Latest / #HomeForAll Podcast / Season 10 Episode 1 - What Happens When a REALTOR Becomes an Elected Official

Transcript

Season 10 Episode 1 - What Happens When a REALTOR Becomes an Elected Official · #HomeForAll Podcast

• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Well, welcome back everybody to ACAR's HomeForAll Podcast.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: We are opening season 10, if you can believe that.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Two seasons a year.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: That means we've been on the air for, gosh, almost a complete five years.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: That's crazy to me.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: So we are incredibly glad to be back with you as summer draws to its inevitable close, sadly.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: Moving further into our the rest of our you know our 2026 year here.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: But uh today we are in the studio with uh a couple of great, awesome guests and uh another guest interviewer, which is always a fun for me, but um our vice president of advocacy, Jamie McMillen, is here today too in the guest interviewer seat.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: And uh she has brought with her Erica Nikolic, the mayor of Oakwood, and Justin Costanzo, the councilman in Seven Hills.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: So some pretty heavy hitters, you know, in the in the studio today.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: And while we're talking about the studio, let me tell you, and you're gonna have to envision it if you've ever been to the ACAR office and in you know seen our studio, we are not in that studio today.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: We are actually across the hall in an open office space uh while our new while our studio gets uh gets a makeover.
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: Um we're going to be expanding the studio space inside ACAR office uh so that we can do some more recording and video and all kinds of good things.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: So stay tuned for uh photos of that great stuff.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: But for right now, we are in a teeny little, if you can believe smaller than before, uh office across the hall.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: And uh so we're we're just excited to be back.
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: So it is time now to grab your coffee and your earbuds and make this spot your home for the next 30 or so minutes.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: We're happy that you're here.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: The ACAR Home for All Podcast is a bi-weekly production where we will host interviews, facilitate conversations, and talk about what's happening in the world of real estate.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: We'll introduce you to important people in your community and help you learn how to grow your real estate-related business.
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: This is an adult show, and some adult language might occasionally creep into the conversation.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes, and the opinions shared on the podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors, Ohio Realtors, or the National Association of Realtors.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: That said, let's move forward and find out what makes Northeast Ohio the best home for all.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: Well, welcome back, everybody.
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: We are, as I mentioned in the opener, we are in our 10th season.
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: Who knew that 10 seasons would go by so quickly, but uh five years it's been.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: And we are lucky to have uh the entourage of folks in the office here that we have today.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: And hi Jamie McMillen, our a dvocacy VP of Advocacy, is here to be our guest interviewer.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: How are you doing, Jamie?
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: I am great, Kelli.
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: Excited to be back for season 10.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: It's nuts, right?
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: It is.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: I can't believe it.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: It just went by like uh like a shot for me.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: So, well, as uh as I said in the opener, Jamie is going to take the wheel.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: So, Jamie, I'm gonna throw it to you and have a good have a good show.
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: Thanks, Kelli.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: Hello, everyone at home or in your car listening.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: Thank you for joining us for today's episode.
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: I'm super excited for this because it's kicking off ACAR's Advocacy Week.
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: And so I'm thrilled to be joined today in the studio by Erica Nikolic, the mayor of Oakwood, and Justin Costanzo, who is a member of the Seven Hills City Council, and both are members of ACAR.
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: And so we're so excited to have you both in the studio.
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: Welcome.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 4:31
  Speaker: We're excited to be here.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: So we've got a few questions for you guys, but I thought first maybe just give us a quick introduction.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: Uh, who you are, how long have you been licensed, when did you first run for office, and and maybe like what motivated you to run for office?
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: So we'll start with you, Mayor.
• 4:50
  Speaker 5: Thank you, Jamie.
• 4:50
  Speaker 5: Well, um, it's a pleasure to be here.
• 4:53
  Speaker 5: Uh real estate is one of my passions, I'll say that.
• 4:56
  Speaker 5: Um as you've mentioned, my name is Erica Nikolic.
• 4:59
  Speaker 5: I'm the mayor of Oakwood Village.
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: I've been licensed probably about three or four years now.
• 5:05
  Speaker 5: Um, I started with the team in Parma, I'm now with the team in Solon, uh closer to home.
• 5:10
  Speaker 5: I'm an attorney admitted in New York, and um I first ran for office in 2023.
• 5:18
  Speaker 5: So at that time I ran for an at-large race council president, and you know, I was minding my own business, and someone said you should run.
• 5:29
  Speaker 5: Um I'm fourth generation Oakwood resident, so it was a no-brainer to step in and think about how I could contribute to our community.
• 5:38
  Speaker 5: Uh so I just got out there and I did what I do best, and that is market, right?
• 5:43
  Speaker 5: I soon realized that although I knew nothing about politics, I understood marketing and how to market myself, and that's a huge part of what realtors do as well.
• 5:53
  Speaker 5: So it went hand in hand with what I'd already been taught and what I'd already been doing.
• 5:59
  Speaker 5: So so it wasn't easy, but it was skills that I had developed as a realtor and in otherwise.
• 6:06
  Speaker 5: Uh what motivated me to run for office?
• 6:09
  Speaker 5: Well, there were things in the community that I'd seen that I was interested in, environmental-wise, that had been addressed and hadn't been addressed.
• 6:18
  Speaker 5: So climate action isn't always on the top of everyone's list.
• 6:22
  Speaker 5: So when I went out into the world and I started talking to people about, you know, what about this in terms of climate action and electric vehicles?
• 6:30
  Speaker 5: It wasn't on the top of everyone's list.
• 6:32
  Speaker 5: And there were some cancer deaths in the community and a lot of things related to the fact that we are surrounded by landfills and some industry.
• 6:42
  Speaker 5: So I wanted questions answered, and that was my initial motivation to start thinking about the health and the safety of the community, and that's the direction that I went in.
• 6:51
  Speaker 5: Started with environmental, and I was the environmental chair while on council as council president.
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: Excellent.
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: Okay, and now you're mayor, so congratulations on that.
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: That was a special election back in January, right?
• 7:05
  Speaker 5: Yes, special election in January to finish the term.
• 7:08
  Speaker 5: So the term ends uh December 2027, so I'll be back on the ballot in December 2027.
• 7:16
  Speaker: Gotcha.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: And how about you, councilman?
• 7:19
  Speaker: Uh Justin Costanzo, Jamie, thank you for having me.
• 7:22
  Speaker: Uh ran for uh elected office about five years ago.
• 7:27
  Speaker: Um I am our chief operating officer up at Remax Above and Beyond and Motto Mortgage Above and Beyond, and I started my career with with uh those companies as well right around the same time.
• 7:38
  Speaker 4: Okay.
• 7:38
  Speaker: I uh I first ran for Seven Hills City Council is because I I I've lived in Seven Hills for 27 years.
• 7:45
  Speaker: I believe local politics is the best politics.
• 7:47
  Speaker: You can actually get things done.
• 7:50
  Speaker: Um I had that opportunity uh to step up and I preach that to my young agents.
• 7:57
  Speaker: I I I tell them every day to get involved in their communities, which is I believe the most important thing, as the mayor said as well.
• 8:05
  Speaker: Uh public service was a natural extension of serving my realtors, my clients.
• 8:11
  Speaker: Uh a big thing that I like to compare real estate to, especially the position I'm in, to city council, is problem solving.
• 8:20
  Speaker: I believe that both the positions require 90% listening, the other 10% is a showing up, and then clear and constant communication.
• 8:31
  Speaker: So I think both careers fit very, very well.
• 8:35
  Speaker: Uh I do love my city.
• 8:37
  Speaker: I was born and raised there.
• 8:39
  Speaker: I moved for a couple years and then I came back.
• 8:41
  Speaker: So I I am totally entrenched in Seven Hills.
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: You know, listening to both of you, you're right.
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: Local is where I think the rubber meets the road, and you really see the action, good or bad, of government policy from the top down.
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: So federal, state, and local, that's where you really see it.
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: And you guys are kind of the front lines.
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: If there's a problem, I'm sure your phones are ringing off the hook.
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: Much like if there's a problem with a real estate transaction as the agent or the broker or lender, whatever your role is in that, it people see you all as problem solvers.
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: Um are there are there so putting your your realtor hat on, are there skills, you know, from your real estate career, and I think you were hinting at this a little bit, Justin, negotiation, problem solving, customer service that that really you see as a a benefit to serving your constituents?
• 9:43
  Speaker: 100%.
• 9:44
  Speaker: You touched on a couple things I've already said, but I think another thing that we uh we need to talk through is managing uh motions.
• 9:51
  unknown: Okay.
• 9:51
  Speaker: Both on the realtor side, transactional side, and resident side.
• 9:55
  Speaker: It those fit together.
• 9:57
  Speaker: And I mentioned 90% of what we do is listening and then problem solving.
• 10:02
  Speaker: Those but you have to have that listening part and be able to communicate because not everything's black and white when you're dealing dealing with stuff with these things.
• 10:10
  Speaker: Uh but I you know the biggest decision on the politics side or the local side is realizing what is gonna benefit the community as a whole.
• 10:20
  Speaker: But I bring that back to my brokerage as well, too.
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 10:24
  Speaker: Not every decision can necessarily benefit an individual agent.
• 10:27
  Speaker: What is what's gonna be best for our 181 agents or our nine loan officers.
• 10:32
  Speaker: So I I think a big thing, once again, is managing those emotions and uh realizing we're dealing with people that uh sometimes are a little irrational, and you just gotta calm them down a little bit as well, too.
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: I yes, I can appreciate that uh in multiple facets of life, certainly.
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: Uh Mayor, how about you?
• 10:55
  Speaker 5: I agree.
• 10:56
  Speaker 5: Listening is key.
• 10:58
  Speaker 5: Um, just to echo what the councilman said, bringing parties together is is very important.
• 11:03
  Speaker 5: So just in a in a real estate transaction, you need to get to the why.
• 11:07
  Speaker 5: Why are you doing this?
• 11:09
  Speaker 5: So, you know, a lot of residents will have issues, they'll come to you and they'll want a problem solved, and they'll want it solved in a particular way.
• 11:17
  Speaker 5: So, compromise, bringing people together to come to an agreement is very common in both spheres because a lot of times there is no perfect win-all for everyone.
• 11:28
  Speaker 5: Right.
• 11:29
  Speaker 5: So there has to be compromise on all sides.
• 11:31
  Speaker 5: So the perfect way to understand all perspectives is to listen.
• 11:36
  Speaker 5: So I think that is key.
• 11:38
  Speaker 5: You have to listen in order to find that middle ground for all parties.
• 11:43
  Speaker 5: So making sure that you are listening and you are understanding the why behind every concern.
• 11:49
  Speaker 5: Uh, for me, going further, you know, every property is tied as the former environmental chair, every property is tied to, you know, wellness in some way.
• 11:59
  Speaker 5: So understanding environmental conditions, how these affect the residents, this is very important.
• 12:05
  Speaker 5: Um, you want to make sure that the skills that you have in understanding the wellness of this individual, because in Oakwood, we there is a bit of a disparity.
• 12:15
  Speaker 5: We have maybe 149 uh CMHA homes, but then we also have, you know, a huge group of, you know, $500,000 builds or, you know, three to five hundred dollar bills, where so there is some disparity.
• 12:30
  Speaker 5: So understanding the environmental conditions that affect uh what's going on in particular areas and having the the skill to go amongst the entire population and understand how is your housing and the area where you are housed affecting your wellness and well-being.
• 12:48
  Speaker 5: And a lot of people move when the environment isn't conducive to wellness and well-being.
• 12:54
  Speaker 5: So as an elected official, I see my role as making sure that, you know, wherever you're housed, your wellness and well-being is protected and elevated in some way.
• 13:07
  Speaker 5: So whether it's, you know, you know, a more expensive property or lower income property, we're charged with understanding how do we maximize the the quality of life for our residents and property owners.
• 13:23
  Speaker 5: So I think that skill is very important as well.
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I I agree with both of you, especially on the listening thing.
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: I think that's so important in everyone's work.
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: But when I think about the advocacy work that happens here at ACAR, I know sometimes our members get a little frustrated with how the government process is, but from my perspective over, you know, my entire career in government affairs, the best policy solutions are the ones that get at the compromise where you're hearing from all sides.
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: Everybody's giving a little, everybody's getting a little.
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: It's not perfect for any one single person, but it's the best solution for the whole.
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: And I think that's what you both were kind of getting at.
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: Has has serving in office changed your perspective on the real estate industry at all?
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: Yeah, go ahead.
• 14:17
  Speaker: Uh 100%.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 14:18
  Speaker: It's it's interesting when I first came into uh government, yeah, I chair our public works, I'm on our police and fire, and I'm on our finance.
• 14:25
  Speaker: Okay.
• 14:26
  Speaker: And just seeing the appreciation of how zoning works, infrastructure, safety services, and long-term planning impacting property values and quality of life, uh, it was it was eye-opening for me because I've balance but budgets, you know, for our brokerage and other businesses that I have around town.
• 14:43
  Speaker: But what how doing a government budget and actually seeing how it impacts housing and all that stuff and our and and our you know our safety forces, it was it was really eye-opening to me.
• 14:54
  Speaker: And it took a couple years for me to really, really catch on as well, too.
• 14:57
  Speaker: Okay.
• 14:57
  Speaker: So but one of our big wins in Seven Hills is this long-term impact, is we're finally developing Rockside Road after 35 plus years.
• 15:07
  Speaker: Wow.
• 15:07
  Speaker: Because of all the planning of doing that, and we're creating 133 uh townhomes and six single-family homes, and some businesses, and some we're creating jobs.
• 15:18
  Speaker: So that's 35 years in the making.
• 15:20
  Speaker: So the long-term planning is it was it finally coming to fruition.
• 15:24
  Speaker: It was really eye-opening for me.
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: Patience is a virtue in government work.
• 15:30
  Speaker 5: Mayor, how about you?
• 15:31
  Speaker 5: Same, well, I'd have to say that um before becoming an elected official, property taxes has never been as important.
• 15:40
  Speaker 5: I I haven't heard those two words as much.
• 15:44
  Speaker 5: It's been a lot, and just getting a real clear understanding of property taxes, yeah, how they're spent, where they're, you know, who's getting them, what that means, you know, and this movement now to have them totally eliminated, what that could mean for us as elected officials.
• 16:00
  Speaker 4: Right.
• 16:01
  Speaker 5: Uh so there's a lot that goes into that understanding the finance behind it and how if you if that was to happen, what would we do as an elected official on this side?
• 16:10
  Speaker 5: Uh, there's a lot of advocacy to make sure that doesn't happen.
• 16:14
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 16:14
  Speaker 5: And there's a lot of advocacy that you a lot of residents are coming to me saying, you know, this would be wonderful.
• 16:20
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 16:20
  Speaker 5: And I said, Well, would it be wonderful if you didn't have, you know, those police officers patrolling your neighborhood that you often call me and say you haven't seen in several days.
• 16:29
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 16:30
  Speaker 5: So I think that has been, you know, the most important topic for me that's crossed the line that's relevant in both arenas, where I just said I've never thought about property tax so much, you know, since becoming an elected official.
• 16:45
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 16:46
  Speaker: I I'd like to jump in on that because that's obviously in Seven Hills we have somewhat of an elderly community too, and in speaking with our residents and door knocking and walking, and that you know, seniors should not be forced necessarily out of their home.
• 16:58
  Speaker: But you bring up a great point.
• 16:59
  Speaker: People don't really understand if they just went away what the repercussions are that is.
• 17:04
  Speaker: Do I do I think that property tax reform in some way or some fashion has to happen?
• 17:09
  Speaker: Yes.
• 17:10
  Speaker: I think we would all probably agree on that.
• 17:11
  Speaker: But I think getting on top of what you're saying is getting truly that knowledge and education out there of what what it looks like if there's no property taxes or reform or if we stay the same way.
• 17:25
  Speaker: I think there's there's a give and take there, and you mentioned compromise.
• 17:28
  Speaker: That there's gonna be a compromise on this somewhere down the line.
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree.
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: And you know, Kelli, I'm sure you probably already wrote this down, but I'm thinking property tax might be a great future podcast episode for us to just break it down.
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: Here's here's what it means for the a typical property owner.
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: What does that look like?
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: And what are some of those changes that Ohio realtors might be advocating for versus just a complete elimination, which I don't I think most people agree is not the best solution.
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: And this is kind of a good segue into the next couple of questions that I had for you guys.
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: Um and and maybe it's property taxes, but what do you see as the biggest housing challenge facing your community today?
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: I know we surveyed our members earlier this year, and inventory and affordability was the top issue, no matter how we asked the question.
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: So I'm curious, with either one of your hats on, what what are the biggest challenges in your community?
• 18:29
  Speaker: I think you just had them.
• 18:30
  Speaker: Affordability is is there's no true starter home right now.
• 18:35
  Speaker: And you know, we have I have I have a couple first-time homebuyers and they're looking in the Seven Hills area as well, too.
• 18:41
  Speaker: And it just there's no price point that makes sense for a first-time home buyer right now.
• 18:47
  Speaker: And even if you venture down to our surrounding cities, Parma, Parma Heights, it's it's it's got very, very expensive.
• 18:54
  Speaker: So I think affordability, I do think we could lump property taxes in there because that's going into the international payment.
• 19:00
  Speaker: Uh inventory in pockets is still a problem.
• 19:03
  Speaker: We're still I I think we're starting to see some inventory in other pockets, but I I really believe we've lost that first-time starter home.
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I would agree with that based on what I've heard from other realtors.
• 19:15
  Speaker 2: How about how are things in Oakwood?
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: Is that a challenge there as well?
• 19:19
  Speaker 5: In Oakwood, we rarely have homes go up for sale, and I think that speaks to the fact that our demographic is aging.
• 19:26
  Speaker 5: So a lot of our calls on our EMS and our the 911 calls to our fire departments are for slips and falls.
• 19:33
  Speaker 5: So, you know, I recently met with medical service company, it's an Oakwood multi-generational home in Oakwood, and we were talking about medical supplies that you that would aid seniors in their homes, how to age in their homes safely, because the the calls that we're getting, the number one call from you know a home in our community is a slip and fall.
• 19:57
  Speaker 5: And so bridging that gap between seniors that are living in their homes, that want to stay living comfortably in a somewhat uh spacious living environment.
• 20:10
  Speaker 5: How do we move them either to um housing that will allow them to age gracefully in their home or provide accommodations or provide additional housing options such as assisted living, you know, developments that may address moving them out of their home.
• 20:33
  Speaker 5: So that's a challenge.
• 20:34
  Speaker 5: No one wants to leave their home that they've been in for many, many years, um, accepting the fact that, you know, hey, I can no longer get along here alone.
• 20:42
  Speaker 5: Um, you know, with this problem, I wanted to start an initiative, uh, single seniors over 75 when we have power outages, women or men, you know, that may call their home alone 85 and they don't have, you know, anyone there with them.
• 21:01
  Speaker 5: So we have a demographic of seniors that are in their homes that need additional supports, and how do we address that?
• 21:09
  Speaker 5: Do we provide the in-home accommodations, the adaptations, the services, or the medical supplies?
• 21:17
  Speaker 5: There's a strain on the fire department.
• 21:20
  Speaker 5: So that's exactly where we're we're we're we're looking at solving most of our housing stress.
• 21:26
  Speaker: I ironically, we have two two things in common with the you know, most of our calls are that same idea, the slip and fall or and elderly.
• 21:33
  Speaker: And you know, the power outages are a real thing in our community as well, too, where the people we're worried about our seniors, and we actually even have to set cooling centers up at the rec center.
• 21:42
  Speaker: But the challenge is is getting them up there.
• 21:45
  Speaker: So I I think we have a lot in common in our communities with that as well, too.
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: So when you were talking about um different ways for folks to age in place, I do think that that's a huge uh issue in a lot of communities.
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: And you can't really talk about age.
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: In place and what that can look like to have additional housing options or resources to help folks make the accommodations that they need to their home without talking about zoning.
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: And I know Justin, you talked a little bit about that earlier, but I think my next question kind of ties in with that.
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: What are some of the misconceptions that you guys are hearing when it comes to development?
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: And maybe even from your realtor standpoint, the home buying process.
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: So development maybe on the city side versus what you hear from clients or homeowners who maybe think there's not a housing inventory challenge or affordability problem.
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: Sure.
• 22:43
  Speaker 5: In our community, I would say when they when you think about development, it's there's always a fear.
• 22:48
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 22:49
  Speaker 5: There's a fear on both sides.
• 22:51
  Speaker 5: A fear as an elected official, this is going to be a more drain on our resources.
• 22:58
  Speaker 5: Our service department is not going to grow in size, you know, if we use 30 acres and develop it as houses as opposed to businesses, if you have, if you develop that 30 acres with housing, then all of a sudden you're going to have 30 acres of more residence and problems.
• 23:15
  Speaker 5: So when you think about it, the development aspect is how are we going to develop to address the housing challenges, but also to move the community in a direction where we're getting more income in to support.
• 23:31
  Speaker 5: So it's kind of a challenge where the way from where I sit, I would think that you know getting more businesses in to support what we have, right, is where I'd like to go.
• 23:42
  Speaker 5: So when we look at developing certain areas, we could add in some assisted living, but the goal really is to add in more businesses so you could get more taxes so you can support the existing residents.
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: I yeah, I get that.
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: We we just shared a letter with the city of Akron on data centers, and one of the comments that we made is you've got to strike a balance between a tax base that is provided by the commercial entities in your community versus the needs of the residents that are living there.
• 24:15
  Speaker: Anything that you would want to add from Yeah, actually, so like I think there's a misconception that you know all development is either all good or all bad, first of all.
• 24:25
  Speaker: Uh I mentioned our Rockside Road project.
• 24:28
  Speaker: Well, the first part of that was you know, landing a big time uh hospital that you know specializes in recovery and like shoulders, um, soldier surgery, knee surgery, whatever.
• 24:38
  Speaker: And that was the first part, and then the housing development going in the businesses, but definitely, definitely more businesses for our tax revenue is very, very important because you know, our , our uh police officers, our our firemen are strained on calls as well.
• 24:52
  Speaker: Too.
• 24:53
  Speaker: I think as a realtor, the misconception on home buying is a pretty easy one.
• 24:58
  Speaker: It's just oh, we find a house, we're gonna buy it.
• 25:00
  Speaker: They don't realize we're going through inspections, appraisals, negotiations, um, all that fun stuff that's in in the back end.
• 25:08
  Speaker: Yeah.
• 25:09
  Speaker: So, but I think I think the big thing is development, if it's if it's poor planning, can really, really hinder, hinder, hinder a community.
• 25:18
  Speaker: But if it's good and done the right way, it's going to help your community.
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: Man, as you guys are talking, I just see so many parallels between the work that realtors do and the work that government officials do with keeping keeping the train on the proverbial tracks, so to speak.
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: And there are no typical office hours, I imagine, for both of you.
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: Um there is not.
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: Perhaps a little segue into our next uh a few questions.
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: I think public service is probably one of the most challenging and also the most rewarding things that anyone can do uh with in their life.
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: And so let's let's let's hear it.
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: What's been the most rewarding part of being the mayor, of being on council?
• 26:09
  Speaker: Relationships.
• 26:10
  Speaker: Yeah.
• 26:10
  Speaker: The relationships I've I've I I think what I've strengthened our community.
• 26:17
  Speaker: Our our council doesn't always get along, but we find those compromises and we've developed relationships.
• 26:22
  Speaker: And after the council meeting, we can all go out and grab some food if we want.
• 26:25
  Speaker: We just did it late last night.
• 26:27
  Speaker: Uh as for the industry part, when I took took over the REMAC side, it will my whole focus was relationship.
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 26:36
  Speaker: Now that goes into helping solve problems as well, too.
• 26:39
  Speaker: When you have a neighbor dispute and you come to a conclusion or a compromise, that is so rewarding.
• 26:44
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 26:44
  Speaker: Or you get a pro a big project done in your city and we all didn't see eye to eye, but we found ways to do that.
• 26:50
  Speaker: And there's nothing like two co-brokes going at it and the you uh in a good way and negotiating, and when the broker, the management has to step in and you talk to their broker, and we find that compromise.
• 27:02
  Speaker: Because in the grand scheme of things, if we're listening and communicating, we're going to get this done because guess what?
• 27:10
  Speaker: We're all want the same thing.
• 27:11
  Speaker: We want what what's best for the residents or what's best for the our clients.
• 27:15
  Speaker: So it does, there's tons of parallel there too.
• 27:19
  Speaker 5: And and it he says what councilman says relationships, and I think it's what came to mind is you know the connections, the the things that I'm able to do to connect the community, those pockets of small wins that allow me to bring residents together.
• 27:39
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 27:39
  Speaker 5: Um, a lot of them have been there for years.
• 27:42
  Speaker 5: We just opened our first community garden and I got a text message from someone, and you know, one will go on vacation and one they'll text the group and say, Can someone take care of my can someone weed my garden, water my flower bed?
• 27:56
  Speaker 5: And you know, she came back and she said, Mayor, you know, your garden needs a little attention.
• 28:01
  Speaker 5: Don't be afraid to ask for help.
• 28:04
  Speaker 5: And I said, Yes, Carrie, I need help.
• 28:06
  Speaker 5: So it's one of those opportunities where she comes to me and she says, and you know what, Mayor, you can ask for help.
• 28:14
  Speaker 5: And also I have to say thank you because this is I've been here for years and I've met more people in this garden than I have in all the years that I've lived here.
• 28:23
  Speaker 5: So creating those moments of connectivity between the residents, which also speaks to quality of life.
• 28:29
  Speaker 5: So where we can have homes, we can buy our homes and be in great neighborhoods, but being able to create those moments where you connect with your community and build the relationships.
• 28:41
  Speaker 5: So for me, that's the most rewarding.
• 28:44
  Speaker 5: Developing opportunities like the community garden or different initiatives that will support connecting residents to each other and they're not just, you know, in their homes being isolated in one way or another.
• 28:55
  Speaker 5: So finding ways to why do you, what do you want to do?
• 28:59
  Speaker 5: What will get you out of your house?
• 29:00
  Speaker 5: I mean, we've we've gotten you, you know, as realtors, realtors have gotten you into your perfect home, you're happy there, but let's get you out of your home and figure out what I can do as an elected official to help you come out of your home, engage, sure, be involved.
• 29:16
  Speaker 5: That's what it's all about.
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: I think that um the relationship key and communication is certainly a common thread through our conversation today.
• 29:28
  Speaker 2: And uh when we think about uh communicating, I think there's a lot of uh uh misconceptions, and I think you both have have either stated or hinted at this as we've been talking, but what what's something that you wish uh your constituents knew about local government that maybe they don't uh it's not always black and white.
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 29:53
  Speaker: That's that's the key thing.
• 29:54
  Speaker: Uh you know, so you'll br you'll you'll be presented a problem.
• 29:57
  Speaker: It seems to be black and white, but we know at local government there's other things that could could come into it.
• 30:03
  Speaker: It's always going to be about what's for the greater good of the city.
• 30:06
  Speaker: And there's we could you know, you can call it red tape, you can call it anything you want, but everything has to be evaluated in what is going to be best for the whole city.
• 30:16
  Speaker: It's just not a black and white decision all the time.
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: It's not easy.
• 30:20
  Speaker 2: Definitely not easy.
• 30:22
  Speaker 5: And for me, as a new mayor, following a mayor that was in office for almost 38 years, um what I'd I'd I'd wish they would understand was that meaningful meaningful change requires patience and time.
• 30:39
  Speaker 5: So my goal is really to Mayor Gary left a wonderful blueprint, and our community is amazing as a result of his tenure with the village as mayor.
• 30:50
  Speaker 5: Uh my role now is to create the meaningful change to take us into the you know the next era of Oakwood, and what does that look like?
• 31:00
  Speaker 5: And people aren't excited about change all the time, right?
• 31:05
  Speaker 5: But at the same time, meaningful change that will increase and improve our value of life is is what is what's required, and patience and time is all we need to make sure we can do this, and it won't happen overnight.
• 31:22
  Speaker 5: So, and of course, all the things that we do behind the curtain is is not immediately visible.
• 31:30
  Speaker 5: So sometimes if if you don't see me, there are tiny little things that you have to do to follow the laws.
• 31:38
  Speaker 5: Law is important, you know.
• 31:40
  Speaker 5: As an attorney, sometimes, you know, I got an email.
• 31:43
  Speaker 5: Can my, you know, I want my wife wants to sell produce in our front yard.
• 31:47
  Speaker 5: Okay, wait a minute, let me call the board of health.
• 31:50
  Speaker 5: So it's certain things where you have to, you know, everything isn't, oh, the mayor says so.
• 31:55
  Speaker 5: Let ask the mayor, she'll let you do it.
• 31:57
  Speaker 5: So I feel, you know, for me as a lawyer, I'm more about, wait, what does the law say?
• 32:02
  Speaker 5: And then the the mayor will say yes or no.
• 32:05
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 32:05
  Speaker 5: So I think understanding that is, you know, I don't think that I have this all, you know, knowing and willing hand to just say yes to everything.
• 32:13
  Speaker 5: Um, there is law involved.
• 32:15
  Speaker 5: There are certain things that that are regulated that we have to, rules that we have to abide by, and it's not just yes or no because I like you or don't like you.
• 32:25
  Speaker: I think the biggest one the biggest one of what you were saying is yeah, that the we'll get a phone call and can't you just do this for me?
• 32:31
  Speaker: I'm like, well, no, you have to go to the building department and pull permit.
• 32:34
  Speaker: And it's not oh, it's not just we don't have this magic hand, as I think you referred to it, just to get things done.
• 32:41
  Speaker: There's a lot of stuff that has to go through, and we do have to follow ordinances and our resolutions, and sometimes that doesn't always click.
• 32:49
  Speaker 2: You know, there's a a part of me with my ACAR hat on that feels like this is very familiar, you know.
• 32:57
  Speaker 2: ACAR has its own rules and regulations that we have to follow when we're planning, um, whether it's a public policy position or an event or whatever that looks like.
• 33:07
  Speaker 2: And I I certainly feel like I've had conversations where, well, why can't we just do it?
• 33:14
  Speaker 2: Well, because there are things in boxes we have to check along the way.
• 33:19
  Speaker 2: So um as we think about realtor advocacy, you guys know.
• 33:25
  Speaker 2: I mean, one of the I think most important things that ACAR does is is our advocacy efforts, whether it's local government, state, or federal, or just being a community partner, whatever that looks like.
• 33:38
  Speaker 2: What I wish more of our members understood and knew was how to be engaged and why it's so important to be engaged at the local government level.
• 33:49
  Speaker 2: From your perspective, why is it so important that realtors are involved and engaged with their local governments, with the association?
• 33:59
  Speaker: We're on the front lines every day.
• 34:00
  Speaker: Realtors are on the front lines of these cities every day.
• 34:03
  Speaker: They know what's happening, they know you know if a market's hot, and I think that's one of the biggest things.
• 34:09
  Speaker: They know the housing trends, uh, they know what the challenges for both buyers and sellers are in those communities as well.
• 34:16
  Speaker: Uh, I think the experience of going and understanding local government and actually getting and being involved.
• 34:23
  Speaker: I I encourage all my agents to whether join your chambers, yeah.
• 34:27
  Speaker: We're in all six of our offices are in chambers, go to the chamber meetings.
• 34:31
  Speaker: Understand what where what's happening where our offices are.
• 34:34
  Speaker: Um I have several of my realtors that live in Seven Hills that are on task force.
• 34:39
  Speaker: That's a great place to start, or just help community service.
• 34:43
  Speaker: We just had our home days.
• 34:44
  Speaker: We had several realtors help set up for that.
• 34:47
  Speaker: Yeah, do attempt for information on the city.
• 34:49
  Speaker: Those are great ways to get your name out there because you know these cities, you actively sell them.
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: I love that.
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: How about you, Mayor?
• 35:00
  Speaker 5: Yeah, so I I agree.
• 35:01
  Speaker 5: A lot of it is is that um I I feel the transparency and providing the the forum.
• 35:09
  Speaker 5: So I have a monthly town hall, and uh, you know, tonight is actually my town hall.
• 35:14
  Speaker 5: I hold it the Wednesday of every, the last Wednesday of every month.
• 35:18
  Speaker 5: And it's about the transparency, giving them access, you know, to ask the questions.
• 35:23
  Speaker 5: Um Realtors, that same opportunity, access.
• 35:27
  Speaker 5: There's a lot that you you don't understand, you don't know.
• 35:30
  Speaker 5: Beautification is important, making sure that there's a culture.
• 35:35
  Speaker 5: Uh, realtors uh have a great understanding, as you mentioned, of market value, uh, communicating what is the culture of the community.
• 35:43
  Speaker 5: Um we have people moving in all the time.
• 35:47
  Speaker 5: It may not be readily apparent how we do things, so to speak.
• 35:52
  Speaker 5: And you realtors could could definitely be the voice for that.
• 35:56
  Speaker 5: This is the culture of beautification, this is what we do, they have to stay engaged, uh providing uh opportunities to meet and speak with them at our home days is this coming weekend, uh, July 31st, August 1st, and 2nd.
• 36:11
  Speaker 5: So we'll be out there.
• 36:12
  Speaker 5: It's our 75th anniversary celebration, and we do have several realtors out there, but again, that it under helping the the community to understand the culture of how we do things, how we should keep our homes.
• 36:25
  Speaker 5: If you're looking to move, what is it that you should be doing and thinking about, talking to your neighbors, and again connecting, connecting the dots in how we we want our community to look and feel.
• 36:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the thing that I was reminded of if you as you guys were talking is I often when I'm in meetings with mayors or city council or staff, we always end up coming back to the, you know, realtors often know what's going on in a community before anyone else because they're so engaged with the people that live there.
• 36:56
  Speaker 2: It's a natural fit, then I think to serve on a task force or a commission.
• 37:00
  Speaker 2: And it's one of my absolute favorite things when a mayor or staff will reach out and be like, hey, I have an opening on a planning commission.
• 37:08
  Speaker 2: Do you have any realtors that might be interested in serving?
• 37:11
  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
• 37:11
  Speaker 2: Let me get you a list of names for you to consider.
• 37:14
  Speaker 2: And so I think from my perspective and the advocacy work that ACAR does, the more that realtors can be engaged and involved, however that looks at the local level, the better our advocacy is for homeownership and making sure that the community needs are addressed.
• 37:35
  Speaker 2: Um and in that in that regard, I would love to see more realtors running for office.
• 37:41
  Speaker 2: And so, what advice would you give to someone who is thinking about a run for office or maybe considering throwing their hat in the ring for a position on a planning commission, which I know those and zoning, those meetings can be lengthy at best.
• 38:01
  Speaker 2: Um, but what what what advice would you give to somebody who's thinking about it?
• 38:04
  Speaker: Uh, first off, do do it for the right reasons.
• 38:07
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 38:07
  Speaker: Uh it you have to love your community and and and that's you know one of the main things.
• 38:13
  Speaker: Be prepared to listen.
• 38:15
  Speaker: We've talked about that a ton before you speak.
• 38:17
  Speaker: And I think uh the building of the relationships, and remember that leadership is necessarily not about having all the answers, which we it's about compromising.
• 38:26
  Speaker: It's about it's about listening again.
• 38:29
  Speaker: I keep going to listening and I want to keep going to it, but do it for the right reasons.
• 38:34
  Speaker 5: Absolutely.
• 38:35
  Speaker 5: And so, what my advice would be to a realtor thinking about running for office?
• 38:41
  Speaker 5: Is that it?
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 38:43
  Speaker 5: Okay.
• 38:44
  Speaker 5: So I guess what I would suggest is finding your niche.
• 38:52
  Speaker 5: So we all have skills.
• 38:55
  Speaker 5: Um before I started, I you know, I went to all the Board of Education meetings.
• 38:59
  Speaker 5: So it's not just local government, it could be also your school board, it could be many different things or positions, like you mentioned, the planning commission.
• 39:07
  Speaker 5: So what is so for me, I immediately went to the environmental chair role, um, understanding why you would get in to the role, as councilman said, for the right reasons.
• 39:18
  Speaker 5: And so there has to be, okay, there has to be a deep-seated why you're doing this, because immediately there can be other things that could cloud the work and the real reason why you're doing the thing or running for office, but understanding how how how things work, sitting in on your council meetings, going to the Board of Education meetings, finding out the issues, how can your skills be applied to solve some of these issues, finding out where you can be the best fit, where will you be most useful to your community if you're an artist, you know.
• 39:52
  Speaker 5: So understanding where your skill set will fit in which area of government will be a good start.
• 39:59
  Speaker 5: And then from there, uh you you can you can't lose with um finding out how you you can add value to your community, just do some research, basic research up front, and just go for it.
• 40:12
  Speaker 5: Your heart has to be in it.
• 40:14
  Speaker 2: This isn't just a resume builder, you have to care about what you're doing, I think, to to take that responsibility on.
• 40:22
  Speaker: I would agree everything that the mayor said I agree with.
• 40:25
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 40:25
  Speaker 2: So looking ahead, uh, what are you both the most optimistic about in your community over we'll say like the next five years?
• 40:36
  Speaker 5: Well, I'm I'm very excited.
• 40:38
  Speaker 5: We received uh word from the county that we will have their support to do our master plan.
• 40:43
  Speaker 5: Nice.
• 40:44
  Speaker 5: So this is something that has been talked about for eons, even when I was on council, I first started.
• 40:51
  Speaker 5: Uh, you know, a lot of decisions are being made, but there's no clear document or reason as to why certain decisions are being made.
• 40:58
  Speaker 5: For me, this will be the first opportunity to have outside professionals from the county come in and allow us to align all of the stakeholders' thoughts, the residents' thoughts, the council members' thoughts on the direction the village should be going.
• 41:15
  Speaker 5: And when we move forward and we're making decisions, it's it comes from a baseline, from a document that we've all contributed to.
• 41:24
  Speaker 5: So there's a clear understanding of why decisions are being made.
• 41:27
  Speaker 5: It's not uh, you know, it's not politics, it's not something that's based on feeling, sentiment.
• 41:34
  Speaker 5: It's something that we've all come together and decided would be the best thing for the village.
• 41:39
  Speaker 5: So the master plan is something that I'm very excited about, and I think it will be uh great guidance for us in the future.
• 41:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's huge.
• 41:47
  Speaker 2: That's that's excellent.
• 41:48
  Speaker 2: Congratulations on that.
• 41:50
  Speaker: Uh, you know, for us in our city, right now we have a really good council, we have a really good mayor, and it if we keep we compromise well, we listen to each other.
• 42:00
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 42:00
  Speaker: Uh a lot of things we don't always see eye to eye, but we we do find those common balances.
• 42:05
  Speaker: The most exciting thing I've mentioned a couple times is Rockside Road for us.
• 42:09
  Speaker: It's it's it's just so long in the making, and when it's finally done, you know, we have Cooper's Hawk opening on late September, which is a huge win for our city.
• 42:20
  Speaker: Uh, we just have really strong leadership.
• 42:22
  Speaker: Uh our directors are, we've had some changes over the last couple years.
• 42:27
  Speaker: Our directors have become very, very strong.
• 42:29
  Speaker: We have a strong engineer, uh very communicates well with the residents.
• 42:34
  Speaker: We are about to announce our new fire chief, who I'm very, very, very excited about.
• 42:39
  Speaker: Did I say very enough in there?
• 42:41
  Speaker: Um, but you know, it really as long as things stay in pay in place, I you know, I believe in our mayor, uh, I believe in what we're doing at City Council, and I I really think the the next five to ten years at Seven Hills is going to be very, very exciting.
• 42:57
  Speaker 2: I'm excited for both of you right now so much.
• 43:00
  Speaker 2: So for our listeners, if they want to learn more about the master plan or how to get involved in Oakwood, where should they go?
• 43:10
  Speaker 5: You could start at our website, Oakwoodvillageoh.com, and there you'll have all the information that you need, or feel free to shoot me an email or uh stop by the village.
• 43:23
  Speaker 5: My email is E-N-I-K-O-L-I-C at Oakwood Village O-H dot com.
• 43:28
  Speaker 5: I respond to emails, every single one of them.
• 43:31
  Speaker 5: So please feel free to reach out.
• 43:33
  Speaker 5: I'm available, my team's available, and we'd be happy to engage you in any way that you're interested in being engaged.
• 43:39
  Speaker 2: That's excellent.
• 43:40
  Speaker 2: And councilman, how about for Seven Hills with all the exciting stuff happening on Rockside and everywhere else?
• 43:45
  Speaker 2: Where can we go?
• 43:46
  Speaker: Well, everything that the mayor said is all good, but I do encourage people to come to meetings.
• 43:51
  Speaker: See it and it see it live.
• 43:53
  Speaker: And you mentioned something a while back.
• 43:55
  Speaker: Go to the Board of Education meetings, see what's happening in your school district, because I'm at a lot of our Board of Education meetings.
• 44:01
  Speaker: There's not a whole lot of people there.
• 44:02
  Speaker: Go to those meetings first and and also get involved.
• 44:06
  Speaker: I mentioned task force, committees, helping with projects around the city.
• 44:10
  Speaker: Those, and everything, once again the mayor said, but those those things I would focus in on too.
• 44:15
  Speaker: Feel free to call me.
• 44:16
  Speaker: I'm one of those guys that my my number, I don't use a smart number.
• 44:20
  Speaker: I I pick my phone up.
• 44:21
  Speaker: ATT laughs at me on data on my phone.
• 44:24
  Speaker: So, but if they have questions, I'm an open book as well, too.
• 44:27
  Speaker 2: We'll be sure to drop your contact information in the the show notes, certainly.
• 44:32
  Speaker 2: So, last thing, just for fun, quick lightning round.
• 44:36
  Speaker: I was hoping we're gonna do this.
• 44:38
  Speaker 2: Yes, I love this stuff when I hear it, so I thought we need to do this too.
• 44:41
  Speaker 2: All right, first question, and we'll just go back and forth, mayor to the councilman.
• 44:44
  Speaker 2: Coffee or tea?
• 44:45
  Speaker 2: Coffee.
• 44:46
  Speaker 2: Coffee.
• 44:47
  Speaker 2: What's your favorite local restaurant?
• 44:50
  Speaker 4: Don't make me do that.
• 44:51
  Speaker 4: Um in Oakwood, I'll probably have to go to Solon because Oakwood, we don't have many restaurants, so right now it's probably Elle.
• 45:01
  Speaker 4: Okay, very good.
• 45:03
  Speaker: I'm gonna go outside Seven Hills because I love them all there and they're fantastic.
• 45:07
  Speaker: But uh Cordelia on East Fourth.
• 45:09
  Speaker 2: Oh, good, good.
• 45:10
  Speaker 2: What was your first job?
• 45:12
  Speaker 2: CVS cashier.
• 45:14
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 45:15
  Speaker 2: Denny's dishwasher . Wow.
• 45:17
  Speaker 2: I was a dishwasher.
• 45:18
  Speaker 2: That was my first job too, at a diner.
• 45:20
  Speaker 2: Uh, what one word describes your leadership style?
• 45:24
  Speaker 5: Involved.
• 45:25
  Speaker 5: Collaborative.
• 45:28
  Speaker 2: Love it.
• 45:28
  Speaker 2: All right, finish this sentence.
• 45:30
  Speaker 2: Home ownership matters because community matters.
• 45:40
  Speaker: Home ownership matters because I believe it still is the American dream, and everybody deserves it to have the ability to do that.
• 45:47
  Speaker: Tone all.
• 45:49
  Speaker 2: Well said, both of you.
• 45:50
  Speaker 2: I couldn't agree more.
• 45:52
  Speaker 2: Thank you both so much for being with us on our season opener for uh number 10 of the Home for All podcast.
• 46:00
  Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you so much for being with us and helping us kick off Advocacy Week.
• 46:04
  Speaker 2: And Kelli, I'm turning it back over to you.
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: Wow, it's been such a great time for me just to sit here and listen.
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: It was awesome.
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: Thank you all for agreeing to be here for such a what a great Q&A today.
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: Unbelievable.
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: Well, for those of you out there, that is what we've got for you for today's episode.
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: Be sure you check out all of the other great things happening this week as we celebrate Advocacy Week.
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: Uh, you can find all of those events on the ACAR website, AkronCleveland Realtors.com.
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: If you loved what you heard today, please do us a favor and share it to your socials.
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: Tag ACAR, we love that.
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: Every time you share our podcast, you're helping us and hopefully helping another member uh at the same time.
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: We appreciate you and hope that everyone out there has a fantastic day.
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: And until we meet again, I hope that you're finding your very own meaning of home for all.