Closing Time

Ann Rasmussen started her real estate career in 2008, when nothing came easy. But you know what they say: nothing in this world can take the place of persistence, and she persisted long enough to start her own company, selling homes in one of the most expensive markets in the country. Listen as Ann joins Nick to talk real estate, the Santa Barbara to Scottsdale connection, attending Arizona State...

How do you sell $10 million in your first year in real estate, without any family connections or leads handed to you? Derek Tschilar tells us how! Join Derek & Nick for a deep dive on Derek's journey from car sales to residential real estate - and how he made it without relying on a team to hand him leads.

The last time we heard from Luka Cooley, we heard he was planning to start a collective for local music talent in Scottsdale. Well, he did just that with his partner Sheldon Angelov, and they re-join Nick to share the journey so far!

The Phoenix metro leads the nation in build-to-rent housing. But why? Local developer and investor Mathew Avrhami joins Nick to talk about the economics of building real estate in 2026, growing up in AZ, Arizona State campus life, and much more!

Brandon Schneider and Nick El-Tawil both hustled their way into the real estate business, and both have a love for the game of basketball. Listen as they discuss building their teams, training agents, generating leads, lessons from basketball that apply to real estate, and much more.

Side Real Estate's first full-time Arizona partners, Deandre & Morgan, join Nick to talk everything about luxury in AZ!

Arizona is an international destination in 2026, thanks in no small part to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) coming to Phoenix. And Rebecca Chen is at the forefront of helping Asian homebuyers relocate to AZ! Join Nick for a conversation with Side Real Estate AZ's fluent Mandarin-speaking partner.

Alexa Perri comes back for round two, and she's grown her business quite a bit since the first time! Alexa - who was not on social media for her business at all during her first visit - has since expanded into live sales via TikTok live. In her words, "it's like QVC for the social media audience!" Join Nick & Alexa for the full conversation!

It's not every day that you see a guy in his early-30's running a real estate brokerage, let alone one that operates in two states! Joey Bergandi built Velocity Real Estate in San Diego, then expanded to Arizona with Desert Momentum Real Estate Collection. Join Nick & Joey as they discuss being young in an old industry, why everyone from AZ loves San Diego, meeting business partners on Call of...

Nick got into real estate grinding rentals and cold calling sellers. Matt Derdivanis is doing the same, and even managed to land a $5 million sale - the most expensive ever in 85020 - through a cold call. Join Nick and Matt for a conversation about their hustle!

Residential real estate is a business dominated by women, where two out of every three agents are female. Home stagers are even more lopsided: 85% of stagers are women! Lou Maccarone and his company Staged to Sell buck that trend. Join Nick and Lou to for a conversation about all things staging and residential real estate!

Ryan Rinaldo has been in the restaurant industry his entire life. He bought Metropolis in 2013, one of the many restaurants in Scottsdale's Optima Camelview at the time. Today, Metropolis is the only restaurant left standing in Scottsdale's most iconic property. He joins Nick to talk his life story, how he runs his team, and much more!

You may know Derek Deardorff as the goofy real estate agent and developer who also happens to be the brains behind the Characters of Scottsdale. Instead of having yet another conversation about real estate, Derek decided to do something different for this episode. He brought Andrea Menhennet - expert in relationships, trauma and PTSD - to join Nick for a conversation about dating in Scottsdale!

Scottsdale resident Greg Roeberg is running for AZ state attorney general in 2026. He joins Nick to share his background and discuss his goals if he is elected. Particularly, how he can help incentivize more homes to get built in the state of Arizona!

Greg Lim is a serial entrepreneur in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area with exits from many of the most notable startups from AZ, including Carvana. His latest venture was born out of a personal experience where his father was released early from a hospital to his own detriment - something that would have never happened if the doctors had real-time data of his health. Greg's new company aims to fix...

When you think tech start-ups, you might think San Francisco. Austin. Maybe even New York City. But Scottsdale?! Ryan and Amit are doing exactly that in a town historically dominated by real estate and healthcare. Join Nick and the founders of Codality for a conversation on all things start-ups in Scottsdale, AZ!

If you know Nick, then you know he likes his suit jackets jackets. Certain colors are hard to find in men's jackets, so when Nick found a pink jacket from Colton Crain and The Grotto Menswear, he had to jump on it. During the process, he learned a lot about the latest fashion trends from Colton, and also realized they had a lot in common. Two former musicians wearing suits every day?! Check out th...

Aaron Rocha founded Multivestors Group at what might have been the worst possible time to buy multifamily real estate. But what might have been bad timing for many buyers turned into the opportunity of a lifetime for him and his new company, as they remained disciplined and did not buy properties that they knew they couldn't hold onto. Today, Multivestors Group manages 11 funds for commercial prop...

Kyle Grant is so humble that he told me for months that he was a "consultant" at Painted Desert Consulting and I believed it. I didn't find out until we started recording this episode that he founded the damn thing! Learn more about Kyle's takes on recruiting employees, managing people, moving from California to Arizona, his favorite social club in Scottsdale, and much more!

What happens after you almost lose everything? You come back even stronger! Brett Secor joins Nick to discuss how he built his recruiting business in a hospital bed after nearly dying from internal injuries. The boys also touched on Scottsdale, real estate, and the social club at Empire!

Crypto & blockchain. How could you integrate them with a physical asset like real estate? Well, for starters, blockchain could practically eliminate deed fraud, if only we could get the government on board! Johnny Sloboda joins Nick to discuss everything happening in the world of crypto, and much more!

Just in time for Veteran's Day: how about a podcast with a man who runs a charity for the men and women who serve our country? Josh Otero is the founder and CEO of Elanah. AI which provides veterans with mental health services 24/7. Join Nick and Josh for a conversation on all things Scottsdale and mental health!

On his first visit, Mike Devinsky of Scottsdale Investment Partners talked about his experience as a professional poker player and how that led him to his career as a real estate investor. This time around, Mike goes deep into parenthood, love, relationships, and of course, real estate. Join Nick and Mike for a round two!

What do real estate, art, and watches/jewelry all have in common? They're physical assets! And Nick has always noticed similarities in the markets for these three goods, especially at higher price points. Zac Faulk of Paradise Valley Time joins Nick to talk all things luxury watches, from market trends, to his collecting style, his favorite Patek Philippe, and much more!

Logan Walton is beginning his campaign to represent local district 8 in Arizona, which covers north Tempe, south Scottsdale, and parts of Mesa and Phoenix. He joins Nick for a discussion about his campaign's priorities, and also get to know him on a personal level. How many other politicians do you know who used to guard WNBA players in practice?