Realtor Conversations

Tami Hedrick

Joining the podcast today is Tami Hedrick from The Property Geeks Lakeville and eXp Realty. Tami is going to tell us her amazing background from being Mrs. Minnesota, to hosting on The Home Shopping Network, coaching the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders for two decades and her journey to real estate and philanthropic work.

 

In this episode:

• About the name Property Geeks, as well as the Chief Geek.
• How many people are on the Property Geeks team?
• What area does the Property Geeks cover?
• The advantages of working on a large, collaborative team of seasoned realtors.
• Tami’s past life with Shop NBC and Shop HQ, plus her tenure as Mrs. Minnesota.
• Why Tami loves to wear many hats and work 24/7.
• Tami’s history with the Minnesota Vikings.
• About Tami’s love of coaching and dance.
• What it was like being a cheerleader and cheer coach for the Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders.
• Cheerleaders versus the military: the fun rivalry the team and soldiers would have on military tours.
• How Tami’s past experiences translate into working in real estate.
• The importance of agility and adaptability in real estate.
• What is going on in the real estate market right now?
• The competitive nature of mid-price points in the current market.
• Moving into the next phase of the market post-COVID.
• Interest rates and how they are continuing to impact the market.
• How FHA has become more competitive.
• Tami’s guilty pleasure.
• Why Elvis is such a big part of Tami’s life.
• Tami’s involvement in the American Heart Association.
• Agents That Matter and the importance of giving back.
• Myth-busting real estate.
• Why you must have realistic expectations and patience when buying or selling.

 

Contact Tami:

Cell phone: 952-221-0488

Instagram: @successwithTami

Email: Tami@thepropertygeeks.com

Kate Hamilton

Today we are joined by Kate Hamilton with eXp Realty and Custom One Homes. Kate is here to talk about the reputation of Custom One Homes, building custom properties, and why it is so important to give back to the community.

 

On this episode:

• About Kate’s job titles with eXp and Custom One Homes.
• Kate’s history with Bell Mortgage.
• How Kate first got involved with real estate.
• Kate’s role as a new construction rep with Custom One Homes.
• The history of Custom One Homes and their expansion.
• The regional reach of construction brands.
• Learning how to engage a new community.
• The biggest change Kate has seen since starting in real estate.
• Changing trends in customization.
• How the size of new builds has changed over the last few years.
• About the changing design layouts of homes.
• How the evolution of the family is affecting new builds.
• What Custom One Homes does differently from their competitors.
• The importance of client relationships.
• Educating clients to create the best home for them.
• How a home is intellectual property.
• Why pricing has been a problem for builders.
• How long a typical build process lasts and the factors that impact this.
• Working with an interior designer.
• The challenges in offering altogether custom builds.
• Kate and Custom One Homes’ involvement in philanthropy.
• Supporting youth programs in the area.
• How you too can help support charity drives.
• Kate’s role as President of Housing First’s foundation.
• Why Kate feels a strong need to give back.

 

Contact Kate:

Cell: 651-274-1403

Email: Kate@customonehomesmn.com

Mark Johnson

Joining us for this episode is Mark Johnson from Keller Williams Integrity Edina. Mark is here to talk about hockey, buying new construction homes, and what it’s like to participate in Red Day for the families of the area.

 

On this episode:

• About Mark’s incredible fashion sense.
• Saying hi to Jessica, our new business development manager.
• Mark’s love of hockey.
• How is the market right now?
• Are people getting nervous about the current rates and where they are going?
• Why everybody still has to move.
• What programs are available, and finding the right one.
• Why buyers are having problems accepting rate changes.
• What makes Bell Mortgage so special?
• About Mark’s illustrious hockey coaching career.
• What it’s like coaching at a high school.
• How hockey coaching translates into working in real estate.
• Transitioning from coaching kids to selling real estate.
• The important role communication plays in coaching and real estate.
• Why you need to make the effort to explain the reasons behind problems that arise when buying or selling.
• Why honesty is paramount in real estate and coaching.
• About Mark’s background in construction?
• Why a construction background is an advantage in selling real estate.
• The advantages of buying a new build over an existing house.
• Why you need an advocate as a buyer.
• The cost of hiring a realtor.
• Offering options to buyers.
• The advantage of being able to foresee future issues.
• Why it’s useful to have family all over the country.
• Planning ahead for what your kids may need in a house.
• All about Red Day.

 

Contact Mark:

Phone: 952 270 5997

Website: https://www.markjohnsonsellshomes.com

Anton Martinez

In the penthouse for this episode is Anton Martinez, who is part of the Snyder Team with eXp Realty. Anton joins us to discuss custom build homes, the problems with low inventory in the market, and navigating interest rates when purchasing your home.

On this episode:

• Where is Anton licensed to operate?
• About Anton’s sharp dress sense and his life before real estate.
• How his previous career has informed his current work.
• Does Anton work with existing and new construction work?
• About the custom build homes.
• How is the current inventory for model homes?
• About the remaining model home that is currently available for purchase.
• About The Royal development phase 2.
• The Royal Club as a venue.
• About Anton’s family life, including his children.
• How will Anton and his wife be celebrating their upcoming anniversary?
• How did Anton begin working with Custom One?
• Taking advantage of opportunities to create more.
• What is the current market looking like?
• About lack of inventory.
• What is the impact of interest rates in the market right now? Are they scaring people off?
• How can you mitigate interest rates?
• What products could you take advantage of from Bell Mortgage to help you close on your new house?
• Why it isn’t always what you know, it’s who you know.
• Why Anton is an advocate for The Core training and coaching.
• What resources are available to realtors from The Core.
• Why accountability is important in real estate.
• The importance of breaking down your day-to-day.

 

Contact Anton:

Cell phone: 952-334-6022

Email address: anton.martinez@thesnyderteam.com 

Sami Romanecz and Aaron Johnson

In today’s episode, we are joined by Sami Romanecz and Aaron Johnson who have both just joined Demyan Trofimovich at his eXp group. Sami and Aaron will tell us all about their journey to real estate and what the future holds for them at eXp.

On this episode:

• A brief conversation about favorite movies.
• About Aaron’s other career in baseball, and how athletic backgrounds translate to real-world situations.
• How Sami and Aaron joined Demyan Trofimovich.
• About Sami and Aaron’s previous work at Self Esteem Brands.
• How Sami and Aaron met.
• Transitioning to real estate and what it was like when starting out.
• Showcasing their success.
• What are the current market trends?
• A day in the life of Sami and Aaron.
• What are the most popular questions they get from clients?
• Inventory and demand trends, including buyer frenzy.
• The difficulty of finding the right home for your buyers right now.
• What the process looks like for sellers at the moment.
• Making things simpler for both buyers and sellers.
• Where are more homes available right now in the area?
• Property availability in Wisconsin.
• Why choosing the right real estate agent matters.
• Dealing with higher rates.
• How the pandemic affected rates.
• Average lifetime of a mortgage and how you can negotiate lower rates.
• Tips for today’s real estate landscape.
• Understanding that there are a lot of offers being made all the time.
• Creating good agent and broker relationships

 

Contact Aaron and Sami:

Aaron’s phone number: 6513012335

Aaron’s email address: Adjohnsonrealestate@gmail.com

Sami’s phone number: 6512478384

Sami’s email address: Samiromanecz@gmail.com

Jake Eider

Joining us in the penthouse for this episode is Jake Eider with RE/MAX Results. Jake is here to discuss his path to real estate, his love of sport, and what you need to know for today’s market.

 

On this episode:

• The origins of Jake’s family name.
• About Jake’s journey to the penthouse today and what he was doing before joining us.
• How Jake ended up working in real estate.
• The history of RE/MAX in the area.
• What work Jake did at RE/MAX Duluth.
• Was it always a dream to work in real estate?
• Who introduced Jake to real estate?
• About Jake’s timeline after getting his license.
• About Jake’s extra-curricular hockey coaching activity.
• Why coaching hockey in high school is better than pee-wee.
• How coaching translates into the real estate industry.
• How the market affects people’s attitudes.
• Does Jake advertise in hockey rinks?
• How does Jake get leads, does he utilize his hockey network at all?
• How having a family helps you to be an agent.
• Is hockey allowed in the house?
• What does Jake’s brother do?
• Growing up with a professional athlete.
• The table-tennis rivalry in the family.
• The ins and outs of table tennis.
• Why there wasn’t a table tennis table in the house growing up.
• What is going on in the market right now?
• What should people looking to buy or sell know right now?
• Why you need creative offers.
• The benefits of Bell.
• Is it more important now than ever to have an experienced agent on your side?

 

Contact Jake:

Phone number: 952-393-5253

Website: realestatewithjake.com

Demyan Trofimovich

Joining us in the penthouse today is Demyan Trofimovich with EXP Realty. Demyan is here to talk about moving to the US from Eastern Europe, how his career path changed from medical device sales to real estate, why building teams is so important, and balancing family life with a hectic schedule.

 

On this episode:

• Where is Demyan from, how long has he been in America, and what brought him here?
• How Demyan dealt with the sudden move.
• How the US measured up to his expectations from the movies he had seen.
• What life was like for Demyan back home.
• Overcoming language barriers and dealing with culture shock.
• How Demyan graduated the ESL program in 2 years.
• How did Demyan end up in real estate?
• About Demyan’s college life.
• Making the surprise move from medical device sales to real estate.
• What is involved in medical device sales?
• How learning to profile doctors helped him in real estate.
• How he started building his client base.
• Understanding how to become a top producer.
• The importance of work ethic and hyper-focus in real estate.
• The necessity of actually listening to clients.
• Why you need to make the effort to educate your sellers and buyers.
• About Demyan’s team, as well as his team-building goals.
• How having a child has influenced Demyan’s work.
• Learning to leave work at the office.
• What Demyan sees in today’s market.
• Why sellers need to make sure their house is 100% ready to sell.
• What buyers need to consider in the market and why you need a realtor.
• Making sure your offer is one you are comfortable with.
• Why are people skipping inspections?

 

Contact Demyan:

Phone: 651-767-2462

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demyanandtwincities 

Jen Rogness

Joining us in the penthouse today in Jen Rogness with EXP Realty FitRE Group. Jen is here to discuss horses, the market in Hudson, and why her team is called Fit. We also get to hear about her involvement with horses and why Hudson is heating up.

 

On this episode:

• Who Jen works with on her team.
• Jen’s background with horses and how she takes hers everywhere with her.
• About Jen’s riding competitions and what the costs are to enter.
• The relationship benefits of competing.
• About getting more competitive as time goes on.
• Jen’s expertise in farm realty and where her office is located.
• Does Jen prefer covering Wisconsin or Minnesota?
• Why Jen got a dual license.
• New developments in Hudson.
• Why it’s important that Jen can work on both sides of the river.
• Why the Hudson market is becoming more competitive.
• The reason why there are so many equestrian facilities in Washington County.
• What does FitRE stand for?
• About the team’s interest in fitness.
• The dangers of winter fitness and what Jen’s fitness routine looks like.
• Training for a marathon.
• About the skincare company Neora and Jen’s involvement with them.
• How working with Neora has aided her real estate career.
• What Jen is seeing in the current market.
• The one hurdle Jen is coming across.
• Why inventory is the number one pushback.
• How to use the seller’s market to your advantage.
• Why there’s no reason to be afraid to be in complete control of your home sale.
• The importance of timeline flexibility when buying and selling.
• About Jen’s family, including why her husband is a local legend.
• Where Jen’s horse is boarded.

 

Contact Jen:

Email: jen@fitregroup.com

Phone: 715-821-1952

Katie House

In today’s episode, we’re joined by guest Katie House from EXP Realty and the House team based in Somerset Wisconsin. She joins us to discuss the current market, creative solutions to market issues, and setting expectations for her clients.

 

On this episode:

• The tagline for Katie’s team.
• How long Katie has been in the real estate business.
• The market in 2012 versus the market now.
• Where Katie began working.
• Working with your best friend.
• Coming to real estate from a background without sales.
• Katie’s experience working with other realtors.
• About EXP, their growth, and why other realtors are joining.
• Is the future of being a real estate agent virtual?
• Katie’s physical office and what it’s like to work with her team.
• The importance of having a team that’s like family.
• Why is today’s market so unique?
• What are the challenges of the current market?
• Why low inventory is a problem.
• Current issues with new constructions.
• What Katie would say to someone looking to move while the inventory is so low.
• What it means to be non-contingent.
• Katie’s recommendations for those looking to move.
• Creative solutions to the markets’ unknowns and why you need an agent to navigate them.
• Who is Katie working with most, sellers or buyers?
• Setting expectations for both buyers and sellers.
• Being a sounding board for clients.
• Why it’s important for Katie and her team to get to know their clients.
• Marrying client relationships with data-driven strategies.
• The area that Katie and her team cover.

 

Contact Katie:

Phone number: 612-816-9945

Website: katiehouserealtor.com

Olga Walker

Olga Walker, a Community Specialist with Creative Homes, is our guest on today’s show. We’re going to hear all about quick move-in homes, why community involvement is important, and the reason Creative Homes will never compromise on quality craftmanship.

 

On this episode:

• What is a Community Specialist?
• What Creative Homes does for its clients.
• The importance of being available to answer community questions.
• Why a human connection is important to Creative Homes.
• Common questions Olga receives.
• About the design studio experience.
• Current available inventory in the area and how long it will last.
• How Creative Homes is dealing with the low inventory numbers.
• About Creative Homes quick move-in options.
• Creative Homes’ recent successes and award wins.
• Olga’s personal success within the industry.
• How Olga got her start in the business.
• How Stig and Olga know each other.
• Creative Homes’ contribution to the community.
• About the Hearts and Hammers program.
• What qualifies you for the Hearts and Hammers program?
• The future of the program and what they hope to continue offering to participants.
• What Creative Homes is doing for people that are on the fence about waiting for a home.
• The customer experience provided at Creative Homes.
• Olga’s experience with Creative Homes before she worked there.
• How Olga’s experience building her own home helps inform her work today.
• How Creative Homes is planning to maintain its high-quality craftsmanship compared to their low prices.
• What’s the best route to purchase a Creative Home?

 

Contact Olga and Creative Homes:

Website: creativehomes.com

Phone Number: 651-371-9678