Realtopia - Real Estate for Teens

What if the reason your neighborhood looks the way it does — who lives there, what gets built, and how expensive it feels — isn't random? In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Nolan Gray — city planner, Research Director at California YIMBY, and author of Arbitrary Lines — to unpack the invisible rules shaping our cities. Together, they explore one of the biggest questions facing this...

Why does one city feel instantly recognizable while another could be almost anywhere? In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Professor Greg Clark — advisor to more than 400 cities across six continents, author, and co-host of The DNA of Cities — to explore what gives places their identity and why the most successful cities of the future may not be the ones that grow fastest, but the on...

Why do some spaces instantly feel right — while others never quite do? In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Dr. Toby Israel — environmental psychologist, founder of Design Psychology, and author of Some Place Like Home and Designing Women's Lives — to explore how our earliest experiences of place quietly shape the homes we choose, the spaces we create, and even what makes us feel lik...

What if the housing crisis isn’t just about prices — but about a century of rules that quietly erased some of the most affordable ways people used to live? In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi speaks with Professor Marc Norman, Associate Dean of NYU Schack, about what’s broken in the housing system — and what it would take to fix it. Marc explains why affordable housing is often misunderstood, how...

In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Dr. Colin Ellard, professor at the University of Waterloo and author of Places of the Heart, to explore how the spaces around us shape our emotions, behavior, and sense of belonging.  From city streets to living rooms, Dr. Ellard explains how our environment directly impacts our brains—sometimes in ways we don’t even notice. The conversation dives...

In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi speaks with Majora Carter about urban revitalization, environmental justice, and what it takes to build communities where residents can stay and thrive. Drawing from her experience in the South Bronx, Majora shares a powerful perspective on rebuilding neighborhoods from within. The conversation explores how perception shapes opportunity, the difference between r...

In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi speaks with Carlos Moreno, creator of the 15-minute city, about how cities can be redesigned around people, proximity, and everyday life. From his early work in technology to his shift toward a more human-centered vision of cities, Carlos explains why the future of urban living depends less on infrastructure and more on accessibility, local services, and quality...

What if you could invest in real estate the same way you buy shares in a company? In this episode, I talk with Jerry Chu, founder of Lofty, about real estate tokenization — a new way of buying and owning property through digital shares. We break down how it works, how it’s different from traditional real estate investing, and why some people believe it could make real estate more accessible to a w...

What if your home could move with you? This week I'm talking to Eli Rouimi, founder of Plad Homes — a company that's completely rethinking how homes are designed, built, and owned. We get into modular and prefab housing, and why it might be one of the most realistic solutions to the affordability crisis that nobody is talking about enough. We dig into what a modular home actually is (and what peop...

What does it take to shape a skyline — and what responsibility comes with it? This week I sat down with Kobi Karp, one of the most recognized architects in the world, whose projects span over $120 billion in iconic buildings across South Florida and beyond. But this conversation goes way deeper than design. We talked about the housing affordability crisis and why it keeps getting worse. We got int...

Realtopia | Season 2 Trailer — "The Blueprint for Tomorrow" Two years ago, I was a 12-year-old with a microphone and way too many questions about how houses got bought and sold. Now I'm in 9th grade — and honestly? The questions got bigger. Housing is unaffordable. Cities are overcrowded. The planet is warming. And everyone keeps talking about these problems like teenagers aren't the ones who are...

In this Episode of Realtopia, we're diving into the exciting world of architecture. Our guest is Ruben Jimenez, architect and owner of R-Method. Ruben has over 25 years of experience in the Design and Architecture field, working in different firms in Los Angeles, California and in South East Florida, before founding his own studio. In this episode, Ruben tells us a lot about what it means to be an...

Hello everyone. In today’s episode of Realtopia, I am interviewing Leon Azicri of Universal Group, a General Contractor, also called “Builder” in Miami. Leon is more than a contractor; he is also an engineer and understands a lot about what it takes to build different kinds of real estate buildings. And the best part: he once built Jennifer Lopez's house! In this episode, Leon tells us all about w...

Welcome back to Realtopia, the podcast for teenagers where we explore the real estate industry. Today, I’m happy to be joined by Michael Young, a real estate investor in Miami Beach, known for his luxury home developments and house renovations. Michael has a lot to teach us about how to buy land, build luxury houses and sell them! A great lesson on how to invest in real estate for all of us.

Welcome, Realtopians! Today, we're diving into the exciting world of real estate agencies with the amazing Jennifer Rosenfeld, a real estate agent with Sheridan Realty in Miami Beach. Jennifer tells us all about being a real estate agent and her experiences. She has a lot of interesting stories to tell and lots of good advice for us teenagers! I am sure you will be inspired!

In today’s episode of Realtopia, we dive into the world of interior design.  Think about colors, textures, aesthetics but also functionality! Our guest is Stephanie Perez from SHD Studio. She is a successful entrepreneur who designs dream houses in Miami. She is known for creating memorable, warm, loving spaces that reflect her clients personalities.

Realtopia is the first podcast about real estate for teenagers by teenagers! Each episode will introduce you to someone amazing from the industry—be it an interior designer who's transforming spaces into lively homes, or an investor who's building tiny apartments. They'll share their stories, tips, and, of course, their secrets. So, whether you're here to explore a future job in real estate or jus...