Be the Solution with Maria Quattrone

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , host Maria Quattrone sits down with longtime friend, real estate educator, and broker Janis Benstock to unpack a revolutionary new concept in real estate: Agent4Agent , a platform designed to make referrals simple, transparent, and relationship-driven . After decades in real estate and countless referral experiences that relied on spreadsheets, hope...

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , host Maria Quattrone sits down with longtime friend and real estate veteran Denise Swick , founder of Downsize Allies . With more than 35 years in real estate and 3,000+ homes sold , Denise shares how she shifted from being a traditional agent to building a high-impact, high-margin niche business focused on seniors, executors, and families navigatin...

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , host Maria Quattrone sits down with Brian Spanier , founder of Philadelphia Roof Management , to unpack one of the most overlooked — yet critical — issues facing homeowners and developers today: roofing quality, construction defects, and long-term housing durability . Brian brings nearly two decades of experience working on both new construction and...

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , host Maria Quattrone sits down with Suneet Agarwal , founder of one of California’s top real estate teams and a nationally recognized leader at LPT Realty . Suneet recently celebrated his one-year anniversary at LPT Realty , and together, he and Maria unpack why they both made the move —and why so many high-producing teams are following. This conver...

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , host Maria Quattrone is joined by Fobby Naghmi , a 30+ year mortgage industry veteran and senior leader in lending. Together, they unpack the real story behind mortgage rates, housing inventory shortages, buyer psychology, and what’s actually coming in 2026 . This is not surface-level market commentary. Maria and Fobby dive into: Why rates are movin...

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , host Maria Quattrone sits down with longtime partner and trusted lender Deanne Katsaros , widely known as “The Mortgage Mom.” With more than 15 years in the mortgage industry, Deanne has built a reputation for guiding buyers through complex lending scenarios with confidence, clarity, and care. This conversation goes beyond interest rates and loan pr...

In this special episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , host Maria Quattrone is joined by Sharra Mercer of the Gary Mercer Team at LPT Realty for an open, transparent conversation about why Maria made the move to LPT Realty and what this transition means for her team, her agents, and her long-term vision. This is not a sales pitch. It’s a real conversation about growth, alignment, scalability, an...

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , host Maria Quattrone sits down with Matt Muscat , Marketing Director at Treadstone and a real estate marketing strategist who has worked with 3,500+ real estate agents across the country. This conversation is a deep dive into how real estate agents can generate leads consistently , even in slower markets — by creating opportunities instead of waitin...

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , Maria interviews longtime friend and 25-year real estate veteran Jennifer King , one of Lancaster, PA’s most respected leaders. Jennifer has built her business entirely on repeat and referral , navigating market shifts, competing with cash-heavy out-of-town buyers, and mastering the art of relationship-building. With Lancaster now attracting homeown...

In this Be The Solution episode, Maria sits down with Jo Ferraro , a powerhouse real estate leader who has served South Central Wisconsin since 1999 and ranks in the top 1% nationally for real estate professionals. With over two decades of leadership, grit, and mastery, Jo shares what it really takes to succeed in a shifting, skill-based marketplace — and why the market does not dictate your succe...

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , Maria interviews Britt McLaughlin , founder of She Moves Philly , who went from tech operations to building a thriving real estate business known for systems, excellence, and grit. Britt shares how she started from zero, built her brand through rentals, and eventually managed the lease-up of a 250-unit portfolio generating millions of dollars in rev...

In this powerful new episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , host Maria Quattrone sits down with Caleb Christopher , founder of Creative TC , a national consulting company specializing in creative financing and complex non-traditional real estate deals . Caleb handles the “weird stuff” in real estate — creative structures like Subject-To , Hybrid Financing , and Seller Finance Combinations — clos...

In this episode of the Be The Solution Podcast , Maria Quattrone welcomes Simon Westfall-Kwong , CEO and Team Leader of the LuxeLife Group in North Jersey. Simon shares how he built one of the most admired real estate relationship systems in the region — his SOI Playbook — focused on authentic connection, consistent communication, and community-driven events. From hosting 11 years of pumpkin patch...

This morning, I had the pleasure of sitting down with my longtime friend and industry legend, Jeff Quintin , CEO of The Quintin Group . Jeff and I go way back—over two decades of friendship, competition, and growth in this wild business of real estate. In this episode, we dive into what’s really working in today’s market, what’s always worked, and how to combine proven old-school fundamentals with...

On this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend and industry peer, Tim Garrity —a Philly real estate leader known for relentless consistency, content-driven marketing, and building a business that serves both his clients and his life. We dig into the habits that actually move the needle (hello, 5 AM start times and “eat the frog”), why consistency beats intensity , how to win in a tough market...

I sat down with my longtime friend (and friendly competitor) Chris Somers , CEO of The Somers Team . We’ve both been in this wild real estate world for 22 years, and today we went straight at it— adaptability, leadership, and getting deals to the finish line when the market isn’t giving anyone freebies. I opened with a line that anchors me: “The most successful people are those who accept and adap...

In this dynamic episode of Be the Solution , host Maria Quattrone sits down with powerhouse real estate leader Kevelyn Guzman , a woman who's not only reshaped how brokerages operate—but how leaders lead. As Regional Vice President at Coldwell Banker Warburg, Kevelyn has spent more than two decades building innovative, people-first solutions for New York City’s most competitive real estate en...

What happens when the name on the door stops feeling like success and starts feeling like a cage? Craig Lurch, a Philadelphia real estate veteran and son of a broker, tells the raw story of smashing his “snow globe”—leaving his own brokerage, confronting ego, and rebuilding a career around three simple funnels: change lives, make money, have fun. It wasn’t tidy. It cost real money, pride, and a fe...

What if your clients didn’t need you in the room to feel fully served? We sit down with Guillermo Salas—born and raised in Philly, now raising four kids in Madrid—to unpack how he moved abroad, kept his real estate business thriving, and actually got closer to the life he wanted. The surprise isn’t that remote real estate works; it’s that leading with transparency and well-documented systems can g...

Ever wonder what's really happening during those crucial hours of a home inspection? In our eye-opening conversation with returning guest Corwin Jackson, we pull back the curtain on this pivotal moment in the real estate transaction that can make or break a deal. Corwin dismantles the common misconception that home inspectors are "deal killers," explaining their true purpose is to p...

What if the answer you've been searching for is simply putting in the work? That's the powerful message Robin Martin, leader of Premier Home Team at Keller Williams, shares in this compelling conversation about persistence, discipline, and accountability in real estate. Drawing from his background as a college track coach, Robin reveals how he "brute-forced" his way to success...

What if the question that annoyed you throughout childhood became the guiding principle for your success? For Michelle Berman-Mikel, founder of Beyond the Method, her father's persistent question after every swim meet—"Was that the best you could do today?"—transformed from a frustrating interrogation into the cornerstone of her business philosophy. Michelle reveals how discipline a...

The secret to lasting success in real estate isn't found in flashy marketing campaigns or viral social media strategies—it's built one meaningful relationship at a time. Broker Gina Romano reveals how this philosophy has fueled her 21-year career during a candid conversation with Maria Quattrone on the Be the Solution podcast. "In relationships, the little things are the big things,...

What does it truly mean to live life by design? In this powerful conversation with returning guest Dan Zytowski, we explore the transformative philosophy that "life begins when you step outside your comfort zone."  Dan shares his journey from being a self-described "depressed millionaire" flipping houses to creating a life centered on purpose, presence, and authentic relationsh...

What would you attempt if you knew you couldn't fail? This question lies at the heart of entrepreneurship, where fear often becomes the invisible barrier between where we are and where we want to be. Jay Doran, culture expert and founder of Culture Matters, takes us on a journey through the complex relationship between fear and organizational culture. "When I'm not sharing my vision...