Who in real estate should we interview? Any suggestions?

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Who in real estate should we interview? Any suggestions?

Joshua D.Pro Member
BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes

I've decided that it is time for us to start asking some questions of the leaders in real estate and economy, and was hoping for your suggestions.

I'd like to see if we could compile a wish-list of people who we feel would make for a good interview. I'm talking about the top real estate investors, sales professionals, motivators, you name it! There is no one who is out of reach (until we learn that they are and we'll be sure to let you know why they happen to be too busy for a group of 40,000+ real estate aficionados!)

Just reply with your list, including why you think we should interview them and if there is anything specifically that you'd like to know from them.

Once we begin to get responses, we'll see what we can do about getting in touch with these people for you!

So . . . . what do you say?

Who should we interview?

Podcast Guest on Show #100
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Curt DavisBusiness Member
Flipper/Rehabber · Memphis, TN · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
16y

No one wants to listen or read an interview about some Guru who only makes money from power courses!!!

There are so many other people who would be worth of an interview but they are not nationally known.

Curt Davis - KAIZEN Realty538 Reviews
WebsiteView Page
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  • Nick J.
    Residential Real Estate Broker · Payson, AZ · Member since 2009 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    16y

    That's a good question! Using the fact that you have 40k members as leverage is smart on your part!

    They wouldn't be as smart as we assumed they were if they turned that down.

    How about Dave Ramsey? I just finished reading one of his books and I also got some of his material for teenagers that I've already implemented for my 12 and 11yr old.

    1Reply
  • Anthony E Russell
    Real Estate Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2008 · 148 posts · 22 votes
    16y

    Joshua,

    Great idea. Here are my suggestions:

    Valerie Fitzgerald, author, Beverly Hills real estate broker

    Sam Zell, some real estate guy from Chicago

    William J. Poorvu -- Harvard Professor of Real Estate, investor/developer

    R. Donahue Peebles -- Wash, DC-based developer

    Jim Randel -- author, 'Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur', real estate attorney, investor/developer

    BP's own John Holdman, Mike Oh, Rich Weese, Nick Johnson, Will Barnard, Stephani and Frank Gallinelli

    George H. Ross, real estate attorney, Senior Counsel, The Trump Organization

    Donald Trump, some real estate guy from New York

    Roger Staubach, Founder, The Staubach Company

    Barbara Corcoran, Founder, The Corcoran Group

    Bruce Norris, Founder, The Norris Group, investor, educator

    That list should be a good start.

    3Reply
  • James Hiddle
    Altus, OK · Member since 2008 · 2k+ posts · 690 votes
    16y

    Vena Jones Cox
    Wendy Patton
    David Lindahl
    Peter Conti

    1Reply
  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    OP
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    16y

    Great suggestions so far . . . keep them coming!

    Podcast Guest on Show #100
    0Reply
  • Robert Mack
    Real Estate Investor · Bergen County, NJ · Member since 2008 · 390 posts · 72 votes
    16y

    Along with the top investors from BP,

    Stephen Ross - Developer, CEO of The Related Companies
    60 Columbus Circle 19th Floor
    New York, NY 10023

    Larry Silverstein - Silvesrtein Properties - Owner of the WTC Towers

    Bob Knakal of Massey Knakal - started building sales firm with partner - grew into top sales firm in nyc
    [email protected]
    (212) 696-2500 x 7777

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Real Estate Investor · CA · Member since 2009 · 7 posts · 0 votes
    16y

    Great Topic!!!

    Todd Toback
    (He is my mentor please tell him Jake Duvall sent you!!)

    or Wendy Patton

    0Reply
  • Curt DavisBusiness Member
    Flipper/Rehabber · Memphis, TN · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    16y

    No one wants to listen or read an interview about some Guru who only makes money from power courses!!!

    There are so many other people who would be worth of an interview but they are not nationally known.

    Curt Davis - KAIZEN Realty538 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    4Reply
  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    OP
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    16y

    Don't worry, Curt. I have no intentions of interviewing those guys. I'm interested in the real estate businessmen.

    Podcast Guest on Show #100
    2Reply
  • Michael Gier
    Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2008 · 24 posts · 11 votes
    16y
    Originally posted by Joshua Dorkin:
    Don't worry, Curt. I have no intentions of interviewing those guys. I'm interested in the real estate businessmen.
    No doubt! We can always count on Josh to bring us the great content, avoid the BS artists.

    0Reply
  • Timothy W.
    Attorney · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    16y

    Would like to know what Bill Rancic is up to these days aside from his smoking hot new wife.

    2Reply
  • Mark N.A
    Real Estate Investor · North Carolina · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 483 votes
    16y

    Here's my two cents, Josh:

    Instead of interviewing the 'stars', how about interviewing Joe and Jane Average who made it big locally?

    You could find them by going to any REI Club meeting and asking around. Weed out the 'inheritors' and 'Daddy's kids taking over the business' and find the people like you and me and most of the rest of the average BP population who are building their business brick by brick, so to speak.

    These are the people I can relate to and actually learn from. Kind of like the average folks in "The Millionaire Next Door".

    0Reply
  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    OP
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    16y

    Hey Mark -
    We already do that on Meet the Investor, and have been doing so for years. While we're always looking for other "mom and pop" investors to interview for that series (PM me if you're interested), we're also looking for folks who are the "stars" as you put it, to expand our horizons.

    Podcast Guest on Show #100
    1Reply
  • Owen DashnerPro Member
    Lender · Omaha, NE · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    16y

    Lonnie Scruggs might be another one to consider. Everybody seems to like hearing more about "Lonnie Deals"...

    2Reply
  • Owen DashnerPro Member
    Lender · Omaha, NE · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    16y

    I also wouldn't mind seeing a Gary Keller interview. He wrote "The Millionaire Real Estate Investor" and "Flip". Good info in his books and he has personally interviewed a bunch of millionaire real estate investors himself...

    4Reply
  • Brian LevredgePro Member
    Investor · Chattanooga, TN · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 903 votes
    16y

    Eli Broad - founder of Kaufman and Broad (now KB Home) Homes.

    Ed Roski - CEO/Owner of Majestic Realty. another big developer.

    0Reply
  • Anthony E Russell
    Real Estate Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2008 · 148 posts · 22 votes
    16y

    Donald Bren, owner of the Irvine Company, Orange County, CA

    George Marcus, Bill Milichap, Harvey Green, Principals, Marcus, Milichap and Green

    Rick Caruso, Caruso Affiliated Holdings, LLC, owner/developer, The Grove shopping center, Los Angeles

    0Reply
  • Chris G.
    Real Estate Investor · NowWhere, WI · Member since 2009 · 135 posts · 25 votes
    16y

    Mike Cantu.

    I saw him speak at a REIA once. He was amazing. He is so down to earth. If you are interested in buy and holds to rent, he is the person to listen to (especially in California). He wholesales any deal that doesn't meet his personal hold criteria or isn't in his target neighborhoods.

    He also has so many creative financing techniques, it made my head spin.

    He was also very willing to answer beginner's questions with a step by step approach. He doesn't take your experience level for granted when he explains a concept.

    I hope one day I can hear him speak again.

    0Reply
  • Jonathan Rexford
    Real Estate Investor · Vero Beach, FL · Member since 2008 · 268 posts · 89 votes
    16y

    Here are my choices

    Pete Fortunato
    Dychess Boddiford
    Lou Brown

    1Reply
  • Robert Mack
    Real Estate Investor · Bergen County, NJ · Member since 2008 · 390 posts · 72 votes
    16y

    I second Gary Keller. Wrote the Millionaire Real Estate Investor & Agent

    1Reply
  • Steve Nicewarner
    Bellevue, WA · Member since 2008 · 156 posts · 57 votes
    16y

    I think Josh would do a great job interviewing a guru. Josh can cut through the BS and get to the meat of things.

    0Reply
  • Doug Smith
    Real Estate Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2009 · 71 posts · 38 votes
    16y

    Great idea Josh.

    A while back, I interviewed what I called the "top investors in the nation". These were all multi-millionaires who were so busy doing deals that they didn't have time to mentor or put a kit together. (Exception: Two of them had a product to sell, but they were not allowed to mention it.)

    These investors, for the most part, were EXTREMELY difficult to dig up and get on the phone. They tend to be "below the radar".

    I ended up interviewing 15 investors and got 26 hours of audio out of them. The content they delivered was absolutely incredible. I had to pay each one $1,500 just for their time since, like I said, they had nothing to sell or promote.

    If people are interested, I can share 1 or 2 of these interviews with Bigger Pockets members for free. People would just need to tell me which investors they want to hear from. I could share the most popular suggestion(s).

    And if Josh or someone else is interested in interviewing them again for a topic like "What to do in 2009/2010", then I have the phone numbers of these guys for you to contact them.

    Hope this helps!
    Doug

    1Reply
  • Aaron Norris
    Lender · California and Florida · Member since 2008 · 319 posts · 194 votes
    16y

    Mike Cantu
    Tony Alvarez
    Aaron Mazzrillo
    Shawn Watkins
    Angel Bronsgeest
    Bill Tan

    These are some of the Southern California's local investors actually investing CURRENTLY, very down to earth, and they don't BS.

    Three run local non profit investor clubs (SDCIA, Investors Workshops, and SOCALREIA). Good people to know and I'm not sure if any are on here yet.

    0Reply
  • Eddie Ziv
    Investor · Mableton, GA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 465 votes
    16y

    I would go with John T. Reed. He seems the most honest one among the so called Gurus.

    0Reply
  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    OP
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    16y

    Keep the names coming, guys!

    Aaron - If they aren't here already, you should invite and get referral credit for getting them here.

    Everyone else - I'll reserve my feelings about some of the names you've mentioned for now (I'm not a big fan of a few of them, but that sometimes makes for a much more interesting interview).

    Podcast Guest on Show #100
    1Reply
  • Chris G.
    Real Estate Investor · NowWhere, WI · Member since 2009 · 135 posts · 25 votes
    16y
    Originally posted by Aaron Norris:
    Mike Cantu
    Tony Alvarez
    Aaron Mazzrillo
    Shawn Watkins
    Angel Bronsgeest
    Bill Tan

    These are some of the Southern California's local investors actually investing CURRENTLY, very down to earth, and they don't BS.

    Three run local non profit investor clubs (SDCIA, Investors Workshops, and SOCALREIA). Good people to know and I'm not sure if any are on here yet.

    i doubt Mike Cantu would join the site. He seemed very very very low tech to me. haha.
    0Reply
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