Real(ty) Talk

Real(ty) Talk

This isn't your average Real Estate podcast. We have dynamic and engaging interviews from some of the industry's best entrepreneurs, business people, real estate investors and more. We are here to tell ALL the real estate stories, the good, bad, and unbelievable. 

  1. 3d ago

    Malibu Dan : Zillow, Compass, and Building a Brokerage Agents Actually Want: Suzanne Seini

    I've worked at a bunch of brokerages over the years. This is the first time I've wanted to introduce someone as my boss and actually mean it. This episode I sat down in Santa Ana with Suzanne Seini, founder of Innovate Realty, inside one of the Bye Bye Homes flips on Freeman Street. We got into the stuff agents actually argue about. Why she built a brokerage instead of selling houses herself. Why this job is so much harder than people think (including the $30k "thanks for volunteering your time" story that still gets me). And the honest math behind Zillow, the 35% referral fee, and paying for opportunity. She doesn't dodge the Compass and Zillow fight either. Off-market versus on-market, the clear cooperation debate, where Redfin fits by staying in its lane, and where all these portals are headed now that AI is running marketing. Then we walk the house and talk about flipping with character instead of cookie-cutter, and why Santa Ana might be the most underrated pocket in Orange County. If you're an agent wondering what it looks like when the person in charge actually cares, this one's for you. Chapters 00:00 Welcome, live from Santa Ana 02:20 What makes Innovate Realty different 04:00 Why Suzanne builds instead of sells 06:10 Real estate is hard: the $30k story 11:30 The Zillow love/hate and the cost of opportunity 13:00 Compass vs Zillow, off-market vs on-market 20:40 Redfin, and the future of the portals 24:00 The 10 AI agents running marketing 25:50 Culture, and protecting the team 30:00 Bye Bye Homes: flipping with character 34:00 Why Santa Ana is so underrated 41:00 Wrap up The home: 2116 Freeman Street, Santa Ana. About 2,400 square feet, 4 bed, 2 bath, single level, no HOA, just under $1.5M. Questions, or looking to buy or sell in Orange County? Call Malibu Dan at 949-424-6633. Agents curious about Innovate Realty, the info's linked below. New episodes of In Your Living Room with Malibu Dan drop regularly. Follow, and send this to someone who needs to hear it.

  2. Sep 11

    What $1.2 Million Buys Across SoCal (From a Castle to a Trailer)

    One budget. $1.2 million, cash. Five Southern California markets. In one of them you're royalty — in another, you can't buy a single house. Not even a small one. 🏡 This week Suzanne (CEO of Innovate Realty) and Paul "Fix It All" Hansen take you on a road trip across SoCal to find out what your money actually gets you — starting way out east and driving toward the coast while the budget shrinks in real time. The ending is genuinely hard to believe. First, a real market check from the brokerage: how one agent broke a Corona del Mar record… then broke her own record a month later — and why setting the comp changed everything. Plus what they're seeing right now on days-on-market, cash vs. financed luxury buyers closing in 30 days, the "is it a buyer's market yet?" texts everyone's sending, and why aged inventory isn't getting any mercy. Then the game begins: Inland Empire — where $1.2M makes you the king of the block (pool, 5 beds, real yard… and a real commute)San Diego — right at the median, all lifestyle, but say "ocean view" and watch the money laughLos Angeles — the coin flip, where the same check buys ten completely different lives depending on the zip code (and the schools)Orange County — where $1.2M drops you below median and into condo territoryMalibu — the finale, where your whole budget doesn't even get you a trailer (yes, the trailers really sell for millions)It's a fun, honest look at why "SoCal" isn't one market — it's five completely different worlds stacked on top of each other, where the same money buys a totally different life. In this episode: Breaking (and re-breaking) a Corona del Mar record — and why the comp mattersHow important recent comps really are when you're sellingThe real state of the market: slower sales, aged inventory, high-6% ratesWhat $1.2M buys in the IE, San Diego, LA, OC, and MalibuSchools, zip codes, and why LA County breaks all the rulesWhy people still pay the "ocean tax" — and whether it's worth it🎧 Where should we go next — an $800K first-timer budget, $2M, or $5M? Tell us in the comments. New episodes weekly — follow, drop a 5-star review, and send this to anyone chasing the SoCal dream. Realty Talk — real estate, investing, and the SoCal market. The good, the bad, and the unbelievable.

  3. Aug 28

    Inside Orange County's $110M Luxury Boom — with Record-Breaking Agent Cierra Deville

    A house in Orange County just sold for $110 million. And the agents quietly selling $1M+ over the highest comp on the block? One of them is sitting in the studio today. 🏝️ Paul's off cruising Europe, so Suzanne (CEO of Innovate Realty) takes the mic with guest co-host — and record-breaking OC agent — Cierra Deville, to pull back the curtain on the market every agent dreams about: luxury. Cierra breaks down why Newport Beach and Laguna are shattering price-per-square-foot records while LA and San Diego aren't, who's actually writing these checks (hint: out-of-state buyers here four months a year chasing a "south of France" coastal life), and why turnkey new construction is commanding a massive premium. Then it gets real. Cierra reveals exactly how she lands record-breaking listings — often as the lone woman in a room full of big-name male agents — and it's not what you'd think. Her edge? She knows the comps cold and actually understands what a home is built from, down to the Lutron systems and custom finishes, when most agents never bother. Plus the mindset shift that let her price a home a million dollars over the highest comp… and be right. They also get into the stuff nobody explains: the creative deal structures at the top (buyers paying their agent directly, temporary loans on multimillion-dollar homes, cash vs. financed), why the same effort should go into a mobile home and a $10M estate, and the abundance mindset that actually builds a lasting business. Whether you're an agent who dreams of breaking into luxury or you just love a behind-the-velvet-rope look at how these deals really happen — this one delivers. In this episode: The $110M sale and why OC luxury is on fireWhy Newport & Laguna outprice LA and San DiegoThe out-of-state buyers quietly driving pricesHow Cierra sells $1M+ over the highest compBreaking into male-dominated luxury as a womanThe edge most agents completely missCreative deal-making at the top of the marketWhy great service looks the same at $300K and $10M🎧 Looking for a killer agent in any market? Cierra's the one — info in the show notes. New episodes weekly — subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and send this to someone chasing the SoCal dream. Realty Talk — real estate, investing, and the SoCal market. The good, the bad, and the unbelievable.

  4. Aug 21

    125 Hours to a License, 10,000 to an Expert — The Training Gap Nobody Talks About

    This week on Real(ty) Talk, Suzanne (CEO of Innovate Realty) and Paul get into something they've never really unpacked on the show — Suzanne's other business, Mentorical — plus a real look at where the market's heading into fall. First, the market: July was rough nationwide, but expectations between buyers and sellers are finally starting to line up. With back-to-school season, a possible big El Niño winter, and homes that have been sitting all summer, Suzanne and Paul make the case that this is actually one of the best windows for serious buyers to get a deal (and yes — Innovate ponchos may be coming 😂). Then the heart of the episode: why a real estate license doesn't actually make you a real estate agent. California requires ~125 hours to get licensed — but as Malcolm Gladwell would say, expertise takes 10,000. Suzanne breaks down the brutal training gap new agents fall into, the "join a team and give up your commissions" trade-off, and why so much of the industry hoards its best practices instead of sharing them. That's exactly why she built Mentorical in 2020 — real mentorship (not fluffy coaching) that teaches agents how to actually do the job, without giving up all their commissions. She and Paul dig into coaching vs. mentorship, the "real estate cliques" charging thousands an hour, her abundance-over-scarcity philosophy, the new SDMLS partnership (with more on the way), a coming investor-training track, and why Innovate agents get Mentorical for free. In this episode: Fall market outlook + the El Niño wildcardWhy now may be the best buyer's window of the yearThe 125-hours-vs-10,000-hours training gapCoaching vs. real mentorship — and why the difference mattersWhy agents hoard "secrets" (and why Suzanne refuses to)Mentorical's new partnerships + investor trainingHow agents outside Innovate can use it tooLearn more at mentorical.com — and follow Mentorical on socials (links in the description). 🎧 If you got value from this, hit subscribe, drop a 5-star review, and share it with an agent who's still figuring it out. Full video + clips on YouTube, listen on Spotify wherever you get your podcasts. Realty Talk — real estate, investing, and the SoCal market. The good, the bad, and the unbelievable.

  5. Aug 14

    The Zillow Listing That Broke the Internet, a Record July & Fish Tanks to a Standoff 🏡

    Packed episode of Real(ty) Talk — Suzanne (CEO of Innovate Realty) and Paul cover a big week and a wild one. First, the celebration: Innovate just opened its Westlake Village office — office #8 in Southern California — with a grand opening that had local politicians, a band featuring Rod Stewart alumni, and a custom-lollipop artist who somehow stole the whole show. 🍭 The two get into how Innovate is growing "with intention," and whether physical offices even matter anymore. Then the market — and it's honest. Paul breaks down what he calls one of the slowest Julys nationally in ~14 years, a 5.5-million-unit housing shortage, rates stuck above 6.6%, and why buyers quietly hold the leverage right now. Plus a real talk for agents: why a tough market is actually an opportunity if you're willing to do what most won't. (And yes — Innovate still had a record-breaking July.) They spotlight current inventory too, including the Mar Vista homes with rooftop decks and city views (one's already in escrow, a few left), and why now's a rare window for buyers to make aggressive offers. Then the one everyone's talking about: a Colorado Zillow listing that went viral (4M+ views) — because it tells buyers they can't tour it, can't inspect it, someone's still living inside… and removing them is YOUR problem. Paul shares his own experience buying properties sight-unseen (spoiler: one did not go well), and exactly how he'd price a deal like that. And finally — Homes Gone Wild. A rookie agent's very first listing turns into a swamp of 15 surprise fish tanks, a sealed-up smoke-and-cat-urine disaster, and a police standoff. Plus Suzanne and Paul trade their own eeriest listing stories. 😳 In this episode: Innovate's Westlake Village opening (office #8) + the growth philosophyThe slowest July in ~14 years & the 5.5M-home shortageWhy buyers have the leverage — and how agents win in a slow marketFeatured listings: Mar Vista rooftop-deck homesThe viral Colorado Zillow home you can't even walk through🏚️ Homes Gone Wild: fish tanks, a barricade, and a rookie's baptism by fireGot a wild one? Send us your Homes Gone Wild story — we read them all on air. Subscribe, drop a 5-star review, and share with anyone buying or selling in SoCal. Full video + clips on YouTube, listen on Spotify wherever you get your podcasts. Realty Talk — real estate, investing, and the SoCal market. The good, the bad, and the unbelievable.

  6. Aug 8

    Houses Before Spouses: How Gen Z Is Hacking Their Way Into the Market 🏡

    Big things happening at Real(ty) Talk — Suzanne (CEO of Innovate Realty) and Paul kick things off with Innovate's new Calabasas office opening (ribbon-cutting, a packed house, and live musicians who've toured with Rod Stewart… who apparently not everyone in the office has heard of 👀). Then the main event: "houses before spouses." The old path — get married, then buy a house — is dead. Gen Z is buying homes alone at double the millennial rate, parents and grandparents are stepping in as cash buyers, and friends are even co-buying together. Suzanne and Paul dig into what's driving it, the wealth transfer from boomers reshaping who can buy, the messy reality of buying a house with a friend, and a tax trap to avoid if your parents go on title (talk to your CPA on this one). Plus the stat that says it all: first-time buyers are a record-low 21% of the market — and the average one is now 40 years old. They wrap with a quick market check (rates hovering around 6.5%, why buyers still have the upper hand, and why this fall may beat the slow summer). And of course — Homes Gone Wild. A landlord rents out his garage to a guy who "just needs storage." Then the neighbors call about a truck full of goats… and it only gets more unhinged from there. You will not guess how this one ends. 🐐😳 In this episode: Innovate's new Calabasas office (+ a Rod Stewart moment)"Houses before spouses": Gen Z buying solo, with friends, and with familyThe boomer wealth transfer reshaping who buysThe tax mistake to avoid when parents buy for their kidsFirst-time buyers at a record-low 21%, median age 40Market check: ~6.5% rates and why buyers have leverage🐐 Homes Gone Wild: the garage that became something else entirelyGot a wild one? Send us your Homes Gone Wild story — we'll read it on air. Hit subscribe, drop a 5-star review, and share with anyone buying or selling in SoCal. Full video + clips on YouTube, and listen on Spotify wherever you get your podcasts. Realty Talk — real estate, investing, and the SoCal market. The good, the bad, and the unbelievable.

  7. Aug 4

    The Fed Flips, Newsom Kills $70K in Fees & a Closing-Table Confession You Won't Believe 🏡

    Big week on Realty Talk — Suzanne (CEO of Innovate Realty) and Paul get into a jam-packed one, starting with some huge house news of their own: Innovate just closed the second-highest Malibu sale of the year, off-market, on a one-of-a-kind property the developer plans to bring back to market around $90M. Then to the market: the Fed just flipped. Two weeks ago everyone was bracing for a rate hike — then June's inflation report came in cooler than expected (core inflation flat month-over-month), and suddenly a hike looks off the table with the Fed widely expected to hold on July 29. Paul and Suzanne break down what it means, plus the SoCal numbers that don't quite match the vibe: LA sales up 6.6% year-over-year, San Diego surging 12.5%, median LA rent at $2,927, and affordability still stuck near 18%. Next, the one adding up for developers: Newsom signed a bill wiping out local development impact fees — an estimated $60,000–$70,000 per unit — in a push to build more homes. Paul shares a real number from one of their own projects (a $578K "in-lieu" fee) and they debate whether it actually moves the needle… including for the Palisades rebuild. Plus a Producer Fact-Check: does wearing sunglasses make you tan/burn more? (Spoiler: Suzanne was wrong, and she takes it like a champ.) 🕶️ And finally — Homes Gone Wild. A first-time buyer notices a rectangle of carpet cut clean out of the living room floor, down to the concrete… and only finds out why at the closing table. You won't see the seller's answer coming. 😬 (It also turns into a genuinely useful chat on California's death-disclosure rules.) Oh — and Spain won the World Cup. Suzanne called it. ⚽ In this episode: Innovate's record-setting off-market Malibu saleThe Fed's flip: cooler inflation, likely July 29 holdSoCal numbers: LA +6.6%, San Diego +12.5%, rent $2,927Newsom kills $60–70K/unit in development feesProducer Fact-Check: the sunglasses myth🏚️ Homes Gone Wild: the closing-table confession (submitted by moneyquestionthrowit)Got a wild one? Send us your Homes Gone Wild story — we'll read it on air. Hit subscribe, drop a 5-star review, and share with anyone buying or selling in SoCal. Full video + clips on YouTube, and listen on Spotify wherever you get your podcasts. Realty Talk — real estate, investing, and the SoCal market. The good, the bad, and the unbelievable.

    The Fed Flips, Newsom Kills $70K in Fees & a Closing-Table Confession You Won't Believe 🏡

  8. Jul 25

    California Just Sold Its First Backyard, AI Comes for Agents & a Homes Gone Wild You Won't Believe 🏡

    This week on Realty Talk, Suzanne (CEO of Innovate Realty) and Paul are back with a jam-packed one — starting with some big house news of their own: a record-breaking Corona del Mar sale four blocks off the water, plus the biggest off-market deal in Innovate's history quietly in the works. Then the headline you have to hear: California just recorded its first-ever sale of a backyard ADU — a 749 sq ft "granny flat" that sold on its own separate deed for $530,000. Is this a real new path to homeownership, or a neighborhood-changing headache? Paul and Suzanne break down who it's actually for, why the state won't let investors near it, whether it even pencils to build — and whether they'd ever sell their own backyard to a stranger. Plus a no-BS market update: rates are "frozen" in the 6s, why the Fed and the 10-year Treasury aren't the same thing, and how buyers finally have more leverage than they've had in years (hint — use it on a rate buy-down, not just price). With only about 18% of Californians able to afford the median home, they get into the creative ways buyers are still getting in. And the big one — is AI coming for real estate agents? With 82% of agents now writing listings with AI and even AI-run mortgage brokerages closing loans, Suzanne and Paul dig into what's already been replaced, what never will be, and why AI is going to widen the gap between good agents and great ones. Then it's Homes Gone Wild: a pastor, a young family, a first showing, a brand-new garage door… and a scene in the alley nobody saw coming. (They bought the house anyway — and sold it for 3x.) 🎧 In this episode: Innovate's record-breaking Corona del Mar saleRates, the Fed vs. the 10-year Treasury, and using buyer leverage for a buy-downOnly ~18% of Californians can afford the median homeCalifornia's first-ever ADU / "granny flat" sale ($530K)Why investors are locked out of itIs AI coming for agents? Good vs. great in the AI era🏚️ Homes Gone Wild: the garage-door story (submitted by CoachQuackenbush)Got a wild one? Send us your Homes Gone Wild story — we'll read it on air. Hit subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this with anyone buying or selling in SoCal. Happy birthday, Junior @itsjr.mp4 🎂 Realty Talk covers real estate, investing, the SoCal market, and the real conversations happening today — the good, the bad, and the unbelievable.

    California Just Sold Its First Backyard, AI Comes for Agents & a Homes Gone Wild You Won't Believe 🏡
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About

This isn't your average Real Estate podcast. We have dynamic and engaging interviews from some of the industry's best entrepreneurs, business people, real estate investors and more. We are here to tell ALL the real estate stories, the good, bad, and unbelievable. 

Information

  • Creator
    Real(ty) Talk
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    89
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Real(ty) Talk
  • Show Website
    Real(ty) Talk