Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate With Leigh Brown

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

Having multiple customers at one time is part of the job in real estate—but, how about when you have 2 customers ready to make an offer on the SAME HOUSE? This is when things can get tricky...not too trick for guest, Missi Howell. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Missi Howell who has been selling real estate for almost 10 years in Northeast Florida.  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 Missi  00:50 – Missi has been selling real estate for 10 years   00:54 – Prior to selling, Missi retired from her 30-year real estate banking business  01:02 – Missi realized that she needed to explore a world outside real estate banking  01:50 – Missi’s market is the NorthEast Florida market  02:05 – The inventory is really low in Florida   03:00 – A year before listing a certain property, the seller call

Andre is a superman when it comes to sales, but came into the industry of real estate with zero experience and zero knowledge. Regardless of this, Andre still managed to build his own successful real estate enterprise. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Andre Fajardo, owner of Advantage Realty Enterprise, which he started 4 years ago in Raleigh, 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 00:47 – Leigh introduces Andre 00:58 – Andre is with Advantage Realty Enterprise which opened up 4 years ago in Raleigh, North Carolina 01:08 – Advantage Realty Enterprise specializes in new construction 01:17 – Advantage Realty Enterprise consider themselves as a specific brokerage 02:01 – Andre’s marriage is a testament to how a successful realtor can do so much more 02:18 – Andre shares his journey to becoming a realtor in Raleigh, North C

It is extremely important for those in real estate to stay vigilant at all times, especially in this day and age where technological crimes are at its peak. Imagine the pain and heartbreak a realtor goes through when he tells his elderly clients they’re put on hold at closing because of possible fraud. That’s what Brian Whitta, a realtor from the micropolitan city of Findlay, Ohio, experienced and he shares his 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:  00:33 – Today’s episode isn’t just crazy, but heart-breaking, too 00:44 – Leigh introduces Brian Whitta 01:00 – Brian is located in Findlay, Ohio 01:14 – He got his license in 2005, but has only been full-time for the past 3 years 01:37 – A micropolitan is an honor bestowed upon a city when they are not tied to a metropolitan area 01:54 – The criteria for receiving the honor includes having growth projects

Traci Browning was only in her second deal as a real estate agent when she encountered a very, difficult client. Instead of backing down, Traci handled the situation head on and proved that she was one that could get the job done. Listen as Traci shares her crazy story and discover why Leigh says she is a shining “example of how we do real estate right.” 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 welcomes Traci 00:53 – Traci is a residential realtor at Marietta and Kennesaw, Georgia 01:51 – Leigh shares the two rules of the podcast with Traci 02:20 – Traci shares her crazy story 02:25 – Traci had a client that she helped to both buy and sell a house—the owner’s previous house was shared with her ex-fiancé 02:45 – Traci was able to contact the ex-fiancé who created a new email just to communicate with her because he did not want to share his information with Traci’

Today’s episode discusses one crazy way of doing real estate that could help sellers get TOP DOLLAR for their home when it comes to crazy bidding wars—auctions. What better way to motivate buyers than to have them compete, in-person, with other interested candidates! Leigh chats with Ray Wood, an experienced auctioneer in real estate. Tune is as they talk about both the barriers and benefits of auctioning your home.  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: 00:28 – Introduction for today’s episode 00:42 – Leigh welcomes Ray Wood 00:56 – Ray is a partner at Best Agents and Locked On 01:48 – Ray is a fourth generation, real estate agent and it was his Dad who got him into the industry 02:26 – A lot of property is auctioned in Australia and Ray got his start by auctioning different items from the back of a truck 03:45 – Buying a property is an emotional decision 04:23 – An aucti

When Shannon’s gut told her that something was off with a certain house, she couldn’t have been more right. A homeowner who illegally smuggles family relatives into the country to essentially work without pay is not someone you’d like to buy a home from. In this episode, Leigh welcomes Shannon Brien who has been in real estate for almost 4 years. She is a realtor with The Douglas Realty for Coldwell Banker HPW in Raleigh, 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 Shannon 01:10 – Shannon has been in real estate for almost 4 years and is based in Raleigh, North Carolina 01:40 – Shannon explains the triangle of North Carolina 02:54 – Shannon starts with her crazy story 03:01 – Shannon’s attorney, Duane Hall, had a paralegal who wanted to buy a house 03:24 – They sold Kelly’s house and got it out of

Foreclosure properties can cause a lot of headaches for the average home buyer, but for an investor? That all depends. Bill Hamberg shares his crazy story entering a “Winter Wonderland” house as excessive water damage was actually forming icicles.  He also offers realtors and investors first hand advice regarding investing in a foreclosure home. Leigh welcomes Bill Hamberg, who has been in real estate for 13 years and is an investor/agent in Philadelphia.  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 Bill 00:53 – Bill and his wife are in their 13th year in real estate 01:05 – For the past 11+ years, they’ve been in the REO side 02:12 – Bill shares his story of the most recent crazy thing he experienced 02:28 – The general public doesn’t understand what a foreclosure is 02:47 – Bill had an assignment in Levittown