The Next Move

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

What makes someone stop scrolling and actually look at a home?

In Season 1, Episode 24 of The Next Move, Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick sit down with Joshua Sharon, owner and photographer at Stop & Live Photography, to talk about the role photography, video, and visual marketing play in real estate.

Joshua takes us behind the camera to discuss what makes a property stand out, what sellers should do before picture day, and some of the things Realtors get wrong when preparing a home for professional photography.

We also get into the growing role of video, drone photography, virtual staging, and AI in real estate marketing. Where's the line between making a property look its best and misrepresenting what buyers will actually see?

And because we're not letting the Realtors off the hook, we talk personal branding, outdated headshots, getting comfortable on camera, and whether some of us have taken Realtor marketing a little too far.

From the importance of a great listing photo to the realities of running a creative business in Central Texas, Joshua shares his perspective on what it takes to capture attention in a crowded market.

Whether you're preparing to sell your home, working in real estate, or simply curious about what happens behind the scenes of a professional photo shoot, there's something in this conversation for you.

CONNECT WITH JOSHUA SHARON

Joshua Sharon | Owner & Photographer
Stop & Live Photography

Phone: 254-300-8098
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://stopandlivellc.com

ABOUT THE NEXT MOVE

A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast
Real Conversations. Real People. Real Estate.

Hosted by Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick

Jennifer Bruns | Broker Associate, eXp Realty
https://linktr.ee/jbrunsrealtor

Matt Dick | REALTOR®
https://www.youtube.com/@MilitaryLivinginCentralTexas

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

Buying a brand-new home sounds simple enough. Pick your floor plan, choose your finishes, sign the paperwork, and move in. Right?

Well, there's a little more to it.

In Season 1, Episode 23 of The Next Move, Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick sit down with Liz McDaniel, Community Sales Manager with Flintrock Builders, to talk about the realities of buying and selling new construction in Central Texas.

Flintrock Builders is a locally rooted homebuilder headquartered in Belton, Texas, offering new-construction options throughout the region.

We get into what today's buyers are looking for, how new construction compares to purchasing an existing home, and what people should understand before walking into a builder's model home.

We also tackle some of the questions buyers and Realtors frequently have about new construction: financing, builder incentives, warranties, inspections, timelines, and the relationship between builders and real estate agents.

What are buyers getting wrong about new construction? What do Realtors misunderstand about working with builders? And what should someone know before deciding whether a brand-new home is the right move?

Whether you're considering buying a new home, working with a builder as a Realtor, or simply curious about what's being built around Central Texas, this conversation is for you.

CONNECT WITH LIZ MCDANIEL

Liz McDaniel | Community Sales Manager
Flintrock Builders

Phone: 254-338-6156
Website: https://flintrockbuilders.com
Email: [email protected]

ABOUT THE NEXT MOVE

Hosted by Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick

A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast
Real Conversations. Real People. Real Estate.

Jennifer Bruns | Broker Associate, eXp Realty
https://linktr.ee/jbrunsrealtor

Matt Dick | REALTOR®
https://www.youtube.com/@MilitaryLivinginCentralTexas

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

Kristen Jacoby didn't move to Raleigh with a built-in sphere, a huge database or a ready-made community. She moved to a new city where she barely knew anyone—and had to figure out how to build all three.

This week on The Next Move, Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick sit down with Raleigh Realtor and Socials to Social founder Kristen Jacoby for a conversation about real estate, relocation, social media, entrepreneurship and what it actually means to build community.

Kristen began selling real estate while she was still in college before eventually relocating to Raleigh and essentially starting over in a new market. That experience didn't just shape the way she built her real estate business—it changed the way she thinks about relocation and what people actually need when they're trying to make a new city feel like home. Kristen

Then came Socials to Social.

What began as Kristen's own struggle to find genuine connection in a new city grew into a business designed to take relationships from online to offline through real-world events and experiences. Socials to Social

We talk about how Socials to Social happened, whether community-building and real estate actually feed one another, the difference between creating content for views and creating content that builds something, and how to develop relationships without making every interaction feel like a prospecting opportunity.

We also compare Raleigh and Central Texas real estate, talk relocation, new construction, affordability and what buyers and sellers are experiencing in two rapidly growing markets.

And yes—we get into Realtor social media: what works, what doesn't, why so much of it looks exactly the same, and whether follower count actually matters.

This isn't really an episode about social media.

It's about what can happen when you stop treating people like leads and start building something people actually want to be part of.

Kristen Jacoby
REALTOR® | Raleigh, North Carolina
Founder | Socials to Social

Socials to Social

THE NEXT MOVE
A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast
Real Conversations. Real People. Real Estate.

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

What do you really know about Temple ISD?

This week on The Next Move, Jennifer and Matt sit down with Temple ISD Superintendent Dr. Bobby Ott for a conversation we've wanted to have for a long time.

As Realtors, we hear opinions about local school districts every day. Buyers hear them. Sellers hear them. People moving to Central Texas hear them. But opinions and things someone heard years ago don't always match what's happening inside a district today.

So instead of repeating what we've heard, we went directly to the source.

Dr. Ott joins us to talk about the actual data behind Temple ISD, including academic performance, graduation and college/career readiness, student programs, Career & Technical Education, growth, facilities and the future of the district.

We also bring up some of the perceptions and misconceptions we hear about TISD and give Dr. Ott the opportunity to address them himself—with the numbers and context behind them.

Temple ISD earned a B in the latest accountability ratings. Temple High School and Edwards Academy earned A ratings, TISD campuses earned 26 distinctions, the Class of 2025 posted a 97% four-year graduation rate, and TISD reports a 100% College, Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) score for the Class of 2026.

But some of our favorite parts of this conversation have nothing to do with a rating.

We talk about the opportunities available to TISD students, Temple's growth, the relationship between schools and the community, and why Dr. Ott has remained so committed to this district.

Most importantly, we get to know the person behind the title and hear—in his own words—why he believes in Temple ISD.

📊 DR. OTT'S TEMPLE ISD METRICS PRESENTATION
https://bit.ly/TISDmetrics

CONNECT WITH DR. BOBBY OTT + TEMPLE ISD

Dr. Bobby Ott, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Temple Independent School District

Office: 254-215-6760
X: @OttTempleISD
https://www.tisd.org/

CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS

Jennifer Bruns
REALTOR® & Associate Broker | eXp Realty
https://linktr.ee/jbrunsrealtor

Matt Dick
REALTOR® | Military Living in Central Texas
https://www.youtube.com/@MilitaryLivinginCentralTexas

THE NEXT MOVE
A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast

Real Conversations. Real People. Real Estate.

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

What happens when you stop trying to create the perfect real estate persona and start showing up as yourself?

For Season 1, Episode 20 of The Next Move – A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast, Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick are joined by Arizona Realtor John Flynn of eXp Realty and the Legacy Real Estate Team.

John serves buyers and sellers throughout Arizona's East Valley, but his path into real estate wasn't exactly conventional. After spending years as a stay-at-home dad, John entered an incredibly competitive industry looking for a way to stand out. One of his answers? Lean into something he already knew how to do—beatboxing.

“The Beatboxing Agent” was born.

But John's story became about something much bigger than a catchy real estate brand.

In this episode, we talk about authenticity, fear, finding your lane, building confidence, being willing to evolve and what it actually takes to create a sustainable career in real estate. We also compare notes on doing business in Arizona versus Central Texas and talk about the challenges agents are navigating in today's industry.

John has spoken publicly about realizing that the persona he created early in his career was, in part, a way of hiding behind something flashy rather than confronting his fears. His evolution toward simply being John Flynn, the Realtor became part of a much bigger lesson about showing up authentically in business and life.

Whether you're a Realtor trying to figure out where you fit, an entrepreneur building a personal brand, or someone who needs a reminder that you don't have to look like everyone else to succeed, there's something in this conversation for you.

In this episode: Arizona vs. Texas real estate • John's journey from stay-at-home dad to Realtor • the Beatboxing Agent • finding your identity in real estate • authenticity vs. personal branding • overcoming fear • comparison in the real estate industry • building confidence • finding your lane • relationships and community • adapting as your business grows • staying true to yourself

CONNECT WITH JOHN FLYNN

John Flynn | REALTOR® — eXp Realty / Legacy Real Estate Team
📱 928-970-5636
📧 [email protected]
📸 Instagram: @johnflynn_the_realtor
🏡 Legacy Real Estate Team

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER & MATT

Jennifer Bruns | REALTOR® & Associate Broker — eXp Realty
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jbrunsrealtor

Matt Dick | REALTOR® — eXp Realty
▶️ YouTube — Military Living in Central Texas:
https://www.youtube.com/@MilitaryLivinginCentralTexas

🎙️ The Next Move – A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast
Hosted by Jennifer Bruns & Matt Dick

Real Conversations. Real People. Real Estate.

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

Social media shows the closings, the sold signs, the awards and the smiling photos.

It doesn’t always show what it takes to stay in this business when the market gets tough.

In Episode 19 of The Next Move – A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast, Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick pull back the curtain on what life as a Realtor really looks like when transactions are harder to come by, buyers are hesitant, sellers have changing expectations, and the market simply isn’t handing out easy wins.

No guest this time. No highlight reel. Just an open conversation about the good, the bad and the ugly of real estate.

We talk about the work consumers rarely see—the follow-up, prospecting, problem-solving, marketing, negotiations, relationships, emotional ups and downs, deals that fall apart, hours that never make it onto an Instagram post, and the pressure of running a business where there is no guaranteed paycheck.

But this episode isn't about complaining about a difficult market.

It's about surviving it, adapting to it and becoming better because of it.

For consumers, we hope this gives you a better understanding of what your Realtor actually does behind the scenes and why experience, relationships and persistence matter.

For fellow agents who may be looking around wondering if everyone else is killing it while you're struggling: you're probably seeing their highlight reel, not their whole story.

We're right there with you. We're still showing up. Still learning. Still adjusting. Still working. And we're willing to talk about it.

In this episode:
The reality behind Realtor social media • working in a challenging real estate market • what agents do when nobody is buying today • staying motivated when business slows • activity vs. productivity • the emotional side of commission income • adapting instead of disappearing • supporting other agents • what consumers don't see • building relationships for the long haul • finding balance in real estate • why authenticity matters

🎙️ The Next Move – A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast
Hosted by Jennifer Bruns & Matt Dick

Real Conversations. Real People. Real Estate.

Because sometimes the most important conversations aren't the ones that make the highlight reel.

📲 CONNECT WITH JENNIFER & MATT

Jennifer Bruns | REALTOR® & Associate Broker — eXp Realty
📱 254-780-7093
📧 [email protected]
🔗 Jennifer's Linktree - https://linktr.ee/jbrunsrealtor

Matt Dick | REALTOR® — eXp Realty
📱 253-820-7327
📧 [email protected]
▶️ YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@MilitaryLivinginCentralTexas⁩  

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

What really goes into building a custom home—and what should you know before you ever break ground?

On Episode 18 of The Next Move – A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast, Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick sit down with Dennis Jones of Tierra Homes Custom Builders to talk about the business, process, and relationships behind building a home from the ground up.

Dennis is Vice President of Construction at Tierra Homes and oversees field operations for the family-run Central Texas builder. Tierra Homes specializes in custom and pre-built homes throughout Salado, Temple, Belton and surrounding communities, with an emphasis on transparency, communication, organization and craftsmanship. 

We get into what buyers should understand about the custom-building process, how a builder takes an idea from vision to reality, the decisions that can make or break the experience, and why communication between the homeowner and builder matters just as much as what happens on the jobsite.

Whether you're considering building your dream home, comparing new construction with an existing home, or you're simply curious about what happens behind the scenes, this conversation gives you a builder's perspective on what it takes to do it well.

In this episode: custom home building in Central Texas • choosing the right builder • planning and design • budgets and expectations • communication during construction • craftsmanship and quality • the homeowner/builder relationship • Salado, Belton & Temple real estate • what buyers should know before building

Connect with Tierra Homes Custom Builders

Website: tierrahomestx.com
Instagram: @tierrahomes
Phone: (254) 223-1218
Email: [email protected]
Salado, Texas 

The Next Move
A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast
Hosted by Jennifer Bruns & Matt Dick

Real Conversations. Real People. Real Estate.

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

Three different brokerages. Three different perspectives. One Central Texas real estate market.

For Season 1, Episode 17 of The Next Move: A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast, Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick cross brokerage lines for a candid conversation with three Central Texas real estate professionals:

Reganne Queen — Real Broker
Chris Lockett — Broker/Owner, RE/MAX Temple-Belton
Heath Haverland — Broker Associate, CENTURY 21 Bill Bartlett

This isn't a debate about which brokerage is "best." It's an honest conversation about what we're all seeing from different sides of the same industry.

We talk about what's happening in the Central Texas market, what's working for agents right now, what isn't, how the real estate business continues to evolve, and what changes at the national brokerage level could mean for agents and consumers locally.

We also get into something we think matters: why each of our guests chose their brokerage—and why they continue to believe it's the right fit for them.

Different logos don't have to mean different sides. At the end of the day, we're all navigating the same market, serving the same communities and figuring out what the next chapter of real estate looks like.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS

REGANNE QUEEN | REAL BROKER
Phone: (315) 804-0180
Email: [email protected]
Website: jankovichrealestate.com

CHRIS LOCKETT | RE/MAX TEMPLE-BELTON
Phone: (254) 760-7276
Office: (254) 771-3633
Email: [email protected]
Website: templebeltonhomefinder.com
4016 S. 31st St., Temple, TX 76502

HEATH HAVERLAND | CENTURY 21 BILL BARTLETT
Phone: (512) 749-0985
Office: (254) 947-5050
Email: [email protected]
Website: c21bb.com/heath
860 N. Main St., Salado, TX 76571

🎙️ THE NEXT MOVE
A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast
Hosted by Jennifer Bruns & Matt Dick

Real conversations. Different perspectives. One Central Texas market.

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

What happens to your house when you die? Who can actually sign when inherited property is sold? If you owned a home before getting married, why might your spouse still need to sign at closing? And what happens to real estate when divorce, probate, deeds, marriage and Texas community-property laws all collide?

In Season 1, Episode 16 of The Next Move: A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast, Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick sit down with Josh Pearson of Pearson Law Firm in Belton for a practical conversation about the legal side of Texas real estate—the things buyers and sellers often don't think about until they suddenly matter.

Josh is a Texas attorney whose practice includes real estate, business law, wills, trusts and probate, and the State Bar of Texas identifies him as Board Certified in Residential Real Estate Law. He has practiced in Texas since 2012 after earning his J.D. from Southern Methodist University. 

We talk about death, divorce, deeds, probate, inheritance, separate property, community property, homestead rights and title issues, including questions like: Who owns what when someone dies? When does an estate have to go through probate? Who has authority to sell? What happens if there's no will? Can a spouse have rights in a home they never purchased? And why can the name on the deed sometimes be only the beginning of the conversation?

We also get into the role attorneys and title professionals play in identifying these issues before they derail a closing—and why planning ahead can make an enormous difference for the people you leave behind.

And Josh's connection to Central Texas goes well beyond practicing law. He's also involved in several local businesses and ventures, including the Texas Title Pearson Fee Office and The Commonwealth Texas, the Temple restaurant and community destination he and his family helped create. 

Whether you own a home, are preparing to buy or sell, have inherited property, are navigating a divorce, or simply want to understand what actually happens to Texas real estate when life changes, this is an episode worth saving.

CONNECT WITH JOSH PEARSON

Pearson Law Firm, P.C.
80 Morgan's Point Rd., Belton, TX 76513
254-939-3995
Practice areas include real estate, business, wills, trusts and probate.
Pearson Law Firm / Bell County Lawyer

Texas Title — Pearson Fee Office
80 Morgan's Point Rd., Suite 103, Belton, TX
254-939-8873
Texas Title – Pearson Fee Office

The Commonwealth Texas
11830 W. Adams Ave., Temple, TX 76502
254-677-6722
Restaurant • bourbon & cocktail bar • pickleball • live music • events • community.
The Commonwealth Texas

UNcommon Pies
120 Morgan's Point Rd., Belton, TX 76513.
UNcommon Pies information

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Real estate, probate, estate and family-law situations are fact-specific. Consult a qualified Texas attorney regarding your individual circumstances.

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.

Buying? Selling? Want to know more about eXp Realty? Just wanna show us love? Message us!

Real estate advice is everywhere—but that doesn’t mean all of it is true.

In Episode 15 of The Next Move: A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast, Jennifer Bruns and Matt Dick are tackling some of the real estate “facts” buyers and sellers have heard for years that may be outdated, misunderstood, or just plain wrong.

Can you really use a VA loan more than once? Are FHA and VA appraisals as scary as people make them sound? Is an appraisal basically the same thing as an inspection? Why can Zillow, Realtor.com and other third-party websites get a Texas home’s value wrong? And what does it actually mean that Texas is a non-disclosure state?

We’re breaking down the misconceptions that can cause buyers and sellers to make decisions based on bad—or seriously outdated—information.

In this episode, we talk about:

• VA loans and the myth that they’re a one-and-done benefit
• FHA and VA appraisals—what appraisers are really looking for and why this isn’t 1980 anymore
• Appraisals vs. inspections and why they serve two completely different purposes
• Online home values and why third-party sites may not have all the information they need in Texas
• Texas as a non-disclosure state and why that matters when determining market value
• Common assumptions buyers and sellers bring into a transaction that can affect their decisions
• Why getting information from someone who understands the Central Texas market matters

Some real estate rules have changed. Some were never rules in the first place. And some things get repeated so often that everybody assumes they must be true.

So before you let something you heard from a friend, family member, social media—or the internet—determine your next move, there’s one question worth asking:

WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!

🎙️ The Next Move: A Central Texas Real Estate Podcast
Hosted by Jennifer Bruns & Matt Dick

Real estate is local. Good information matters. And your next move should be an informed one.

Thank you for listening to The Next Move Podcast, where we bring you real conversations with local experts to help you make confident real estate decisions throughout Central Texas.

Real Estate Insights. Real Relationships. Your Next Move.