Cody Hofhine: Why Most Real Estate Investors Never Buy Back Their Time

Joan Brothers: Why High-End Real Estate Is Really a Global Relationship Business

High-end real estate is rarely just about one property or one market. In this episode, Andrew Becker sits down with Joan Brothers, CEO, licensed broker, and owner of Manhattan Boutique Real Estate, to discuss how Manhattan real estate connects with global advisory, trusted local partnerships, and long-term client relationships. In this episode: • Why New York City attracts global real estate clients • How Joan advises clients across Manhattan and international markets • Why trusted local partners matter in global transactions • What high-end clients expect from a boutique real estate advisor About Our Guest: Joan Brothers is the Founder and CEO of Manhattan Boutique Real Estate (MBRE), a women-owned global real estate advisory firm headquartered in New York with a growing presence across the U.S., London, and the MENA region. With more than 25 years of experience, Joan is known for helping clients navigate complex real estate decisions across international markets, economic cycles, and cultural landscapes. Her work spans individuals, family offices, corporations, and government-linked clients seeking strategic guidance with a discreet, high-touch boutique approach. Under Joan’s leadership, Manhattan Boutique Real Estate has earned recognition including the Best of Manhattan Award and participation in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. She is also a co-author of the #1 Amazon Best Seller Women in Business – Leading the Way, highlighting leadership, entrepreneurship, and women in business. Beyond real estate, Joan actively supports international collaboration and development initiatives, including work connected to the United Nations hospitality and advisory community.

Justin Erickson: How One Investor Built AI Tools to Replace Busywork in Real Estate

Most real estate operators are experimenting with AI. Justin Erickson is building systems that actually remove bottlenecks inside a real estate business. In this episode, Andrew Becker sits down with the founder of Local Homebuyers USA and PropTechUSA.ai to break down how AI automations, multi-model systems, and real-time seller communication tools are helping investors save time, improve transparency, and scale operations more efficiently. In this episode: • How Justin built AI tools to handle seller communication 24/7 • Why multi-model AI systems create better business decisions • How investors can use AI for SEO, branding, and authority building • Why transparency is becoming a competitive advantage in real estate About Our Guest: Justin Erickson is the Founder and CEO of Local Home Buyers USA, a nationwide real estate investment company, and the creator of PropTechUSA.ai. A self-taught full-stack developer, Justin built his company’s technology infrastructure from the ground up, including custom CRMs, automated lead management systems, an SEO content engine, and an open-source property valuation engine designed to bring more transparency to real estate investing. His approach challenges the traditional wholesaling model by focusing on radical transparency, novation partnerships, and win-win outcomes for sellers. After publicly challenging Opendoor to explain its pricing algorithm, Justin reverse-engineered and open-sourced a competing valuation engine. Since launching in July 2025, his company has generated 300+ SEO articles and achieved 6x ROAS in its first six months, showing how AI tools, proptech, and real estate investing can work together to build smarter, more transparent businesses.

Jen Way: Why Real Estate Scripts Are Killing Your Deals

Most real estate investors are taught to follow scripts. Jen Way believes that’s exactly why so many deals fall apart. In this episode, Andrew Becker sits down with Jen Way of Sales the Jen Way to break down why rigid sales tactics destroy trust, how real conversations create stronger seller relationships, and why top closers focus on understanding people instead of controlling calls. Jen shares the mindset shifts, objection handling frameworks, and communication strategies that help investors convert more leads without sounding salesy. In this episode: • Why scripts often hurt real estate sales conversations • How asking better questions creates instant rapport • The four objections every investor must handle upfront • Why sellers care more about solutions than price About Our Guest: Jen built her career closing real estate deals for over 20 years before realizing the biggest breakthroughs in sales had nothing to do with scripts or pressure tactics. Today, she is the creator of Sales the Jen Way, a sales coaching program focused on real conversations, leadership, trust-building, and helping people become genuinely better communicators. Her approach challenges traditional sales training by teaching structure and connection instead of memorized scripts that feel forced and inauthentic. Based on her homestead in Colorado, Jen draws powerful parallels between building a sustainable life and building sustainable sales success. Raising animals, growing food, and working the land reinforced her belief that shortcuts never create lasting results — whether in farming or in business. That philosophy now drives her coaching, where she helps sales professionals, entrepreneurs, and real estate teams create trust-based conversations that compound into long-term success, stronger relationships, and higher-performing businesses.

Jay Conner: The Private Money System That Funds Deals Without Asking for Money

Most real estate investors think raising capital starts with pitching deals. Jay Conner built an entirely different system. In this episode, Andrew Becker sits down with the private money authority himself to break down how investors can attract funding without chasing banks, begging lenders, or asking for money. Jay shares the exact mindset, conversations, and systems that helped him raise over $2.1 million in private money after losing his line of credit during the 2009 financial crisis. In this episode: • The difference between private money and hard money lenders • Why pitching deals too early kills investor credibility • How Jay raised nearly $1 million from a single luncheon • The conversation framework that attracts private lenders naturally About Our Guest: Jay Conner is a real estate investor, private money expert, and entrepreneur who has been investing in real estate since 2003. Early in his career, he relied on traditional bank financing to fund deals, but after years of dealing with large down payments, origination fees, and personal guarantees, he shifted toward creative financing strategies like subject-to deals and lease options. When the 2008 market crash caused banks to pull back lending, Jay completely reinvented how he funded real estate investments by developing his own system for raising private money. Over the years, Jay refined a repeatable approach that helped him raise millions of dollars for real estate deals without relying on traditional lenders. After securing his first $250,000 in private funding from a single conversation, he went on to raise more than $2 million in just a few months. Today, Jay is known for teaching real estate investors how to leverage private money, automation, and creative financing to build scalable businesses that generate long-term freedom and consistent 7-figure profits.

Kevin Riggi: He Left a 17-Year Career to Bet Everything on Real Estate

Leaving a stable career after 17 years is a risk most people avoid. In this episode, Andrew Becker sits down with Kevin Riggi of Fast Fwd Home Buyers to break down how he transitioned from corporate leadership at Wegmans into building a real estate investing business focused on wholesaling, creative finance, and investment opportunities across the Charlotte market. Kevin shares the lessons he learned inside a high-performing company, why mentorship accelerated his growth, and how understanding multiple exit strategies creates more profitable real estate deals. In this episode: • Why Kevin left a long-term corporate career to pursue real estate investing • How working inside an established wholesaling company accelerated his growth • Why wholesalers need multiple exit strategies to maximize opportunities • How listening to sellers creates better deals and stronger businesses About Our Guest: Kevin Riggi is a real estate investor and wholesaling entrepreneur who transitioned from a 15-year corporate career into full-time real estate investing. Originally from Niagara Falls, Kevin relocated to Baltimore in 2013 before later moving to Charlotte in 2024. After years of climbing the corporate ladder at Wegmans, he made the difficult decision in 2021 to leave the security of his job behind and fully commit to building a real estate business — a major leap of faith for both him and his family. Today, Kevin owns real estate companies operating in Maryland and North Carolina, primarily focused on wholesaling and investment opportunities. With more than 300 real estate transactions completed, he brings practical experience from nearly every side of the business, including acquisitions, operations, negotiations, and scaling systems. His story offers valuable insight into entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and building a successful real estate investing business from the ground up.