The Mostly Real Estate Podcast, with Declan Spring | Real Estate Entrepreneurship
Master the East Bay market with the definitive realtor podcast for real estate entrepreneurs. Hosted by Declan Spring, this show goes beyond the transaction to deliver deep-dive real estate storytelling and expert media spin analysis of the local market.
Whether you’re looking for a real estate insiders podcast that covers the East Bay or a marketing podcast for entrepreneurs in the property space, we spotlight the top producers, developers, and creatives shaping the industry. Each episode explores the craft, challenges, and character of the market, from community news in the Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond areas to high-level real estate marketing strategies.
Produced by Declan Spring and Denitsa Shopova (founders of The Home Factor), we bridge the gap between creative media and property expertise. Subscribe for weekly insights on becoming a better real estate entrepreneur, understanding the business of real estate through story-telling and first person experience, and staying ahead of the East Bay market.
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Episodes
74 episodes
Why Rate Shopping Might Be A Bum Steer: Real Lending Insights From Brady Thomas - #72
The smartest edge in a choppy market isn’t a flashy rate quote, it’s certainty. We sat down with Brady Thomas, owner of LaSalle Mortgage, to map how real buyers win: a fully underwritten p...
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50:42
Berkeley’s Zone Zero Explained - A Conversation With Berkeley Assistant Fire Chief Colin Arnold - #71
A half-mile of flying embers can decide your home’s fate, but the real battle is won within five feet of your walls. We sat down with Assistant Fire Chief Colin Arnold to unpack Zone Zero, why AB 38 already shapes East Bay home sales, and how c...
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51:23
From Cookies To Coaching: Mapping Passion To Purpose, With Joy - #70 Jerry Beckerman
What if joy at work is less about perks and more about practice? I sit down with Berkeley entrepreneur and mentor Jerry Beckerman to trace a path from a bustling Telegraph Avenue cookie shop to Passion Spark, his Socratic-based program that hel...
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1:07:17
Updates To BESO - Berkeley's Building Energy Saving Ordinance - #69 Part 2 With Jeff Lipton
Jeff Lipton and I discuss how the January 1, 2026, changes to its Building Energy Saving Ordinance (BESO) are about to reshape how Berkeley homes change hands, and we wanted to make the ...
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17:06
Why Focus Beats Hustle: Build A Systems Optimized Referral-First Business - #69 Jeff Lipton
What if your marketing got simpler, your leads got warmer, and your days felt lighter? That’s the promise behind our deep-dive with operations-minded strategist Jeff Lipton, whose approa...
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1:11:52
Own Your Pipeline By Owning Your Time - #68 Janine Hunt
The quiet weeks of late fall decide your first quarter. We bring on Janine Hunt, team leader, past association president, and current MLS chair, to sho...
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1:02:35
Selling Joy, Dodging Drama, And The Dog In The Empty House - #67 Herman Chan
What happens when the noise gets louder than the work? I invited the ever-candid Herman Chan to cut through the hype and talk honestly about what it takes to build a meaningful real estate career righ...
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1:22:55
Bestie Slay! Gen Z Agents vs. The Market - #66 Emma Dolgin and Ellen Martinez
Two twenty-somethings, high stakes, and a market that refuses to sit still. I sit down with Emma Dolgin (The Grubb Company) and Ellen M...
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1:20:19
Navigating the September 17 Fed Rate Cut: A Mortgage Expert Explains - 65# Evelyn Freitas
When the Federal Reserve announces a rate cut, why do mortgage rates sometimes go up instead of down? This puzzling financial paradox sits at the heart of my insightful conversation with mortgage expert
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1:08:08
Mastering Digital Real Estate: From Barber to TikTok Sensation - #64 Roland Osage
What happens when you combine authentic passion for unique homes with consistent content creation? Roland Osage's journey from barber to real estate powerhouse with over 220,000 TikTok followers provides a masterclass in building a thriving bus...
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1:15:37
Grifters, Racists, a DeLorean, and a Mountain of LSD: Uncovering The East Bay's History with Liam O'Donoghue, Host of East Bay Yesterday - #63
Dive into the captivating underbelly of East Bay history with Liam O'Donoghue, the passionate storyteller behind the acclaimed podcast East Bay Yesterday. From corrupt political beginnings to cultural transformations, this conversation unveils ...
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1:08:45
From Meta to Real Estate: How Ellie Ridge Roared to Success on Instagram - #62 Ellie Ridge
What happens when you combine in-depth construction knowledge, real estate expertise, and authentic social media content? For Ellie Ridge, it created a phenomenon that transformed her from a recently laid-of...
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1:16:35
Decoding the Inner East Bay Housing Market: A Mid-Year Analysis - #61 Aman Daro
What happens when data nerds dive deep into the Inner East Bay real estate market? Aman Daro, Director of Operations at the Grubb Company, returns to the podcast armed with comprehensive MLS data that reveals surprising trends shaping our local...
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1:00:05
What 1,000+ Transactions Have Taught Me - #60 Andrea Gordon REalizations
What happens when you combine 27 years of real estate expertise, theatrical directing, and PhD-level thinking? You get the incomparable Andrea Gordon. Andrea doesn't just sell homes – she tackles challenging client psychology head-o...
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1:22:08
Bonds, Bills, and BS: The Truth About Your Mortgage Rate - #59 Faramarz Moeen-Ziai
What actually makes mortgage rates rise and fall? If you've been waiting for the Federal Reserve to cut rates before buying a home, you might be watching the wrong signals entirely.Mortgage expert Faramarz Moeen-Ziai pulls back the curt...
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1:28:41
Social Media Evolution, Career Growth, and AI Everything - #58 Felicia Mares-Villa
What makes the difference between surviving and thriving in today's real estate landscape? Felicia Mares-Villa has figured it out, scaling the team she co-founded to eight agents in just one year while mastering the ever-shifting world of s...
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1:46:59
From Instagram to Real Estate: How Authentic Content Creates Clients - #57 Rachel Melby
When Rachel Melby moved to El Cerrito she created an Instagram account to document her discoveries in this charming Bay Area community. What began as personal exploration blossomed into I...
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51:28
Navigating the Four Punches to the Inner East Bay Condo Market - #56 Kerri Naslund-Monday
Kerri Naslund-Monday returns to discuss the struggling Inner East Bay condo market, revealing how properties have lost a decade of appreciation.The Inner Eas...
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34:04
An Unexpected Career in Real Estate - #55 David Gunderman Interviews Me!
My journey from Dublin, Ireland to becoming a successful East Bay real estate agent unfolds in this colorful conversation with David Gunderman, part of David's series of live audience conversations titled 'Humble Beginnings'. With hesitant and ...
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1:02:59
How Berkeley's Climate Policies Are Reshaping Property Ownership - #54 Megan Micco
Berkeley's revised energy savings ordinance and a proposed fire safety ordinance will significantly impact homeowners and real estate transactions starting January 2026. Third-generation Berkeley resident and REALTOR®
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35:25
Setting the Record Straight: What The New York Times Got Dead Wrong - #53 José Fernández
What happens when one of the world's most prestigious news organizations publishes a deeply flawed hit piece on an entire profession? That's exactly what Declan Spring and guest, José Fernández, addre...
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34:06
The Data Dynamo of Inner East Bay Real Estate - #52 Mark Choi
Ever wonder what makes East Bay real estate so unique? Meet Mark Choi, a data-driven agent who's been meticulously documenting every property he visits since 2004. In this conversation, Mark explains why he t...
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48:12
Mortgage Market Chaos: Navigating Rates, Tariffs, and Policy Uncertainties - #51 Dominic Villa
What happens when global politics, tariff wars, and housing policy collide? Mortgage expert Dominic Villa pulls back the curtain on today's chaotic lending landscape, revealing truths that every homeowner and buyer needs to understand.W...
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41:29
The No-Money-Down Solution to Selling Your Home - #50 Freemodel's Renovation Rescue:
Let Freemodel remove the barriers to pre-sale renovations.Lara Richmond from Freemodel reveals how pre-sale renovations with no upfront costs can transform properties and maximize sale prices, shar...
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1:10:11
The Clear Cooperation Policy: NAR's Latest Rule Changes - #49
In this episode, we break down the heated debate over the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) and its latest update. The policy, which requires Realtors to list publicly marketed properties on the MLS within o...
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18:15