Realtor Conversations

Rick Chen

On this episode of Realtor Conversations, we are joined by Rick Chen of Sotheby’s International. Rick’s parents first came to the US from China with dreams of one day buying a home, and he was exposed to that process at a young age. Rick has a degree in retail merchandising and has worked in finance, sold cars, and also spent time working in technology sales. Ultimately, Rick was searching for the career of a lifetime when he finally got into real estate after meeting a very successful local realtor.

 

In this episode:

• Why Rick prefers the “athleisure” aesthetic.
• Why he chose a real estate career even though he was warned against it.
• What Rick loves about working at Sotheby’s.
• The kind of work culture an agent should seek out.
• The unique way Sotheby’s evolved into real estate.
• Why first-time home buyers are eager right now.
• What demographics are moving the most in the current market.
• Why Rick says that if you can afford to, you should buy.
• Why you should focus on your current needs to motivate your decisions.
• The most expensive local listing that Rick has seen to date.
• Tips that Rick would give to other agents.
• Why being humble is an important quality in this industry.
• The value in surrounding yourself with hardworking people.
• Advice for people who are thinking of buying or selling.
• How to put yourself in the best position to sell.
• The ethical way to handle a buyer inquiring about multiple offers.
• Why it’s a vital skill as an agent to ask good questions.

 

Contact Rick:

Phone: 651-246-8940

Email:  rick.chen@lakesmn.com

Michelle Markuson and Savana Waag

We are joined on today’s episode by a duo from KW Premier: real estate agents Michelle Markuson and Savana Waag. They started as family friends who became neighbors, and now they currently work together as a team. Michelle also works as a coach who helps other agents achieve their goals. They discuss how they got started, how it’s currently going, and where things are headed.

 

In this episode:

• Why learning skills outside the classroom is invaluable.
• What surprised Savana about working in real estate.
• The surprising place that they celebrated Savana’s 21st birthday.
• Michelle’s previous career in the airline industry and why she left.
• Why Savana is grateful to get into the industry at a young age.
• What drew Michelle to a career in real estate.
• What it’s like getting into the business during a difficult market.
• Why mentorship of young agents is so important to the industry.
• The quality that makes some agents more likely to succeed.
• How Michelle coaches clients to put themselves out there.
• What it was like for Savana when she made cold calls.
• Why being prepared and professional trumps having years of experience.
• How Michelle splits her time between agent work and coaching.
• What Michelle and Savana are seeing in the current market.
• The promising results of the latest CPI report and why it matters.
• Why it’s an exciting time to be in real estate.
• The three types of coaching offered by Michelle.
• How a coach helps create accountability.
• The value in having a bird’s eye view of what you do.

 

Contact Michelle:

Phone: 612-483-1494

Email: michellemarkuson@kw.com

 

Contact Savana:

Phone: 612-940-8741

Email: savanawaag@kw.com

Peyman Najafi and Kari Olson

Peyman Najafi and Kari Olson are business partners and top agents at KW Premier. At the same time Kari noticed Peyman as her neighbor in the townhome development where she lived, he just so happened to also be a new agent with KW. Kari approached him and the rest has led to a fruitful and beneficial business relationship, as we hear about in this episode.

 

In this episode:

• Peyman’s career as a photographer, and the types of photography he does.
• The number of years they have each worked in real estate.
• Peyman’s move to the US and the challenges he faced.
• Developing tenacity and dedication.
• Having a passion for talking with people.
• Kari’s life growing up in Minnesota.
• The value in waking up every day excited for work.
• Playing off each other’s strengths and making an effective team.
• The format of their business relationship.
• The parts of their jobs they combine together.
• Valuing each other’s unique expertise.
• Kari’s opinion on the current market.
• How the seasons inform changes in the market.
• Meeting future clients in the most unique places.
• Working until late into the evening.
• What Peyman loves most about being in the United States.
• The comparison of his life in the US with his life in Iran.
• The culture of hard work and how it pays off.
• The interesting situations Kari has found herself in during her career.
• Why you’ll never get bored working with Peyman and Kari.
• Kari’s new designations and how it supports her client relationships.

 

Contact Peyman:

Phone: 651-472-1418

Email: Peymannnajafi@kw.com

 

Contact Kari:

Phone: 651-235-1181

Email: kariolsonsellshouses@gmail.com

Lisa Sorvig

Lisa Sorvig of KW Select joins us in this episode of Realtor Conversations. Lisa recently worked a deal with Brad that went really well. Today, she shares what brought her from being a bartender to a real estate agent, and why your seemingly unrelated work experience can make you an excellent realtor and guide for your clients.

 

In this episode:

• Jumping headfirst into real estate in 2010 when she met an inspiring agent.
• What it was like to start out as the youngest person in the office by a long shot.
• Her experience with lead generation in the morning and bartending at night.
• Working with buyers at a high level.
• Transitioning from working independently to working on a team.
• Winning “Rookie of the Year” and “#1 Buyers Agent.”
• The value in waking up every day excited for work.
• Building excellent relationships with clients and colleagues.
• Believing in real estate as a tool to build wealth.
• Bringing passion to what you do and building a life worth living.
• Why it’s crucial for agents to act as a guide for clients.
• The importance of talking clients out of certain home purchases.
• Showing homes with negative energy and ghostly presences.
• Supporting clients on their journey to find a home and build wealth.
• Why the most successful agents have prior experience serving others.
• What factors can determine an agent's success.
• Why agents in today’s industry have to work 2-3x harder than before.
• Why a career in real estate is no longer a time-for-money game.
• Lisa’s family and the anniversary she just celebrated.

 

Contact Lisa:

Phone: 507-351-0560

Email: lisasorvig@kw.com

Angela Hauer

Joining us in today’s episode is Angela Hauer. It has been about six and a half years since Angela last visited the office to see what the interior looked like when setting up KW next door. She is an icon in the real estate community, currently working with eXp as a professional growth coach where she creates culture, has fun, and helps agents enhance their careers.

 

In this episode:

• How Angela transitioned from real estate agent to growth coach.
• What sets eXp apart from other brokerages.
• The new paradigm for how a brokerage operates.
• Why a coach will help your business evolve.
• The skill of attracting like-minded people into your professional world.
• The importance of questioning what you are getting from your brokerage.
• Reinvesting in your business through agent ownership.
• Embracing the work-from-home lifestyle.
• Building an asset outside of the next transaction.
• How being innovative with technology benefits your business.
• Why collaboration serves clients at a higher level.
• The number of agents working with eXp in Minnesota alone.
• Angela’s outdoorsy family and why she gets nervous when skiing.
• What business growth is like in Minnesota compared to Florida.
• Why Florida is the “wild west” of real estate.
• Expansion opportunities through eXp that get agents excited.
• The misconception that being an agent is easy.
• What “icon status” means and what it can do for you.
• The secret ingredient to achieving her accolades.
• How to plant client relationship seeds through conversation.

 

Contact Angela:

Phone: 651-308-6595

Email: angela@angelacoachingco.com

Jadde Rowe

Today we are alongside Jadde Rowe, who has been a licensed realtor for 5 years. He graduated college in 2017 and secured a corporate job, where he worked for a short time. Ultimately, it became abundantly clear it wasn’t the career for him. Jadde is a Realtor with RE/MAX Results and a part of Team Steady, whom he joined in December of 2019, just months before the COVID pandemic began.

 

In this episode:

• How COVID stunted Jadde’s sales momentum.
• The way he got through the COVID uncertainty early in his career.
• The importance of persevering through the first year as a newbie agent.
• Who supported and mentored Jadde when he first started in real estate.
• The value of a team culture that includes humility and support.
• The vital role of being the “backstory” to the client’s journey.
• Sharing similar values with colleagues (and even becoming best friends).
• Jadde’s upcoming wedding plans and who his best man will be.
• His future wife and the surprising way in which they met.
• The factors that add to career competence to equal success.
• How the market has changed from Jadde’s perspective.
• Jadde’s area of expertise and the type of client he serves best.
• An emotional rollercoaster as an apt metaphor for buying a home.
• The shared experiences of all home buyers, both positive and negative.
• The value of having a solid, local lender for buyers.
• Exactly when in your home buying process you should reach out to an agent and lender.
• Managing client expectations through honest, upfront conversations.

 

Contact Jadde:

Phone: 320-250-9466

Email: Jadde@ts-re.com

Anastasia Hartman

Joining us for today’s discussion is Anastasia Hartman. Anastasia’s previous career was in payment processing in the education system. Currently, Anastasia works with RE/MAX Professionals as a qualified realtor, creating happy experiences for clients by helping them find their dream home.

 

In this episode:

• What brought Anastasia to real estate as a career.
• Who helped her get started as an agent and gave her guidance.
• Leaning into the opportunity that COVID presented.
• Making your own schedule and being your own boss.
• How to find purpose as a driven person.
• The training and support provided by RE/MAX Professionals.
• The booming COVID housing market and how to get a piece of the action.
• Anastasia’s experience achieving “club level” and receiving the On Fire award.
• The work, time, and dedication she puts into her work.
• The secret ingredient to achieving her accolades.
• How to plant client relationship seeds through conversation.
• Where having the zest for being in real estate comes from.
• What it’s like to have your own parents as clients.
• Why you need a straightforward and streamlined client process.
• The importance of organization as the foundation to success.
• The biggest difference between Wisconsin and Minnesota.
• Family life, kids, and how Anastasia met her husband.
• The return of curiosity about mortgages.
• Current mortgage rates and what you should know about them.
• The ability to refinance in the future.
• Building meaningful client relationships versus pursuing the quick turnaround.

 

Contact Anastasia:

Phone: 651-387-2463

Email: ahartmann@professionals.net

Rachel Borg and Sam Boatman

We’re welcoming Rachel Borg and Sam Boatman to join the conversation today. They operate independently on the Pemberton Home Team within eXp Realty. They have both recently joined the well-oiled eXp team, which has been around since 1978. They have weekly training that ensures they are on the pulse of the market and bring a young, fresh energy to their work.

 

In this episode:

• Picking up new skills and ideas that help support their clients.
• Why Rachel and Sam share more than just pretty homes on social media.
• Recognizing the importance of authenticity, both in person and online.
• How to win in such a competitive market.
• Relating to clients on a more personal level.
• How the 2023 market is different from last year.
• Why the bank you choose for pre-approval matters.
• Not sugar-coating things for their clients.
• The value in following up with the seller’s realtor.
• How having an experienced agent and bank can give you an advantage.
• Common misconceptions about home pricing.
• Perks of living in a time where realtors can utilize phones to search for listings.
• The surprising place where Rachel and Sam met.
• Why Sam is focusing more on the listings side of things.
• A tip from Rachel when it comes to preapprovals.
• What’s in store for them and the Pemberton Home Team for the rest of 2023.

 

Contact Rachel:

Phone: 612-500-2520

Email:  rachel.borg@teampemberton.com

 

Contact Sam:

Phone: 651-497-1092

Email: sam@teampemberton.com

Jamie Fritts

Today we are joined by Jamie Fritts. He’s the Housing and Economic Development Coordinator with the City of Woodbury. Part of his mission is promoting and raising awareness for a truly exciting program for first-time homebuyers. Jamie’s background is working in affordable housing and rentals, and he’ll enthusiastically share what it is about this innovative program that creates affordable home buying in Woodbury.

In this episode:

• What inspires Jamie to help create affordable housing for all.
• How to figure out what a community needs.
• How accessible this program is in terms of income limit and purchase price.
• Making this program truly inclusive to serve a wide variety of people.
• What makes Woodbury’s program different compared to similar programs in other cities.
• The two different programs to support new homebuyers and first generation homebuyers.
• The advantages this program will provide you as a first time homebuyer.
• The surprising rate you can get if you qualify as a first generation homebuyer.
• Why it’s so important to address past discrimination and redlining in the home buying process.
• The number of loans the City of Woodbury will be providing.
• The percent of purchase price required for down payment assistance.
• What the purchase price percentage is capped at.
• Helping disadvantaged people get the best deal to support them and their future generations in building generational wealth.
• Who to call to apply for this program.
• Stacking of other down payment assistance programs.
• The many highlights of utilizing this program.
• Jamie’s favorite aspects of living in Woodbury.

 

Contact Jamie

Work Phone: 651-414-3438

Email: jamie.fritts@woodburymn.gov

Denise Leach

Denise Leach of Keller Williams Realty joins us on the show this today. Denise is originally from North Carolina, but has lived in Minnesota for more than 6 years. Denise met her husband when he was living in Minnesota, and since moving here, she can see why he didn’t want to leave. She loves the change in seasons and lakes of Minnesota.

In this episode:

• How Denise’s marketing background brought her to real estate.
• The tools that have continued to serve her in this profession.
• Why she personally regretted buying in a “hot market.”
• Reflecting on the mistake she made.
• How her motto became “love where you live.”
• Getting caught up in the excitement and pace of buying a home.
• Helping clients make smart, meaningful decisions rather than rushed ones.
• How rising interest rates are affecting buying and selling.
• The minimal market availability.
• Current market trends.
• How inspection waivers can lead to trouble.
• Discussion of a much better solution for those eager buyers.
• Why a highest-price offer doesn’t guarantee a purchase for buyers.
• The importance of two-way communication.
• What qualities Denise has that sets her apart from other agents.
• How Denise makes herself available to support clients at their comfort level.
• The value of working with people you know, like, and trust.
• Denise’s latest award.
• When interest rates are forecasted to drop, and by how much.
• Denise’s upcoming seminar that focuses on downsizing.

 

Contact Denise:

Phone: 919-610-1916

Email: deniseleach@kw.com