Episode #46: Growing Up on Main Street America with Mike Giangiordano, Jr.

[00:00:00] How did you realize that relationships were like a great way to be in business?

[00:00:03] I learned it from my parents. I saw the way that they built relationships with people. And, you know, I call Pashunk Main Street America.

[00:00:12] See, that's the real accent.

[00:00:13] It really is. Pashunk Avenue, East Pashunk. Main Street America, right?

[00:00:20] Yeah, it is.

[00:00:21] All little small business, independent businesses. Your one-stop shop for whatever you want.

[00:00:28] Your dry cleaning, your grocery, blockbuster video, movie rentals.

[00:00:33] Blockbuster!

[00:00:41] Welcome to the podcast dedicated to real estate, insurance, and building your business.

[00:00:47] Join us as we take you along our own business-building journeys with additional wisdom from our network of local and national experts.

[00:00:56] Welcome to Bricks and Risk.

[00:01:02] Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Bricks and Risk.

[00:01:08] I'm Timmy Garrity.

[00:01:09] And I'm Sean Mooney.

[00:01:11] I was supposed to say Shawnee.

[00:01:12] Yeah.

[00:01:13] Yeah.

[00:01:14] Geez.

[00:01:15] We have an awesome guest here today. We have a local guest. We're doing another in-person episode.

[00:01:19] We have Mike Gian Giordano, Jr. or the second. How are you doing today, Mike?

[00:01:24] I'm good. How are you guys doing?

[00:01:25] Good, man.

[00:01:26] You got my name right.

[00:01:27] Well, you know me long enough.

[00:01:28] Do you know how, for the hour before you got here, he was practicing into a mirror?

[00:01:33] I'm used to it by now. It's like my whole life.

[00:01:36] You must have heard a lot of different ways.

[00:01:39] Oh, Gian Gordano.

[00:01:40] Yeah.

[00:01:41] Giger Donano.

[00:01:42] A lot of different variations.

[00:01:43] Love it.

[00:01:45] Mike is a co-owner of Century 21 Forrester in South Philadelphia.

[00:01:49] He's also a lifelong Philadelphian, born, raised, and still living in South Philly,

[00:01:54] Passyunk Square section.

[00:01:55] He runs a Century 21 office with his father, Mike Sr., which is located right on East Passyunk Ave.

[00:02:02] They also run their own property management company at the office as well.

[00:02:06] Mike is also the founder of Rental Raider, a review site for apartments where past tenants can rate their landlords, properties, and addresses.

[00:02:16] All right. So you grew up with real estate in your blood. You know, your dad. Anyone else in your family besides your dad in real estate?

[00:02:23] Mike My grandfather had bought like a few properties.

[00:02:26] Mike Okay.

[00:02:26] Mike And a cousin, my uncle.

[00:02:28] Mike All in the same neighborhood too?

[00:02:29] Mike All in the same area.

[00:02:30] Mike Very cool. And you've been in the family business, you know, ever since you were a kid. So what was it like growing up the son of a successful South Philly realtor?

[00:02:41] Mike Well, I can never get in trouble is what I would always say because like we would be out, like I'd be with my friends and they would know my dad, you know, what are you doing? You're sitting in the corner. What do you got? You know, you can't get, you can't do anything.

[00:02:53] Mike Yeah.

[00:02:53] Mike I know your dad, you know, because it's like, I know your dad, I know your mom. Oh, okay. Not that I was a big kid, but you know, it's like-

[00:02:59] Mike You always had eyes on you.

[00:03:00] Mike Yeah. Always had eyes.

[00:03:02] Mike Nice.

[00:03:03] Mike Nice.

[00:03:03] Mike Nice.

[00:03:03] Mike Nice. But you know what guys, thanks for having me too.

[00:03:05] Mike Yeah, absolutely.

[00:03:05] Mike It's a pleasure to be here. It's an honor to be here. Love the show.

[00:03:08] Mike Thank you.

[00:03:09] Mike Thank you.

[00:03:09] Mike It's a bunch of the episodes.

[00:03:10] Mike Appreciate it man.

[00:03:11] Mike It's a fun time, so it's really great to be here. But to your point Tim, it was interesting. It was interesting that all the people that knew my dad knew what he did, because he was also involved in the community. So I'm kind of molding myself to do the same thing. Because I'm a firm believer in where you live, where you work, you should be involved in it.

[00:03:29] Mike Yeah.

[00:03:30] Mike Because that's your home. You know, it's the place where you have a business and you need to be involved in that community. So he was always involved in the thing. He started the East Pass Young Bid. He was one of the founders of the business.

[00:03:39] Mike Oh, was he?

[00:03:39] Mike Yeah.

[00:03:41] Mike And then he was committee person, involved in politics. That's where I got my kind of stint to do that too. But it was just an interesting thing. I mean, I say when I meet people, like how long you've been in the business? I say since I was a baby.

[00:03:54] Mike It was really, I was a kid running around with him. I mean, it was, you know, take your child to work day.

[00:03:59] Mike I'd be with my dad. And we'd be looking at properties or going on an appointment and meeting people. I was in the office, seeing how he works, seeing how he interacted, and really learning that this business is a relationship business. And you need to forge those relationships, I believe, to be successful. And I think that's what made him successful.

[00:04:18] Mike Did you fall in love with it? Like watching your dad do this and going to see people and they know, you know, people in the neighborhood know him and, you know.

[00:04:27] Mike I did. I fell in love with it.

[00:04:29] Mike And when I went to Drexel, I studied finance and econ. I did a short like stint in investment banking.

[00:04:36] Mike Oh.

[00:04:36] Mike And I was, you know, kind of like, maybe I'm going to do that. Maybe I'll go to law school. And then I was, I said to myself, I have a business here. I know it. I started working there when I turned 18, officially.

[00:04:49] Mike And I was doing rentals. I was showing my dad's rentals, you know, renting them for him. They'll work a little bit with property management, learning about tenants, learning about kind of fielding maintenance, collecting rent, whatever.

[00:04:59] Mike And I said to myself, well, why would I not take this opportunity to work with him and grow the business bigger and better than where he had it? Which he did pretty well. But, you know, I want to take it to new heights.

[00:05:12] Mike And you saw the opportunity.

[00:05:13] Mike I saw the opportunity.

[00:05:15] Mike Yeah.

[00:05:15] Mike Do you know what's, do you know what's interesting? So, you know, being in real estate doesn't require a degree.

[00:05:21] Mike If anything, getting in residential, any kind of real estate in Pennsylvania is pretty easy.

[00:05:26] Mike Yeah.

[00:05:27] Mike Like the classes are cheap.

[00:05:28] Mike Too easy.

[00:05:28] Mike You can be done in a month and a half if you want to. You could take them out over six months or you pass the test, you pay a fee and bang, you're in real estate. So what's interesting is that, you know, while your dad was a success story, and again, your grandfather was buying things too, and you're watching this growing up, you probably realize you're like, I think my dad does pretty well.

[00:05:47] Mike And then you go to Drexel, and you go to Drexel, and they're not teaching anything like what you grew up with. And then your finance, your econ, and then you're getting really smart in the classroom. I'm sure you had internships. It's a co-op program. I'm sure you did co-ops.

[00:06:04] Mike And then you're getting a sense of what the real world is like, like these big corporations or, you know, investment banking and all this stuff.

[00:06:13] Mike So then it probably almost like dawns on you, you're like, look back on that. You're like, should I even be doing that? Because like you said, you're like, maybe I'll go to law school. Like, maybe I'll take it up a notch from where I am at Drexel.

[00:06:24] Mike But yet here you are. And the reason I'm saying all this is because I kind of wish there was more taught through the education system in general about real estate.

[00:06:35] Mike Because real estate is the number one wealth builder in America year after year.

[00:06:40] Mike The largest purchase arguably anybody will make in their lives.

[00:06:44] Mike Sure.

[00:06:45] Mike And we teach none of this in grade school, high school, college. Like, I mean, you could get a real estate degree at some schools, not all.

[00:06:54] Mike And even if you do, they're not going to teach you what your dad taught you. So like walking around with your dad, I'm sure you're like walking to most things in your neighborhood because you lived in the neighborhood.

[00:07:04] Mike What was it? Were you just kind of like fascinated by people? Was it like the negotiation? Like what kind of things did you like about watching your dad?

[00:07:11] Mike I think what I love about it was that relationship, that meeting different people, that solving different problems all the time, right?

[00:07:20] Mike There's just, there's no thing that we've never not seen. You know, like there's always a new problem with a property or something with the title or something that needs to be resolved or you're walking somebody through like the death of a loved one and you're selling the property for them.

[00:07:37] Mike I mean, that is a very hard time for most people.

[00:07:41] Mike And emotional and you see the emotion. And I think as you could tell, I like to talk to people. I like to engage with people.

[00:07:47] Mike I am definitely like an outgoing personality, right? What's that?

[00:07:52] Mike People person?

[00:07:53] Mike Definitely an extrovert.

[00:07:54] Mike Extroverted?

[00:07:55] Mike And you know, even when I was a kid, I think partly too is why I've gotten more into trying to buy stuff and start it. Like when I was 18, I bought my first property with my dad, but, and my sister.

[00:08:07] Mike You were 18?

[00:08:08] Mike Yeah, I was 18. Yeah.

[00:08:09] Mike Was it a rental or did someone live there?

[00:08:10] Mike Yeah, I bought a rental and we kept it and eventually rehabbed it.

[00:08:14] Mike And what I like too is seeing the product from beginning to end and kind of walking through that process. Like when I was a kid even, I would draw buildings, like huge buildings and like model and love Legos and would play with that stuff, love building things. But I agree. I mean, universities don't teach those skills.

[00:08:36] Mike I mean, I learned in my finance background, but it is usually like the real estate programs because Drexel introduced one after I graduated. I would love to go teach there. So Drexel, hire me.

[00:08:49] Mike I'm still involved with Drexel.

[00:08:50] Mike We're going to make it happen.

[00:08:51] Mike But even their product is more skewed towards going to work for a big developer.

[00:08:55] Mike Yeah.

[00:08:56] Mike And what if you just want to work at a brokerage or even just buy, have a full-time career and buy a property here or there on the side? There's really not much of that. And I think a lot of people would benefit from learning more about that.

[00:09:10] Mike Just having that exposure a little bit, right? Like if it was a semester class or something that they can-

[00:09:15] Mike And the knowledge.

[00:09:16] Mike Yeah.

[00:09:17] Mike Yeah.

[00:09:17] Mike Because at some point, the vast majority are going to own real estate, right? At some point.

[00:09:22] Mike So they're going to buy something.

[00:09:24] Mike Yeah.

[00:09:24] Mike Yeah.

[00:09:25] Mike And what I like seeing is people that have full-time careers, but then they want to invest on the side.

[00:09:30] Mike And they use some of what they make, they save it, and then they buy a property.

[00:09:35] Mike Yeah.

[00:09:35] Mike And kind of walking through. That's why I call us a one-stop shop. You want to come just buy something and live in it? Great. One day, when I talk to buyers, think of this as a long-term investment. Think of this as a rental property one day.

[00:09:49] Mike Yeah. If you don't stay, think about that.

[00:09:51] Mike You can afford to keep it and you want to keep it.

[00:09:53] Mike Yeah.

[00:09:56] Mike Yeah.

[00:09:58] Mike Yeah.

[00:09:58] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:04] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:06] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:11] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:18] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:24] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:25] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:26] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:35] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:35] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:41] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:43] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:44] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:53] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:53] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:53] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:58] Mike Yeah.

[00:10:59] Maybe you rehab it and turn it into a really nice rental.

[00:11:03] Right.

[00:11:03] And get four or $5,000 a month.

[00:11:06] Right.

[00:11:06] Because it's a really great location.

[00:11:08] I say, four or five grand a month.

[00:11:09] That stuff I think they don't even teach in our classes that we have to take.

[00:11:15] You know, like they think that's so geared, agents just want to sell.

[00:11:19] Right.

[00:11:20] And that may not always be the viable option for people.

[00:11:24] Totally.

[00:11:24] So you are educating those clients.

[00:11:27] Yeah.

[00:11:27] Which would be a perfect segue to Drexel having you in as a-

[00:11:32] As an adjunct.

[00:11:33] Adjunct.

[00:11:33] To hire me.

[00:11:34] Drexel University, if you're watching.

[00:11:35] This is your next professor right here.

[00:11:38] All right.

[00:11:39] So let's talk about, all right.

[00:11:40] So your dad's running the brokerage.

[00:11:42] You're getting to learn the business.

[00:11:44] You buy your first investment property.

[00:11:45] You're 18 and you love what you're doing.

[00:11:48] Talk about you guys getting into property management as well.

[00:11:51] We haven't really talked much about property management on the show, but I'd love to hear

[00:11:55] one, how that came to be.

[00:11:57] And like, you know, you're a younger guy.

[00:12:00] You're 30?

[00:12:01] 31?

[00:12:01] 30.

[00:12:02] 30.

[00:12:03] So you don't meet a lot of 30 year olds in property management unless they're working

[00:12:06] for these big property management companies, like thousands of units.

[00:12:09] They're just like a corporate job, a cog in the machine.

[00:12:12] Talk about property management.

[00:12:14] Why that made sense for you and your family.

[00:12:15] Well, for us, we would have clients that would say, hey, look, I don't really want to manage

[00:12:21] this place.

[00:12:21] I don't want to deal with the tenant.

[00:12:23] I don't want to collect the rent.

[00:12:25] Will you do it?

[00:12:26] And it just became a natural part of, you know, our business.

[00:12:30] And it was like, well, why not?

[00:12:31] You know, it's reoccurring revenue for the company.

[00:12:34] We build these relationships, right?

[00:12:36] Eventually we get the listing to sell it.

[00:12:38] We re-rent it either on an annual basis or if the tenant stays there 10 years, we rent it 10

[00:12:42] years later, whatever, it just kind of made sense.

[00:12:45] I think part of how we got into it originally, because I'm going through a lot of cleaning

[00:12:50] out our office, we're going to do some renovations.

[00:12:52] Nice.

[00:12:52] And I'm finding old documents from...

[00:12:56] So our company was started by a guy, Mason Forrester, who was a real agent who had a

[00:13:00] brokerage on East Fashion Week Avenue across the street from us.

[00:13:03] Years ago, there was a lot of like rent to own and there was also a lot of like owner

[00:13:08] health financing.

[00:13:09] Right.

[00:13:09] Oh yeah.

[00:13:10] Like seller financing.

[00:13:10] Before there was mortgages for the everyday person.

[00:13:12] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:13] And I'm finding records, I mean, from like the early 1900s, it's pretty incredible, of

[00:13:19] payment schedules on mortgages.

[00:13:21] So I think that was kind of the natural progression for the company to go into property management

[00:13:26] because it was not that they're the same, but it was like, well, we're collecting the

[00:13:30] mortgage now.

[00:13:31] Well, why don't we just collect rents for people?

[00:13:33] Got it.

[00:13:34] Oh, interesting.

[00:13:34] So there was a lot of like seller held financing.

[00:13:36] Yeah.

[00:13:37] So they were doing, you think they were running like, they were running seller financing out

[00:13:40] of the office basically.

[00:13:42] Yeah.

[00:13:42] They had enough.

[00:13:43] The old offices.

[00:13:44] Yeah.

[00:13:44] They had enough capital.

[00:13:47] Or that person didn't want to sell and immediately collect the proceeds.

[00:13:52] You would come to him and say, Mike, I'll buy the property from you for whatever.

[00:13:55] Yeah.

[00:13:55] I'll give you $5,000.

[00:13:57] You want to hold the paper?

[00:13:57] You want to hold the paper?

[00:13:58] You want to hold the paper?

[00:13:59] Very cool.

[00:14:00] That's awesome.

[00:14:00] What's...

[00:14:01] All right.

[00:14:01] Here's a good question.

[00:14:02] Because we like to get like boots on the ground.

[00:14:04] Yeah.

[00:14:04] We like to give insight.

[00:14:05] And you've been living this your whole life.

[00:14:08] What's it like to run a property management company day to day?

[00:14:12] I know you're in the neighborhood.

[00:14:13] You can walk to most things.

[00:14:15] It's local.

[00:14:15] What's it like?

[00:14:17] Every day is different.

[00:14:19] Yeah.

[00:14:19] Because you don't know what's going to come at you.

[00:14:21] Somebody's going to move.

[00:14:22] Right.

[00:14:22] Somebody has a repair request.

[00:14:26] Somebody wants to go see a unit.

[00:14:27] Yep.

[00:14:28] Noise complaint.

[00:14:28] They want to apply.

[00:14:29] Something like that.

[00:14:29] There's a noise complaint.

[00:14:30] I mean, kind of deal.

[00:14:32] We've dealt with a lot of different stuff over the years.

[00:14:35] It's challenging at times.

[00:14:36] But I'm a believer in if you set the pieces up from the very beginning, you'll be successful.

[00:14:44] Like if you show it and you don't over promise or you don't say X, Y, Z, you say, look, pay

[00:14:51] your rent.

[00:14:51] We maintain the property.

[00:14:53] We're not going to have any problems.

[00:14:54] And we have good reviews for our property management in part because we're fast to

[00:15:00] respond.

[00:15:01] We don't take on properties that I never...

[00:15:04] I've walked into properties and I've turned the people down because I said, if you're

[00:15:09] not going to maintain your place, I'm not going to rent it.

[00:15:12] Because how do you expect...

[00:15:13] Your name's on it.

[00:15:13] Yeah.

[00:15:14] My name's on it.

[00:15:14] Yeah.

[00:15:15] And how do you expect somebody to pay rent?

[00:15:17] Not that you shouldn't pay your rent, but if you don't maintain the property, you're

[00:15:20] not willing to do...

[00:15:21] What's that?

[00:15:21] It's like a sign of things to come.

[00:15:23] Your end of the bargain, I'm not interested.

[00:15:25] So I really...

[00:15:27] I'm very selective with it in the sense that I really only take properties with people that

[00:15:32] are going to either trust me to do the job that I have to do and trust that I'm going

[00:15:37] to put a good tenant.

[00:15:38] I'm going to screen them.

[00:15:39] I'm going to make sure they're qualified.

[00:15:40] I'm going to do the legwork.

[00:15:42] And then if there's something that comes up, they're going to trust me that whoever I work

[00:15:46] with is not going to gouge them, is not going to overcharge them.

[00:15:51] And I'm going to take my fee and we're going to pay the people appropriately.

[00:15:55] And I've built relationships with contractors.

[00:15:57] So that's the other thing is like if you have those pieces in place, it's also pretty

[00:16:01] easy to do.

[00:16:02] And again, I have landlords that say, Mike, whatever has to be done, you just go and do

[00:16:07] it because we trust you.

[00:16:09] Yeah.

[00:16:09] You have that trust.

[00:16:10] You don't need to call me.

[00:16:11] You don't need to get approval.

[00:16:13] Just do it and don't even bother me.

[00:16:15] Yeah.

[00:16:16] And that's to me, that's a sign of like a reflection of the work that we do.

[00:16:21] But yeah, it's challenging.

[00:16:22] But again, if you set it up for success-

[00:16:25] Processes, people.

[00:16:26] From the beginning, you're really going to not have a problem.

[00:16:29] I mean, during COVID, we really had virtually zero tenants that didn't pay their rent.

[00:16:34] Even commercial tenants.

[00:16:35] Wow.

[00:16:36] We caught a lot of breaks with commercial tenants, but we were like, you know, it was

[00:16:40] this two-edged story, right?

[00:16:41] Well, you can't open.

[00:16:42] How can we expect you to pay rent?

[00:16:44] But at the same time, like, well, we respect you enough to say we need to pay something because

[00:16:49] we're still occupying the space.

[00:16:51] And we didn't have any tenants that just stopped paying that I put in there.

[00:16:55] Right, right, right.

[00:16:55] Let me correct you.

[00:16:56] There were some that we inherited that I never screened.

[00:17:00] Yeah.

[00:17:01] And I'm also a firm believer in that.

[00:17:02] Like, I don't take usually a property on that already has a tenant there because I don't

[00:17:05] know.

[00:17:06] Right.

[00:17:06] Especially if I don't know you.

[00:17:07] You know what I did what you're getting.

[00:17:08] Yeah.

[00:17:08] Right?

[00:17:09] If I know you, different story.

[00:17:10] But if I don't know you, I don't know.

[00:17:11] You could be having a problem with them and you're like, I'm just going to pass it

[00:17:13] off to a management company.

[00:17:14] You're like, Tommy's at 123 Main Street.

[00:17:16] All right, Tommy's good.

[00:17:17] Yeah.

[00:17:17] Uh-uh.

[00:17:17] Exactly.

[00:17:18] I'll work with Tommy.

[00:17:19] Definitely.

[00:17:19] Do you know what's funny?

[00:17:20] So we just did an episode recently about CRMs.

[00:17:23] It hasn't come out yet.

[00:17:24] And remember when we were talking and you were talking about real estate and you're like,

[00:17:28] you're like, yeah, but like real estate's like one and done.

[00:17:30] Like you rent to someone, like landlord, tenant, buyer, seller.

[00:17:34] Doesn't matter which side you're on.

[00:17:35] You're on both sides in a transaction.

[00:17:36] He's like, you're one and done.

[00:17:37] And like you were making the example of that based on the typical agent.

[00:17:41] And then you talked about insurance.

[00:17:43] And you're like, insurance, they never go away because they're with us.

[00:17:47] Like we got to collect money.

[00:17:48] Service them.

[00:17:49] Like they need renewals.

[00:17:50] Things change.

[00:17:51] You know, they want to, you know, change things on their policy.

[00:17:55] And that's property management.

[00:17:57] Oh yeah.

[00:17:58] Property management.

[00:17:59] I'm sure you got a great property management system.

[00:18:01] What do you guys use?

[00:18:02] Appfolio.

[00:18:03] Appfolio.

[00:18:04] Fantastic system.

[00:18:05] And that's one.

[00:18:06] My question was going to be, do you ever like, I mean, it's every day for you.

[00:18:13] It's 24 seven around the clock.

[00:18:14] Like, do you ever like wish, like I need to escape or I need to get away or I need to

[00:18:19] do something different because your phone just must be ding, ding, ding, ding.

[00:18:27] Yeah.

[00:18:27] There's a lot coming through, but thankfully not a lot of emergencies.

[00:18:30] Like there's no 3am calls.

[00:18:32] Yeah.

[00:18:32] Nothing like that.

[00:18:33] Yeah.

[00:18:33] I mean, the tenant.

[00:18:34] And then again, if you build that trust and relationship with the tenant, they'll know

[00:18:38] from the beginning, like there's a problem that's not an emergency.

[00:18:41] It can wait till the next day.

[00:18:43] Yeah.

[00:18:43] Mike will take care of it.

[00:18:44] His team will send somebody out.

[00:18:45] Whoever's got to go out.

[00:18:47] But no, I'm not calling.

[00:18:48] I'm not going out there to open doors for people.

[00:18:50] Like that's a no, no.

[00:18:51] Like they, they know.

[00:18:51] You're like, sorry.

[00:18:52] Like you get locked out.

[00:18:53] That's on you.

[00:18:53] You know?

[00:18:54] I know.

[00:18:54] I'm just.

[00:18:54] Unless you get a pillow for the sidewalk.

[00:18:56] Not even from like just the property man.

[00:18:58] I mean, it's just like, you're the real estate guy in town and you're the property

[00:19:02] manager.

[00:19:14] Some days it's probably really good to be recognized.

[00:19:18] That's a good.

[00:19:18] Thank you.

[00:19:19] I appreciate it.

[00:19:19] Yeah.

[00:19:20] This is where Moody and I, it's always glass half empty, glass half full.

[00:19:24] It's like, I know Moody's always going to go.

[00:19:28] I'm thinking of the day.

[00:19:29] Like I just want to go get a cup of coffee and I'm walking down the street and you know,

[00:19:33] Debbie's over here yelling at me, you know.

[00:19:35] You told me to sleep on the back.

[00:19:36] You said you weren't going to unlock the door.

[00:19:38] You told me to sleep on the back.

[00:19:38] I told you I could never get in trouble.

[00:19:40] Yeah.

[00:19:42] That's great.

[00:19:42] I can't, I can't, and I can't do anything.

[00:19:44] Mike's carte blanche in South Philly.

[00:19:47] Awesome.

[00:19:47] I just had driving up here.

[00:19:49] Wait, I'll read it to you.

[00:19:49] I had a review.

[00:19:50] Oh, I'd love to hear it.

[00:19:51] Somebody ran it from us.

[00:19:53] We took it over.

[00:19:53] Okay.

[00:19:54] Another management company.

[00:19:55] Nice.

[00:19:55] Thanks, Mike.

[00:19:56] I'll definitely recommend Forrester to anyone looking for a property manager.

[00:19:59] Things were so smooth once you took over.

[00:20:01] Love it.

[00:20:01] And that's the stuff that makes me happy.

[00:20:03] Oh, that was our first live review.

[00:20:04] You know, like that's then I'm like, you know what?

[00:20:06] I'm going to, this is why I do what I do.

[00:20:08] Because I know that I'm good at what I do.

[00:20:09] Well, especially in the property management space, there's a lot of, I don't want to say

[00:20:17] bad actors, but there's a lot of-

[00:20:18] You've got big shoes to fill in that business.

[00:20:20] There's a lot of people, I think, that take too much on too quickly.

[00:20:25] Yeah.

[00:20:25] And then they don't know how to control it.

[00:20:27] Right.

[00:20:27] And they don't know how to scale properly.

[00:20:28] Well, they see like, oh, I can get 500 units, right?

[00:20:30] Yeah.

[00:20:30] Like, that's awesome.

[00:20:31] Dude, we did it.

[00:20:32] We were in a partnership for about two years, remember?

[00:20:35] Yeah.

[00:20:35] I told you, we did property management.

[00:20:37] And ultimately, the partnership just wasn't like a good fit.

[00:20:41] But while we were doing it, dude, like it was the same thing.

[00:20:44] It was like, oh, we can get to here.

[00:20:45] How many rentals have we done over the last like 10 years, 15 years?

[00:20:49] Like we got like 50 people to call, blah.

[00:20:52] And do you know what was really interesting?

[00:20:54] And this is like for the audience to like get a sense of like property management is not easy.

[00:20:59] Even if you have a captive audience, people already had their relationships.

[00:21:03] Yeah.

[00:21:03] Like someone who had a rental property.

[00:21:04] Let's say I sold them a rental property eight years ago.

[00:21:08] And they're like, I don't want to manage it.

[00:21:10] I would probably recommend a property manager.

[00:21:12] Talk to Bill.

[00:21:13] Talk to Sal.

[00:21:14] This is like before we met.

[00:21:15] And then they get locked into that relationship.

[00:21:18] And they're like, they're great.

[00:21:20] And I remember calling a couple of people were like, hey, we're in that space now.

[00:21:23] Would you like to consider us?

[00:21:24] They're like, I'm pretty happy.

[00:21:26] I got some money.

[00:21:27] And then we already have a guy.

[00:21:28] Yeah.

[00:21:29] And we already have the relationship.

[00:21:30] So what are you going to do?

[00:21:31] Say like, well, like you're not going to sell it.

[00:21:33] You're going to respect the relationship.

[00:21:34] Be like, I'm just so glad to hear you're happy.

[00:21:36] If anything changes, let us know.

[00:21:38] Very rarely do we lose a management contract.

[00:21:41] Yeah.

[00:21:41] Very rarely.

[00:21:42] I mean, it's either we sold the property and then actually I've sold properties and then

[00:21:47] picked up the management back up.

[00:21:49] Oh, from the new owner.

[00:21:50] Because, and I do that as a, like I'll say to the other agent.

[00:21:53] It's like cutting the grass.

[00:21:53] Before I'll say, hey, by the way.

[00:21:55] You buy a house and Timmy down the street's cutting the grass.

[00:21:57] He keeps your grass contract.

[00:21:58] Yeah.

[00:21:59] I'll say like to the agent, I'll be respectful.

[00:22:01] Do you guys do property management?

[00:22:03] Oh, no, we don't.

[00:22:04] Do you mind if I recommend myself?

[00:22:05] Yeah, no problem.

[00:22:06] I never had any agent that said no.

[00:22:07] Yeah.

[00:22:08] You know, and I've gotten more from people, you know, it's like they solely give you

[00:22:12] one and then it's another.

[00:22:13] Oh, yeah.

[00:22:13] So it's usually the sale or, you know, they just decide to manage it themselves.

[00:22:18] It's one property.

[00:22:19] And they do it for a year.

[00:22:20] They're like, what the hell am I doing?

[00:22:21] Then they come back.

[00:22:22] I need Mikey.

[00:22:22] Yeah.

[00:22:23] Like, let's go.

[00:22:24] Yeah.

[00:22:24] All right.

[00:22:25] Here's another one.

[00:22:25] So one word you've used to describe yourself is driven.

[00:22:29] So why does that feel like a word that relates to you in, you know, just you as a person

[00:22:37] as well as like being in business?

[00:22:39] Why do you use that word?

[00:22:40] I think for me, it's like motivated, right?

[00:22:43] Driven to not just be successful financially, but to take care of the people that are entrusting

[00:22:50] me with some of their largest purchases, their assets, their baby.

[00:22:56] You know, we, I'll go back to the property management.

[00:22:58] We have a lot of people who like inherited the property and there's an emotional, sentimental

[00:23:03] piece to that.

[00:23:04] Yeah.

[00:23:04] And navigating that with people and walking them through that to make sure that like,

[00:23:10] look, I understand it's in good hands.

[00:23:12] We're going to make sure there's good people that take care of it and we're here to take

[00:23:16] care of you.

[00:23:16] So that drive really comes from, I guess, ultimately working with people, which is what

[00:23:21] I like to do.

[00:23:22] I like to work with people.

[00:23:23] I like to meet different people and see how people kind of react to you, see how they

[00:23:28] interact with you.

[00:23:29] I kind of find that fascinating too.

[00:23:31] I should have studied psychology partly.

[00:23:34] Yeah.

[00:23:34] Seriously.

[00:23:35] We are a part time psychologist of sorts.

[00:23:37] That's true.

[00:23:37] I am.

[00:23:38] I taught, yeah, you are in this business.

[00:23:39] I would classify as all as like, you know, kind of like-

[00:23:42] You work a lot of people off the ledge.

[00:23:44] Self-taught therapist a little bit.

[00:23:46] Yeah.

[00:23:46] And insurance too.

[00:23:48] Oh, every day.

[00:23:49] Is most of your business done in and around South Philly?

[00:23:53] Do you kind of branch out from the neighborhood, like where the relationship takes you?

[00:23:56] Jersey?

[00:23:56] Yeah, wherever we do South Jersey.

[00:23:58] The shore sometimes.

[00:24:00] Bulk is in South Philadelphia.

[00:24:02] Nice.

[00:24:03] And then we'll go to West Philly, Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Center City.

[00:24:07] We'll go wherever really, Northeast Philly.

[00:24:10] Is it more that you have your existing clients branching out or you see it as just, you know,

[00:24:15] new business in the door from different areas?

[00:24:18] I think it's some partly new clients branching out and then partly we get a lot of repeat

[00:24:22] and like referral-based business.

[00:24:25] So we get people that call and say, hey, so-and-so recommended you, you know, I have a property

[00:24:30] here and I'm not going to say no.

[00:24:31] I'll go wherever because I want to make sure, again, I have such a strong piece to like,

[00:24:36] I become invested in the transaction.

[00:24:39] You know, again, it's not just money.

[00:24:42] It's like I'm invested in making sure that they're in good hands and taken care of.

[00:24:46] Well, it's the relationship.

[00:24:47] And you're, you know, him and I, we, we preach all day, every day as we built our businesses

[00:24:55] on relationships.

[00:24:56] It sounds like yours is completely a relationship business.

[00:25:02] And so you have a duty and an obligation to not only your existing clients, but if someone,

[00:25:08] you know, refers business to you, there's an obligation there that you want to, um, you

[00:25:18] want to deliver.

[00:25:18] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:25:20] For those people.

[00:25:21] Because I don't want to then reflect poorly on the person that sent them to me.

[00:25:25] Yeah.

[00:25:26] Yeah.

[00:25:26] That's a, that's a really good segue into the next one.

[00:25:28] So one thing you shared with us, um, is plant the seeds, watch them grow.

[00:25:33] That's very much more the farming approach, not necessarily like the hunting approach,

[00:25:38] like making cold calls every day, knocking on doors, postcards, like you're trying to

[00:25:42] kill stuff every day so you can eat.

[00:25:45] Whereas planting seeds and going more the farming method is, you know, it's going to take time.

[00:25:53] Like you don't just plant a seed and the next day you harvest the crop.

[00:25:55] That's not what it is, you know?

[00:25:57] And, and you can be madly successful both ways.

[00:26:01] There is no right or wrong way, but being the relationship guy that you are, was that kind

[00:26:06] of taught to you?

[00:26:07] Like growing up, you know, it's such a tight knit community in South Philly.

[00:26:11] If people are unfamiliar and you're in like a special, like little enclave of South Philly.

[00:26:16] I've told a lot of people that to me, passing up square, like East passing up, whatever you

[00:26:20] want to call it.

[00:26:21] It literally, it feels like a little like European town.

[00:26:24] Yeah.

[00:26:25] Like it's got the fountain, the singing fountain in the middle.

[00:26:28] It's got the, it's got the diagonal path with all these streets going like.

[00:26:31] It's got a lot of history.

[00:26:32] It was a commercial corridor.

[00:26:34] Yeah.

[00:26:35] Do you know who insures the South Philly sausage fest?

[00:26:40] I'm going to say someone besides you.

[00:26:43] Mooney insurance.

[00:26:45] Really?

[00:26:46] Yeah.

[00:26:46] All right.

[00:26:47] Yeah.

[00:26:47] I like that.

[00:26:48] So now you got South Philly in your blood.

[00:26:50] I got a little something.

[00:26:50] You got a little, you got a little link tattooed on your shoulder.

[00:26:53] Yeah.

[00:26:53] He's got a connection there.

[00:26:54] I love it.

[00:26:56] Um, so was that kind of taught to you through like your father, your grandfather, your family?

[00:27:01] Is that something like, as you kind of grew up with your friends, you go to high school,

[00:27:05] you go to college.

[00:27:06] Like how did you realize that relationships were like a great way to be in business?

[00:27:10] I, I learned it from my parents.

[00:27:12] I saw the way that they built relationships with people and you know, I call Pashunk Main

[00:27:18] Street America.

[00:27:19] See, that's the real accent.

[00:27:20] It really is.

[00:27:21] Say that again for-

[00:27:22] Pashunk Avenue.

[00:27:23] Pashunk.

[00:27:24] Pashunk.

[00:27:24] Pashunk.

[00:27:25] Pashunk.

[00:27:25] Main Street America, right?

[00:27:27] Yeah, it is.

[00:27:28] All little small business, independent businesses, your one-stop shop for whatever you want.

[00:27:34] Your dry cleaning, your grocery, uh, blockbuster video, movie rentals, right?

[00:27:40] Blockbuster.

[00:27:42] I love blockbuster.

[00:27:43] I'm coming into the next episode of the blockbuster t-shirt.

[00:27:46] Cigar shop, twin shop.

[00:27:47] Yeah.

[00:27:47] Where's your cigar shop?

[00:27:48] At the Tasker.

[00:27:49] Okay.

[00:27:49] I grew up right on that corner.

[00:27:51] That is, that is such an amazing street.

[00:27:53] And I know it was always like a rock solid neighborhood, I'm sure when you were like growing

[00:27:57] up, but like it really came into its own, what, probably about 15, 20 years ago.

[00:28:02] When the avenue took off.

[00:28:03] Yeah.

[00:28:04] When it really became like the restaurant row famous, you know, businesses started to come

[00:28:09] back.

[00:28:10] It was, the avenue was busy and popular in the 60s, 70s, 80s.

[00:28:14] And then I think there was a generational shift in America, which was, you know, the parents

[00:28:19] of their kids, so my grandparents wanted their kids to go to college.

[00:28:26] Right.

[00:28:27] Do, move out to the burbs.

[00:28:29] Don't run my business.

[00:28:30] Yeah.

[00:28:30] Don't run my business.

[00:28:31] So you saw that generational shift of, you know, the seamstresses and the tailors and

[00:28:35] the shoe stores.

[00:28:36] They started to kind of close down.

[00:28:40] So the late 80s, 90s, I don't ever say it went unpopular.

[00:28:44] It didn't, no, I'm sorry.

[00:28:45] It might've become unpopular.

[00:28:47] It might've lost that small business.

[00:28:50] Back up.

[00:28:50] Yeah.

[00:28:50] People drive by.

[00:28:51] They're like, what's going on here?

[00:28:52] But not like depressed or, you know, disengaged entirely.

[00:28:57] It wasn't like a ghost town.

[00:28:58] Yeah.

[00:28:58] I mean, a lot of areas of Philadelphia did that.

[00:29:00] It was a transition in American culture.

[00:29:02] It was a transition culturally.

[00:29:04] Because you had a lot of people there in that time who either came from another country and

[00:29:10] started a new life here and maybe then started a business.

[00:29:14] And then they wanted their kids to have it better.

[00:29:16] So their kids went to college and they became doctors and lawyers, whatever.

[00:29:20] And then they didn't want their kids to continue these businesses.

[00:29:23] Well, it's very familiar.

[00:29:24] Dolan who grew up in East Falls.

[00:29:26] Yeah.

[00:29:26] East Falls when he was growing up, you know, he would have never have thought that like

[00:29:31] people would be coming back to his neighborhood to live.

[00:29:34] To plant roots.

[00:29:36] Yeah.

[00:29:36] So I imagine it's kind of similar as like.

[00:29:39] Build it back up.

[00:29:40] And now it's like this thriving, you know, neighborhood that's got all of this demand

[00:29:45] to live there.

[00:29:47] Centered around a commercial corridor where people have things to do and places to go.

[00:29:53] And we have that in Ambler a little bit.

[00:29:55] Like we have this, you know, it's like a little main strip and it's got all the little retail

[00:30:00] storefronts and the restaurants and the bars and all of that.

[00:30:03] Yeah.

[00:30:04] And I think there's some demand to live there because of that.

[00:30:07] It's like a little tiny Pachunk.

[00:30:12] Pachunk.

[00:30:12] Pachunk.

[00:30:13] Pachunk.

[00:30:13] Yeah, straight bro.

[00:30:14] You know what they, you know, years ago they used to say people from Roxborough, no,

[00:30:19] from Maniunk used to say they were from Roxborough.

[00:30:22] Yes, exactly.

[00:30:23] Because Maniunk was not a place today.

[00:30:25] And here we are today.

[00:30:26] Here we are today.

[00:30:27] You know, like if you were in Maniunk, it was like, oh, I don't want anybody to know

[00:30:30] I'm from Maniunk.

[00:30:31] I grew up in Roxborough.

[00:30:31] No, I grew up in Roxborough.

[00:30:33] Yeah.

[00:30:33] Yeah.

[00:30:33] I grew up in Maniunk.

[00:30:34] And now it's like, you want to say you're from Maniunk.

[00:30:37] Right.

[00:30:43] And he's past Yonk, past Yonk.

[00:30:46] It's just so common throughout Philadelphia.

[00:30:48] It's like you have all these neighborhoods with like thriving neighborhood ecosystems.

[00:30:52] Now, some of them are still pretty rough and tumble.

[00:30:55] Like some of them it's like, you know, you can tell they're like slowly coming back.

[00:31:00] But then you got ones like Maniunk.

[00:31:01] You got your neighborhood.

[00:31:03] You got spots in West Philly.

[00:31:05] East Falls.

[00:31:05] East Falls.

[00:31:13] Populated state.

[00:31:14] Yeah.

[00:31:14] I was just in Colorado, you know, visiting my mother-in-law.

[00:31:17] That's where my wife's from.

[00:31:18] And it's like the only game in town is really Denver and Colorado Springs, like in the whole

[00:31:23] state.

[00:31:24] Now, again, you got the mountain resorts and all this stuff, but they don't really have

[00:31:27] like the Lehigh Valley and like Pittsburgh and Erie and Harrisburg and like all these areas.

[00:31:34] Chambersburg.

[00:31:35] Chambersburg.

[00:31:36] You got just around here.

[00:31:38] Mexico, Pennsylvania.

[00:31:39] To Sean's point, right?

[00:31:40] You got Ambler.

[00:31:42] You got Pottstown has a downtown.

[00:31:44] Downingtown has a downtown.

[00:31:46] Doylestown has a downtown.

[00:31:47] Phoenixville.

[00:31:48] Phoenixville.

[00:31:48] Malvern.

[00:31:49] Westchester.

[00:31:50] Hunchie.

[00:31:51] Conchahokken.

[00:31:52] Conchahokken.

[00:31:53] You got all of these little towns that have some history.

[00:31:58] Well, it has the demand to go there.

[00:32:00] People want to live there.

[00:32:01] Then Colorado is like, oh, it doesn't really matter where I live, right?

[00:32:04] Because I'm not going to be in this town or that town.

[00:32:06] You go to the main city.

[00:32:07] It's interesting.

[00:32:09] My parents go out.

[00:32:12] Bedford, Pennsylvania.

[00:32:13] Dude.

[00:32:14] Bedford Springs?

[00:32:15] Yeah.

[00:32:15] It's like one.

[00:32:16] They go there like four times a year.

[00:32:17] They love it.

[00:32:17] Maria.

[00:32:18] It's six hours away.

[00:32:19] It's like literally.

[00:32:21] That is like.

[00:32:21] You're probably going to see my dad there next time.

[00:32:23] Dude.

[00:32:23] That is so funny.

[00:32:24] They love it.

[00:32:25] Honey, if you're listening, watching right now, they're talking about Bedford Springs.

[00:32:30] Because like literally like when we want to go away for like two nights.

[00:32:33] That's where they go.

[00:32:33] That's where we.

[00:32:34] It's like three, three and a half hours away.

[00:32:35] Parents do the same thing.

[00:32:36] It's beautiful.

[00:32:37] Such a great resort.

[00:32:38] They love it there.

[00:32:39] And eat.

[00:32:40] You go there, chill, and they have a downtown.

[00:32:42] They do.

[00:32:43] Little town, you know, in the middle of Western Pennsylvania.

[00:32:45] Sounds pretty cool.

[00:32:46] Dude, that's so funny.

[00:32:47] Your parents go to Bedford Springs.

[00:32:48] They love it there.

[00:32:49] I'll see Mike.

[00:32:49] I'm like, yo, Mike.

[00:32:50] I was like, I know your son.

[00:32:53] Well, yeah.

[00:32:54] That would be unbelievable.

[00:32:55] And they become friends with the people there because they've been going so many years.

[00:32:58] Yeah.

[00:32:59] They become friends with like the restaurant.

[00:33:00] Oh, they know the owner.

[00:33:02] Oh, that's so cool.

[00:33:02] They know the people at the region.

[00:33:02] You probably have the same waiter.

[00:33:04] Yeah.

[00:33:04] You know, every time.

[00:33:05] I can't wait to tell Maria before this one comes out.

[00:33:09] Hey, everyone.

[00:33:10] This is Tim, your favorite Bricks and Risk co-host.

[00:33:14] But don't tell Sean.

[00:33:15] I hope you're enjoying this episode and I'll get right back to it in a moment.

[00:33:19] Our audience grows through word of mouth.

[00:33:21] So if you would please take a moment of your time and give us a review on the platform you're on,

[00:33:27] that would be fantastic.

[00:33:28] Please also help spread the BNR word by sharing your favorite episode with a friend.

[00:33:34] We greatly appreciate your time and trust.

[00:33:37] Now, back to the show.

[00:33:44] All right.

[00:33:44] So let's talk about something else.

[00:33:45] Yeah.

[00:33:45] You're a very successful guy.

[00:33:47] Let's talk about your baby.

[00:33:49] I like to think I am.

[00:33:49] Right.

[00:33:50] Let's talk about your baby.

[00:33:52] Not your actual kid.

[00:33:54] No, no kids.

[00:33:54] But rental raider.

[00:33:56] And if you're in Philly, you probably say rental raider.

[00:33:58] Rental raider.

[00:33:58] Rental raider.

[00:34:00] So.

[00:34:01] Sounds like you're raiding.

[00:34:02] Right, right.

[00:34:03] Rating.

[00:34:04] So you're already successful.

[00:34:06] It's like you got the family business.

[00:34:08] You're stepping in.

[00:34:08] You're growing it.

[00:34:09] You're doing the property management.

[00:34:11] You're investing in real estate.

[00:34:12] Like you're involved in your community.

[00:34:14] So you're carrying on that legacy that your parents had.

[00:34:18] So like what made you get into like prop tech as they call it, which is really real estate

[00:34:23] technology.

[00:34:24] I'm sure.

[00:34:25] What do you guys call it again?

[00:34:26] Real estate called insure tech.

[00:34:28] Insure tech.

[00:34:29] Insure tech.

[00:34:29] Insure tech.

[00:34:30] We're trying to be trendy here.

[00:34:31] Learn something new every day.

[00:34:32] What made you like, how did rental raider come to be?

[00:34:36] That's a good question.

[00:34:37] It came to be when I was at Drexel.

[00:34:39] And like I said, I was starting out doing rentals, showing rentals, meeting tenants,

[00:34:44] meeting landlords.

[00:34:45] And I would always get asked this question.

[00:34:47] How's the place?

[00:34:48] How's the landlord?

[00:34:50] What's the neighborhood like?

[00:34:51] Now as agents, you can't really say what the neighborhood's like because you could

[00:34:54] steer people.

[00:34:54] But this reoccurring theme started to go through my head of, is there a place where you can

[00:35:01] review properties?

[00:35:03] It's like from the people.

[00:35:04] From the people.

[00:35:05] Like a Yelp.

[00:35:06] Like a Yelp.

[00:35:07] But for real estate.

[00:35:07] Yeah, yeah.

[00:35:08] For rentals.

[00:35:09] So I started doing research, couldn't find anything really universal.

[00:35:14] Yeah.

[00:35:14] And then I started like sitting down, like really formulating this business, this idea, like

[00:35:19] what would it look like?

[00:35:21] How would you identify places?

[00:35:22] And then I got connected with another Drexel startup who was like a web marketing agency,

[00:35:27] web designer, whatever.

[00:35:28] And because I went to, I have a lot of like connections.

[00:35:31] I still have connections in the College of Business LeBeau there.

[00:35:34] Drexel also has a school of entrepreneurship.

[00:35:36] But I talked to a lot of my business professors.

[00:35:38] They said, you should really go to the school of entrepreneurship, closed school, and talk

[00:35:44] about this.

[00:35:45] And I went and met with the dean and the associate dean.

[00:35:47] They were like, this sounds really great.

[00:35:48] You got to do a business plan.

[00:35:50] You got to really formulate this.

[00:35:51] And by the way, we might have somebody that's here in the incubator space who would be a

[00:35:56] good fit to help you kind of bring this from your head.

[00:35:59] Very cool.

[00:35:59] And a vision to reality.

[00:36:01] And that's where the idea was born.

[00:36:03] And it's a review site based on where you live.

[00:36:06] So if you lived at 1234 Main Street, you review the landlord, the property, the neighborhood.

[00:36:10] Wow.

[00:36:11] You go in, you write a review as a tenant.

[00:36:13] Landlords can claim their property.

[00:36:15] They could then respond.

[00:36:17] If somebody writes you a really nice review, you could go, thank you, Sally.

[00:36:19] You know, that was great.

[00:36:20] Yeah.

[00:36:20] We loved having you in unit 103, whatever.

[00:36:23] Right.

[00:36:23] And really, like, it's a community-based kind of company or site too, because you're looking

[00:36:33] at what's the areas like.

[00:36:34] Is there a grocery store?

[00:36:36] Is there shopping?

[00:36:37] Is there, you know, how far are you from the airport?

[00:36:40] What is it about this place that you love?

[00:36:42] Or what is it about that you hate?

[00:36:44] Yeah.

[00:36:45] Because you're going to have that too.

[00:36:47] They might, oh, it's too noisy.

[00:36:48] You know, the management company's slow to respond.

[00:36:52] There's trash all over, whatever it is.

[00:36:55] So again, kind of looking at the community too, building that and kind of bringing that

[00:37:00] in.

[00:37:01] Not just house the landlord.

[00:37:03] Yeah.

[00:37:03] And not just house the property.

[00:37:05] Well, I think it's very important because just like Yelp, right?

[00:37:07] So you're on Yelp.

[00:37:09] You want the inside track.

[00:37:10] Yeah.

[00:37:11] Right?

[00:37:11] Do you go on Yelp?

[00:37:14] I haven't been recently.

[00:37:16] But don't you want the inside track?

[00:37:17] I want the inside track.

[00:37:21] So you want to know, like, what dish do I order?

[00:37:27] Yeah.

[00:37:28] When's the best night to go?

[00:37:31] Yeah.

[00:37:31] Do they have live music on Friday, right?

[00:37:34] So like, if you went to the website, you might not hit upon all of that behind the scenes

[00:37:40] information, but hearing it from someone who actually went to that restaurant on a Friday

[00:37:47] and they had a band or whatever, you get to gauge your experience on what theirs was.

[00:37:55] Yeah.

[00:37:55] Like online reviews.

[00:37:56] So that's what I think the value is.

[00:37:59] Hey, if I'm going to go live here, I want to know what, you know, what's this like?

[00:38:04] Yeah.

[00:38:05] You know, who's living here?

[00:38:06] What's there to do around there?

[00:38:08] What are some of the amenities, you know, places to hang out?

[00:38:12] Where's some of the cool features of this building?

[00:38:15] So I think it can lend a tremendous value from that angle as the person who actually did live here.

[00:38:23] And you don't always get to meet the current tenant.

[00:38:26] You know, you don't always get to see them.

[00:38:30] You know, I was showing places like two months ago and it was like, go and show, you know,

[00:38:35] go right in.

[00:38:37] I knock on the door, I open the door.

[00:38:39] The woman's still living there.

[00:38:40] She's like, oh, I didn't know there was a showing.

[00:38:42] I'm like, oh, sorry.

[00:38:43] Thank God you're close.

[00:38:44] You know, yeah.

[00:38:45] And she's like, no, that's okay.

[00:38:47] You could come in.

[00:38:47] She's packing up.

[00:38:48] So I'm with the person who's in it.

[00:38:50] And she's like, well, how do you like living here?

[00:38:52] She's like, do you want me to be honest?

[00:38:54] I hate it.

[00:38:55] And that just immediately.

[00:38:57] Yeah.

[00:38:58] You know, she's like, all right, I don't want to rent this place.

[00:38:59] Well, what do you hate about it?

[00:39:01] Right.

[00:39:01] So if it's an older person that didn't like this or didn't like the noise or didn't like

[00:39:05] whatever, well, that may be, you know.

[00:39:08] Well, this was like a fifth floor unit and there was a deck on the sixth floor.

[00:39:11] She said, you can hear everything from the deck.

[00:39:13] Yep.

[00:39:14] And no matter what time.

[00:39:15] And how would you know that?

[00:39:16] How would you know that until you moved in there?

[00:39:18] Yeah.

[00:39:18] Unless you had a rental rater.

[00:39:20] Unless you had a review and you went on there.

[00:39:22] And you knew that going into it.

[00:39:23] True.

[00:39:23] True.

[00:39:24] That's why I always, my, I had one of these genius ideas.

[00:39:27] The Muneus.

[00:39:28] The Muneus.

[00:39:30] Was that.

[00:39:32] I'm excited to hear this.

[00:39:33] Yeah.

[00:39:33] So you, you buy a house.

[00:39:35] It's kind of the same thing.

[00:39:36] You buy a house, but you have no idea what it's like.

[00:39:41] Yeah.

[00:39:41] You literally are going to make.

[00:39:43] It sure doesn't tell you much in Pennsylvania.

[00:39:44] You don't know.

[00:39:46] Like does the floor Creek or is there like a shuttle valve.

[00:39:50] Yes.

[00:39:50] Or the neighbor likes to cut his grass at four o'clock in the morning.

[00:39:55] Yeah.

[00:39:55] Well, you can report them to the township or the city if you do that.

[00:39:57] But your biggest life decision hinges on like.

[00:40:02] Yeah.

[00:40:03] A real estate listing.

[00:40:04] Yeah.

[00:40:05] Sean.

[00:40:05] It's like, oh, sorry.

[00:40:06] Go ahead.

[00:40:06] So my idea was you live there for a month somehow, some way.

[00:40:12] So you get to know all the particulars about the house.

[00:40:15] And I write this one down.

[00:40:16] Live there for a month.

[00:40:18] Okay.

[00:40:18] Keep going.

[00:40:19] Can we make that happen?

[00:40:19] You're.

[00:40:20] You guys are low estate.

[00:40:21] I love it.

[00:40:22] I love it.

[00:40:23] Think about it.

[00:40:23] You just.

[00:40:24] Like a 30 day money back guarantee.

[00:40:26] You just put down.

[00:40:26] Is that what we're doing here?

[00:40:27] We're slinging.

[00:40:28] We're slinging.

[00:40:29] I see on TV stuff.

[00:40:30] A million dollars.

[00:40:32] Biggest purchase of your life.

[00:40:34] And you have no idea what you're getting into.

[00:40:37] It's true, man.

[00:40:38] You just threw me to pass for the alley-oop because I swear.

[00:40:43] I'm not even kidding.

[00:40:44] Yesterday I was with.

[00:40:44] We have somebody helping us with social media.

[00:40:47] Yeah.

[00:40:48] And we were doing that demure trend.

[00:40:51] She had like.

[00:40:52] What is that?

[00:40:52] Yeah.

[00:40:53] Whatever.

[00:40:54] But.

[00:40:54] Yeah.

[00:40:54] Yeah.

[00:40:55] Yeah.

[00:40:55] One of the things was she's like, I want you to shoot.

[00:40:58] I want to shoot a video of you like going down the street saying like, look at me.

[00:41:03] I'm walking around the neighborhood and I want to live in before I put an offer in.

[00:41:07] Very cute of me.

[00:41:08] Very mindful.

[00:41:09] Like, it's like you knew that.

[00:41:11] It's so funny.

[00:41:11] Yeah.

[00:41:12] It's like you threw me the alley-oop to set up.

[00:41:14] Right.

[00:41:14] We were just talking about the same topic, you know.

[00:41:17] And it's just.

[00:41:17] But there's not a lot of people that do that.

[00:41:19] And there's not a lot of people that will know that.

[00:41:20] Yeah.

[00:41:21] And if you're selling your house, just like.

[00:41:23] I guess the same thing.

[00:41:24] If you're a tenant and you really want to.

[00:41:26] Let's say you want to get out of the lease because the sixth floor.

[00:41:28] Yeah.

[00:41:29] Is the deck.

[00:41:29] And you hear every noise from that deck.

[00:41:31] And you're trying to get out of your lease.

[00:41:33] And your land says, fine.

[00:41:34] I'll let you out of your lease.

[00:41:35] But you have to find a new tenant.

[00:41:36] Yeah.

[00:41:36] You're not going to tell them that.

[00:41:37] No.

[00:41:37] You're not going to tell them that.

[00:41:39] And if you're selling your house.

[00:41:40] Or you might omit that.

[00:41:42] You may omit that is what I should say.

[00:41:44] Yes.

[00:41:44] Thank you.

[00:41:44] There's not really anything on this.

[00:41:46] There's nothing on the seller's disclosure that says you got to talk about noise or your

[00:41:50] neighbor cutting the grass.

[00:41:51] So, yeah.

[00:41:52] I mean, again, it's, you know.

[00:41:54] I mean, it's a fantastic idea.

[00:41:55] Don't get me wrong.

[00:41:56] I think it's got legs.

[00:41:58] It's almost like.

[00:42:00] Well, it's not kind of like a Carfax.

[00:42:02] It really is.

[00:42:03] It's really more like, what is your quality of life like?

[00:42:06] You know, the people making the noise on the upper floor.

[00:42:09] The neighbor cutting their grass.

[00:42:11] I once had a neighbor who liked to feed every cat in the neighborhood.

[00:42:15] So.

[00:42:15] That sounds fun.

[00:42:16] And they don't go number two where they eat.

[00:42:19] They go to the property next door, which was mine.

[00:42:21] So that was interesting.

[00:42:23] There's a property and they have chickens.

[00:42:26] Right?

[00:42:26] Yeah.

[00:42:27] I remember when O'Neal sold his house, his neighbors had chickens, but, or he did too,

[00:42:30] but for him, it didn't bother him.

[00:42:32] He gave them their chickens.

[00:42:34] Probably.

[00:42:35] But literally imagine buying a house.

[00:42:38] Yeah.

[00:42:38] Yeah.

[00:42:39] And you never, you went to walk through the house at like three o'clock in the afternoon.

[00:42:43] That's totally true.

[00:42:43] This is the best house.

[00:42:44] Cock-a-doodoo-doo.

[00:42:45] Yeah.

[00:42:46] At 6 a.m.

[00:42:47] Yeah.

[00:42:47] That's exactly right.

[00:42:48] So you buy the house settlement the next morning.

[00:42:50] You wake up to that.

[00:42:52] Your first night there.

[00:42:53] Yeah.

[00:42:54] Yeah.

[00:42:57] You bring it up to circle back to rental rates.

[00:42:59] Yeah.

[00:43:00] Yeah.

[00:43:00] Because you really are getting the inside scoop on what it's like.

[00:43:05] And the inside scoop is valuable to people who want to live in those places.

[00:43:09] All right.

[00:43:09] So here's a question.

[00:43:10] So you come up with this idea.

[00:43:13] You're at Drexel.

[00:43:14] They got a good ecosystem.

[00:43:15] So you're like, you're getting some help in a couple of years.

[00:43:18] Like, what do you want to do with it?

[00:43:20] Like, what's the plan?

[00:43:21] So we launched it.

[00:43:23] Organic.

[00:43:23] Organic.

[00:43:23] The hardest part of this business is the reviews.

[00:43:28] And they're the value.

[00:43:29] Until we get enough reviews where it has legs and it's like validated, that's the hardest

[00:43:36] thing.

[00:43:37] I've been working on it for six years.

[00:43:38] Wow.

[00:43:38] Yeah.

[00:43:39] You know, six years.

[00:43:40] And we're just starting.

[00:43:42] Like, recently, we've gotten reviews in Chicago and Las Vegas.

[00:43:47] In...

[00:43:47] Where's Ithaca College?

[00:43:49] Oh, yeah.

[00:43:49] New York.

[00:43:50] New York.

[00:43:50] Yeah.

[00:43:51] I don't think anything New York City.

[00:43:53] But building...

[00:43:54] Like, again, this is going to be a site that you have to build relationships with those

[00:43:58] potential tenants, with those landlords to kind of sell them on, here's why you should

[00:44:02] use a service.

[00:44:03] And if you run a really great building, you should have no problem with this because...

[00:44:07] Oh, yeah.

[00:44:08] But now, guaranteed, you're not going to please everyone.

[00:44:11] That's impossible.

[00:44:11] But I think people know that going in.

[00:44:13] Most people, you know.

[00:44:15] It's...

[00:44:16] Absolutely.

[00:44:16] You're never going to...

[00:44:17] If you run any business, you're not going to have 100% five-star review.

[00:44:21] The problem is...

[00:44:22] Yeah, exactly.

[00:44:23] Yeah.

[00:44:23] And then...

[00:44:24] Because you're always going to get one person.

[00:44:26] That just...

[00:44:26] You're never going to please them.

[00:44:28] Yep.

[00:44:28] You're never going to make them happy.

[00:44:29] Yep.

[00:44:30] Exactly.

[00:44:30] And that's what I've been working on, trying to build it.

[00:44:33] But then I got distracted with running the business.

[00:44:35] You got a few other things going on.

[00:44:37] Let's be honest.

[00:44:37] And really, this is my brainchild, baby.

[00:44:40] This is something that I long-term want to really grow and build.

[00:44:43] Yeah, you love it.

[00:44:44] I still have...

[00:44:45] I kid you not, I sketched out the design of this site on a piece of paper.

[00:44:50] Every page.

[00:44:51] And then brought it to the web developer.

[00:44:53] Dude, if you can get that to us, we can actually put the images on the website.

[00:44:56] If you want.

[00:44:56] I want to find them.

[00:44:57] I save them because I want them to be...

[00:44:59] One day, if this takes off, I'm going to hang them in a frame in my office.

[00:45:04] And be like, this is where Rental Raider was born on a piece of paper.

[00:45:07] Like Jeff Bezos in that picture where he's in this little office garage.

[00:45:11] Here was my scribbling.

[00:45:13] We just did an episode on brand.

[00:45:16] And we talked about branding and logo and all that.

[00:45:19] And we literally...

[00:45:22] We talked about how different our approaches were.

[00:45:24] He had like 30 pages of ideas.

[00:45:27] Pages of scribbles.

[00:45:28] Like you were just saying, I was coming up with this idea of what our brand was going to look like.

[00:45:33] And I just kind of like, you know, went through all these iterations of page after page after page of scribble.

[00:45:40] I think that's what they say when you're most creative.

[00:45:42] When you put it from here to paper.

[00:45:44] Yeah.

[00:45:44] I could be wrong with that.

[00:45:45] But...

[00:45:46] Yeah.

[00:45:46] Sounds right.

[00:45:47] But sounds right.

[00:45:47] All right.

[00:45:48] So I'm going to shift a little bit as we do.

[00:45:50] So I'm going to bust out the Ryan Garrity question.

[00:45:53] So what's up, Ryan, my brother?

[00:45:55] Hey, Ryan.

[00:45:56] And it's really what has been your biggest struggle.

[00:46:01] And you had said daily changes and challenges obviously has been a struggle.

[00:46:06] We talked about it in property management.

[00:46:08] This happens in real estate every day.

[00:46:10] I'm sure it applies to Rental Raider.

[00:46:12] So why did that stick out to you as a struggle?

[00:46:16] Because every day is different.

[00:46:18] It's truly different.

[00:46:19] You don't know what's going to get thrown at you.

[00:46:21] You don't know what deal is going to have some problem come up.

[00:46:25] You know, what's on the title that the seller didn't know about.

[00:46:31] The buyer went out and made a big purchase.

[00:46:33] Now they can't qualify.

[00:46:35] Every day is truly different.

[00:46:37] And you don't know what's going to hit you.

[00:46:39] You don't know.

[00:46:40] And it's hard to schedule it sometimes.

[00:46:42] It's hard to plan around it.

[00:46:45] You know, one day you might have a dead week.

[00:46:47] The next week somebody from five years ago may call you.

[00:46:50] I want to buy another property.

[00:46:52] You know, like that's kind of like how it's set up because we're so relationship based,

[00:46:57] because we're so referral based, because we're so repeat based.

[00:47:00] You just don't know.

[00:47:02] But partly I like that.

[00:47:04] Yeah.

[00:47:05] I like being under the pressure of timelines and things that have to get done and deadlines.

[00:47:12] I like that personally.

[00:47:13] Yeah.

[00:47:14] Challenges.

[00:47:14] Like a challenge comes your way.

[00:47:16] And how do I solve this problem?

[00:47:17] The real estate market right now with the new changes, with the new law and the new

[00:47:20] lawsuit, navigating that.

[00:47:23] Now I haven't really seen anything personally yet.

[00:47:25] Right.

[00:47:26] But we're going to see that coming over the next few months.

[00:47:28] And it's just another hurdle.

[00:47:30] It's just something you got to get over.

[00:47:31] And if you're strong enough, you have the mental and the physical capacity to be okay

[00:47:36] with that, then you'll be successful.

[00:47:40] Otherwise, find another hobby or career.

[00:47:42] So it's interesting.

[00:47:43] So remember we did the NAR realtor episode and Sean was kind of like firing questions

[00:47:50] at me and asking, okay, what is this?

[00:47:52] What's that?

[00:47:52] Again, he's like, he's bought and sold real estate, but you and I are living and breathing

[00:47:56] in every day and vice versa for insurance.

[00:47:59] And I've had a couple of deals.

[00:48:01] I'm not sure if I've told you about this or at least not talked about on the show.

[00:48:03] I've had two deals in the last few months where the seller was offering less than what

[00:48:09] was agreed upon in my buyer agency contract with my buyer clients.

[00:48:13] And this is before everything hit, which I think was like the August 17th.

[00:48:18] Yeah, I think that was the deadline.

[00:48:19] Yeah, that was the day that everything changed.

[00:48:22] And it was interesting because it hadn't even happened yet, but yet I still had those buyer

[00:48:27] agency contracts in place and I had to go to my buyer client.

[00:48:31] And I said, look, they're only going to pay me X, which means you got to fill in the gap

[00:48:35] so that I get paid Y because we have this contract in writing.

[00:48:40] And you know what happened?

[00:48:41] They were like, no problem.

[00:48:43] Because they saw the value.

[00:48:44] Yeah.

[00:48:45] So again, it's like, just like you're saying, as much as it is a struggle, changes, challenges,

[00:48:52] who the hell likes change?

[00:48:54] Most people don't on face value.

[00:48:55] There's a change out there and people immediately retreat a little bit.

[00:48:59] And they're just like, I'm not used to that.

[00:49:01] I don't know that.

[00:49:02] How's that going to affect my bottom line?

[00:49:04] How's it going to affect my family?

[00:49:05] Like whatever it is.

[00:49:07] And I think your attitude of saying as much as that's a struggle, like turning a negative

[00:49:12] into a positive is what makes you good at what you do.

[00:49:16] Because just like in Sean's industry and insurance, just in real estate, every single

[00:49:21] day something comes up.

[00:49:22] You might have sold a house six months ago and you were the listing agent and the buyer

[00:49:28] agent calls you six months later.

[00:49:29] I'd be like, we just saw this or heard about this.

[00:49:33] Like what's the deal with that?

[00:49:34] And you know what?

[00:49:35] Like the deal's done.

[00:49:36] It's closed.

[00:49:37] Both people have gotten paid.

[00:49:39] People have moved in.

[00:49:40] And some people will just ghost you.

[00:49:42] Just be like, I'm going to return that.

[00:49:43] I don't have to return that call.

[00:49:45] Come after me.

[00:49:46] People like us will be like, well, what happened?

[00:49:49] Like, tell me what happened.

[00:49:50] Oh, this is what happened.

[00:49:51] Maybe you have to go to the seller's disclosure and say, I'm just letting you know, it was

[00:49:55] put right here that, you know, the floor in the basement gets water from time to time.

[00:50:00] And or you did an inspection.

[00:50:02] It's on the inspection report too.

[00:50:04] So as much as I understand that it's not ideal, like you had a seller's disclosure and you

[00:50:10] inspected the property and you took a credit, something, price reduction, seller assist,

[00:50:16] repairs.

[00:50:16] Or you signed off on it.

[00:50:18] Or you agreed to take it.

[00:50:19] And as much as you don't want to say like, sorry, not my problem.

[00:50:23] You're just saying, look, I understand it's emotional.

[00:50:26] Like people are emotionally charged right now.

[00:50:28] Both of you, the person who lives there and the agent who's calling us, but you're just

[00:50:32] trying to help.

[00:50:33] You're just like, look, it's here.

[00:50:34] And Hey, if you need someone for basement stuff, I got someone.

[00:50:37] I got a guy.

[00:50:38] Do you remember, do you remember D'Amico's house?

[00:50:42] Which one?

[00:50:43] The one in Flower Town?

[00:50:44] Yeah.

[00:50:44] Okay.

[00:50:45] Do you remember that story about...

[00:50:46] Oh, in the back?

[00:50:47] Yeah.

[00:50:48] I do remember.

[00:50:49] So he bought the house and the chimney was all messed up.

[00:50:54] Okay.

[00:50:54] So rather than like fixing the chimney and then selling it.

[00:51:00] Yeah.

[00:51:00] They hit it.

[00:51:00] This person was like, oh, just put up some drywall and just hide this.

[00:51:05] And it was the house settled and everything.

[00:51:08] And I guess when he was doing some work or cleaning up some things, he found this chimney

[00:51:14] that was a total disaster.

[00:51:16] And they came out, this thing's got to go.

[00:51:18] Yeah.

[00:51:19] Because you heard about this too from an insurance perspective.

[00:51:21] Yeah.

[00:51:23] And...

[00:51:23] Was it functioning?

[00:51:24] Was it in use?

[00:51:25] No.

[00:51:25] No, it was like a dead chimney.

[00:51:27] A dead chimney.

[00:51:27] But it had some, I don't know, it just like had some damage, let's say, because of like

[00:51:32] maybe it wasn't in good shape.

[00:51:33] And that was starting to affect like, you know, the quality of the home, like moisture,

[00:51:38] things like that.

[00:51:39] And they reached out to him and said, hey, you didn't disclose that this was a problem.

[00:51:44] And he's like, eat it.

[00:51:46] I don't care.

[00:51:46] You know, and the guy moved to like California.

[00:51:48] Yeah.

[00:51:49] And when they were in the attic, they found like receipts of the drywall and the paint.

[00:51:58] Covering it up.

[00:51:58] Which then they could have demonstrated to the guy that, yo, you just bought this stuff

[00:52:04] and just did this work to like cover it up.

[00:52:07] And they wound up sending him a check, I believe.

[00:52:10] Yeah.

[00:52:10] I mean, without getting like too much into the details, that's a great example of someone

[00:52:14] just being like, not my problem.

[00:52:16] Yeah.

[00:52:16] And then look what happened.

[00:52:17] Yeah.

[00:52:17] And it's like, I think with any of this stuff, again, it's like the biggest struggle.

[00:52:22] It's funny because Ryan and you think a lot alike about things.

[00:52:26] Ryan and I are very...

[00:52:27] I think Mikey G and I are a little bit more black-cutful.

[00:52:30] But it's so funny.

[00:52:31] It's great having both perspectives so that you can just look at things, you know, with

[00:52:35] an open mind.

[00:52:36] But obviously like having something like that happen to you and handling it properly, it's

[00:52:42] like, again, it's like how much better would that conversation have went or how much less

[00:52:47] would the amount have been if the person just owned up to it and said, you know what?

[00:52:51] I forgot to do that for whatever reason.

[00:52:53] You know, how can we, how can we resolve this issue?

[00:52:56] Rather than saying, you bought it.

[00:52:59] Peace.

[00:52:59] See you later.

[00:53:01] And try and come after me.

[00:53:03] And it's like, at the end of the day, karma is a real thing.

[00:53:06] So...

[00:53:06] Yeah.

[00:53:06] And it goes back to the old phrase of the devils in the details.

[00:53:10] Yeah.

[00:53:10] If you're not detail-oriented, if your agent is not detail-oriented, if they're not reviewing

[00:53:14] things, looking at things.

[00:53:16] I mean, one thing I would say for us is because I learned from my dad, he's been in it 40 plus

[00:53:20] years, because I've been around properties, I could walk into a house and be like, I don't

[00:53:25] know, where are tanks old?

[00:53:26] It's probably going to go soon.

[00:53:27] Yeah.

[00:53:27] The heater's old, you know, there's some moisture in the ceiling.

[00:53:30] Looks like there's a roof problem.

[00:53:31] Yeah.

[00:53:32] Yeah.

[00:53:32] They're not the best agent, but they're agents who walk in that don't know any of that.

[00:53:36] Right.

[00:53:36] Yeah.

[00:53:36] It's true.

[00:53:37] Don't know, you know, the look for those things.

[00:53:39] And again, I guess for me, from an investor also mindset, I'm looking at those things

[00:53:45] too, partly because they're important to protect your investment.

[00:53:49] Well, it's also important too, is like nowadays, and I don't know what the exact market is where

[00:53:53] you're at, but a lot of these houses will go and it's, you know, the demand is there

[00:53:58] and you don't, can't do a home inspection, right?

[00:54:01] Because that person who's offering isn't going to do the inspection.

[00:54:06] And so to have someone like you that knows these houses and knows what to look for, it's just

[00:54:11] an added benefit to be working with a seasoned real estate expert that knows what to look for.

[00:54:18] Yeah.

[00:54:19] Absolutely.

[00:54:19] Not necessarily being an inspector, but knows things more than the average person.

[00:54:23] But you don't need to be an inspector for you to point out like, hey, this is hot water here.

[00:54:27] You know, this is something you're going to have to contend with in the first year or two.

[00:54:30] And by the way, let me say that I would never as an agent recommend ever not getting an inspection.

[00:54:37] No.

[00:54:37] And if it just makes you more competitive, just go on, you'll find another house.

[00:54:41] Yeah.

[00:54:42] Because what's going to happen is if you don't do the inspection, yeah, I mean, if you're

[00:54:45] an investor, if you don't care, different story, but you're a first time buyer-

[00:54:48] Or you got a really good relationship that can come in.

[00:54:50] Sean, to your point, like that inspection kind of gives you some insight into, you know,

[00:54:54] this is going to be a problem in the future or, you know, the floor is creak or whatever.

[00:54:58] I use that.

[00:54:59] It's like a Carfax.

[00:55:00] Yeah.

[00:55:01] And it's going to give you some value and insight into the little minutiae, I guess,

[00:55:06] is what I want to say, like of this house.

[00:55:08] Like the insight that not all sellers will give you sometimes, you know.

[00:55:14] And is it worth it really?

[00:55:16] Is it worth it to skip that?

[00:55:17] Because what's going to happen is you have a problem.

[00:55:19] Who are you going to think of and blame?

[00:55:20] Your agent.

[00:55:21] Totally.

[00:55:22] Immediately.

[00:55:23] You could do a phenomenal job.

[00:55:26] They might say, well, you know, you recommend it.

[00:55:30] Right.

[00:55:30] Not doing an inspection, so.

[00:55:32] Yeah.

[00:55:34] Perception is reality.

[00:55:36] All right.

[00:55:37] We've been having such a good conversation that I have to kind of-

[00:55:40] She's been great.

[00:55:40] I kind of have to get toward the end, but you gave us a really great quote that I thought

[00:55:45] was awesome.

[00:55:46] And it was, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

[00:55:50] So why'd you choose that quote?

[00:55:52] I think it's great.

[00:55:53] It's a great quote.

[00:55:54] Overplayed.

[00:55:54] But no, it is a great quote.

[00:55:56] Because I'm a believer in like just throw a bunch of stuff against a wall.

[00:56:00] See what sticks.

[00:56:01] Yeah.

[00:56:01] Try things.

[00:56:02] You know, and if it's really meant to be, I'm a gut instinct person.

[00:56:07] Yep.

[00:56:08] I go with my gut on a lot of decisions.

[00:56:10] Likewise.

[00:56:11] If it feels right, I'm doing it.

[00:56:13] If it doesn't feel right, I'm not doing it.

[00:56:16] You know?

[00:56:16] Yeah.

[00:56:17] If I walk into a house with a buyer and I'm like, this is a really nice house.

[00:56:21] You should buy this place.

[00:56:22] Yeah.

[00:56:23] Like they, well.

[00:56:24] My gut's telling me you should buy it.

[00:56:25] Yeah.

[00:56:25] Like someone's like, again, we've talked about this before.

[00:56:27] It's like a good real estate agent.

[00:56:29] Again, you're doing one side of the transaction most of the time.

[00:56:32] Yeah.

[00:56:32] Which means you're an advisor.

[00:56:34] Yeah.

[00:56:34] What do you think?

[00:56:35] Yeah.

[00:56:36] And if you can shoot from your gut and say, I think, you know, we know each other.

[00:56:41] Maybe we already have a preexisting relationship.

[00:56:43] Maybe we've already looked, maybe we didn't know each other, but we already looked at 20

[00:56:45] homes.

[00:56:45] Yeah.

[00:56:46] We know each other.

[00:56:47] This is a good spot.

[00:56:48] Now, again, they might go home and think it over and sleep on it and be like, nah, I

[00:56:52] want to keep looking.

[00:56:54] And that's okay.

[00:56:55] Yeah.

[00:56:55] That's okay too.

[00:56:55] But I think-

[00:56:56] Or the reverse.

[00:56:57] Yeah.

[00:56:58] Or the reverse.

[00:56:58] I might say, this is really not the property you should buy.

[00:57:01] Yes.

[00:57:01] We really love it.

[00:57:01] I don't really like this house.

[00:57:03] 100%.

[00:57:03] We really, really love it.

[00:57:04] Fine.

[00:57:04] Being the person who speaks up always has the best interests of the client of mine.

[00:57:08] I've had people get mad at me because they're like, every house they would take me to,

[00:57:12] I'd be like, I hate this house.

[00:57:13] Right.

[00:57:13] I don't like this house.

[00:57:14] And they'd be like, do you like any house?

[00:57:16] I'm like, I'm telling you for your benefit.

[00:57:18] It's your decision at the end of the day.

[00:57:20] Yeah.

[00:57:20] I'm giving you my honest advice.

[00:57:22] Yeah.

[00:57:22] And you know them.

[00:57:23] Yeah.

[00:57:23] So again, you're only going to speak up because you're like, hey, I'm just looking out for your

[00:57:28] best.

[00:57:28] You want to know what I think?

[00:57:29] This is what I think.

[00:57:30] I'm invested in it.

[00:57:31] Yes.

[00:57:31] Well, you're also speaking like you and him and I, as we speak from the position of,

[00:57:39] if you were me, right?

[00:57:41] Like if I was you and I was buying this house or looking at this house or I wanted to buy

[00:57:45] is this is what I would do.

[00:57:47] Yeah.

[00:57:47] Which creates a ton of value for the client.

[00:57:50] And you build that trust.

[00:57:52] Yep.

[00:57:52] And again, you're getting compensated for the value you bring to the table.

[00:57:57] 100%.

[00:57:57] And if, Tim, to your point about the buyers that had to cover the difference, if you're

[00:58:02] bringing value, they're not going to have a problem with that.

[00:58:04] Right.

[00:58:05] You're bringing zero value.

[00:58:06] That's when they're going to have a problem.

[00:58:08] And this is like, again, like not to go back into the NAR thing.

[00:58:11] This is where the people who are confident in what they do, what they bring to the table

[00:58:15] feel good about it.

[00:58:16] Yeah.

[00:58:16] Because they're like, look, if we have to sign a contract and talk about this upfront

[00:58:21] and six months ago, we didn't really talk about it until you were making an offer.

[00:58:25] That's okay.

[00:58:26] Because that same level of service is there.

[00:58:28] That same level of value is there.

[00:58:30] And your job is to deliver on what you do best, which is be a real estate expert, be customer

[00:58:38] service expert, customer service forward, and get them to where they're going with as

[00:58:42] little pain as possible for as little money as possible is what I like to say.

[00:58:45] This is kind of cliche too.

[00:58:47] But when you walk into a Ferrari dealership and you want to buy a Ferrari, you don't

[00:58:51] haggle over the price, right?

[00:58:52] Right.

[00:58:53] So if you respect yourself enough to know that your value is there, you don't need to haggle

[00:58:58] over what you're worth.

[00:58:59] Exactly.

[00:59:00] Because you know your value.

[00:59:01] And if they don't like that, then they can move on and they can find somebody else.

[00:59:04] But unfortunately, with this big lawsuit, it's the bad actors who ruin it for all the

[00:59:10] good actors.

[00:59:11] You know, it's the bad eggs that spoil the whole soup.

[00:59:15] That is it.

[00:59:16] No, I don't know.

[00:59:17] Whatever.

[00:59:17] That spoil the omelet.

[00:59:21] Mike, Tim's going to kill me for asking this.

[00:59:24] Yeah.

[00:59:24] But I have to.

[00:59:25] You're in the hot seat, right?

[00:59:27] You're here.

[00:59:27] Yeah.

[00:59:28] I can't let you get out of here.

[00:59:29] Wait, can I take a guess what you're going to ask me?

[00:59:31] Go ahead.

[00:59:32] My favorite restaurant in Philadelphia?

[00:59:34] I got it.

[00:59:35] Yes.

[00:59:36] Really?

[00:59:36] No, no.

[00:59:37] Seriously.

[00:59:37] Oh, I'm dead serious.

[00:59:38] Yes.

[00:59:39] So, Seth, I want to drill down here.

[00:59:41] Yeah.

[00:59:41] And I know there's a spot you always go to.

[00:59:44] I know there's that spot, right?

[00:59:45] Which spot is that?

[00:59:46] No, I'm the one asking the question.

[00:59:50] And he's assuming.

[00:59:51] So, I am assuming, actually.

[00:59:55] So, there's a spot you always go to, right?

[00:59:57] There's that spot.

[00:59:59] What's that spot?

[01:00:01] And then I want, like, the other, like, down low that people don't know about.

[01:00:07] Great, great spots.

[01:00:09] That is a good question.

[01:00:09] Why would I kill you for that one?

[01:00:10] That's good stuff.

[01:00:11] Because we're totally at the end.

[01:00:12] And this is, like, you know, you're the stickler.

[01:00:16] So, in South Philly or in the city?

[01:00:18] Just in South Philly.

[01:00:19] So, South of South Street.

[01:00:20] Yes.

[01:00:21] This is the boundaries that I consider.

[01:00:22] Yes.

[01:00:22] Cool.

[01:00:23] South of South Street.

[01:00:24] Okay.

[01:00:25] The Saloon is a long time favorite.

[01:00:28] That is a good spot.

[01:00:29] Yeah.

[01:00:29] 7th and Fitzwater, very good.

[01:00:32] I like Ambrosia, which is at 24th and Locust.

[01:00:36] I don't know that one.

[01:00:36] Another good spot.

[01:00:39] Dante and Luigi's.

[01:00:40] I know that one.

[01:00:40] Is a good spot.

[01:00:41] I've only been there, like, a hundred times.

[01:00:43] Have you?

[01:00:44] At the Catherine.

[01:00:44] Yeah.

[01:00:44] I haven't been there in a while.

[01:00:45] I gotta go there.

[01:00:46] They, you know, they sing the opera in between on a Saturday night.

[01:00:50] Oh, you're thinking of Victor Cafe.

[01:00:51] No.

[01:00:52] No?

[01:00:52] Oh, they sing opera there?

[01:00:54] Yeah.

[01:00:54] Well, Victor they do sing.

[01:00:56] The Victor they sing.

[01:00:57] I didn't know they might sing at Dante and Luigi's.

[01:00:59] I don't know.

[01:00:59] I took my dad there because it was like-

[01:01:00] Yeah.

[01:01:00] But Dante and Luigi's is a classic.

[01:01:02] Yeah.

[01:01:02] On the Avenue, I like labor too.

[01:01:04] Very good Italian food.

[01:01:07] Noir's good.

[01:01:08] I like their food too.

[01:01:10] Again, solid choices.

[01:01:11] I don't know.

[01:01:12] There's many.

[01:01:12] There's probably none of that.

[01:01:13] What's the undercover spot where you're like, this is why we brought you in?

[01:01:16] Oh, the membership only?

[01:01:17] No, just like-

[01:01:19] Only locals would know.

[01:01:21] Yeah.

[01:01:22] Well, the Polizzi is good, but that's become popularized too.

[01:01:24] You need a membership.

[01:01:25] Yeah, you need a membership.

[01:01:26] But the food really is excellent there.

[01:01:28] Is it really good?

[01:01:28] Service is good.

[01:01:29] People, drinks are good.

[01:01:30] Do you know anybody that can get us in there?

[01:01:31] Yeah.

[01:01:32] I can get you in.

[01:01:33] Whenever you want.

[01:01:34] We can do it.

[01:01:35] The other one, I'd say the Bomb Bomb's good down at Pentham Wolf.

[01:01:39] Did you see that like-

[01:01:40] It's for sale.

[01:01:41] Yeah.

[01:01:41] I saw that.

[01:01:42] Yeah.

[01:01:42] Oh, it's awful.

[01:01:43] I hope someone keeps it that way.

[01:01:45] I like Townsend on the Avenue.

[01:01:46] All right.

[01:01:47] And then-

[01:01:48] Ready?

[01:01:48] The Dutch is good.

[01:01:51] Ralph's, one to ten.

[01:01:53] Ralph's is a six.

[01:01:54] Come on.

[01:01:55] Six.

[01:01:55] It's a six.

[01:01:56] That's like asking Pats and Genos, man.

[01:01:57] Yeah, that's like a six.

[01:01:58] They're from Philly.

[01:01:59] If you really want to go to 9th Street, I would go to Villa de Roma.

[01:02:02] I like the Villa.

[01:02:03] The Villa is so good.

[01:02:04] I have a professor from college who loves the Villa.

[01:02:08] And when he's in town, he'll text me if I'm around.

[01:02:11] I'll go meet him.

[01:02:12] But great food.

[01:02:13] Love that they have that fried asparagus and the egg yolk.

[01:02:17] Oh, nice.

[01:02:18] I'm like-

[01:02:18] It's like a heart attack.

[01:02:19] You're going to-

[01:02:19] All right.

[01:02:20] Butter and egg and fried asparagus, delicious.

[01:02:23] And the Villa sale, it's good.

[01:02:25] And Victor Cafe is very good too.

[01:02:27] Yeah.

[01:02:27] I like the Victor.

[01:02:27] We ate at Victor.

[01:02:28] It was awesome.

[01:02:29] All right.

[01:02:29] The Victor's awesome.

[01:02:30] All right.

[01:02:31] I just had to get it in.

[01:02:32] Am I good now?

[01:02:32] There's so many spots.

[01:02:33] Bing Bing was great.

[01:02:34] They closed.

[01:02:35] Am I good now, Mr. Lucy Goosey?

[01:02:39] So your best two spots to buy cigars?

[01:02:42] All right.

[01:02:42] So, Mike, here's what we're going to do.

[01:02:46] Twin Shop's great.

[01:02:47] I just went to Harry's.

[01:02:48] Are you a cigar smoker?

[01:02:49] No, no, no.

[01:02:50] Are you a cigar smoker?

[01:02:50] No.

[01:02:51] No.

[01:02:51] There's a place at Third and Church in Old City called Harry's.

[01:02:55] Yeah.

[01:02:55] First time I was here ever, my cousin told me about it.

[01:02:58] I went in there on Sunday.

[01:02:59] Great selection.

[01:02:59] They have a lounge upstairs.

[01:03:00] You could sit and smoke.

[01:03:02] Have you ever been to Capelli Brothers on 13th Street?

[01:03:04] Yes.

[01:03:04] Capelli Brothers is a good town.

[01:03:05] Very good.

[01:03:06] He knows that, dude.

[01:03:07] And the Ashton's good.

[01:03:08] Who's my brother?

[01:03:08] The Ashton's good.

[01:03:09] The Holtz.

[01:03:10] Oh, yeah.

[01:03:10] On Walnut Street.

[01:03:11] That's always a good spot.

[01:03:12] Awesome.

[01:03:13] Capelli's is my favorite.

[01:03:15] Well, let's do this.

[01:03:16] So for the listeners and watchers out there, why don't you tell people where they can learn

[01:03:20] more about you and what you got going on?

[01:03:22] You can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.

[01:03:27] Awesome.

[01:03:27] Mikey G1016.

[01:03:29] Love it.

[01:03:29] I forgot that's my nickname.

[01:03:30] I go by Mikey G.

[01:03:32] Mikey G.

[01:03:32] Mikey G.

[01:03:35] And website, c21forester.com.

[01:03:38] Also, rentalraider, R-E-N-T-A-L-R-A-T-E-R.com.

[01:03:43] Check it out.

[01:03:44] And leave a review.

[01:03:45] If you lived in a great place or you didn't live in a great place, leave a review and

[01:03:48] we'll review it and read it.

[01:03:49] And you'll help your next potential tenant that moves into the apartment that you vacated.

[01:03:54] Love it.

[01:03:55] Very cool.

[01:03:55] And, but yeah, LinkedIn, feel free to connect my phone numbers all over the internet.

[01:03:59] You're going to find us.

[01:04:00] Awesome.

[01:04:01] You can text me anytime or call me.

[01:04:02] I don't care.

[01:04:03] Mikey G.

[01:04:04] Honor, man.

[01:04:05] I appreciate it.

[01:04:05] Thank you for giving us some of your time.

[01:04:06] It was an honor to be here.

[01:04:07] Thank you.

[01:04:07] Very cool.

[01:04:08] Really appreciate it.

[01:04:08] I had fun.

[01:04:08] This was great.

[01:04:09] Really good.

[01:04:09] Great.

[01:04:10] Thanks, guys.

[01:04:11] And thank you for tuning in again to another episode of Bricks and Risk.

[01:04:15] See you soon.

[01:04:21] Our goal is that you walk away with one or two valuable nuggets, and we greatly appreciate

[01:04:27] you sharing your time with us today.

[01:04:29] You can find all BNR episodes on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and anywhere else you get your

[01:04:37] podcast content.

[01:04:38] Until next time, keep learning and keep growing.