The Indymac Video
On February 8th 2010 Frank and Brian released a video, based on a blog post they had read on Active Rain, that showed the sweetheart deal that One West Bank got from the FDIC for purchasing the assets of Indymac Bank. There was something about that video that not only resonated with industry professionals, but stirred up the emotions of the general public as well. When the video was released the views seemed to be much higher than normal early in the day. Then they just kept going and going and going. By the end of the day there were over 50,000 views on it. Needless to say there was quite a buzz going around the office about how far it could go. By the next morning there were over 150,000 views and they were climbing fast – really fast. Not only were the views climbing at an alarming rate but so where the subscribers to the show. Industry professionals and consumers alike were subscribing in droves. By February 12, 2010 the video had gotten so much attention from the media that the FDIC had to issue a press release on it that you can see HERE. It’s not surprising that they would dispel the notion of the sweetheart deal, but many other media outlets agreed with their presentation and even justified it.The original video is lost on the old TBWS site but many people ripped it and uploaded it to their personal YouTube channels. The video on the TBWS site peeked out at about 20 million views. The various YouTube postings have somewhere around 10 million views on them. Needless to say, to date it’s the most viewed video Frank and Brian have ever done.
Mortgage Revolution
With popularity comes demand. All of their hard work was starting to pay off more and more. With views and subscribers soaring, advertisers started showing up asking to be on the show and Frank and Brain were being requested to attend various events as guest speakers. This was new for both of them. Neither one of them had any experience public speaking and their first few events were clunky at best. But they pressed on and learned from each gig. As the requests came in all Frank and Brian would ask for was airfare and hotel rooms, but as it continued it started taking a toll on them and they eventually began charging a speaking fee. What’s interesting about Frank and Brian is that they simply are who they are. People are always surprised to find out that they are exactly the same in person as they are on their show. It’s pretty evident by the fact that they often do their presentations in t-shirts, shorts and flip flops! But that’s what people expect them to do so it’s all good.
One
of the most memorable early speaking events that Frank and Brian
promoted and presented at was the 2010 Mortgage Revolution event in
Atlanta Georgia. The event was almost an anti-event in that no one was
paid to speak and if you did speak you couldn’t “sell” from the stage.
It was an event that helped revive the mortgage originators out there.
By now the mortgage industry and it’s people had been severely beat down
and there was a continual dark cloud overhead. Mortgage Revolution was
a breath of fresh air. An event that had many speakers who showed up
with nothing to sell, just ideas and strategies that could be
implemented to help get through those tough times.The other remarkable thing about the event is that any profits from ticket sales went to local charities. The push was not only to provide value to the mortgage originators out there that just plain needed some inspiration, but to show the country that mortgage people weren’t a pack of evil monsters. They wanted to give back and help the local community. It was a really neat event. They went on to do another one in New York and San Francisco.
The National Real Estate Post
2011 – 2012 were a blur for Frank and Brian. Show after show, speaking event after speaking event they continued to press on making daily shows, working on products finding their way from one opportunity to another. Eventually there was a parting of ways. After much haggling with the owners of FPF Frank and Brian eventually were able to gain a small ownership position of TBWS. The relationship between Frank and Brian and the other owners was always cordial but sometimes it could be tense. At this time the CFPB was getting into full swing and it was a common topic of the show. The majority owners of TBWS were also the owners of FPF and it became more and more apparent that owning the voice that kicks the CFPB around might not be the best idea for the owners of a mortgage banking company. So the decision was made to part ways. They got to keep the name Think Big Work Small and the Rate Alert product and Frank and Brian got to keep the show, their subscribers and their Real Estate Marbles product.The deal went through in September of 2012 and Frank and Brian were allowed to keep the show name “TBWS Daily Show” through the end of the year. The show name was changed to The National Real Estate Post in January of 2013. Frank actually always wanted to change the name of the show for SEO purposes, and he always thought the name of the show should convey what it was about, so for him the name change was welcomed. Since the name change the show has continued to thrive and new partnerships have been formed with Barry Habib and the Listing Booster product. These two relationships have already proved to be very fruitful and helped to position The National Real Estate Post for great things in the near future. They are also currently working with Chad Weber and Mark Madsen, experts in the SEO and consumer marketing arena, which will greatly benefit their viewers and Featured Professionals.
Fox News & The Future
One of the immediate benefits of being connected to Barry Habib was the introduction he made for them to Liz Claman, host of the Fox News show After the Bell. After Frank and Brian’s first appearance on the show they have been invited back several times. There is even a fun relationship being formed with Liz and her team. Frank and Brain would love to have more appearances on her show and other shows. Time will tell, but the future looks promising for Frank and Brian and The National Real Estate Post.Frank and Brian have worked tirelessly for the past 6 years to drive The National Real Estate Post up the charts. With the help of their newly formed partnerships they believe they can make The National Real Estate Post a household name with all mortgage professionals, real estate professionals and consumers alike. The bottom line is they’re determined to make it, or die trying! It’s funny to look back on how it all started and really encouraging to see such great promise going forward. The bottom line is that it may have started with a little idea and perhaps a dash of luck, but how it got here, and where it’s going, has been and will always be, the result of a lot of hard work, dedication and consistency. So stay tuned and thanks for reading Our History and as Jerry Garcia once sang – “What a long strange trip it’s been”.
The National Real Estate Post
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