Closing Time

How do you sell $10 million in your first year in real estate, without any family connections or leads handed to you? Derek Tschilar tells us how! Join Derek & Nick for a deep dive on Derek's journey from car sales to residential real estate - and how he made it without relying on a team to hand him leads.

The last time we heard from Luka Cooley, we heard he was planning to start a collective for local music talent in Scottsdale. Well, he did just that with his partner Sheldon Angelov, and they re-join Nick to share the journey so far!

The Phoenix metro leads the nation in build-to-rent housing. But why? Local developer and investor Mathew Avrhami joins Nick to talk about the economics of building real estate in 2026, growing up in AZ, Arizona State campus life, and much more!

Brandon Schneider and Nick El-Tawil both hustled their way into the real estate business, and both have a love for the game of basketball. Listen as they discuss building their teams, training agents, generating leads, lessons from basketball that apply to real estate, and much more.

Side Real Estate's first full-time Arizona partners, Deandre & Morgan, join Nick to talk everything about luxury in AZ!

Arizona is an international destination in 2026, thanks in no small part to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) coming to Phoenix. And Rebecca Chen is at the forefront of helping Asian homebuyers relocate to AZ! Join Nick for a conversation with Side Real Estate AZ's fluent Mandarin-speaking partner.

Alexa Perri comes back for round two, and she's grown her business quite a bit since the first time! Alexa - who was not on social media for her business at all during her first visit - has since expanded into live sales via TikTok live. In her words, "it's like QVC for the social media audience!" Join Nick & Alexa for the full conversation!

It's not every day that you see a guy in his early-30's running a real estate brokerage, let alone one that operates in two states! Joey Bergandi built Velocity Real Estate in San Diego, then expanded to Arizona with Desert Momentum Real Estate Collection. Join Nick & Joey as they discuss being young in an old industry, why everyone from AZ loves San Diego, meeting business partners on Call of Duty, and more!

Nick got into real estate grinding rentals and cold calling sellers. Matt Derdivanis is doing the same, and even managed to land a $5 million sale - the most expensive ever in 85020 - through a cold call. Join Nick and Matt for a conversation about their hustle!

Residential real estate is a business dominated by women, where two out of every three agents are female. Home stagers are even more lopsided: 85% of stagers are women! Lou Maccarone and his company Staged to Sell buck that trend. Join Nick and Lou to for a conversation about all things staging and residential real estate!

Ryan Rinaldo has been in the restaurant industry his entire life. He bought Metropolis in 2013, one of the many restaurants in Scottsdale's Optima Camelview at the time. Today, Metropolis is the only restaurant left standing in Scottsdale's most iconic property. He joins Nick to talk his life story, how he runs his team, and much more!

You may know Derek Deardorff as the goofy real estate agent and developer who also happens to be the brains behind the Characters of Scottsdale. Instead of having yet another conversation about real estate, Derek decided to do something different for this episode. He brought Andrea Menhennet - expert in relationships, trauma and PTSD - to join Nick for a conversation about dating in Scottsdale!

Scottsdale resident Greg Roeberg is running for AZ state attorney general in 2026. He joins Nick to share his background and discuss his goals if he is elected. Particularly, how he can help incentivize more homes to get built in the state of Arizona!

Greg Lim is a serial entrepreneur in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area with exits from many of the most notable startups from AZ, including Carvana. His latest venture was born out of a personal experience where his father was released early from a hospital to his own detriment - something that would have never happened if the doctors had real-time data of his health. Greg's new company aims to fix that. Join Nick & Greg for a conversation about Greg's new venture, the startup culture in Scottsdale, Arizona real estate, and much more!

When you think tech start-ups, you might think San Francisco. Austin. Maybe even New York City. But Scottsdale?! Ryan and Amit are doing exactly that in a town historically dominated by real estate and healthcare. Join Nick and the founders of Codality for a conversation on all things start-ups in Scottsdale, AZ!

If you know Nick, then you know he likes his suit jackets jackets. Certain colors are hard to find in men's jackets, so when Nick found a pink jacket from Colton Crain and The Grotto Menswear, he had to jump on it. During the process, he learned a lot about the latest fashion trends from Colton, and also realized they had a lot in common. Two former musicians wearing suits every day?! Check out the full conversation here!

Aaron Rocha founded Multivestors Group at what might have been the worst possible time to buy multifamily real estate. But what might have been bad timing for many buyers turned into the opportunity of a lifetime for him and his new company, as they remained disciplined and did not buy properties that they knew they couldn't hold onto. Today, Multivestors Group manages 11 funds for commercial properties with more on the way. Join Nick & Aaron for round two and an update on the state of commercial real estate!

Kyle Grant is so humble that he told me for months that he was a "consultant" at Painted Desert Consulting and I believed it. I didn't find out until we started recording this episode that he founded the damn thing! Learn more about Kyle's takes on recruiting employees, managing people, moving from California to Arizona, his favorite social club in Scottsdale, and much more!

What happens after you almost lose everything? You come back even stronger! Brett Secor joins Nick to discuss how he built his recruiting business in a hospital bed after nearly dying from internal injuries. The boys also touched on Scottsdale, real estate, and the social club at Empire!

Crypto & blockchain. How could you integrate them with a physical asset like real estate? Well, for starters, blockchain could practically eliminate deed fraud, if only we could get the government on board! Johnny Sloboda joins Nick to discuss everything happening in the world of crypto, and much more!

Just in time for Veteran's Day: how about a podcast with a man who runs a charity for the men and women who serve our country? Josh Otero is the founder and CEO of Elanah.AI which provides veterans with mental health services 24/7. Join Nick and Josh for a conversation on all things Scottsdale and mental health!

On his first visit, Mike Devinsky of Scottsdale Investment Partners talked about his experience as a professional poker player and how that led him to his career as a real estate investor. This time around, Mike goes deep into parenthood, love, relationships, and of course, real estate. Join Nick and Mike for a round two!

What do real estate, art, and watches/jewelry all have in common? They're physical assets! And Nick has always noticed similarities in the markets for these three goods, especially at higher price points. Zac Faulk of Paradise Valley Time joins Nick to talk all things luxury watches, from market trends, to his collecting style, his favorite Patek Philippe, and much more!

Logan Walton is beginning his campaign to represent local district 8 in Arizona, which covers north Tempe, south Scottsdale, and parts of Mesa and Phoenix. He joins Nick for a discussion about his campaign's priorities, and also get to know him on a personal level. How many other politicians do you know who used to guard WNBA players in practice?

When you're building a new home, you can't get a traditional mortgage from a bank. That's where Bryan Morrison comes in. Bryan specializes in construction financing. Based in Scottsdale, but licensed to issue loans all across the country, Bryan joins Nick to talk real estate development, construction, his nickname, and more!

Ever wondered what it's like to sell brand new homes? Sara has done just that in her career working for local and national homebuilders! Join Sara and Nick for a conversation on all things Scottsdale and the differences between a resale broker compared to new home sales.

Matilda McPhee started her career in Sydney, Australia handling marketing in the motorcycle industry. That's right: a woman who rides motorcycles! Then, she relocated to Scottsdale after the pandemic, where she transformed Merla Media into a hospitality brand that represents hotels (and much more). Join Nick El-Tawil and Matilda for a deep dive on marketing in Scottsdale!

30-year fixed mortgages are one of the greatest gifts we have in the United States. But what do you do when you can't get a traditional mortgage? That's where Michael Iuculano comes in! Mike specializes in hard money loans for builders, developers, flippers - and he also has creative financing options for homebuyers who might get looked over by a bank. Join Mike and Nick to learn about all things hard money!

Mark Candelaria is one of the most notable luxury architects in Arizona, with over 4,000 homes designed across the world, many of which are in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Nick was expecting a real estate conversation, but Mark surprised us all with comments on life, success, integrating business and personal, and much more. Join them & Mark's daughter Tiffany for the full conversation!

Brian Grooms has owned and operated vacation properties in Arizona since 2016. But during the pandemic, he lucked into one of the most historic - if not THE most historic - properties in all of Arizona. Now called The Little Daisy in Jerome, AZ, the building was originally built in 1919 and overlooks all of northern AZ from the top of a mountain. Listen as he joins Nick El-Tawil to talk vacation rentals, his property, and much more!

Stephanie has been through the gauntlet with reality TV, from a dating show that was cancelled because of the pandemic to making it as an alternate on Survivor. She's also everyone's favorite mom at Optima Camelview in Scottsdale, Arizona. Some might even call her the Optimom. Listen as she joins Nick to share her experience on reality TV and more!

Justin Laos is a 6th-generation Arizonan(!) who ran for Scottsdale City Council at just 29 years old. He joins Nick to share his insight on local politics from Tucson to Scottsdale and how relatively unknown local government officials can have a drastic impact on real estate development in each city.

Arizona is the 5th-most popular destination for international homebuyers in the United States. And of those international homebuyers, Canadians make up the majority. Bahman Hadji shares his experience emigrating to the U.S. from Canada, and also gives Nick an update on his business in the world of self-driving vehicles!

George Staruch is a Scottsdale-based private equity fund manager who says that every business is the same: 0 to $2 million in revenue is finding what works. $2 to $5 million is taking what works and doing more of it. And $5+ million is just scaling! Listen as he joins Nick El-Tawil to talk about business, life, fostering adorable kittens, and much more.

You may know Jentzen Kaniho as the man behind the camera for Nick El-Tawil's content. But he just does that for the love of the game! Jentzen is an entrepreneur with a 7-figure exit who is also working on a new company called Systemize. Join Nick and Jentzen as they discuss everything about Systemize, failing until you succeed, and much more!

Are you worried about AI coming to take your job? Agent Colony AI has a solution for that! Seth Gershberg founded a company that builds and trades AI agents who perform jobs that used to be done by humans. Buy one of those agents and you can earn their income as if you were doing the job yourself. Join Seth and Nick El-Tawil for a conversation about entrepreneurship in Scottsdale and all things AI.

From LA to AZ! Mary Beth York is the go-to makeup artist for celebrities in Scottsdale, Arizona. Watch as she joins Nick El-Tawil for a discussion on being authentic in a city where pretending to be something you're not is more common than being real!

Quality, personalized service is how Nick El-Tawil strives to treat clients in his real estate practice. But it's not every day that you meet a doctor doing the same thing! Join Nick and Doctor Shiven Chaudhry of Scottsdale, AZ as they discuss concierge services in medicine and beyond.

Selling homes - especially luxury homes - takes more than just networking and advertising. Home design is key, too! Candice Quinn and Athena Costanzo of London Pierce Design in Scottsdale join Nick El-Tawil to discuss all things home design.

Nick sells homes, but Kailey McCauley and Judi Scanlon sell estates! When homeowners need to sell their belongings in Phoenix and Scottsdale, they call Kailey and Judi. Join Nick and the Griffin Estate Sales team for a conversation about selling your personal belongings quickly and ethically.

DeVonne Ryter had never before shared her experience as one of the original cast members of the reality show, Farmer Wants a Wife - until now! DeVonne joins Nick El-Tawil to talk reality TV and more.

Everyone wants to start an online business and work from home. But how do you even get started? Scottsdale-based entrepreneur Alexa Perri answers that, and much more! Join Nick El-Tawil and Alexa to learn how she went from working at Forever 21 to selling clothes online to eventually selling her own cosmetic line.

Want to get better at social media? Delaney Lawrence is a Scottsdale-based influencer with a following of her own, but her specialty is helping local brands and solo entrepreneurs build their social media presence. Join Delaney and Nick El-Tawil for a conversation on all things social media!

Brooke Watton spent a decade as a real estate attorney, helping carve out regulations that still stand in the industry today. She became an agent right around the same time Nick El-Tawil moved home to Arizona, after his decade selling New York real estate. Join us to hear our perspectives on branding, marketing, how to get going in real estate, and much more!

Laura Madden is an artist based out of Phoenix, Arizona who specializes in modern abstract paintings and sculptures. As an independent artist, she handles all of the business and promotion herself, just like Nick does with real estate! She joins Nick to talk branding, marketing, signing with a gallery vs. staying independent, and of course - her art.

There is more than one way to skin a cat, and real estate is no exception! Nick El-Tawil, Josh Shaver, Casey Cutter, Derek Deardorff, and Derek Tschilar are 5 friends in the real estate business in Scottsdale, AZ. Each talks about their unique approach to the business, and much more.

The most Arizona podcast of all time! Jarrett Nez, who was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in Northern Arizona, joins Nick to talk about the many native tribes in the state.

Bri Stotereau chipped her two front teeth when she was 10 years old. They were here adult teeth and she was afraid her smile was going to be ruined forever. But when the dentist was able to re-attach her teeth and fix her smile, she knew what she wanted to do with her life! Today, Bri owns S&C Dental, with two offices in Scottsdale and one in Beverly Hills. She joins Nick to discuss entrepreneurship in Scottsdale and much more!

Back-to-back music pods! Reese Rodriguez is a DJ who plays private events around Scottsdale and Phoenix. He joins Nick to discuss the local music scene, business, AZ, and much more.

Before real estate, Nick had musical aspirations, but he had to move away from AZ to chase them. That has changed in a big way in the past 15 years and now local artists can get a following outside of the major cities on the coast. Luka Cooley is helping local AZ artists do exactly that! Join Luka & Nick as they talk about music, life, business, and more.