The Real Estate Mailbag

"There's a difference between having insurance and truly being made whole." — Preston Akers Insurance is no longer an afterthought in real estate transactions — it has become one of the most important parts of protecting a property investment. In this informative episode of the Real Estate Mail Bag, the hosts sit down with Preston Stroop of Lockeland Insurance Advisors, Preston Akers, Vice Preside...

"When it comes to real estate specifically, the biggest thing, of course, is title—making sure you have clean title and making sure you know who owns the property." — Blaine Smith What happens to real property when an owner dies? And how can something as simple as omitted language in a will derail a real estate closing? In this intellectually rich but highly practical episode of the Real Estate Ma...

"As an appraiser, I feel like I'm a little bit of a private investigator—just for properties." — Joe Pat McGuigan Nashville has been called a "supernova city," and rapid growth means property values are constantly changing—but not always in the same way, or at the same pace. In this episode of the Real Estate Mailbag Podcast, hosts Angie Lawless, Brandon Miller, and Steve Morris sit down with Joe...

"Real estate is not my purpose. It never will be. My purpose is to serve, love, and impact people. Real estate is just a platform to do it." — Sam Gray What does it really take to not just survive, but thrive as a real estate professional in Music City, U.S.A.? In this uplifting episode of the Real Estate Mailbag Podcast , hosts Angie Lawless, Brandon Miller, and Steve Morris sit down with Jaylon...

"Storage is never really an option I recommend to my clients unless they're in a transition period." — Sara Fort If you're like our show hosts, you barely noticed when the first Stanley bottle appeared on your counter — until three Owallas and a Larq joined it. Suddenly, 27 bottles of every shape and size have formed a veritable colony in your cabinets. If that sounds familiar, you may be living t...

"Without leads, there is no business, period. You can be doing everything else, but there is no real estate business without leads." — Michael Oliveira When markets shift, one truth remains: the smartest move is often to double down on the basics. In this new episode of The Real Estate Mailbag , we sit down with three top professionals—Michael Oliveira and Jenilee Anthony of Compass Real Estate, a...

"Zoning is the key to affordability in any department." — Trey Lewis According to a number of polls, studies, and watercooler conversations, there is no more pressing issue in Music City than housing: affordable housing, middle housing, and even luxury housing. How to create more housing—and housing that is more "income-aligned" with the residents of Music City—is absolutely critical to the contin...

As Nashville edges deeper into what many now describe as a "buyer's market," sellers and real estate professionals must bring their A-game to attract attention and command top dollar. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with three of Nashville's top home stagers to explore why staging is one of the most powerful tools in today's real estate toolkit. Our guests include Nikki Sanders, founder o...

In a market often labeled "shifting" or "complicated," this episode brings clarity. Join Nashville real estate leaders Gerard Bullock, Rebekah Sampson, and Frank Miles—three Compass agents with sharp insights and bold perspectives—as they break down what's really shaping the city's real estate scene. From zoning battles and design trends to time management, pricing strategy, and commission convers...

In this episode of  The Real Estate Mailbag , we go behind the scenes with three of Music City's top developers: Brett Diaz, Founder and Managing Partner of Paragon Group; Bailey Neal, Founder and President of Legacy South and Roberto Gutierrez, Founder and Managing Partner of Jackson Builders. Ever wondered how real estate development really works? What challenges developers face—and what makes t...

On this episode of The Real Estate Mailbag , we're joined by two of Nashville's top commercial real estate brokers, both principals of boutique, locally owned firms—not the "big-box" brokerages. While residential and commercial real estate agents in Tennessee hold the same license, the similarities often end there. As Tyler Cauble puts it: "Yes, [residential and commercial brokers] have the same l...

"If real estate is your profession, politics is your business." – Richard Courtney Real estate is more than just making a living—it's an opportunity to make a difference. This special episode of the Real Estate Mailbag explores how civic and charitable engagement can enrich both communities and careers in ways that go far beyond financial success. Our panelists—Nathan Weinberg, Jacob Kupin, and Ri...

"It's called title insurance but it acts more like a guarantee. It guarantees that when you buy a property, you are not going to have a problem; but if you do have a problem, there's going to be a Fortune 500 company behind you to help resolve the problem." — Brandon Miller, Wagon Wheel Co-Founder/Attorney In a first of its kind episode of The REM podcast LIVE, our hosts perform double duty as the...

"You absolutely need to serve the Hispanic community, or else your business will not be set to succeed." — Giovanna Murillo   It's often said that a business should reflect the communities it serves. In this episode of the Real Estate Mailbag, we go beyond the platitude and dive into the real implications for real estate professionals.   Our powerhouse panel includes three leaders from the Nationa...

"It's all about connections, no matter what you do. In real estate, especially in Nashville, it's always good to be a part of the community that you're selling homes in." — @JordanHuffman On this new episode of the Real Estate Mailbag, we welcome two rising stars on the Nashville Metropolitan Council who are experts in housing, zoning, the upcoming traffic referendum and the un-housed in our commu...

"I try to turn money very fast. My goal, if I buy an apartment complex, is I want to drive up the value within 24 months to the point where I can do a refinance and have all my capital back in 24 months." -- Brandon Thornberry On this very special episode of the Real Estate Mailbag, discover proven real estate strategies from some of Nashville's top investors. We were joined by Brandon Thornberry...

"My whole mission is just to affect positive change with people, and housing is such a key component to people's health, well-being, and safety." -- Andrea Prince According to Nashville's 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force, chaired by Mayor John Cooper, the city must create 52,498 new housing units by 2030—a daunting challenge, given that only 1,344 affordable units were being built annually at th...

  "The first secret to success is to get started." – Kortney Wilson The conventional wisdom in real estate is that social media is increasingly important. However, understanding what social media is and how to be effective with it can be a complex topic. Many real estate professionals fail to take the most important step: getting started. On this must-listen edition of the Real Estate Mailbag, pre...

"There is no silver bullet to adding value to your house. All of the things that give you a list of 'do this one thing' – they are lies, and they are clickbait." — Peter Matteson On this episode of The Real Estate Mailbag presented by Wagon Wheel Title, our hosts and distinguished guests explore the topic of home renovations. Murn Roberts with the Morrell Property Collective at Compass, Jacob Jone...

On this episode of The Real Estate Mailbag presented by Wagon Wheel Title, our hosts and distinguished guests explore the unique opportunities and challenges involved when the client is a high-profile – and often privacy sensitive - professional athlete.  Ali Noel, Amber Stormberg and Jen Daniels are all authorities when in comes to working with professional athletes.  Tune in to learn what a real...

On this episode of The Real Estate Mailbag presented by Wagon Wheel Title, our hosts and distinguished guests explore a topic at the center of one of Mark Twain's most oft-repeated quotes: "Buy land, they're not making it anymore."   Today's panelists, Dan McEwen, Principal Broker at The McEwen Group, and Tom Sullivan, Broker and Founder of Covey Rise Properties, are two of the most recognized in...

On this episode of The Real Estate Mailbag presented by Wagon Wheel Title, our hosts and distinguished guests explore what it's been like to be a relatively new real estate agent (less than 5 years) navigating what one panelist describes as four different markets in just the last 2 years alone!   Our panelists for this episode are Mike Grayson, senior associate broker with Tyler York Real Estate B...

On this episode of The Real Estate Mailbag presented by Wagon Wheel Title, our hosts and distinguished guests explore various hot topics, but the main event is a fascinating and lively discussion about the state of Nashville's new construction home market, the unique joys and travails of focusing on new home sales, as well as a deep dive into design trends and the general state of the new construc...

On this episode of The Real Estate Mailbag presented by Wagon Wheel Title, our hosts and distinguished guests explore various hot topics, and the main event is a fascinating discussion regarding real estate teams by some of Nashville's leading real estate team leaders.  Our guests for this episode are real estate rockstars, trendsetters, and highly respected team leaders: Amy Gill & Pete Jones (Co...

On this episode of The Real Estate Mailbag presented by Wagon Wheel Title, our hosts and distinguished guests explore what it takes to make it in real estate.  Our guests for this episode are true real estate rockstars and thought leaders: Brian Copeland (Founder of Doorbell Real Estate), Lisa Landyn (Founder and President of The Luxe Collective) and George Rowe (Principal Broker and Sales Manager...