The Real Build

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Keith Williams, the CEO of Skill Stadium.  Skill Stadium is a technology Keith developed that is an online job platform for the Skilled Trades that connects employers with skilled trades professionals. Skill Stadium the LinkedIn of the skilled trades. They use video to match employers and job seekers in the skilled trades. Skill Stadium is mo...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to do an update on the current construction and Real Estate Markets. It has been a while since my last update, and many things have changed.  Construction prices are still up, and building materials are still hard to get.  Real estate still has low inventory.  But the market is definitely changing.  I dive into what is happening and m...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Ryan Poole, owner of RealTrade, out of West Palm Beach, Florida.  Ryan is on a mission to change how buyers and sellers search for real estate online and is embracing the real estate community through better communication. Ryan became a real estate agent 23 years ago because he loved to help people—but things have changed. Large technology pl...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with a friend and member of our build team Jason Lynn who is part owner of The Decorators Unlimited out of West Palm Beach, Florida.  Jason and The Decorators Unlimited are a partner of ours and have joined our team at R.K. Reiman Construction to help us design and build masterpieces for our clients.  Jason and his team of designers give a fu...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to talk about the importance of knowing your product from the ground up. Understanding how a home is built and knowing your product will help you sell more and gain your clients' respect.  I have worked in sales for a long time, and one thing that I have always made an effort to do is to learn as much as I can about the products I'm selling. Knowled...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Alexis Soof of Soof Construction and Design. I have known Alexis for a couple of years through an entrepreneur group called the Arete Syndicate. I was excited to have Alexis on and talk about all the amazing things she is doing in the interior design space. Being in the building industry, you know a great interior designer when you see one, and Al...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Maria Khokhlova, the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at TraceAir, a site work intelligence software and user-friendly technology that helps construction companie s build advanced automation using drone flights, 3D mapping, analytics, and data processing services to accelerate site work and provide transparency to owners. Maria and I discussed...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Robert Penney, the national director of continuous improvement at Skanska.  Skanska is one of the world's largest development and construction companies, with 2020 revenue totaling SEK 159 billion.   Roberts's responsibility, first and foremost, is to encourage and enable a culture of continuous improvement within Skanska.  Robert s...

A topic I wanted to discuss is something that recently happened to me, and it hit me hard the last month. It was bothering me. A home that I do home watch for the previous three years was listed for sale for 5.5 million dollars. Now you are probably saying a couple of things. Wow, that’s an expensive home, and or ok, what’s the big deal? The primary reason it bothered me was that I do these people...

In this episode of The Real Build, I featured Zach Burick, the owner of Duggins Welding in Salem, North Carolina.  Zach and his team specialize in installing structural steel for multi-story buildings, manufacturing centers, schools, churches, and commercial/office projects.  Zach and I talked about his process, leading a team at a young age, and the importance of structural steel in a p...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with David Friedman, who is the Co-Founder and CEO of Knox Financial, a financial services company specializing in helping people turn the homes they're moving out of into market-beating investment properties. Through a Frictionless Ownership Platform, David does from finding renters to property maintenance and managing finances. With over a decade of...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Dillon Mitchell, who is the owner of Kowabunga Studios.  Dillon is an electrical and technology designer for commercial construction.  Dillon is there to help you get through projects faster and not be so stressed to get projects done. Helping you and your team live a better life. Handing design documents to them means they do the heavy...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Michael Leonetti, owner of Mastercraft Exteriors in Williamstown, NJ.  Michael specializes in Roofing and Siding construction.  Michael and I discussed his process from start to finish and what you need to look for when doing your next siding project.  We discussed the importance of using quality siding like Hardi Board and how it m...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Michael McGovern, the owner of Columbus Construction Company and Columbus Roofing.  Michael is on a mission to get everything he can out of every customer he works with. Meaning he wants to offer multiple services so that he can give the most value he possibly can to every customer. Michael believes he will get more jobs by being more service...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to talk about my recent trip to Pittsburgh for the Top Contractor School Summer Retreat and what great information I took from it. TCS is a construction group that Ive been a part of for about seven months now. The group is full of high-performing contractors trying to improve all aspects of their lives, most notably our business.   I took so much f...

We all go through challenging situations that can make or break us. They can cause anger, and we have to step back sometimes and ask ourselves if it is worth it. In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to address some situations that personally happened to me in business recently. In these situations, Ive had to turn the other cheek. Ive had to take the high road and not let the issues get the...

In this episode of The Real Build, I featured Liza Blas of Very Happy Stories. Liza is the host of the Very Happy Stories podcast, and she also inspires, validates & empowers caregivers of children with challenging conditions. I wanted to have Liza discuss a crucial topic that not many people discuss. That topic is mold and how we should check for it and ensure our families and ourselves are f...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to discuss how ive leveled up my real estate and construction businesses using a specific strategy. This strategy 10x my business and took me from selling 500K properties to million dollar plus properties. It took our building business from building 650k homes to 2 million dollar plus homes. So what is this magic strategy? Warning, it's no overnight succ...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Andrew Houston, owner of Profit For Contractors. Andrew and I discussed all stages of a transaction and how we can better serve our clients as contractors to better our business and get more customers. This is a very jam-packed episode full of powerful tactical information for contractors and how they can take more control over their business. And...

In this episode of The Real Build, I featured Matt Vetter, president of Schafer Construction in Brighton, Michigan. Matt and I discussed many topics in the construction business. But most importantly, we talked about the client experience and how we both strive to learn how to deliver the best experience possible. We are constantly figuring out ways to improve customer experience through communica...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Barry Van Patten II of Van Patten Luxury Group out of Scottsdale, Arizona. Barry and I have become friends through an entrepreneur group we have been a part of called the Arete Syndicate. We relate in many different ways, and both have a passion for helping people through real estate. Barry and I discussed many big topics in the real estate world,...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Keith Callaway, founder of K&L Industries out of Portland, Oregon.  Keith and I had a great conversation about how his walk with faith has affected his everyday life in so many positive ways. We talked about communication and how it is the most essential element of every business. We also spoke about K&L and their impact on their empl...

In this episode of The Real Build,  I wanted to talk about the trends I see in the homes we build. People ask what other customers are doing, so I decided to list them from exterior to interior. Here is a list of what we are doing: Exteriors - clean, smooth stucco, wood brackets, no brackets, modern making moves Roofs - still tile and metal Paint colors - light colors - whites Garage doors- m...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to talk about the 75hard challenge and how it helped me in so many ways over the last couple of years as a broker and a builder.  So what is 75hard? 2 - 45 min workouts, one outside and one inside 1 gallon of water Read ten pages a day Must stick to a diet  Daily progress picture   No alcohol What I gained from it  Consistency – 6 thi...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Austin Linney, a real estate investor and mindset coach out of Houston, Texas. Austin and I talked about investing in real estate in today's crazy market and some of his strategies to capitalize on rising interest rates, high prices, high building costs, and low inventory. Austin Linney is a serial entrepreneur, real estate investor, business and...