The Real Estate Sessions

Episode Summary:

Today, our guest is Mark Choey, Co-Founder of HighNote Labs, a software company that holds the mission to provide innovative tools for the top agents in real estate.

In this episode, join Mark and me as we dive into some of Mark's most significant accomplishments and his companies' impact on San Francisco's neighborhoods. We also discuss Mark Choey's latest venture, HighNote Labs, launching later this year!

Top Takeaways:

• Mark Choey's Advice for New Agents
• "You need to think about your real estate business and you being in the business, as a business. There needs to be a marketing component, expertise component, and a focus. As an agent, you need to figure out what your focus is going to be. We tell this to every agent that joins our brokerage."
• "You need to stand out because there are 1.4 million agents out there. Every market is competitive, and you need to figure out what is going to make you great. What is your niche, marketing angle, and who will you be providing your services to?"

"You get three transactions in one. You represent on the buy side, and you wait for them to sell again and then represent them on the sale. Then you represent them on the buy again. If we focus on this strategy three-to-one. Now, District 9 is 25% of all the market share in San Francisco!" – Mark Choey [23:04]

"One of the major things that an agent wants to convey to their client is a validation of themselves. Reviews and testimonials are everything. Before you buy something on Amazon, if you're deciding between five or six things, not only is the price important, but the reviews are the most important thing. The same goes for real estate. The reviews and testimonials are the most critical piece because you don't know who this agent is, and you need trust. Trust is everything in a business, and the reviews and testimonials is that piece." -- Mark Choey [32:17]

Episode Highlights:

[00:30] Intro

[00:56] Meet Mark Choey – Founder of HighNote Labs

[01:59] Growing Up in the Diverse State of New Jersey

[04:14] The Spirit of New Jersey Through Football and Attending Rutgers University

[06:46] A Focus on Electrical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence

[10:09] Transitioning from New Jersey to Colorado

[12:23] How Mark Got His Start in Real Estate

[18:17] Climb Real Estate and Pivotal Moves in District 9

[24:43] Coming to the Decision to Sell the Company

[27:54] HighNotes.io – Building Great Tech for Great Agents

[34:29] Providing Agents the Tools for Beautiful Presentations

[36:32] Mark's Advice for New Agents

[38:44] Connect with Mark

[39:07] Closing Thoughts

[39:35] Outro

Episode Notes:

Joining us today is Mark Choey, Founder of HighNote Labs and the Co-Founder and Partner of Climb Real Estate. Only two and a half miles outside of New York City, Mark Choey grew up in the town of Teaneck in Bergen County, New Jersey. Mark identifies his hometown as being a very diverse community and a great place to grow up.

Mark Choey attended Rutgers University sharing his take on why Rutgers football perfectly embodies the true Jersey spirit. With a love for technology and computers, Mark received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He studied wireless engineering and even performed research studies on early wireless protocols surrounding transmitting data. Mark's undergraduate work led to a job opportunity with US West Advanced Technologies conducting more wireless research in Boulder, Colorado. While in Boulder, Mark received his Master's in Electrical Engineering focusing on Artificial Intelligence.

Later in his career, Mark Choey spent time in Asia, where he founded a start-up company called Geckonut.com, a community for travel bloggers and travel agencies. When Mark returned to the United States, he landed back in New York City. He was the Vice President of Citigroup, gaining real estate investing and buying experience before moving west to the San Francisco area.

After meeting his business partner on a chance at an open house, Mark Choey and his partner founded Climb Real Estate, now noted as one of the largest real estate brokerages in the San Francisco area. Here, Mark and his partner focused on District 9, a historically industrial section of town, and could be a part of the buying and selling of over 25,000 units in the area. District 9 in San Francisco now holds over 25% of all San Francisco market share, which allowed Climb Real Estate to become a top 250 brokerage in the country within only five years.

At the beginning of 2019, Mark Choey founded HighNote Labs, a software company dedicated to building the next generation of tools to power the top real estate agents to act as the intersection between real estate, technology, and design. HighNote.io allows real estate professionals to create, send, track listing presentations, buyer offers, and share market reports. HighNote Labs is just getting started as new possibilities for the software are being discovered as they build great technology for the industry's top real estate agents.

Mark Choey's advice for new agents is to think about real estate as their own business that needs marketing, expertise, and focus component on reaching success. The agent needs to focus on what they want to be and who they are going to serve. Finding a particular market with a specific niche will allow you to stand out among other agents in the competitive world of real estate!

Resources Mentioned:

• HighNote.io
• https://www.highnote360.com/.

Connect:

Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS

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Find | Bill Risser

At [email protected]

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Find | Mark Choey

At [email protected]

At https://www.highnote360.com/.

On Website

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THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS PODCAST

Episode 265: 

Host: BILL RISSER

Guest: NINA DOSANJH 

Our guest today has a real passion for serving her clients. She facilitates her clients in the navigation of real estate in the San Francisco area. Our guest today is Nina Dosanjh, Director of Strategic Alliances and Technology at Vanguard Properties, and most recently the President of the San Francisco Association of Realtors. 

In this episode, join Nina and me as we navigate some of the Bay Area's biggest misconceptions and how the Bay area real estate world acts as a trendsetter for the nation. We also discuss the importance of volunteerism and some future predictions for MLS regulations! 

Top Takeaways: 

• Nina Dosanjh's Advice for New Agents
•  "Set up systems and set them up early. If you take the time to do that from the beginning, everything else will fall into place. You have to have a system because it's easy to get lost in the day to day and do a lot without really doing a lot. Set up the system, time block, create a program for yourself that you're going to stick with." 

"When I first got into the business, my manager at the time said to me, 'You have two things in this business: you have your time and your reputation. You decide what those two things are going to mean for you.'… I took that into my real estate journey, and I'm glad that I did. I think I wouldn't be here today and I wouldn't know the people who I know across the country and have built the relationships there if I had not stepped up." – Nina Dosanjh [10:44]

"That's the misconception that people have, and technology is going to replace me. I like to look at it like it really isn't going to replace you because this is a relationship business, we've learned that in the middle of this pandemic. We learned that the relationship does matter, you can automate a lot of things, but you can't automate that person-to-person." – Nina Dosanjh [22:14]

Episode Highlights:

[00:22] Intro 

[00:48] Meet Nina Dosanjh – Strategic Alliances and Technology Director 

[01:33] Native to North Carolina and Drawn to the Bay Area 

[02:34] Biggest Misconceptions About the Bay 

[05:05] First Job After College, REO Marketing Manager  

[08:06] Mastering the Basics and Building Strong Relationships 

[10:14] Why Volunteerism Is So Important to Nina 

[13:56] Transitioning to Vanguard Properties 

[15:44] Director of Strategic Alliances in Technology 

[17:20] MLS Associations and the Future for MLS Regulation 

[21:40] The Good and Bad of Technology Use in Real Estate 

[25:29] Nina's Advice for New Agents 

[26:47] Connect with Nina 

[26:54] Closing Thoughts 

[27:06] Outro 

Episode Notes: 

Joining us today is Nina Dosanjh, Director of Strategic Alliances and Technology at Vanguard Properties. A native of Northern California, Nina grew up in a small central valley town called Ceres, where her family still resides. Nina Dosanjh later relocated to San Francisco for the city life and the connection the city holds with her grandfather. He landed in the city in the early fifties after emigrating to America. 

Nina shares one of the biggest misconceptions of the Bay Area is that everyone is super progressive. Although it is a very progressive city, there are varying degrees to the area's progressiveness. After graduating from San Francisco State University, Nina started at Coldwell Banker as an REO Marketing Manager. This position allowed Nina to build relationships with asset managers around the nation as she attended REO conferences. After a few years with the company, Nina attained her real estate license. She worked an additional nine years with Coldwell Banker sharing that the company believed mostly in growing from within. 

In late 2017, Nina Dosanjh accepted a position as the Director of Strategic Alliances and Technology at Vanguard Properties, where she embraced incredible leadership. As Director of Strategic Alliances and Technology, Nina focuses extensively on building industry relationships and staying alert to industry changes. 

For Nina Dosanjh, giving back and volunteering is incredibly important as she shares that stepping into leadership roles allows you to make the most impact. Nina has held and still holds many volunteer positions, such as The President-elect of the San Francisco Chapter, Women's Council of Realtors, President of the San Francisco Association of REALTORS®, and Vice-Chair of the Federal Technology Policy Committee for the National Association of REALTORS® to name a few. 

Nina Dosanjh's advice for new agents is to set up systems and set them up early. Nina advises that if you take the time to set up your system correctly from the very beginning, everything else will fall into place. Setting up the proper system, time-blocking your day, and creating a program that works for you will be incredibly beneficial to the new agent!

Resources Mentioned:

Connect: 

Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS

At Tresonline.com

Find | Bill Risser

At [email protected]

On Twitter

On Facebook

On Youtube

Find | Nina Dosanjh 

At [email protected]

On Facebook

On Instagram 

On LinkedIn 

RATE & SUBSCRIBE 

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Emily Chenevert was only 23 when she started climbing the ranks within the Austin Board of Realtors. Recently, she made history within the organization— becoming both the youngest and first female CEO in the board's history.

In this episode, Emily shares how she utilized a background and education in government to contribute to ABoR. Hear how she maximized opportunities to step up to the plate and embraced the leadership qualities 17 board members would soon come to see in her. 

“The reality is, we're gonna put the most resources in that middle to end, somewhat engaged through passionately engaged members… That's the person who's buying into our community and willing to walk that two-way street with us and frankly, that's the person who's committed to the industry as a livelihood and not just a hobby.”  

- Emily Chenevert [21:09]  

• Emily Chenevert’s Advice for New Agents:

Get involved in your association!

“The truth is if you want to build really fast friendships and relationships in this market. If you want to know what resources are available at your fingertips and have the best education you can get as you launch your career— that's the place to do it. 29:17 

• [00:38] Intro
• [01:44] Meet Emily Chenevert- a native Texan
• [02:33] Common misconceptions about Texas
• [03:57] What Emily planned to do before real estate
• [04:58] College and the UT Longhorns
• [06:07] Her first job out of school and working with a developer 
• [07:46] Leveraging her government background for real estate
• [09:16] Working for the State Association
• [09:52] Becoming both the youngest and first female CEO at ABoR
• [13:29] Volunteerism in the world of real estate
• [14:05] What makes Austin so special? Quirks, tech and more
• [15:25] How the Association works with government contractors
• [16:37] The ScratchThat podcast and other board initiatives
• [19:07] Tech, serving members and keeping them engaged
• [21:59] How Emily got involved with Inman
• [23:12] Her thoughts on Inman content and curriculum 
• [24:18] Emily's role with Inman Connect
• [25:27] Her son's story of resilience
• [28:10] Charities that Emily recommends
• [29:02] Emily's advice for new agents
• [29:30] Contacting Emily Chenevert 
• [29:57] Outro

• scratchpodcast.com
• Inman
• Make-A-Wish Foundation

Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS

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Find | Bill Risser

At [email protected]

On Twitter

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At [email protected]

On Instagram

RATE & SUBSCRIBE 

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Rob Hahn got his real estate start with a firm that specialized in airplane hangars. Today, he works as a real estate consultant, offering the same tell it like it is, informed opinions that keep his blog, Notorious-ROB.com bookmarked by agents around the country.

Catch the story behind his success as a consultant to some of the nation's largest real estate brokerages, organizations and stand-alone businesses. Find out how he got his start in real estate after migrating to the U.S from Korea and pivoting from one venture to the next, harvesting a rich set of knowledge across the industries of law, tech, media and more. 

Rob shares his predictions about what the future looks like for real estate agents and the market alike. He talks about the importance of team building and thoughtful maneuvering within an ibuyer-impacted market. Also, get his take on the MLS and why he thinks they may want to rethink their structure.

“What I would love to see the MLS's do...I would love to see them all go private. Not be non-for profit... just start buying each other up and go raise capital because you can't go raise any capital if you're a non-for profit.” 

-Rob Hahn [31:19]  

• Rob Hahn’s Advice for New Agents:

Join A Team

Join a really good team and learn how they do what they do so well. After a few years of learning, if you decide you have what it takes to branch out on your own then you know how to do it.

“That's how great companies are formed. They come out of other great companies… Go find a really great team in your area and join it. Learn all you can. Suck up all that experience, that knowledge and then make some decisions at that point.”

-Rob Hahn [53:20] 

• [00:31] Intro
• [00:47] Meet Rob Hahn
• [03:18] Moving from Korea and growing up a pastor's kid
• [05:13] How speaking your mind can be contrarian
• [08:19] Harvard, Yale, and entrepreneurship
• [11:01] The leadup to real estate and an important StarWars note
• [13:53] 911’s impact on the startup economy and moving into real estate
• [17:10] The story behind 7DS Associates
• [20:51] The Notorious ROB Blog
• [23:59] His favorite client to work with as a consultant
• [28:38] Thoughts on MLS governance 
• [30:45] What Rob would change about the MLS association
• [37:03] ibuyers: Opendoor and Zillow
• [42:50] Bionic superteams and what agents should be thinking about
• [46:48] Brokers strategy 
• [51:27] Taking advantage of the changes ahead
• [52:39] Rob Hahn's advice for new agents
• [54:20] Finding Rob
• [56:35] Outro

• 7dsassociates.com
• Notorious-rob.com
• Industry Relations Podcast

Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS

At TRESonline.com

Find | Bill Risser

At [email protected]

On Twitter

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Find | Rob Hahn 

At [email protected]

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Episode Summary

In this episode of The Real Estate Sessions Podcast, I'm joined by Sam Staskal of eXp Realty in South Central Wisconsin. Though she is relatively new to the industry, Sam has had a unique experience that allowed her authentic self to be shared with the public through a comedic lens. By narrating her experience on Facebook Live, Sam went viral and opened up a conversation about being able to laugh at oneself. Join us today as we learn about Sam's beginnings as a Realtor, her unique, funny mishap, and how she prevailed using comedy and professionalism.  

Top Takeaways:

• Transitioning into Real Estate from a 9-5 desk job
• Sam's viral video
• There is a place for authenticity in Real Estate, and there are many benefits to "keeping it real." 
• Sam's advice for new agents

Episode Highlights:

[00:18] Intro

[01:24] Welcome Sam Staskal

[02:01] Growing up in Iowa

[05:16] Attending Viterbo University in Wisconsin and earning a degree in Graphic Design

[06:02] Sam's first job out of college working for a phone book company 

[06:37] Transitioning to work for Land's End catalog

[07:24] Sam's path to her career in Real Estate begins

[09:20] Sam shares the driving force to make Real Estate her full-time job

[11:00] Describing the Real Estate market of Platteville and competing brokerages

[12:20] We discuss Sam's viral video in which she describes how she abruptly fell with her dress over her head in front of her male client while showing him around the exterior of a house

[14:04] How she pulled it together to continue showing houses to her client that day

[17:05] How she broke through the awkwardness of the incident and continued working with her clients to find them a home

[18:51] After her video goes viral (with 15 million + views), Sam experienced an outpour of attention from fans of her comedic description of the event

[21:40] Don't be afraid to turn on the camera and be your most real and authentic self!

[23:25] Sam shares her plans for a YouTube channel featuring interviews and funny stories about all the things that unexpectedly happen to Real Estate agents

[25:14] "You can cry and admit defeat, or you can embrace it and grow with it, and that's what I'm choosing to do."

[25:40] Sam's advice to new agents starting in the business 

[26:00] Outro

Episode Notes:

"Sam Staskal is a Licensed Realtor in the State of Wisconsin. She was born and raised in Iowa but moved to greener pastures to attend college at Viterbo University in La Crosse. After graduating with her BS in Graphic Design in 2001, Sam decided to make Wisconsin her forever home. As if cheese curds weren't enough for her to stay, she also enjoys all of the fishing spots, bike trails, and the distinct seasons Wisconsin has to offer.

 For almost 20 years, Sam worked as a graphic designer and decided to make the career change to Real Estate in May 2019. Her experience in advertising and understanding of social media makes her a great agent to market your property. Sam is detail-oriented, a great listener, quickly returns all communication, and strives to make every client's real estate experience positive.

 Sam resides in Platteville with her foodie boyfriend, four children who think they are comedians, and a couple of rambunctious dogs. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, attending her kids' sporting events, photography, hand-painting signs, and breaking out the power tools to complete DIY crafts."

Source: https://scw.exprealty.com/agents/311179/Sam+Staskal

Resources

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamStaskalSells/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeo6THhR1rUe26wAKPlBGVg 

Connect: 

Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS

At Tresonline.com

Find | Bill Risser

At [email protected]

On Twitter

On Facebook

On Youtube

RATE & SUBSCRIBE 

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Episode Summary:

Our guest today is a Chief Referral Ninja Master, who helps others grow their business using referrals. Joining us is Stacey Brown Randall, a coaching consultant, award-winning author, and speaker. Stacey is the podcast host of Roadmap to Grow Your Business, a podcast offering more insights into growing your business through referral. 

In this episode, join Stacey and me to learn new tactics to help grow your business and the best ways to generate referrals without asking. We also discuss the importance of an organized database and the best practices to re-engage potential leads!  

Top Takeaways: 

• Stacey Brown Randall's Advice for New Agents
• "I would tell a new agent that is just getting started – your relationships are going to serve you, feed you, and pick you up when things go sideways, as they have been known to do more now than ever."
• "You have to take time making sure when you are developing these relationships, you are coming at it from a place not trying to sell them a home or get a referral… but ultimately at the end of the day, you're looking to help them."

"The truth is that a database is made up of referral sources, clients, current clients, previous clients, and strategic partners. There are just so many different categorizations, and if you don't start with something, it can get really hard to get back." – Stacey Brown Randall [17:50]

"I think that the truth is, if I'm referred to someone, I am less inclined to check them out online, and I'm more inclined to take the recommendation of my friend if I truly trust my friend. But the reviews and testimonials build your credibility for every other type of prospect or lead you're going to have. If I do go check you out after being referred and I see other people who love working with you, it only solidifies my decision." – Stacey Brown Randall [19:47]

Episode Highlights:

[00:19] Intro 

[00:45] Meet Stacey Brown Randall – Referral Ninja Expert 

[01:49] Living in the Carolinas 

[02:27] Attending the University of South Carolina 

[04:32] Dreams of Being a Broadcast Journalist 

[06:58] Weaving the Way to Business Consulting 

[12:59] Best Ways to Help Grow Your Business 

[15:13] The Importance of Taking Care of Your Database 

[18:19] Verified Reviews in Referral Strategies 

[21:06] Setting the Expectation for Reviews 

[22:27] Tips to Reconnecting a Neglected Database 

[27:53] Referral Seed Example 

[32:17] Stacey's Advice for New Agents 

[33:42] Connect with Stacey 

[34:59] Closing Thoughts 

[35:13] Outro 

Episode Notes: 

Today, joining us is Stacey Brown Randall, Chief Referral Ninja Master, helping business owners achieve their referral goals. Stacey Brown Randall grew up in Greenville, South Carolina spending only a few years living in Colorado before spending the rest of her time before college back in South Carolina. Stacey studied at the University of South Carolina, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Broadcast Journalism. Stacey Brown Randall had dreams of being a broadcast journalist and received multiple offers after graduation but decided to turn them down to seek other opportunities. 

Instead of a journalism career, Stacey landed her first job at a non-profit company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stacey received many great opportunities and connections and became the Director of Marketing and Business Development for the Charlotte Magazine and Workforce Development Director for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, Stacey Brown Randall founded Randall Research, an HR consulting firm, for over four years before returning to corporate work in the financial space. Looking for an escape route to get out of corporate America, Stacey received her productivity and business coaching certification. 

Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Stacey started her second business in 2013, where through her coaching program, Stacey helps business owners generate referrals without asking. Stacey Brown Randall is also the award-winning author of the book Generating Business Referrals Without Asking: A Simple Five-Step Plan to a Referral Explosion. Stacey also is the host of Roadmap to Grow Your Business, a podcast that offers tips and tricks to growing your business and bringing in new clients. 

Stacey shares in the episode why she thinks it may be difficult for real estate professionals to use their databases to their full potential. Databases are made up of referral sources, clients, current clients, previous clients, and strategic partners. Many in the real estate industry can benefit from categorizing each source correctly to maintain clean and comfortable access to data. The importance of having an organized database can help in gaining referrals and re-engaging clients. Having a solid strategy and system for each type of client can facilitate maintaining authentic relationships and reengagement from referrals. 

Engagement with clients can deepen relationships, and the provided outreach is memorable and meaningful, helping plant referral seeds and strengthening relationships with referral sources. Stacey offers advice on referral seeds by introducing the 'Thank by Name' tactic. Every time a referral is received, a handwritten thank you card should be shared with the referral source, thanking them for the referral by name. This helps plant the referral seeds while also reminding the referral source that they are valued. 

Stacey Brown Randall's advice to new real estate agents is to know that your relationships will serve you if you take the time to develop the relationships. It's essential not solely to focus on trying to sell the client a home, but ultimately you are trying to help the client! 

Resources Mentioned:

• Referral Quiz: Are You a Referral Ninja Beginner, In Training, or Master? 
• Stacey Brown Randall's Book: Generating Business Referrals Without Asking

Connect: 

Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS

At Tresonline.com

Find | Bill Risser

At [email protected]

On Twitter

On Facebook

On Youtube

Find | Stacey Brown Randall

On Website

On Roadmap to Grow Your Business Podcast  

On Facebook 

On LinkedIn 

RATE & SUBSCRIBE 

At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessions

On Apple Podcasts

On Google Podcasts

On Stitcher 

Episode Summary:

Our guest today once worked as a chemical engineer at Chevron. He now has over thirty-six years of real estate industry experience that helps him provide great insights for industry agents. Joining us is Ira Serkes, Real Estate Specialist at Compass Realty. Ira and his wife Carol specialize in helping sell and buy homes in Berkeley and the surrounding communities. 

In this episode, join Ira and me to discover some of the advice Ira has to share from being in the industry for over three decades. We also discuss Ira's community and photography blog and his definition of work/life balance.

Top Takeaways: 

• Ira Serkes' Advice for New Agents
• Ira Serkes had many great pieces of advice for new agents. He first recommends the book Ninja Selling by Larry Kendall, citing the book and the correlating class as the best he has taken and read. 
• Ira also shares his idea on real estate by saying, "Real estate is not your life; it simply funds it." 
• Ira mentions The Regret Minimization Framework concept, the thought process to minimize one's life regrets. 
• Ira urges new agents to seek a harmonious life rather than a balanced life as there will be many times when things in life require more time than usual. 
• Ira finished by saying, "Always remember what is important." As we reflect on the years, it is more evident than ever that we do not know what tomorrow will bring. 

"That's my mission, is to let people be aware of these [decisive, life-altering] moments and recognize them ideally in time. Also, to recognize that real estate is not your life. It simply funds your life. The thing that is truly important is to live your life in a way that when you look back, you don't say, 'Gee, I wish I would have done something.'" – Ira Serkes [12:11]

"I've never seen my role as selling things; that's a byproduct. What's it a byproduct of? Providing buyers or sellers with information so that they can make the right decision." – Ira Serkes [14:57]

Episode Highlights:

[00:18] Intro 

[00:44] Meet Ira Serkes – Bronx to Berkeley 

[01:25] Growing Up in the Bronx 

[03:23] Attending the Bronx High School of Science 

[06:04] Pursuing a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering at Cooper Union 

[09:15] Attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst for Master's 

[10:07] Patents and Seizing the Opportunities Life Offers 

[12:40] Working with Engineers in the Real Estate Industry 

[17:20] Working for Chevron Led to Living in Berkeley Since 1974 

[21:27] What Living in Berkeley Is Like 

[24:26] Ira's Blog BerkeleyHomes.com 

[28:03] Tips on Building a Business and Referring Out Leads 

[35:29] Master of Yelp Reviews 

[39:36] Ira's Advice for New Agents 

[44:53] Connect with Ira 

[45:46] Closing Thoughts 

[46:17] Outro 

Episode Notes: 

Joining us today is Ira Serkes, Real Estate Specialist at Compass Realty, helping buyers and sellers alike in the Berkeley and surrounding communities. Ira Serkes grew up in the Bronx in New York City, sharing that he grew up with a view of the Bronx Zoo and frequently visited. Ira attended The Bronx High School of Science before attending The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. At Cooper Union, Ira Serkes earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. Ira continued his education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he received his Master's in Chemical Engineering. 

Ira Serkes describes his life as changing through countless one sentence decisive moments. One of those moments was taking a position as Research Engineer at Chevron in Berkeley, where he has now resided since 1974. Another one of those moments in his life led him to real estate. After investing in his first property, a seven-plex apartment building in Berkeley, Ira met his wife Carol, and they have been married for 35 years.  

Early on in his career, Ira started his blog, berkeleyhomes.com, sharing Berkeley's neighborhoods for all to see through posts and his own photos of the community. Ira shares that the best time to create a blog was twenty years ago, but the second-best time to make a blog is today. As twenty years from today, you won't look back and wish you had started it! Ira Serkes also has another site, serkes.com, for his other photography ventures. 

Ira Serkes believes that everybody should have a website on top of their company website. He also shares it is critical to have an email account that you control, so you will still have all your connections and your email account in the event you leave the real estate industry. Ira shares another tip for agents, which is not to try to be all things to all people. Have enough business to be happy and place referrals with other agents for all of the other leads as you can gain passive income from a cut of the commission. Ira encourages people to build their own business and refer out the leads when necessary. 

Ira Serkes offers numerous great tips to new real estate agents. Ira believes that real estate is not your life; it merely funds it and believes it is essential to understand the Regret Minimization Framework concept. Ira also advises to seek a harmonious life over a balanced life and continuously be aware that you do not know what tomorrow will be, so do what is essential today. Ira Serkes' last piece of advice to new real estate agents is to create memories rather than acquiring things.

Resources Mentioned:

• Co-Authored by Ira Serkes | How to Buy a House in California 
• Larry Kendall | Ninja Selling: Subtle Skills. Big Results 

Connect: 

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Find | Ira Serkes

At [email protected]

At (510) – 684 – 3334 

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Neal Oates got his real estate start working under houses as a Terminix employee. Thanks to the guidance of a few genuine mentors, his business background and entrepreneurial spirit— it wasn't long before he branched out on his own. 

Today, based in Miami, Neal serves as the broker-owner of World Renowned Real Estate. He sits down to talk about his journey to the world of real estate and how he’s giving back to the industry. He shares the pillars of excellence, service, leadership, and growth that has helped guide his life and his career. Hear his mailroom to boardroom story as he offers advice for new agents and more. 

“The great thing about great people is if they're really great and they really love and care about you they want what's best for you even if it's not what's best for the company.” 

-Neal Oates

“I know the difference that it makes when someone gives you an opportunity, even when you don't think you deserve it...I feel like I have a duty. I feel like I have a responsibility to share that because I know that this real estate industry has given me and my family a lifestyle I don't believe we would have if it weren't for this.”  

-Neal Oates

• Neal Oates’ Advice for New Agents:

1. Prepare for the long haul.

"Get in. Dive in. Be willing to commit long term because then you remove that torment of choice." -Neal Oates 

1. Find someone who's doing what you want to do and latch on to them.

"The great ones, the really good people, they want to see others grow. They understand that there's an abundance for everyone.” -Neal Oates

• [00:31] Intro
• [01:21] Neal Oates and the Baltimore Ravens
• [03:44] NFL draft and thoughts on the Miami Dolphins 
• [05:09] Growing up in Florala, Alabama
• [07:14] Transitioning from high school to college football
• [10:01] Graduating within 2 1/2 years 
• [11:35] Finding his way to real estate 
• [14:20] Going from the mailroom to the boardroom
• [16:28] A lesson learned from the 2008 market
• [18:30] Making the decision to branch out on his own
• [20:10] The story behind World Renowned Real Estate
• [24:55] Neal's 4-pillars of success
• [26:20] Building a team and finding new agents
• [28:28] Helping other agents to develop and association participation
• [30:57] Neal's advice for new agents
• [32:38] Finding Neal Oates
• [34:17] Outro 

• World Renowned Real Estate

Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS

At Tresonline.com

Find | Bill Risser

At [email protected]

On Twitter

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Find | Neal Oates

At Worldrenownedrealestate.com

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Episode Summary:

Our guest today brings us on a different avenue of real estate and home buying regarding what climate change may bring in the future. Joining us is Skylar Olsen, Principal Economist at ClimateCheck, a brand-new platform making it possible to rate real estate based on the expected future climate changes in the area. Skylar Olsen is also the Founder of Reimagine Economics, an economic consultancy and blog that bridges the gap between companies and professionals regarding data sharing. 

In this episode, join Skylar and me to find out more about Zillow's Zestimate algorithms and the passion behind why Skylar founded Reimagine Economics. We also discuss the future of real estate and home buying when climate change is taken into account and how Realtors can use ClimateCheck's new platform in future listings! 

Top Takeaways: 

• Skylar Olsen's Advice for New Agents
• "Get ready for the conversation; it's coming to you. Some of your buyers are going to want to talk about it [climate change]."
• "People are going to start to feel more and more uncertain about the decisions that they are making in some areas of the U.S., and an agent is going to be a critical front-line person that has that conversation. Being prepared to have it can mean arming yourself with information, positioning yourself as someone who can help understand how to position a home for sale, if there is a climate risk."
• "How do you help a homeowner? Add resilience to their home to get ready for sale. You're going to be the front-lines on this one; getting prepared is probably the best advice that I can say."

"People are still interested in buying homes, but the inventory is not existent. Those algorithms that Zillow uses to create the Zestimate, you have got to use data to do it right. That data is pre-crisis data, that data is in the before times. You need the human to kind of think about what is happening." – Skylar Olsen [18:05]

"Putting the risk at your doorstep, getting real individuals to understand what the risk means to them I think is one of the best ways that we can actually enact change." – Skylar Olsen [29:12] 

Episode Highlights:

[00:22] Intro

[00:44] Meet Skylar Olsen – Climate Change Economist 

[01:34] Moving Around the Country to Reside in Seattle 

[06:45] Pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics at University of Washington 

[10:14] Why Skylar Went into the Industry Instead of Academia 

[13:13] Skylar's Path to Zillow and Working with the Consumer 

[16:31] The Zestimate Technology 

[19:01] Why Skylar Founded Reimagine Economics 

[22:48] Making the Market Benefit Many 

[25:08] What Is ClimateCheck? 

[30:44] ClimateCheck's Impact on the Homebuying Experience

[33:30] Optimism Surrounding Doing What's Right with Climate Change 

[37:49] Skylar's Advice for New Agents 

[39:43] Connect with Skylar 

[40:18] Closing Thoughts 

[40:36] Outro 

Episode Notes: 

Joining the podcast today is Skylar Olsen, Principal Economist at ClimateCheck, a brand-new program that recently launched, making it possible for real estate to be rated based on the expected future climate changes that might occur in that area. Skylar Olsen is also the Founder of Reimagine Economics, a blog and economic consultancy that facilitates translating economics and data analytics into something meaningful for everyone. 

When asked where she was from, Skylar Olsen says Seattle, Washington. Even though she is not a Pacific Northwest native, she has lived in Seattle the longest out of any place and feels at home there. Skylar was born in western West Virginia and spent many of her summers working on her Grandmother's 150-acre apple and peach orchard. Skylar moved from West Virginia to California for her childhood years before moving to Columbus, Ohio, throughout her teenage years as her father pursued his Ph.D. Skylar Olsen followed her father on his tenure and received her bachelor's in economics from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. 

 Skylar Olsen continued her education, moving to Seattle, Washington, where she received her Masters and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Washington. Skylar left the University of Washington with the need to make a difference and landed at Zillow, the largest and richest housing dataset in the nation, where she used data to explain how housing markets work and work outward facing with the consumers. Skylar worked at Zillow for over eight years, moving from Economist to Senior Principal Economist. 

Skylar Olsen recently left Zillow and soon after founded Reimagine Economics in August and joined ClimateCheck as a Principal Economist in September. With both passion projects, Skylar offers unique expertise to empower and add resiliency to consumers both at ClimateCheck and Principal Economist. ClimateCheck makes it simple for anyone to instantly perform a risk assessment on their home with hopes of building a safer future for homeowners and their families. ClimateCheck makes it possible to see the risks based on the area around a home and to see how climate change affects a property over the next thirty years backed by real data. Skylar is optimistic that solutions will come when people become more informed and identify the real threats in their own lives. 

Skylar Olsen's advice to new agents is to be prepared to have conversations surrounding climate change. Some buyers will want to discuss these real climate change threats that may surround themselves and their future home. As time continues, people will continue to feel more and more uncertain about the decisions they are making, and Skylar believes that agents will be part of the front-line when it comes to climate change conversations around home buying. 

Resources Mentioned:

• For More Information about Climate Check Widget's for Home Listings [email protected]

Connect: 

Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS

At Tresonline.com

Find | Bill Risser

At [email protected]

On Twitter

On Facebook

On Youtube

Find | Skylar Olsen

At [email protected]

On LinkedIn

On ClimateCheck Website 

On Reimagine Economics Website 

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Episode Summary:

Our guest took a non-traditional route to reach her success today and was able to work her way up to be the CEO of MRED in Chicago, IL. Joining us is Rebecca Jensen, the President, and CEO of Midwest Real Estate Data, or MRED, an MLS company providing services to the Chicagoland area. Rebecca truly is making "industry magic" happen in the real estate world. 

In this episode, join Rebecca and me to hear how Rebecca's choices led her to be the leader of one of the largest MLS companies in the country that provides services to over 45,000 brokers and appraisers. We also discuss the numerous ways in which Rebecca offers her expertise to real estate organizations across the country! 

Top Takeaways: 

• Rebecca Jensen's Advice for New Agents
• "Understand why you are now in the business. There are part-time agents that think that this could be a supplemental part of their income, and then there are people who think that… might see real estate as an easy way to change a career. It's not as easy as HGTV or some of the programs might have you think."
• "If you're going into the real estate industry as an agent because you've lost your job, and this is going to be your new job. Make sure that you treat it like a job. Don't expect ten hours a week of work to give you the forty-hour a week paycheck. It's not how it works. You need to put in a ton of work, especially in the beginning for new agents. Don't think it's just some easy career path; it might look like that on the outside, but it takes a lot of time, effort, and discipline to create an actual business for yourself." 

"I want to stay at the top of my game. My goal is to serve brokerages. I do a lot, as much as I can, to not just reach out and let people know what is happening but also to hear what the pain points are, what are the problems that need to be solved. I am motivated by the big, hairy, audacious goals." – Rebecca Jensen [24:30]

"I am a huge advocate of having a very disciplined planning process that takes not just what's happening in the industry, but you have got to have at least a three to five ear outlook on where things are going to go. That's what I did with RESO. I knew data standards weren't just going to pop out in two months. Now, look at where RESO was… and now it's a sold-out conference held globally with people all over the world being engaged." – Rebecca Jensen [29:16] 

Episode Highlights:

[00:22] Intro

[00:48] Meet Rebecca Jensen – MLS Aficionado 

[02:05] Born and raised in Salt Lake City  

[05:32] Taking the Alternate Path in High School to Reach Success 

[07:13] Working on Up – Help Desk to CEO 

[13:40] Rebecca Jensen's Projects and Developments at MRED 

[16:59] Working Alongside a Board of Directors 

[18:47] The Transition from "Small" Lake City to Chicagoland

[24:24] The Importance of Volunteering in the Real Estate Space 

[26:54] MRED-Shaped Strategic Planning for Brokerage Clients 

[30:05] The Impact of 2020 on MRED 

[33:41] Rebecca's Advice for New Agents 

[35:29] Connect with Rebecca 

[35:45] Closing Thoughts 

[36:14] Outro 

Episode Notes: 

Today, Joining us is Rebecca Jensen, President, and CEO of Midwest Real Estate Data, or MRED, an MLS company providing services to the Chicagoland area's brokers and appraisers. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Rebecca spent her childhood outdoors enjoying the terrain that Utah offers. 

Rebecca Jensen's dreams in high school were on the non-traditional side as she decided to drop out of high school at the age of sixteen as she believed she could go to college and start her career path now. Rebecca never received her high school diploma or obtained a GED. Instead, she enrolled at her local community college and began taking college courses at sixteen years old. Instead of taking the traditional path, Rebecca described that she looked at all her possible paths and decided the best way for her to get to where she wanted to be would be receiving a degree in general studies. 

Rebecca received her Associate Degree in General Education from Salt Lake Community College. She worked as a freelance trainer for Wasatch Front Regional MLS (WFRMLS), now known as the UtahRealEstate.com. Rebecca had dreams of working in the technology field, and after getting her foot in the door at UtahRealEstate.com, she applied for a help desk job helping unhappy realtors with their transition to technology use. During this time, Rebecca went back to school to receive her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Westminster College. 

Rebecca Jensen worked her way up from the help desk to become the CEO of UtahRealEstate.com in 2007, where she stayed for over seven years. During this time, Rebecca received her Master's in Business Administration and Technology Commercialization from Westminster College. Rebecca had goals to bring technology to the real estate industry using her degree experience and professional work experience. At UtahRealEstate.com, Rebecca was thus involved in the technologies to build a successful MLS and the building of a front-end website, consumer website, and the correct office infrastructure needed for MLS. 

Rebecca Jensen began to take on more industry-related roles when she became CEO of UtahRealEstate.com and realized that Salt Lake City wasn't delivering everything that brokers needed. Rebecca became part of the ground floor of the Real Estate Standards Organization or RESO. Being with the organization for over ten years now, Rebecca has Board Chair and Board Member experience. She facilitated the development and implementation of long-term strategic plans in the real estate industry. 

These connections led Rebecca Jensen to Chicago, where she took the job as President and CEO of Midwest Real Estate Data in 2015. Rebecca believes volunteering, especially in the real estate space, is crucial as it allows you to stay at the top of your game and further serve brokers. Rebecca shows this in her work on multiple boards of directors. Currently, Rebecca is a Board Member for Broker Public Portal, a Board Chair for the MLS Grid, and, most recently, a Board Member for the California Regional MLS, CRMLS, the nation's largest MLS. 

Rebecca Jensen's advice to new agents is to understand why you are now in the business and know that it is not as easy as it may look. Rebecca shares that, especially at the beginning of your real estate career, you must put in a lot of hard work to create the business you want for yourself! 

Resources Mentioned:

Connect: 

 Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS

At Tresonline.com

Find | Bill Risser

At [email protected]

On Twitter

On Facebook

On Youtube

Find | Rebecca Jensen

At [email protected] 

On MRED Website 

On RESO Website 

On Facebook

On LinkedIn

RATE & SUBSCRIBE 

At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessions

On Apple Podcasts

On Google Podcasts

On Stitcher