If You Never Want To Hear About Columbus In the Forums Again, Reply Here

[Jonathan Greene]

Do you feel continuously assaulted by the Columbus Mafia on BiggerPockets?

If any newbie utters the word Columbus, Midwest, or Ohio, the entire brokerage descends upon the forums with post after post. It's absolute madness. I believe this behavior also goes over the DMs.

In the beginning, it was funny. Now, it is spammy. If you read the majority of the replies by the Columbus Mafia, it's only about Columbus or the general area. Some of the responders know more than others, but some are just complete spammers. It's a strategy.

I've been answering questions on BiggerPockets for 10 years and never once asked for business or DM'd for business. People find me because I answer questions, sometimes about the area, most of the time about investing. If we built a spreadsheet of the overall responses from the Mafia and how many were veiled attempts at business, I would bet it is close to 80 percent.

I know I am not the only one annoyed every day, so please post your thoughts here so BiggerPockets can review them.

I do know someone who bought multiple properties with a former Mafia member and the properties are still performing so this isn't a referenda on how good the agents are. I have not personally worked with them. What this is about is the constant and unabashed spam sham on every post that mentions anything even close to Ohio. Like maybe just round robin it, bros. Watching you all post after each other is embarrassing.

[Remington Lyman]

Quote from @V.G Jason:

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Quote from @James Wise:

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Here is the recording of me and @Remington Lyman discussing the issue like two fully grown adults.

https://fathom.video/share/MNscSw4vQsx65fmzexEsuTDk7CJB5QLU?...

 After watching this Remi is a lot less unlikeable than I thought. Actually seem like a pretty intelligent guy. Which leads me to my point and some unsolicited feedback for you Remi. No agenda, I don't like helping out the competition either, so this is probably the one and only time I will do anything other than try to cut you off at the knees.

My honest assessment on you after your interview is that you should fire all 38 of your agents. You remind me of me running HoltonWise like 7 years ago. Dunno the number, but had 70-80 Agents working for me at one point or another. I was miserable, just like you sound. Agents can't be controlled. They run around doing stupid stuff and hurt your good name. Hell, I realized I don't even think I've personally had a bad experience with you, but I don't like you. Why? Cuz of all these 20 years old's running around hurting your brand. 

You sound like you are caught up in the Agent count trap that I was caught up in. As a Broker we get caught up in all the commission we can earn from them but in today's game, what are these dorks getting from us? 90%+? It ain't worth it brother. What can these 20 year old's really do for you other than give you an ulcer? I imagine most leads that come into Reafco are generated from the brand and passed out to the Agents. Or if they are not, the only reason your Agents are getting BP leads themselves is because you are limiting your own posting so you can let them have the ball so to speak. But you, me, and everyone else is aware you are better at it than they are anyway. 

So in summary you should do what I did and get rid of all of them and take control of your brand. You can hire hourly staff with bonus incentives to help you do your volume. This way you can control your brand. The day I went from having a ton of Agents to not having Agents was the greatest day in my career. Income took a small dip for like a year then went higher than it ever did with all the Agents who are really nothing more than a drag on a talented young Broker.

Anyways brother, that's my $.02, take it or leave it, but that's enough helping out the competition for me. I'll be going back to busting your balls and attempting to take away any shred of market share you have worked yourself into up in my neck of the woods.

Yeah, I've been in touch with @Remington Lyman before and that's why I wanted to record it. I know he isn't a representation of what the current thought about his agents is. This is very good advice. Take my take too:

I ran a team, not a brokerage, of 50 agents. Early this year I fired all of them on the same day because I was doing the majority of the work, the didn't take training and coaching well, and the main thing was that their CAPACITY was tiny. They could only handle 1 or 2 clients at a time so the rest would go to crap. I didn't want them to tarnish my name or for me to have to clean up their messes anymore or just have to keep on them to do their job with my leads.

When you have people like @V.G Jason pop in and tell @Sam McCormack what he is doing is ok, that isn't helping. People like VG don't read anything and just look for more people to like them in the forums. If you read the original post and watch the video recording, I was never out to get ReafCo, I was providing sound coaching advice in a humourous fashion and it was backed by many, many people messaging me about them. I am trying to help. If you can't take criticism, you should quit all business and hide in the sand.

What to take from this post, which always goes bonkers when people try to play, is that there is a better way to do things on here and in turn, that will help these agents get better business and build a better reputation and not tarnish a whole company's profile because they spam.

Was going to comment about myself, cause it's wrong but no need to. This guy says it all without even asking for it.

 If you have to fire 50 people, because their capacity was tiny and they didn't take training & coaching well--- you are the problem. Not them. So much for the "Zen"....

 A good leader blames his followers for their lack of success

[Remington Lyman]

Quote from @Becca F.:

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Here is the recording of me and @Remington Lyman discussing the issue like two fully grown adults.

https://fathom.video/share/MNscSw4vQsx65fmzexEsuTDk7CJB5QLU?...

 After watching that recording, I'd add that I have a lot more  respect for Remington than I did before.  I previously grouped him into the Columbus agents who seem to comment on every new investor post, especially the California investors. I get DMs from these new CA investors who don't post on the forums - I feel that they could get much better advice from many of the more experienced investors on here.  Maybe they're afraid of sales pitched which is why they don't want to post publicly or just don't want their names on a public forum?? I try to help them the best that I could. 

I agree with the comments about how the gurus keep pushing the 1% cash flow narrative which is why new investors gravitate towards this. I don't run a real estate brokerage and I'm not an agent so I don't know enough to comment about that industry and who should be fired, etc. 

Wow this thread has gotten heated. 

Thank you for the respect! If you can, please tell my parents. I have been trying to get that from them for 30 years now.

Don't group me with those other Columbus agents. I am about to fire them.

[Remington Lyman]

Quote from @Dan Thomas:

Is this the right section to ask about wholesaling arbitrage properties using none of my own money??

Maybe in Columbus Columbus Columbus?

 I can refer you to some investor focused realtors in Columbus that will help you buy deals in Columbus Ohio. Columbus Ohio is a great Columbus Ohio ohio Columbus columbus

[Remington Lyman]

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Do you feel continuously assaulted by the Columbus Mafia on BiggerPockets?

If any newbie utters the word Columbus, Midwest, or Ohio, the entire brokerage descends upon the forums with post after post. It's absolute madness. I believe this behavior also goes over the DMs.

In the beginning, it was funny. Now, it is spammy. If you read the majority of the replies by the Columbus Mafia, it's only about Columbus or the general area. Some of the responders know more than others, but some are just complete spammers. It's a strategy.

I've been answering questions on BiggerPockets for 10 years and never once asked for business or DM'd for business. People find me because I answer questions, sometimes about the area, most of the time about investing. If we built a spreadsheet of the overall responses from the Mafia and how many were veiled attempts at business, I would bet it is close to 80 percent.

I know I am not the only one annoyed every day, so please post your thoughts here so BiggerPockets can review them.

I do know someone who bought multiple properties with a former Mafia member and the properties are still performing so this isn't a referenda on how good the agents are. I have not personally worked with them. What this is about is the constant and unabashed spam sham on every post that mentions anything even close to Ohio. Like maybe just round robin it, bros. Watching you all post after each other is embarrassing.

I have spent a significant amount of time responding to this thread. Please provide me with a correct address to send my billable hours.

[James Wise]

Quote from @Remington Lyman:

Quote from @Becca F.:

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Here is the recording of me and @Remington Lyman discussing the issue like two fully grown adults.

https://fathom.video/share/MNscSw4vQsx65fmzexEsuTDk7CJB5QLU?...

 After watching that recording, I'd add that I have a lot more  respect for Remington than I did before.  I previously grouped him into the Columbus agents who seem to comment on every new investor post, especially the California investors. I get DMs from these new CA investors who don't post on the forums - I feel that they could get much better advice from many of the more experienced investors on here.  Maybe they're afraid of sales pitched which is why they don't want to post publicly or just don't want their names on a public forum?? I try to help them the best that I could. 

I agree with the comments about how the gurus keep pushing the 1% cash flow narrative which is why new investors gravitate towards this. I don't run a real estate brokerage and I'm not an agent so I don't know enough to comment about that industry and who should be fired, etc. 

Wow this thread has gotten heated. 

Thank you for the respect! If you can, please tell my parents. I have been trying to get that from them for 30 years now.

Don't group me with those other Columbus agents. I am about to fire them.

[Jonathan Greene]

Quote from @Remington Lyman:

Quote from @Becca F.:

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Here is the recording of me and @Remington Lyman discussing the issue like two fully grown adults.

https://fathom.video/share/MNscSw4vQsx65fmzexEsuTDk7CJB5QLU?...

 After watching that recording, I'd add that I have a lot more  respect for Remington than I did before.  I previously grouped him into the Columbus agents who seem to comment on every new investor post, especially the California investors. I get DMs from these new CA investors who don't post on the forums - I feel that they could get much better advice from many of the more experienced investors on here.  Maybe they're afraid of sales pitched which is why they don't want to post publicly or just don't want their names on a public forum?? I try to help them the best that I could. 

I agree with the comments about how the gurus keep pushing the 1% cash flow narrative which is why new investors gravitate towards this. I don't run a real estate brokerage and I'm not an agent so I don't know enough to comment about that industry and who should be fired, etc. 

Wow this thread has gotten heated. 

Thank you for the respect! If you can, please tell my parents. I have been trying to get that from them for 30 years now.

Don't group me with those other Columbus agents. I am about to fire them.

Your parents actually messaged me after they watched the video. First, they asked me if I really liked your beard, and then they asked about each agent at your brokerage one by one, as well as why your holiday presents weren't better after you said how many deals you close on your own. :)

[Remington Lyman]

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Quote from @Remington Lyman:

Quote from @Becca F.:

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Here is the recording of me and @Remington Lyman discussing the issue like two fully grown adults.

https://fathom.video/share/MNscSw4vQsx65fmzexEsuTDk7CJB5QLU?...

 After watching that recording, I'd add that I have a lot more  respect for Remington than I did before.  I previously grouped him into the Columbus agents who seem to comment on every new investor post, especially the California investors. I get DMs from these new CA investors who don't post on the forums - I feel that they could get much better advice from many of the more experienced investors on here.  Maybe they're afraid of sales pitched which is why they don't want to post publicly or just don't want their names on a public forum?? I try to help them the best that I could. 

I agree with the comments about how the gurus keep pushing the 1% cash flow narrative which is why new investors gravitate towards this. I don't run a real estate brokerage and I'm not an agent so I don't know enough to comment about that industry and who should be fired, etc. 

Wow this thread has gotten heated. 

Thank you for the respect! If you can, please tell my parents. I have been trying to get that from them for 30 years now.

Don't group me with those other Columbus agents. I am about to fire them.

Your parents actually messaged me after they watched the video. First, they asked me if I really liked your beard, and then they asked about each agent at your brokerage one by one, as well as why your holiday presents weren't better after you said how many deals you close on your own. :)

 My parents are dead

[Jonathan Greene]

Quote from @Remington Lyman:

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Do you feel continuously assaulted by the Columbus Mafia on BiggerPockets?

If any newbie utters the word Columbus, Midwest, or Ohio, the entire brokerage descends upon the forums with post after post. It's absolute madness. I believe this behavior also goes over the DMs.

In the beginning, it was funny. Now, it is spammy. If you read the majority of the replies by the Columbus Mafia, it's only about Columbus or the general area. Some of the responders know more than others, but some are just complete spammers. It's a strategy.

I've been answering questions on BiggerPockets for 10 years and never once asked for business or DM'd for business. People find me because I answer questions, sometimes about the area, most of the time about investing. If we built a spreadsheet of the overall responses from the Mafia and how many were veiled attempts at business, I would bet it is close to 80 percent.

I know I am not the only one annoyed every day, so please post your thoughts here so BiggerPockets can review them.

I do know someone who bought multiple properties with a former Mafia member and the properties are still performing so this isn't a referenda on how good the agents are. I have not personally worked with them. What this is about is the constant and unabashed spam sham on every post that mentions anything even close to Ohio. Like maybe just round robin it, bros. Watching you all post after each other is embarrassing.

I have spent a significant amount of time responding to this thread. Please provide me with a correct address to send my billable hours.

It's real estate related so, as you know, it's always nothing until closing.

[Remington Lyman]

Quote from @Michael P.:

Quote from @Remington Lyman:

Quote from @Becca F.:

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Here is the recording of me and @Remington Lyman discussing the issue like two fully grown adults.

https://fathom.video/share/MNscSw4vQsx65fmzexEsuTDk7CJB5QLU?...

 After watching that recording, I'd add that I have a lot more  respect for Remington than I did before.  I previously grouped him into the Columbus agents who seem to comment on every new investor post, especially the California investors. I get DMs from these new CA investors who don't post on the forums - I feel that they could get much better advice from many of the more experienced investors on here.  Maybe they're afraid of sales pitched which is why they don't want to post publicly or just don't want their names on a public forum?? I try to help them the best that I could. 

I agree with the comments about how the gurus keep pushing the 1% cash flow narrative which is why new investors gravitate towards this. I don't run a real estate brokerage and I'm not an agent so I don't know enough to comment about that industry and who should be fired, etc. 

Wow this thread has gotten heated. 

Thank you for the respect! If you can, please tell my parents. I have been trying to get that from them for 30 years now.

Don't group me with those other Columbus agents. I am about to fire them.

 On a more serious note can you hire me and train me to be a Columbus agent. 

No. I already have to fire 38 agents. I cannot take anymore

https://makeagif.com/i/tQ3kkN

[Jonathan Greene]

Quote from @James Wise:

Quote from @Remington Lyman:

Quote from @James Wise:

Quote from @Remington Lyman:

Quote from @Remington Lyman:

Quote from @Michael P.:

Quote from @Remington Lyman:

Quote from @Becca F.:

Quote from @Jonathan Greene:

Here is the recording of me and @Remington Lyman discussing the issue like two fully grown adults.

https://fathom.video/share/MNscSw4vQsx65fmzexEsuTDk7CJB5QLU?...

 After watching that recording, I'd add that I have a lot more  respect for Remington than I did before.  I previously grouped him into the Columbus agents who seem to comment on every new investor post, especially the California investors. I get DMs from these new CA investors who don't post on the forums - I feel that they could get much better advice from many of the more experienced investors on here.  Maybe they're afraid of sales pitched which is why they don't want to post publicly or just don't want their names on a public forum?? I try to help them the best that I could. 

I agree with the comments about how the gurus keep pushing the 1% cash flow narrative which is why new investors gravitate towards this. I don't run a real estate brokerage and I'm not an agent so I don't know enough to comment about that industry and who should be fired, etc. 

Wow this thread has gotten heated. 

Thank you for the respect! If you can, please tell my parents. I have been trying to get that from them for 30 years now.

Don't group me with those other Columbus agents. I am about to fire them.

 On a more serious note can you hire me and train me to be a Columbus agent. 

No. I already have to fire 38 agents. I cannot take anymore

https://makeagif.com/i/tQ3kkN

 @James Wise how do I embed gifs? 

&ct=g

Does this work?

Look at you browski. Remi 2.0 way cooler than spammy Remi 1.0.

 I can only act this way on this thread. After this it is back to boring broker Remington

 Guess so. When you're wearing that boring Broker hat you should take your boys outside and teach them how mowing the lawn works here in Ohio.

That will only lead the team to start posting and replying on Greener Pockets so maybe that's not the best idea.

[V.G Jason]

Quote from @Michael P.:

 Why is quantity better than quality? (Honest question)

I’ve found the opposite in my investing. 

Maybe a misunderstanding. I called him out on HIM being the one to say that. I've said quality over quantity for a long, long time, now on these boards. Post history would confirm that.

I called him out for preaching that (finally) after trying to say that, yet giving the opposite advice for the past few years indirectly.

It's as if he's looked at where things are going, looked at the forums, and magically stumbled upon his own organic opinion. Not saying he copied me though, but rather something else. 

[Joe S.]

Quote from @V.G Jason:

Quote from @Michael P.:

 Why is quantity better than quality? (Honest question)

I’ve found the opposite in my investing. 

Maybe a misunderstanding. I called him out on HIM being the one to say that. I've said quality over quantity for a long, long time, now on these boards. Post history would confirm that.

I called him out for preaching that (finally) after trying to say that, yet giving the opposite advice for the past few years indirectly.

It's as if he's looked at where things are going, looked at the forums, and magically stumbled upon his own organic opinion. Not saying he copied me though, but rather something else. 

Could you post the link? That should be an interesting thread. :-)

[Michael P.]

@James Wise

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/21/topics/1191462-colum...

[James Wise]

Quote from @Michael P.:

@James Wise

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/21/topics/1191462-colum...

 I gotta say, James Wise is hilarious. Love that guy. Quite possibly the coolest dude on the forums.

[Ivana Ivanovic]

OMG, yes! I just logged back on here after a couple of weeks, and reviewed my messages and posts about Columbus. It feels spammy, but more importantly, it is devaluing Bigger Pockets as a resource, and whoever the admin is should consider this. 

There could be simple admin rules put in place to prevent this crap from going on. 

Also, I am here to tell you that at least some people advertising themselves spend more time spamming the forum than actually helping their clients, so buyer beware.