Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate With Leigh Brown

In this episode, Leigh’s guest, Melanie Schmidt, shares the how the love story unfolded between her client and her daughter. Melanie admits to taking on a matchmaker role in their relationship; in fact, she strongly urged her client to get a haircut so she could send his picture to her daughter. Talk about guts! Tune-in to hear the outcome of this matchmaking story and how Melanie’s sincerity and openness paves the way for her success in the real estate world. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:38 – Leigh welcomes Melanie Schmidt 00:55 – Melanie lives in Minnesota, has 3 children and 3 grandchildren and has been in real estate for 16 years 01:25 – Melanie’s goal is to make people’s dreams come true and she works within her client’s timeframe; before real estate, she had a home daycare 02:20 – Melanie is a hugger and she explains this to her clients during their meetin

In this episode, Leigh’s guest, Nick French, shares how making connections in real estate can not only find you your future daughter-in-law, these connections can also save your life. This story takes listeners into the world of real estate and all that it has to offer. Nick also shares his KEY piece of advice for those new agents looking to stay at forefront of the real estate industry.  Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.  Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:38 – Leigh welcomes Nick French 00:57 – Nick is located in Memphis, Tennessee and Fort Lauderdale, Florida and has been in the business for 44 years 01:33 – Nick’s late wife, Gail, was in the Women’s Council of Realtors and she was sent a referral by Sheila (president of the council at the time), a woman named Tracy 02:04 – Gail was booked, so their son, Taylor, met with Tracy to look at houses 02:37 – After closing, Taylor invited Tracy to a cel

Moral of today’s story: don’t ever share your title with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Belinda saw the frustrating effects of such a scenario play out while dealing with a short sale that just got WAY too complicated. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Belinda Fulton, a realtor with 25 years of experience working in the Cleveland area of Ohio. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.  Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:21 – Introduction for today’s episode 00:35 – Leigh introduces Belinda 00:49 – Belinda started in real estate in 1994, marking her 25th year in the practice 00:55 – Belinda is in the Cleveland area 01:07 – Belinda also lectures in real estate law and pre-license education 02:20 – Belinda is sharing this story as a precautionary tale 02:23 – “You should never give a title to your boyfriend or girlfriend” 02:26 – There are short sales where foreclosure can happen at the same time 02:40 – The b

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” – a lesson Buddy West learned in a very humbling way when he was out showing a house to a man whom he thought was a drug dealer. When you’re in the real estate industry, it’s incredibly important to not prejudge your clients. Instead, ask the right questions and be open-minded, fair and open with all who come seeking your help. Listen to find out just who Buddy’s shady-looking client really was and some other crazy stories Buddy has accumulated along the way. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:27 – Leigh welcomes today’s guest, Buddy West 00:36 – Buddy is a legend in the real estate industry 00:57 – He has been in real estate for 33 years 01:08 – He caters to the Delaware area 02:12 – Buddy will share 2 stories 02:18 – 1st story: Don’t pre-judge people 02:28 – One Sunday, Buddy got a phone call to look at a listing 02:51 – Buddy wen

In this episode, Leigh’s guest, Gary Balanoff talks about the importance of managing the relationship between developers and agent—Gary will also share his crazy story about the time an indecisive couple asked him to see more than 80 homes, before making a decision that would cost him his commission and a little bit of his sanity. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:39 – Leigh welcomes Gary Balanoff 00:52 – Gary has been in real estate for 33 years 01:10 – Gary worked as a broker for 18 years, and has lasted this long because he enjoys the process of working with buyers and sellers 04:06 – A pastor was moving to town and needed a place in one area but the availability wasn’t great 04:20 – They looked at more than 40 homes but there was always something wrong with each place 04:38 – After looking at all the homes, the pastor eventually decided to call it quits—

The last thing you you want to see during a closing is two people fighting. But the VERY last thing you want to see is two mothers fighting. But that’s what realtors Andrea Murphy and Morgan Bowling, were facing when they had to close on a home in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Want to learn how they averted disaster? Tune-in to this week’s episode of CSIRE to find out! Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:38 – Leigh introduces Andrea and Morgan 01:08 – Andrea and Morgan are from Louisville, Kentucky 01:13 – Andrea has been in the business for a little over 4 years 01:15 – Andrea is Morgan’s managing broker 01:18 – Morgan has been in the business for a little over 2 years 01:34 – Andrea and Morgan have survived the crucial years of real estate 02:49 – Andrea and Morgan share their story 03:05 – Morgan listed a property 03:14 – The person on the deed was un

Sometimes, being a realtor means sticking it out for clients in the most dire situations. For Peter Murray, sticking it out meant showing 3 houses even though he had a puddle of blood pooling in his shoe. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Peter Murray, an agent for Re/Max Results who has been in real estate for almost for years. Peter decided to be brave and persevere through three unconventional house showings, even if it cost him a foot injury in a house that was still very much under construction. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.  Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:21 – Introduction for today’s episode 00:38 – Leigh introduces Peter 00:41 – Peter is with Re/Max Results in Frederick, Maryland 00:47 – Peter has been a licensed realtor for almost 4 years now 00:57 – 85% of new licensees give up after just 2 years, making Peter a survivor 01:50 – Peter shares his story 01:53 – Peter was showing hous

Chase after your seller’s dog who is running down the street or show the home to potential buyers? No one really thinks they’d have to ever make this choice with the exception of today’s guest, Chris Donaldson. Leigh welcomes Chris Donaldson, the man behind Donaldson Educational Services. Tune in to find the choice Chris made and how it all paid off in the end.  Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:21 – Introduction for today’s episode 00:33 – Leigh introduces Chris 01:06 – Chris went to LSU and studied for 5 years 01:45 – Real estate helped Chris pay for his 5th year in college 02:31 – Chris has YouTube videos that are helpful and relatable to realtors 03:36 – Chris has a lot of crazy experiences 03:50 – There was one specific story that happened to Chris when he was still a young realtor 04:08 – Chris was in his early 20s when he scored a listing that was out of FHA

When you hire out a truck, you don’t expect it to be used for illegal purposes—especially when it’s hired out to your local church. Unfortunately, today’s guest, Greg Gorman, has had to clean up a wide range of messes made by his clients. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Greg Gorman of Team Paradise in Naples, Florida to share some crazy moving truck experiences.  Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:40 – Leigh introduces Greg 02:16 – In early 2000s, Greg decided to try their first moving truck 02:25 – Leigh also has her own moving truck 02:48 – On the first week of having the truck, they started advertising 02:56 – One of the clients who sold her house wanted to rent the truck 03:12 – After all the paperwork was done, the woman left with the truck 03:15 – 15 minutes later, the woman called asking for help 03:24 – The woman was less than 3 miles away from Greg’s office

Imagine coming to a home where you’re scheduled to have an open house. You walk in to find that the house is a complete disaster and the only person to help you out is a young guy with no pants on. Unfortunately today’s guest, Karen Cruz, stumbled upon this very stressful scenario and had to find a way to make this boy hustle and get things done. Dubbed as the Queen of Investment Properties, Karen Cruz has been in real estate for 20 years. Tune in to find out just how hard a realtor will hustle for their client... Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:35 – Leigh welcomes today’s guest, Karen Cruz 00:50 – Karen is located in Moorestown, New Jersey and has bought and invested in real estate for 20 years; she has now decided to help friends and family buy and sell property 01:10 – Leigh says there are more people trying to figure out investment in realty 02:07 – Karen was

David Burke has been in real estate for close to 20 years and has had to create a system for showing homes near water. Long story short—he keeps towels and umbrellas stocked in his car for his clients. David shares two CRAZY stories that show the playful side of real estate, but also express the importance of being prepared! Leigh welcomes David Burke of Team Paradise, Think Naples, Pelican Bay and Grey Oaks. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:38 – Leigh welcomes today’s guest, David Burke 01:00 – David has been in real estate for close to 20 years; he’s owned a real estate company and has also survived 2 crashes 02:16 – David shares his most interesting story while working with a high end client in Gulf Shore Boulevard of Naples 02:45 – David was working with a couple looking at the 3 and 4 million dollar range elevated residences 03:33 – They were walking along the

Three decades in real estate means countless experiences of CRAZY to share. Listen as today’s guest Terry Smith shares how her dinner date with her clients turned into an emergency situation with the police as their star guests. Terry is a realtor from Fort Worth, Texas who believes sharing a ride (and dinner) with your clients is the best way to make a connection. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.  Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:34 – Leigh welcomes today’s guest, Terry Smith 00:39 – Leigh met Terry online with a group of tech savvy realtors 01:01 – Terry lives in Fort Worth, Texas 01:07 – She’s been in real estate for 30 years 01:54 – Terry’s experience happened when she was showing a property in Texas 02:03 – They decided to eat dinner on their way back 02:09 – As soon as they pulled into the parking lot, the driver (buyer’s husband) got into a conversation with a biker who just pulled up 02:22

Realtors shouldn’t be under a parent-child relationship with employers. Terri empowers realtors and agents to be entrepreneurs! Terri began a support/mastermind group of realtors who act as accountability partners and offer support to one another to accomplish their goals. This is changing the industry for this team and fostering an environment of camaraderie as opposed to competition. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Terri Jeffries who has been in real estate for 23 years. She is a managing broker of United Real Estate Chicago in the suburb area in Chicago. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:41 – Leigh introduces Terri 01:05 – Terri is the managing broker of United Real Estate Chicago 01:18 – Terri currently has 225 agents in the Chicago area 01:23 – The brand rolled out in the Chicago market 5 years ago 01:31 – Terri has been in real estate for 23 years 01:54 – It’s

It’s the final walkthrough, everyone is happy and excited about the home, until one hears shrieks coming from the clients. Paula and her clients did not anticipate what would be in the freezer that merited a very deep clean of the home upon purchase. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Paula Mathofer, president of Arizona Association of Realtors. She is a realtor in Flagstaff, Arizona and shares her crazy story with us today. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:21 – Introduction for today’s episode 00:36 – Leigh introduces Paula 01:25 – Leigh thanks Paula for all that she does for realtors in Arizona 01:58 – Paula practices real estate in Flagstaff, Arizona 02:06 – Paula lives on the mountain that had a ski resort that just closed down 03:01 – Paula is a practicing realtor and a mom 03:12 – Paula will finish her term as the president of Arizona Association of Realtors this

You know those nails pops—the bumps or blemishes on a wall caused by wood studs shrinking—imagine having thousands of them on your newly constructed home.  Laura Czerwinski anticipated a few as they’re common with new builds, but THOUSANDS? Throw a new baby into the mix of transitioning into a new home and having repairmen coming in and and out, and you’ve got yourself a crazy story. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Laura Czerwinski, one of Leigh’s favorite clients who has a passion not just for building a house, but making it a home that you want to live in.  Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.  Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:21 – Introduction for today’s episode 00:48 – Leigh introduces Laura 01:25 – Laura and her husband decided to build their house in 2014 after the birth of their son 01:33 – It was Laura’s third time building a house and her husband’s first 01:40 – Laura and her husband didn’

Sometimes the roles and responsibilities of realtors can be a bit fuzzy. Not only do they liaise on your behalf when it comes to selling or buying a home, but for Sarah Vander Vloet, they also become instant babysitters! Listen as today’s guest, Sarah Vander Vloet shares her hilarious experience with Leigh that expresses just how much trust a client can have in their realtor.  Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:43 – Leigh welcomes today’s guest, Sarah Vander Vloet 01:35 – Sarah has been a licensed realtor in London, Ontario since 2011 01:42 – She works alongside her husband, Mike, who’s been in real estate for 10 years 01:47 – They sell real estate and comanage the StreetCity Realty Inc, a Canadian owned corporation 03:06 – Sarah’s story has 3 parts: a home that took extra time and effort to sell, patient sellers, and trusting buyers 03:21 – This happened last Febru

Realtors help people buy, sell, or lease their homes, but when do their services and responsibility to the client end? A closing or a successfully sold property does NOT necessarily mean the realtor’s job is done. Leigh interviews Steve Weiss, a realtor of 32 years, shares about an after-sale issue where he sends his clients on a nice dinner out so that he could investigate a peculiar smell coming from under the house. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:37 – Leigh welcomes today’s guest, Steve Weiss 00:56 – Steve lives in San Luis Obispo 01:26 – It’s located on the central coast, in between San Francisco and LA 01:49 – Steve has been in residential real estate for almost 32 years 02:58 – After 32 years in real estate and with tons of stories, Steve found it difficult to just pick one story 03:16 – San Luis Obispo is a college town 03:44 – Their real estate community

Home inspections prove to be an important part of a home buying process – it’s simply an opportunity to know a full, unbiased disclosure of the property you’re getting. Today’s guest, Pat Tasker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin shares her crazy story of a home inspection that will send you through the roof—or in this case, through the second floor, literally.  Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:21 – Introduction for today’s episode 00:38 – Leigh welcomes Pat Tasker 00:58 – Pat is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin 01:06 – She has been in real estate for 28 years 01:58 – Pat shares about the most crazy home inspection ever: 02:05 – A couple was buying their first home – a Cape Cod house 02:30 – Pat has always attended inspections because of 2 things: 02:43 – She likes to know what the home inspector says 03:01 – She’ll have to negotiate any problems 03:21 – Mr. Buyer was followin

Alyssa did not think that leaving her keys behind would result in her breaking and entering in on her client’s condo unit..let alone that this would happen on her first showing ever. Bad luck? Perhaps. Either way, it was a lesson learned. Leigh welcomes Alyssa Hellman who has been in real estate since 2010. She is the head coach of Bamboo Realty, in North Carolina. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes:  00:21 – Introduction for today’s episode 00:40 – Leigh introduces Alyssa 01:26 – Alyssa is the head coach at Bamboo Realty 01:31 – Alyssa is not currently active in selling homes, but she has a team of agents 01:54 – Alyssa started as an assistant in 2010, and grew her career from there 02:40 – The difficult time in real estate helped mold Alyssa 02:53 – “When you come in and the market is low, you know, sometimes you’re having conversations with people that really aren’t e

Back in the day, when dealings for a home went down in person, you’d experience the joy, firsthand, from sellers and buyers alike, when they finally closed that deal. Pauline Relkey was able to share in the joy of a first-time homebuyer as they closed a deal in-person with the seller. However, everyone in that room got a little bit more than they bargained. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Pauline Relkey who has been in real estate for 26 years and is from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.  Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.  Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:21 – Introduction for today’s episode 00:43 – Leigh introduces Pauline 00:55 – Pauline is located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada 01:00 – Pauline has been selling residential real estate for 26 years now 01:30 – Pauline always likes to see the funny side in everything 01:37 – Pauline’s story started back in the day, when they would still make offe