SPEAKER_01 0:00

What does SCAR do for realtors in the community?

SPEAKER_03 0:02

We are a professional trade organization. It is almost like a chamber of commerce, right? So our professionals belong to us and we own and operate the multiple listing service and then we provide advocacy efforts.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Is there a fear within like the realtor associations of Zillow and some of that and the way that they're advertising, you know, houses and stuff?

SPEAKER_03 0:22

I think our members and our industry is very resilient, and I think they pivot, and we just want to do at the end of the day the best thing for our members, the realtors, and what it's their job is to secure the American dream of homeownership, right? So all that we can do is just make sure that they have the right tools, products, and services to ensure that that transaction happens and that they're there at the table, making sure that happens if the realtor remains in the transaction. Even those tech companies or anything like that still think that the realtor is very important in the transaction. I think people still want to work with people.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

Hosted by the best insurance crew in the 321. At Studio 321, it's all about community, real connections, and sharing a few laughs along the way. Strap in, let's launch into today's episode. Our guest today is Lindsay Rushak. She walked into the Space Coast Association of Realtors in 2011 as the education director, and after 12 years of showing up, leading and growing with the organization, she earned the CEO seat in 2023. And on top of being CEO of SCAR, she sits on the executive board of the Economic Development Commission and is a passionate advocate for the Brevar Children in Need, supporting housing-sensitive kids right here on the Space Coast. She lives by one motto show up every day to serve something bigger than yourself. Lindsay, welcome to the studio.

SPEAKER_04 2:03

Woo! Wow, I love that. Thank you guys for having me. Well, finally. I know.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

We know you're busy. Lindsay was one of the hardest people that we knew for sure we wanted Lindsay on, and we really had to work for it. She made us work for it.

unknown 2:20

She did.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

She was definitely saying hard to get. She was good at saying no. Fastest way to know. She just scared. She tried to ghost us a couple times, hoping we would go away. We didn't.

SPEAKER_03 2:31

Then I see you in the office. I'm like, oh man.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Another thing we have to turn them down.

SPEAKER_04 2:37

Every time I've seen you, I never even said you're the one that brought it up. You were like scared. I'm like, no, I don't want to.

SPEAKER_03 2:43

I'm like, I know I owe them a response. It's a yes, it's just finding the time. Yeah, yeah, that's important. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:49

So walk us through the journey. Uh how did you get into the real estate industry? And then like what led you to where you're at today?

SPEAKER_03 2:56

Yeah. So um I started with the association in 2011. It was February. So um part of my background was my mom had a family business. She um fit into spensed hearing aids, but she owned her business. So we had five offices between Volusia and Brevard. And around 2010, we closed our final, we were paring down the offices. So we had three in Brevard. We had already sunseted the two in Volusia, and we she was in one senior place, and then she was also in Merritt Island. And at that time, it was when the Space Center was kind of kicking down and going away with the funding from the Obama administr administration. So we closed that office and I was like, well, what am I going to do? So live life on fun employment for a little bit. Right? That sounds fun. Back in the day. And uh so did that, and then I saw an opening at the association, and it was for a bookkeeping position. So, with my experience with what I was doing in that my family business, I was doing uh payroll, bookkeeping, marketing, and all of like office management kind of stuff. And I was like, let me go apply for this. And as I was sitting down with our prior CEO, Leah, for the interview, and she was like, you know what? She goes, We have an opening. Our prior our education director, Maureen Finch, she had been there a very long time. She just gave her notice that she was going to retire. And she goes, I think you'd be the perfect fit for this job. And I was like, okay. And I'm like, all right. And as she goes, well, you know, you were more excited than that? It was yeah. Well, I was going through the motions of the interview process, right? So we're talking, we're just talking, getting to know each other. Yeah. So that was, oh yes. So that was um before, so I applied for the bookkeeping position. And then we were talking through it, and that was when she was like, I just had an opening today. Like just she just gave notice of retirement. So go back home is probably like a couple days later. She sends an email to the people who did not get the position for bookkeeping, right? And it was like, sorry, the position's been filled, whatever. And I'm like, well, dang, that stinks. And then I get a phone call and it was like, hey, you got offered, would you like to take the education director position? I'm like, that was a high and a low.

unknown 4:53

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 4:54

So I did the education director position, which was amazing, honestly. So I was going to school at the time at UCF and well for our community college. I was gonna say Beer Camp College because you know, university. Yeah. So, you know, just like all of us, we started at the the bottom. Yeah. Yeah. Started at the community college, and then um I was tea I was going into school for teaching, and I was like, you know, this kind of aligns with what we were doing, but it was uh more so the better path for me because it was lining up the educators for the adult students, because at that point in time I was gonna go to school for kindergarten teaching, and I was like, this is not it. That's it for me. Yeah, this is not it for me. Yeah. So yeah, so then I went into that world, and then um 2011, so then around 2012, if our members are around during that time frame, we were doing a shakeup with uh switching out MLS vendors, so 2012, 2013. I remember that was a big deal. So big deal in our county. So we had all we had two associations at that time, and we always had a same MLS system, and we shared rules and we shared data together. So it was really a good continuity for ours for our area. And um, again, we had amazing leaders and we had amazing leadership with Leah. So we were data sharing within an MLS in our county well before data shares were like popular, right? So we're always very forward-thinking, especially with our leaders and our members. And um so at that time when we that happened, and then the merger talks happened, right? And merger was successful, and we combined the two staffs, and then Leah's like, what's the path you want to go down? Like, is this and during that time there was a lot of meetings being scheduled, a lot of facilitation that I was doing, and I was like, you know what? I could do this. This is what I want to do. I want to be the CEO for the organization. Whether it's this, I would hope it would be this organization, because I knew eventually she was gonna have to retire. She had when she did finally retire, it was at 45 years. So like that was a long tenure for her. She was with Scar for 45 years. She was with SCAR for 45 years and she was with MAR for 50 years prior to that. Or five years, I'm sorry. So 50 in total cumulative. Yeah. So like I saw her, she's an amazing mentor, right? And I was like, this is what I want to do. I was like, whether it was for this association or not, this is like the path I want to go down. So I started well rounding myself within the association and just kind of touching each department, right? Like I was learning, I got um certified in professional standards, which is the ethics administration process, um, heavy into the MLS, a little bit in government affairs. I already did education, membership, so kind of hitting all those pillars of what entails the association.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

So yeah, let's touch on Leah a little bit. Like she was a big part of your just upbringing, I guess.

SPEAKER_03 7:26

It really was, yeah. Because when I started, I mean 2011, I want to say I don't even know how old I was at that time. How old were you? You just turned 40.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

I just turned 40, so is that my brain doesn't work after 40. Yeah. So that's 15 years ago. I would have been 25.

SPEAKER_03 7:40

Yeah, so I was 25 when I started with the association. So I was gonna say it was probably around 28 time framing when I was um when we were going through the mergers and all those things, and I was like, you know what, this is a good path. So Leah really poured into me, and I think she pours into the she poured into the staff as well, and it doesn't happen alone. Like we have a massive organization and you cannot do it without the team. Like my staff back management team really back at the association is what makes it go in. So just making sure you pour into them. But I think also when you see somebody, see something in somebody and bringing them up with you, she was really good at that. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

So there's not a lot of turnover in SCAR either. No, we don't have to.

SPEAKER_03 8:18

Yeah, we have a pretty long tenure employment. So um when we merge with the two associations, uh, Kathy, our education director right now, had already been doing it for so long. And that's when Leah was like, Well, what do you want to do? Because and I was like, No, Kathy can do it. Like she does an amazing, she runs a great program. So that's yeah, that's a good point, Jay.

SPEAKER_00 8:34

When I when you go to SCAR, it's a lot of familiar faces. Yeah, yeah. As long as I've been in here. Yeah, that's awesome. It speaks volumes about the culture and what you guys are doing, too.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

Yeah, from a business standpoint, no turnover means you're doing a great job. Like, it's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 8:47

Yeah. Finding new employees is hard too.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

You don't have to tell us. Right. So are you the youngest CEO of an association like that?

SPEAKER_03 8:55

I am not. I believe it is I what was, but I don't know at this point. But at Ashton up in New Smyrna, so we have a really good relationship with our within the state of Florida. We have a great relationship with our state and then all our locals. And Ashton, I believe, is the youngest. Well, it was the youngest at the time.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

I was hoping we were going to crown Union.

SPEAKER_03 9:12

I know, right? I was hoping so too.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

What was the other association that you guys merged with?

SPEAKER_03 9:17

Um Melbourne Area Association of Realtors. So Marr.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

Gosh, I remember that. I remember that. And I just remember there being so much infighting going on at the time. And there was a lot of like a lot of people didn't want it to happen, and it's kind of funny looking back at it now, because now I think it was the best thing that ever happened.

SPEAKER_03 9:34

The best thing that could have happened. They had tried, yeah, they had tried many times before and it didn't work. And I think with mergers, um, it really takes getting the right people at the table to have those hard conversations and realize this is for the betterment of the organization for the members and for the community. Yeah, absolutely. So I don't know if people realize this though. We also had an association up in Titusville. So back in the day in the 80s and 90s, we had Titusville, Space Coast, and Melbourne. So I think it was uh Titusville or Space Port, and then we were Cape Kennedy board at Space Coast was Cape Kennedy board, and then the Melbourne area. So just over the years, just mergers.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

It just really makes sense to have one. It does, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:12

One of the biggest impact statements we've had was with the EDC, the Space Coast EDC is um the CEO Linda Weatherman. She made a comment and was like, this has really unified your guys as an organization and really unified your voice and impact within the community. And I think that's something that our members should be really proud of.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

And probably is in the grand scheme of things, when you go to Tallahassee, you know, the voice is a lot more powerful instead of it being split into two. And disparate, right? It's one big voice. Yeah, that's great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Yeah, and I also feel like, you know, outside looking in, I know very, you know, I know I don't have to be dangerous, but I feel like even from like an RPAC standpoint and like the power that the Space Coast Association has in Florida is pretty strong. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:50

That unified voice really matters, especially when you're on the hill advocating for private property rights.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

Yeah. Because I feel like the other associations kind of look to you guys and going, what are you guys doing, right? I mean, it looks like that.

SPEAKER_03 11:01

I mean, I they probably do. I think we all kind of like that's one of the things that is very important to me is the collaboration between all of our local associations and just leaning to each other because nobody can go it alone. Like if you're on an island, that's gotta be a sad journey to be on. So collaborating with your peers, your industry peers, and uh just seeing what they're doing, seeing if you can mimic, share resources, what can we do to also share that same voice, kick it across the the finish line? Because if we're experiencing something here, chances are somebody also is experiencing it elsewhere. Our neighbors to the north in New Smyrna, our neighbors to the south in Indian River and beaches.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

So that's true across all business too, right? Like even here at Brightway. Like we we just have an awesome community here at Brightway. You know, there's probably 200 plus offices in Florida. And we really do collaborate a lot on different things.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

Day to day too.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Yeah, if we're if we're having an issue, like you said, somebody else is having that same issue and hey, let's get together and solve it. Right.

SPEAKER_03 11:57

It can't do it in a silo because you have to have that brain share, that brain power to kind of make it go and work.

SPEAKER_00 12:03

No, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

And not to go backwards here for anybody watching or listening, can you just cliff's notes like what does SCAR do for realtors in the community?

SPEAKER_03 12:12

Yeah, so we are a professional trade organization. If you're not in the real estate industry, which I know you guys are obviously partners of ours, um, it is almost like a chamber of commerce, right? So our professionals belong to us and we uh own and operate the multiple listing service, and then we provide advocacy efforts, so protecting private property rights. We have a robust education program, and a big piece of what we do is community engagement and making sure that our voice is heard and that people realize that realtors do more than just facilitate transactions, that they're always neighbors first. Awesome. So yeah, I love that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

And I love what you guys do for the business partners too. I mean, it's been a really great platform for us from a business standpoint. I mean, it's just such a good way for us to get in front of realtors, even like the mortgage brokers. Um, you know, for us, it's been a really great community for us to be involved in from a business standpoint. I mean, there's no doubt about it.

SPEAKER_03 13:03

I love that because you guys are really great industry partners for us and always show up. And I uh we have really great ones, right? And then you have the ones that kind of it's like a chamber, I feel like if it you it's any organization you belong to, you get what you put out of it. It's even in your jobs, you get what you put into it, right? If you show up, if you if you network and you do those things, I think it's gonna pay off in the long run.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

Oh, absolutely. Yeah. It gave us a real good platform to help us grow our business.

SPEAKER_03 13:29

I love to hear that a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

It really did. Like I would say if I had to put like of all our marketing efforts and everything we've ever done, the best thing we ever did was become a business partner. I love that. And I love it.

SPEAKER_03 13:41

Shameless plug, but for 190 a year with access to 5,000.

SPEAKER_02 13:45

I mean, come on. Right? Where else is no brainer?

SPEAKER_03 13:49

And that's why I say you get what you put into it. You show up to the meetings, you sponsor the classes, you just go to the events and network. How do you not win?

SPEAKER_01 13:55

Yeah, I mean for 190 a year, you're getting notifications when I can put my name out there in front of the people that are sending you business. So many opportunities. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

So many opportunities. And the business partner committee has just done a really good job getting better and better every year.

SPEAKER_02 14:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

And so, like the one of the coolest things that you guys have come up with recently was the the trade show. The business partner trade show. Yeah, that one's what an amazing event that has become.

SPEAKER_03 14:20

So back in um, I don't know if you recall this because I I'm well, I don't know. Were you with Brightway then?

SPEAKER_00 14:25

You were I started, I started coming around SCAR probably in like 2012.

SPEAKER_03 14:30

Okay, so we were doing a smaller version of that. So people, the business partners were buying trade show tables, and in Merritt Island it was upstairs, and we'd line like one table around it. So I remember I want to say it was like 2023 when I first started. Maybe I think that's the first year we did it, right? Maybe 24, and we had the idea in 23, and I was like, this is what we need to offer. We and um the chair at the time were like talking about it, and they did an amazing job putting that together and getting back to the basics of just providing organic networking experiences for both you guys to connect with realtors, to realtors to connect with each other, and not always coming and getting hit with don't get me wrong, your investment in RPAC is very important. Um, we have the 501c the uh C3, the Space Ghost Association Realtors Foundation, investing or contributing and donating to that is very important, but also just providing that environment for members to walk in and not get hit at the pocketbook and just say, get to know your members, get to know your other people who help make these transactions better and smoother.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

And it's a huge value add to the realtors too because you know they're coming through there. A lot of times, all these vendors that are there, they're gonna need at some point in their transaction. And we're supporting you, why not support us, you know, right? And create that relationship.

SPEAKER_03 15:45

You know, they want you want one more, more than one in your directory to kind of click from and say, This is what I got. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Yeah. I love it. I had to come to that one this year. I do agree.

SPEAKER_03 15:55

It's such a fun event. Like honestly, you guys are so like the the business partners are so creative in their in their booths and what they do.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

Oh, you guys probably have to reel some in. I would've Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:04

How do we get to yes?

SPEAKER_02 16:06

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 16:07

No. Some of them, I mean, I think there was like a casino table. There was a circus. Yeah, prestige, I think. Yeah. Um a circus one, I think. A lemonade standard. Yeah. Some really cool.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Do we have anything cool like that?

SPEAKER_04 16:21

No, but I'm like requesting if I can get more to the front of the line. Yeah, I can do something a little special.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

What do you mean by front of the line?

SPEAKER_04 16:29

Maybe in the corner, right? Maybe last days.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

Nobody puts Angela in the corner. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 16:35

Nobody says stay there. She can tell she works a room.

unknown 16:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

That was funny. Yeah, no, I was I I would just leave the table and just start walking around working the room.

SPEAKER_03 16:45

Work the room.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 16:47

I'll be on the table. You guys can work the room. Yeah, there you go. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:50

People got it that way. Yeah, we've the first year we did it, I think we did uh Irish Coffees and Bloody Mary's and Mamonk Martins.

SPEAKER_04 16:57

Yeah, there was like espresso martinis. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:59

Well, and I think one of the so then Did they cut that off? Well, no. So I think what happened was the first year the first year we did it, we were doing the Irish coffees and everything. I think somebody brought espresso, and then the next year it was like people just kept bringing more and more at their table. And so then we were like, well, why? I think the business partner planning committee was like, why do we need to offer the alcohol if the vendors are gonna do it? Oh yeah, it makes sense. Yeah. So let people stay and network more at the tables than having them at the cocktail table where the food is, right? So they're very intentional about planning it, making sure food is like not a kind of like walkable food, right? And like that there's not a lot outside the room, that people are forced in the room. So and how blessed are we to have like that amazing space that we don't have to go to a hotel to do it? We are like the members did a great job in building that building. Oh my god. And that again goes back to the unification of Brevard, like that wouldn't be here today without that unification.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

So a lot of those details probably go missed, you know. It's like, wow, this is a great building, this is awesome for us. But it's like what took to get into there, the ideas behind all that.

SPEAKER_04 18:04

And I didn't even know this, but I just found out that you other people outside of the association, you know, randomly can just rent out programs. I did not know that.

SPEAKER_03 18:12

Yeah, so even in Marit Island and Melbourne, when they have So we can have uh our next party there.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

Yeah, they used to do the weddings in Merried Island receptions upstairs, right?

SPEAKER_04 18:21

I had no idea. So it's a good space for it. It is. I wish I would have known what a graduation party is, right?

SPEAKER_00 18:29

Does the association still own that building in Marit Island?

SPEAKER_03 18:31

No, so we sold that building to Island Animal Hospital. Yeah. So Island Animal Hospital bought that one, and then Renaissance Catering bought the Melbourne building.

SPEAKER_00 18:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:38

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

No, I think I think you guys coming together as one organization like from outside looking in has been probably the best thing to happen to the association.

SPEAKER_03 18:46

It was beneficial for the members, and I think it was beneficial for the business partners too, because you guys were disjointed and joining a couple of organizations, and it's just really unified the accounting and the voice.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

So and I love that the events are able to be in one place. You know, you know where it is, you know where we're going. It's just easy to plan it all, right? For you guys, it's gotta be.

SPEAKER_03 19:05

It's much easier, right? Like logistically, you're not having classes in both locations, members showing up for committee meetings and both, like getting confused which way it is. Um we are doing a different job now of like and the the business partners are doing this as well, of like um kind of trying to meet our members where we are, because we are long county, right? So we are trying to spread some of our socials out and some networking experiences up to the north end of the county and the south end of the county as much as we love everybody coming to us and then hitting beachside too, of just making sure that yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:33

I like the one the we did the one at uh that restaurant, sacred restaurant, Titusville. Shiloh's Shiloh's yeah, that was a good turnout. Yeah, they closed that down, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

I got bought, I got bought. Yeah, somebody else bought somebody It's gonna be Darkside Grill or something like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:48

And then we did that one in Pombay at David David Davidson. The Harley Davidson place, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

Yeah, you know that restaurant that's up by Max Brewer going to play with the right. Oh, that's what I was thinking.

SPEAKER_03 19:58

Um or pier 21 or something. Yeah, they bought the code. Okay, that's right. I remember reading about that.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

I've never been to the pier, but that dockside place should be nice.

SPEAKER_04 20:07

Yeah. But that, I mean, to to your point, that is actually, I mean, I love those ideas just because like you're meeting people that don't get a chance to come out all the way to, you know, um, you know, Suntry Beery, you know, and it's so you're seeing new faces and opportunity to connect with you know those realtors over there.

SPEAKER_03 20:25

And just getting reach for them and just making sure that they know they're here to yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 20:29

Yeah, what is your favorite event, Ascar does?

SPEAKER_03 20:32

I always love so the business partner expo I love because I do think it's just an organic networking experience, and that room is packed year over year. So that is amazing. So for business partners, I think that one's amazing. Um our installation and then our annual BCIN fundraising gala. So I love to call that because our members love it. It's like realtor prom and realtor homecoming, right? Like you get the gamut. The members love dressing up, they get to network with each other, see each other. So those ones are good. Um yeah, we do quite a bit of events, so I love the children need one. Yeah, we're getting ready to host for the realtor party, um, the fundraiser for the realtor party, a mystery dinner. So this is the first time we've ever done that. So I'm kind of excited to see how that's gonna work out. Yeah. So it's April 17th, and I'm excited about that because uh they have been rehearsing the members, the committee members.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

We uh we had been debating whether we were gonna get involved with that at all, but we've just been so busy. We've been burning at both ends. I have like FOMO when I don't participate or don't like sponsor something. And this is the first thing I think we haven't gotten involved in in a while. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:35

It's an 80-20 rule, you know, you've got to show up. Yeah, just only show up to 80. Like you just don't stretch yourself too thin. That's what I've like, that's my learning lesson of what I'm going through right now, is because you can't burn it at both ends. You're gonna burn yourself out. So you can't pour from an empty cup.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

No, absolutely. So I love that saying, I know.

SPEAKER_03 21:53

Right?

SPEAKER_04 21:54

It's where I live.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Can't pour from an empty cup. I dig that. You like it? Mm-hmm. Do you want to talk RPAC?

SPEAKER_01 22:01

What does RPAC stand for?

SPEAKER_03 22:02

The Realtor Political Action Committee. That's right. Yep. So there it's nonpartisan. So it's not the Republican Committee. It's not the Democratic Party. It is solely just about protecting private property rights, reaching across the aisle and making sure that we are doing the best interest that we can in um home ownership and entrepreneurial spirit. So business ownership as well. And um it's it's an amazing pack. It's one of the largest packs in the United States, honestly, and in the state of Florida. So they have some pretty good uh stuff. So one of the biggest things, and it's um always a hot issue, especially for our neighbors in beachside communities and stuff like that, is short-term rentals. Right. And at the end of the day, we have to feel for our members out there, so we could probably be a little bit more stronger, but also um knowing that our members are voisterous in their communities, and we appreciate that, right? But at the end of the day, it comes down to do you want the government telling you what you can do with your property? Right, right. So that's what we try to curtail. Doesn't get into social issues, we avoid social issues, it's solely about the um pri protecting the private property rights. Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

So you do you have a lot of people in the community that don't want short-term rentals, and then you probably have a lot of people that do.

SPEAKER_03 23:10

Yeah. So it's fine, it's striking the balance, right? Striking the balance of like, don't be egregious with your with your restrictions and things like that.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

And a lot of that's decided at the city level, right? Correct. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:19

So there's home rule. And then just um so a lot of that is going back to making friends in government. So a lot of that is uh getting to know that's why we're out in the community so much. Peggy, our government affairs director, you'll see her out quite often, is city council meetings, county commission meetings, and just getting to know the elected officials, letting them know we're here. What can we do to help reach across the line to make these initiatives robust for the communities, protect the integrity of the community and the fabric of the community? You know, Cocoa Beach is like near and dear to my heart. And they and I feel for them because their c their short-term rentals are, I guess, in their area. I know. Yeah, a little crazy, a little unhinged, and finding the right balance for restriction. And at the end of the day, code enforcement needs to do their job and people need to report, and that's what they need to do. And they're doing the things I think they're um starting to do things the right way, and that's good. Yeah. So but you gotta feel for those people who have to suffer, not suffer, but like live next to those neighbors that are having the party houses and doing those things. But at the end of the day, what's the difference between um 30 days and 31 days, right? So short-term rental is 30 days and under, 31 plus is generally considered a a regular rental. You could have a bad neighbor for a year versus a couple days renting a house, right? Very true. But yeah. That's true. Yeah, yeah. So that one's tough. That one's tough. But that's a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

But I do like the just the overall concept of just get the government out of making those decisions.

SPEAKER_03 24:42

One of the biggest wins for RPAC, and I think this was important for every business, including yours, was uh the elimination of business rent tax. So as a business, I don't know if people realize that you had to pay rent tax like on a lease if you didn't own your building. So they finally eliminated that last year. So that was an amazing feat that we kept shipping away at every year we went to Tallahassee. We were like, get this off, get this off the boat. Yeah, that was the realtor pack. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

My wife works for a small business and the owner was crazy whenever that went away.

SPEAKER_03 25:08

You know, we were the only state, I would I believe at that point we were the only state who had a business rent tax. So obviously we flourish in independent business, right? As the state of Florida, people were coming in droves, but that was one extra win that we could tout and say, this is great, this is a great thing, and then they were still able to pass a budget the way they needed to. And then the Hometown Heroes program. Yeah. It was so great you guys got rid of that. Right.

SPEAKER_00 25:33

So Do you guys are you guys hearing anything about the property tax possibly being lowered or the what is it, the ad valarum going away? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:44

I um I have to be honest, I don't I session ended.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

It didn't go. It didn't go. It didn't go.

SPEAKER_03 25:50

And uh they called a special session for the budget, which we anticipated. They may call back another special session to relook at that. I know uh Governor DeSantis is really passionate about that. Um, whether he tries to get that done within his tenure here because he's out at the end of his term ends at the end of this year, I believe. So um I know he's very passionate about it. So I would anticipate.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

I would think they would have to get it done before he's out. Yeah. Because he seems to be the only one carrying that torch.

SPEAKER_03 26:15

Yeah, there's a couple. I mean our representative Monique Miller um down in the south southern part of our county, she proposed a bill with the language, and they have to have matching bills in order for it to be heard and passed, I believe is what it is. So, like if the representatives pass the bill, the Senate has to have the companion and all the language has to jive in order for it to move forward. So that's no easy feat, and that's what they face and they face.

SPEAKER_00 26:38

There's a lot of challenges with that. I mean, because now you're taking a lot of tax dollar from the local communities, and so they're gonna have to make it up somehow.

SPEAKER_03 26:45

Yeah, I'd venture to say if you look at sales tax, it's probably where it's gonna be something.

SPEAKER_00 26:49

They're gonna get creative.

SPEAKER_03 26:50

They're gonna get creative. But at the end of the day, right? Like a budget's a budget. So do we just increase increase the budgets, increase fees, or do we look at where we're spending? Correct. Right?

SPEAKER_00 26:58

It's all about spending. Right.

SPEAKER_03 27:00

Right. And it's tight, you gotta feel for them.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

So Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:04

It's deaf.

SPEAKER_00 27:05

How many realtors are in Brevard County?

SPEAKER_03 27:07

Yeah, right now I think we're rushing we're pushing around 47,000, 4,800. Yeah, that's the real term members. We were in Brevard? Yeah. We were at about 5,000. Uh minus minus mina um small decrease. Good. National saw a decrease, state saw our state saw a decrease. We're anticipating it. We're facing a lot of retirement right now. Uh we just finished dues billing, so we're right around the number we anticipated with that. And then we also, so about 40, yeah, 4,800. We also have another 1,200 real uh members, participant subscribers that purchase our MLS service. So we call them MLS only members. So they probably hold their, well they do, they hold their realtor membership, say, in another realtor organization outside of Brevard County, and then they purchase the MLS service from us. So that's another 1,200 that we service. And then we have about 30 three no 375, 400 business partners. So all in all, we're servicing about 6,000 members.

SPEAKER_01 28:04

Goodness gracious.

SPEAKER_03 28:05

The team does an amazing job. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

How big is the team in Scar?

SPEAKER_03 28:09

So I think we're at about 13 right now. 13 to 14 is normally what we carry. So yeah. Yeah. It is, it is. We run lean. We run lean. But it's uh it's like the MO of uh at the end of the day, I don't know if people realize this, we're a not-for-profit, so we're a 501c6. So we're not there, we're there for the members, right? And it's just organized just like a chamber and anything like that. So we're there for the members as full source.

SPEAKER_00 28:32

So you have that many members. But one of the things I think about is it is it kind of like that 80-20 rule where like 20 percent do 80 percent of the business or something like that?

SPEAKER_03 28:42

So I'd say about 10 percent of the members volunteer. So whether that's committee work or some some kind of thing, and then I'd say about 20 percent, yeah. Like that, yeah. And then um, but it's it's crazy, right? Because you have 4,900 people, but how many people are actually doing the business? Correct. I don't know if I want to say it that way, but you know what I'm saying? Like, yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 29:02

So No, I feel like there's a lot of people that maybe have the license to sell a house, you know, a couple houses.

SPEAKER_03 29:10

But I I even when I was doing education, one of the biggest things I tell people is do not ever let your license go. Like you poured all that work into it. No matter what you do, always pay your licensing fees and always keep up with your continuing education. So we'll always see members at some point in time come through the education department, right? Renewing their license, doing the GRI program, doing these things just to keep up with their post-licensing and their continuing ed.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

Yeah. Do you think real estate as it continues to move forward, you know, with technology and just there's a lot of things kind of attacking the real estate community, whether it's like tech companies like Azillo or you know whoever else is out there. Um, is there a fear within like the realtor associations of like Zillow and some of that and the way that they're advertising, you know, houses and stuff?

SPEAKER_03 30:02

So I'm gonna preface this just because I live in an antitrust world. So I think Zillow is a member, so like all of our members we treat the same. But um so I call them national portals at this point in time, right? Even though they're members, they've received the same IDX feed, so the same syndication as a normal member, as a everyday member, every member has. Um the portals are always noisy, right? There's always disruption in the industry. There's disruption right now. There was disruption in 2013 with the old models of what the portals were doing. Um it's a bit noisier right now than it has been year over year outside of the settlement stuff. But um I think our members and our industry is very resilient, and I think they pivot, and we just want to do at the end of the day, the best thing for our members, the realtors, and what's their job is to secure the American dream of homeownership, right? So all that we can do is just make sure that they have the right tools, products, and services to ensure that that transaction happens and that they're there at the table, making sure that happens that the realtor remains in the transaction. And I think no matter what the noise is the noise, but at the end of the day, even those tech companies or anything like that still think that the realtor is very important in the transaction. I don't know in our lifetime if we'll see the realtor go out of the transaction.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

No, I I can't imagine it.

SPEAKER_03 31:17

I think people still want to work with people. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

I think there is probably across the industry, like there has been in recent years an attack kind of on commissions.

SPEAKER_03 31:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:28

The structures and the structures and the in the way that with technology growth, you know, I feel like there's just so many ways to advertise your house now, right? And there's just a lot of competition.

SPEAKER_03 31:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

Um but having, you know, like a buyer is always going to need some representation. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_03 31:46

Correct. If a buyer goes it alone, could you imagine, just like we talked about earlier, if we go it alone, you're on an island. How do you know that's the biggest financial purchase of your life, right? And you need a professional to make that happen. And I'd say one step further, you need a realtor to make that happen. They abide by the code of ethics, they have certain standards, and they have access to the tools that you need to make that transaction happen. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01 32:10

You think a realtor is equally as important on the selling side, correct? Correct. Yeah. I mean, to list your house, do it the right way, you know, advice on how to list it.

SPEAKER_03 32:18

I mean, there's always those nuanced cases for um, you know, in in in government and especially in Florida, we l we allow every business model to flourish, right? That's their right. Um, there was just an article the other day about how somebody was listing their house with ChatGPT. They went through all the instructions like through OpenAI and was like, help me list this house. Now, don't get me wrong, ChatGPT did say go contact your realtor or whatever, get it listed in the multiple listing service. The m the local marketplace is going to give you the best exposure. So at the end of the day, I think he listed it on his own and left money on the table because had the comparable analysis been done and all of those things, probably would have made more money. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

At the at the end.

SPEAKER_03 32:57

Yeah, but there's like the nuanced case of saying, right? Um, those what is it? Um I think open door, one of those companies where it was just like you just kind of flat feed buy because you need to get out of your house right away, you're moving or something like that. There's always a nuanced case for any business model. Yeah. And they should write they should have the right to flourish. Yeah. Yeah. So everybody has a way that they need to sell their house, whether it's right now, whether they wait, but you know. Oh, I'm glad ChatGPT is on your side. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:22

I mean, really at the end of the day with any business competition, it's good. Yeah. You know, it keeps everybody on their toes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:27

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 33:28

No, you know.

SPEAKER_03 33:28

And we're in in our industry, in your industry, probably the same collaborative competition. Yeah. Every there's there's space for everybody. Yeah, competition is great for everybody. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:37

I wouldn't even see it as competition. There's enough meat on the boat for the other thing.

SPEAKER_03 33:39

Yeah, but there's plenty of business for everybody. Correct. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:42

So let's get real. If we didn't have competition, we probably wouldn't be doing this podcast. We wouldn't be doing a lot of things. We'd be like sitting back watching all the money pour in, right?

SPEAKER_01 33:52

Now, does that mean we want people to go elsewhere? No. Competition keeps us on the toes, for sure. Absolutely. Is there anything exciting about Brevard Real Estate scar-wise or just the real estate market in general that you see on the horizon?

SPEAKER_03 34:05

I'm trying to think. Everything.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

Everything?

SPEAKER_03 34:08

Yeah. Okay. No, I mean I think the Fed uh I would imagine in your seat, like every day.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

There's just so much noise in your business constantly. No matter what year it is, what time it is. I mean, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 30 years ago. You know what I mean? Like there's just always been noise in this industry.

SPEAKER_03 34:29

You know what? Honestly, the disruption looks the same. It just has a different name to it. The challenges we have are the same challenges we had 10, 20 years ago. It just has a different spin to it, right? Oh yeah. So I was pulling, we're really um tuning into broker engagement right now and doing broker roundtables and just keeping the momentum going with our brokers because at the end of the day, they're the business owner, right? And then the members belong, the subscribers or the agents belong to them. So we're really doubling down on broker engagement right now. So we've been having having broker roundtables, and I was pulling up some ones from like 2019, 2013, and looking at the topics of what we were doing on those agendas, the questions are the same questions. What keeps you up at night? Right? And the answers are always the answers, the portals. What is in what does the real estate industry look like? Um commissions are always negotiable. I think the settlement was something that was like a little um unsettling for people. I think it's shaking out right now. And I think honestly, I would hope to think it's doing its best interest. Um maybe some people might be working with the list agent more than they have before, but I still think that in the best interest of the seller and the buyer, our members and realtors are doing the right thing.

SPEAKER_00 35:41

Yeah. Yeah, no, I mean so like right now, one of the biggest changes and challenges for like the buyer, right, is now you have to sign an agreement with the buyer agent. Is that right? Yeah. Again, I know enough to be dangerous. So and that's something different. But buyer agreements were there before, right?

SPEAKER_03 36:02

There's always been a tool available. Um I want to say it was really like way back when real estate, probably in the early 90s, maybe even before then. I want to say in Florida, they were required. In Connecticut, they're required. So some of those states that had required buyer broker agreements already in place had a not an advantage, but we're already used to doing it. Um I wanna maybe they weren't required, but they were more common practice for the buyer's agents to be getting them because at the end of the day, you're committing with your buyer, right? And our state of Florida, our Florida Association has done an amazing job of providing every nuance buyer agreement that our members could need a showing agreement, which is like a one-time showing, maybe. So I was like equating it to dating, right? Like you're just gonna go get a cup of coffee, maybe we're gonna go on a couple more dates. Okay, now we're gonna really date and then we're gonna commit, we're gonna marry. And that's the exclusive buyer representation agreement, right? You know what I'm saying? But like there's like a show. So they made sure, just like what we should be doing, is making sure that the members have every tool possible to get to the table and get to the closing.

SPEAKER_02 37:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:08

Yeah. But I think that they probably face a little bit of, I don't know, I don't wouldn't say pushback. I think if they're having those conversations with the buyers, it might make sense. But I could imagine as a buyer, that seems a little crazy. Like not crazy, but like, do I need to be signing this? Yeah. Am I committing a lot of things right now? You know?

SPEAKER_00 37:24

Yeah, you might even be unsure what you're gonna buy, if you're gonna buy. And then you know you're scared to make that commitment because you might be on the hook for some money right if it doesn't work out. So is that being enforced, though? I mean, like if I'm a buyer and I sign something with a realtor and I change my mind or end up not buying, maybe you showed me 10 houses.

SPEAKER_03 37:45

Right.

SPEAKER_00 37:46

Like, is that being enforced?

SPEAKER_03 37:48

I think it depends on what the agreement is and what it says. Um I know for us, like our rule is if it's reported that you're working with a buyer without an agreement, then we have the right to contact the buyer's agent and say, show us your agreement. An agreement has never not been produced. So I can tell you that.

SPEAKER_02 38:03

Yeah. That's good news.

SPEAKER_03 38:05

Yeah. But and then you know, the hard part is it's like you're only not going to get paid one time. You're gonna learn a long lesson, a tough lesson, right? So I think they're doing what's in the best interest. And again, that goes back into that broker outreach, reaching out to our brokers, making sure that they understand the tools that are available. Because at the end of the day, they have the agents coming to them for the questions, looking to them for the support. Yeah. So leaning heavy into the broker model, I think is into the broker load and just saying, you know, we're here for you, and what is it that you need from us?

SPEAKER_01 38:31

Yeah, because the agent's only as good as what the broker teaches them. Of course. Yeah. Got it. You are looking at it. We're only as good as you see. So either. Yeah. So no bad habits. I have a lot of those.

SPEAKER_04 38:46

You do? I don't get you uh yeah, yeah. You do have bad habits.

SPEAKER_01 38:51

They're just processing stuff.

SPEAKER_04 38:54

That's exactly what it is.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

I do I do think the the NARS settlement created just a lot, I mean an insane amount of commotion. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_03 39:01

It did. It would create a ton of noise.

SPEAKER_00 39:03

And there was so much confusion around it. And I still think there is a lot of confusion. There is. I think from the consumer standpoint, the consumer doesn't really understand.

SPEAKER_03 39:10

That's probably where the mass confusion is, right? I think the members are getting have have gotten it. I think um the consumers are a bit confused. I think, especially if they're moving from a different area, um if they're working with a real estate professional versus a real tour. So that's a little bit different for them, right? Because they're not required to have these forms. So you almost want to just say, like, make the form required at the state level so that everybody's on the same playing field. But again, Florida is very much into letting business flourish and not putting restrictions, which I also believe in. So just I think those conversations, having those c fluid conversations with the buyers and your sellers with the listing agreement, there's multiple different ways now. But I'm still gonna lean into I think Florida was doing it right. Our contracts, our listing agreements spelled out exactly what the what the list agent was doing, what was being paid at the table on both sides. So I think we in that manner were doing it right. But when you look at what took place, it was national. It was a national lawsuit, and it stemmed in, I think it was Missouri. So like maybe they had different forms that didn't look the same as ours.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

Got it. So I I mean I think at the end of the day, everybody just is trying to do right by the consumer. Right. Right. And trying to protect their interests. Hopefully. And and protect the realtor, right?

SPEAKER_03 40:24

And protect themselves, because I I I said it many times during the settlement era was you know, when we were going through it, is at the end of the day, as a professional, you deserve to be paid. That's the buy side and the sell side. You don't do it. Nobody works for free. Nobody works for free. They deserve to be paid and it be paid appropriately towards their work.

SPEAKER_00 40:43

Absolutely. One of the issues that we've been talking about on the podcast recently with some realtors and everything is affordability. Yeah. What are your thoughts on that? And and like it's a challenge. If you're a first-time homebuyer right now, or if you're a young person looking to buy a house, it is quite the challenge.

SPEAKER_03 40:57

So I was just looking at the pricing and uh for February, a closeout. I want to say it moved down just a tick, but um year over year, the median price is now$370 in Bernard County.

SPEAKER_02 41:06

Is it?

SPEAKER_03 41:07

Yeah. It was$378, I think it was in the 2020, what are we, 25 February 25. So we always do year over year comparison for the months. Um that's that's pretty high. That's pretty steep in when wages are not what you know comparable to that. Um, so I think we're we're facing inflation, obviously. We're a little insulated this go-round, right? Remember the 2008, 2009, 2010 days where the market was not great, right? Foreclosures were high. Everybody could buy a house, but if for us, and if you recall, like we couldn't find a job.

SPEAKER_02 41:38

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_03 41:39

My first house was a short sale. I got mine was a short short sale. Really got really good deal. The government got creative and put those um, what is it, the tax credits? Remember, you were getting like$7,500 back or whatever. That was a tax credit. You wasn't so I think you had to stay in your house for three years or something like that. But um, so I think there's some creative creativity in the model, right? But you have the um you know what kind of equity you have in your house? No, no, yeah, for sure. So that's right, that's the best part about homeownership is you're gener you're building generational wealth, generational equity. Oh gosh, yeah. It's gonna help get my childhood college.

SPEAKER_01 42:11

Don't understand that. Even you say the words they don't know.

SPEAKER_03 42:14

But also that that has changed, right? So, like for us, we were buying houses, we were buying short sales, we knew they needed work. I think the expectation now is you're getting your dream home off the rip, and that's not the case, right? Like everybody has to start somewhere.

SPEAKER_02 42:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:29

Everybody starts somewhere. So get the starter home. I would love to see our local municipalities redo zoning to allow, but I get it, because like not in my backyard, right? But not that NIMBY attitude, but like put the three ones in, put the three one and a half with a carport in. I think it's minimum like three, two with a two-car, one-car garage. So, like back in the day in the 60s and 70s, you look at these older houses in Merritt Island, in Melbourne, and things like that.

SPEAKER_00 42:54

They were like rectangles with a Jack and Jill bathroom, two bedrooms, and a couple of things. A carport, yeah. And a carport, right?

SPEAKER_03 43:00

Affordable. That's an affordable build. It's you know, building is not affordable right now. And then think about every process that has to go through it. So, what can we do? You see a lot of apartments coming up. I think that's gonna curtail a lot of the rental market and probably um lower that a little bit. Um, and just, you know, supply and demand at the end of the day. So we're uh what I was saying is like we're a little bit more insulated this go-around because uh we still have tons of jobs coming in. Every day you get the EDC is announcing 200 jobs here, 1,000 jobs here, what have you. So tech is here, and they're in-person jobs, right? They're not remote jobs. We need manufacturers, we need the technicians out at the Space Center. We have the DOD, the Department of Defense jobs with Northrop and with L3 Harris, and they have to be here to do those jobs. So that's housing, right? So I think our housing market is still gonna be a little bit more on the upper side of the scale than it would be on the lower side. It's leveling out. We're at, I think, 3.9 months of inventory, maybe four months. So a healthy market, right? An even Market is six months of inventory.

SPEAKER_00 44:01

Yeah, this market has been crazy resilient. Yeah. Like I just I really thought a couple years ago, like we were getting ready to, you know, come into Yeah, you hear the noise, right?

SPEAKER_03 44:10

And it's a little scary coming from the days of like what we call the Great Recession and you saw houses, right? Correct. Living through that, you were kind of like, ah man, it feels a little bit like it makes you scary wanting to pull the trigger on a house when you see the market, like the pricing, and you're like, ooh, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 44:23

Yeah, but the economy's just been so resilient here. Like you said, I think it is the you know, the Space Center, all our tech jobs that are here. UmSantis has just done a great job.

SPEAKER_03 44:36

We were talking last night at one of the events we were at was uh COVID, right? And like we did the right I was it scary? Yeah, but did we do the right thing for the state? I think we did. We we flourished during that time and we just kept the momentum going and going and going.

SPEAKER_01 44:49

So that was a wild time.

SPEAKER_03 44:51

That was wild, unhid. Everybody was winning. Yeah, everybody was winning. It was a win-win win.

SPEAKER_01 44:59

She's like, you know, two months old, right? Three, four months old. I had my I was remoting into the uh computer here because we had um towers. Yeah, we didn't have laptop. Right. So I was using like Google Remote Desktop because I didn't bring my computer home because it just worked for me. Right. We were working from home, that was for months or whatever. And then I thought housing would go away. Yeah, it did not.

SPEAKER_03 45:19

Uh-uh.

SPEAKER_01 45:19

If anything, we got busier.

SPEAKER_00 45:21

No, we were busier during that time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:22

I remember one time somebody was.

SPEAKER_00 45:24

What people didn't think about at that time was people were sitting in their house all day and going, like, I hate this freaking house.

SPEAKER_03 45:29

Let me exactly book and lose on the internet. Like, what do I do? Hopefully, they were going to spacecrest MLS.com searching.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

If we're getting stuck in the house, we need something better. Yeah. And so I never thought of that. That's really what drove it.

SPEAKER_04 45:43

They were always in part of BNI in the city. Yeah, it was one of the realtors we're talking about.

SPEAKER_03 45:48

Yeah. And you know, we felt for our members because they still needed engagement. They needed people to lean to, they needed to talk and not be in a silo because that was a scary time if you were alone, right? Um, but I remember one of somebody came in one day, probably a couple years ago, and they were like, Man, during COVID, you guys must have been so dead. I said, Really? I said, Were you guys busy? They're like, Yeah. And I said, Well, if you're busy, we're busy. Right? Like, we're still providing services. We pivoted, we put a lockbox on the door, we opened up our lobby for members to come pick up store sales and do whatever they needed to do to still keep their business to flourish. Like, those are the innovative things that our members at the table really think about.

SPEAKER_00 46:26

Yeah, I mean, that year, 2020, was one of our better years. Yeah. And it's because we just had so many people moving from other states here, you know, because we were more open. And yeah, I mean, we really like honestly, we were kind of, I think, showing the right way to do it.

SPEAKER_03 46:46

Yeah, I do, I agree, especially looking back at it, right? And seeing how our economy has flourished and others are still going through it. I think it's California still facing trying to get people out of houses who haven't paid, right? Because they had the ad eviction moratorium on there. So that uh talk about the pack, they were essential. Using the word essential, they were key, they were key in making sure real estate was an essential service during that time. Um Margie Grant, the CEO of Florida Realtors, and I for I think it was Barry Grooms who was the president at the time, were having uh conversations with the governor, having conversations with the Department of Health, and making sure that our members who were still able to go out and do business and do it the right way in a safe way.

SPEAKER_00 47:27

All right, is all the SCAR people you guys are know remote, or is it any do you guys? No, we are we are fully in office.

SPEAKER_03 47:33

Um at the end of the day, if you really look at what we do, we service members. So we think it's like a customer service, like a storefront kind of thing, right? We have our members have to be able to come in and talk to who they need to talk to. Yeah. We'll have a nuance case every once in a while, and I fully believe that family comes first. So if uh you know somebody's going through something or anything like that, that we'll make sure that they have the time needed to do what they need to do. And then back to business.

SPEAKER_00 47:54

Yeah, absolutely. So I mean so for here, we've always been in an office place. You know, during COVID, we were out for I think two months. I wasn't. Yeah. Yeah. Some people couldn't handle like a lot of people.

SPEAKER_03 48:04

I couldn't I couldn't either. I was like, I think it was two weeks. Two weeks, yeah. I was like that mandatory time that they were like stay-at-home, shelter in place kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 48:12

I've always just believed in us being together in office.

SPEAKER_03 48:15

Camaraderie.

SPEAKER_00 48:15

It creates a better culture and camaraderie.

SPEAKER_03 48:17

Like communication.

SPEAKER_00 48:18

Communication is so much easier. I mean, we can just yell over the wall and you know, get our answer immediately.

SPEAKER_04 48:26

Jason's like, you can call me.

SPEAKER_01 48:29

I know. I know. Everybody just walks to my office. I'm like, just call me. Right?

SPEAKER_04 48:33

Well, we sit on our butts all you wouldn't get up for the wall.

SPEAKER_01 48:36

Hey, I'm not complaining. Y'all do what you need to do. I was watching a podcast video.

SPEAKER_03 48:40

No, it wasn't a podcast. It was you guys one of your videos because I was doing my research this morning. He's got a kettlebell in his office.

SPEAKER_01 48:46

I do. Yeah, you saw me when I was laying in. Yeah. Oh yeah. You'll see me. I'll be on the phone. I have the kettlebell. Just for show. Right? Yeah. Totally show.

SPEAKER_03 48:56

You still doing CrossFit? You were doing that for a while, weren't you?

SPEAKER_01 48:58

Yeah, I haven't been to a gym a long time. I've got a pretty nice home gym in my garage.

SPEAKER_03 49:02

Nice.

SPEAKER_01 49:02

Yeah, we just built a gym at that.

SPEAKER_03 49:03

Did you?

SPEAKER_00 49:04

Yeah. I actually worked out a little bit last night. I'm trying to get better.

SPEAKER_03 49:07

I just have the motivation to do it.

SPEAKER_00 49:09

My kids are out there every night trying to make me look bad.

SPEAKER_03 49:12

That's important, though. I think that's really important to show them.

SPEAKER_00 49:14

I still bench more than them. So you tell them, I'll show up.

SPEAKER_04 49:18

I'm taking a few months off. My daughter works out every single day. She still tries. I'm like, yeah, I can't.

SPEAKER_01 49:22

My daughter's still after school activities Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, so it kind of makes it difficult during the week. Weekends, I'm like, I ain't going out there.

SPEAKER_03 49:30

Yeah. You know. I think it's hard for me is finding a balance to do it because like I've I'm gone at least once a month. So it's like uh and and then I'm like, do I go to the hotel gym where like you know, twelve hundred of my favorite realtor friends are there?

SPEAKER_01 49:42

Yeah, I mean, I guess, yeah. I think about it for like two hours, like, oh, it's too late now, I don't have to go.

SPEAKER_03 49:46

That's the thing, like, you know, and I'm a late night girly, so I'm not an early riser.

SPEAKER_00 49:50

Same. Same, same. I think for me, like I just really wanted to build something at the house because I I truly think I'm gonna use it way more than like if I have to go to a gym, check in, bring my stuff, you know what I mean? The whole like rigamarrow, and then you end up talking to everybody, don't get anything done. You know, when I'm at the house, I just go in there for 30 minutes, I get it done. Yeah done and get it done. But also, like, I guess maybe being in the business that we're in, you know, we're just surrounded by people all the time and talking to so many people and always constantly I don't want to say putting the face on that's kind of sad and it's real. You know what I mean? I'm not like some fake person or something. No, but like but you're turned on, that's what I say. Like Yeah, but like I'm almost more of an introvert, so like I don't really want to go to a gym and have all those conversations because I do that all the time. That's what I say all the time.

SPEAKER_03 50:37

It's like I don't think people are realize, like I am actually such an introvert, but for work I have to turn it on. So like I'm out. But then I'll never forget. Like we go to conferences and sometimes that stuff's exhausting. Yeah. So like you know, you're at a conference, you're 13, 15 hours with members, right? And that's not bad. Like, I love it. But we're talking and everything like that. I come home, I've got to recharge. I'm like, I don't want to do small talk with anybody, you know, because it's always like the hey, how are you? With your with your everyday members, you connect and engage more. Obviously, you have the better relationships and more personable relationships, so you're having deeper conversations, which is obviously more stimulating, but like it's exhausting. No, it is. Yeah, so just having that time to recharge, reset, and then go back and do it again.

SPEAKER_00 51:15

So, what are you doing for fun?

SPEAKER_03 51:17

I just I like to enjoy the waterways, you know. I like to go to the beach, go out on the boat quite a bit, do those things, and then you know, vacation. Yeah. Bird island's always a fun time. Always a fun time.

SPEAKER_04 51:29

So crowded, gosh. Yeah. Back in the day it was Ski Island, though. It was ski island. Yeah, that's instead.

SPEAKER_01 51:36

We were young, yeah, it was ski island. Skiel. Right there by the bar um by the locks. Yeah, and it was the place. There was tons of boats wrapped around. Right. Now one or two storms blew through, it literally just blew away.

SPEAKER_03 51:47

Yeah, it's like a tree. Yeah, it literally blew all the sand away. Memorial weekend. You do have like three lines of boats all tied up and everything.

SPEAKER_00 51:53

I remember when I was a kid, we had a party on Ski Island, and I ended up leaving. But that night, like all our friends had to get rescued by the Coast Guard. They were all like stranded on the island.

SPEAKER_02 52:08

Right?

SPEAKER_03 52:09

Right?

unknown 52:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:11

But I remember that being on the news. Yeah. Everybody getting on the book.

SPEAKER_03 52:14

Bird Island's a fun time. That's like we how blessed are we to live in this amazing community? We have so much to do.

SPEAKER_01 52:20

We really do. Right. It feels like such a small town. Yeah. But it's not. Right, it is huge. Well, you just get that small town between you know Cocoa Beach, kind of Melbourne Suntree, even Titusville, Cocoa, Port St. John, Rockledge, like all that is. Always. Yeah, but everybody kind of knows everything. Yeah, that's still that's really weird.

SPEAKER_00 52:39

No, I I love that. Yeah, no, I 100% agree. Like growing up here, it was a much smaller community when I was growing up.

SPEAKER_02 52:46

Right.

SPEAKER_00 52:47

But even over the years, like, it's just I don't know, like especially in Merritt Island. Yeah. That's where I live. I don't know if it's because you're on an island or what it is, but like that community does stay pretty connected. Yeah. Like even if you like if you grew up there and you went to high school there and all that, like, there's something special about it being an island. Like people don't really love going over the bridge or something.

SPEAKER_03 53:10

It's just the same thing though.

SPEAKER_04 53:10

Like right now, I grew up at high school in Cocoa Beach, and it was like, we're not crossing the bridge. Well, now I'm like in Rockledge, I'm like, I'm not crossing the bridge right over there.

unknown 53:18

Right.

SPEAKER_03 53:19

Yeah, I don't want to go.

SPEAKER_04 53:20

Yeah. You come to me. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 53:23

But this, I mean, this county is growing fast. It is. Like, I don't know what the numbers are, but I just know driving around, it is unbelievable.

SPEAKER_03 53:30

It's like 630, 660,000 residents. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:35

It's growing really fast. Just getting around town is is a lot harder than it's ever been.

SPEAKER_03 53:39

So it's making sure that we're growing the county in the right way infrastructurally, right? Like, make sure we're doing it the right way and smart and protecting, still protecting our waterways, our environment. And I think our local elected officials, both local, state, and federally, I think they're very passionate about that, making sure that our community still has the right to flourish and still have the, you know, the St. John's waterway, we have the Indian River Lagoon, and we have the beaches and just like. Yeah. Oh, yeah. And we're still to this day, like you think the affordability, right? Yeah. We're still one of the most affordable beach towns.

SPEAKER_00 54:14

Which blows me away because this place is pretty amazing. Right. You know, when you go travel around it. No, seriously. I mean, you go to like South Florida and you see the congestion and all that.

SPEAKER_03 54:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:25

And then you even like north of us, you know, you start getting up into that Jax area. It's like we're right in the middle, and it's almost like we were forgotten or something.

SPEAKER_02 54:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:33

But I always say we're like the best kept secret, but the secret's getting out for sure. Because like some like especially now with the space center just being absolutely. Well, and then like the launches, right?

SPEAKER_03 54:43

So talk about the launch days. It just reminds me of the shuttle days when everybody used to come in. I remember being in Cocoa Beach growing up, and like everybody came in to watch the shuttle launches, and there'd be like tourists everywhere. You'd hit the hotel pools and stuff like that, and there'd just be like people left and right.

SPEAKER_00 54:57

I was like 30 minutes late picking up my son the other day. That is excuse me. It was after the launch, and everybody leaving work was just it gets bottlenecked there at that bridge. They've been trying to figure that out for years. There's nothing they can do.

SPEAKER_03 55:16

Kyle wants to buy in North Mared Island. I'm like, no way, man. I know.

SPEAKER_01 55:19

If you have anywhere to go south between 445, 430, and 6 30, good luck. Yeah. We had somebody back out of a deal uh house in our neighborhood, which is right near him. Just because of the North Mared Island now? Yeah, I'm in Eagles Lane. Okay. Yeah. So they were leaving the the like a walkthrough. Yeah. Not final, but one of the walkthroughs. And they just happened to do it at the end of the day. Right. They left the walking. They sent her traffic. Saw the traffic. They pulled the contract.

SPEAKER_04 55:46

Wow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:47

That was like an$800,000 purchase. They were buying it cash. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:50

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:51

But the people selling, they were like panicking because they had already under contract with the new house. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:55

We camp out at Carr's Park for Easter weekend, so we go out there, right? So you know, it's like pretty home. But like when you forget something, that sucks. Like you guys need a target. Like, I mean, I know target's there.

SPEAKER_01 56:05

Just text me, I'll come down and bring it in the golf cart.

SPEAKER_00 56:07

During COVID, when we had the camper, we used to stay at Carspark all the time. So you can get the spot right on the river at 20 bucks a night.

SPEAKER_03 56:13

Yeah, such a that's the best that's the best kept secret. Not anymore, right?

SPEAKER_02 56:18

Yeah, not anymore. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:20

But uh well, you gotta you gotta know somebody there, right? You either gotta work. Or work there something some kind of badge or something like that. Yeah. I had a family badge or I don't know what they call it. Like if you have a family member there, they can get you a badge for like a hundred bucks or something.

SPEAKER_03 56:33

Yeah, I think of PASS or something.

SPEAKER_00 56:34

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 56:35

Really cool area though. Again, such a cool like we have such a lot of things.

SPEAKER_00 56:39

We're surrounded by water, great restaurants. Right. I mean, really, it's it's a pretty awesome place.

SPEAKER_03 56:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:46

I agree. You know, and I think that's why a lot of people stay. Yeah. You know, not a lot of people like grew up here and leave or come back. That's what I was saying.

SPEAKER_03 56:53

We were talking right before this, and I said uh Linda Weatherman with the EDC when they were doing that study for the launching Florida Space Coast branding, they were doing a study and they talked about the boomerang community and how many of our members or how many of our um constituents and people who live here residents that left that came here you lived here, did education somewhere else and then came back because they wanted to raise their families here. And now we're having the jobs to help support that, you know, to be able to get these tech jobs where people really need the can flourish.

SPEAKER_00 57:20

So I love to see it.

SPEAKER_03 57:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 57:22

I I'm a person like I love progress, I love LeGros. Yeah. You know, there's a lot of people, like especially up in North Marion Island, that are like, don't build here, don't do that. You know, they're fighting it all the time. And honestly, I like it. I think if they do it the right way, what's wrong? Right?

SPEAKER_03 57:34

If they do it the right way, what's wrong with it?

SPEAKER_01 57:36

I don't mind a little traffic. Like, of course, in the moment, sometimes it gets a little frustrating. In the grand scheme of thing, what's an extra 20 minutes? Right. You know, I just don't want to. First world problems.

SPEAKER_00 57:48

We need some better infrastructure. You know, there's some flood issues in our area, but um but yeah, no, I'm all for the growth. Yeah, I agree. Keep bringing it.

SPEAKER_03 57:57

I don't think it's gonna slow down.

SPEAKER_00 57:58

No, no, no. We can ensure them, keep building. That's right. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Um That's been great. Yeah. Thanks for coming in. Yeah. Anything you want to touch on? Anything else?

SPEAKER_03 58:11

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 58:12

No? You good? Get me out of here.

SPEAKER_02 58:16

This has been fun. Yeah, this has been fun. Yeah, great. You know, we're like, I know.

SPEAKER_01 58:22

Oh, tonight's a big deal? Yeah, they're supposed to come out. 750. I saw it, yeah. Yeah, big deal.

SPEAKER_04 58:27

Yeah. Do you think people are gonna be out there?

SPEAKER_01 58:29

Oh, like watching San Diego, right? Off the coast over there.

SPEAKER_03 58:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:34

No, I was watching the news this morning.

SPEAKER_03 58:35

I was watching something, how they're gonna like skip, so they're gonna come into the atmosphere and then bounce back out and then come back in. It's like a blackout type. Right to um reduce the is it the G force, the gravity.

SPEAKER_01 58:46

So they were coming in too um shallow before, and because of how fast they're coming in, 25,000 miles an hour, what it does the something with the atmosphere, it's like some plasma, it uh it ionizes and it creates a heat that's more it's more hot than the sun.

SPEAKER_02 59:02

True.

SPEAKER_01 59:03

And because it was burning for so long, it was messing with the tiles. So they're gonna have to come straight down.

SPEAKER_02 59:09

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 59:09

Or no, the old one, they were coming slower. Right. So now they have to come faster. It's 25,000 miles per high.

SPEAKER_03 59:14

What is that even equatable to? Like, could you imagine? So the G-force, is that what it's called? Like it's like three times their body weight or four times their body weight.

SPEAKER_01 59:23

They have to come from 25,000 miles an hour to 17 miles an hour in three minutes. I mean, the science behind it blows my mind. Right. So hopefully uh their science for the landing is right, or else hopefully not a catastrophe happens.

SPEAKER_00 59:38

And like living here on the Space Coast, it's so important that these things go well. Oh yeah. You know? Like from just like for our community, yeah. You know, it's honestly like it literally supports our community. It does. We had 400,000 visitors for the long.

SPEAKER_03 59:53

Isn't that wild?

SPEAKER_00 59:54

Insane.

SPEAKER_01 59:54

I miss those days. I know. Like I got emotional when the rocket was. I did too because actually I watched that I need it.

SPEAKER_03 59:59

I watched that I need it in. And uh I was out there and everybody was on the dock, and I was like, oh my god, and I just like shed a tear and I was like, this is humanity. Like this is we do really cool things in our area. Little town. Yeah, yeah. Really big things, small town with big, big ideas and big dreams. Yeah, it's super awesome. Where your dreams are. Yeah, no, it was super cool to see like I love lying. I love leaning into launch launch funds.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:22

Me and my me and my me and Diana and our youngest Callan, we w actually went down the road. We left our house. We're pretty close to the space center where where the house is, but we went down to the entrance of the space center and they had it all blocked off. You couldn't go too far. But there was cars lining the side, everybody standing on top of their cars. Like it was super cool. It felt like old space. That's what I'm saying, like the old treadmill days.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:42

It's like, you see the Pennersville Bridge? Yeah. Holy shut that thing down. Yeah, there were some cool photos of the But yeah, we're in the second space race and they're doing cool things.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:50

The coolest video I saw was people that were in airplanes. There was like commercial flights that were going on. How lucky were you to take off in the world?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:01

Imagine having a window seat for that.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:03

It was incredible. Some of the videos that came out of that were absolutely incredible.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:06

Middle seat people be crawling over. I need to see, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:09

If you didn't know what that like if you you weren't from here and you you were like, is that a freaking missile?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:17

Yeah. And then Blue Origins are about to launch theirs, I think, too.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:20

So yeah, that's incredible. Everything we got going on. Again, competition. Competition is good. Yeah, it is.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:25

Competition in space.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:26

I love space.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:27

Tyric likes to um take drives back there. Like, we'll just have one fluke Sunday and we'll just take drives back there and just like, you know, just take a look at it. It's so peaceful, too, like over there. But we'll go uh in that area. Just yeah, it's definitely a blessing. Even up in the refuge, like again, yeah, little secret.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:42

Well, probably not a secret, but the refuge is awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:45

Yeah. I agree.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:46

So untouched land.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:48

Well, thank you, Lindsay, very much for coming. Thank you. I know you're very busy, and uh we really, really appreciate you coming. It means a lot to us. I appreciate that. Thank you. And um yeah, thank you for doing what you do and for supporting us as business partners. Thank you guys for being busy.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:04

When's the children in Need Gala?

SPEAKER_03 1:02:06

September 25th. I count the days of that because we're gonna start selling tickets here soon. I think it will be on sale by June 1.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:12

Awesome, very cool, very cool. All right, well, let's get out of here. Appreciate it. Thank you. That's a wrap for this episode of the Studio 321 Podcast, powered by Frightwood, the Steve Trout Agency. We can't thank you enough for being part of our journey. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with a friend. Until next time, 321, we're out.