If you think every real estate transaction is the same, you clearly haven’t been in the business very long.
Valerie Fitzgerald
Valerie Fitzgerald has been in the industry for over 20 years and Bob Hurwitz has logged over 25.
Hurwitz is the Founder & CEO of Hurwitz James Company, established in 1986 and specializing in the marketing and sale of multimillion-dollar estates and luxury residential developments worldwide and is often called upon in print and television interviews for his expertise in worldwide luxury property buying trends.
Fitzgerald is President of The Valerie Fitzgerald Group, the published author of Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Thrive in Real Estate, star of HGTV’s Selling LA for three seasons, she did a recent TED Talk on resiliency, and is a keynote speaker at events around the U.S.
Bob Hurwitz
“Bob and I have been friends and colleagues for many years,” Fitzgerald explained. “We would meet for lunch, and we would talk about the crazy stories that happened in our days and deals. We knew from other colleagues that there are many unspoken stories behind the real estate curtain that would be funny, interesting, and often educational — but always hilarious to share. Real Estate, Real Laughs was born!”
On the podcast, the industry’s top performers share their expertise, their unexpected moments, and their ‘you won’t believe this’ experiences. Fitzgerald and Hurwitz enjoy all the conversations they get to have on the series, but some of them truly deliver the laughs and surprises.
We wanted to share some highlights and learn more about the duo’s goal for the podcast.
‘I need to walk my bunny.’
Pete Middleton with the Middleton Team is a second-generation real estate professional and has worked with some very eccentric clients.
Among them was a Harvard man who didn’t want anyone to be in his property while it was on the market. Pete was able to meet that requirement, thankfully. But the client also had a pet rabbit named Jimmy, which he took for regular walks on the beach. When the rabbit died under mysterious circumstances, the client asked Pete about a criminal attorney to pursue murder charges — against his neighbors.
Sellers always (think they) know best
So much of the job of being a real estate agent is handling the client. But how do you handle a seller who won’t leave during showings? How do you respond to a seller who insists “you have to cut your commission!” How do you close a listing with a seller who only hires you because you look like Errol Flynn?
Fitzgerald and Hurwitz share their most outrageous ‘you have to be there’ stories of their clients that think they know better than their agents, even when their agent is a high-performing producer.
‘Be mindful of my Oscar. My husband is your problem.’
Mike Eisenberg came to the Real Estate, Real Laughs podcast to share his own stories, including the Oscar-winning actress’ husband who surprised Eisenberg at a showing passed out naked on the couch. The solution? A carefully draped rug!
Not every seller wants to be a seller. Often in these contentious situations, one-half of the owners act out to sabotage the deal. Eisenberg recalls when one seller removed every single light bulb, toilet roll holder, and ice cube tray.
The stories are fun. But they are also important. Here’s why.
For Fitzgerald and Hurwitz, the real estate industry is as exciting as it is unpredictable. But one thing remains constant: client care.
“When representing Buyer or Sellers we must stay focused on the sale for our clients no matter what unforeseen obstacles happen during the process,” she said. And the podcast is proof that truly anything can happen anytime!
Upcoming episodes promise more A-list agents (watch for a one-on-one with Shervin Roohparvar of the Shahs of Sunset!), more jaw-dropping stories, and more industry intel than ever.
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