Think you know everything about how mortgages work? What about what Realtors actually do all day? Think again!

This is the final installment in our myths and misconceptions series, and we saved some good ones for last. We already tackled buyer myths and seller myths in previous episodes, and now we are wrapping it all up with the myths that surround lenders, loans, and agents.

We are kicking things off with a story about two very different lenders and why the one sending automated text messages is actually winning. (Spoiler: it has nothing to do with buying lunch.) Then we are diving into the mortgage myths that trip up buyers AND agents, from the belief that all lenders offer the same loans to the dangers of trusting online mortgage calculators.

On the agent side? We are busting wide open the idea that we "just open doors," that we are all the same, and that getting your license means you know what you are doing. (Ha!)

Whether you are a buyer trying to understand the process or an agent who needs some backup for the next time someone questions your value, this one is for you.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• Why not all lenders offer the same loan programs and how to find the right one for your client

• The importance of talking to a lender BEFORE you are ready to buy

• Why the interest rate is not the only thing you should be shopping

• What "par rate" means and why you need to understand fee worksheets

• The truth about pre-approval and rate locks (they do not last forever!)

• Why online mortgage calculators can be wildly inaccurate

• Do not buy furniture, a car, or anything else while waiting to close

• Can you really switch lenders mid-transaction? (Please do not.)

• Whether getting pre-approved actually hurts your credit

• Real estate agents do way more than just open doors

• The seller does not ALWAYS pay the agent's commission anymore

• Agents do not get paid by their broker (no salary, no hourly wage)

• Why getting your license is just the beginning, not the finish line

• Agents are not available 24/7 (and should not be!)

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

• "Be the voice for your people and educate them that there's rates and there's fees." Alissa

• "Anyone who knows the answers to everything immediately, you should be very leery of." Katy

• "We are not coming in to see if you can buy a house. We know you can't. We are coming in to see what three things you can do in the next 12 months to prepare." Alissa

• "However you are doing it, your client needs to understand how you are paid." Alissa

Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:

• Episode 345: Buyer Myths (hustlehumblypodcast.com)

• Episode 348: Seller Myths (hustlehumblypodcast.com)

• Episode 346: Desperate Agent Do's & Don'ts (hustlehumblypodcast.com)

• Seller Net Sheet + Buyer Cost Sheet (hustlehumblypodcast.com/netsheet)

• Hustle Humbly Community

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Is there a magical number when it comes to pricing a listing? No, not really. But there IS a way to walk into every listing appointment confident, prepared, and ready to have a real conversation about price with your sellers.

In this episode, we are finally tackling the how-to of pricing a listing. We have touched on it before, but today we are getting into the actual nuts and bolts of how we prep, what we bring, what we say, and how we guide sellers through one of the most important (and emotional) parts of the listing process.

We are sharing the exact questions we ask on that first call, how we prep our CMAs, the talking points we lean on every single time, and the framework that has never failed us: price, location, and condition. We also dig into the pricing pyramid, the buyer pool conversation, and why the data has to drive every decision, even when sellers want a number that the data just does not support.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• The questions we ask on the very first seller call

• How we prep before walking into a listing appointment

• Why we never give a price before we see the house in person

• How to use the CMA summary as a collaborative tool with sellers

• Why price per square foot is a guide, not a rule

• The three components of every listing: price, location, and condition

• The pricing pyramid and how it impacts your buyer pool

• What to say when sellers want a number the data does not support

• How to handle the "how did you come up with this price?" question

• Why pending and active listings matter as much as solds

• How to set up neighborhood searches to keep sellers engaged before they list

• How to talk about price reductions before they happen

• The detective work that sets you apart from every other agent

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

• "I am a data driven person. I come from a family of appraisers. I want the numbers to fit in a box." Alissa

• "I do not want you doing showings for 90 days. I want you to do it right for two weeks or less." Katy

• "When I list your house and another agent calls me to ask how I came up with that price, I need to be able to support it with data." Alissa

• "If we have no showings, it is the price. If we have lots of showings but no offers, it is the condition." Katy

• "There is no magic number. You have to do the work, and you have to be ready to adjust." Alissa

Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:

• Episode 97: How to Do a CMA (hustlehumblypodcast.com)

• Episode 144: Numbers to Know (hustlehumblypodcast.com)

• Episode 321: Pre-Listing Appraisal: Helpful or Hindering? (hustlehumblypodcast.com)

• Seller Net Sheet + Buyer Cost Sheet (hustlehumblypodcast.com/netsheet)

• Agent Systems 101

• Hustle Humbly Community

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you're toasting, and why! Email it to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

This is the follow up to our buyer myths episode, and y'all, sellers have some misconceptions of their own that we need to talk about.

We kick things off with a hilarious story about Alissa's seller who found the podcast, started listening to staging episodes while packing boxes, and voluntarily took down more decor than they even discussed. (If only every seller came with a built-in podcast habit, right?) This episode is a great one to share with your sellers, especially first timers who might need a little myth busting before they list.

From Zestimates and spring selling to price reductions and open houses, we're breaking down the biggest home selling myths that trip up sellers and agents all the time. Plus, we're sharing our individual top three myths and some real stories from the trenches.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• The Zestimate: how accurate is it really, and what Zillow's own data says about their error rates

• Why spring isn't automatically the best time to sell (and when winter buyers can actually work in your favor)

• Breaking even on a sale doesn't mean you lost money

• Your house doesn't have to be perfect to sell, but it does need to be clean & priced right

• Why longer days on market doesn't always mean something is wrong with the house

• The neighbor comparison trap and how to handle sellers fixated on what the house next door sold for

• Why a price reduction is not a failure (and why sitting on the market for three years IS)

• The truth about open houses and what they actually accomplish

• Why buyers almost never prefer an allowance over the work being done

• The danger of rejecting your first offer

• Why your listing agent can't just "bring the buyer"

Key Quotes & Takeaways:

• "If we had left that stinky carpet, they would not have been able to overlook the smell, and we would still be on the market." Alissa

• "Your first buyer is your buyer. They committed to putting it in writing and saying, I want to buy your house." Katy

• "This is the only person asking us to the dance right now. If you want to go to the dance, this is your opportunity." Alissa

• "A price change gives the message that you're not stuck." Katy

• "I'm not here to design your home. I am here to neutralize it to get the biggest buyer pool." Alissa

Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:

• Zillow Zestimate accuracy page (zillow.com/zestimate)

• Hustle Humbly Podcast episode categories (hustlehumblypodcast.com/categories)

• Hustle Humbly Community

Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you're toasting, and why! Email it to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly