Ever find yourself wondering if the spirit of integrity still has a home in the cutthroat world of real estate? Look no further as we welcome Josue Martin to the Key Factors Podcast, a man whose personal narrative is steeped in a mission to infuse trust and authenticity into property dealings. From the streets of 90s LA where his family faced the darker side of the industry, to the sprawling properties under the Texas heat, Josue's tale is a beacon for those yearning for genuine connections in real estate transactions.
Peel back the layers of any successful agent's story, and you'll often find a saga of resilience and faith. That's precisely what unravels as we traverse the rocky path to triumph in the real estate landscape with our guest. Discover how a partnership with Scott Maloof became a cornerstone for growth, and delve into the emotional complexity behind professional journeys. It's not just about the licenses and listings; it's about overcoming life's hurdles, like parental divorce, and emerging with a vision for a career that's as robust as the homes we sell.
Balance—it's a term as crucial to architecture as it is to our lives. In this heart-to-heart, we tackle the juggling act of maintaining a booming business alongside personal joy. The conversation shifts gears, revealing the real estate industry's dance with commission adjustments, and how transparency becomes our compass in the murky waters of builder and realtor disputes. In sharing these insights, we illuminate the power of relentless service, community ties, and why, at the end of the day, it's the satisfaction of our clients and the strength of our relationships that construct the foundation of lasting success.
Key Factors Podcast is Powered by ReviewMyMortgage.com
Host: Mark Jones | Sr. Loan Officer | NMLS# 513437
If you would like to work with Mark on your next home purchase or as a partner visit iThink Mortgage.
Ever find yourself wondering if the spirit of integrity still has a home in the cutthroat world of real estate? Look no further as we welcome Josue Martin to the Key Factors Podcast, a man whose personal narrative is steeped in a mission to infuse trust and authenticity into property dealings. From the streets of 90s LA where his family faced the darker side of the industry, to the sprawling properties under the Texas heat, Josue's tale is a beacon for those yearning for genuine connections in real estate transactions.
Peel back the layers of any successful agent's story, and you'll often find a saga of resilience and faith. That's precisely what unravels as we traverse the rocky path to triumph in the real estate landscape with our guest. Discover how a partnership with Scott Maloof became a cornerstone for growth, and delve into the emotional complexity behind professional journeys. It's not just about the licenses and listings; it's about overcoming life's hurdles, like parental divorce, and emerging with a vision for a career that's as robust as the homes we sell.
Balance—it's a term as crucial to architecture as it is to our lives. In this heart-to-heart, we tackle the juggling act of maintaining a booming business alongside personal joy. The conversation shifts gears, revealing the real estate industry's dance with commission adjustments, and how transparency becomes our compass in the murky waters of builder and realtor disputes. In sharing these insights, we illuminate the power of relentless service, community ties, and why, at the end of the day, it's the satisfaction of our clients and the strength of our relationships that construct the foundation of lasting success.
Key Factors Podcast is Powered by ReviewMyMortgage.com
Host: Mark Jones | Sr. Loan Officer | NMLS# 513437
If you would like to work with Mark on your next home purchase or as a partner visit iThink Mortgage.
bringing you the latest insight, trends and expert advice to navigate this dynamic property market. In each episode, we dive deep into the heart of the industry, dissecting market movement, exploring investment strategies and unlocking the secret to real estate success. Whether you're a seasoned professional, an aspiring investor or simply looking to stay ahead of the curve, this is the ultimate guide to making informed decisions in the world of property and real estate. And welcome back to another episode of Key Factors Podcast. I'm your host, mark Jones, and we are powered by ReviewMyMortgagecom, the largest index of programs in the nation, and today, in this discussion, we're going to be talking about some impractical practices that are taking place in our industry, and maybe we can bring it to a head and bring some light to this situation, and I'm joined by Josue Martin to be able to give us some more insight on this subject. So, josue, what's going on, man?
Speaker 2:Just you know, hanging out, you on man, I'm just hanging out. It's another beautiful day in San Antonio. It's not hot yet, so I'm enjoying this weather quite a bit. Amen to that. I'm actually the most productive in this weather. It's too sorry when it gets too hot. I don't want to do anything.
Speaker 1:And you know what's funny is Jeff Garza, on another discussion, just mentioned that same concept is realtors going out to sell houses during the summer in Texas? I mean, it's one of the hottest places to be, especially if you're doing new construction. You're going to the home sites and they're not fully complete, so you're just walking on asphalt with two by fours everywhere and no AC whatsoever in sight. Yeah, yeah, it's hot. So the struggle is real in South Texas.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is, it is, it is, and I can complain because I used to do landscaping with my dad since I was like five, Okay, so I mean I know how to be in the sun. I'm definitely not a baby about it. Sure, it's just that you know you're in the AC, you get comfortable and you go back outside in the yeah no and then you're fully suited up.
Speaker 1:That's true. If you are one that suits up to go out, that's a good question, and I'll add that to what I'm going to ask later. But if you could tell us about yourself, man, so how did you get into the mortgage?
Speaker 2:I'm sorry into the real estate industry. So I'm in a family of five, so it's my mom, dad, I have a twin brother and my sister and we're originally from Los Angeles and I'm full Mexican and in our culture we're not used to trusting professionals, we're not used to trusting lenders, realtors, all that. Well, when I was four years old, we lived in Hawthorne, california, which now it's better, yet at that time it was pretty hood Right. Hawthorne, for those who don't know, is next to Inglewood. Inglewood up to no good. Inglewood right. 90s was pretty bad. Look it up, rodney King riots. All that True.
Speaker 1:So you were living in that area when that stuff was going on.
Speaker 2:So we were there. Wow, my sister was born. Whenever, whenever we got foreclosed on so she was a baby the realtor said hey, I got this, don't worry. Got us foreclosed, said, don't even pay anything, you're good. Got us foreclosed, got the notice and we had to move to a little back house with a baby sister in Inglewood. And then my parents bought a haunted house in Sylmar California.
Speaker 1:Now, when you say haunted house, what do you mean?
Speaker 2:it was haunted, uh. So we didn't know until after who knows about disclosures, right, right, uh, after we sold the house to move to granada hills, okay, the neighbors were like, how could you live there? Did you guys see anything weird? And we did see ghosts. I mean, it's true story. We saw, okay, and it was weird, kind of vibes, but it was a cool house, you know, it's a house four walls and a roof, sure. And yeah, the guy caught his uh wife cheating on him with some other guy, killed the wife, killed the dude in their bedroom and then killed the kids, so it's a whole murder thing, holy cow. They never disclosed that. And then when we sold the house, I mean we're already out, like we're already packed up, ready to get out, and then they said that and we're like, oh yeah, no one told us that.
Speaker 1:Wow, that reminds me of American horror stories, that same kind of storyline. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that took place, wow.
Speaker 2:So my dad definitely had a type which is like scary houses. You know how in the scary movies the family's like, wow, what a great deal.
Speaker 1:And then it's haunted.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, that's legitimately my dad. A true story. So we ended up living in Sylmar for a few years. A true story. So we ended up living in Sylmar for a few years. Well, sylmar, from Hawthorne is about a 35-minute drive and we're big on family, so we had to move across town. So since I was about four, we were like you know what? We don't like realtors. Yet we would use realtors when we sold, moved to Texas in 05. But no one really had that warm feeling like Mark's, my friend, right, right, it was never like that. He's looking out for me, right. I was like, well, mark's just doing his job, yeah, right. So I got into real estate because my godfather, who now lives in Houston, he was like, hey, man, you know a lot of us want to buy real estate. We don't trust anyone, but we trust you. At that time I was working. I was not a branch manager, I was a store manager before that, okay, at a retail store and I was a like a regular teller at the branch.
Speaker 1:Okay, gotcha.
Speaker 2:And I wanted to be a branch manager because I was used to managing, and they're like no, no, you sit right there and you do withdrawals, deposits, transfers, that's it.
Speaker 1:No selling.
Speaker 2:It wouldn't let me go through the motions, it wouldn't let me grow.
Speaker 2:And the promotions were the ability to override certain check amounts. Sure, that's it. So I was like what the heck I have this look forward to? Yeah, terrible, I will die here. There's no way. So what happened there was we had families that.
Speaker 2:You know I'm pretty extroverted, I like to have conversations with people. Sure, we had a conversation before this started, you know. They'd say, hey, I'm going to buy a house. We go to RBFCU's office, turn the TV on and they'll talk to a rep and they'd always say can you help me? I legally cannot, but my job says that if I help you I can get fired. And one day I was like man, this can't be what it's like to buy a house, right, there's no way. And so like to be doing creative things. Real estate seems boring. This is what I thought back then, sure, so when I went to real estate school, I was like man, I actually like this. This is actually pretty cool. I like what I'm learning. It lets me kind of work as much as I want to to get the results that I want, based on what I was being taught in class. So I ended up doing my classes at Sabor, which is a local place here to get lessons.
Speaker 1:Sabor was Ernie Guerrero, your instructor at all.
Speaker 2:I don't remember. I just remember one guy, charlie Rufo. He was my first broker and I liked the classes. It was really neat. I did all my classes one at a time. I didn't pay for the package because I didn't know if I would like it Sure, so I did it like one class at a time. I met a lot of really cool friends there and after that I was like I think real estate just might be my thing. So I did.
Speaker 1:When you jumped in, you still weren't sure it was just something that I mean. What put that in your scope? Was it the fact that you had gone through the experiences with your parents in California and maybe you wanted to change the narrative within your family, or it was just like you know what? This is interesting.
Speaker 2:I've always been a big fan of people that can lend a hand, even if it's a small hand, right? And when I got married, a lot of my friends were like, are you gonna sign a prenup with my wife? I'm like, no, I don't have shit yet. First off, this is going to last forever for one. And two, even if it didn't last forever, she deserves absolutely everything, because she's one of the reasons that I even got licensed.
Speaker 2:I failed my first time taking my test and it took me two years to take it again. I was at T-Mobile and she made me flashcards, was pushing me to take the test Very cool and she would remind me, like, don't forget why you're doing this. Right, it's like my mom's my biggest supporter Next to my mom is my wife, you know, and I was like you know what, like, if they really believe in me, like when I was a kid, my baseball coach believed in me at some point. You know I should do it and see it all the way through. Sure, sure, because if they believe in me, they see something that I don't. So, really, so, really. Like I owe it all to my mom and my wife. If it wasn't for them, I'd probably still be, not that? Not that it's a bad thing. I'd probably still be at T-Mobile. I love that job, yet I'd probably still be there.
Speaker 1:Right, right, and, and, and, still wondering each day that passes. What could life look like Right?
Speaker 2:And true story. When I was at T-Mobile, my friend Jose Barra will tell you. We used to work together and they used to always tell me what are you doing over there Selling a house? Because I would take forever with each client, because I never sold you anything. Even today, I don't sell anything. When I teach classes at KW, I always say if you're going to sell work for a new builder, their job is to sell. My job is to connect the dots and help you accomplish your dreams. Whatever that is Right, right, I don't sell. So even at T-Mobile, yeah, they give me sales goals, but I never sold you anything. I would educate you and then you would tell me what you want.
Speaker 1:And you're basically educating them up to the point that it creates a sale. But I like the way that you put that. It's a lot of what we preach here is we're not necessarily selling, even though it is sales. We are solving problems, we are giving solutions and providing avenues that allow these consumers to accomplish those goals. Yeah, I like that concept. So what year was that you jumped into the business?
Speaker 2:2017. Okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, 2017, and everything was just starting to kind of heat up at that time. It wasn't yet the heyday, so to speak. Once we get to 2020, that's right. It was just holy cow. There's so much business everywhere going crazy. So when you jumped into the industry after your classes and everything like that, were you by yourself as an agent? What was that like, going through that growth process?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I ended up so funny story I mentioned that I failed and took me two years to pass Sure Right For the second time. So when I went to real estate prep for the test prep I went to Champions, not Seabor. And so I'm a big believer in God and my faith and all that stuff and a big believer in signs. And God was telling me in that moment, when I was at that test prep class, to go with Scott Maloof. Okay, but I ignore the signs. Sitting next to me was Victoria Collins. I didn't know who she was at the time and I remember her phone lit up and had the Maloof logo. And I knew Scott because I met him for the first time at T-Mobile. However, I knew of him because at the same time that my band was killing it, so was AJ Hearns.
Speaker 2:Yeah so people would talk about Maloof International or Maloof Entertainment and I'm like, who's this Maloof guy? Because I thought I was big right, sure. So I heard about him and I'm pretty sure he's the reason why they changed the rules on how many times you can fail before you got to go back to class. He talks about it. I think he failed like 16 times, oh goodness. When I was in high school I remember people were laughing about him, laughing at him Like, oh, here comes the guy Scott. He failed this many times.
Speaker 1:I like that.
Speaker 2:I want people to quit when they feel one, two times, you're all the money. Yes, so that was one. And then I sat next to Victoria Collins. That was two. And then I got licensed and I was like you know what I want to go with? Ceiling was so high, I wanted so much out of his career because I went all in. I like that Right, yeah, and their pace was a little slower. So I was like, man, this is not going to work out. So I ended up meeting with Scott and he recruited me into KW right Heritage and I got licensed in May. My first closing wasn't until September, but I was working full time.
Speaker 2:I'm there I was there every day, grinding it out, trying to find a client, until I finally got a closing yeah. So no one's eaten more crow that than me, like I'm not a firm believer. So Scott and I had interviewed like we interviewed three times to join the team, and the first two times I said no to him, which is crazy, because at that time he was the man of the hour. I mean, yeah, he's my best friend now. He's like a brother to me.
Speaker 1:at the time, though, he was like the popular high school kid, and it's funny that you mentioned aj hearns because I didn't know who he was until scott called me and asked hey, I've got this guy, aj, he wants to uh film or record a music video. Can I use your house? And I'm like, uh sure, like I guess. So they came in him and his crew and they, they recorded the video. What is the name of the song? Tesla, uh-huh, white Tesla, something like that, but that, yeah, they recorded that in my downstairs nice game room, so to speak yeah, yeah, he was big.
Speaker 2:I mean, he was really really big, also really cool guy, yeah, yeah we became good friends, but, yeah, so he.
Speaker 2:He interviewed me. I said no to him twice and then finally like I just can't keep bringing it to my wife I was at the time, I had left kW for a little bit and I was at another brokerage mom-and-pop great people again. I was at the time, I had left KW for a little bit and I was at another brokerage. We were mom and pop great people Again. I just kind of wanted more. I wanted to work with someone that I'm a visionary. I love to think of things and execute these things and think big.
Speaker 2:I've always been that way, since I was a kid and I just I was like. I told my wife and she said you know, at this point, just ask him to be your boyfriend, because all you do is talk about Scott. And I was like I just feel like this is the right move. And my parents got divorced and I was left with the job to tell my dad, my sister, my brother, which was hard, harder after the fact. However, that moment I was super depressed, sad, in my room. My brother had just got married. I told him when he came back from his honeymoon at La Panaderia on Broadway. I was like he ate the sandwich and I was like my parents are getting a divorce, like I just didn't know how to tell him Dropped it, just dropped it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I told my sister right away and you know it was. It was tough. You know it was tough for everyone. The dodgers lost the world series to the boston redsox, the list goes on and on. I saw that in person on hd and it was. It was tough.
Speaker 2:And I remember I was like down in the slumps and I text. Scott texted me random. Hey, uh, are you good or something? And there's no way in the world that he would have known this. Sure, because that just happened and I was, and I was like actually I'm not okay, you know, and I'm not even at KW at this point, right, I was like I'm not okay.
Speaker 2:The people I'm around don't seem to care about my well-being, they just care about my production, right. And so I texted him. I said, hey, can I talk to Steve Collins? Talking to him was hard at the time, especially when you're not at KW, it's pretty hard. He's a family man, absolutely Huge family, and he's like, yeah, I got you, put us in a group chat and my decision. Right there I said you know what this person? I have absolutely nothing to give this guy and he's helping me out in the worst moment of my life. I want to give him a shot. You want to come with us? I said no, even though I made my decision. I didn't produce on the team. I don't want to show up and take away from your guys' experience, so I'll just. I'll sit this one out and, yeah, I started in January.
Speaker 1:Says a lot about your character, by the way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I just I was just raised by my, my us, to work hard, not to be lazy, and I just felt like I don't, I'm not gonna, I didn't earn that right, right, so I don't want to go. So I I stayed here. My brother followed me. When we were an astronaut group, we started off and my business tripled. Uh, when I joined, because I was able to do things that I wasn't taught as a kid, which is leverage. Yes, that was not a thing.
Speaker 2:My dad had a very successful landscaping business in beverly hills. We're around that our whole lives. Great clients that gave us a lot of great wisdom. His clients taught us how to swim in a pool. I mean, some of the best people on earth that poured into us when we were kids and my dad did too and we just kind of always were his helpers on the weekends.
Speaker 2:He would maybe have a helper here and there, but he never understood leverage. He did everything himself. So, being a control freak and me being like my brand, my business, me, me, me, me, me was stressing me out to the point where, when I learned to leverage out and delegate things because Scott had taught me that, it bought me back so much time to do things with people I want to do so. Real estate is, say, for example, like a stressful business, this and that. Real estate is, say, for example, like a stressful business, this and that. However, I probably have a lot more time that I want to spend my way because I'm able to leverage, which I never did that as a kid.
Speaker 1:And it's funny that you bring that up. I just had Kendra Ray shout out girl in here. It was either yesterday or the day before yesterday yesterday or the day before yesterday and she was asking number one how to do more of the content recording, processing, editing and distribution of it. So I was showing her ways that AI can help her do some pieces of it. But there's one piece that you have to do yourself essentially is recording the content itself.
Speaker 1:Then we got into another bigger concept of the focus funnel. Have you ever heard of the focus funnel? Okay, so the focus funnel and it's basically what you're talking about here is figuring out a way to give you back more time while growing your business at the same time. So the focus funnel says you take all the tasks and things that it takes to run your business the same time. So the focus funnel says you take all the tasks and things that it takes to run your business, list them out. Then you take all of those tasks individually and you run them through a funnel, and top of the funnel is you're going to delegate.
Speaker 1:Next is you're going to automate, then you're going to eliminate and anything left out of those task lists. That's what you're left to do as you the person, the producer, the head of the snake, the owner of the business which that list in itself should be much smaller than when you first started because now you've put some things over here, to delegate some things over here that can be automated with technology and AI and things of that nature and then you will come to find that wait a minute, once I've done that, I don't have to do all of these other things so you can eliminate them. And then what's left? Is you Right Giving you back the time by way of the focus funnel, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that I mean, especially now with having a baby. I love spending time with her. You know, a new baby, new baby. I love spending time with her New baby, new baby. She's seven months. Congratulations, thank you. I love spending time with her. I love spending time with my wife, my brother-in-law. He's like my son. I've been essentially helping raise him since he was like five. He does a lot of baseball. I love spending time with him, picking him from school't just sit around, I don't even watch TV. Nothing wrong with that. I just like to spend my time doing other things. I've been spending a lot more time with CBC helping out their kids for the high school Wednesdays and the retreats. So I'm a lot more fulfilled these days with the things that I do. Getting back to the community, right Then, the way I was raised, which is like work, work, work and then maybe you have like a Sunday off, you know in the volume, the intensity, as it turned up.
Speaker 1:I know now you've now delegated things of that nature, but in 2020, everybody was going nuts with business. I'm sure you were as well. What was that like in managing the time, in handling the deals and communicating with the customers?
Speaker 2:That whole period, man, I'm gonna tell you right now, and I tell everyone. I'm very transparent, I'm an open book. Looking back at it, I really hated who I became. I became this like money monster just business, business, business. If you can't stick it out, suck it up. I can fix it with money, because there was business everywhere, and I mean the good thing. In 2020, before it really popped, we had already gotten our media person, we had already gotten our VAs, we had already gotten our vas intact. So we were very busy, like I'm sure it happened to you, happened to me. People loved me, fired me. Then you had another five clients coming in because if I wasn't there, right there, I found someone else because bob just got his license, who used to be a you know whatever you're right it was.
Speaker 2:It was a weird time. I mean we killed it, though I we ended up doing a lot of flips because, well, you know what, if there's no inventory in the market, we're gonna create the inventory. Uh, it was great. I mean, we made a lot of money, uh, and there was a lot of delegating at that time and we really did have it ironed out. I don't think that at that time there was ever a moment where I felt like overwhelmed, where I couldn't get to some things. We had our team, like there's, we have a team within a team model. Okay, I had Alexis. I definitely overwhelmed her. I also made a lot of really bad moves that were money motivated. That I absolutely regret now.
Speaker 2:Um, it getting slower, how it's gotten, has let me realize and reorganize my life and see what matters more to me, and business is just not it. You know it was good, though. I mean we did really well, like you did, like everybody else did very well. It was really weird when I couldn't find properties. I had a family from Virginia that I remember like the husband was CIA. I remember the husband was CIA, the wife was a trust fund accountant or something. I mean really well off, they're looking for a house up to 2.1, and I couldn't find them anything. That was weird Because you know, now in this market now it's like you find a laundry list of houses.
Speaker 2:So I was definitely like the biggest thing probably was when I couldn't because I like to hunt when I couldn't find something for people. That was probably the most fascinating thing about the market. The market in itself, yeah, yeah, and through that caused me to put, because we're a God, family, business. At that time it was just business, business, business. I just kind of put everything off to the side and and I was like you know what? You have the platinum. Go do something, you know, and that's not how life should go. So it was great, you know, I definitely saw what I'm capable of. So I'm just now I'm like, well, I'm gonna do it again.
Speaker 1:So that raises another question, or topic in itself, the concept of inventory. Right now our inventory is still pretty low. I mean, if we were to look up at what the inventory is, let's see if we can look at it. San Antonio real estate inventory Inventory let's go there, Okay. So this is January Current inventory of homes available in San Antonio. Figures blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Let's see if we can find something that shows how much or how little inventory there actually is. Let's see if this gives us something. Okay for sales inventory January Okay, here we go. New listings 1,941 new listings entering in January. As opposed, let's see here, no, that doesn't give too too much. Let's how many months of inventory, uh, in inventory um is available in San Antonio. Right there, 4.3 months, 4.3 months.
Speaker 1:So we are still, by definition, in a buyer's market, but yet the inventory is lacking, in my opinion, for pre-owned homes and now a little bit of new construction homes, because they want to make sure that they qualify and all that jazz and see what's going to happen with the market to continue to build homes.
Speaker 1:That being the case, myself, other lenders, realtors we're seeing a big push, and for the past several years, towards new construction, Right, and new construction in itself is its own topic that we've discussed on here before, and I believe it's right for the right buyer that is essentially looking to stay long-term.
Speaker 1:They are not wanting to purchase something that may have I don't know growing pains in it, issues with the home itself. Having to replace this or that new home gives them a little bit of encouragement and value that they don't see in a pre-owned home by just the warranty in itself, that peace of mind, Right. So with that push that's being made, it's creating this I don't want to say arrogance, but almost a bit of a I don't know higher pedestal for most of these builders, because they know that the business is coming to them Right. In addition, if that buyer doesn't qualify, there's not a lot of incentive to work harder to get them to qualify, because there's additional customers waiting in line right behind them, Right? What has your experience been with builders overall? And then we can get into what specific. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I've always been really big. As I said, like off camera, if we have an issue with something, we can just figure it out and be friends afterwards. I just had this conversation with Angel. You know, you have an employer where you're like, man, I just can't get along with Bob at work, and then Bob's actually super cool outside of work.
Speaker 2:He just has to be a different person at work, right? Their job isn't their personality, right, right. So builders, for the most part, have been awesome to work with. Builder lenders have been awesome to work with. I haven't had really many issues. However, the issues that I have had have caused me to then tell my buyers in the future hey, I'll take you anywhere, but these are the ones I don't recommend, and here is why. Here is why. And it's never going to be. I know every joke is like you know, lenar or whatever, but it's really not just them, right?
Speaker 1:just them. You know, right, there's, there's, uh, and you know what. Let's pause right there, because in my opinion, the first um blow that was given to Lenar from the actual agents that I have seen within shift talk and other groups that I'm in, uh, social media groups was when they dropped commission to 2% and then to 1% or something like that, and that's when the bashing started and it was almost like, guys, you realize that this NAR ruling has to do with the shit that you guys are bringing up right now, and this is why I mean don't take away my commission, but yet you're literally putting on there that you're steering your customers because it's lower commission.
Speaker 2:Yep like, wait a minute yeah, those are people who are very short-sighted. We're are nearsighted, we're, we're farsighted. Hey, you know what? I'm gonna hook you up on this one um, and then maybe in the future you refer me to three, four. I mean, the way I've always, the way I've always seen it is like this right, it's, it's, it's. If I'm open, honest and transparent with all my clients, they won't care what I make, right, right, if I make too much, too little, they're going to say you know what? He took such good care of me. I got to find him a friend or a cousin or somebody that can use him because he was awesome.
Speaker 2:My first Lenar issue had nothing to do with Lenar as a company, had to do with the Lenar sales rep who tried to take me out of the deal, and my client called me. See, this is the thing Whenever I have a client, mark, they're not just like, even if I just met you, dude, I'm so invested in wanting to get to know you because when we had our realtors growing up, they didn't even know who the decision maker was. Yeah, that's tough. Do you know who the decision maker was in our family? I'm going to give you a hint. Not my mom, makes sense. It was me, my brother and my sister.
Speaker 2:So every time that these realtors were showing us these fixed records that my dad wanted to see also, I'm sure they're all haunted, you know all those houses they, you know, they're my mom, dad I said, nah, I'm going to take you to dinner or whatever. And they would always ask us hey, what do you guys think? Oh, we hate it. Nah, that house is scary, right, and these realtors never knew that. They didn't pick up on them. They never did so with us. Now, by the time that our client walks into anywhere new build, someone else's open house, they're so in love with us that if anyone tries to separate us, they're going to tell me.
Speaker 1:And I think that that is a point that rings true in any industry. Now I will say, on the lending side of things, I agree 100% with that. Our industry went through the same thing that you guys did, but the folks that got into the industry during that time never got to learn what it's like to be an advocate for your customer. Learn your customer, listen to them, ask the right questions that help you get to the solution or the end goal for that customer. They just wanted to go on to the next loan. Okay, looking at the credit, looking at the assets here's your options. On to the next Versus actually listening, understanding what their goals were and knowing how to communicate with this borrower, not just what to communicate with the borrower, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2:No, it's true. I mean, that's the way that it should be. That's the way that we've always done it, and our first stint with Lenar was that. And the funny thing is that that rep now is a realtor. That's the funny part. Yeah, it's funny. And so she tried to take me out. Client calls me and then she's not a lender, but she quoted like a lender.
Speaker 1:Oh, this is your payment.
Speaker 2:This is your payment Like if she was like dead set. I know what I'm talking about. I'm the number one, whatever. So they ended up doing the red carpet, walk through what they do and then never closed.
Speaker 1:Wow, and you mentioned something. Those of you out there listening tuning in Josue just mentioned something that we actually have a discussion with John Hudson that will be coming out next week, in regards to lenders and non-lenders quoting interest rates, quoting payments, quoting terms, things of that nature and being unlicensed, because we want to make sure that everybody is doing it the right way. In addition, when you're out there doing it the wrong way and the wrong way is repeated too many times, it becomes the truth in the consumer's mind, right, and that's just not how we want to do business. We're in this for the long haul. So, yeah, back to you. Sorry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, no, I have friends who are lenders. Um, so, yeah, back to you, sorry, yeah, no, no, I have friends who are lenders and I'll, hey, I'll tell them for me. Yeah, hey, he doesn't just educate me real quick what would this be, and then never give me an answer. It always, well, it depends, you know, because they're responsible lenders, correct. Well, because you know, uh, you know a, b and c. I'm just like all right, yeah there.
Speaker 1:There is no um one size fit all. You can't paint a, a picture with a broad brush, so to speak, because everything is individual. It's like a fingerprint or anything else that snowflake. There's no one that is the same, and when you quote somebody, something, they then take it as the gospel. And then, once it comes to the time that they can lock in the rate and it's different you're now a liar.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean it's, and it's true. So so I actually appreciate more. I always tell people the one word I despise saying is depends. I just I don't like to use that word unless I absolutely have to, and the times that I do, I reemphasize, I don't want to say this. However, it depends, that's correct, it's true, you know. And so that one they ended up not getting the house because the numbers were off, and it was one of those things. So my first stint was with them. So then I was like okay, well, maybe that's not someone I want to work with Because they're very, at the time I don't know about now were very much like sales heavy.
Speaker 1:Like they got to push something right. Oh, they still are. I don't know. Guaranteed everybody? I don't, especially now, simply because the volume is not there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, from what they're used to, and nobody likes to go backwards in sales yeah, I don't, um, I haven't closed uh lenore home today, mainly because the clients just don't like them. Yeah, you know, um. However, so you know, we've had different stints. You know what? One builder that didn't uh want to give us back our earnest money, even though they messed up, and it wasn't even on the builder, it was on the rep representing the builder. And same thing Got licensed and we were under contract with her and she botched the deal and they had to give up their earnest money. And, for those who don't know, earnest money is a deposit for the house and she's like the client's making me pay for it. He's like, show me some mercy. Like no, and it had nothing to do with what she did before. It was. Our client said no. Our client said no, I need this money, right. So it's like the money you took from my va client years ago, you just had to repay. Wow, you know. Wow, it's like things, things like that, right. So we had a few stints here and there.
Speaker 2:For the most part, though, builders are awesome, the reps are awesome. Sometimes, you know, using the builder lender, you know, is a better option. They're awesome. I rarely have an issue. So when we have the issues. It's like you're going out of your way at that point. To have problems, right, you know that point. To have problems, you know, and with us I'm not saying this to brag, but we've helped out hundreds of families year over year. We want nothing else more than to build a relationship with you. Yeah, so when we have family four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, a hundred, we can say you know Bob, I love Bob, everyone loves Bob. Right, bob takes care of everyone. And our clients, before they see Bob, they know, hey, these are the incentives they send us, the incentives. This is the Flex Cash they have. We disclose it. Right, look, I'm not keeping anything, because I know from back in the day that reps had their favorites in the industry and they would give them unrepresented buyers and they would kick back.
Speaker 2:And I'm very well aware of all that. Oh, yeah, you know, hey, the flex cash is 10,000. We'll just tell the client there's five, we get to split the other five. I know about all that stuff. I've never played that game, even when there was bonuses with builders. I would pay for clients, refrigerators, blinds, garage door openers, and we would disclose. I would tell them hey, texas is a disclosure state You're going to see how much my broker is getting. So I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you into getting anything. So if I can take care of you in any way, I am going to. If I can you know.
Speaker 1:So that's why we and that breeds value within what your services and what you provide to your consumers Right.
Speaker 2:And I've always been like that. My friends who sell us cars are the same way. I've always appreciated that, because, even though I'm not selling something, I can't help and change people's perception of me, right, because they might still, at the core of what they believe, think I'm selling something, yeah, when I know I'm not. However, that's why I like to disclose hey, here's what's going on. Hey, here's what's going on. I want them to trust me, right? So, that being said, the situation that came up recently in San Antonio. So the way the story starts, there's a couple that we met at an open house years ago.
Speaker 1:So are you getting into the situation? Yeah, okay, guys. So now there was a conversation or a post that Josue put out on Shift Talk that got a lot of attention, and rightfully so, based on the dialogue that was in there. I personally made a comment on there saying, hey, if you're not willing to tell us who it is, in fear of maybe not making a commission or something along those lines, why waste our time with bringing this concept up? Because it's not necessarily helping anybody. But I think, from your aspect, you were trying to get different perspectives in that situation. So if you can take us through what took place, the stuff behind the post and what actually happened, go ahead and articulate yourself. Take us through that journey.
Speaker 2:So Scott has told me before and it stuck to me there's always three sides to every story their side, the other side and the truth. So I never want to post off emotion. I made that post, which I'll break down in a little bit, to grant awareness to people, to make sure that if you don't have everything buttoned up, button it up Right, because, like I said, I haven't had these types of issues in such a long time Right. So the way this started back to like our clients, how we get married to them, right is. We met this couple couple in 2021 when they tried to buy one of our listings and they were cash buyers. They lost a multiple offer situation. However, there were a couple that we got along great at the open house. I mean they're a sweet couple. I mean I can see our dogs living here with us. They love the house. You know veteran clients. I love helping veterans. That's the kind of like. If I can help them out, I'd love to.
Speaker 2:And so they ended up buying another house in the same neighborhood. Years later, we're doing an open house again in that neighborhood and they walk in at the end like we did 12 to 4 they show about four and I was like, oh my gosh, like it's been years. Yeah, you know, how are you guys? Oh, you're doing great. We bought a house with the pool. We don't like the pool, we're just not. We're trying to downsize, get a different kind of house. Um, can you help us sell our house and then buy another one? It's like, why not, mind you, we, I'm your guy, right. Well, we, we already connected years ago. Yeah, this is like a family reunion. So I'm excited and they're excited and so we meet, we go to this whole thing.
Speaker 2:So I asked them hey, you know, from the last time you tried selling your house, what didn't you like? Well, we were going to buy a house with, uh, mi homes in everly estates it's like china grove area, you know, and I'm familiar because my mom likes it there sure, half acre, lots, all that stuff, like you know. However, they they recommended that we use their preferred realtor I won't say their name because they're great people, sure, nothing to do with them, preferred realtor and they were going to rebate commission. So we hired them to sell our house and you know, it didn't work out. So I asked well, what didn't you like? Well, they weren't really on top of our listing. They kind of just put the sign up front and I said, well, yeah, because you're kind of doing kind of an a la carte at that point, they're giving you a discount, they're making money from the builder. The real winners and this is my opinion, I could be wrong is them. The builder is the one winning here. Sure, right, sure.
Speaker 1:They're having somebody discount their commission to bring them the buyer and they're also providing less of a commission on the outside.
Speaker 2:So I totally, yeah, I agree with you and this is all to help the builder, so you know. But they didn't like anything about the process, so I said, well, it's different. When you hire us, you know that the pricing is definitely different. However, we're going to do, you know, the full service and the listing will virtually stage all that stuff. And on the the buy side, I'm going to walk you through when you build on the things to pay for and not pay for to save you the most amount of money. You know I'm taking care of and anything that you want to get an extra on the house, if I can get it done for you for less outside will help you. And they like our stuff. Where we have an interior design company also, okay, and they they loved our stuff said, well, let's just get the big stuff with them, right, the things that are on warranties and then the design center. We can just skip it if we can, right. That's kind of where that conversation started. And they love the fact that we're going to do I don't want to call it handholding, but we're doing a very much a full concierge, five-star experience for these clients, right, we'd like to spend time with them, take them to lunch, dinners, coffees and we'd like to do all that to get to know them, to figure out what move means the most to them.
Speaker 2:Yeah Right, so we go through all this conversation and work and prep, they sign the buyer's rep and they go hey, what are your thoughts on? Am I at Homes? I said, well, we used to sell a ton of them, a lot of their houses back when they had more communities. Joanne King, which is at Perry now, she was our go-to there. And then this guy named Ola, who's now at Beezer Homes, used to be our guy there. But we sell a ton of their stuff and there's numbers to prove that. So that's not even like fluff. Right, at some point we were their preferred listing agents. We listed all their homes, homes, and it just didn't work out. So we decided not to list anymore. It just wasn't worth it for us. So we were the preferred lenders, gave them a ton of business and our perception on the builder was great At that time they built one of the more up-to-date houses for the price.
Speaker 2:I love their product. So when they said, hey, so we're thinking about different areas, what are your thoughts about the builders? I said the builder's awesome. Have you heard of Everly Estates, like well, it's funny you say that because that's actually where we went under contract over a year ago on this one house I was like, awesome, let's do it. You know it's a great area.
Speaker 2:So they went on their own to go see the house, like super late in the day, and they said but don't worry, we're not going to contract anything until you're here. So I told him hey, don't worry about it, if I can't go my my other agent, isaac, he'll go with you. So they ended up going like after hours, okay To go just kind of preview the area. I guess a sales rep was there, I can. They went back the second time and Isaac went and they were ready to pull the trigger on a lot which, mind you, whenever a neighborhood is on a closeout and again, if I'm wrong, no one likes to be wrong more than me If I'm wrong, tell me Most builders that I've dealt with when they're on a closeout neighborhood, they discount things right. They're trying to take advantage of them by charging a lot premium on a lot that had drainage in it, another lot that backed up to like a kind of a bunch of a mess back there, and then another lot that backed up to the main road, okay. And so I told them. I said there's nothing premium about any of that when it comes down to resale time, which, even if you say you won't sell if you did, that's a hard sale in itself, right? So so they ended up agreeing.
Speaker 2:They took Isaac, they wanted to make a decision on a lot, and they told him flat out hey, you're not getting paid, right. So Isaac calls, he goes hey, man, they're saying we're not going to get paid, why? Well, because they came a year ago, not with the realtor, they were assigned the realtor. Okay, the realtor, okay. Okay, from the builder. From the builder, right. Because they're saying, oh, it's because you weren't there originally. Well, neither was the other realtor, right, he was just assigned, right. So I said you know what, let me figure this one out, right, let me just kind of process what you're telling me. Sure, and she said no, through upper management, see what they say. Because, yeah, you're just not getting paid.
Speaker 2:And then she was pushing our buyer to sign the contract and I said we're not signing the contract unless they're getting taken care of, because they're doing all this work. And she told him, like, realtors are useless on the builder side, you don't need them for new builds, which is false. And he had even said he's like well, I want to take him with us to the design center and help us out. Oh, then I, they're not allowed in the design center. Whoa, like whoa if. If it's hours of operation 96, I can walk in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, I could be a in addition, I, I don't. I think it's very odd that a builder who is relying upon realtors to bring them business is uh, is speaking these kind of words into existence, in the sense that you're biting the hand that feeds you, but then the logic behind it, to say that a realtor is not necessary is asinine in my opinion. Simply because you need to have a buffer there, you need to have representation, you need to have a third party you, the realtor to be on your side, the building right, they're on their side right period exactly, and they know that because I educated them on that before they even went in the first place.
Speaker 2:And, like the, the person in charge is jacqueline. We've dealt with her before, right, you know. She knows who we are and the, the rep, just can. Oh well, they don't really give us business like that. I don't know why they're saying they give us business. It's like this lady must have been new. I'm not really sure. And again, I have zero ego here at all.
Speaker 1:Regardless of whether you've given them business or not prior to this. Let's say I'm an agent that has never done business with this builder before and I'm representing You're the fiduciary cause or, I'm sorry, you're the procuring cause of this transaction in itself. Whether it was, they came in on their own a year ago and contracted, times change, prices change, homes change. If that contract was terminated, there is no contract anymore, to my understanding.
Speaker 2:No, it's true. Yeah, there is no contract and I was so confused because we have everything buttoned up on our end so she essentially goes, does all that. He calls me. So we confront her about it. We're like what would you say? Oh, I never said all that, so my client just made all that up. That's kind of odd.
Speaker 1:It's basically what she's saying. If she didn't say that, then your client made this stuff up.
Speaker 2:No, exactly.
Speaker 1:So then finally, Scott talks to Jacqueline and it's difficult for you to get to the bottom of something like this with your customer because you don't want to ruffle any feathers, you don't want to make the transaction about you and you don't want to make this transition experience journey for the customer any less exciting, enticing than it should. Be Right, and this is almost a distraction from that process.
Speaker 2:Oh, it is. And the thing is that the whole thing happens. She gets confronted, she denies it. Jacqueline finally talks to Scott, says no, Scott, you know, the other realtor was on it.
Speaker 1:And so we're talking the other realtor from a year ago.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the other realtor, so Jacqueline is the manager for MI the other realtor had, I mean, they already canceled a long time ago.
Speaker 1:They have absolutely but that's who they were trying to give the commission to. Yeah, wow.
Speaker 2:So this is where it got interesting again, right? Because? So the client, he's smart, older military man, he's very, very smart, him and his husband very intelligent folks, they're very affluent and they say fine, and if you're not going to pay them, fine, they give me the discount. Well, we can't do that. So then she was like what can I use? And I'll say this company because their ethics and morals are on point. She said what can I use? And I'll say this company because the ethics and morals are on point. She said what can I use? Move up America. And I said yeah, she said you can use Move Up America. So he calls the guy and goes do you have a rep signed? Yeah, we can't help you Like, just work with your realtor. So I was like America.
Speaker 1:He goes well, you have a buyer's rep. We can't help you.
Speaker 2:Which I like that, that he told him that, because that helps me even have even more respect for those guys. Because, like I said, at the core of what we do for a living, we're still people. We can still hang out and be friends and have a coffee, right, right. So then they say no. So then he goes well, fine, can we use the preferred realtor? Then yes, but then he asked well, why? Because they never showed us the house, right. So finally we get to the end of this. I'm already like upset, everyone on shift talks blowing me up, and the reason why I didn't post it was because it's not that I was never going to say anything. I was going to say something regardless.
Speaker 1:it wasn't resolved yet, right, I wanted to, I wanted to see the end what was the end of it going to do and what is their final thoughts. Then I can take action and I understand why that took place Right, right, because I've never liked.
Speaker 2:Whenever people like don't name drop builders, I'm like I need to know who to protect myself from Right. And so that happens. And then they finally say, yeah, we'll allow you to be put on the contract. And this is the next thing. I was like what the heck? The caveat is that and their rules are we had to list their house within seven days of signing that contract. Mind you, they're building from dirt. Our average days on the market are, I think, like 30-something 30-some odd days, 32 days.
Speaker 1:So they would have been out of a home for months, just unsatisfied, when the home hasn't even begun Right Now. That was per the lender, I would imagine. No, per MI Homes. Per MI Homes, which was given direction from their lender, I would imagine.
Speaker 2:No, here's the best part. They own their house, free and clear, oh Lordy Jesus. They bought it cash. They can finance the house, they qualify, but they're like just because they know the house is there, like you know what. You have to list the house in order to build with us. So my thing. So what happens whenever I sell it? Hey buyer's agent who's buying this house? We got to have you on a lease sales rep that was not going to upper management and handling on their own. She tried to handle it on her own.
Speaker 1:That's what I feel is happening is the sales rep was trying to handle it all on their own, without going to upper management, because if upper management gets involved, it's going to go against what she has already or he has already laid out. Essentially yeah making them look a little silly well, it was upper management.
Speaker 2:I mean, at the end of the day, like I can't as upset as I was, I can't blame her because at the end of the day, she's a rep taking directions from upper management so that is the new direction in which they are going right.
Speaker 2:So until the market shifts and they have to be your best- friend, exactly so upper management eventually said yes, you know, and we figured it out. But then they gave us stipulations, right? So my whole thing was if, at the end of the day, you were going to let us help them out anyways, why even go through this whole thing, correct? Why all the extra like comments and side talk? Like what's the point of all that stuff? Like I'm one of the ones that fights for what's right. Right, and I was never going to stop.
Speaker 2:You know, luckily it it could have panned out for us. But you know what happens at the end. Our clients, like well, if it's already this tough, now how do you think it's going to go? During the process? And I told them honestly, it's probably going to get worse, because usually the beginning is where they try to massage you and like, oh, yeah, sure, you know what I always hear. Like they're going to build this beautiful amenity center that never gets built, right, yeah, and it started off rough, and that was one of the things that I said. You know how many realtors would have just been like well, dang, okay. And then that preferred realtor would have had to deposit in their account, like, oh, how did that get in there?
Speaker 1:So I wonder if it was this a change of regime that took place at MI Homes, because I've heard good things about MI Homes. We've done a lot of their turndowns and I just I don't think any builder should be taking this kind of stance on anything in a market that we're in that we need to continue to sell homes, they need to continue to build homes. It's a necessary evil that needs to take place because we've got to supply the market with the demand or the inventory, the supply that is being demanded at yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't know, man, because I love at my homes, yeah, and even to this day I'd still recommend it at my home If a client said hey, they have a neighborhood that just opened up, I'll take them there. I like the builder. It's just like this process was just so weird to me. I don't understand. You have a good house, the area works for our client. Why are we making this difficult? How many other agents would have just been like well, sure, I guess. Sorry, I guess I'll work for free.
Speaker 1:Scott was involved in this situation. Yeah, what did he have to say to you in way of advice, in way of and I can't ask you, to what did Scott think? No, what advice did he give you? What?
Speaker 2:was the perspective of that in moving forward with this situation. He just told me, you know, because he has a great relationship with a lot of people, so he said, let me just talk to her and figure this out, you know. So just sit tight and figure this out, you know. And that's what he did. I mean, he figured it out. We're able to make it happen. Our clients weren't comfortable at the end of the day, so we didn't do it.
Speaker 1:So your clients didn't move forward with that?
Speaker 2:no, because they're like I don't like how this whole thing went down. Because here's the thing if our clients would have paid us, which is totally up to them, then the go-to realtor would have still got paid, the builder would have still, whatever deal they got would have still happened, and then our client would have come out of pocket. So it's like the the client isn't winning here right at all. That you know. People always like crack all these jokes about different reps and all this stuff and it's. You know, I'm not going to say like this is going to happen forever, never, never. No, I'm sure I'll still have a buyer for them in the future.
Speaker 1:It's just stuff like this, especially in today's market where they have options it's really dumb, yeah, and and I think the toughest, saddest, confusing part to this is this recent nar settlement does not apply to any of this, because the builders are not a part of NAR. So therefore, the new regulation that could or could not come out in regards to having to remove commissions from the MLS and your marketing, et cetera, I don't believe that the builders have to abide by that at all.
Speaker 2:No, and I never cared about the commission too. Man, like I'm telling you, if it pays one, it's great, absolutely. It was one of those. Hey, you only get paid this much. I mean, whatever it is what it is, you know, because we've always been relationship-based, we've taken a dabble at online leads and it just never works out for us, for whatever reason, right, maybe because we don't know how to do it right, we've always pop by, loving on our clients, all that stuff. So, yeah, maybe you know this builder was only paying us this much, or the pre-owned home, whatever, but we were very confident that they'd refer us business. Even on the listing side. There's been times where our clients were so upside down that I had to do it for free, right, and I've had to tell the client just look, the only thing I'm asking you After you get your keys or you sell your house, you get your next step going. Just do your best to find me someone that could use my services. There you go, please. And it always happens that way.
Speaker 2:My dad's landscaping business in California grew in a time where there was no social media. There was really no phones, no tech. He drove his little Tacomas to work. He didn't have fancy trucks either. All it was was his hard work and it pretty much he would under-promise, over-deliver If he said he was going to do something. He did it. He was very learning-based. I want to learn something new so I can just do it myself, so I can get the job done and give the client the best experience ever. That was his whole thing since I was little. When we moved to San Antonio, he retired.
Speaker 1:Guys like him will never retire, guys like us will never really retire.
Speaker 2:You're right, we'll stop doing loans, but then we'll do something else. Right, that's how we're built. So whenever he came to San Antonio he was like I guess I'll do landscaping for fun. And then he ended up getting a brand new route so he had houses. I mean, it's just one of those things that when you have a dad like that that gives you great work ethic, and a mom that I had that was very nurturing, loving and understanding, like you kind of pair those two things together, clients will go out of their way to go find you business, absolutely you are correct.
Speaker 2:Because they're going to say, wow, like they just did it.
Speaker 1:And an obligation, but the feeling that you get when you close a customer, that customer also wants to be able to feel that as well when they give you someone.
Speaker 2:Right, I just like to connect the dots. I mean we're talking like off camera about like an artist Gio Di Surita I was there since day one Artists I just saw that's not new Trebla Art, my photographer buddy, josh Huskin, who's humongous Like there's something more that I love to see, that growth, and even if I had a tiny part, like I paid for that one art piece, I paid for that one photograph because I shared it. I want to have something to do with your success and that's really what powers me. Whenever I was. I had a clothing brand for a little bit and I stopped it. When I read the One Thing, I stopped everything and nothing but real estate. The One Thing was the best book ever that I read. Yeah, and Same here. I stopped everything.
Speaker 2:And my wife I remember we would do these events and we'd sell a bunch of stuff She'd say, man, all these kids are always asking you for all this advice and you're just giving them all the sauce, like told me once the game is sold, not told. And I asked him what does that mean? He said it means that you got to charge people for what you know. And I at first I was like, well, I guess I could make sense. And then I was like but that's not how I'm built. It's weird. There's people who make careers out of this and I'm happy for them. Right, I couldn't give you advice and tell you hey, mark, here's the invoice for that one hour. Right, I'm not built like that.
Speaker 2:So when we had our clothing brand, we had kids who didn't have a company. The next time we go to Houston or Dallas, they go hey, oswe, I have my brand, I have my own booth and I'd love to see that Transitioning into real estate. I love seeing builder reps that got started. They're brand new, they become our go-tos. They make a whole career in the living off of not just us but being able to refer them out. Same thing goes for the car salespeople or managers.
Speaker 2:I really do get fulfillment out of helping people really get to where they want to be. If these people and they can have their argument if these people who were trying to do what they did knew me and my wife and met my baby, and I would tell them hey, what you were doing wasn't to take away food from this happy baby and I maybe wouldn't be able to afford diapers or wipeys. Like, how does that make you feel that that's what you were going to do, because you weren't doing anything to me. Right Like bro when I was, I'm going to keep going, bro. I you know Gary Vaynerchuk. He said it and I stuck with it. He hates croak the whole way through and he always said be in love with the process.
Speaker 1:And I'm very much in love with my process and I think that you're on to something that has been adopted by many. Look at this show, for example. Every person that has been on this show thus far is adopting of that concept. We are giving as much as we possibly can. We're not here to give any kind of fluff. We're here to help others, not step on the same landmines that we have before. See others succeed by doing so. It also helps our paths, especially if we happen to come in contact with someone that has taken some of this advice, taken some of these nuggets and applied them, and it makes everybody else's job not easy but the right way. It puts it on the train or the track that we're all moving versus these road bumps and going this way, like your instance with MI Homes that went like this when it could have went like this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we would have already been under contract, correct? You know, I'm on the same boat man. I mean, whatever I learned in my life and that helped me really grow as a person, I want everyone to be on the same path. You know, I don't know, the whole situation kind of stressed me out a lot, because of the same reasons of hey man, we had it down, it was done, it was a done deal, and now it's a well, not back to the drawing board. But now the clients, they can't trust them anymore. So now they're like well, let's look somewhere else, even though that was perfect. Yeah, I don't trust them anymore. I want to go somewhere else and that's just something I don't.
Speaker 1:Well, definitely, information and education is the new currency, and can you put a dollar amount on it? Sometimes it's more valuable than it costs and sometimes it's cheaper than it costs, but at the end of the day, I believe it's something that only the experts are willing and able to share, simply because they do not have the fear of somebody taking that advice and it affecting them in any kind of way, right? So I believe that's what you're doing today is sharing your story, not saying don't go, go to mi. You're just saying this is how this situation was handled, um, this is how it could have been and this is what you guys need to look out for yeah, that's it.
Speaker 2:I mean they have a great product, their design center is beautiful. Yeah, nothing bad to say. It's the same thing with the lenard thing, like yeah, have I had my stints. Yeah, but I'm not gonna say, hey, the number I think one or number two company in the world for builds. I'm not going to say they are terrible, I mean they're number two for a reason.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I mean, whether I like them or not, I mean, they're doing something right and I'd love to have coffee with their CEO and see what they're doing. Of course, that's it, man. It's all it is. I went to, I did anger management in 2017, around there and 2018. And after that, man, I just learned, bro, once you learn how to manage those emotions of, like, anger and stress and all that which is normal everyone gets, once you learn how to manage all that stuff, bro, like life's not. It can get complicated, but it's really not that complicated.
Speaker 1:So I got this right here the rocket scientist. People will walk in here and they'll say, well, why do you have that? I mean, you're not a rocket scientist, I know, and neither is this, yeah, meaning. Let's not make it more complicated than it needs to be. I agree, that's just a reminder to go. Hey, let's keep it simple. We don't have to overcomplicate things. What is the end goal? What is the path to get there? Let's jump on that path instead of going the detour route, so to speak.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have a deal right now. The lender's stressed out. I'm like, chill, we're on the list side, relax.
Speaker 1:If it happens to fall apart, give us a holler.
Speaker 2:I will. I promise you I will. But I always feel like just give me a plan, that's it.
Speaker 1:It's really not want to give to the audience, give to the folks out there Maybe it's Shift Talk directly your group, anybody you want to say thank you to anything like that, but now is your time, brother.
Speaker 2:Oh well, thanks to you, first and foremost, for having me on here. Of course, just that, any-.
Speaker 1:Hopefully we can do this again as well on another topic that you-.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean, I'll just say this, you know, and one of the things that I've been focusing a lot on is I do follow the economy a ton. I look at buyer behaviors. I see what they're buying, what they're not buying, and one of the things that I've noticed the most is people are too prideful to get help. I've had a lot of clients, contractors and stuff fall to depression or drug addictions or whatever the case is. The market's not what it used to be. It's very tough for a lot of people. All I'm going to say and it will help me out honor your family. Just, no matter what's going on, just honor your family, god, family business, always, and we'll get through this. I know a lot of us are trying to get this information to try to better our lives all over again. Just keep honoring your family, keep God first, first, and we'll make it out of this.
Speaker 1:That's a solid message. Again, I really appreciate it and I'm looking forward to seeing your journey continue. Brother, let's go, Regardless. So, those of you out there, I'm hoping that you got something out of this. We're not saying don't go to MI. That's not what we're saying at all. This is kind of just like a newsflash update bulletin Be mindful, Know that if you are the procuring cause of a situation, make sure that you took the steps prior to CYA. Exactly, yeah, there you go. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we will catch you on the next one.
Speaker 1:Welcome to Key Factors Podcast, where knowledge meets ambition in the fast-paced world of real estate and mortgage. I'm your host, Mark Jones, bringing you the latest insight, trends and expert advice to navigate this dynamic property market. In each episode, we dive deep into the heart of the industry, dissecting market movement, exploring investment strategies and unlocking the secret to real estate success. Whether you're a seasoned professional, an aspiring investor or simply looking to stay ahead of the curve, this is the ultimate guide to making informed decisions in the world of property and real estate. So grab a seat and let's uncover the key factors that make all the difference. Welcome to Key Factors Podcast. Let the journey begin.