The Madison Podcast

What does it take to go from living in your car to becoming one of the most respected real estate agents on Long Island?   In this episode of the  Madison Podcast , Ben Lavender sits down with  Jason Orsini , a Douglas Elliman agent with  nearly two  decades in the business, known for winning deals in one of the most competitive housing markets in the country.   Jason shares the raw story behind h...

What does it take to build a real estate career  before most people even  graduate from  college ?   In this episode of the Madison Mortgage Podcast, host  Ben Lavender  sits down with rising agent  Max Cassamajor  of Power Move Realty to unpack what  it's  really like starting young, building confidence, and turning social media into a lead machine.   Max shares how his very first deal came from...

What happens when you stop waiting for the market to change and decide to outwork it instead? In this episode of The Madison Podcast, host Ben Lavender sits down with Mike Petit Frere of Power Move Realty, a New York real estate agent whose business exploded during one of the toughest markets in recent history. Mike shares how failing his real estate exam 11 times, nearly losing his life in Miami,...

When responsibility comes early, and excuses aren't an option… what do you do? On this episode of The Madison Podcast, Ben Lavender sits down with Omar Jones of Power Move Realty to share a story shaped by resilience, purpose, and relentless drive. From growing up without basic necessities to creating pathways for others to achieve homeownership and generational wealth, Omar's journey is candid, i...

What does it really take to succeed in real estate today — without the fluff, the fake motivation, or the "post-and-pray" strategies? In this episode of The Madison Podcast, host Ben Lavender sits down with Dylan Bugallo, a high-producing New York real estate agent known for his no-nonsense, relationship-first approach. Together, they unpack what actually moves the needle in real estate — from pro...

What does it actually take to survive (and thrive) in New York real estate for decades? In this episode of The Madison Podcast, host Ben Lavender sits down with Ross Keit of Keller Williams Realty Landmark, a second-generation broker with over 20 years in the business and $100M+ in closed volume. Together, they unpack what luxury deals really look like, why most agents misunderstand lead generatio...

Most agents don't fail because they lack talent. They fail because they mistake being busy for doing the work. In this episode of The Madison Podcast , host Ben Lavender sits down with Josh Pismeny, a high-producing agent and team leader at Real Broker, to unpack what really drives growth in real estate right now. Josh didn't explode overnight. He spent his first year barely closing deals, grindin...

In this episode of The Madison Podcast , host Ben Lavender sits down with Matthew Winter — a rising star in New York real estate who went from global marketing to $20M in transactions in just three years. Matthew reveals the real secrets behind his momentum: Why service beats sales tactics every time How cold calling became his unlikely superpower The daily systems and affirmations that keep him g...

How do you build a business that scales — faster, cleaner, and without losing culture? In this conversation, Shah Tehrany, CEO of Madison Mortgage, shares the blueprint behind Madison's growth — from systems that speed up every loan, a flat-fee model that gives loan officers freedom, and the mindset that keeps leaders sharp under pressure. "If you can measure it, you can improve it — and that's ho...

While times are tough right now, Amelia and Ben sit to talk about how the marketing is shifting and how a recalibration is needed.   Despite the rate market current condition, there is plenty of time and action to be taken to be able to make a successful business!   ----------------------------  LEARN MORE:  We have been in the Real Estate and Mortgage service business for over 20 successful years...

This week Ben and local NY Realtor Diana Romero from Compass, sit down to talk about the important aspects of customer interaction. They focus on doing right by the customer is the key to building a trusting relationship and key to getting them into their dreams home, hassle free. ----------------------------   LEARN MORE:  We have been in the Real Estate and Mortgage service business for over 20...

Ifoma Pierre is a licensed real estate associate broker who has built a successful career in New York real estate and gained recognition as an influential business coach and leadership trainer. He is the creator of the G.E.M Coaching Program which specializes in helping real estate agents become better marketers. Pierre is also an EXIT realty International Corporate Trainer and holds several desig...

This week we sit down with one of our own, Team Lead - Mortgage Operations; Shannen Mincey. Shannen goes through her story of how she got started in this business and with Madison Mortgage Services. She recounts some of the most important parts of her job as well as some of her most important work mentalities that help her win and succeed every day at work. ----------------------------   LEARN MOR...

As a life long resident of Long Island, New York Matthew prides himself on the knowledge of my service areas, with years of real estate experience and well developed associations in the industry, he passionately strives to make real estate transactions more pleasurable and understanding for his clients. He is capable of properly diagnosing a purchase or sale of a property by performing CMA's (comp...

Zara Martin is a resilient and innovative realtor who strives to give her clients the most personalized experience on each real estate journey. She is as diverse as it gets due to her upbringing on the island of Jamaica and Queens, New York in addition to the experience and friendships formed from going to college near the Adirondack Mountains. Despite the many challenges of living in upstate New...

Growing your business in this day and age can be easy; if you take the right steps. This week the Keller Williams agent, Danielle Efres, sits down with our beloved Ben Lavender to let it rip on what it's like to sell real estate in NY. Although as Danielle says, a lot of the time she ends up being more of a financial advisor than someone who finds and sells real estate. She knows this is the bigge...

Starting his career in 2007 may have been tough, but Chris Fenelus kept moving forward and found his was into his current success. As CEO of New Door Real Estate, he is flourishing in growth while constantly working with Madison Mortgage Services to facilitate fast and efficient loans for his clients!  ----------------------------   LEARN MORE:  We have been in the Real Estate and Mortgage service...

This weeks special guest and Founder of REMI Realty; Andrew Ragusa, sits down to break down the finer points of his business. He's not into the real estate game as much as he is in the people and efficiency game. Andrew is a student, trying his best to learn at any and all times possible. Surround yourself with successful people and you too will be successful!   Follow Andrew: @andrew_ragusa_ ----...

FINALLY one of our beloved hosts, NY's Favorite British Mortgage Broker; Ben Lavender hops into the guest seat to chat this week. Listen as he and CEO Shah Tehrany break down Ben's story and views on the mortgage business. From him immigrating to America to his best practices for business today, Ben and Shah go through it all. Tune in as they make sure the viewers understand how important it is to...

VORO Real Estate is all about staying on top of tech in this market, and making sure their agents keep their bottom line full. Their 100% commission-based model helps to keep more money in the relators pockets and help to expand their every growing network of top notch agents. Tune in as VORO Real Estate CEO Danny Shamooil and Team Lead/Loan Originator Ben Lavender from Madison Mortgage chat it up...

After having served a career in the big bank environment, one of Madison's own Senior Loan Processors Gabriella Vitale lends her first hand insight on the stark differences between Retail Bank and Broker channel. Her and Ben talk about the details of their day to day and how Madison Mortgage is able to optimize their work flow to provide the best possible result for the clients every single day.

Ben and John sit down to talk about how important it is to Service your Clients first and then Sell your Clients second. When you're working with your clients' best interest in mind, it makes it easy to accomplish a goal while making the customer happy with their experience. John also goes into his humble and determined beginnings in his journey to the U.S. and how his father set him on the path t...

Tune in to this episode with Ben Lavender hosting our most seasoned member of Madison Mortgage; Daniel Spiegel. With decades of finance experience under belt, Dan has seen it all. He has watched things change drastically in technology and business. Check it out as Dan and Ben unpack important aspects of the mortgage business while still keeping it human and approachable.

Ben Lavender sits down with associates from Challenger Brokers; Helen Challenger and Mike Arlotta, to talk about humbling beginnings, business tactics and social media branding. Challenger Brokers are a premier real estate agency based in Brooklyn, NY focusing on luxury and high end customer experience. About Challenger Brokers: "We at Challenger Brokers understand that oftentimes selling and/or b...

This week Shah sit's down with the #1 Producing Loan Officer in the state of NY, Madison Mortgage's very own: Eric Gasper. As a seasoned mortgage veteran Eric has see it all in this business. After starting in the business shortly after 9/11, his personality and sales skills quickly set him apart from the rest. Now he has turned his business around and has scaled incredibly to become the top produ...