Real Estate Legends

John Hanna and Greg Viti

This valuable episode is about how buildings get done, tips from the top with John Hanna. The whole idea of Legends is about people who have made great contributions. I have interviewed many people, many are full of personality and flamboyant as they are salespeople like myself. This episode is different. Sure, design in architecture is eye catching and we see it first. This is more about the business, chock full of dull yet critical elements and processes that go into creating and building real estate projects.

When you do something very well, it is by design, no pun intended. You really don't want a lot of drama in creating your plans, and certainly not when you are doing the work. John is very low key about this process, because he does it daily and knows it very well. He actually takes phone calls from his customers, (and others) and gives them direct answers they can count on. What gets built is going to affect the area and people daily, so getting this right is critical for everyone. John is serious and his results show.

Chicago has great architecture from its beginning to today, and many developments and buildings today are changing the face of areas everywhere. Also, type of use has become an issue on its own, like data centers, and zoning can be challenging often.

Combining the business with the people is where John is at his best. He is direct and no nonsense and his clients love it. You can tell by the length of relationships.

Lastly, in a day of high tech taking the helm in industries, John’s firm, Hanna Architects Inc. always puts pencil to paper for the design drawings of the firm. A detail that sets a course for success. A detail that sets Hanna Architects apart. If you need a top pro, John is there, just call.

Greg Viti, Alice Jordan and Rachel Lee

This episode/podcast/recording is for ALL the people of Chicago. Every single Chicagoan, man woman and child, are affected by this poorly conceived real estate proposal offered by Mayor Johnson.

Experience in real estate is key and this podcast brings in real world problems and solutions that work. This Mayor Johnson proposal will NOT WORK, you can hear why now with us.

Professionally the PRO Ordinance is misdirected and disconnected from real world results. Results are predictable, as bad planning and ideas by inexperienced people have created serious debt that is growing, this will make it worse.

Chicago is in debt today, up to $42,600 per person! (study done by Reason Foundation). Pension payments are on interest alone. Today we cannot pay our bills, just like an overused credit card. And It is growing!

We need solutions from people who understand business and have been financially personally responsible for managing housing for others. It is not an exercise in math, rather an extensive need and relationships that are personal and vital to a good life. Why is this not our goal, being better for all. Because it is political, throw money for votes and you get the bill. For years and years.

Who is this information for? Everyone! Rachel Lee and Alice Jordan show you the everyday face of local real estate. They live with the decisions and taxes imposed on them, so do their families.  These 2 women are professionals but also Chicagoans. They are active members of different communities, people that lead with integrity as you see here and now.

We want Chicago to succeed. If you are in support of the proposal and know how it can work, share it with us. We want to work for a better Chicago.

Who has been a landlord that is involved in this idea? I would enjoy hearing how this works from anyone, so if you think that, come on the show. As an experienced human from Chicago, I am open to learning and working with the best solutions possible, time is a wastin’

Listen to Greg Viti,  Alice and Rachel delve into the overall basics of the topic and expand on the proposal and immediate concerns shared by real world landlords and Chicagoan.

Has any politician shared their knowledge or REAL WORLD FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE? Stories from real people are welcome. This is about people and taking care of a  community. We have laws to use for progress. Lets punish the offenders and reward the good people. This is a head on personal response from Chicago citizens, pros and non pros alike.

A good solution has to make sense and work financially, this proposal does neither in the end. And there is no going back after you make this bill. No one will take responsibility for the bigger bills it creates and it will create a lot of cost.

Real estate is for everybody. We need to turn on the lights for better information so we can rid the subject matter from the enemies of pests, disease and crimes. Like rodents and dealers, turning on the lights get rid of the problem. or shows it to start.

It is frustrating to watch political proposals continue to screw the city, and here is a place to stop. Using common sense and business practices that are state of the art, we can create the model and direction to grow and thrive.

Real estate can be our asset, it is not today, it is the pink elephant under the rug. It can't fit much more. (Click here) for our summary sheet for getting better housing for all.

Sales. This one word is usually the difference in success and failure; the core need of a business is customers. Welcome Andy Burton, who is in the sales business of content and information on REAL ESTATE. All the content and information is about the top people in the area who are the most prolific sales people. AKA they sell the most. Based on objective reporting their sales activity in top in the area. They earned it. Merit!

Activity and sales are not the same, but complement each other. The difference, closing and commitment. Activity creates opportunities to sell, and has become its own product of content. This is a high growth area for the future. It is happening as we speak, just like my podcast. Andy and his magazine created relationships with most of these people by using the principles they use of high quality and value proposition. 

You see time is an issue we all have, and we have to protect our time especially when you are a small business person. How to get the most for your time is your holy grail, as it is vital to your lives intersection. Personally and professionally, we are all working within the same 24/7. When you are in a room of like minded people, you  share with your peers who understand your challenges better than most. That is how top pros create, not compete. They compete every day, it is how a healthy marketplace should be.

I think Real Producers strength is a real world business community that is based on provable statistics. No bs or politics. The data is taken from the MLS who vets it so it is valid. The real magic happens when you get the people in the room. Some are old friends and some have never met. It is just like life with people of every color and age working in the same business in their own personal way. The surprises are bountiful. Little things to major concepts, the range of conversations is amazing. And letting your hair down with others in your biz is a good thing for all. I love that part of real estate, the events,

Just like a great meal, the process of real estate is not the same every time and has steps to prepare. Sales is like that, steps to prepare the meal, getting it ready. Maybe you are hunting it, dissecting it or walking it…but to get a deal you have something to do and you are accountable. Closings are the ultimate accounting, and accountability in real estate.

A closing is nothing more than a full and official accounting of a real estate transaction that produces a statement that becomes public record. Just the records alone is a multi billion business. Right now this industry, data, has efforts trying to replace people in every industry, real estate is no exception

If you want to learn about sales, real estate is a great place. You have all the challenges and opportunities intersecting in a very dynamic manner. There is always something happening is life, so it is with real estate. Many if not all of real estate concepts are addressing current events, yours and the worlds. There is always something going on.

In a day when b school graduates are taught to look for personal gain in problems, the real estate industry is charged with harnessing the opportunity for more than just you, it is about the area and community. It is inextricably tied and I know it will get deeper, but it also must be democratic and transparent. Sales is about individual sales and people. Not the other way around. Andy and Greg know that and share it with everyone. That is how top producers are, they tell you the truth when it counts. They want your business tomorrow.

Whenever you start or end real estate, you usually need some construction or destruction of property. From knockdowns to cleanups, it can change sites in a day. These services can be of huge scale or just some “simple” task. When it comes to real estate you need a pro. At least direction from a pro, Usually much more. Here is someone who can give you the direction and do the job as well.

Contracting services are important. A Real Estate Legend is not just about the deal but everything in it too. Kareem has years of experience in real estate. You are getting insights from years of providing services to local organizations and people. Kareem is a tireless worker for others also. When we talk about services with Kareem, we now are talking about family, You hear how he values family as well as expects family to show up too. Kareen lives the values he wants to instill in his children as they all work together.

Greg and Kareem have the common understanding of how a person can grow with and within whatever work they do, and Kareem reinforces that with his past and his never give up attitude. His real estate experience is wide and consistently open to helping people. This is true community thinking, raising up people within their areas.

Coming from an area has all sorts of considerations in Chicago. It is not a one size fits all anywhere, and the south side and South Shore is a very good example of that. Often block by block, Chicago has a very complicated makeup in our streets.

Young people today get a lot of information that does not assist them, rather it confuses them and that is not good for any profession. Kareem and Greg focus on how their own children have to work at growing in their lives as people and in a business. Learning about both creates a better person and happier communities. Working with family is a growth experience in all ways and they share their personal story.

When you hear uplifting discussions, don’t think it is not followed up by good old fashioned work. Work as a job, and then working at the relationships with people is twofold. Being a trustworthy and good contractor is not enough for success, you need business and sales. Kareem inspires those who want to be in the business and need a path.

In this episode you hear about people and their potential from 2 professionals who live that in their daily lives and share it with everyone.

If you want to work with good people who wish to create a better world, and you need construction or destruction services, call Kareem.

Information. Connection and communication are important aspects of creating real estate transactions! In todays market, your best information is an important part of any deal if you want to close. Simply put, bad info can kill any deal. Galileo is a business of connecting locally, with distribution and information to the local people who want it the most, or think they do.

The foundation and basis of any Real Estate Legends is all here for today and the future. Entrepreneurship, real estate technology, and business systems.

The Journey of an Innovator

Jay Moulton’s path to becoming a tech CEO began in San Francisco, California. He attended the John O’Connell School of Technology, specifically the Galilaio program, which focused on business management and coding. Jay credits this specialized education with fostering his problem-solving skills, which were further sharpened during his 18 months as a combat engineer in the U.S. Army in Iraq.

Jason is an entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience building and scaling high-growth companies. He has led two successful mergers, raised venture capital, and built two companies from an idea on paper into businesses generating more than $250 million in annual gross sales.

His expertise spans marketing, technology, sales automation, artificial intelligence, and operational leadership, helping create organizations that have employed hundreds of people while delivering sustainable growth. Jason is passionate about leveraging technology and automation to simplify complex sales processes, improve customer experiences, and help businesses scale more efficiently.

Jay is a believer in real estate. Three ways he implemented his real estate opportunities. Upon returning to civilian life, Jay utilized the GI Bill to study engineering for two years before transitioning into sales. He bought his first home in the East Bay in 1996 for $191,000 using a VA loan. His career evolved as he built successful systems for B2B sales and eventually launched his own companies, starting at age 30.

Jay’s latest venture, Galilaio.com, is a compliant radius text delivery platform designed for realtors and lenders.

• Targeted Outreach: Realtors can send high-impact landing pages to 1,000 neighbors within a specific radius of a listing.

• Engagement Tracking: The system notifies the agent immediately when someone engages with the text.

• Compliance First: The platform is 100% TCPA compliant, scrubbing numbers against "Do Not Call" lists and sending messages manually to avoid robo-text penalties.

• No Subscriptions: Galileo operates on a pay-per-campaign basis, typically costing $150 per 1,000 texts.

"We can make you a market anywhere in America in 24 hours or less, guaranteed." — Jay Moulton

Beyond Galilaio, Jay has developed several other data-driven platforms for the real estate industry:

Mi Casa Consumer Search Allows users to search for homes based on their monthly payment capacity rather than total price.

Homewise Investor Analytics A digital dashboard for investors to track spendable equity and identify high-cash-flow properties on the MLS.

This is a tool to use in real estate for location based marketing. Isnt that what you want in real estate? The episode concludes with a shared sentiment on the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and embracing new technology to simplify complex processes. Greg Viti emphasizes that tools like Galileo are essential for modern realtors looking to gain a competitive edge in a fast-moving market.

For more information, visit Galilaio.com.

In the real estate world of business, it is constant evolution in the delivery of services. Today you hear from a pro who has the experience and expertise for a very important services of property investment and management. This episode shows how Mark Ainley has established his way to the top with content and expertise for today’s real estate market.

Mark uses marketing and communication mediums and techniques that work now, and I think they will be part and parcel for everyone sooner or later in all businesses. It is interesting to me as my path started very differently, had a very different order but the same place in the end. Using expertise and communication to market and sell real estate. The internet was not there when I started, it was the advent of the cell phone. Do you think that technology affected businesses? It did then in real estate. It will tomorrow too.

Even though we are in the same market of Chicagoland, Mark is from the far burbs, and he covers a large area. He wears many hats. As a managing broker he calls the shots with his business and his podcast has become his voice and content for investment podcast, Straight Up Chicago Investor.

For years I have seen people have challenges in managing and investing in real estate. I can personally tell you how difficult it can be, yet it is critical to financial success. Every asset has needs and people that must be managed. Better knowledge is your best bet.

Listen to this conversation if you are thinking of investing or managing real estate. One unit or more, it needs to be managed. Can you do it and do you want to do it? If you need professionals, this is your guide. I think this is most emotionally challenging rather than hard labor. But there is that too. You have to be prepared, pay attention and you have to do it daily. You dont hear from people until they have a problem and then you are the bad guy to many. Problems happen, it is life. How you handle the problems and avoid them to begin with is the difference between success and failure.

The more you learn the better your results can be. There is a whole process to each area in investing in real estate, and finding the right manager is an important aspect. Mark shares inside information on his podcast as well as performing services for his clients.

Listen to this episode for today and the future. If you have property, you will get some tip. If you dont, you might get an idea or direction about how. Either way, enjoy two professional discussing locel real estate.

Persuasion. This episode is about change and how to enact change, and it is about people taking action. Interviewing Josh Bandoch, author, TEDx speaker, and policy advocate, gives me hope about real estate’s future as we look harder to get things to work for everyone. How we can work together is where we intersect today. That’s where the best deals happen - not just once, but repeatedly. That requires persuasion. 

Josh has a timely and highly relevant new book out. It’s called How to Get What You Want: Mastering the Art and Science of Persuasion. It’s about maximizing your chances of getting what you want in any situation, whether you’re negotiating a deal or a raise, or talking to someone with different views. Josh offers a unique blend of extensive research and practical experience to offer a compelling and novel approach to persuasion. 

He understands and lives with the need to connect and the path to persuade. How you can start and improve is the impetus for his new book.  Josh gives direct and practical advice for everyone and anyone who wants or needs to persuade someone. One of the most compelling things about the book is that is has something for everyone in it in their professional and personal lives. 

There is a better way to getting what you want, and Josh lights it up for you. Actionable means you can use it, now.

I can tell you these are the tools to use in your day in life and business. Most importantly, they work. 

You are encouraged to look at anything and see and feel differently in the same situations you have lived before. It helps you create change and adapt to what works. It is a focus on your end goal and every step towards it. It puts you in charge of your actions and outcomes.

This is personal for Josh and he has spent a lifetime in the pursuit of better outcomes and how to help. It has to be practical. 

Josh’s passion in real estate is securing better deals, improving housing affordability, and building stronger communities. Persuasion starts by understanding and wanting to know what the other person wants and needs. We need that today. In Chicago, we are drowning in problems that are curable. Not only in real estate. As generations have lost touch with each other, connection is most important in our communities.  But we have to understand first.

Housing!! Real estate is about people, yet this is the first Legend to be from “outside” the industry. Josh is not licensed in real estate but his message resonates very much in our real estate community. Change is afoot and so are the players. Communication is critical. As a long time pro, I know that as the real estate industry grows it can incorporate better thinking creating better outcomes. Better housing and homes for all. 

Better outcomes positively affect our clients, communities and we Realtors, every day. Learn as much as you can about persuasion for you and your loved ones' futures. Josh is a good teacher to start, and his book lays it all out for you.

Most people don't know real estate, it is a field of everything you could imagine and getting bigger everyday. How, where and why are important to our future. Talk to people and learn about your personal real estate needs. Real estate has so many different faces a conversation could be unrecognizable to professionals from a different area. Whenever you talk about real estate, it is about a large area like residential/homes, or commercial/business space of some type. That is just the beginning. Retail real estate is what many of us use everyday, and Anthony is in retail. Pay attention, because retail is very important to our local economy, and we have had many significant issues in our nation and our city of Chicago. Real estate is at the center of most of it.

After you listen to Anthony, you will believe retail is back and understand how that is good for you and your area. Not only does that pay taxes to your area, it creates jobs and experiences that form larger and better communities. Retail has a place in Americana, it is how we shop and interact for our needs and desires daily. It has become more complex, and options are everywhere. Where is the answer everyone is looking for, that is the big question. It is all on the table to work out and Anthony is working at it every day. It is hopeful that we can work together as we encounter our future. Business is important and real estate is big business.

We are both Italian Americans. Personally I feel Anthony has a very interesting education which includes international study.  Anthony has great things to say about his Milan University and Italian experience that show in who he is as an Italian American. He is proud of his heritage and way more studious than I am, but equally excited which is most important. Who you are is part of the sales process for Legends, it is their personal “how” that drives them and Anthony is no exception. He sees himself as a problem solver and part of his deals, not just what some think is an agent. In the competitive business of real estate with volatile cycles and risk, deals are closed by roles and processes but led by individual people. It is the best way for longevity as well as just plain old survival.

Timing is key, and it was all bad for a while with Covid and the economy.  All the empty storefronts tell that story, and now it is time for a new chapter with life breathed back into the local businesses. That is happening now, and usually that means it is a new cycle of growth and that is what real estate can do for an area and community.

With all the tools and tech today, you hear and see the need and power of connection. Both in our conversation and in both of our many conversations daily, yes we all need to talk to people to get things accomplished. I loved when Anthony said his phone is out of juice by noon everyday. NOT TEXTING. Try it, and enjoy the thrill of doing something good locally. Reach out to a caring pro and person for assistance. Every time you shop locally, you help the area. Local people make it all work for you in their business. Anthony gets them a place to serve you.

Real estate is local for most of my career, and building relationships has been the true joy of doing this podcast. It is another way to see a person and who they are more than just to the eye. This episode of Legends is all of that. close to home and Chicago is my home. Mitch is a Chicagoan too. We both are fans of the White Sox and go to games together, and through all of this we have done business for years. As we shoot the episode, it turns out Mitch bought his first property from my Legends podcast producer, Joe Quartana who was in my ReMax office at the time. We kept the moment in as we all know the world is getting smaller. People make it fun and there are so many stories in real estate.

As Mitch starts his story in Bucktown, we hear how he took to real estate. Opportunity! It is like a lot of pros, he saw a property and called the number. Mitch tells you directly how he has done types of deals and what they started and ended up. This can be small to gargantuan, and sometimes its the smallest detail that produces the largest return. People are that way, and Mitch deals well with people with his attitude and disposition. From dealing iwth tneant to creating deals in real estate, attitude is your best frined or worst enemy.

Attitude can be tricky, it can show up in a phone call or message and create a whole new arc, good and bad. In real estate, many different pieces or portions of this “industry” are full of idiosyncrasies in the actual method and ways; far from the general bs on the internet. From needing a lightbulb to getting a great deal, showing up makes a difference. Then, how you show up can create the deal. This is not a “trick”, showing up is the key to life in real estate excellence.

Once you have your foundation and formula, you have to do the day to day work, which is never ending and not really glamorous, it is a personal service for housing done well. If you have been in the people business, you know how hard that can be. Mitch has done it well and has pride in how the properties are managed, and shares these simple instructions for listeners.

As difficult as real estate can be, Mitch is relaxed and keeps his eye on the ball every day. Legends do the work first, it shows later like Mitch.

If you listen to the end, you will hear what a Legend really is, humble and hard working everyday. Here is an accomplished professional who has gratitude and his feet on the ground. I truly forgot his age while we talked. His youth is countered by his old soul, and that is who Joe is as a person. He shares his perspective and how he grew into who he is today. Like many, it did not start in real estate. Joe opens up and gives you a thoughtful story and discussion on his real estate life as a pro and a person.

Making deals with people and businesses is the core of his real estate practice. Like others who did well in real estate, he took a firm path to learn and work the opportunity. His nature is going the extra mile to win, but I also hear more when he talks about the bigger picture. With his wife, investing in property is personal and Joe shares this in a helpful and down to earth way. Not understanding the real estate business is the surest way to lose your money if you do not get help. Joe explains that well and it is needed today.

Joe has the new skill set for tomorrow housed in today’s market. He communicates well, and is willing to go the extra mile. He has his own podcast to use as a tool for his voice, yet he is open to being here with me and sharing. That is a mindset that is very healthy and very hard to find today. Joe understands how we need to work together or perish, and that we ALL need to live somewhere so real estate is very community focused to him, not just deals.

It is both comforting and reassuring talking to Joe about ethics and integrity. The challenges and answers a top professional deals with over time. Sales is often misunderstood as trickery and deceptive practices as the norm, but it is not truly. Yes, people use trickery in real estate as in every profession, but a pro and legend does not. Where lesser take the shortcut, Legends do the work and invest their time. The high road.

The new age of content is upon us, and Joe has a podcast of his own, Real Estate Chicago Style . And yet he shares his time with me on Legends. Might seem small to you, but sharing time is one of the most expensive and personal commitments we make. Joe commits to covering Chicago and the real estate community from his own viewpoint.