Bricks & Risk

Send us Fan Mail Why is it that real estate clients (buyers and sellers) consistently feel like they're "wasting" their real estate agent's time? Answer, because a majority of homeowners only buy and sell a few homes in their lifetime. Therefore, it's an unfamiliar process and one that's (unfortunately) not well documented online. Our interview with Seth & Jenn to...

Send us Fan Mail I mean, who doesn't like Philadelphia butter cake ? Haha. In all seriousness, this episode is all about your team: employees, hourly workers, VAs, vendors, you name it. Why is your team so important? Because if you and your team don't deliver, that client is not coming back nor will they drop your name for referrals (shout-out to Brian at Fountain Street Auto , for givin...

Send us Fan Mail Since Sean & Tim are two business owners who did not have a parent in either real estate or insurance, it's always good to get perspective from someone who did have a parent in their chosen industry. Jason Ostrowsky is a successful agent, business owner, and podcaster , but when he was young, he hated real estate ... that sentiment has changed as he's gotten older. I...

Send us Fan Mail You know I'm a Realtor, right? And that I'm really good at what I do, correct? So, what gives? Don't worry, it's common to feel this way. But ... if you want to do well in real estate, insurance, or in your own business, you can't just "expect" the business to roll in; you have to make it happen! In this B&R ep, Sean & Tim break down the...

Send us Fan Mail This week's B&R guest brings a wealth of knowledge to those who would love to learn how franchising actually works. Mike Oberholtzer with HomeVestors of America is not only well-versed in the real-estate-investor franchising space, but has years of franchising experience across multiple industries. Sean & Tim dive deep with Mike on the value of franchising, as well un...

Send us Fan Mail Back to the B&R insurance grind, with Sean firing off some guru-gems aimed at helping homeowners and car owners with their policies. This topic came courtesy of the Nothing doc, and just like all of our other Nothing eps, we believe it will hit home with our watchers and listeners; just as it did for Tim . But, the real question is: does filing multiple insurance claims hurt y...

Send us Fan Mail Vinny Fracassi & Tim Garrity were introduced via a mutual connection, Chris Strauss , and became buds instantly. Not only that, since meeting, Vin & Sean have become pals as well. In this episode, we dive deep into Vin's journey (by way of Niagara Falls, NY & Chicago, IL) on growing his Book of Business as a real estate agent and in a city (Yo, Philly)  where he d...

Send us Fan Mail Hard to believe, but we did it! 100 episodes of the Bricks & Risk Podcast . Sean was low-energy+ on this one (haha, JK), he was battling a cold; but nevertheless, we both showed up to make another valuable (and humorous) ep. Not many podcasts have come as far as Sean & Tim have, only approximately 5% of all podcasts make it to 100 episodes; but one thing's for sure, w...

Send us Fan Mail Being a good connector in business can be just as good, if not better, than paying for ads, sending postcards, making phone calls, and having client events. Reason being, you're constantly looking out for others, who will in turn start to look out for you. From The Go-Giver to speed-dating, Sean & Tim break down the differences between "connecting" and "net...

Send us Fan Mail Absolutely fantastic conversation with a talented, passionate, and highly-credible entrepreneur, Cheldin Barlatt Rumer . Cheldin dives deep into her backstory about what it was like growing up in a household of teachers, lawyers, and scholars, all while she made the career choice to throw parties and make friends on Facebook; haha. She also explains that the very definition of a p...

Send us Fan Mail This awesome topic comes courtesy of Mr. Sean P. Mooney's super-secret Google Doc: Nothing / Nothing = Nothing. Our discussion centers around creative marketing and thinking differently when it comes to your business, and why it matters. Sean has mentioned Seth Godin's "Purple Cow" before, and as you all already know, he's the better reader ... and better...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Coyle has been through it. From roofing homes in Chestnut Hill, to partnering with a likeminded business owner, and to running his own appraisal firm: The Coyle Group . While he understands that it takes deals to build a business, he also believes in developing relationships with good people, listening to the stories they tell, and having a passion for what you do. Sean &...

Send us Fan Mail Question of the Day: Where do you want to go, and why? Sounds simple, right? Welp, it isn't. It requires experience, success, failure, and deep inner thought. But, when figured out as early on in your career as possible, you will be in a much better spot to deliver on your own goals, personally and professionally, and not the goals of other people who have nothing to do with...

Send us Fan Mail Tim met Jarrod at the mother of all local real estate events, Triple Play in Atlantic City, NJ. At the time, Jarrod was working at a title company and Tim was running an independent brokerage. Fast forward a few years, and both of their paths have pivoted. In this guest interview, Jarrod believes that life's too short to not enjoy the ride and that leading with empathy allows...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes in business, no matter what field you're in, sales is treated purely as a numbers game. For example, someone may say there are 3 rules in sales: sell, sell, sell. But as much as that's true, and needing to sell is what keeps the lights on, retention is equally (if not more) important than selling. Don't just find another deal, take care of the people you a...

Send us Fan Mail Although Justin Heath has been at the residential real estate game for just shy of a decade, he has a lifetime worth of real-estate-blood coursing through his veins; through both his Mom & Dad. From pushing through competitiveness as a kid, when he realized he may not be the most athletic, to experiencing a corporate job dead-end while selling in Milwaukee during winter, Justi...

Send us Fan Mail The Realtor ... what? Mmm hmm, Tim made that term up; haha. But, for those of you in residential real estate, this is a very real thing. Experiencing the "Realtor Joneses" happens when another real estate agent, leader, or coach starts comparing you to another agent with the intention of making your business bigger, faster, or just more efficient. Dive right into this on...

Send us Fan Mail If you've ever wanted to invest in real estate, but lack the knowledge or confidence to get started, listen to this episode. Cory Jacobson has cracked the millennial real estate code by house-hacking his first home at a young age with advice from his 9-5 colleague. Through his own trial and error, as well as a solid partnership, he has amassed a portfolio of over 80+ properti...

Send us Fan Mail We took a different route on this B&R ep by focusing on "Year 1" in business for both Sean & Tim . How hard was it to get started in insurance and real estate? What hurdles did we have to clear? What was our mindset in the face of daily doubt? How did we decide to invest in our businesses? Part 2 of a 2 part episode, dive in to learn more about how we both got st...

Send us Fan Mail We took a different route on this B&R ep by focusing on "Year 1" in business for both Sean & Tim . How hard was it to get started in insurance and real estate? What hurdles did we have to clear? What was our mindset in the face of daily doubt? How did we decide to invest in our businesses? Part 1 of a 2 part episode, dive in to learn more about how we both got st...

Send us Fan Mail Kelly has an unbelievable knack to take something that is fairly complex and provide an easy-to-digest perspective on it. Both Sean & Tim noticed this throughout their conversation with her. As an accomplished entrepreneur and speaker, Kelly's company ( Agency Performance Partners ) has been inspiring insurance agency owners for more than a decade. In this ep, she gives h...

Send us Fan Mail Today's Bricks & Risk Podcast ep was inspired by a recent article/video we saw about California introducing an "insurance contingency" to it's residential real estate contract, amid insurance concerns in recent years. What was more interesting is that Pennsylvania has already had this option in its contract for years. The video helped Sean & Tim bring u...

Send us Fan Mail Sean & Tim love that not only does the Bricks & Risk Podcast have a niche focus on real estate and insurance, but that it also spills over to sales, small business, and entrepreneurship. Our discussion with Missy Stallings hits on every one of those categories. Not only did she pivot to owning a business after she earned the #1 sales spot as an insurance rep with Liberty M...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever planned and booked your own vacation? In today's internet/AI-fueled world, I would say the super-high majority would answer "Yes." But which kind of vacation is right for you? All-inclusive or a la carte? That's the analogy we set up for today's episode. Tim compares "old-school brokerages" to all-inclusive vacations, and "new-...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes in business, rookies ignore veterans who provide simple, sound advice, such as: "If you just keep doing it, you'll get better." It almost sounds too easy, right? It also sounds like there must be an easier way, correct? Sorry to break the bad news, but there isn't. Success in real estate, or business in general, takes hard work, consistency, and a nev...