Hustle Humbly Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

We've all heard the horror stories: buyers showing up to closing short on cash, or sellers shocked at their proceeds. Yikes. The truth? These moments don't have to happen — not if you're consistently using buyer cost sheets & seller net sheets.

In this episode, we're breaking down exactly how we use these powerful tools with our clients to build trust, confidence, and calm. And here's the good news: it's not complicated, it's just math + mindset.

We're talking through every single line item on a net sheet, what to include, when to deliver it, and how to tailor it to each unique buyer or seller situation. Whether you're a seasoned agent or brand new to real estate, this episode will help you become more confident when talking about money — and ultimately give your clients the clarity they deserve.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• How to create a seller net sheet that builds trust
  
  

• Using cost sheets with buyers to avoid surprise expenses
  
  

• What to do when a seller doesn't understand closing costs
  
  

• Smart strategies for buyer offers based on actual numbers
  
  

• Handling contingent clients with dual net/cost sheets
  
  

• Becoming fluent and confident with money conversations

Key Quotes & Takeaways

• "If your client is surprised at closing, you haven't done your job." — Alissa
  
  

• "We use net sheets to keep our sellers grounded — and focused on the bottom line." — Katy
  
  

• "Every offer gets a net sheet. That's how we avoid emotional chaos." — Alissa
  
  

• "A buyer cost sheet shows them what's real — not just what they 'hope' it costs." — Katy
  
  

• "Don't avoid money conversations. That's where your value really shines." — Alissa
  
  

Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:

• Episode 232: Buyer Brokerage: How To
  
  

• Episode 295: Why Buyer Agents Struggle to Get Paid
  
  

• Agent Systems 101
  
  

• Email Templates 101
  
  

Want to toast someone on the show?
Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you're toasting, and why! Email it to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

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Email Templates 101: emailtemplates101.com

Build Your Own Business 101: hustlehumblypodcast.com/byob

Agent Systems 101: agentsystems101.com

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Submit your topic ideas and toasts to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com

Music:

Straight A's by Connor Price

The Good Life by Summer Kennedy

Managing your sellers doesn't have to feel like herding cats — or losing your mind. In this episode, we're diving deep into seller client management and giving you the tools (and mindset) to confidently take charge of every stage of the listing process.

From deciding whether you even want the listing, to coaching your seller through prep, pricing, updates, negotiations, and closing — this episode covers it all. And yes, we even tackle what to do when your seller flat-out ignores your advice or refuses to clean up their clutter (it happens).

This episode was born from your questions — we noticed a theme: y'all are struggling with seller management, and we are here to help. We structured this chat to walk through each step of the seller experience, from first contact to final key handoff, with mindset reminders and real-world solutions for the most common challenges agents face.

If you've ever second-guessed whether to take a listing, worried about pricing too high, or stressed about communicating with a ghosting seller — this one's for you.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• How to decide if you should even take the listing
  
  

• Why mindset matters more than you think
  
  

• Setting expectations around budget, prep, and condition
  
  

• Giving honest advice without hurting feelings
  
  

• Managing sellers during staging, photos, and price drops
  
  

• How to provide regular updates that actually work

Key Quotes & Takeaways

• "Ask yourself: do you actually want this listing? If not, it's okay to walk away." — Katy
  
  

• "We're not here to be doormats. You can be kind and still be in charge." — Alissa
  
  

• "Your seller only moves every 10 years. You do this every day. Be the professional." — Katy
  
  

• "The market will tell you what the right price is. Don't be afraid of the data." — Alissa
  
  

• "If you're not updating your sellers, they think you've disappeared." — Katy
  
  

Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:

• Episode 183: How to Sell a House
  
  

• Episode 276: How to Stage Your House
  
  

• Episode 73: Building a Staging Closet
  
  

• Episode 65: Contingency Planning for Buyers/Sellers
  
  

• Email Templates 101
  
  

• Transaction Checklists

Want to toast someone on the show?
Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you're toasting, and why! Email it to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template 

Email Templates 101: emailtemplates101.com

Build Your Own Business 101: hustlehumblypodcast.com/byob

Agent Systems 101: agentsystems101.com

All Resources: hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com

Music:

Straight A's by Conner Price

The Good Life by Summer Kennedy

What do serial killers, mothballs, lawsuits, and staircases to nowhere have in common? Yep. They've all made an appearance in the world of real estate.

In this fun twist from our usual mindset or strategy-based content, we're diving into the craziest, weirdest, and sometimes most horrifying real estate stories we've ever heard (or experienced). Some stories are viral legends — and we investigate whether they're actually true or total internet myths. Others? Straight from real agents, and totally real (unfortunately).

We promise you'll laugh, cringe, and maybe side-eye your next transaction just a little more carefully. From exploding cars and fake agents in boxers to the infamous Winchester Mystery House and a literal bag of 22 mothballs — we've got it all.

Don't worry — we balance out the chaos with a reminder to stay safe, trust your instincts, and question everything you read on the internet.

And hey, Halloween is around the corner! Got a haunted house story? Send it in now to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com so we can include it in our upcoming Halloween episode!

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• The infamous "spite house" and why it may not be built out of spite after all
  
  

• A listing appointment that turned into a literal crime scene
  
  

• The real story behind those $1 and $35 listings (yes, they're real)
  
  

• An exploding car, a cashier's check, and a shocking identity reveal
  
  

• A fake agent caught mid-makeout in a vacant condo
  
  

• Lawsuits over feedback: viral fiction or something to worry about?
  
  

• Why one house smelled like it had 22,000 mothballs
  
  

• An agent's instincts about a creepy seller — and what happened after
  
  

• Staircases that lead to ceilings and doors that go nowhere
  
  

• The wild truth behind selling a house via raffle tickets

Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:

• Ozone machines (used for odor removal)

• Realtor.com and Inman articles (referenced in viral pricing strategy discussion)
  

Leave us a review at ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template 

Email Templates 101: emailtemplates101.com

Build Your Own Business 101: hustlehumblypodcast.com/byob

Agent Systems 101: agentsystems101.com

All Resources: hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com

Music:

Straight A's by Conner Price

The Good Life by Summer Kennedy

How Do Realtors Get Paid — Seller Edition

Last week we talked to buyers. This week we talk to sellers. And honestly, it should be this simple.

Episode 232 was all about the buyer brokerage agreement and how to present it. But a big question came up in that episode: how does all of this change your listing appointment? What do you say to sellers now? How do you handle the questions they're hearing in the news? And what if the rules change entirely?

This episode is the companion. Listen to 232 first if you haven't.

Also: if you're not listing, you're losing. We'll get to why.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- Why the listing appointment should always have been this transparent — and why it's a little embarrassing that some sellers didn't understand they were paying the buyer's agent
- The seller affirmations you need going into every listing appointment: "I am not afraid to talk about money. I am not afraid to ask to be paid."
- Do a net sheet. For the love of everything, do a net sheet. It is not optional. If you're not doing one, you are failing your seller.
- How to handle the seller who has heard the news and asks: "I've been hearing sellers don't have to pay buyer's agents anymore — what can you tell me about that?"
- The current answer: you're right, you have no obligation, but here's why it would be to your advantage right now — and what the market in your area is actually offering
- Why Alissa never offered a bonus on a listing — and then one seller made her do it, and what happened
- The MLS, what's in that blank, why putting $0 or $1 is the new trend, and what might change next
- The deeper problem with the current system: sellers are blanketly paying whatever buyer's agent shows up, regardless of whether that agent is their first week or has 30 years of experience
- Why Katy sees that as a flaw — and why Alissa sees the counterargument (the agent doesn't get paid if it doesn't close)
- The builder's design appointment story — and how the sales rep's phrase "I don't get paid for this" was a lightbulb moment about our mindset around money
- Why keeping everything in writing, including a follow-up email after the listing appointment, is going to matter more than ever
- How buyers and sellers still don't blanketly trust the real estate industry — and why what's happening is just bringing that to light
- If you're not a listing agent: it's time to become one. Here are the Hustle Humbly episodes to get you there:
  - Episode 45: The Listing Interview
  - Episode 62: Transitioning from Buyer's Agent to Listing Agent
  - Episode 148: The Listing Process — Listing to Closing
  - Episode 154: Speaking to Your Value (FSBO episode)
  - Episode 183: How to Sell Your Home (Consumer Edition)
  - All seller episodes: hustlehumblypodcast.com/sellers
- Dodd Frank, TRID, and why every industry change that felt like the end of the world eventually became normal
- Disclosure requirements with builders: if a builder gives you a cash bonus or a cruise for selling five houses, your buyer must know
- I work hard and I want to be compensated accordingly — that's not a bad reason to be in real estate

Toast of the week from Jordan Maxwell in Amarillo, Texas, toasting Annie Miller — also in Amarillo — for introducing Jordan to the podcast and for an inspiring new endeavor. Cheers to Annie!

Referenced episodes:
- Episode 232: How to Use a Buyer Brokerage Agreement
- Episode 214: Buyer Brokerage — Preparing for Changes in Real Estate
- Episode 45: The Listing Interview
- Episode 62: Transitioning from Buyers to Sellers
- Episode 148: The Listing Process
- Episode 154: Speaking to Your Value
- Episode 183: How to Sell Your Home (Consumer)

All seller episodes: hustlehumblypodcast.com/sellers

Want to toast someone on the show? Email team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Music:
Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/
The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life
Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

How to Use a Buyer Brokerage Agreement

Fair warning: if you are one of the agents in the Facebook comments saying the lawsuits aren't going to change anything and sellers will always pay buyer's agents — this episode is for you the most.

We are not trying to scare you. We are trying to prepare you. Because whether your market requires a buyer brokerage agreement right now or not, you need to understand how it works, how to present it, and how to make it not feel like you're handing someone a 40-page legal document while saying "we've been sued, please sign here."

And yes, there is a bra story. We'll get to it.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- A quick lawsuit update: where things stand as of early 2024 — Sitzer Burnett verdict, the appeals, the copycat lawsuits (Gibson, Batton One, Batton Two, Burton, March, Que Je Team, Phillips), the NAR CEO's early retirement, new leadership, and the ongoing DOJ investigation that everyone should be watching more than any single lawsuit
- Why the DOJ is the biggest disruptor — not the individual lawsuits
- Why agents in Facebook comments are still not getting it — and why that's on all of us to help change
- Why consumers think buyer's agents are free — and why that's actually the root cause of all the lawsuits
- The buyer brokerage agreement itself: what it actually says, why it sounds scary, and why you need something more approachable to introduce it
- The origin story of the Hustle Humbly Buyer Brokerage Agreement Cover Letter — Alissa's ghost buyer who rejected her three times over years of Facebook messages, and why she needed a friendly cover letter instead of a legal document
- What's in the cover letter and how it mirrors a listing appointment:
  1. Commitments to you (what am I doing for you as your agent)
  2. Buyer loyalty agreement (the buyer rules — FSBO, open houses, new construction, communication)
  3. How do I get paid (yes, we just named it that — no more hiding)
  4. What happens when we find the one (how this works at offer time)
  5. General practices (office hours, communication preferences)
- The last line: "If you feel as though we are a good fit and you would like to hire me, please see the terms on the attached buyer representation form" — not "we've been sued, sign this"
- Why buyer consultations are back: getting someone to coffee before showing houses, going through the process, explaining how you get paid, setting expectations
- The importance of having buyers know the rules before you start — FSBO, new construction, open houses, how to reach you
- How the buyer brokerage agreement protects the agent in a FSBO situation
- Why Alissa's office is still not requiring it yet — but why Connie is preparing — and why the acronym BRA became a thing
- The bra story: agents in Connie's office showed up to the buyer representation agreement class wearing negligee over their clothes because BRA was everywhere — and Connie has since renamed it BBA
- Why being a listing agent in addition to a buyer's agent is going to matter more than ever if the industry changes
- How this fits into buyer folders and agent systems — two more documents added to what you already do
- Why the best agents will thrive as others exit — and why preparation is the only answer

The Buyer Brokerage Agreement Cover Letter is available at hustlehumblypodcast.com/bba — $47, a customizable Canva template with space for your logo and photo, written in plain language, ready to add to your buyer presentation.

Referenced episodes:
- Episode 214: Buyer Brokerage — Preparing for Changes in Real Estate

Toast of the week from Christina Kusik in Baton Rouge, Louisiana — incoming board president for 2024, toasting her newly appointed and returning Board of Directors members. Cheers to everyone willing to serve!

Want to toast someone on the show? Email team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

Buyer Brokerage Agreement Cover Letter: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/bba

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Music:
Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/
The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life
Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Busy Brain — How to Tame Stress, Find Focus, and Sleep Again with Dr. Romie Mushtaq

This episode dropped the day Dr. Romie's book was released. We did not plan that. We are thrilled.

Dr. Romie Mushtaq is a neurologist, chief wellness officer, keynote speaker, and creator of the Brain Shift Protocol. Her book — The Busy Brain Cure: The Eight-Week Plan to Find Focus, Tame Anxiety, and Sleep Again — is out now. She was born to be a doctor (literally — her first toy was a Fisher-Price stethoscope), survived a health crisis brought on by her own unaddressed burnout, and has since spent over a decade building a protocol that has been tested on 17,000 adults and inside Fortune 500 companies.

She also identifies as a feminist in stilettos. We are big fans.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- Dr. Romie's origin story: entering neurology when less than 5% of neurologists were women, pushing herself to burnout without the language to name it, and ending up in life-saving surgery in 2010 — the moment that started everything
- What "busy brain" actually is: a triad of adult-onset ADD/ADHD, anxiety, and insomnia — not three separate diseases but one pattern of neuro-inflammation caused by chronic stress
- How 82% of 17,000 adults scored above 30 on the Busy Brain Test (indicating chronic stress effects in the brain) — and how to take the test yourself
- Why real estate agents are particularly vulnerable — the constant availability, the reactive nature of the work, the dopamine hit of the next sale, no off switch
- The "before" and "after" of having boundaries — Alissa's story of having her daughter in February 2017 and still having her best year, because having to shut off at a certain time made her more focused
- What a busy brain looks like in practice: everything feels like an emergency, 25 browser tabs open in your brain, can't fall asleep because of racing thoughts, waking at 2am, imposter syndrome, chasing shiny objects
- The SHIFT acronym — the Brain Shift Protocol:
  S — Sleep and circadian rhythm
  H — Hormones that need to be assessed and corrected
  I — Inflammation markers (like Vitamin D3)
  F — Fuel (food, without going on a diet)
  T — Technology and digital detox
- Why micro habits are the foundation — and how Katy's daily lemon water habit connected to ancient Ayurvedic medicine and has never been broken
- The hot lemon water streak: Katy nearly lost it in California because the cafe didn't have it fast enough
- The shiny entrepreneurial project syndrome and why a busy brain makes you chase the next thing instead of going deep on what you do well
- Why social isolation is one of the top root causes of women's health crises — and why community matters more than any productivity tool
- The thyroid revelation: 1 in 8 women has subclinical thyroid disease, 1 in 4 for women of color — often missed by traditional primary care — and the connection to postpartum health, chronic fatigue, and weight struggles
- Why a functional wellness doctor and full labs can tell you more than a standard checkup — and how most of these labs are covered by insurance
- The 8-week Brain Shift Protocol: week by week micro habits, stacked like dominoes, starting with sleep and building to hormones, inflammation, food, and tech
- Digital detox: scheduling social media and news breaks instead of reacting to the pull all day
- What hope means: Dr. Romie asked Katy and Alissa to name what they hoped for in 2024 — and committed to holding that hope for them
- Dr. Romie's personal hope: finding her life partner while scaling her mission globally (her dating life is just her and her dog Raja right now)
- The importance of being your own hope holder — and finding a community to hold it with you
- Where to find the Busy Brain Test and the book

Resources:

- The Busy Brain Cure by Dr. Romie Mushtaq — available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and Audible (Dr. Romie reads the audiobook herself, including all her Indian auntie voices)
- Busy Brain Test: drromie.com (link to come in show notes)
- Brain Shift Institute: drromie.com

Toast of the week: Dr. Romie toasted all the teachers from preschool through high school in Danville, Illinois who helped launch her on her STEM path. Cheers to every teacher who has no idea of the impact they're making!

Want to toast someone on the show? Email team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Music:
Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/
The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life
Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Looking Back, Moving Forward — Welcome to 2024

It is the first Monday of 2024. Katy threw confetti everywhere. Alissa didn't know it was coming. The confetti may have come from a California hotel room. And we are off.

This episode is part year-in-review, part mindset reset, part permission slip to feel good about a year that was hard. We're looking at the numbers, talking about what changed, what we learned, and how we're setting ourselves up to thrive in 2024 — even if that means not setting traditional goals at all.

You also get 53 Mondays this year. It's a leap year. That's a land yap. A little something extra.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- Katy's 2023 real estate numbers: 5 transactions, average sales price $333K, under $2 million in volume, $40,000 gross commissions — down from 14 transactions and $119K in gross commissions in 2022
- Alissa's 2023 real estate numbers: 41 transactions, $17 million in volume, down 41% from 70 transactions and $26 million in 2022 (her all-time volume record)
- Why both of them feel okay about it — and why the market itself was down ~30%
- Alissa's breakdown of where her 41 transactions came from: 20 referrals, 16 repeat clients, 5 from out-of-town agents, 2 from volunteering, and 2 from the children — literally, Haven's best friend's grandma and Tate's best friend's parents
- The specific sources that surprised her most: her sister's CRNA schoolmate moving from Colorado, her 14-year cleaning lady's daughter, her office secretary's son buying his first home (with a bond program!), a sister's friend's dad who bought three houses
- Why Alissa referred out more than ever in 2023 — and how weird it felt at first, then how good it felt
- Alissa's first year without Dave Ramsey leads, without open houses (almost), and with two podcast days off per week — and still doing $17M
- Katy's 2023 health and wellness goals: 100 baths, 100 stretch sessions, 100 meditations (she crushed the first two, did about 20 meditations — still proud), plus naps, lemon water, and her first book read for pleasure as an adult
- Why Katy set no transaction goal in 2023 and what happened (five transactions)
- The capacity vs. demand principle from physical therapy — and how to increase your capacity for whatever life throws at you
- 2024: Katy's word of the year is "easy impact" — she wants to make an impact without it feeling heavy
- Alissa's word of the year: THRIVE
- 2024 has 53 Mondays and a leap day — a whole extra 24 hours (land yap)
- Why Alissa's goals have always overwhelmed her — and why maybe she needs limits more than goals
- Alissa's 5K at the end of 2023 with her book club — she ran the whole thing without stopping
- Alissa's health revelation: drinking a gallon of water a day was depleting her electrolytes — she felt like a new person within two days of cutting back and adding propel
- The functional wellness doctor, the bloodwork, the reclaimed body — taking care of yourself matters
- The culture of what you're consuming: what you read, watch, scroll through, and listen to adds up — unfollow what makes you feel bad, seek out what makes you feel good
- The "human chunks" story from California and how it led to a conversation about what you're consuming
- 52 Mondays left this year — write down something today and revisit it every Monday
- Quotes from Estee Lauder, Jen Sincero, Amelia Earhart, RBG, and more
- The book The Choice by Edith Eva Eger — Holocaust survivor, doctor at 50, still working in her 90s — and the quote: "Do you want to be 50, or do you want to be 50 and be a doctor?"
- Atomic Habits by James Clear — one step at a time, one habit at a time
- Who are your cheerleaders? Spend more time with them.
- Recorded toasts from California listeners are coming all year — starting with this one from Aaron Baker in College Station, Texas, toasting the Women's Council of Brazos Valley

Toast of the week from Aaron Baker in College Station, Texas — toasting the Women's Council of Brazos Valley and congratulating them on 2024. Cheers!

Want to toast someone on the show? Email team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Music:
Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/
The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life
Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Dear Real Estate Santa, we have just a few things on our list…

Join us to find out what they are and then tell us yours on social media!

Leave us a review at ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template 

Email Templates 101: emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: agentsystems101.com

All Resources: hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to hello@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Real Estate in the News

Today we put on our news anchor hats, shuffled our papers on the desk, and dove into what's actually happening in the real estate industry — and what the public is hearing about it.

Fair warning: this episode airing on December 18 also doubles as a gentle reminder to turn off the news for the holidays.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- The greatest hits of real estate doom and gloom headlines — from the 1880s, 1929, the 1940s, 1970s, and 1980 — because mortgage rates "hitting record highs" and "prices beginning to collapse" is not a new headline
- The headline from November 8, 2023 that said "mortgage rates plunge" — and what actually happened
- Why consumers read the headlines but don't click the article — and how that affects what they think is happening
- How to answer the "how's the market?" question from relatives at Thanksgiving like a professional instead of a worry-wart
- Why being connected to your lender is the best way to stay current on financial news
- The importance of knowing your local market stats vs. national headlines
- Google Trends for real estate in November 2023: "what does contingent mean in real estate" was up 120%, and "real estate agent commission" and "real estate commission lawsuit" were breakout searches
- A Sitzer Burnett verdict update: NAR and the defendants lost, the award was $1.8 billion (to be trebled to $5.4 billion), spread across 500,000 homeowners — about $7,500 per person
- What came after the verdict: copycat lawsuits, the NAR CEO going into early retirement, a new interim CEO from the Chicago Sun-Times, and Tracy Casper as NAR president
- The Batton II lawsuit — what it is, which 35 states it covers (Louisiana is notably not one of them), why it matters, and why the scope is exponentially larger than Sitzer Burnett
- What "indirect purchaser states" means and why some states aren't included
- More lawsuits filed the day the verdict came down — against the big brokerages not included in the first case
- Why we are not a news outlet and won't be doing minute-by-minute updates — but why you need to know enough to speak confidently with clients
- Why the most important thing you can do is continue to show your value and operate professionally
- The human brain's capacity to carry all the world's news at once — and why sometimes you just have to zoom out
- The actor strike analogy: Realtors know what's happening in their industry; most people outside of it don't, and that's okay
- Why Katy turned off the news in 2020 and let Jay be her filter
- With an election year coming — this is a great time to protect your peace
- The buyer brokerage agreement cover letter: hustlehumblypodcast.com/bba

Free resource: Buyer Brokerage Agreement Cover Letter — hustlehumblypodcast.com/bba

Toast of the week goes to Stevie Earls in Hoover, Alabama, toasted by mentor Layton Horlock. Stevie has become such a great agent in her first year that she's even taught Layton things and made her a better agent and person. Cheers to Stevie!

Want to toast someone on the show? Email team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Music:
Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/
The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life
Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one

Plants, Flowers, and Real Estate with Stacey

Katy sent one email to the Hustle Humbly list about being a realtor plant lady. Stacey responded. And here we are.

Stacey is a listener, a realtor, a former florist, former chamber of commerce director, and someone who worked on a tulip farm in the Pacific Northwest. She comes from a family of florists and plant people, and she got into real estate two and a half years ago. Katy also comes from a long line of florists. Alissa had a bunch of plants named after people and her dog Dante ate them all. This is the episode.

This one is a little different — it is genuinely fun, deeply practical, and has more useful information about how to use plants in your real estate business than you might expect.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- How Stacey's background in florals and events has parallels with real estate — both involve being present at the emotional transitions of people's lives
- Using seasonal potted plants at the front door for open houses and showings — the immediate impact of fresh mums at the curb
- How to use plants inside for staging: creating focal points, drawing eyes away from problem areas, adding warmth and depth to flat-looking listing photos
- Matching plants to the architecture of the home — a contemporary home wants clean simple leaves, not big blooming arrangements, and a Tuscan-style home wants something opulent
- The baby's breath and dyed mom incident (and why grocery store flowers are not staging flowers)
- The case for philodendron leaf cuttings in a vase of water — they last 6-8 weeks, need zero maintenance, and they're free if you grow them in your yard
- How to curb appeal with plants: fresh mulch, welcome mats, seasonal pots, removing dead hanging baskets, grouping plants in threes, and never planting too close to the foundation
- Why less is more with outdoor landscaping — buyers need to see the house, not the flower bed
- What sellers attached to their plants should do before listing: take cuttings, take photos, negotiate to remove sentimental plants, don't drive by the old house two years later
- Gifting plants in your real estate business: closings, lenders, escrow officers, the other agent, buyers moving into a sea of boxes
- Why succulents are a perfect realtor gift — no calories, no dietary restrictions, nearly no maintenance
- How to find a reputable local florist in a town you don't know (skip the wire services, skip the ads, find the map pins, say "designer's choice")
- Bringing your own branded containers to the florist — pots with your logo or a pick with your branding
- Sending flowers to someone's workplace vs. their home — the office makes everyone ask "who sent you those?"
- Partnering with your local nursery for pop bys, client events, and wreath-making classes
- How plants affect property values: the neighbor's yard, community gardens, parks, tree canopies, and why understanding water drainage matters
- Rain gardens and controlling runoff — and the importance of knowing how water moves through your yard before you plant
- Why you should wait one year before planting anything in a new yard
- Trees: what to consider before planting — shade vs. blooming vs. fruiting, how deep the roots go, and whether the species is pretty at every age
- The tulip farm metaphor for real estate: you plant the bulb, you don't see anything for months, and then all of a sudden it blooms
- The Slow Flowers movement and buying locally grown flowers vs. imported ones
- Horticulture psychology: why touching, smelling, and being around plants reduces anxiety, encourages creativity, and grounds people
- Client event idea: wreath-making class or succulent workshop with a local florist or nursery
- Why you shouldn't let flowers overwhelm a space — one piece per wall, let the house sell itself

Toast of the week goes to Katrin Crum, toasted by Stacey — her managing broker, mentor, and the person who took her out to dinner the night she passed her real estate exam. Cheers to Katrin!

Want to toast someone on the show? Email team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

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Music:
Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/
The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life
Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one