Bit by the Real Estate BUG at 15, Licensed at 18, Serving Clients in her 20's

Join us as we sit down with Brenna Barkasi, who plunged into the industry at an impressionable age of 15 and got her license by 18.  Brenna unravels her journey, her love for new construction, and how she keeps up with the industry's constant evolution. This episode is a plethora of insights, as Brenna shares how she combines the power of networking events and social media to succeed in the Real Estate World.

Get ready to level up your Instagram game as Brennna spills the beans on her tactics. Learn how AI, templates, and videos can be leveraged to enhance your online presence while adding a personal touch.  Additionally, we shed light on an exciting upcoming networking event in December which aims to make a difference for kids in the area. This event supports Safe Berks and is set to bring smiles to children in need, proving that real estate, networking, and community service are a powerful trio. Tune in to this conversation, and prepare to be inspired by Brenna's dedication, ingenuity, and compassion.  #brennabarkasi #bradweisman #thebradweismanshow #realestateandyou #realestate

---
Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show (formerly known as Real Estate and YOU), where we dive into the world of real estate, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman! 🎙️ Join us for candid conversations, laughter, and a fresh take on the real world. Get ready to explore the ups and downs of life with a side of humor. From property to personality, we've got it all covered. Tune in, laugh along, and let's get real! 🏡🌟 #TheBradWeismanShow #RealEstateRealLife #realestateandyou

Credits - The music for my podcast was written and performed by Jeff Miller.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:20

From real estate to real life and everything in between, the Brad Wiseman show and now your host, brad Wiseman. Okay, there we go. We are back in the studio. I am so excited we have a really cool guest in here today. I've been begging her to come in here forever to do a podcast and she just kept saying no, no, no, no, I can't come into that studio. I'm like all right, whatever, so no, that's kind of a lie, I think so.

Speaker 2: 0:49

Right Is that kind of a lie A little bit of a lie.

Speaker 1: 0:51

So we got Brenna Barkhazy, Is that right? Barkhazy Barkhazy. See, I knew I'd screw it up, Hugo. I think I screw up every single name that I have when somebody comes in. If everybody was just John Smith, it would be so much easier.

Speaker 2: 1:04

Of course.

Speaker 1: 1:04

Yeah, I mean you could be like Jacqueline Smith or something like that.

Speaker 2: 1:08

obviously, Sam Smith.

Speaker 1: 1:09

Sam Smith, whatever. Yeah, keep it easy, right, exactly so no thanks for coming in here today, absolutely, yeah, I know you're talking about this. You're the first. I believe you're the first realtor in the studio that is not with Kelly Williams.

Speaker 2: 1:23

From another office. Yes, well, everyone's been trying to get me to come. Yeah, isn't that?

Speaker 1: 1:27

something. Yeah, and I remember saying to you before when it was real estate, and you I said I don't know if I can have another agent come in here. Yeah, you know, but now that it's the Brad Weisman show, it's not always just about real estate.

Speaker 2: 1:37

Yeah, and that's even my thoughts too, like I'm glad you changed the name too, thank you. It broadens, you know, your horizons for so much more guest.

Speaker 1: 1:45

wise, absolutely. And what in regards to what you can talk about, Well, it's more about the person now than it is about what they do, right, you just happen to be somebody that I see often and you're out out. You know when we go out to different, you know networking events, things like that, and we always get along and we always have a really good conversation about real estate. But it's more about the person than it is just about real estate, absolutely yeah. So but let's dig into some real estate All right. Let's dig in. So one of the things that that you just blew me away just recently you just told me this is that you've been. You've been in real estate in some way shape or form since you're 15 years old. Yeah, yeah, how in the world did that happen?

Speaker 2: 2:21

So I started with family.

Speaker 1: 2:23

Okay.

Speaker 2: 2:24

As a lot of people do. I started as an assistant to a family member.

Speaker 1: 2:26

Okay, and are they still in the business?

Speaker 2: 2:29

They are.

Speaker 1: 2:29

Okay.

Speaker 2: 2:30

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:30

No longer with them, though.

Speaker 2: 2:31

No longer with them.

Speaker 1: 2:32

Okay, got it. We won't go any further. We won't dig any more than that. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 2:39

But yeah, started really young as an assistant and you know from shadowing and going to settlements and inspections and doing contracts and I saw you know the money that was there.

Speaker 1: 2:47

Yeah, 15 year old was seeing some big checks.

Speaker 2: 2:49

I was realizing. You know I might want to get into this. I think I want to do this, yeah. So I started taking the classes when I was 17. Wow, I went to school at night while I was still in high school and then, as soon as I turned 18, I took the test, you know, a couple times, took me a couple of tries to get it, that's not the norm.

Speaker 1: 3:06

No, that is not the norm. And not to say that you're not normal, I'm not normal. We can talk about that later on. That's a whole different podcast, right? No, but that's not the norm. Most people in this business get into the business after they've tried something else or after they. You know, like myself, I was going to be a big rock star. It didn't happen, obviously, thank God, because I lost all my hair. But you know, that was what I was going to do and then this was just something to do, just in case. But you actually saw it at a young age, fell in love with the business, and now that's what you're doing.

Speaker 2: 3:37

I've been obsessed with houses in general since I was little. It sounds weird, but ever since I saw new construction going up I was just fascinated. Like what Like oh my God.

Speaker 1: 3:46

So that's something that really got you the new construction Interesting, very interesting. So now, when did you? You got your license? At 17 or 18?

Speaker 2: 3:52

18, you're not allowed to get it at 17. But I was allowed to take the classes so I did that.

Speaker 1: 3:57

You could take the classes, take the license at 18. And now you've been practicing, for is it eight years?

Speaker 2: 4:02

No, I just turned 27. So I don't know what the math is. Eight years, eight years, yeah.

Speaker 1: 4:08

No, actually a little bit more. Nine years going on yeah, wow, that's incredible. I still like it. Um oh, there was, there's, a pause.

Speaker 2: 4:16

I mean, yes, I love it. Yeah, I love it. I'm not a nine to five person. Yeah, I'm just not okay and it's different every day. And that's what I love about it. Yeah, because if I was doing the same thing every day, I would get bored and it's just not the life for me. So, yeah, I love it. It's exciting. Every day is different, every day is challenging. Yeah, um, you know, you run into new situations all the time septic problems, inspection problems yes, it's amazing what we run into and you learn something new every day.

Speaker 1: 4:48

Yeah, and I'm 30 years plus and I'll tell you, it doesn't stop. It just keeps going. You're gonna keep learning. It's. It's one of the things that I think Longevity for me to be in the business this long is is because of that, mm-hmm. It's because it's not the same thing every, every day and it is.

Speaker 2: 5:03

It is different always and it's changing constantly and even people that have I mean you saw 2008. Yeah, that was not fun right and for COVID to happen. Those are those weren't funny.

Speaker 1: 5:14

They're different. Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 5:16

We've never seen anything like that now, 2008 was rough.

Speaker 1: 5:18

That was I always say it was very much. A lot of character building was there was during those years Because you went from making money to making no money, basically it'll humble you oh, it will, absolutely. So let's get into the. You know, one of the things that stuck out for me was was your whole networking group that you're doing right now, and Tell me about that. How did that get started and what's the what? What are you doing it for?

Speaker 2: 5:39

Oh yeah, so it got started, I think back in May, and I have a partner that I do it with. His name's Tom. He owns, you know, his own businesses, home hub solutions. It would be shorter of a list to tell you what he doesn't do, I feel he does it all so he kind of reached out to me and wanted to start something like that and I was all for it. I mean, I love being social. Yeah it's one of the ways I met you being social building 24.

Speaker 1: 6:05

Absolutely or no, it was triple play. What's a triple play? That's right. Building 24 is where I see you, otherwise right one of my favorite places yes so, um, yeah, he reached out to me and it's great.

Speaker 2: 6:16

We host it, usually a building 24 and I do it just to you know build connections.

Speaker 1: 6:22

I think it's great, I think now, who do you have at that, speaking of connections? Who are you inviting to this networking thing?

Speaker 2: 6:29

So it's pretty open, everyone's welcome. I like to see everyone from every avenue. I have, yeah, of course, other realtors, title people, mortgage lenders, contractors, photographers. I mean the list goes on. I've had Fashion really fashion people. Yeah, like wow interesting their work. She was actually working at a hospital in the relocation department so she got me connected with the Lehigh Valley relocation department.

Speaker 1: 6:57

That's a great connection on the side.

Speaker 2: 6:59

She has her own Stylist. That's the word I was looking for a stylist business interesting that she's starting. So I mean everyone from all over comes and I think it's great, even if I can't get a business deal out of meeting someone. I think the most important thing to get out of the networking events is that it lifts the veil of Salesmanship yeah and you're surrounded with like-minded people. Yeah, that you know you can build connections with it lifts that veil of seriousness and trying to sell people. And you know, I just I love seeing other people grow and introducing other people to connecting.

Speaker 1: 7:33

It's all about connecting with other people. I think I see and you know it's interesting too. I'm thinking about this is that you know? Don't you also feel that in our world today, with real estate, I can't tell you how many times I could be talking to somebody on the phone for two years and have never met them? Yeah and and there's just something about that connection. When you meet somebody, then finally Like if we would do a transaction together, you know it would be a much different transaction, because I know you yeah. And not to say that I can't represent who I represent, but I I know, I know a certain level of professionalism that you have and I know that you're, that it's gonna go okay, cuz I trust you, you know, cuz I know you's a person, so that networking is good because you're gonna see people contractors, plumbers, electricians, you know lawyers, title come and now you actually get to meet them. Yeah you know and actually have a drinker.

Speaker 2: 8:21

Yeah, it's great. You know and I can even invite people that I went to high school with that. I mean, I got into Sales and business so young that I feel like I was always playing catch up, but everyone's older than me. Yeah and so comparison is the thief of joy, but it's also a great motivator. So now, seeing people that I went to school with, you know, fall into their career paths and they come out to my networking event.

Speaker 1: 8:44

That's cool. Yeah, it's awesome. That's really cool. That should make you feel good. Yeah, it does.

Speaker 2: 8:48

It's awesome I've won up my girlfriends. I played lacrosse with her in high school and you know she's an attorney now, so she, that's awesome. Yeah, that's really cool.

Speaker 1: 8:55

That is cool, very cool. So the other thing I see, I think the networking thing is awesome. I think it's a great thing to do. There's not many people doing it. I think it's a great idea. I hope you keep it going. Yeah maybe I'll be able to stop out at some point. Just to one of those would be awesome. The other thing was we're talking about social media and I told you this several times since I've met you that you, you have a Really good knack, or or a talent, with the social media. Everything that you're doing on Instagram, which is pretty much, I think, your forte, is is Instagram is where you do most your stuff, I think most of this stuff.

Speaker 2: 9:24

Facebook probably yeah, but Instagram and Facebook, and then I trickle it out to LinkedIn and Twitter. Yeah, yeah, okay, I'll go it out.

Speaker 1: 9:30

Yeah, yeah, sure, but the Instagram stuff is awesome. You're always providing information. They're always very it always looks very classy. You know, did you learn how to do this? Did you just pick this up? I mean, how did you? How did you figure out how to do that?

Speaker 2: 9:45

Yeah. So as soon as I got licensed, I thought that social media was my free advertising. You know you're broke. Yes cards and paying for ads really isn't, you know, the first thing on your list. So, right off the bat, I was constantly making Instagram posts and videos. I was really big on video since the beginning.

Speaker 1: 10:06

Yeah, it's good.

Speaker 2: 10:06

And then, once I got more into the social media, there are platforms that you can subscribe to that will give you templates. Yeah for content. I won't give away the name that I use, but they're, they're out there. Yeah, and it really helps build that professionalism and with AI that's out there now. I mean, you don't have to even write your own caption. I'm not saying I don't write my, but that's okay.

Speaker 1: 10:29

It's a tool, I mean. Why not use it?

Speaker 2: 10:31

and all the apps out there, like canva, and you just learn. I've learned to design through there and and Really take off through there, but I always thought that video and social media was my best free advertising that I could do to reach the most and you do a good job.

Speaker 1: 10:47

Like I said that, the posts always look classy, they're always nice, it's always sharing something. That that's good and you know it's funny about when you talk about. You know you don't want to share something and I get that, I you know, with that. But what's interesting, just from being on in our situation here at the Cal Williams, I could tell you can tell a hundred people or a hundred agents. Here's my secret, here's what I do right and maybe three of them will do it. Yeah it's the whole. Bring the horse to water, but can't make a drink. It's that whole thing. So it's funny is that you know you take it. Whatever you're getting, whatever system you're using, you're taking it, but you're making it yourself right, yeah, they give you the template and you have to 100% customize it. Yeah, because the template is not your personality, it's not what you want to have out there. It's just a start, right, it's a start for that's another reason I love video.

Speaker 2: 11:34

You know, I like to show my personality. Yeah, even going back to the networking events, it's great to finally meet people in person and you know, if you do it at a happy hour and someone needs a drink to relax and get a little social, then that's fine. A lot of people are like that you know?

Speaker 1: 11:47

yeah, that's true, very true. I love that. So tell me, what do you? What are you doing? Are you using AI? No you're not.

Speaker 2: 11:54

No, the only AI I probably use. There's an app called captions where I like to record some of my videos and it'll automatically Record you know your voice and it'll Give the closed captions captions for shorts and stuff.

Speaker 1: 12:07

Yeah, that's probably like the most AI that I do because we have a show that's gonna be coming out about AI.

Speaker 2: 12:14

So you'll want to see that I wish I had it in high school to write some essays.

Speaker 1: 12:19

We talked. We talked about that. We had another guy on which out has already aired. It was Craig Stonehall from Laughing Rock Technologies and he talked about AI and we talked about that situation. Imagine them saying you need to write a paper and now, all of a sudden, you know, you just tell it hey, I need to write a paper and it just kind of does it.

Speaker 2: 12:36

I want to proofread it though.

Speaker 1: 12:37

Yeah, yeah, this is true, very true, very true. So let's talk about moving forward. You had some situations you said were um, now that you had one situation we're not going to share because this is PG rated Hugo has children at home listening to this, so we got to be careful, Um, no, but you've had some situations, like you know, and you said you also have some ways that to make sure that you don't put yourself in odd situations Right as far as showing houses by yourself things. Have you ever had a situation where you're like, oh man, this is not good.

Speaker 2: 13:05

Yeah, um, I've had a couple that I've never let it get to a point where it's in person. Like I said, I've had, uh, situations where I didn't really know the person that well, but you know, you can read signs and see if someone's serious or not. I've had you know male friends of mine. Come with me to showings. Even if they just stay in the car, they're there.

Speaker 1: 13:26

They're there.

Speaker 2: 13:26

And I'm a very you know, headstrong person. I'm very smart, leery, yeah. Uh, if I'm working with someone and I really don't know them that well and it's not a personal referral or a repeat client, I make sure they're pre approved, screened. I met them in person beforehand at my office or I know them in some other regard.

Speaker 1: 13:47

Smart Cause it's. You know, you always think it can't happen to you, but it happens.

Speaker 2: 13:50

Yeah, it's scary, especially with social media. I mean there's creeps out there. I've had people call me and call me and call me and talk my ear off on the phone and you can just tell like. You can just tell like you're a weirdo I've had to block them Like go. I was like I'm not the realtor for you, you need to call somebody else.

Speaker 1: 14:07

It's just like.

Speaker 2: 14:08

I'm not and they're like oh well, the house this much, I want to spend this much, don't care.

Speaker 1: 14:12

Do you say you should call Brad Weisman at that point? Oh, she gives out my number.

Speaker 2: 14:16

I say go to KW, they know what they're doing.

Speaker 1: 14:19

Now be careful now. That's not nice. Let me think if there's anything else I want to ask you before. Is there anything you want to share at all? Is there anything you want to ask the April.

Speaker 2: 14:27

Is it a real April?

Speaker 1: 14:28

Yeah, it's a real right Hugo this thing works.

Speaker 2: 14:30

It looks a lot lighter than.

Speaker 1: 14:31

No, it's a real one, it's just that it's red. Okay, yeah, how about?

Speaker 2: 14:34

um go ahead go ahead, go ahead. Will I be joining KW anytime soon?

Speaker 1: 14:40

It says if you're smart, you would.

Speaker 2: 14:42

That's so weird. That is so weird. I'm loyal to my people.

Speaker 1: 14:48

I know you are and that's great. Well, I want to thank you for coming in here today, because we had a good time talking Um yeah, so hopefully you'll come back. Let me know how the networking group is going.

Speaker 2: 14:56

Yeah, our next one is coming up in December. We're doing something for the kids.

Speaker 1: 14:59

Okay, so what December? What? What's the date we?

Speaker 2: 15:02

didn't set an exact date yet. Okay, you know, because Christmas time's coming, uh, we're going to do a lot with uh Safe Woman Berks.

Speaker 1: 15:09

Oh good, Great, great organization.

Speaker 2: 15:11

And uh, some BCPS, some kids, we're going to get some presents for so awesome yeah, for the kids, that's awesome.

Speaker 1: 15:17

That's very cool. Give them back right. You got to do it. That's amazing, All right.

Speaker 2: 15:21

There we have it we did it.

Speaker 1: 15:22

Thank you, awesome, all right. Well, there you have it. Brenna Barcazzi Right, I said it right, the one and only that's right. All right, there you have it. We will be back next Thursday at 7pm. Make sure you check us out every week, all right, thanks a lot.