ScratchThat

Sarah Thomas didn’t set out to change the face of football as the first female calling plays. Coming from an athletic background, she simply set out to succeed in her calling as an American football official with determination. As the first female official to ever work a major college football game, the first woman to officiate a bowl game, and the first to officiate in a Big Ten stadium, Sarah knows what it takes to open closed doors and make change without making enemies in a competitive environment. But it hasn’t been an easy ride and she’s had to commit to a lot of personal sacrifice to keep her career on track.

We invited Sarah to share her incredibly motivating story of breaking the glass ceiling time after time at ThinkUp. When last year’s event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she shared her story about making history in a male-dominated industry as keynote for our virtual 2020 Annual Meeting and participated in a live, virtual interview during our How to Hustle series. We were able to record this interview before she started the 101st season of the National Football League in September. Since then, she’s adding another feather to her cap when she becomes the first female to officiate The Big Game on February 7, 2021!

In this discussion, Sarah talks about what it takes to succeed despite the odds, how to take rejection and persevere, and how self-reflection and learning from mistakes can you help grow much faster than the determination to always be right. For anyone who has put all their energy into achieving their dreams, even if those dreams seem far-flung, Sarah’s insight offers a strategy and a mindset to get there.

Founder and President of Rental Beast Ishay Grinberg believes every agent should include rental services in their portfolio. It’s not only a wise networking opportunity with future buyers, but a chance to make extra money with much less effort than you would anticipate. After years of working as an agent with a boutique agency in New York City, Grinberg founded Rental Beast as an MLS-style resource for rental properties. By providing millions of listings, Grinberg’s goal is to make the rental property search and transaction as seamless as possible, with the ability to do everything virtual and from one platform.

In this episode, Grinberg discusses the effect of COVID-19 on rental properties, the tools REALTORS® need to get into the market, and why working in property management is worth the effort. Learn more about Rental Beast by following them on Twitter at @RentalBeast, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Dee Dee Blizard loves to travel. As Broker at Global Real Estate Consulting and the Vice President of the International Real Estate Federation USA, Dee Dee’s combined her passion for traveling and networking, closing transactions around the world for residential and some commercial properties. Pre-COVID, her life consisted of boarding dozens of international flights. Now, she’s taking a different approach. In this episode, we talk to her about how her operations have changed to serve her clients, and how other REALTORS® can reach their global dreams.

Part of the strategy of launching an international real estate consulting business is networking with others who are doing the same thing. Check out FIABCI for more information on getting started.

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In this candid interview about prejudice, Afua Addo and Emily discuss what steps REALTORS® can take to help shape the future of housing. As Deputy Director of Programs and Training at Perception Institute, Afua is working to educate REALTORS® and members of NAR on housing inequity in the United States, as well as the role the housing industry plays in perpetuating the home ownership divide. Through videos and training workshops, Perception Institute is helping us learn how to recognize our own inherent biases, how to give ourselves grace as we re-educate ourselves on the history of housing, and how we can pave the way for a more equitable future—starting with our own network of friends.

Check out this video the Perception Institute recently made in partnership with NAR on overcoming barriers to fair housing. And, pick up a copy of Afua’s favorite book, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do, by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt.

This interview is available on YouTube here. Follow Afua on Twitter at @iamafua; and learn more about the Perception Institute by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter at @perceptioninst.

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As Executive Editor for Curbed—an online publication that’s a must-read for members of the housing industry and fans of architecture—Mercedes Kraus is always looking to feature unique and historically interesting homes for their avid readers. But, with so much competition and without a publicity team to spend the time reaching out, how does a REALTOR® get into publications like Curbed? In this lighthearted episode, Mercedes breaks down the dos and don'ts of getting media exposure, how to pitch to editors, and how to build important relationships with journalists without hiring a publicist.

Mercedes also discusses the design trends she’s seeing come out of shelter-in-place orders, her favorite place to turn to for architectural and design inspiration, and what she misses about living in Central Texas.

As the Chief Real Estate Officer of OJO Labs, Chris Heller is at the forefront of artificial intelligence and real estate. OJO helps connect people with answers to their real estate questions immediately, using a mixture of real human interaction and AI. During COVID-19, it’s been an especially useful tool as more consumers are using online resources to shop and search for a home. As home buying changes, OJO helps showcase the tools available to provide a really great experience that is more personalized and tailored to buyers.

In this episode, Emily and Chris talk about the changes happening in virtual real estate transactions, what COVID-19 could mean for future home sales, how pent up demand could affect the market—and how working remotely has changed people’s behaviors and relationships.

This interview is available on YouTube here. Follow Chris on LinkedIn and Twitter, and through his personal website.

Wanna hear more? You can check all of our ScratchThat episodes on Anchor, SoundCloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play.  Subscribe today!

As CEO of the National Association of REALTORS®, it’s Bob Goldberg’s job to keep his finger on the pulse of tens of thousands of REALTORS across the country to ensure they’re getting the support and advocacy they need. From negotiating deals with companies to providing resources for members to advocating on Capitol Hill, Bob says NAR is there to help each member succeed and invest in the technology they need to stay current and competitive. Rather than separating NAR from its members, COVID-19 has brought associations and REALTORS® closer than ever by making it possible for thousands of members to participate in virtual conferences and meetings.

One major issue our industry is facing now is racial inequity due to historical laws have left many people out of the real estate market. In this frank discussion, Bob and Emily tackle issues of racism in the industry, how associations are working to change it, and how members can get involved as advocates and supporters.

This interview is available on YouTube here. Bob on Facebook, LinkedIn, and go to Nar.Realtor for more information about the association’s work.

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Will COVID-19 change the way we decide to buy homes in the future? Emily and Ralph McLaughlin, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Analytics at Haus, ponder this question as they talk about the market’s recovery taking a “flying W” shape, whether the migration to urban centers will slow, and trends we can expect in the coming years.

Having cut his teeth at CoreLogic, Trulia, and as an Assistant Professor and City of San Jose Housing Commissioner, Ralph is a self-described housing nerd. Learn why he believes Haus will help revolutionize the way people buy homes; taking on partner investors through a private company instead of debt through a bank and getting more flexibility with payments in return.

You can follow Ralph on LinkedIn or on Twitter at @HousingRalph.

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When it comes to why specific groups of people make decisions, Dr. Jessica Lautz has her finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the real estate industry. As Vice President of Demographics and Behavioral Insights at the National Association of REALTORS®, she studies demographic trends within the industry—which means she’s focused on how behaviors among buyers change in any given situation, including a global pandemic. In this episode, Emily and Jessica cover newsworthy topics, ranging from how COVID-19 is shifting buyers’ housing preferences (spoiler: pet adoption is a factor) to why the legalization of marijuana is changing the market. Learn what factors are impacting the housing industry today and how you can help clients get what they want.

Go here to learn more about Jessica’s findings, and follow her on Twitter at @jessicalautz and Instagram at @jessica.lautz. Follow @nar_research on Twitter for the latest trends and data in your industry, and check out NAR’s Right Tools, Right Now initiative Jessica touts in the episode.

Wanna hear more? You can check all of our ScratchThat episodes on Anchor, SoundCloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play.  Subscribe today!

Patrick Boyaggi isn’t a soothsayer, but he tends to look to the future and prepare for it. He is the co-founder and CEO of Own Up, a tech company that allows buyers to shop for lenders with the assistance of a free advisor, and when it comes to COVID-19 he has two potential outcomes for the housing industry: one that looks rosy and one that’s more dire. Either way, he believes professionals in the housing industry need to prepare for both and it starts with reading the signs.

ScratchThat is now on YouTube! Watch the video interview here of Emily and Patrick chatting about how agents can help their customers find the best mortgages to fit their individual situations, what the impact of this global pandemic might be on housing, and how political moves made now could affect us in the future.

To find out more about Patrick and Own Up, visit the company’s blog,  Facebook page, Instagram, and follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrickboyaggi and LinkedIn.

Wanna hear more? You can check all of our ScratchThat episodes on Anchor, SoundCloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play.  Subscribe today!