week in a slow market — and why calling to just say hello is enough - The builder who referred a listing to Alissa — simply because she followed her systems during their transaction together - Why appraisers, home inspectors, and builders are all quietly watching how you operate - The agent friend who fought for her listing renewal — and why she deserved it - How to sit in the discomfort of a slow market without letting doubt erode your confidence - Katy's framework: showings with no offers = condition issue; no showings at all = price or market issue - Throw data at anxious sellers — not opinions - How your process has to evolve when the market changes: seller communication cadence, open houses, loan creativity - Future episodes to watch for: creative financing options, open house processes - Why every client — your sister, a stranger, a renter — deserves the exact same version of you

Toast of the week goes to Naomi Codark in Arlington, Texas, toasted by Aubrey Delay. Naomi shares the podcast every single Monday and was the mentor who helped Aubrey make it through her first year and a half in real estate. Cheers to Naomi!

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Navigating Contingent Contracts

Contingencies are back. If you got your license during the COVID market, you may have never dealt with one. If you've been around long enough to remember them, welcome back — it's time to brush up.

This episode is a nuts and bolts deep dive into what happens when a buyer has to sell their home before they can buy. Katy and Alissa walk through both sides of the table — listing agent and buyer's agent — with real stories, real mistakes, and real lessons that will save you from a very painful closing day surprise.

Fair warning: one of these stories ends with a lender confirming the buyers lied about their ability to remove their contingency. Alissa found out just in time. Barely.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- What a contingency contract actually is — and what it is not (this is not about inspection or financing contingencies) - Why contingent offers are making a comeback in a shifted market - Episode 65: Buying and Selling at the Same Time — the companion episode to share with your clients - What to ask before you even present a contingent offer to your seller: is it listed, how long, what's the market activity, who's the lender - Why a house not yet on the market is usually a hard no — and the only conditions that might change that - How to counter a contingent offer as the listing agent: terms to put in writing and why - The 90-day contingency story: what happens when you extend too long, the buyers shop the market during inspections, and the house is still on the market - Why you should stop sending new listings to a buyer who is already under contract on a home - When you receive a better offer while under contingent contract — and what to do in the next 48 to 72 hours - The buyers who said they could remove their contingency — and couldn't - How Alissa caught it: by calling the lender directly (and why the buyer's agent never did) - Why you are babysitting two transactions when a buyer is contingent — and what that actually means - When can a contingency actually be removed? The answer might surprise you - Handling out-of-state contingencies: what to ask and who to trust - The contingency form in your market: pending vs. active, and what to counter - When both closings are happening the same day — and why they should be at the same title company - The right wording to put a hard stop on your contingency timeline without locking yourself in limbo

Referenced episodes:

- Episode 65: Buying and Selling at the Same Time

Toast of the week goes to Cat Dunn in Kalispell, Montana, toasted by her mentee Galena Vaynerchuk. Cat has offered the perfect balance of tough love and gentle encouragement — and kept Galena going in real estate from the very beginning. Cheers to Cat!

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Agents on Edge — Desperate for Deals

The market has shifted. Interest rates are high. Listings are sitting. Cancellations are happening on things that never should have gone under contract in the first place. And agents — a lot of them — are operating from a place of desperation.

This is the episode where we say: take a breath. Hold your systems. Make good choices.

Katy has been in real estate for 18 years and has never seen a 7% interest rate. Alissa is watching agents rush offers, skip due diligence, and make hasty decisions that are hurting their clients. And both of them have fresh, real, deeply frustrating stories to share.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- Why desperation is the most dangerous place to run a real estate business from — and how clients can sense it - Why the COVID-era agent surge combined with a market shift is creating a perfect storm of bad behavior - The vacant land scam Katy got called on — and how she played it out to the end (for content, obviously) - Alissa's inherited property listing: the agent who sent the same offer twice, both times asking for a home warranty on a house with no toilets - The importance of calling the mortgage lender when an offer doesn't make sense - Katy's database teaching: stop blaming the sign when it's really just the market - Online leads vs. database leads — and why working strangers is exhausting your soul - Alissa's Bible study moment: how NOT to react when you find out someone used another agent - Agents going behind the sign — what it is, why it's unethical, and how to handle it - The investor/wholesaler who went directly to Alissa's seller, had a "title attorney" walk her through a script, and nearly convinced her to cancel her listing - What to do when your seller is entertaining an offer you can't advise on - Repair request stories: the buyer's agent who called screaming at 8am, and the deal that canceled anyway - The garage door story: being falsely accused of leaving a house unsecured, and how Alissa handled it - Why buyer's agent energy affects buyer mindset — and how agents torpedo their own deals - Education in a slow market: ARMs, recasts, HELOCs, and why knowing your financing options is your best competitive advantage - Why you should never burn bridges — even when a client uses their aunt's real estate license to buy a house

Referenced episodes:

- Episode 6 & 7: Carl Carter on Realtor Safety - Episode 161: Tanner from law enforcement on safety tips - Episode 216: Jen Stanbro on Realtor Safety - Episode 214: Buyer Brokerage Changes

Toast of the week goes to Jenna Yocum in northern Colorado, toasted by her twin sister Randy. Jenna got into real estate four years before Randy, gave her the courage to get her license, and together they run a two-person team. Cheers to Jenna!

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Realtor Safety — A Conversation with Jen Stanbro

This one is important. We want you to listen to the whole thing.

Jen Stanbro is a broker and team leader out of Des Moines, Iowa who has been in real estate since 2006. She serves on the National Association of Realtors Safety Committee and on the board of the Beverly Carter Foundation. She came to this work the hard way — through the loss of a dear friend and fellow Realtor, Ashley Oakland, who was shot and killed while holding an open house in broad daylight on a Friday afternoon in 2010. Ashley's case remains unsolved.

If you listened to Episodes 6 and 7 when we had Carl Carter on the show — Beverly Carter's son — you know how deeply this issue hits our industry. Jen's episode is the companion to that one, and we'd encourage you to go back and listen if you haven't.

Jen is not here to scare you. She's here to prepare you. And she's spent over a decade turning her grief into a mission: making sure every Realtor comes home safe every single day.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- Ashley Oakland's story — who she was, what happened, and why the case is still unsolved 13 years later - How the industry responded (and didn't) after Ashley's death — and what it revealed about our collective false sense of security - The NAR Realtor Safety Pledge and listing safety form — and exactly how Jen uses them with every single seller - Why Jen doesn't do open houses and how she communicates that to sellers at the listing appointment without losing the listing - Open house safety tips for agents who still hold them: positioning, exit awareness, parking, the "phone call excuse," and never walking behind a stranger - The ForWarn tool and how Jen uses it to vet every client — even referrals - How she handles buyer consultations with safety built in from the very first conversation - Vetting sellers before going to their home — and how to bring a partner without making it weird - Using Google Calendar and Google Contacts as free, practical safety and business tools - Why scarcity mindset is the enemy of safe practice — and how to hold each other accountable - How Jen connected with Carl Carter and joined the Beverly Carter Foundation - The three things she wants every Realtor to do right now to get started with safety

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- NAR Realtor Safety Toolkit: nar.realtor/safety - Beverly Carter Foundation: beverlycarterfoundation.org - ForWarn (background check tool — available through many local associations) - Episodes 6 & 7: Carl Carter on Realtor Safety

Toast of the week goes to Carl Carter of the Beverly Carter Foundation — and to Jen's team members Amy, Julie, and Taylor, who hold each other accountable every single day. Cheers to all of them.

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Boutique Brokerage, Design Services, and Finding Your Niche with Brandi Salvador

We have been wanting to have this guest on for a long time. Every time Katy mentions her boutique brokerage or the staging and design work they do together, listeners ask: who is this broker? Can we meet her? Well, y'all — here she is.

Brandi Salvador is a real estate broker, interior designer, and the founder of Sotherly — a boutique brokerage in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where real estate and design live under one roof. She also happens to be Katy's broker. Her path to where she is today is one of the most entertaining and inspiring origin stories we've shared on this show, and it starts with managing a Planet Beach tanning salon at 18 years old.

Whether you're a Realtor thinking about adding design services to your business, considering opening your own brokerage, or just in need of a reminder that you don't have to follow a traditional path — this episode is going to light something up in you.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- How Brandi went from managing a Planet Beach at 18 to buying it at 21 — with a loan, zero fear, and pure instinct - Her time at a title company, getting recruited to lead a buyer's team at Keller Williams, and how a builder referral sparked her design career - Why she was one of the first people in Baton Rouge to virtually stage a property - The personality assessment that told her she should be someone's personal assistant — and why that was the moment she knew it was time to leave - How a move to Lake Charles for her husband's job led her to get her broker's license (just to work in a different MLS market) - Why Sotherly was born in 2017 and what she always knew it would become - The structure of Sotherly today: agents, designers, and everyone in between - How she started her staging career by renting furniture for her brother's bachelor pad — and it sold at list price in five days - How design services and real estate feed each other: past clients become design clients, design clients become sellers - Adding design services to your business: start hourly, build a portfolio, and fill the gap that $250/hour interior designers won't touch - The paint guide she gives away for free and why she created it - How she grew her Instagram to 15,000+ followers by posting every single day for five years — and the dog video that went viral with 180,000 views - Why authenticity on social media attracts your ideal clients — and why copying someone else's content will attract the wrong people - How Katy ended up at Sotherly (Brandi Instagram-messaged her) - Being selective about who joins your brokerage — and why that is a feature, not a flaw - Where Brandi sees herself going: two side-by-side buildings, one for real estate and one for design

Toast of the week goes to Jennifer Henson, toasted by Brandi herself. Jennifer retired from Blue Cross after 20+ years and has joined Sotherly to help with design projects. Cheers to Jennifer!

Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:

- Sotherly (Instagram: @sotherly_la) - Brandi's Free Paint Guide (link in show notes — ask Brandi via Instagram) - Episodes 51 & 52: Investing in Real Estate

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Buyer Brokerage: Preparing for Changes in Real Estate

Don't be afraid. Be prepared. That is the entire point of this episode.

Katy spent more time researching this one than any episode we have ever recorded. She read article after article, dug into the legal filings, and came ready to break it all down. Alissa showed up having attended one too many sales meetings where the last 20 minutes sounded like "the sky is falling" — and is officially representing everyone who has heard about these lawsuits but hasn't quite gotten into the weeds yet.

If you've been hearing about the NAR commission lawsuits and nodding along like you understand it but secretly have no idea what's actually happening — this episode is for you. And if you've been ignoring it entirely, this is your official sign to stop.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- What the Sitzer Burnett and Moehrl class action lawsuits actually are and who filed them - Why the Sherman Antitrust Act is at the center of all of this - The two NAR rules being challenged: the participation rule and the clear cooperation policy - The Department of Justice — how it got involved, what it settled, and why it came back - The jaw-dropping dollar amounts at stake: $1.3 billion, $13.7 billion, and potential treble damages - How many Realtors there are right now versus how many homes are listed (the number will shock you) - A walk through the Inman inaugural agent commissions survey — Alissa answers in real time and it's very relatable - Alissa's story of the buyer who ghosted her twice, came back a third time, and got hit with a buyer agreement cover letter — and what happened next - What a buyer brokerage agreement cover letter looks like and why it reads like a resume - Why the way you present a buyer agreement matters as much as having one - What you should be doing right now to prepare: your buyer presentation, your value proposition, your folder - Why listing agents have a head start and buyer's agent heavy businesses need to pay close attention - Katy's take on the free first showing and how to do a buyer presentation without forcing someone to your office first - Agent Systems 101 and how Katy's buyer folder is already set up for whatever comes next

Toast of the week goes to Jade Robinson in Pocatello, Idaho, toasted by fellow agent Kelly Chemick. Jade left a team to build her own solo business and is absolutely killing it. Cheers to Jade!

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

What Every Good Airbnb Needs

Fair warning: Alissa is recording this one with a little bit of what she calls "wine flu." She spent two full days on a Louisiana real estate committee reading the purchase agreement line by line, and the celebratory dinner afterwards got away from her just a little. She's fine. Katy brought the list and is going to do most of the talking.

If you own an Airbnb or short-term rental — or you've ever dreamed of owning one — this episode is for you. Katy went deep on a list from lodgify.com (vacation rental software out of Spain, which becomes very relevant by the end of the episode) covering everything a great Airbnb should have. And Alissa, as the real-life owner of a four-bedroom cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee that she purchased for $290,000 in January 2020, offers the perspective of someone who has actually dealt with guests putting Dawn dish soap in the dishwasher. Spoiler: it did not go well.

This is part practical checklist, part honest owner confession, and all entertaining.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- The Netflix shows "Stay Here" and "World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals" — must-watches if you're in the Airbnb world - Alissa's Gatlinburg cabin story — from bear-themed tchotchkes to a full renovation and what's still on the wish list - Why linens are the most stressful part of owning a short-term rental (and the quilt vs. luxury comforter debate) - The owner's closet — why you need a locked one and what to keep in it - Bathroom must-haves: full-size toiletries, hairdryers in every bathroom, mirrors everywhere, and a basket big enough to actually use - Katy's all-time favorite Airbnb in Paducah, Kentucky and why Jennifer is the host of all hosts - Kitchen essentials — and what guests will do to your dishwasher if you're not specific in the instructions - Outdoor amenities: rocking chairs, hot tubs, fire pits, and why a dead potted plant is worse than no plant at all - Accessibility features for disabled travelers - Family-friendly amenities and which ones guests will just bring themselves - Safety must-haves: fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide detector, smoke detectors, and a first aid kit - The welcome binder — why a list of local restaurants organized by dress code is pure genius - What happens when you raise your rates to slow bookings and guests just get needier instead - The instagrammable photo wall and the year-round Christmas tree with ornaments guests leave behind - Why Alissa found a single local cleaner instead of a big management company — and why it made all the difference

Toast of the week goes to Kristin Crockett in Virginia, toasted by her business partner Hannah. Kristin introduced Hannah to the Hustle Humbly email templates and together they built Raise the Bar Real Estate. Cheers to Kristin!

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to [email protected].

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to [email protected]

Music: Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/ The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one