Mike Browning

Tag: Real Estate Experience

  • Knowing When To Take a Shot

    Knowing When To Take a Shot

    Threading the needle is great, but avoiding disaster is job one.

    While waiting for the Cowboys game to start last Sunday, I was watching Minnesota take on Philadelphia. I was pulling for Minnesota, since a win would help Dallas.

    But because of injury, Carson Wentz was playing quarterback for the Vikings. He used to play for Philly, and last Sunday it kind of looked like he still did. On one play — 2nd and 27, no less — he threw a pass that had no hope of being completed and got picked off.

    After the game, Wentz said he was “trying to make a play.” But his poor decisions cost his team.

    Fast forward to the Dallas game. With Dallas leading, Washington’s starter got hurt. On just his second throw, backup Marcus Mariota made a terrible decision on a broken play — interception, returned for a touchdown. Game over.

    I didn’t see a quote from Mariota afterward, but he looked like he was trying to “make a play” too.

    Big plays are great, and they’re what fans remember. But a big part of winning comes from avoiding big mistakes. A quarterback has to know when it’s time to take a risk, and when to live to fight another day.

    The backup QB is often more athletic than the starter — but usually sits because he doesn’t make decisions as well.

    That same logic applies outside football. Selling land isn’t as complicated as reading an NFL defense, but it’s not as simple as it looks either. There’s more to it than most people realize, especially when you’re watching someone who’s been doing it for decades.

    Is it cheaper to do it yourself?

    It depends.

    Mistakes can be expensive. If you don’t know what you don’t know, you can leave money on the table, take longer to sell, or worst of all, wind up in a lawsuit.

    I’ve been at this nearly 30 years. I’ve learned to be careful — sometimes overly so — and I’ve seen plenty of others learn the hard way. A few lessons have come that way myself.

    The good thing about experience is that it helps you spot trouble before it starts.

    Sometimes the smartest play is knowing when not to make one.

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    PS- you’re probably not ready to buy or sell now. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea to make sure you are ready in case something changes.

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  • Advanced Lessons in Shut Uppery

    Advanced Lessons in Shut Uppery

    Talk big, get busted. Hire someone who knows better.

    Before I got into real estate, I had my sights set on being a professional pool player.

    I learned a couple things quick:

    1. It was a lot harder than it looked.
    2. There wasn’t much money in it. Not back then, and even less today.

    Back then, you could catch the big tournaments on ESPN. Now you’re lucky to find a livestream that works. A handful of players could make a living on tour. Most couldn’t. If you wanted to make money playing pool, you gambled.

    I gave up the dream, but kept playing. And I was good, a notch or two below great. In the right setting, to the average person, I could look like a world-class player. But anyone who really knew the game could spot the gap in a heartbeat. I was just good enough to be dangerous, to myself if I wasn’t careful.

    Luckily, I knew who the real players were. And I kept my mouth shut.

    One night, I was sitting at the bar in a poolroom, a couple seats down from the owner. A guy who, if you told certain people he was the best in the world at one time, they wouldn’t laugh. They might not all agree, but it wouldn’t be a ridiculous claim. He was certainly one of the best.

    In walks this other guy I know. Full of himself, always name-dropping. He starts talking loud about how he just played and beat the guy sitting next to me at another pool hall. Obviously didn’t even really know who he was, other than the name.

    We didn’t say a word. Just let him talk.

    Sometimes the best way to save someone from embarrassment is to let them walk away thinking they impressed you.

    So what’s this got to do with real estate?

    Not much — except it’s the same kind of game.

    There are a lot of loud voices out there trying to sound smart. Name-dropping builders. Quoting bad comps. Acting like they know the players. But if you really know what you’re looking at, it’s easy to spot who’s bluffing.

    I don’t just know land and development, I know the people behind it. And they know me. I don’t run around bragging about it and making it about me, which is part of the reason they will talk to me. And by talk I mean in a way that might actually help a deal happen, instead of just to get me to go away.

    Am I ever wrong? Sure. But I don’t say things just to impress people, and hope I don’t get found out.

    Isn’t that the kind of guy you want on your side?

    If you’re ready to get started, just let me know here.

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  • Why It Looks Easy (But Isn’t) and Sounds Expensive (But Not Really)

    Why It Looks Easy (But Isn’t) and Sounds Expensive (But Not Really)

    You’re Not Paying for the Hours You See—You’re Paying for the Years You Don’t

    Expanding on what I said yesterday about how the real work happens before a property ever hits the MLS…

    It’s kind of like watching an NFL quarterback drop a 46-yard touchdown pass right into a receiver’s hands. On TV, it looks effortless. Like anyone could do it. Just drop back and throw it—he was wide open.

    But you can’t. And that’s the point.

    You don’t see the years of work it took to make that moment possible. All the early mornings, late nights, missed throws, and unpaid effort. He didn’t get paid for any of that. He hoped it would pay off later. He bet on himself.

    And that’s the difference. The guy who insists on getting paid before doing anything? He never puts in the reps it takes to earn the big checks. Because he never gets good enough.

    Now, I’m not pulling down $60 million a year like our local QB. Not yet anyway. But when it comes to real estate, I can close the big one. And your deal is the big one—whether it’s the highest dollar amount I’ve got or not.

    Sometimes I do all the work and don’t get paid. Spent money. Spent time. And the deal falls apart. Seller backs out. Market shifts. Life happens.

    That stings in the short term. But I don’t walk away empty-handed. Every deal—win or lose—adds to the knowledge base. And that knowledge pays off down the line.

    Over 25 years, I’ve built a deep arsenal of experience. Most of it didn’t pay right away. Some of it still hasn’t. But when it does—it’s worth it. For me, and for my clients.

    That’s what you’re getting when you work with me:
    The hard work I’ve already done.
    The mistakes I’ve already made and learned from.
    The insight that puts you in a better spot than you would’ve been with someone still figuring it out on your dime.

    Sure, I charge a lot. I’m worth it. And most of the time, my clients still come out ahead—not just in dollars, but in knowing they were treated honestly and had a truly competent broker in their corner. No second-guessing. No wondering if they just got worked over.

    If you’re thinking about selling—or just want a no-BS look at your options—reach out. I’ll give you a straight answer, no pressure.

    Let’s make the next move the right one.

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