Real Estate, For Real

Needing to sell a home before you buy a new one can present a lot of obstacles and challenges. On this episode I go over the strategies I've used to help people have success making that happen.

This week I'm joined by Mindy Pusch. We have a very open and real conversation about the stresses and pressures of this job, her role early in my career, being active and transparent on social media, sacrificing a social life, getting sober, and finding her faith.

This week Marketing Officer with The Title Center, Diana Eldridge, joins me to talk about her work as chair of the Realtor Affiliates Committee, and the upcoming Mixers with Affiliates event. We go over her role at The Title Center, the importance of building relationships, starting her own podcast, and urging Realtors to attend this awesome event.

Jane Hay joins me for a conversation this week. We talk about what she was doing before she got into real estate that helped her after she got licensed, construction on her new building, the importance of staging, throwing parties, being married to a football coach, keeping focus on clients while spinning several other plates, and cooking on a Blackstone.

This week I welcome Mike Buscher back to the podcast. We talk about him stepping back from the day-to-day but not stepping away completely. Also, what he's looking to contribute moving forward, the impact he's had on shaping the careers and lives of so many agents, finding the balance between work and personal in a career with no set hours, and confirming that I personally didn't chase him out of the business.

This week I welcome Natalie Dodson from INB back to podcast. We look back at what she saw in the mortgage world in 2025, and what she's hoping to see in the coming year. We talk about the importance of focusing on the monthly payment, when the right time is to contact a lender, incentives for new buyers, and how we felt about the Stranger Things finale.

Celebrating the 50th episode by welcoming one of everyone's favorite guests, Ketki Arya. Once again, Ketki takes the reins and asks me all about my plans going into 2026. We talk about my plans to build a real estate team, and my involvement in a few committees with the association. Ketki shares her experiences both being part of a team, and as a team lead. We also reflect back on what I thought the podcast would be vs what it has turned out to be.

My guest this week is Jane Locascio. We talk mainly about overcoming adversity. From her battle with cancer, a horrible accident that nearly cost her a leg, and chopping part of her finger, Jane has fought back and built a successful real estate career. We talk about how beneficial the Buffini program has been to her, and offer up advice to new agents.

This week I'm joined by Bev Brauer, President of Cornerstone Title Groupe. We of course learn about how she got into the business, some of the things that happen behind the scenes to make sure everyone gets to the closing table, what they're doing to help combat wire fraud in real estate transactions, the importance of everyone in and around the real estate industry keeping lines of communication open, briefcases full of cash, and some great closing table stories.

It's all about commission on this episode as I welcome back Julie Davis. We talk about how to have those conversations with sellers, what has changed in our conversations since the NAR settlement, getting buyer agency agreements signed, and the importance of offering compensation to buyer agents.

This week's episode features Dominic Campo. The conversation covers his start in the family business, being known as the Pawnee brokerage, Realtors being bad at math, his involvement in different committees, trying to understand how to pay taxes, getting along with agents from other brokerages, and the Campo family's 100 year history of local real estate.

This week Cody Huson stops by to talk about how he got into real estate, the challenges he faced starting off vs the challenges new agents face today, the benefits of working on a team, the importance of communication and human connection, changes to our contracts, and our go-to McDonald's orders.

Gina Wolter returns to the podcast this week. We talk about the importance of communication in our industry, and how easy it is for Realtors to slack off in that department. Then we shift to the topic of appraisals. We cover how they impact our transactions, and share ideas of how the process could be potentially be improved.

It's another Grady Day on the podcast! Cindy and Missy return, but this time they bring their mom, Betty, and their brother, Dave. We learn how Grady Realtors began, and what it was like having the whole family working together. Betty shares what retirement is like, and how tough the decision was to merge the family business into The Real Estate Group. A really fun episode with a lot of great stories from a family whose name is synonymous with Real Estate in Central IL.

On this Realtor Roundtable episode I welcome Katelyn Rexroad, Maki Rose, and Zach Brewer. We talk about getting into the business at a young age, the obstacles facing younger agents, applying the same mentality they used as competitive athletes growing up to the competitive industry they work in now, the importance of having a social media presence, choosing work over the normal social life of people in their early 20s, and the challenges they didn't see coming.

I go solo in this episode to talk about what has and hasn't changed in our industry since the introduction of Buyer Agency Agreements a little over a year ago. Are buyers reallly paying their own agents now? How do we go about having these conversations with buyers, as well as sellers? We seem to be settling in and adapting to the changes. But, there is still some lingering confusion, even among agents. I do my best to make sense of it all. A good, quick listen for agents, buyers, and sellers.

I'm joined this week by Xuna Hu. We talk about learning English, her decision to move from China to the US, meeting her husband, his cold proposal, getting her real estate license, the constant anxiety that comes with our career, staying up to date on the changes in practice, and her favorite Friends character. Plus, we go over the viral video of a truly terrible experience she went through a few years ago, her bravery in that moment, and the positives that came from it.

This week I welcome Zac Camille with Guardian Property Inspections. Zac tells us about the process of becoming a home inspector, juggling running an inspection business with being a full-time firefighter, the importance of language in the inspection to not freak our clients out unnecessarily, his plans to grow the business, and braving the attics and basements.

This week I'm joined by Giuseppe Mattera from the Winchester Team. We talk about his experiences so far as a newer agent, how watching YouTube videos as a teenager made him want to get into real estate, the importance of communication, how he became a Miami Dolphin fan, dressing the part, and hairlines.

This episode I go over the things you need to know if you're planning to sell your home. From choosing to sell on your own vs hiring a Realtor, to how to select the right agent that will best assist you in your sale. I go over the importance of presentation, marketing, and pricing. I also cover when the best time is to call an agent, off-market sales, update allowances, bad smells, pre-inspections, and plenty more. This episode is a MUST listen for anyone even considering selling their home.

After the last few episodes being jam packed with educational and useful information, I thought it was time to lighten things up a bit. So I welcomed back the very first guest I ever had from episode 1, Adam Bugos. We talk a little about the current state of the market, and the difference between selling in Central IL vs other areas around the country. Then we share some great stories about different transactions we've had in our career. The closings that we didn't think would happen, the "feel good story" transaction, and the strangest things we've ever seen in a...

This week I'm joined by Greg Formigoni and Brad Dyer from Illinois National Bank, to discuss the changes taking place when it comes to conventional loans. Fannie and Freddie have implemented some new practices that are impacting the process of selling loans to the secondary market, in some cases presenting a few additional hurdles for buyers, sellers, and Realtors. We go over what these changes could look like, and what we can do to best prepare ourselves and our clients.

This week I'm joined by Mike Oldenettel, Mike Buscher, and Nash Oldenettel to learn about the Realtor Political Action Committee (RPAC). We discuss some of the issues they are constantly working for and against to make things better for us as Realtors, the housing industry as a whole, and the consumers that we work for. We cover what the process can look like at the local and state level, the importance for all Realtors to know that they are fighting for us every day, and how crucial each and every contribution is.

This week I welcome Ben Call to talk about the commercial side of real estate, and explain some of the similarities and differences compared to residential. We transition to the groundbreaking development at Legacy Pointe. Specifically, the Legends Entertainment complex. A massive family arcade with games, bowling, food, and huge TVs everywhere. Hear what all has gone into bringing Springfield an amazing entertainment experience, and what to expect when it opens in early 2026.

This week I welcome Evan Hart, to give a much needed Appraiser point of view. We talk about the process of becoming an appraiser, what goes into putting an appraisal together, communicating with Realtors, and adjusting with the ever-changing housing market.

This week I welcome Kim Elliott. While learning how she got her start in the business, we discuss fun weekends at SIU, teeing up your ball in the fairway, joining a team to avoid using Skyslope, and her decision to come to The Real Estate Group in 2013. Then we dive into her upcoming role as CAR president, talk about some of the different committees and what they do, and the importance of getting involved to give back to the industry we love.

I celebrate the 30th episode of the podcast by welcoming Todd Musso and his dad, Nick Musso. We talk about Nick's time running a small town real estate company in the late 70s and 80s, before joining the local MLS in the 90s. We go over the changes in the industry when the internet got involved, and how the importance of proper training for new agents is the same now as it was then. We also discuss Todd's decision to join the family business, and the choice to join The Real Estate Group. All throughout the episode Nick shares some...

It's another Realtor Roundtable episode, as I welcome Janet Gogerty, Logan Frazier, and Ketki Arya. We discuss requesting compensation from sellers as buyer agents, whether women are held to different standards than men when it comes to Realtor attire, navigating through dual agency transactions, projecting your success on social media, and persuasive letters from buyers to sellers.

On this episode I welcome Gina Wolter. We discuss her life growing up in Petersburg IL, in a real estate family. Then touch on things like Realtors always being accessible, struggles starting off in a real estate career, and the constant evolution of real estate contracts. We then transition to her work with the New Salem Lincoln League and their efforts to save, preserve, and maintain the New Salem State Historic Site.

This week I welcome Eric Easley and Jamie Murphy from The Easley Team. After learning how they got their start, we discuss the importance of marketing remarks, difficulties with buyer agency agreements, our strangest client request, the importance of being open to change in our industry, and whether or not Real Estate should be taught in high school.

On this Realtor Roundtable edition I welcome Angie Miller, Missy Grady, and Julie Davis. Some of the topics we go over are coming soon listings, open houses, audio and video surveillance in homes during showings, unruly children, what potential changes to the way we do our job may come in the next 5-10 years, and finding the line between diligently keeping in touch and being too "salesy".

In this Realtor Roundtable episode, I welcome Kelly Stotlar and Wade Ebert back to the show. We talk about the importance of online listing presentation, the state of the current market compared to a couple years ago, managing buyer and seller expectations who may have an outdated view of the housing market, and how we approach requesting compensation as a buyer agent. Plus, I try to convince them to give AI a try.

Diane Tinsley has experienced every aspect of real estate. From being a commercial lender, an assistant, solo agent, team member, team lead, trainer, managing broker, to eventually owning a brokerage. This week Diane sits down with me to talk about her unique journey through two decades of real estate. We also touch on the latest news with Zillow and office exclusive listings, and ask AI if it's coming for our job.

I spend this week's episode speaking to anyone who might be thinking of purchasing a home. I give you my thought's on who to call first, lender or Realtor, and the best way to find who to work with when it comes to both. I explain why owning a home may be more of a possibility than you think. From there, I take you through some of the more important steps in the process leading up to finding the right house to buy.

This week I'm joined by Randy Aldrich. We talk about how he got into the business, his time at other brokerages, some of the agents he's learned from along the way, being an educator as opposed to a salesperson, the work Realtors put in that the public doesn't see, and still being class clowns as fully formed professional adults.

This week I'm joined by Garrett Dooley, VP of lending at Rate Mortgage. We talk about his transition from a professional football player into the mortgage industry. And how in just four short years he has built a reputation as someone a real estate agent can trust will do a great job for their clients. We also go over some of the things that make a mortgage company different from a bank, Rate's plans to grow their presence in our community, working his way onto Realtors' short lists, helping people with low credit scores get into position to buy a...

I drink some green wine with Cindy and Missy Grady while we discuss their family legacy in Real Estate, their emotional move to The Real Estate Group, NAR conferences in California, continued education cruises, selling the neighborhood and not just the house, where all these cash buyers are coming from, and $8000 wrinkle treatments. 

This is the 20th episode of the podcast, and I was absolutely thrilled to have the Grady sisters on. The feedback I've gotten and the loyal listeners up to this point are far beyond anything I was expecting when I started doing this. I can't t...

This week I'm joined by Jami Winchester. After learning how she got into real estate, we discuss how she built a team when she wasn't really trying to, being recruited by other brokerages, what it's like moving to a different company, talking to FSBOs, having a social media presence, negative people on the internet, being married to a lender, what happens when a seller gets cold feet, and the best Yummy Bowl sauce combinations.

This week I'm joined by Connor Sweeney. We discuss a variety of topics including talking to strangers, dual agency, lead generation, buyer agency agreements, building confidence, and being able to enjoy golf.

I'm joined this week by Clay Yates. Clay and I talk about his heart transplant in 2019, why he's a Chiefs fan, passing the real estate exam on the first try (or second), our favorite and least favorite things about the job, dealing with feeling burnt out, and plenty more.