Bricks & Risk

Send us Fan Mail While Josh Buchter & Beth Williams are heavily focused on the real estate industry, they also work with salespeople, contractors, and small business owners in other industries. More or less, their company's model is to promote and market small business owners of all kinds: carpet cleaners, credit repair, barber shops, etc. As world travelers and collaborative marketers, J...

Send us Fan Mail Good question, and a fair one as well. Sometimes, those seeking the services of a real estate or insurance agent believe that most of them are held equal. For real estate, they just open doors, write paperwork, and get paid. For insurance, they just field calls, get quotes, and get paid. Right? Wrong. In fact, real estate and insurance agents are some of the most valuable professi...

Send us Fan Mail One of our listeners/watchers all the way from San Antonio, TX, Nick Disney , also happens to be a stud entrepreneur. Similar to Tim , Nick flips homes. But ... he is also providing seller/private financing when he flips; which is not your typical home flip. If you like residential real estate investing, this one is for you! Sean & Tim discover how Nick got into " holding...

Send us Fan Mail Whether you agree or disagree, younger real estate agents are evolving the industry. How so? Well, there are a few reasons why; but primarily, they are looking at the industry differently than generations before them, with personal brands and relationships at the forefront of their long-term business plans. Sean & Tim dive deep into the psychology of Millennial and Gen Z agent...

Send us Fan Mail Sean Kent is a national expert in community association insurance, serving the insurance needs of more than 8,000 condo, HOA, and co-op communities throughout the US & Canada. He's also married with 2 girls and went to La Salle College High School with Mr. Sean P. Mooney; LSCHS legend. Sean K. is extremely insightful and knowledgeable on what it takes to be successful in...

Send us Fan Mail If you were unaware, Zillow is the residential real estate industry leader for consumer facing data. Their goal, bring as many eyeballs as possible to their website and app; both consumers and agents, as they are both considered Zillow customers. One additional feature they are now offering on for-sale listings is climate risk data through a partnership with climate data leader, F...

Send us Fan Mail Fantastic episode from two successful entrepreneurs, Joe O'Donnell & Mike Sweeney . As commercial real estate agents, Joe & Mike learned early on that it was a pass/fail industry and relationships mattered. That helped them with mindset and routine. With 20+ years of boots-on-the-ground knowledge and experience each, these fellas drop some serious commercial nuggets;...

Send us Fan Mail The "failure rate" numbers are staggering for both Sean & Tim's industries for agents who have been in the industry less than 5 years: Life Insurance Agents = 93%, Insurance Agents = 90%, and Real Estate Agents = 87%. Wow, but to honest, we're not shocked. It's hard to make it in real estate and insurance: You traditionally work for yourself, money is...

Send us Fan Mail Simply put, Tom Toole is a real estate superstar. Driven, growth-oriented, and a role model for new and veteran agents alike. He has proven his successful business methods year-in and year-out by being recognized as the #1 RE/MAX Team in Pennsylvania since 2018. Tom's industry-facing real estate podcast, Knowledge Brokers , is also a Top 100 Podcast on Apple Business. Too man...

Send us Fan Mail The words "authentic" and "intentional" have become popular business buzzwords during the last year or two. So much so, that's it's hard not to hear either and/or both of those words if you listen-to or watch business-based podcasts regularly. Authentic from the sense that you're less scripted, people get to know you personally, and it comes acro...

Send us Fan Mail Tim Garrity & Brent Bush have known each other since they were 14 years old, but aside from being long-time friends, Brent has single-handedly designed every brand that Tim (and Sean) have started during their business careers. This also includes the Bricks & Risk podcast brand! Sean & Tim dive deep into a branding conversation with Brent that is sure to provide value...

Send us Fan Mail We took a different approach with this episode and asked our producer, Dylan McGonigal , what he would like us to talk about. His answer: communication . Why is communication important in business? How can I communicate better? Can communication make or break a business? Sean & Tim dive deep to answer some of Dyl's tough questions, and then provide perspective from both o...

Send us Fan Mail Not only has Dave Ashe survived and thrived in residential real estate for 40 years, he has 3 kids, 7 grandkids, a vacation home at the South Jersey Shore, and multiple businesses. In other words, Dave has found long-term balance with success as a business owner, as well as with his family. He's also a firm believer in educating new agents, as well as educating his clients on...

Send us Fan Mail In residential real estate, the "industry" tends to favor those agents who have closed a lot of deals. This is known as "volume," which is the total added dollar amount of the sales you close in a calendar year. This is also why teams are widely considered a more popular model today, as they are capable of closing more volume than solo agents. The problem, high...

Send us Fan Mail Private lending (aka Hard Money) is a term that investors/developers are familiar with, but maybe not the average buyer or seller. Ian Walsh is a leader in private lending around Greater Philadelphia, as well as in multiple other areas and states. Sean & Tim dig into his journey as a wholesaler, property management owner, and now a private lending partner. Valuable stories and...

Send us Fan Mail The current insurance environment is what Sean has repeatedly referred to as a "hard market." Meaning, insurance premiums are going up for consumers and insurance carriers are taking a more conservative approach on new business, as well as renewals. Which also means, switching carriers to save a few bucks can sometimes cause unforeseen issues with your coverage. Sean bre...

Send us Fan Mail As Sean & Tim continue to introduce and interview superstars within their networks, we are grateful to have spoken with Evan Segal from Segal Financial . On this Bricks & Risk ep, we unearth Evan's journey from 20 years in Corporate America to self-funding/starting his own commercial lending company; all while being a dedicated husband and dad. Why does email marketin...

Send us Fan Mail Here's an interesting stat: The average buyer’s income would have had to rise 86% since January 2020, just to keep pace with the current median priced home. Wow. Some of the main culprits are price appreciation, interest rate increases, and a few more. Listen to or watch Sean & Tim talk about the current market constraints, possibilities for the future, and why Amazon is...

Send us Fan Mail With years of boots-on-the-ground real estate experience, both residential and commercial ( aka resi-mercial ), Nick Giganti & Martino Picariello break down what it takes to start and grow a book of business. From knocking on doors, to learning how to value their own time, these guys know the investment real estate game in Philly. Sean & Tim ask some poignant questions abo...

Send us Fan Mail We had fun making this one, folks. Not only is it a topic that hits home with both Sean & Tim , but it's also a concept that rarely gets discussed within the real estate and insurance industries. Reason being, marketing "ideas" come out every day and they're easy to find; right there for the taking on socials, YouTube, you name it. Marketing "plans&quo...

Send us Fan Mail Shaun Gavaghan is a shining example of a scrappy entrepreneur. He's a problem-solver, a risk-taker, and a hard worker. From starting his insurance business from scratch (with 3 children and a stay-at-home spouse) to refinancing his car to help with start-up costs, he does what it takes to keep moving forward with his vision. This one is super-educational, but also packs plent...

Send us Fan Mail As an agent in residential real estate today, you have choices as to how you want to structure your business: solo agent, team member/leader, or brokerage owner. If you're just getting started, you'd likely start as either a solo agent or team member. If you're seasoned and productive, you could graduate to a team leader or brokerage owner. Because there are so many...

Send us Fan Mail On this B&R ep, Sean & Tim talk with Ryan Stawasz from The Stawasz Group. Not only does Ryan lead a top residential real estate team in Philadelphia, but he also invests in real estate; owning 25 residential rental units himself. He is passionate about winning in all aspects of life: health, family, and business. Ryan started at the ground level by growing his own personal...

Send us Fan Mail Being committed in business may quite possibly be the most important key to success. Reason being, if you never give up, you'll continue to grow in different ways: income, personally, client base, company size, etc. But, the second you take your foot off the gas and start slumping back in your chair is the moment where it can be lost. Dig into this one, as Sean & Tim talk...

Send us Fan Mail Rarely do you see in the residential real estate industry an independent brokerage owner that also happens to own mortgage and insurance brokerages as well. Meet Rob Schuck , a childhood friend of Sean's and a "small business triple threat." On Rob's ep, Sean & Tim talk about the current Philadelphia real estate market, predicting home vales at the South Je...