Real Talk with Leigh Brown

Who controls the information collected about your home, and what happens when that data becomes valuable to someone else?   This week on *From the Rooftops*, I'm digging into some real estate headlines that raise serious questions about property data, consumer privacy and artificial intelligence.   Two recent articles by Desiree Mehbod on AppraisersBlogs are raising concerns about how information...

Mortgage rates are climbing again, buyers are looking at adjustable-rate mortgages, and some first-time buyers are getting creative about where their down payment comes from. What does all of that look like in an actual housing market?   This week on From the Rooftops, I'm digging into the housing headlines that caught my attention, including rising mortgage rates and renewed interest in ARMs, cou...

A hurricane can change more than a house. For Florida interior designer Jessica Holiday, Hurricanes Helene and Milton changed the way she thinks about design, business, investment properties and taking care of clients. Jessica is a fourth-generation Anna Maria Island resident, so hurricanes aren't new to her. But Helene was different. After the storm, her team wasn't just picking finishes. They we...

  What does it really take to make housing more attainable?   This week on From the Rooftops, I'm looking at several very different proposals aimed at housing affordability and homeownership, starting with a proposed rent stabilization ordinance in Santa Barbara, California.   The Santa Barbara City Council approved a draft Residential Rent Stabilization and Rental Registry Ordinance with amendmen...

Miami isn't just Miami Beach. It's a city being reshaped by people, money, development and demand. So what's really happening in the South Florida real estate market? Where is the inventory? What happens when a city grows faster than its housing can keep up? And how did a Zillow lead turn into a conversation about a $100 million purchase? In this episode, I sit down with South Florida real estate...

Two years after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, the rebuilding isn't finished.   I've seen that recovery firsthand as the founder of Patriot Relief, working alongside volunteers and nonprofit organizations helping families across Western North Carolina. There are still people waiting for permanent housing, still communities dealing with damaged infrastructure and still voluntee...

Two years after Hurricane Helene, the headlines have moved on. Western North Carolina is still dealing with what Helene left behind. And some of the consequences are things most of us would never consider until they happen to our own property. What happens when the river moves? What happens when the tree, rock, stream or other landmark people have relied on to understand a property boundary is gon...

Buying a home involves more than the price of the house. Buyers and sellers are navigating transaction fees, increasingly sophisticated real estate scams, changing technology and a housing market where the cost of building enough homes remains a major challenge.   This week on From the Rooftops, I'm looking at several real estate headlines that raise an important question: Who is watching the cons...

The real estate business is changing in ways that affect how consumers find homes, how borrowers qualify for mortgages, and how property owners understand their rights.   This week on From the Rooftops, I'm digging into several housing and real estate headlines that REALTORS® should be watching closely.   One conversation centers on the MLS and the growing use of private or delayed listings. As br...

Athena Brownson is a REALTOR®, home staging expert, former X Games athlete, and apparently someone who has enough stories to keep us talking all day. We talk about what staging really means, why sellers don't always see their homes the way buyers do, and how AI is giving agents some surprisingly useful tools for preparing a property without spending a fortune. You're going to want to hear this.  ...

Buying or selling a house doesn't end at the closing table. There are still codes to exchange, utilities to transfer, questions to answer, and a whole lot of little details that can turn into a headache. Cody Bartkoski saw the same problems happening over and over and decided there had to be a better way. We talk about what happens after closing, how technology can make that handoff easier, and wh...

Why is housing so expensive in America, and are some of the policies intended to help actually adding to the cost? This Thursday on *From the Rooftops*, Leigh Brown digs into a remarkable week of housing headlines: America's housing shortage, capital gains taxes, the slowdown in home improvement spending, challenges facing builders during hurricane season, and the latest court decision involving t...

Can seniors afford to age in place? Millions of older Americans want to remain in their homes as they age, but rising housing costs, property taxes, home repairs and a shortage of accessible housing are making that increasingly difficult.   This week on From the Rooftops, I'm digging into the senior housing issues REALTORS® and homeowners need to understand, including aging in place, affordability...

The appraisal process is changing, and every REALTOR®, appraiser, lender, buyer, and seller should understand what's coming.   This week I'm joined by veteran appraiser Peter Gallo, a nationally respected appraisal leader with more than 30 years of experience, to discuss the biggest appraisal changes in years, what they mean for the real estate industry, and why this conversation matters far beyon...

Sometimes the biggest problem isn't the answer. It's the question. This week we're looking beyond the headlines to ask what really matters.   We'll talk about: Why the debate over AI may be missing the bigger issue. What a North Carolina HOA assessment teaches us about homeownership and financial responsibility. The continuing battle over private listings, consumer access, and who really benefits....

This week's headlines all point to one important question. Private listings are expanding. Buyers are wondering how to find every available home. Sellers are hearing more about selling without an agent. Brokerages are debating listing policies, and ethics complaints are making national news. So here's the question. Are consumers getting the full story?   Resources for this episode https://www.yout...

Three headlines. One bigger conversation. This week, I'll share my perspective on three stories shaping the real estate industry: AI's growing role in the homebuying journey Zillow, MRED, and Compass taking their listing control fight back to federal court Why more older adults are choosing "Golden Girls" style housing They're very different stories, but they all point to one question: What does t...

If your inbox looks anything like mine, you've probably seen the same headlines I have. Housing crisis. AI. Interest rates. Mergers. Rent control. Everybody's yelling, and somehow we're all supposed to figure out what's actually important. I'm sharing a few of the stories that landed in my inbox this week and giving you my take on what they actually mean for REALTORS®, homeowners, landlords, and a...

Everybody keeps saying the same thing: young people can't afford to buy homes anymore. Justice Bigot isn't ignoring today's market, but he also isn't buying into the idea that homeownership is out of reach. At just 26 years old, he's helping clients navigate a challenging market by focusing on honesty, relationships, and practical advice instead of hype. If you've been wondering whether homeowners...

Selling a highly appreciated asset can trigger a devastating tax bill, but it doesn't always have to. In this episode, Chad Ettmueller and Monty Walker break down a little-known tax strategy called the Structured Installment Sale. This approach allows sellers of investment real estate, farmland, timberland, or even closely-held businesses to defer their capital gains taxes while securing a guarant...

Everybody wants consistent income but very few people are willing to do what it actually takes to get there. In this episode, I sit down with Dan Rochon to break down what creates predictable success in a business that feels anything but predictable. In a world where everyone is chasing shortcuts and quick wins… this conversation is a reality check on what actually works and why most people never...

Owning rental property sounds simple… until you see what landlords in California are actually dealing with. In this episode, I sit down with landlord-tenant attorney Niv Davidovich to break down the reality of managing property in one of the most heavily regulated states in the country - from eviction laws to tenant fraud to policies that can leave owners stuck with major risk. In a market where r...

Real estate is changing fast and most people don't fully understand what's happening behind the scenes. In this episode, I sit down with Amanda DiVito Parle to talk about the major shifts happening across the industry - from brokerage models to burnout to the growing fight over data and control. In a market where everything feels uncertain… This conversation will challenge how you think about the...

The most loving thing a leader can do is tell you the truth about what is expected, and then hold you to it. In this episode, we're closing out the Leadership Courage series with the structural answer to every culture problem. Standards. Clear, specific, observable, and enforced the same way for everyone. If you have been leading bravely but feel like your organization is still running on vibes in...

If you listened to the last episode and thought, "Yeah… I need to do that" then this episode is for you. At some point, every leader hits this moment: You recognize the issue, you see exactly what needs to happen. And yet… nothing changes. Not because you don't care, but because taking action requires something most people avoid - discomfort. In this episode, I'm digging into what happens after aw...