In my ongoing series of blogs on AI, (Blog 1 / Blog 2 / Blog 3) I have been dissecting how this tech is moving from a shiny new toy to the actual infrastructure of our businesses. Lately, the conversation has shifted. Whether I am at the front of a lecture hall at the University, […]
The Mirror Doesn’t Lie
I used to think I needed a perfect map before I started anything. I wanted a 26.2-mile view of the road and a guarantee that the obstacles were manageable. But after 12 Spartan races, the LA Marathon, a Century Ride in Iowa during the summer heat and the meat-grinder of Army Boot Camp and Officer Basic, I’ve realized that […]
The Real Cost of Winning: Lessons from the Pros
I spent the morning at a breakfast with Carson Palmer, Ryan Tollner, and Katie Rodin. We talk a lot in real estate about “winning,” but these three have a different definition of it. Whether you are leading a brokerage, running a desk at a title company, or out there as an agent, their take on […]
The “Floor of Truth” and the Broken Rules of 2026
Leaders and Students, As I was listening to the Fed statement this week, my ears perked up. As many of you know, my daily reality is a bit of a balancing act. Besides being the Managing Partner of a real estate staffing firm and a licensed CA real estate broker, I teach these concepts at […]
Do Not Copy the Greats. Carry What They Knew
“All great undertakings do not consist of doing again what others have done before, but in recapturing the spirit that went into what they did.” ~ Paul Valéry, The Collected Works Every market produces its legends. The agent who dominated a farm area for twenty years. The mortgage loan originator (MLO) who built a referral network […]
Two Executive Orders on Housing & Mortgage Credit
The President signed two executive orders on Friday targeting America’s housing affordability crunch: one aimed at making it easier and cheaper to build homes, the other at getting more lenders back into the mortgage market. Order #1: “Removing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Home Construction” The Core Issue Red tape is expensive. Regulatory costs account for […]
The Deals That Defeat You Are Doing Something Else
“This is how we grow: by being defeated by greater and greater things.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke, The Book of Images. There is a moment in every real estate or mortgage career when the challenge in front of you is bigger than anything you have handled before. Maybe it is your first luxury listing in a […]
Anthropic AI Phase 2: Why “Blue” is the New White
In my last post on AI, I broke down the data from the Anthropic report. That 90 percent number, the idea that AI can theoretically handle almost every office task we do, has a lot to do with process. But after reading the study again, I’ve had a second realization that hits even harder. It […]
Do Not Let One Bad Example Write the Story
The Noise Is Loud. Stay In The Game Anyway. You will see it this week. Maybe you already have. The agent who cut corners and still closed the deal. The mortgage loan originator (MLO) who overpromised and somehow kept their clients. The recruiter who hired fast, skipped the culture fit, and got away with it. […]
What happened in the US Senate today: the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in an 89–10 vote
A few of my readers have asked me to re-cap what happened in the U.S. Senate today. Here is my take: On March 12, 2026, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in an 89–10 vote. This landmark bipartisan legislation led by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) and Ranking Member Elizabeth […]