Real Tea

In April, we opened doors in Newburyport by joining forces with Fruh Realty. The move brought the Sotheby's International Realty® brand to Newburyport for the first time. In this episode, I'm joined by Kevin Fruh to discuss his perspective on Newburyport's evolving luxury marketplace, how it was impacted by the pandemic, and what he loves most about living and working on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Did you know that only 1 in 5 Community Preservation Act projects is dedicated to affordable housing, and less than 1 in 20 involve the creation of new homes? To better understand the real-world impact of the CPA, the Greater Boston Real Estate Board partnered with the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University to assess the program. I'm honored to be joined by Patricia Baumer, Director of Government Affairs at the GBREB, and Evan Horowitz, Executive Director at the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tisch College, Tufts University, to discuss how the CPA—with the right tweaks—could become a critical tool in expanding local housing options for families.

Read an in-depth summary of the report at mahousingsolutions.com.

Join me and my good friend, Shant Banosian of Guaranteed Rate, as we explore the dynamic world of lending, discuss interest rates, and President Biden’s mortgage redistribution plan, and share insights into the future of the housing market!

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Many people might not know that I worked in real estate public policy years ago — one of the reasons I was so excited to welcome Patricia Baumer, Director of Government Affairs at the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, to the pod. Watch as Trish and I talk money in politics, the importance of Realtor® participation in local issues and advocacy activities, and what's happening on the Hill right now. I can't wait to have Trish back to discuss the details of a new housing study coming this May!

Listen as Christa Cardwell and I break down how proper staging can reveal a home’s maximum value in a way typical marketing strategies aren’t able to fully tap into. Don't make the buyer use their imagination!

With all the economic uncertainty, anyone with a megaphone has realized that bad news sells. When someone is thinking about buying or selling, they naturally scour the internet for information, easily leading to confusion and perhaps even causing them to cancel their plans altogether.

When the pandemic first brought life to a standstill, the last thing anyone expected was a real estate boom, especially along the coast. People realized they could be heading to the beach after their last Zoom meeting of the day, and it all added up to a scorching market on the South Coast of Massachusetts: one that has yet to let up. With workers no longer expected in person, at least not daily, the South Coast—just 60 miles south of Boston and a stone's throw from the Cape, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and even Providence—continues to see serious gains. I was thrilled to shoot this episode from our NEW South Dartmouth office with our own ⁠Team MCM⁠. ⁠Maggie Tomkiewicz⁠, ⁠Chris Hiller⁠ and ⁠Margo Choquette ⁠have been pillars in the Dartmouth community for more than 35 combined years and it was a blast discussing what they think is next for this very special market! Learn more about the South Coast at ⁠www.gibsonsothebysrealty.com/explore/south-coast⁠. 

If you need a community to walk with you while growing a real estate business and raising a family, you're in the right place! It's Women's History Month, and I can't think of a better person to have on the podcast than Mayi de la Vega. Mayi is someone whom I've had the honor of knowing for more than ten years. The first Cuban-American woman to own a Sotheby's International Realty® franchise, Mayi is real estate powerhouse, having founded ONE Sotheby's International Realty back in 2008 during the country’s worst economic recession. Today, Mayi leads South Florida's leading luxury brokerage, but that didn't happen without some serious balancing between her career and raising two children. Listen as Mayi reveals some lessons she's learned about making time for her family and herself while building a successful company.

As real estate advisors, we serve, not sell. But, nobody has ever become a top real estate agent without setting a few boundaries, and figuring out where that line is doesn’t always come so easily. Failing to hold to them can leave you exhausted, frustrated, and on the verge of giving up the industry altogether. So how do you communicate your work obligations to your family? How should you structure your week so you can honor your personal commitments? Is real estate actually a strong career option for parents? Watch as Tom Matthews of The Tom & Joanne Team and I discuss what's made it possible for him to balance parenting and real estate and actually accomplish more each week, and don't forget to check out a few of his favorite resources:

💡 Simon Sinek's Start With Why

💡 Chet Holmes' The Ultimate Sales Machine

💡 Seth Godin's The Dip

I am really nervous to discuss this topic! 

As real estate professionals, we feel moved to touch on the discussion of rent control in Boston. I think open and honest conversation is what we need here to solve the affordable housing crisis. We feel strongly about finding a solution but, as most economists will say, do not believe that rent control is the answer. In fact, if supply is really the underlying issue, rent control could make it even worse. So what actions can we potentially take to actually make housing more affordable? I hope you will watch as I'm joined by Colleen Barry, CEO of Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, to discuss a few other potential solutions to this affordability crisis. 

Listen to the Freakonomics Radio Episode: Why Rent Control Doesn't Work.