The Realty Check Podcast

Amanda Freeman & Leni Lopez

The real life of agents, lenders, and moms who do it all. If you’ve ever cried in your car between appointments or negotiated a contract while microwaving chicken nuggets, welcome home. This is Realty Check - the show where sanity is optional, caffeine is mandatory, and we say the quiet parts out loud. We’re Amanda and Leni. Two moms building our businesses in the middle of snack requests, appraisal deadlines, and never-ending group texts. We’re not here to give you the polished version. We’re here to talk about the deals that almost broke us, the clients who became family, and the moments that made us wonder if quitting to raise alpacas would be easier. Whether you’re a real estate agent, a lender, a mom, or just someone trying to keep it together while building a career…you’re seen, you’re understood, and you’re in the right place. Every episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on what success actually looks like when motherhood and real estate collide. With humor, honesty, and a whole lot of “did that really just happen?” Wherever you are - working, driving, crying, thriving - we’re in this with you.Hit follow, drop us a review, and remember: the highlight reel is fake, but this community is real.

Episodes

  1. 1D AGO

    5. UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, UNFILTERED TRUTHS: A REALTY CHECK ON MODERN LIFE

    Send us a text When "Business as Usual" Feels Impossible. The world feels heavy right now. Between the headlines and the household, it’s easy to feel like you’re just screaming into the void. On this episode of The Realty Check Podcast, we’re stepping away from the housing market stats to have a heart-to-heart about the state of our country and our lives. As Sacramento parents and business owners, we’re navigating the same "unprecedented times" you are. How do we keep the lights on and the kids happy when the political climate feels like a constant storm? In this episode, we discuss: The Mental Load: How we manage the anxiety of the 24-hour news cycle while running a business. Parenting with Purpose: Navigating tough conversations with our kids without passing on the burnout. Finding Your Frequency: Ways to get involved in your community at a "risk level" that feels sustainable for you. The Light in the Dark: We share some of our favorite poems and content creators who are providing clarity and hope right now. This isn't just a political chat; it’s a survival guide for the modern American.  Grab a coffee (or something stronger) and join us for some much-needed perspective. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Poem: Revolutions and Rinsing Cups | Megan Whitlock | Going for Baroque on TikTok NorCal Resist Heather Cox Richardson Sharon McMahon (sharonsaysso) Mosh Oinounou (monews) Aaron Parnas V | Under the Desk News Emily Amick (emilyinyourphone)  Amanda Nelson (Amanda's Mild Takes) Politico Joe Brown Issues PSL 5051 Books: Democracy in Retrograde The Small and the Mighty #TheRealtyCheck #SacramentoRealEstate #ModernParenting #BusinessOwners #PoliticsToday #CommunityAction Stay Connected to the Podcast Follow us on Instagram: @realtycheckpodcast Have a topic idea or story to share? Reach out! Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode Connect with Leni Lopez (Your Lender Bestie) Instagram: @leniyourloanofficer Ready to talk lending or get preapproved? Email her team: leni@hawkinshl.com Website: LopezNguyen.com Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS 1366630/225910 Hawkins Home Loans, Inc. Connect with Amanda (Your Realtor Bestie) Instagram: @exploresacliving Email: amanda@exploresacliving.com Website: Exploresacliving.com Curious about buying or selling in Sacramento County or beyond? Schedule a no pressure call: calendly.com/amandafreemanrealtor Amanda Freeman | eXp | DRE 02150573

    49 min
  2. JAN 22

    4. HOW OUR HOME BUYING STORIES SHAPED OUR REAL ESTATE CAREERS

    Send us a text Buying a home doesn’t just change where you live.  It changes how you trust, how you ask questions, and how safe you feel making big decisions. In this episode, Amanda Freeman and Leni Lopez share their very different home buying experiences, one as a buyer, one as an observer, and how those moments shaped the real estate professionals they eventually became. They talk honestly about fear, power dynamics, emotional labor, and why being adjacent to the process can sometimes teach you more than signing the paperwork yourself. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed, unseen, or unsure during a home purchase, and for agents who want to understand what clients are really carrying into the process. Stay Connected to the Podcast Follow us on Instagram: @realtycheckpodcast Have a topic idea or story to share? Reach out! Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode Connect with Leni Lopez (Your Lender Bestie) Instagram: @leniyourloanofficer Ready to talk lending or get preapproved? Email her team: leni@hawkinshl.com Website: LopezNguyen.com Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS 1366630/225910 Hawkins Home Loans, Inc. Connect with Amanda (Your Realtor Bestie) Instagram: @exploresacliving Email: amanda@exploresacliving.com Website: Exploresacliving.com Curious about buying or selling in Sacramento County or beyond? Schedule a no pressure call: calendly.com/amandafreemanrealtor Amanda Freeman | eXp | DRE 02150573

    1h 12m
  3. JAN 8

    3. BRANDING. AND THEN RE-BRANDING

    Send us a text Branding isn’t your logo, your colors, or your fonts. It’s the decision you make about who you’re allowed to be publicly. And most people are still building a business around a version of themselves from five years ago. In this episode, we strip branding down to what it actually is, how people experience you when you’re not in the room, and why inconsistency isn’t usually the problem. Lack of clarity is. If someone followed you for 30 days and still wouldn’t know who you help, what you stand for, or what you refuse to do, this conversation is for you. We talk honestly about branding inside companies, brokerages, and teams, the tradeoff between safety and sovereignty, and what happens when your brand doesn’t fully belong to you. We also name the uncomfortable truth: freedom in branding requires responsibility. When no one hands you a template, you have to decide. At the center of this episode is branding through life change. Divorce, name changes, motherhood, burnout, career pivots, growth. The fear of confusing people versus the cost of staying misaligned. Why life changes don’t ruin your brand, they reveal it. And why pretending nothing changed quietly erodes trust. You’ll walk away with a practical, not cringey framework to revisit your own brand, grounded in identity, values, boundaries, and voice.  This episode is permission to rebrand, and rebrand again. Because branding is not a one time decision. It’s an ongoing conversation between who you are and who you serve. And when it starts to feel tight, it’s probably time to listen. Stay Connected to the Podcast Follow us on Instagram: @realtycheckpodcast Have a topic idea or story to share? Reach out! Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode Connect with Leni Lopez (Your Lender Bestie) Instagram: @leniyourloanofficer Ready to talk lending or get preapproved? Email her team: leni@hawkinshl.com Website: LopezNguyen.com Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS 1366630/225910 Hawkins Home Loans, Inc. Connect with Amanda (Your Realtor Bestie) Instagram: @exploresacliving Email: amanda@exploresacliving.com Website: Exploresacliving.com Curious about buying or selling in Sacramento County or beyond? Schedule a no pressure call: calendly.com/amandafreemanrealtor Amanda Freeman | eXp | DRE 02150573

    1h 8m
  4. JAN 8

    2. HOW WORKING MOMS MANAGE BUSINESS, KIDS, AND THE MENTAL LOAD

    Send us a text If you’re a primary parent running a business, this episode is for you. Not the polished version of entrepreneurship. The real one, where flexibility exists, but it often shows up as working late, stacking responsibilities, and constantly adjusting around everyone else’s needs. In this episode, we talk honestly about what it means to run a business as the default parent. The flexibility myth, why “you make your own schedule” can feel like a trap, and how work actually gets done in the margins of school drop offs, practices, and bedtime routines. We introduce energy blocking, a more realistic alternative to traditional time blocking, and explain how matching tasks to your energy instead of your calendar can change everything. We also get into the nuance of bringing kids into your work life, when it works, when it doesn’t, and how to make those calls without guilt or over explanation. We talk about showing up honestly in your business without hiding your season of life, why you don’t need to remove the parent part of you to be professional, and how that transparency can attract clients and customers who respect your rhythms, boundaries, and humanity. You’ll also hear about the systems and people that quietly hold everything together, simple tools that get tasks out of your head, and why the support behind the scenes is not a luxury, it’s leverage. If you’ve ever felt like you’re trying to build a business designed for someone without kids, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. This episode is about building a business that works with your life, not against it. Stay Connected to the Podcast Follow us on Instagram: @realtycheckpodcast Have a topic idea or story to share? Reach out! Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode Connect with Leni Lopez (Your Lender Bestie) Instagram: @leniyourloanofficer Ready to talk lending or get preapproved? Email her team: leni@hawkinshl.com Website: LopezNguyen.com Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS 1366630/225910 Hawkins Home Loans, Inc. Connect with Amanda (Your Realtor Bestie) Instagram: @exploresacliving Email: amanda@exploresacliving.com Website: Exploresacliving.com Curious about buying or selling in Sacramento County or beyond? Schedule a no pressure call: calendly.com/amandafreemanrealtor Amanda Freeman | eXp | DRE 02150573

    59 min
  5. JAN 8

    1. HOW I MET MY REAL ESTATE BESTIE

    Send us a text Ever wonder how a Realtor and a lender become inseparable business partners and real-life friends? In this episode, Amanda and Leni pull back the curtain on their origin story. From past careers to motherhood to real estate, they share the pivots, the breakdowns, the breakthroughs, and the one moment that turned two hustling moms into a powerhouse duo. Whether you're in real estate or building a life around a big leap, this is your reminder that your story matters and no experience is wasted. Grab a coffee, take a walk, whatever, just tune in because this is the kind of episode that feels like a heart-to-heart with your smartest friend. What You’ll Learn The honest truth about pivoting careers while raising a family What led each of us into real estate (and lending) The moment we met and how it changed everything Why who you surround yourself with matters more than any marketing tactic How your past skills and life chapters stack up to support your present work Key Takeaways Your community is your superpower. Relationships will carry you farther than any strategy. You’re bigger than your pivot. Everything you’ve done counts in what comes next. You don’t have to do this alone. Finding your “business bestie” can change your career and life in ways you’ll never predict. Stay Connected to the Podcast Follow us on Instagram: @realtycheckpodcast Have a topic idea or story to share? Reach out! Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode Connect with Leni Lopez (Your Lender Bestie) Instagram: @leniyourloanofficer Ready to talk lending or get preapproved? Email her team: leni@hawkinshl.com Website: LopezNguyen.com Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS 1366630/225910 Hawkins Home Loans, Inc. Connect with Amanda (Your Realtor Bestie) Instagram: @exploresacliving Email: amanda@exploresacliving.com Website: Exploresacliving.com Curious about buying or selling in Sacramento County or beyond? Schedule a no pressure call: calendly.com/amandafreemanrealtor Amanda Freeman | eXp | DRE 02150573

    51 min

Ratings & Reviews

About

The real life of agents, lenders, and moms who do it all. If you’ve ever cried in your car between appointments or negotiated a contract while microwaving chicken nuggets, welcome home. This is Realty Check - the show where sanity is optional, caffeine is mandatory, and we say the quiet parts out loud. We’re Amanda and Leni. Two moms building our businesses in the middle of snack requests, appraisal deadlines, and never-ending group texts. We’re not here to give you the polished version. We’re here to talk about the deals that almost broke us, the clients who became family, and the moments that made us wonder if quitting to raise alpacas would be easier. Whether you’re a real estate agent, a lender, a mom, or just someone trying to keep it together while building a career…you’re seen, you’re understood, and you’re in the right place. Every episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on what success actually looks like when motherhood and real estate collide. With humor, honesty, and a whole lot of “did that really just happen?” Wherever you are - working, driving, crying, thriving - we’re in this with you.Hit follow, drop us a review, and remember: the highlight reel is fake, but this community is real.