Key Conversations

Selling a house in the fall in Minnesota raises a question CJ Norman and Katy Norman hear every year: should you sell now, buy now, or wait for spring? In this episode of Key Conversations, they work through all three answers. Some sellers should not wait. Relocation, a death in the family, divorce, an inherited home, or a house you are going underwater on all come with their own timeline. Other s...

Downsizing a home without regret starts with separating sentimental value from market value, making one manageable decision at a time, and getting support before the process becomes overwhelming. In Episode 36, Mound and Lake Minnetonka Realtors CJ Norman and Katy Norman of Norman Homes talk with Caitlin Rogers, co-founder of Good Move Downsizing, about the emotional and practical work of declutte...

Selling a home often comes down to a series of decisions where timing, leverage, condition, and price all matter. In Episode 35, Mound and Lake Minnetonka Realtors CJ Norman and Katy Norman work through common seller scenarios: whether to reject or counter an offer, renovate before listing, respond to 30 days without showings, price a unique property with few comparable sales, handle a low apprais...

What does it actually take to keep a real estate brokerage with 275 agents and a staff of roughly 50 people running day to day? In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy, we sit down with Liz Rein, COO of Pemberton Real Estate. Liz’s career did not start on the operations side of a residential real estate brokerage. She began as a litigation attorney working in the commercial real esta...

Thinking about buying a home, but not sure where to even begin? Before you start touring houses or worrying about finding the perfect property, there are a few things worth figuring out first. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy, we walk through the early steps buyers can take to get more prepared, even if they are not quite ready to call a Realtor or lender yet. We start with yo...

A few years ago, we worked with clients who were preparing to retire and sell their home. They had some flexibility with timing, some money available for improvements, and one big question:Do we take a cash offer, list the home as-is, or put some money into it first? So we looked at all three options. We compared the cash offer, what we thought the home could sell for if they listed it without mak...

Most real estate transactions never turn into a legal battle, but there are plenty of moments when having the right legal guidance matters. For this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy, we sat down with Ed Kaiser, real estate attorney and legal counsel at our brokerage, to talk about the legal side of real estate that buyers and sellers do not always get to see. What exactly does a real...

Buyers and sellers can both get distracted by the wrong things. For buyers, it might be paint colors, outdated light fixtures, old appliances, ugly furniture, or minor cosmetic damage. For sellers, it might mean spending thousands on a full kitchen remodel, expensive new appliances, or upgrades that look great but are unlikely to produce the return they were hoping for. In this episode of Key Conv...

Divorce brings a lot of difficult decisions, and one of the biggest is often what to do with the house. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we sit down with Michelle Leisen, founder and owner of Divorce Smart and Wealth Planning Group in Minnesota. Michelle is a Certified Financial Planner™, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, and Minnesota Rule 114 Qualified Neutral wi...

Home comfort, maintenance, heating, cooling, and electrical systems are a huge part of owning a home, but they are also areas many homeowners do not think about until something stops working. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we sit down with Grace Lovdahl, Business Development Manager at Twin City Heating Air and Electric, to talk about her story, her role with the com...

Getting approved for a mortgage is one of the biggest parts of buying a home, but it is also where small mistakes can create major problems. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we sit down with Allison Larson, a mortgage lender with Guild Mortgage, to talk about what buyers need to understand before and during the loan process. We cover what a mortgage lender actually doe...

When your home feels overwhelmed by stuff, deciding what to keep is only part of the challenge. The next question is what should be sold, donated, recycled, or simply let go. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we welcome Missi Mills from Clear Spaces Organizing back to the podcast. Missi first joined us in Episode 13, where we shared more about her story and the work she...

What is it really like to buy, own, or sell a home on the west side of Lake Minnetonka? In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we break down the ins and outs of Lake Minnetonka real estate, including how the experience can change from bay to bay, the feel of different lakeside communities, and what buyers and sellers should understand before making a move. We talk about why...

We brought a little debate energy to this episode. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we go back and forth on real estate hot takes and decide whether we agree, disagree, or land somewhere in the middle. We talk through common buyer and seller beliefs, the advice we hear often, what we agree with, what we push back on, and how these ideas show up in real real estate conv...

Real estate does not always come with a perfect playbook. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we put each other on the spot with common real estate scenarios and answered in real time with no prep. From buyer and seller situations to the types of decisions that come up during a transaction, this conversation gives a candid look at how we think through problems, strategy,...

There is a lot that happens behind the scenes in real estate that clients never see, and a strong managing broker plays a huge role in supporting both agents and the people they serve. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we sit down with Kassie Rinnet, Managing Broker at Pemberton Real Estate, to talk about her role within the brokerage, how she supports nearly 300 agents...

Home remodeling can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming, messy, and full of unknowns if you do not have the right team guiding the process. In this episode of the Key Conversations Podcast with CJ and Katy Norman, we sit down with Nate Mielke, owner of Skäpar, to talk about design, remodeling, and what it takes to create custom living spaces that truly fit the way people live. Nate and...

Home maintenance is one of those things every homeowner knows is important, but it can be easy to put off until something stops working or becomes expensive. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we sit down with Ron Conner, Relationship Manager for Marigold Home Inspections, to talk about preventative home maintenance and the program Marigold offers to help homeowners stay...

Home inspections are one of the most important parts of the home buying process, but many buyers do not fully understand what they can reveal until they are in the middle of a transaction. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy Norman, we sit down with Blake Pederson-Perovich, General Manager at Marigold Home Inspections, to talk about what a home inspector is really looking for, th...

Video is no longer optional in real estate. It is one of the most powerful ways agents can build visibility, tell better stories, and help homes stand out online. In this episode of Key Conversations with CJ and Katy, we sit down with Nick Worpole, the creative director for Pemberton Real Estate and the person behind the scenes who helps bring our podcast to life through shooting and editing. Nick...

Relocation is a big move, especially when you are buying and selling at the same time. This year, we have seen a major increase in clients relocating to the Twin Cities, and we have also helped families make smooth moves out of Minnesota. Whether you are moving here for work, family, lifestyle, or a fresh start, the process takes more than just finding a house. In this episode, we talk about how w...

In this episode, we sit down with Matt Gustafson, a Certified Professional Retirement Coach through The Retirement Project LLC and founder of MBG Coaching LLC, to talk about a stage of life we see all the time in real estate. We work with people who are getting close to retirement or have already retired all the time, and we know it is a major life change that goes far beyond leaving a job or down...

In this episode, we sit down with Missi Mills, professional organizer and owner of Clear Spaces, to talk about how creating a more organized home can have a real impact on your everyday life. We talk about what professional organizing actually looks like, who it is for, and how having systems in place can make your home feel calmer, more functional, and less overwhelming. Missi shares how she help...

In this episode, we sit down with Andy Gregory of Andy Gregory Law to talk about estate planning, what it actually means, who it is for, and when it makes sense to start the conversation. We know estate planning can feel like one of those things people put off, either because it sounds overwhelming or because they assume it is only for certain stages of life. Andy does a great job breaking it down...

In this episode, we sit down with John Simeone, a State Farm agent based in Saint Louis Park, who has spent the last 10 years helping protect families across Minnesota and Wisconsin. We talk about how John serves families through insurance, what helps him stand out as a leader in his space, and why relationships, trust, and guidance matter so much when it comes to protecting what matters most. Joh...