Episode 1: Transcription

Steph:
Hey, y'all. What? No. Hey to you, Kristina. We're having a conversation.

Kristina:
This is our first episode.

Steph:
Welcome to the Open House Podcast, where women talk real estate. I'm Steph Douglass.

Kristina:
And I'm Kristina Modares. Welcome to our very first episode. We're going to talk about how we met, our journey, and how we got to where we are now.

Steph:
Yeah, but it's really hard to talk about real estate right now, with the state of the world being what it is. So, how are you feeling, Kristina?

Kristina:
It's okay. I feel like it's been a really heavy week. I mean, we kind of talked about this a little bit, with everything that's going on in our country right now, the police brutality and the killings. I don't know. It just has been just kind of a hard week, but I don't know. It made me also very excited to start this podcast, because I think we have an opportunity to talk to many different types of people in the real estate industry. I'm excited for that. How are you doing?

Steph:
Oh, my. Well, it's funny that you said all of that, and then you didn't even mention the pandemic. It's because we have forgotten about it, because so much other bad shit has been happening.

Kristina:
I know.

Steph:
So, that, it is very heavy, and I think amplified by the fact that we've all been cooped up in our houses for months.

Kristina:
Yeah, exactly. I know. I think it made both of us think about our business a little bit more. I mean, the whole point of doing this podcast is to talk from a different perspective, and to interview people from different perspectives in the real estate world. I think it's just this week is really making me think about that a little bit more.

Steph:
Definitely. Raising up voices who are historically underrepresented. Just from a real estate perspective, we always just hear from white men, middle aged to upper aged white men. Obviously, neither of us are women of color, but women are underrepresented in the real estate world. Then, going further than that, raising up black voices in our community, because black people have a really important part in the community of Austin, and in real estate.

Kristina:
For sure. I guess it's interesting. I'm from Atlanta and I was talking. My friends have been meeting. We're reading White Fragility right now. My mom is Polish and my dad is Iranian. Growing up, it was weird because we never talked about race. I don't know. I never saw myself as someone of color. I think now, talking back with my high school friends and talking through my experience at our very white high school, people said things to me that, now looking back, I'm like, those were racial slurs. I never realized that. Then, moving to Austin ... My passing whiteness is its own bubble. I don't experience that here in Austin as much, but, then, I am not a black woman. Now, looking at our city, we have a lot of work to do. We kind of look over a lot of different things.

Steph:
Yeah. The intersectionality of racism becomes really clear when you can pass as white, but also you experienced racism as a child.

Kristina:
I don't know. I think this is important to talk about. We'll get into more of our business in a bit, but I don't know. It's just been interesting, unpacking all that. We never talked about race in my family, but my dad is definitely Middle Eastern. I just want to go back and be like, wait. Can we talk about that now? I don't know. I'm like, I need to go back to therapy.

Steph:
Yeah, absolutely.

Kristina:
I'm excited to talk with you through everything and interview lots of other different people. I think we can get into how me and Steph met. I think we both were trying to find real estate information from all different angles. We were trying to find books and getting online. I think we first approached that website, BiggerPockets. Not trying to shit talk them or anything, but I just kind of got sick of hearing from the same person, the same voice, over and over and over again. I mean, I think we both got a lot of information from that resource at first, but then it was just like, this is not exactly what I'm looking for.

Steph:
Right. We weren't represented. BiggerPockets, I'll also shout out, because I really did learn a lot, but it is hard to hear people, over and over, say I have 150 doors. I have all these properties. It's not approachable. It's not accessible to the normal person. In my mind, I know this is not true, but everybody wants to be a real estate investor, everybody who talks to me. I mean, people who are talking to me are talking to me because they are interested in what I'm doing. I just think that everyone can be a real estate investor if they want to, but they're not hearing that. It just seems so overwhelming and unapproachable and hard to jump into. That's kind of why we started what we started, because we wanted to make it feel more approachable and easier to get started.

Kristina:
Exactly. I guess we can go into how I found Steph, and how we found each other. I was actually renovating a house that I bought with my sister in Austin.

Steph:
Where you are right now.

Kristina:
Yeah. Where I'm sitting right now. We've had a long journey together. I was trying to find, I think since moving to Austin and since getting into real estate, other women in Austin, just in general near me, that were into real estate. Obviously, I wasn't finding that on BiggerPockets. I was like, where else? I was like, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and started searching certain hashtags. That's when I clicked on a post. I think, Steph, you had posted about you and your mom.

Steph:
What was the hashtag? What hashtag brought us together?

Kristina:
I know. I don't know. I don't remember. I need to. I wish. I was trying to rack my brain today, but I don't remember. I do remember seeing you post about your mom and you renovating your house. I think, Steph, you're more handy than I am, so it was really inspiring to see you guys were ripping out cabinets and building things yourselves. I was like, who is this person? This is literally the woman I've been looking for.

Steph:
Yes. We were literally YouTube University over there. We didn't know what we were doing. I was looking for other women too, and kind of trying, too. There wasn't a world in which people cared about what I was doing on the internet. I remember thinking, maybe someday people will be interested in this. Then I was like, nah. I'll just post for my family. People were interested, and that was exciting to me. I was like, I am doing something that could inspire other people to follow in my footsteps. Then Kristina reached out, and she was doing the same thing.

Kristina:
Well, similar. I was painting while you were ripping out things.

Steph:
Also, it's so inspiring that you painted and put in floors, and your house is literally a different house. I tell people that all the time, because it isn't that hard to transform a space.

Kristina:
No. I mean, it does take some capital. I don't know. There's different resources you can use and find, where you can save up a certain amount. It can be obtainable. It doesn't have to be you need $100,000. I definitely didn't have that. I just got my real estate license. I don't know.

Steph:
2017?

Kristina:
Yeah. This was the second home that I had purchased. Let's stick to the story. I found Steph, and then we talked online for a while. I was asking her some questions. We were just going back and forth, and we decided to meet up. We talked. This was when I was single. I remember I was getting on Bumble and going on these horrible dates. I don't know. You know how it goes. You go and have a drink, and then you talk. So, Steph-

Steph:
Right away, you know it's not fun, and you have to count the minutes until it's over?

Kristina:
Yes. That was that period of my life. So, me and Steph going to Kinda Tropical. We talked for four hours. I was like, wow. This is the best date I've ever been on. Blind date.

Steph:
Truly, to this day. Sorry, Eric. No, just kidding.

Kristina:
Oh, my gosh.

Steph:
It was amazing. I just had never talked to anyone that was into real estate like I was, and had kind of realized how amazing it could be, and how transformative it could end up being. That was just so exciting. That's how it is when you find someone who you have so much in common with anyway. Then we were friends after that.

Kristina:
Wait, so that was summer 2017?

Steph:
Yeah.

Kristina:
Is that right?

Steph:
Yeah. We just became closer and closer. We had the same job, so we were both renovating and looking into buying more rentals. We were realtors, so it was very aligned.

Kristina:
Yeah. I think we both talked about how we didn't have any friends who were buying houses or into real estate, so it was really nice to connect with another female who was into real estate. What was your first impression of me?

Steph:
Well, I think at that point I had also just got my real estate license. I remember being like, she's also a realtor, so I couldn't turn you into a client. That was when I was very much in that mindset of everyone I meet.

Kristina:
That's funny.

Steph:
Now I feel like I'm not like that at all, very anti. I remember that. Then I think I was surprised at how cute. I don't know. That does sound like a blind date thing.

Kristina:
That does.

Steph:
Then, also very impressed, because you had already bought that property in San Antonio. You had bought a triplex. I was like, oh my God, a triplex. You were already doing it. I just had not talked to anyone who was already doing it. I had only listened to podcasts of people who I couldn't relate to at all. It was like, this is happening. What was your first impression of me?

Kristina:
I was just like, wow, this is badass that she's just tearing down walls and actually getting into it, because my experiences buying property, I am not a handy person. How I was able to buy properties before was partnering with friends who had W2 jobs and had more income. I was like, well, what do I contribute? I need to do more of the labor of renovating and stuff, so I think it was just inspiring to be like, I can do that. I can. I don't know. I just felt like you were really inspiring and I could learn a lot from you. I was like, I don't have a friend like this. It's exciting.

Steph:
Yeah. Then, also, to have the confidence to renovate a house, even though you aren't handy. I felt pretty confident. I had owned a house also before the house I was working on. I had false confidence. I didn't know what I didn't know. I was like, oh yeah. I've already owned a house. I'll be fine. You had your triplex, but you were just like, I'm going into this. You were basically a project manager. That's what it takes. That's really cool, because most people are like, I don't know anything. I don't know how to swing a hammer, so I don't think I can do it. You didn't know how to swing a hammer, and you did it anyway. Swinging a hammer is not. I mean, you can obviously do it.

Kristina:
I want to take an episode just to go over that San Antonio project, because it's hilarious looking back now. It's crazy what we were doing there.

Steph:
We had our first phase of real estate investing.

Kristina:
Oh my gosh. No money, sleeping in our cars, and trying to make it work.

Steph:
Oh my God.

Kristina:
It was interesting.

Steph:
Yes, many air mattresses amongst the dust of the construction. We will go much more into that. We finally decided to partner in business in 2018, right? So, I guess we've known each other for a little over a year.

Kristina:
Yeah. Yeah. I think yes. I think it was 2018, yeah. I know. This is how it happened in my head. I just remember I was always like, me and Steph could do big things together, I feel like. Steph was teaching also at the time, which was crazy. You were running a yoga studio that you had started. You were a teacher, and you were also killing it being a realtor. I was just like, wow. If we joined forces, I feel like we could just really empower a lot of people with education around real estate. I think you were thinking very similar things, like we could join forces in some way and do big things. I think it all started kind of with me being really fed up about working from home. I was trying. I needed an office, but it was so expensive to rent.

Steph:
To rent.

Kristina:
Yes, a commercial space in Austin. It was crazy. I was like, I don't want to spend $900 to $1,000 a month on this. I'll just work from coffee shops, but then it's distracting. As a realtor-

Steph:
Expensive.

Kristina:
You don't really need an office full time, so I was trying to justify it. I was like, maybe I could buy something. It was so expensive to buy any commercial property, but there was a spot in East Austin that had been on the market for a while. Really small space. I think I brought it up to you. This could be a good opportunity. You had seen it. You were like, oh. I actually saw this before.

Steph:
I went to it and showed it to a client, and saw the potential for sure. Both of us are pretty good at that, seeing potential. It was a little tiny yellow box. It was a rough looking property.

Kristina:
I think there's a long history behind that building. I think the lady who owned it had big plans for it. It's a weird property, so it's really limited in the uses. It's limited in what you can do with it. I think she just was kind of holding on to it. There was big potholes that people would drive through and mess up their bumpers. It was becoming a dumping site. There was a lot of trash there. It was just kind of a vacant spot for a while. Did we start with we will buy this building first?

Steph:
I think we're like, okay, we can buy this building, and then join our businesses. For me, looking at your business, you kept on telling me the little things that you were doing on the internet. I was like, oh my God. That's so smart. Then, obviously not being able to steal that idea, because you're already doing it. I wouldn't steal it. It was just like, that's really smart. She's got all these cool ways to connect with people online, while I was just kind of functioning off of having been in Austin for a really long time. It was kind of a perfect marriage of our skills, and we were helping really similar people. We were helping first time buyers. That's what excited both of us. We weren't interested in many other parts of the real estate world because, if we're honest, it's kind of a sketch. I don't know. Neither of us got along with many realtors. Obviously, we're just really similar, so it made sense for us to join forces. I don't think that we realized what we would turn into. We were like, we would have a space to come and work, which is why the small space worked for us. It was like, oh, yeah. It's just us two.

Kristina:
I think it started off like that, and very, very quickly, it was like, wait a second. I think we can do a lot with this. It's so crazy that we just were an alliance the whole time. Obviously we've had our little disagreements here and there. I wouldn't even call it disagreements, more of like-

Steph:
Just natural things that happen when you have a business.

Kristina:
Yeah, and partnering with someone. I had always wanted to partner with someone, and I had tried many different times. I think you have too.

Steph:
Yeah.

Kristina:
At the end, I was like, it's actually hard. It's super hard to partner with someone. It sounds like it would be easy, because-

Steph:
Maybe easier than being on your own.

Kristina:
Yeah, but then there's two different opinions. When we started working together, I was like, wow. Obviously, starting a business, it's not ever easy, but we're going to be aligned on a lot of things, and we're going to both push each other in good ways. It feels so right.

Steph:
Yes, absolutely. We're aligned in the right places, and we push each other in the right places, which is really hard. I think it is. And really rare. We've talked to many people in business, now that we're like, oh, we are a real business. I don't know that we thought that way last year.

Kristina:
No.

Steph:
We just were two realtors joining together. Now we're like, okay. We need to learn about business. Through learning, people have been really discouraging about a two owner, basically two founders, equal partners. We each have 50, 50 of the business. It wasn't a hopeful conversation every time. We're like, that's going to be problematic. We've had our disagreements. We've solved them, so it's been really cool. We launched June 1st, actually, of 2019. How long did we renovate the building?

Kristina:
So, we bought it when, December?

Steph:
Yeah, 2018.

Kristina:
2018. We have a whole blog. We'll actually link to it in the show notes. I think we-

Steph:
Four months?

Kristina:
I think it was four months. Yeah, it took us four months to renovate it. We had to close out some permits that were opened. Through the renovations, we also came up with a business plan. We came up with a name, Open House Austin. We were like, this is going to be an educational real estate company. We were also realtors. It was hard because we were making money through real estate. We also were project managing this construction project, and coming up with a business plan, and trying to find extra help, which we luckily found Celeste, our event manager right now. We are so lucky for that, honestly.

Steph:
Yes, so lucky. She fell into our laps. It's so lucky, because we are not the best hirers, I don't think.

Kristina:
No.

Steph:
In general.

Kristina:
We didn't even know where we were going. Whoever crossed our paths in that tornado of a year, I'm so sorry.

Steph:
Oh my gosh. That's such a good way to put it. We didn't know. We had no idea. Even when we did try to hire, it was like, for what?

Kristina:
What do we even need? What are we even doing?

Steph:
Yeah.

Kristina:
It was hard, too. I feel like that was the hardest thing about starting this business, doing 20 jobs, and also trying to create systems. I'm such a systems person. When I got my license, I didn't make money for six months, but I was spending so much time just coming up with certain systems for my business. I'm so happy I did it. I need that.

Steph:
We need it.

Kristina:
It was hard to do that.

Steph:
It's so good. Kristina is systems and I am not, so it's really nice. Beginning of our business was kind of a shit show, if I may. Then we launched, and we had so much love and joy from the community. I couldn't believe it. We were received with such open arms. I think it's because there's no one who focuses on buyer education. There's so much information on the internet. It's hard to piece it together. Buyers are kind of overlooked in the realtor world anyway. People want to work with sellers more, because they think it's less work. Especially first time buyers, it's where the gold is in this business, I think.

Kristina:
I know. I remember when I got my license. I really, really wanted to concentrate on first time buyers and educating people, because my experience buying my first house was so bad. I had a realtor who was just showing me around. She didn't try to get me pre-approved. She didn't even ask me qualifying questions. I didn't have a stable job. I had some money, but not enough. I couldn't even get approved, so I found a house and was not even able to make an offer on it. It was so soul crushing. I was just like, wait a second. There's got to be other ways to do this better, and why our launch was so successful, and people were so excited about it. We wanted to have a community. I think me and Steph thrive on that community aspect in our lives. It's so important to us, more than anything. We wanted to offer the space to people to rent for free. That was a really important aspect of our business is how can we be better, and we thought-

Steph:
Yeah, open the space to a nonprofit community, or just the community in general.

Kristina:
Unfortunately, we are not doing that right now, because of COVID. We worked so hard on getting that going, and then now we can't have events anymore. I mean, we're still doing virtual educational events.

Steph:
That education aspect, definitely it was a mixture of community and education. I think, in the past, or in a normal world, buying a house is kind of isolating. Obviously you have friends who have done it. Gathering all of that information, crowdsourcing, and making sure that you're well informed through the process is not as accessible as it should be. Even the community aspect, now that it's virtual. Learning about this process, and then after you've closed, we have a community of buyers. That's been so magical. It's so amazing to have a crowdsourced location to go and say, hey, I have a plumbing emergency. What do I do? 10 people will respond.

Kristina:
Exactly, because I think we both remember how it felt to buy that first property, and then be like, oh my gosh. Now what? Have I made the biggest mistake? It's scary. It's so scary. We just wanted to make sure that people feel like we haven't disappeared. There's still someone there that will walk you through the next stage. Even making your first home an investment. We want to make sure people know how to do that.

Steph:
My first house, the first thing that broke was the garbage disposal. It paralyzed me. Now, I could put together a garbage disposal in 30 minutes right now. It's really nice that we have a whole community, because it's hard for us to put ourselves back in that mindset. Having everybody there being like, actually, it is really hard to put in a garbage disposal. Here's who you should call, or here's how you do it yourself. I remember, after basically replacing my garbage disposal, I felt so empowered. I'm pretty sure, back in those bad filter Instagram days, there's one of me with my garbage disposal being like, look. I did it.

Kristina:
I love what you said about we need to remember that, because it's so true. That's what fueled me in the beginning. I was like, oh my gosh. People need to do education on the littlest things, because I didn't know. Even putting in your garbage disposal. I mean, maybe to us now, we're like, oh. You know?

Steph:
Easy.

Kristina:
I mean, I don't know how to do it, honestly. I'm still going to have someone else probably do that for me, sadly enough. It doesn't faze me as something that is empowering, but it is. I remember. You're right. Even just doing a small project in your house makes you feel so competent.

Steph:
Oh my God, yes.

Kristina:
Me and Steph, with this commercial space that we bought, we had contractors doing most of the work, because we were still full time realtors. We were trying to put a whole business plan together, but we did choose one project. We were like, let's make our planters. We had some space in the front of our building. We were like, let's make our own planters. Honestly, that day I was like, this is so rewarding. This is more rewarding than watching this window get installed by someone else. I'm so happy that we just did a project on our own. I love getting the reminders. I love having the first time home buyer community that we do, because it's the little things that they remind us how rewarding it is to be a first time home buyer.

Steph:
It is rewarding to do stuff yourself, but even hiring someone successfully, having them come and do it, you still have a sense of that's so easy. Probably I have just increased the equity of my house. It's still rewarding either way, if you're doing it yourself or hiring. You're still accomplishing something.

Kristina:
Exactly. You're right. That is a lot of work, honestly. We've all dealt with contractors who don't do the job well. I remember, in the beginning, as a woman, you're like, they might take advantage of you. The thing is, we'll get into that also in another episode. Not all contractors are bad. They've gone through a lot of bad situations also, where people don't pay them, or they aren't treated well. There's both sides of that story. You just got to do your due diligence and be vigilant and aware.

Steph:
I bet we could do a whole episode on contractors, because that is the hardest part of the job of owning a home, and especially renovating a home. Now, we're a year into our business. I mean, it's June. What is today? June 3rd.

Kristina:
It was our anniversary.

Steph:
Yes, on Monday. How much has it changed? I mean, from the beginning to now.

Kristina:
Okay, so it was me and you. Then we added Celeste. When was that?

Steph:
I think right before our launch.

Kristina:
June?

Steph:
May. May 2019.

Kristina:
Oh, May. Okay, so she helped. Then we went through a hire, and then they quit with someone else. Was that before Celeste?

Steph:
That was before Celeste. I think was when we were just like, we don't know. Also, we were having her go into that building that literally had nothing. It was a card table and maybe a chair.

Kristina:
I think we just didn't even know what we needed at that point. We tried to hire someone while we were renovating and coming up with a business plan. We didn't know what we were doing. I was with Riley Realtors, and our broker merged with Realty Austin also, all during our launch and everything. We had to go through all new systems with a new brokerage, a new building, a new business. Our business plan just started getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Then we hired Travis, who does operations. I was doing most of the marketing. Then it was getting overwhelming, so we hired Alex as well. Just recently, right?

Steph:
Yeah. Couple months.

Kristina:
The last five months. Four months?

Steph:
In 2020.

Kristina:
Really? Oh, yeah.

Steph:
Yeah, I think so. Yeah.

Kristina:
Then we hired someone. What does CJ do? What is it?

Steph:
What is it?

Kristina:
It's fractional-

Steph:
Fractional COO.

Kristina:
Yes. It was really hard to do operational, manage everything, and manage all the moving parts while still being realtors, so we hired a fractional COO.

Steph:
So, kind of like a consultant. Again, we don't have backgrounds in business. I was a teacher. Kristina, you have-

Kristina:
I have an events background.

Steph:
Hospitality. We just didn't know. We knew we wanted to grow. We knew we wanted to have a team, but we just didn't know how to go about that. CJ has been awesome. He's rounding out his tenure at Open House this month, but he'll continue to consult for us. Again, we were doing how many jobs?

Kristina:
So many.

Steph:
20 jobs. We say that lovingly, because we are really lucky, as founders, that we were already bringing in revenue. I think we were able to start a business. We're self funded, so we didn't have to give away any equity. We didn't take any money from any investors, so very lucky. Also, 2019 was rough.

Kristina:
Oh my gosh. It was hard. I think I felt it more. I don't know. Steph is just go, go, go, go, go. I'm always so inspired by her work ethic. I think, in the quarantine, you've probably felt the last year more.

Steph:
Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Kristina:
2019. Was it 2019?

Steph:
Yeah.

Kristina:
It was a hard year. I was so excited for 2020, and then now look at what's happening here.

Steph:
I know.

Kristina:
I don't know. 2019, my boyfriend Eric, he also started a business. He had quit his job. We had started living together. He built out a 42 foot trailer and turned it into a coffee shop. I had to come home to him every day. We were both these overworked business people. What are we doing?

Steph:
There was not a light at the end of the tunnel.

Kristina:
No.

Steph:
Until this year, really, when we started to really delegate and realize that we needed to grow our team a little bit.

Kristina:
Yeah, and we hired. Steph is very good at pushing us forward. We hired two amazing buyer's agent realtors to add to our team. Me and Steph, we're going to pass the baton, giving a lot of the real estate side to people can fully commit to that, so our clients just get a really amazing experience. I know, me being a realtor in 2019, I was just always struggling to be a better realtor. We were both trying to build this business. It was hard to be the best at that job. I felt bad for my clients.

Steph:
Multitasking is not always ideal. I feel like my default is multitask because I was a teacher. It's just like, okay. That's what we're doing. When you slow down and think about it, you're like, my focus was here, but also here, and also here, and also here. You just can't be the best at everything. While we work on really making the buying experience and incredible one, on a higher level we'll have Jenn and Sydney, who are just incredible people, first of all. They're so knowledgeable.

Kristina:
Kind.

Steph:
Their mindsets are just incredible. We pledged to only hire people with an investment mindset, or at least they want to help people invest wisely, which you'd be surprised is not every realtor.

Kristina:
No, it's not. Also, I think we just have a team who is just so kind and really want to help people. That is so important to both of us. I think we found that in our team. Now, how many there are? How many are we?

Steph:
Okay, let's see. We've got Celeste, Travis, Jen, Sydney, Alan, you, and me. So, that's seven.

Kristina:
How many is that?

Steph:
CJ. Eight with CJ.

Kristina:
That's crazy.

Steph:
It's so exciting. I mean, having the team is way more rewarding than I ever thought before. What an amazing little family that we're building, from us being alone not that long ago.

Kristina:
Exactly. From the past year in our business, what are the highlights for you? I don't know. We can do what are our highs and lows.

Steph:
Highs and lows. Highs are definitely. I mean, I'm so numbers focused. We've just increased every month, which is really, really exciting. Also, a high is delegating and also seeing our numbers increase, because you feel so tightly. I have a really hard time letting go of the sales part of it, just because I know I can do it. I know that I'm going to give a good experience. Just letting go and trusting that we hired the right people, that's a huge high for me. That's been pretty recent. Lows are just 90 hour weeks. Also, as someone who just goes overboard so much, I also have personal projects that I'm doing, personal real estate projects. Recently being like, the mind space is important. I just wrapped up a real estate project, which we will definitely do an episode on. Just very excited to put my head down and focus on growing this company in a really sustainable, ethical, inclusive, transparent way is really, really exciting to me.

Kristina:
I totally agree. Yeah, I love that. I think we have similar highs and lows. I think some lows. Obviously, we're working our assess off, which is fine. If you're going to start a business, you have to expect that. You really do. That just comes with it. I think trying to be a good leader while doing all of this was really hard. I think that was something, hiring help, hiring CJ. Him being like, you need a good, I know this is a buzzword, but company culture. We were like, wait a second. Yeah, duh. What have I hated about working for other people? When they don't listen to me. Oh, my gosh. I've never. I think I've had one good boss before, who was an actual good leader. Besides that, I'm like, you just want me because you think I am just making you money.

Steph:
Cog in the wheel.

Kristina:
Exactly. You don't care about me. We didn't have the energy. We didn't do that in the beginning.

Steph:
No.

Kristina:
We weren't like, we need to focus on this. I think it's-

Steph:
That's such a good point. It is so funny when that clicked for us. We hired people in silos. In our minds it was just like, we need Celeste to do this. It never occurred to us that we should have Celeste and Travis talk to each other. How? It's so funny. CJ really came in and was like, listen. We need everyone to be talking. It has grown the culture, improved the culture tenfold. Kristina's been a big part. I mean, you've been a huge part of that. Your management skills are so good. I mean, that's 100% a skill. Right? Leadership. Leadership is what I meant. It's so important. We've both been trying to hone that skill more. It will get better and better once we are able to step further and further away from the day to day. I think having the culture around we're doing this together. We are all pushing this forward, all helping people have a good experience, and helping people grow their generational wealth, really, because they're buying property. It's just a hard step, and having a community around that is so important. I think everybody on our team now really gets that they are part of something that's really cool.

Kristina:
I was wanting to also talk kind of about us being female investors and realtors, because I think that's also a big part of why we started this. We were both seeking out other people who are investing in real estate, and not at such a large, unapproachable scale. I don't want to hear about someone who just bought 50 hotels. I don't know. I want to hear about the beginning steps. I want to hear about amazing people being intentional with what they're doing. I still think that's amazing, and even more inspiring.

Steph:
I would say, even further than that, starting when you're 23. Not starting buying, but just starting helping people at that age. Being like, what is your plan? Because it is all about finances and investing. If you start early, it's just so much easier. What were you very successful real estate investors doing when you were 23?

Kristina:
Exactly.

Steph:
Just to help set yourself up. Being an investor doesn't mean that has to be your job.

Kristina:
No.

Steph:
You know?

Kristina:
For sure. I think that's the thing. You think that that's the one thing you have to do, but even if you're a one and done person with a property, that's fine. You can still make that an investment, and you can still do it smartly. I'm excited to just talk to more people about that, and educate more younger people. Even if you're 60 and you've not bought a property, there are smart ways to do it. It starts with your finances, and it starts with education around finances which, honestly, most of us do not get. I was lucky to be raised by a dad who talked to me a lot about that. I didn't want to listen at the time. He's going to be so happy I said that.

Steph:
You know he'll listen to this.

Kristina:
Oh my gosh. He's going to listen.

Steph:
Shout out to Nick.

Kristina:
I'm just annoyed right now. He's going to-

Steph:
Taking a little break.

Kristina:
Anyway, I think I was very lucky to have someone who just kept bringing it up. I didn't want to hear it, but he kept talking about it. I think there's good ways to talk about finances and educate people. I literally didn't even know you could spend money that you didn't have.

Steph:
Credit cards.

Kristina:
No. No one is educating people on how to use these things, and how this stupid credit score can destroy your life. I feel like that's such an oppressive thing.

Steph:
Yes, it's a tool for oppression.

Kristina:
Yes. Anyway, we need to learn how to be better with using these tools. I don't know. I think more education around everything like that.

Steph:
Absolutely. Also, seeing what's possible through other people's experiences. I remember, actually, the first time buying a home entered my mind. It was in my college house on East 9th Street. A girl moved in a couple doors down, and we were very into our neighbors. Actually, I have a friend who's very cute about that. She'll bake something and take it to the neighbors. We baked some stuff and took it over to her. She opened the door. She was a young, probably mid-20s something, cute blonde girl. That's me. She was like, I just bought this house. I was like, you just bought this house? It floored me. Then I think I bought a house six months after that, because I was like, oh. I saw that it was possible. Then I was like, okay. That could be my goal then, if it's yours.

Kristina:
Exactly. Seeing more people, younger people, people of all races, just buying property and showing people how it's obtainable, because most people don't think that they can. It's scary to be rejected in that way. It feels really hurtful. I mean, I know. Even me. I grew up. I came from a privileged background. My family was fine. We had money. Being rejected to buy a house, it felt really bad.

Steph:
Yeah. There's so much shame around money and finances.

Kristina:
It's so much shame, yeah. I'm excited to talk more about money and make it not so much a taboo. I'm not the expert in it, honestly, but I just want to start these conversations with people who are.

Steph:
Absolutely, and people who can show us every aspect of real estate investment, not just buying 20 hotels. We have so many clients who are utterly inspiring with what they're doing, and we can share our own experiences. There's going to be one person that you listen on here, hopefully, who's like, oh. I make about that much money, and I could do the same thing.

Kristina:
Exactly. I think, for me, I know why it was so empowering. I think, typically, I was such a different person before I moved to Austin. I was shy, reserved. I don't know. I didn't stand up for myself often. I think I was often in situations that made me feel really small, whether it be in work, at school. I don't know. I just felt small in many ways. I don't know. A lot of men would make me feel that way, just making me feel so small, so insignificant, saying things that I never knew. I didn't have the education on how to defend myself or what to say to them. I think when I bought a property, I was like, you know what? Fuck you guys. I can do stuff.

Steph:
Totally.

Kristina:
It gave me so much confidence. It made my voice stronger. I don't know. I want to give that to other people. I don't know. I want other people to feel that, you know?

Steph:
That was so well said. The confidence you make, it needs to be gradual, too. It is. You get a big surge when you buy your first house. It's just like, I can. I can demand that these contractors give me a good price. I mean, I'm a fucking property owner.

Kristina:
I could do it.

Steph:
Yeah, it's so cool.

Kristina:
Don't call me sweetheart.

Steph:
Yes. Oh my gosh. Especially since we're in the realtor world, enduring men talking down to us. It just increases confidence so much, confidence, empowerment. We've just seen it so much in our clients, too. They're different people from when we met to when they're ripping their walls out and figuring out ways that they can increase their income or generate income from their property, to save more and to supplement their income. Real estate is so cool.

Kristina:
I agree.

Steph:
One more thing about real estate.

Kristina:
You go. You tell them.

Steph:
Obviously, I do invest a little into index funds and other generations. Obviously, buzzword, diversification. When you were saying you can be 60 years old and get into real estate, real estate is really quick with wealth building, and it's controllable. You can make it better and raise your rents. You know?

Kristina:
Yeah.

Steph:
You can improve someone's quality of life, therefore they're willing to pay a little bit more. It's just a very empowering investment space, which is in stark contrast with other investment or asset classes, in my opinion.

Kristina:
I totally agree. Also, I love having conversations with people who will challenge that. You know?

Steph:
Yes.

Kristina:
Because I like to hear other people's opinions. I have a really good friend in Austin who I feel like challenges me in that way sometimes. I'm like-

Steph:
Shout her out.

Kristina:
I want to hear your opinion.

Steph:
Who is it?

Kristina:
Kara. Kara Perez. I don't know. Not that she doesn't think that it's a true investment or whatever. I don't know. I like having conversations with people who I'm like, I could see that side of things. I mean, I believe this. Now I get the perspective that you have, and it's interesting. I want to hear more. I think me and Steph are so into real estate. We will just praise it on the hills, whatever. I also think I like to be challenged, and I want to hear other people's opinions. I don't know. If anyone has any speaker that they think we should interview in the real estate realm, women, people of color, black women. I mean, sure, we'll interview some men as well.

Steph:
Yeah, I guess.

Kristina:
We like men. We're just-

Steph:
Yes. We love them.

Kristina:
They get a lot of spaces. Anyway, we want to hear from people. We want to expand outside of our network, and we're just really excited to talk to everyone.

Steph:
I'm so excited for this, even after this conversation.

Kristina:
Me too.

Steph:
Even more. It's so exciting.

Kristina:
I know.

Steph:
We'll be releasing podcasts every week, which is really exciting. Please feel free to email us at Podcasts@OpenHouseAustin.co for questions or topics that you'd like us to cover, or people you think that we might want to interview, or if you feel like you could add something to this conversation. Please feel free to email us. Follow us at OpenHouse_Austin on Instagram. Anywhere else?

Kristina:
They'll find us.

Steph:
Yeah, we're out there. We've been upping our SEO with our new team, so just Google us. Anything else?

Kristina:
No. We love you guys.

Steph:
Oh my God, that was so fun.

Kristina:
That was fun. I'm excited to talk more. We'll talk to you all soon.

Steph:
Yay. Bye everyone.

Kristina:
Bye.