You may not hear it very often, but did you know that there are downsides to lower interest rates? Yes, you heard that correct, lower interest rates might not be in your best interest, literally. Our guest this week, Jennifer Butcher of GO Mortgage, makes a case for why low rates actually have a negative impact on the market, and how the current rates can actually work in your favor. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines because of the current rates she just might make you rethink that. Jennifer shoots it to us straight and provides real life scenarios that apply to you as a buyer or seller, and also as a Realtor facing objections about interest rates. Jennifer also shares the financial implications of renting a home vs buying a home, and the positive benefits of home ownership no matter where the rates are. You just might walk away from this episode viewing home ownership through a much wider lens than just what interest rate you lock in at, and consider its larger impact on building wealth and security in your life. Jennifer has been in the business a long time, is a treasure trove of knowledge, and she is a fantastic educator. We are so excited to share this with you. Let’s dive in!

I don’t know about you but sometimes mornings can turn into chaos and it can feel like you are fighting off overwhelm before you even get a chance to jump into work for the day. We all want to be more productive, more efficient, and have more time for ourselves to enjoy life, but it can feel like swimming upstream. If you want to cut down on the stress and take back your day it is necessary to develop strategies for how your time is allocated. Creating a routine and developing some simple habits can make all the difference in every area of your life. 

Kristi loves, well let’s be honest, she’s obsessed with diving into all things productivity and this week she is going to share some of her top tips to help you get your morning off to a good start, and how to carry that into having a productive day filled with ease, even when a curveball gets thrown your way! Let’s dive in! 

Last week’s episode was all about preparing to buy a house in the spring market. But what if you’re selling? Fear not, we’ve got you covered. This week we are sharing our top tips on what to do if you are looking at selling your home this spring. 

When you are planning to sell your home you can never start the conversation too early and this week’s episode will give you all the time you need to get everything with your house in order, find a trusted lender, find a Realtor you love, and do some organizing and purging if needed. You can hold off on doing any major home improvements until your Realtor sees your home. They can give you guidance on how to make the best decisions on preparing your home and might even save you some money. 

Many buyers that were waiting for interest rates to drop are getting off the sidelines and we are expecting this to be a great time to sell your home. You won’t want to miss our tips on how to prepare your home for the spring 2024 market. Let’s dive in! 

Alright BusBenchBabes, it’s almost here. The spring market. Many potential homebuyers chose to sit out during 2023 due to the high interest rates. The large number of homeowners sitting on historically low rates also had a dramatic effect on home sales due to the relatively low available inventory throughout the year. We were faced with a kind of stalemate. But with rates creeping down in 2024 we are starting to see things pick up already. 

Our first listing at The BPR Experience went into multiple offers, and we are expecting to see a busy spring and summer. This week on the podcast we are sharing 5 things you need to know if you’re thinking about buying a house this year, or if you are a Realtor working with buyers, things your clients need to know. We are sharing our top tips to help prepare you to successfully navigate the spring market. Let’s dive in!

Here in Minnesota it doesn’t feel like the spring real estate market is right around the corner, but the Super Bowl is kind of the unofficial kickoff to the spring market and that’s just a couple weeks away. With interest rates coming down a little bit, the buyer demand is starting to increase, and before you know it we will be in full swing of the busy season. Before we reach the busiest time of the year it’s important to make sure you’ve got processes in place and your life dialed in so that you don’t come skidding into the end of 2024 looking like you’ve been through the ringer. 

What does that look like? It could be setting a good morning routine, making sure you have “you” time scheduled, and prioritizing ways to fill your own cup. As for your business it could be making sure you’ve got client events planned, looking to outsource some tasks so you can free up more time, updating your website and so many other behind the scenes details that tend to go to the back burner when you’re busy closing deals. This week Beth is going to cover all the things you should make sure to plan while you’ve got time so you have the best year that you can personally and professionally. Let’s dive in! 

It’s the time of year where it seems like everyone is talking about resolutions, intentions and what’s ahead in 2024. New Year, new you, right? But what if you already like you the way you are? You don’t have to throw out everything about yourself just because you threw out last year's calendar and planner. The new year can be about growth, and learning, and planning and you don’t have to throw out anything. Instead, how about adding to how amazing you already are and ditching the things that no longer serve you? 

This week we are chatting all about goals and intentions for 2024, and how you can decide what those are going to be. The new year is a great time to reflect on who we are, who we've been in the last year, what we are proud of, what served us most and what didn’t. You’ll never know how far you’ve come unless you look back once in a while, right? Don’t forget to grab the tissues, this one gets a little emotional, and get ready for one of our favorite shows of the year!  Let’s dive in!

Happy New Year to everyone! This year was full of progress and growth for all of us on the podcast and the BPR Experience and we are excited for what 2024 has in store for us. We hope the start of this new year finds you well and it is full of good things for all of you. We are grateful for everyone that tunes in to listen each week. So thank you all!  

We always have fun doing this show and taking a minute to look back on the year that’s past. This week we are doing our year in review and going over our favorite shows, and playing highlights from each show. In case you missed them, be sure to go back and check them out! Let’s dive in!

We love this time of year and we absolutely love doing this episode and reminiscing about Christmases past, and talking about our favorite traditions. It brings up all the feels and we never get tired of doing it. We are so excited to celebrate, and we are wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, and a Happy New Year this year. Let’s dive in!

As we dive into the heart of the holiday season, we understand that it's easy to feel overwhelmed and perhaps a bit disheartened if the year hasn't unfolded as planned. Trust us, you're not alone

In a year that has proven to be more challenging than we've seen in a while, over 100,000 Realtors have made the tough decision to turn in their licenses. We are all out there competing for less business, and there is still a lot of uncertainty in the market, the rates are still high, and things just seem to be kind of stuck. This market hasn’t necessarily been easy to navigate, but it also won’t last forever.

If you are considering throwing in the towel and trying another career path, this episode is for you. Let’s dive in.

As the end of the year approaches, maybe things aren’t where you want them to be with your business, and maybe you are feeling like a change is on the horizon. We feel you. The market right now isn’t bad, but it’s challenging for sure, and if you haven’t been in the business a long time you might not be feeling sure of what to do. If you are on a team and not feeling like you are getting the support you need, or maybe not getting the education or help in building your own business it’s possible a change is the right thing to consider right now. The end of the year is a great time for a fresh start, and if you aren’t busy right now it’s also a great time for change because it’s hard to switch things up when business is busy. We are going to dive into some of the signs that maybe it’s time to consider switching real estate teams. Let’s dive in!

The holiday season is in full swing and while it can be filled with magic and cheer, we know it can also be a source of stress for many people. Whether it be family gatherings, parties with friends, work related invites, or the end of year rush at work, there can be so many things to increase the pressure we feel to be everything for everyone. This week we are going to explore setting boundaries and how to gracefully decline commitments without feeling guilty. Join us as we share valuable insights on reclaiming control of your schedule, ensuring a more relaxed and joyful holiday experience. Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to a more intentional and fulfilling celebration. Let’s dive in!

We can’t even believe it, but it’s already that time of year again! It’s Thanksgiving week, and once again this year we have so, so much to be thankful for. We are going to share some of the many things in our personal and professional lives that we are thankful for this year, and we even have listeners calling in and sharing what they are grateful for as well. We love this time of year, and this is a super fun feel good episode to accompany you while you are getting ready for the big day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Did someone press rewind? Get ready for our very first rewind episode because the first one was that good. On Episode 85 last year we shared how to connect with clients over the holidays and this year we are focusing on the same things The holidays are a fantastic time to connect with clients in a non-salesy way. There are many reasons to reach out and get together that have absolutely nothing to do with real estate or selling, and it can help you put yourself front of mind heading into the New Year. Instead of checking out you can actually have fun and continue to move your business forward. We all want a paycheck in January and this episode will give you the tips you need to serve your clients at the highest level this holiday season, and guess what? They might even be a little easier than you think. Let's dive in!

Is real estate investing something you’ve been considering? Or maybe you have clients asking you questions about getting into investing and you aren’t sure where to start. Real estate investing is a great way to create wealth, and even generate a monthly income if you’ve got the right strategies in place. This week on the podcast we are going to be discussing the BRRR method as well as house flipping and comparing and contrasting the two methods.

BRRR stands for Buy, Rehab, Rent and Refinance, and is a longer term strategy whereas property flipping is more of a short term game. Both methods are going to have a big emphasis on the “buy” portion of the transaction to try to maximize your returns. They are also going to be reliant on being able to renovate and improve the properties while trying to get the most bang for your buck on the improvements. This week Beth is going to share all her tips and tricks for how she squeezes the most out of her flips while still making them look beautiful and share her thoughts on the BRRR method. If real estate investing has been something you’ve been considering you won’t want to miss this episode. Let’s dive in!

Have you ever considered what truly defines a brand? If you think of logos and all things visually appealing you’re not alone. But a brand is not just about the aesthetics, it's about the emotions and experiences it evokes in people. Creating the feelings of wanting a very specific product, and refusing to accept an alternative is the result of branding. It’s what creates loyal customers. It’s why you drive past one coffee shop to go to another, or you always buy the same kind of shoes. We like the way a product or service makes us feel, and we like what it says about us for using it. These are just some of the reasons why people buy from brands rather than businesses. 

In our latest podcast episode, we dive into the world of brands. We explored the idea that your brand might not be what you initially believed, and why this could be a significant setback with your clients, potentially hurting their trust in your brand. We discuss some of the ways that inconsistencies with the presentation of your brand can lead to confusion from your audience  and some of the ways you can fix that. This episode is a must-listen, especially if you're an entrepreneur. Let’s dive in!

Elly Cummings, the Executive Vice President at New American Funding returns to the podcast this week to discuss the burning questions surrounding the real estate market. Elly reveals some surprising insights, including the fact that 20% of their business currently consists of refinances, despite higher interest rates. She highlights how consumers often prioritize low home interest rates while struggling with high credit card debt at 24%.

Elly, sheds some light on the financial shifts during the pandemic, where low interest rates led to increased consumer debt. This enlightening episode might shift your perspective on debt, where consumers carry their debt and how they could rebalance things to save themselves money on their monthly expenses. 

If you are someone who has been sitting on the sidelines waiting to buy or sell, this episode might be the gentle nudge that you need to get back in the real estate game. Elly emphasizes that while interest rates have risen, there are still positive aspects to be found in the current market. We are betting some people might even start rethinking their current position. Let’s dive in!

During the pandemic, we discovered a positive change: we managed to work successfully without a physical office. Beth started her real estate career in the days when you went to an office every day, but sometimes being in the office actually hurt her productivity. 

Now, our team excels in staying connected, being productive, and building relationships from wherever we are, thanks to tools like Slack, Zoom, Facetime, and video messages. We've embraced virtual meetings, coffee chats, team-building, and even happy hours.

How has your perspective on office vs. remote work evolved in your business? Listen to our podcast this week where we discuss debunking myths about brick-and-mortar and building The BPR Experience without a traditional office. You might be surprised. Let’s dive in!

Let's face it, no matter how filled with creativity you may be on a given day, we’ve all faced sitting down to write something for a property listing, a social media caption, or e-mail and have been stuck with writer’s block. 

You are staring at the screen and you’ve got nothing, or maybe you feel like you keep saying the same things and it’s getting stale. We feel you! It happens. Today Beth is sharing how she uses ChatGPT to help her when she's stuck. She isn't going to tell you to throw some prompts in and copy and paste, but she is going to share how she uses it as a tool to help her get out of a creative rut.

Using AI as a tool to help get some ideas going for you, or maybe give you some new adjectives can sometimes be all you need to get back on track and get your creative work done. 

Ever get stuck in a creative rut? This one is for you. Let’s dive in!

Alright BusBenchBabes this week we’ve got a special guest with us, Leah Garcyznski, the owner and principal designer at 13th Avenue Interiors in Minneapolis, MN. Leah gives us a window into what it’s like to balance a corporate career and a side business, while also being a mom and a wife. She shares some of her tips for time management, and prioritizing tasks, and we talk to her about her design style, mom life and transitioning her life from a full time corporate career to full time solopreneur.  We connected with Leah through social media and the podcast and we had SO much fun getting to sit down with her in person and have this conversation. She is full of wisdom and wonderful advice and we can’t wait to share this with you! Let’s dive in!

It’s not a secret to anyone at this point that the real estate market the last year or so has been quite a challenge. High interest rates have led to stagnating sales and limited supply. In fact the National Association of Realtors has reported that 60,000 Realtors have left the business altogether in the first half of 2023. That’s over 300 per day! We don’t want that to be you.  

This week we’ve got some Monday motivation to help you with adapting to the shifting market. Surviving and thriving during a difficult time in the market requires a multifaceted approach because you need business strategies for marketing and selling, but also you’re human and when times are tough you’ve got to find ways to keep motivated and inspired to carry on until you find the better times ahead. Nobody said this game was easy, but tough markets don’t last forever and if you can survive now you will be able to crush when the market eases a little bit. We are here for you and this week we share some tips on how to adapt to the market we are in. Let’s do this!