Real Talk with Leigh Brown

"Don't judge a book by its cover" – a lesson Buddy West learned in a very humbling way when he was out showing a house to a man whom he thought was a drug dealer. When you're in the real estate industry, it's incredibly important to not prejudge your clients. Instead, ask the right questions and be open-minded, fair and open with all who come seeking your help. Listen to find out just who Buddy's...

In this episode, Leigh's guest, Gary Balanoff talks about the importance of managing the relationship between developers and agent—Gary will also share his crazy story about the time an indecisive couple asked him to see more than 80 homes, before making a decision that would cost him his commission and a little bit of his sanity. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App o...

The last thing you you want to see during a closing is two people fighting. But the VERY last thing you want to see is two mothers fighting. But that's what realtors Andrea Murphy and Morgan Bowling , were facing when they had to close on a home in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Want to learn how they averted disaster? Tune-in to this week's episode of CSIRE to find out! Please subscribe...

Sometimes, being a realtor means sticking it out for clients in the most dire situations. For Peter Murray, sticking it out meant showing 3 houses even though he had a puddle of blood pooling in his shoe. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Peter Murray , an agent for Re/Max Results who has been in real estate for almost for years. Peter decided to be brave and persevere through three unconventional h...

Chase after your seller's dog who is running down the street or show the home to potential buyers? No one really thinks they'd have to ever make this choice with the exception of today's guest, Chris Donaldson. Leigh welcomes Chris Donaldson , the man behind Donaldson Educational Services . Tune in to find the choice Chris made and how it all paid off in the end.  Please subscribe to this podcast...

When you hire out a truck, you don't expect it to be used for illegal purposes—especially when it's hired out to your local church. Unfortunately, today's guest, Greg Gorman, has had to clean up a wide range of messes made by his clients. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Greg Gorman of Team Paradise in Naples, Florida to share some crazy moving truck experiences.  Please subscribe to this podcast i...

Imagine coming to a home where you're scheduled to have an open house. You walk in to find that the house is a complete disaster and the only person to help you out is a young guy with no pants on. Unfortunately today's guest, Karen Cruz, stumbled upon this very stressful scenario and had to find a way to make this boy hustle and get things done. Dubbed as the Queen of Investment Properties, Karen...

David Burke has been in real estate for close to 20 years and has had to create a system for showing homes near water. Long story short—he keeps towels and umbrellas stocked in his car for his clients. David shares two CRAZY stories that show the playful side of real estate, but also express the importance of being prepared! Leigh welcomes David Burke of Team Paradise , Think Naples , Pelican Bay...

Three decades in real estate means countless experiences of CRAZY to share. Listen as today's guest Terry Smith shares how her dinner date with her clients turned into an emergency situation with the police as their star guests. Terry is a realtor from Fort Worth, Texas who believes sharing a ride (and dinner) with your clients is the best way to make a connection. Please subscribe to this podcast...

Realtors shouldn't be under a parent-child relationship with employers. Terri empowers realtors and agents to be entrepreneurs! Terri began a support/mastermind group of realtors who act as accountability partners and offer support to one another to accomplish their goals. This is changing the industry for this team and fostering an environment of camaraderie as opposed to competition. In this epi...

It's the final walkthrough, everyone is happy and excited about the home, until one hears shrieks coming from the clients. Paula and her clients did not anticipate what would be in the freezer that merited a very deep clean of the home upon purchase. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Paula Mathofer , president of Arizona Association of Realtors. She is a realtor in Flagstaff, Arizona and shares her...

You know those nails pops—the bumps or blemishes on a wall caused by wood studs shrinking—imagine having thousands of them on your newly constructed home.  Laura Czerwinski anticipated a few as they're common with new builds, but THOUSANDS? Throw a new baby into the mix of transitioning into a new home and having repairmen coming in and and out, and you've got yourself a crazy story. In this episo...

Sometimes the roles and responsibilities of realtors can be a bit fuzzy. Not only do they liaise on your behalf when it comes to selling or buying a home, but for Sarah Vander Vloet, they also become instant babysitters! Listen as today's guest, Sarah Vander Vloet shares her hilarious experience with Leigh that expresses just how much trust a client can have in their realtor.  Please subscribe to...

Realtors help people buy, sell, or lease their homes, but when do their services and responsibility to the client end? A closing or a successfully sold property does NOT necessarily mean the realtor's job is done. Leigh interviews Steve Weiss , a realtor of 32 years, shares about an after-sale issue where he sends his clients on a nice dinner out so that he could investigate a peculiar smell comin...

Home inspections prove to be an important part of a home buying process – it's simply an opportunity to know a full, unbiased disclosure of the property you're getting. Today's guest, Pat Tasker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin shares her crazy story of a home inspection that will send you through the roof—or in this case, through the second floor, literally.  Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes o...

Alyssa did not think that leaving her keys behind would result in her breaking and entering in on her client's condo unit..let alone that this would happen on her first showing ever. Bad luck? Perhaps. Either way, it was a lesson learned. Leigh welcomes Alyssa Hellman who has been in real estate since 2010. She is the head coach of Bamboo Realty , in North Carolina. Please subscribe to this podcas...

Back in the day, when dealings for a home went down in person, you'd experience the joy, firsthand, from sellers and buyers alike, when they finally closed that deal. Pauline Relkey was able to share in the joy of a first-time homebuyer as they closed a deal in-person with the seller. However, everyone in that room got a little bit more than they bargained. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Pauline...

Having multiple customers at one time is part of the job in real estate—but, how about when you have 2 customers ready to make an offer on the SAME HOUSE? This is when things can get tricky...not too trick for guest, Missi Howell . In this episode, Leigh welcomes Missi Howell who has been selling real estate for almost 10 years in Northeast Florida.  Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or i...

Andre is a superman when it comes to sales, but came into the industry of real estate with zero experience and zero knowledge. Regardless of this, Andre still managed to build his own successful real estate enterprise. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Andre Fajardo , owner of Advantage Realty Enterprise , which he started 4 years ago in Raleigh, North Carolina. Please subscribe to this podcast in i...

It is extremely important for those in real estate to stay vigilant at all times, especially in this day and age where technological crimes are at its peak. Imagine the pain and heartbreak a realtor goes through when he tells his elderly clients they're put on hold at closing because of possible fraud. That's what Brian Whitta , a realtor from the micropolitan city of Findlay, Ohio, experienced an...

Traci Browning was only in her second deal as a real estate agent when she encountered a very, difficult client. Instead of backing down, Traci handled the situation head on and proved that she was one that could get the job done. Listen as Traci shares her crazy story and discover why Leigh says she is a shining "example of how we do real estate right." Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes...

Today's episode discusses one crazy way of doing real estate that could help sellers get TOP DOLLAR for their home when it comes to crazy bidding wars—auctions. What better way to motivate buyers than to have them compete, in-person, with other interested candidates! Leigh chats with Ray Wood , an experienced auctioneer in real estate. Tune is as they talk about both the barriers and benefits of a...

When Shannon's gut told her that something was off with a certain house, she couldn't have been more right. A homeowner who illegally smuggles family relatives into the country to essentially work without pay is not someone you'd like to buy a home from. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Shannon Brien who has been in real estate for almost 4 years. She is a realtor with The Douglas Realty for Coldwe...

Foreclosure properties can cause a lot of headaches for the average home buyer, but for an investor? That all depends. Bill Hamberg shares his crazy story entering a "Winter Wonderland" house as excessive water damage was actually forming icicles.  He also offers realtors and investors first hand advice regarding investing in a foreclosure home. Leigh welcomes Bill Hamberg, who has been in real es...

Natural calamities happen when we least expect them to and for Lumberton, North Carolina, it happened in October of 2016. David was one of those who responded to the call to help those who were affected by the hurricane. Until now, they are still in need of help. In this episode, Leigh welcomes David Zeits who has been in real estate for almost 15 years. He is an agent for Coldwell Banker Premier...