The $20K Bankruptcy Lesson Every Agent Must Know | Chris Bentley DSH #1018

Summary

Digital Social Hour Podcast Episode Summary Title: The $20K Bankruptcy Lesson Every Agent Must Know | Chris Bentley DSH #1018
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Chris Bentley, Real Estate Expert from Dallas
Release Date: December 26, 2024

---

1. Introduction to Chris Bentley

In episode #1018 of the Digital Social Hour, Sean Kelly welcomes Chris Bentley, a seasoned real estate expert based in Dallas with over 21 years of experience in the industry. The conversation kicks off with Chris reflecting on the importance of humility and external perspectives in business.

Sean Kelly [00:45]: “She humbles me.”

Chris Bentley [00:47]: “Or you'll go down, like, the wrong path.”

2. Navigating the Dallas Real Estate Market

Chris provides an insightful overview of the Dallas real estate landscape, highlighting the influx of relocations from high-tax states such as California, New York, New Jersey, Washington, and Minnesota. He emphasizes Dallas's tax advantages and expansive land availability as key attractions.

Chris Bentley [01:19]: “It's a good market. A lot of relocations to Dallas. Obviously, it's a state that has no taxes, so a lot of people moving.”

Sean shares his personal experiences with Dallas, mentioning the notorious traffic and how it can impact daily life and business operations.

Sean Kelly [01:47]: “I just got back from Dallas, a lot of traffic. I got wrecked. I missed my flight.”

3. Surviving the 2008 Financial Crash

Chris candidly discusses his tumultuous experience during the 2008 housing crash, where he faced bankruptcy and lost multiple properties due to non-paying tenants. This period was a defining moment that taught him resilience and strategic financial management.

Chris Bentley [02:44]: “I went bankrupt, but I lost my houses too. So I had like tenants in there that weren't paying and it was just like a big mess.”

He details his recovery process, which took about one to two years, utilizing his mother's credit to rebuild his financial standing.

Chris Bentley [03:00]: “I was using my mom's credit cards and stuff like that. Kind of like moving my credit up. I just knew how the game worked.”

4. Mastering Credit Strategies and Financial Maneuvering

The discussion delves into advanced credit strategies that Chris employed to navigate through financial hardships. He touches on techniques like using 0% credit cards to finance property purchases and the burgeoning trend of point hacking.

Sean Kelly [03:16]: “I see people getting credit cards and literally buying houses with zero percent credit cards.”

Chris Bentley [03:20]: “There’s all kinds of like the point hacking is nuts.”

5. Focusing on Luxury Homes and Leveraging Networking

Chris explains his specialization in luxury real estate, dealing with high-priced properties that attract affluent clients. This niche allows him to build a robust network, leading to word-of-mouth referrals and a steady stream of high-caliber clientele.

Chris Bentley [04:03]: “It's luxury homes. I sell a lot of luxury homes, high priced stuff. I get to meet a lot of really cool people.”

He shares anecdotes about unexpected and elite clients, illustrating the unique opportunities that luxury real estate offers for networking and business growth.

6. Reality TV Experiences and Industry Insights

Chris recounts his brief and ultimately regrettable stint on a reality TV dating show. He criticizes the show's focus on drama over genuine business practices, highlighting the clash between authentic real estate operations and reality TV’s sensationalism.

Chris Bentley [10:32]: “They want more. Something more like a cat fight. They want, like, two women arguing about something or they want something that’s very…”

Sean Kelly [11:30]: “They got them on like a 360.”

7. Exploring Investment Strategies Beyond Real Estate

Beyond real estate, Chris engages in Amazon FBA and capital management, including stock trading. He discusses his preference for manual trading strategies over algorithm-based methods and expresses caution towards high-risk options and cryptocurrency investments.

Chris Bentley [16:41]: “I was doing real estate since 2003, so 21 years now.”

Chris Bentley [17:00]: “I just do it manually. I just really go with numbers.”

8. Growing a Real Estate Brokerage and Mentorship

Chris shares his journey of building a small yet dynamic brokerage with 18 agents. He emphasizes a hands-on mentoring approach, ensuring that each agent receives personalized coaching and support, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment.

Chris Bentley [14:03]: “I mentor people, I coach them. It’s not a situation where you just, like, come in, pay your fee…”

Sean Kelly [14:16]: “I think there's an average if big companies, it's either five or 20.”

9. Current Market Challenges and Trends

The conversation shifts to the current real estate market, where Chris observes that prices are still inflated despite a downturn. He discusses the imbalance between high listing prices and the scarcity of buyers, compounded by fluctuating interest rates.

Chris Bentley [15:17]: “Everything right now is really overinflated, honestly, in pricing. Everybody thinks they're going to get the top dollar and there's just no buyers.”

Sean Kelly [15:43]: “That's why I bought now, because I didn't want to compete with other offers.”

10. Personal Development and Motivation

Chris underscores the significance of continuous personal development through podcasts, books, and motivational content. He credits his girlfriend for providing valuable insights that help him navigate both personal and professional challenges.

Chris Bentley [22:13]: “I listen to a lot of motivation... different angle on something that I never even like thought of.”

Sean Kelly [22:49]: “I could tell it was something. Something important.”

11. Reflections and Future Goals

In the closing segments, Chris reflects on his journey from financial struggle to establishing a successful real estate brokerage. He outlines his ambitious goal of ranking in the top three brokerages in Dallas within the next five years and possibly expanding to Miami, recognizing the challenges ahead but expressing enthusiasm for the journey.

Chris Bentley [23:52]: “It's a long road, but I knew that coming in.”

Sean Kelly [24:35]: “Journeys are way more fun.”

---

Key Takeaways:

• Resilience in Adversity: Chris's experience with bankruptcy and recovery showcases the importance of resilience and strategic financial management in overcoming industry downturns.
• Networking and Mentorship: Building a strong network and providing hands-on mentorship are crucial for growing a successful real estate brokerage.
• Market Insights: Understanding market dynamics, such as price inflation and buyer scarcity, is essential for navigating the real estate landscape effectively.
• Diversified Investments: Exploring diverse investment avenues beyond real estate can provide additional revenue streams, though caution is advised in high-risk areas.
• Personal Growth: Continuous learning and personal development are vital for sustained success and adaptability in a competitive industry.

Notable Quotes:

• On Humility:

  Sean Kelly [00:45]: “She humbles me.”

• On Survival and Bankruptcy:

  Chris Bentley [02:46]: “I went bankrupt, but I lost my houses too.”

• On Credit Strategies:

  Chris Bentley [03:20]: “The point hacking is nuts.”

• On Real Estate Specialization:

  Chris Bentley [04:03]: “It's luxury homes. I sell a lot of luxury homes, high priced stuff.”

• On Reality TV Challenges:

  Chris Bentley [10:32]: “They want something more like a cat fight.”

• On Market Inflation:

  Chris Bentley [15:17]: “Everything right now is really overinflated, honestly, in pricing.”

• On Personal Development:

  Chris Bentley [22:13]: “I listen to a lot of motivation... different angle on something that I never even like thought of.”

---

This episode of Digital Social Hour offers a profound exploration of the real estate industry's challenges and triumphs through Chris Bentley's experiences. From surviving financial crises to building a luxury-focused brokerage, listeners gain valuable insights into strategic resilience, the power of networking, and the importance of continuous personal growth. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned professional, Chris's journey serves as an inspiring blueprint for navigating and thriving in the competitive digital and real estate landscapes.

Transcript

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[Host]

Gosh, she humbles me.

[Chris Bentley]

Really?

[Host]

Yeah. I feel like I'm making all the right decisions and. Yeah, you need that outside perspective or else your ego will just take over.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Or you'll go down, like, the wrong path.

[Host]

Yeah. Because, you know, it's easy to have yes men around you once you have some financial success and then you just think you're hot.

[Chris Bentley]

And then, like, the people that you pick up are people that are telling you the wrong thing. And the only reason why they're telling you to do that is because they get paid on that.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

And then you're just like. Well, like, you know.

[Host]

All right, guys, Chris Bentley here, real estate expert from Dallas. Right. Thanks for coming on.

[Chris Bentley]

Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

[Host]

Absolutely. How's that market been lately?

[Chris Bentley]

It's good. Yeah. A lot of relocations to Dallas. Obviously, it's a state that has no taxes, so a lot of people moving.

[Host]

Right.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Where are they moving from?

[Chris Bentley]

Cali, New York, New Jersey, California, Washington, Minnesota.

[Host]

Nice.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Those are like some of the bigger ones.

[Host]

Yeah. I'm from Jersey. That state taxes, no joke there.

[Chris Bentley]

I grew up on the East Coast, D.C. virginia area.

[Host]

Okay. Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

East coast, good weather. But yeah, some of those taxes are just. Especially New York and Jersey.

[Chris Bentley]

It's expensive. Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah. But Dallas, you get a lot of land. The one thing I'll say, because I just got back from Dallas, a lot of traffic.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

I got wrecked. I missed my flight.

[Chris Bentley]

Really?

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Host]

I didn't know how. How much traffic there was, so I was like, oh, it's only 15 away. And then my flight was at 6. I got stuck in like 50 minutes of traffic.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. There's always a wreck. There's always. Well, it's like 30 minutes anywhere, really, in Dallas, which a lot of people aren't used to. I mean, I'm not really even Used to it. I've been there for 13 plus years. But it's just. That's kind of how it is. And if you catch it on rush hour, it's anywhere from like 45 to an hour.

[Host]

Absolutely.

[Chris Bentley]

So it's just like. It's just different.

[Host]

You gotta plan it out out there. Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

I mean, on the east coast it's just different because you like drive somewhere and it's like there's stuff there to look at. In Dallas, it's really not. It's just. It's not.

[Host]

There's so much space.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, just a lot of space.

[Host]

Is that when you got into real estate, when you moved out to Dallas, or were you.

[Chris Bentley]

No, I was doing real estate since 2003, so 21 years now. And then I started out in the East Coast. I moved to Dallas over 13 years ago.

[Host]

So you survived the OA crash then?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, barely. Barely? Barely.

[Host]

Well, a lot of people went bankrupt, so. Is that what happened to you?

[Chris Bentley]

I went bankrupt, but I lost my houses too. So I had like tenants in there that weren't paying and it was just like a big mess.

[Host]

And Damn.

[Chris Bentley]

Back then like bankruptcy was a lot easier than it is now. So I just did a BK and just survived it.

[Host]

And how long did that take to recover from?

[Chris Bentley]

Probably about like a year or two because I had like. You can assign somebody else's credit to your credit. So like I was using my mom's credit cards and stuff like that.

[Host]

Got it.

[Chris Bentley]

Kind of like moving my credit up. I just knew how the game worked, so I just kind of moved it up as I went.

[Host]

That credit game is a good game to know, man.

[Chris Bentley]

Oh yeah.

[Host]

I see people getting credit cards and literally buying houses with zero percent credit cards.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. It's crazy.

[Host]

And then putting that house on Airbnb.

[Chris Bentley]

And you can do it like American Express points and stuff like that. There's all kinds of like.

[Host]

Yeah, the point hacking is nuts.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, yeah.

[Host]

People. So people watching this don't buy flights with just points. Transfer it to the airline, you get five extra points.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Host]

Isn't that crazy?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, it is crazy.

[Host]

Yeah. So they'll give you a 5x bonus. I know. Same with hotels too.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Host]

You got to look for those deals.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

I know people going to Egypt for like 500 bucks, business class.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow. I know people that just spreadsheet it, like look at it and all kinds. Yeah, yeah.

[Host]

You could get extreme with it.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

I don't pay too much attention, cuz.

[Chris Bentley]

Right.

[Host]

People live in that world sometimes. But I'd rather Just focus on making money, baby. Yeah, me too.

[Chris Bentley]

I'm the same way.

[Host]

What's. What's your bread and butter, though, really?

[Chris Bentley]

It's luxury homes. I mean, I sell a lot of luxury homes, high priced stuff. I get to meet a lot of really cool people, which is really great.

[Host]

Anyone ever, like, shock you that you turned up to the house and you were like, what?

[Chris Bentley]

Just, you know, somebody will call me and be like, hey, I want to go look at like, 1, 2, 3, main. I'll go show out there and I'll be like, wow. Like, I didn't know, like, this was going to be this person.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Just like, oh, that's cool. You know, or it'll be like somebody that created an app or something and you're like, had no idea they were making, like, that kind of money. And you're like, wow, like, that's cool.

[Host]

That's probably like a good networking opportunity too.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Because it's just like, oh, you know, I know Chris and like, he can give me something. And before you know it, like, they'll tell their friends.

[Host]

Right.

[Chris Bentley]

Like, it's before. It's just.

[Host]

Yeah. Because if one person's getting a house, their friends are probably moving in within the next few years. So.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. And it's just like, it's a snowball kind of deal.

[Host]

Yeah. So what's the price range you typically aim for?

[Chris Bentley]

I mean, Dallas is a little different from like the New York and like the Cali market. So, I mean, anything that's like over a half million is considered like, or I guess more like 600 is more considered like luxury.

[Host]

Really?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. So it's a little different market.

[Host]

Yeah. Out here that's like an average house, I feel like.

[Chris Bentley]

But yeah, anything over a million is kind of like when you start like getting into my phone calls.

[Host]

Okay. What's the most you've sold the house for?

[Chris Bentley]

5.5 million.

[Host]

Holy crap.

[Chris Bentley]

So that was pretty cool.

[Host]

How many square foot, how many acres?

[Chris Bentley]

It was just. It's in Highland Park. It's like in one of the richest neighborhoods.

[Host]

Nice.

[Chris Bentley]

In Dallas. So.

[Host]

Yeah, that's all.

[Chris Bentley]

Everybody wants it. It's exclusive. Just for people to say, like, hey, I live in Highland park, you know, so it's just. That's what.

[Host]

That's where Cuban's at.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, Cuban.

[Host]

And I heard a casino's coming out there.

[Chris Bentley]

They're trying to.

[Host]

Cuban's trying to get that through. Right.

[Chris Bentley]

He just sold a whole Maverick sale.

[Host]

Right. That. That would change Dallas up, I think, because I don't think there's any casinos in like the center of the country right now?

[Chris Bentley]

No. And it's going to create more jobs and it's going to create like, you know, bedding and different.

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[Host]

Yeah, I mean, we're in Vegas now. That's how we all can live here because of the casinos. It's like the necessary evil almost. I know, you know, preying on people's losses, but it funds a majority. I'd have to look at the percent, but it's got to be. Yeah, 80%.

[Chris Bentley]

I think it's the same thing with like Oklahoma.

[Host]

Oh, Oklahoma. Really?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, because they have a lot of casinos and that kind of.

[Host]

I didn't know. So are you mainly in Dallas?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I'm just in Dallas.

[Host]

But you got plans to expand?

[Chris Bentley]

Maybe. I'm thinking about Miami every once in a while just because I like traveling there and hanging out.

[Host]

But it's hard to see Miami, dude.

[Chris Bentley]

I know.

[Host]

Like, it's really hard.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

If I wasn't in a relationship and I was single, I think Miami would be the move then.

[Chris Bentley]

Like, if I could speak Spanish.

[Host]

Like you need to speak Spanish out there. We're probably outliers out there.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

If you walk the street out there and you don't really see many white people walking around.

[Chris Bentley]

Well, I mean, it's just a mix.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

So it's just we got to know Spanish though, or like at least a little bit to understand what's going on.

[Host]

Absolutely. How are you able to get clients? Social media.

[Chris Bentley]

When I first started out, it was a lot of networking, like a lot of like handshaking and like, you know, talking to people about what they do and different Stuff and talking about that kind of stuff, and eventually somebody gave me a deal and before he got another deal and just kind of, like, started to add up. But I was an absolute, like, ninja in terms of. Or like, a psychopath with the. When networking, I was out, like, every night, even, like, weekends, just trying to, like, meet people. And before you knew it, like, I was, like, the popular kid or the popular guy, you know? And then just people just started, like, being like, oh, like, see if you can list this or see if you can sell this. It just kind of worked its way out.

[Host]

I feel like that's. Most agents struggle, right? Getting clients.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Like, they got to get leads. Like, that's the biggest thing. And that's the thing that, like, most people when they graduate school, have no idea what they're doing.

[Host]

Right. And just. I mean, social skills in general are tougher these days because of social media.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

So people don't even know how to talk.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. I mean, especially, like, the younger clients that I bring out. I'm like, you got to go to a networking event and start meeting people, and they're like, you know, like, I have to get up and go somewhere and, like, go talk to people that are random strangers, you know, it's just like, yeah, that's how it is. That's how business is.

[Host]

I mean, it's hard to sell a house over text, over dm.

[Chris Bentley]

They try, but.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Not everyone's Ryan Sirhant. Right?

[Chris Bentley]

Right.

[Host]

Did you watch his new show?

[Chris Bentley]

I haven't watched his show. I read part of his book.

[Host]

How was it?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, it was good. He's a gifted marketer. Like, gifted how he, like, thinks of stuff.

[Host]

That's really cool. Yeah. That's a crazy market because there's no mls, so you have to, like, be kind of innovative and, like, really hustle.

[Chris Bentley]

Because there's a lot of people that are doing the same hustle. He is.

[Host]

Right. But he's able to just network better than all of them and promote himself with social media.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. And I think he's like, you know, he has a lot of benefits, too. Like, you know, he's just a popular dude. You know, he's out there working. He just hustles. Because I read the beginning of the book, and I was just like, wow, this is good. And I got to, like, the middle.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

He's talking about his hustle.

[Host]

Is there any TV shows about the Dallas market? Like, selling Dallas or something?

[Chris Bentley]

I'm trying to create one.

[Host]

Oh, yeah?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Like, I've been on a couple of shows and trying to promote something that, like, get it happening and, like, it just hasn't worked out. Like, I've talked to a couple directors about it.

[Host]

Interesting. I wonder why.

[Chris Bentley]

It's just like, they want more. Something more like a cat fight. They want, like, two women arguing about something or they want something that's very, like, I don't know, kind of like Sunset right now, where it's just. It's not really about selling homes. Is about, like, shoes and purses and yelling at people.

[Host]

They need that drama, right?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. And I'm like, I'm all about selling houses. Yeah, let's go get paid.

[Host]

Well, from their point of view, that probably doesn't get as many views, so.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It's probably. Probably pretty boring for them.

[Host]

A lot of that drama is manufactured, too.

[Chris Bentley]

Oh, yeah, I know.

[Host]

Yeah. Reality tv. I don't even believe anything I see on reality tv. They're trying to get views.

[Chris Bentley]

I don't really believe a lot of stuff on C I see on for sure.

[Host]

Yeah. Not even just reality these days. What. What shows were you on?

[Chris Bentley]

I was on, like, this dating show, and I did it and I, like, regretted it and never. And never aired how it didn't. Yeah, never.

[Host]

Why do you regret it?

[Chris Bentley]

Because they would ask me to do, like, the most, like, things that I would not feel comfortable with.

[Host]

Really?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. They'd be like, hey, like, you know, I know you sell luxury homes. I want you to, like, go out and, like, we're going to shoot this one scene where you talk about how, like, you dominate this particular city and, like, this and that. And I was like, okay, well, that's cool. I know it's going to get rating. I did it. And then afterwards I was like, well, like, there's a lot of other people that are really good in this market, too, and, like, they're probably gonna see that. That are my competitors. And we all work together. So you can't. Like, you had to do. Two agents have to work together. So, like, I don't want to, like, create a lot of friction like that.

[Host]

Yeah, they would have been like, this guy.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Like, this is full of it, you know? And, like, that's what I didn't want.

[Host]

Yeah. I don't think I'd ever go on reality tv because they're just telling you what to do and stuff.

[Chris Bentley]

And the contracts, too. Like, I couldn't do certain things. I had to post certain amount of times. And, like, I did a bunch of different stuff.

[Host]

Yeah, no, because I've tried to have Those people on the pod and now I have to sign a release form just to even have them come from the network.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Host]

Crazy.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

They got them on like a 360.

[Chris Bentley]

It worked out well for like, Josh Flag and like a lot of those other people, but they basically, like, sold their soul. They can't do anything without permission.

[Host]

Absolutely. Yeah. You got to be careful selling your souls. Once you get some money and attention, you're. You're a target of that.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

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[Chris Bentley]

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[Host]

You know?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. That's crazy.

[Host]

Yeah. So you're done with tv, but you said you might want to try to make your own.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I would love to. I even thought about doing like, a YouTube series. I'm big on YouTube, so, like, I was thinking about doing a whole series. I just. I just haven't gotten around to it. It's a lot of work.

[Host]

What do you think about the. The house flipping model? Is that still viable these days?

[Chris Bentley]

It is. If you start out with something that's low. I think Grant Cardone has, like, the right idea with like, the multifamily. It's just whatever your slice of thing is.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

A lot of people think that it's really easy and it's just. It takes a lot of, like, stomach to deal with tenants and people not paying rent and repairs and stuff like that. Some people love it and some people. I used to be a landlord and I hated it. Like here hearing all the sob stories about how they can't make rent and stuff like that.

[Host]

Contractors are always way more than you expect to.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. I mean, all kinds of different stuff.

[Host]

A lot of headaches. Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Sub 2 and seller financing is hot right now.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

But I tried it because I just bought a house and it was tough, you know?

[Chris Bentley]

Right.

[Host]

Asking someone to not put down any money for their house. It's a tough sell.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, that's true.

[Host]

I'm sure you get clients asking you for that structure now.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I mean, like, I. I kind of get more clients that have money, to be really honest. But like, when I first started, I had like, a lot of clients who were just kind of like, trying to get me to push them into a home. And that's, like, probably the worst thing you possibly do.

[Host]

Right?

[Chris Bentley]

It's like, hey, like, I really want a home, but I could barely afford it, you know, can you squeeze me in? And all it takes is like, one really bad month and then you're out.

[Host]

You're out. So got to start somewhere though, right?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I mean, it's just.

[Host]

How many people are under you now?

[Chris Bentley]

I got 18 agents now.

[Host]

Nice.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, it's a small brokerage. We're growing. It's just we have a lot of products that we sell, which is really great, and we just keep rolling. Like, the great thing about our. Our, you know, company is me. Like, I mentor people, I coach them. It's not a situation where you just, like, come in, pay your fee, you know, you get a desk, you get some time with me, and, like, that's it. Yeah, you can ask me questions, you can roll with me, we can go to appointments. That's how I learned the business. I was actually, like, more hands on.

[Host]

Yeah. So you wanted to have hands on style with your. Your firm?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, because I want to make sure, like, you know, the client journey and their satisfaction is really important to me. So I want them to have a great experience. I want them to be like, wow, like, you know, I did it with Chris and like, his company was great. And, yeah, his agents were great. I recommend him. I mean, that's. Word of mouth is huge.

[Host]

Massive. People don't know your reputation is huge, especially these days because of social media.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Like, that goes fast and far and quickly. Yeah. I wonder if that will be scalable as you hire more employees.

[Chris Bentley]

We'll see. You know, I'm gonna have to hire more staff, basically.

[Host]

Do you feel pretty overwhelmed right now with 18?

[Chris Bentley]

Not so much, but it's getting there because I. I wear a lot of.

[Host]

Hats, so I think there's, yeah, this one rule. I think one manager for every. What is it, five on average for big companies? Something or 20? It's either five or 20.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, something like that.

[Host]

Yeah. Because at a certain point, you're just.

[Chris Bentley]

It's too much all over the place. Yeah.

[Host]

Damn. That's cool though, man. I. I can't wait to see where you are in a few years, actually.

[Chris Bentley]

Thank you.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

So it's a long way. I mean, we're only. We're gonna be five years old in January.

[Host]

Okay. So 18 and five years.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Nice.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Many houses a year are you guys selling?

[Chris Bentley]

Just depends. This is going to be our biggest year. But yeah, even though it's like a down year.

[Host]

Yeah, this is a down year. Like, pretty significant down year.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Like how, how much are prices down over there?

[Chris Bentley]

Not by much. Everything right now is really over inflated, honestly, in pricing. Everybody thinks they're going to get the top dollar and there's just no buyers. And that's what we're experiencing is like, there's a lot of homes on the market. I'm listing a lot of homes on the market. There's. There isn't a whole lot of buyers. Um, and now that the interest rates have come down a little bit, you know, more people are more inclined to like put an offer in, but it's still like a lot of, you know, bottom feeding trying to get like a great deal on something.

[Host]

That's why I bought now, because I didn't want to compete with other offers.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

And that's what people don't think about. When the interest rates drop, there's going to be 10 other offers and they're going to be over ask. Because remember like three years ago, that's what it was.

[Chris Bentley]

Yep.

[Host]

I remember when I moved to Vegas, if you didn't offer 100k over asked, they wouldn't even entertain the offer. Was Dallas like that too?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, it was like I walked into any house, it was either 40 to 60,000 over asking. And if he didn't have that, like, we're walking out there.

[Host]

Yeah. It's crazy, right?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. I'll just be like, oh, like, thanks for coming. I mean, that's how it was.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

I sold a house over a hundred thousand.

[Host]

Damn.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. And it was pretty smooth. It was a really nice house, but like over a hundred thousand, that's not. And the lender didn't even want to accept it. Like, I had to call the VP and be like, hey, like, it's Chris Bentley. Like, I'm selling this house.

[Host]

Holy crap.

[Chris Bentley]

And like the VP of the bank and be like, you know, like. But yeah, he's underwater.

[Host]

The VP of the bank is.

[Chris Bentley]

No, the. Well, I'm sure.

[Host]

Oh, the buyer. Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

The buyers.

[Host]

Yeah. When you pay too much over asking me. Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

You're just stuck with it.

[Host]

You gotta have that safety net. What else are you doing outside of real estate?

[Chris Bentley]

So on Amazon, fba. It started out as just something that I did as like a hobby. Another guy that I met, like, he was telling me how he was killing it and it was like kind of a competition between us. I'm not really doing that quite as much anymore. And then I do capital Management. I trade money or I trade stocks for people.

[Host]

Oh, yeah?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

So you're good with the numbers?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, like, I like, I've been playing stocks since I was a kid.

[Host]

Okay. So do you do it manually? Do you have an algorithm?

[Chris Bentley]

I don't have an algorithm, I just do it manually.

[Host]

Got it.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I just really go with numbers.

[Host]

What's your strategy? News cycles or you just look at the charts?

[Chris Bentley]

I look at charts. Yeah.

[Host]

So that works. The TA actually works.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. So I look at like, I buy low so high. I do a lot of different things, but yeah, it's very like, easy strategy.

[Host]

Really?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

What's your track record?

[Chris Bentley]

Like history usually in like the 20%. Damn.

[Host]

A year.

[Chris Bentley]

Sorry. Like FINRA or anybody. Like. Yeah, but like somewhere in the upper. That area. Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah. Well, those numbers are achievable with low lower because some people are managing hundreds of millions. So 20% would be really hard. But if you're managing millions, it's definitely possible.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Damn, that's impressive though. So what's the structure? If someone watching this is interested?

[Chris Bentley]

Just like they would just meet with me and let's just talk about it.

[Host]

Okay.

[Chris Bentley]

I'm pretty flexible. Like, I just. Yeah, everybody else is. Like, they have to take a certain cut and it's like a big cut and I just want people to be happy with their results.

[Host]

We'll link your. Your Instagram below to get contact with you.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, that's cool.

[Host]

Okay.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, it's not my bread and butter. I just saw real estate.

[Host]

I mean, 20% is no joke.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

People are looking for 10% right now. And then you got people putting 5% in bonds.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Happy with that. But.

[Chris Bentley]

Or even like savings accounts.

[Host]

Oh, those are even worse.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Like what, 1%, 2%, they're pretty high right now.

[Chris Bentley]

So link in the fours. Yeah.

[Host]

Oh, that's higher than I thought.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, but they're driving because interest rates are going, going down.

[Host]

Yeah. I remember I used to use this one bank called CIT bank and it was 8%.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Host]

This was like five years ago. But it's probably like.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Plus it's FDIC only goes up to what, 250K.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

So you can't really put a lot in there because if they go under, which looks like some banks are going to go under. Right. You're probably hearing rumblings of this in the real estate.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I mean, I was in banks before, so like I kind of knew about. I had a bank job, so I just kind of know how it works on like the back End. Um, it's pretty tight. Like, I mean, me personally, like, I wouldn't get into purchasing a bank.

[Host]

Definitely not.

[Chris Bentley]

It's just like, there's just not. There's a lot of work for like, not much profit.

[Host]

Is it true when you deposit a dollar, they're allowed to lend it out 10 times?

[Chris Bentley]

Something like that.

[Host]

That's crazy.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Whatever their rules are with the Fed.

[Host]

How is that even possible though?

[Chris Bentley]

Like, because. Because the federal always push them up.

[Host]

Wow.

[Chris Bentley]

So it's kind of like you being a child and being able to spend whatever you want on your credit card knowing you're mom is gonna pay for the, for the bill. And then if your mom isn't there, like, you know. Yeah. Somebody else will.

[Host]

And those are our tax dollars.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. They don't figure out something. I'll print some more money and.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Tell you not to do that again.

[Host]

That's crazy, man. Do you keep a lot in the bank?

[Chris Bentley]

Sometimes. Especially in my equity accounts.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Trading and trading. Are you doing options or just pure.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, just pure equities.

[Host]

So that's actually safe then? Yeah, sometimes options traders get wrecked. I've seen.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, it's just, I mean, stock trader gets wrecked too. It just depends on your strategy and like how good you are.

[Host]

Yeah, well, they could get wrecked too, but I feel like, not as bad.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, options are crazy.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

I wouldn't do options.

[Host]

You never dabbled with it.

[Chris Bentley]

Now I watched a trader. Like, I'm in a lot of like trader forums and trader sites and stuff. I watch people on Twitter and like, there's one guy I follow, he does like crazy amounts of the Tesla options, right? Yeah. Nvidia and stuff like that. Yeah, like, it's crazy.

[Host]

And video. Oh, man, if you call that one, you're chill.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, he made like 900,000 one day.

[Host]

I caught Shopify in college.

[Chris Bentley]

I was just like, wow.

[Host]

Yeah, there's a few. Like if you caught Apple early or any of these big ten companies these days. Did you catch Nvidia?

[Chris Bentley]

I caught it like now the split and like I caught it a couple of times during earnings just for the fun of it.

[Host]

But you're in and out.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

You're not holding long term?

[Chris Bentley]

I hold probably like depends on the situation. But yeah, I probably hold. I have like some core stocks and then outside of that I'm in and out.

[Host]

Okay.

[Chris Bentley]

So it's just.

[Host]

You ever double crypto?

[Chris Bentley]

I haven't dabbled, but I've been in a lot of like, rooms with them.

[Host]

That's a whole. Nother world.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Those kids are straight up autistic, like nerdy. Like they're.

[Chris Bentley]

It just. It helps if you have, like if you're in a room with a bunch of them that are doing it. Because a lot of people do have rooms. Or forums.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Or discords and stuff like that.

[Host]

How do people watching this get access to these, these local forums and stuff?

[Chris Bentley]

Like you can go on Twitter and just follow like some of the gurus and stuff like that and just kind of. It's all networking. It's just. I'm very good at that stuff. So like, I just see like somebody else is doing something, see what they're doing, and before you know it, like, you're in a rabbit hole.

[Host]

What do you think of signals?

[Chris Bentley]

I haven't looked into that.

[Host]

I feel like if you're selling access to signals, it's usually not the best quality.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Unless you're like a really good track record trader or something.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

But I was never a fan of signal groups.

[Chris Bentley]

No. Like, I never dabbled with those guys.

[Host]

Yeah. The Forex stuff.

[Chris Bentley]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Host]

That's a tough space.

[Chris Bentley]

I have a guy that's trying to get me to invest in Forex.

[Host]

Really?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. And I'm like, it's kind of cool. And then I did some research on like how some of the brokerages, like just tank overnight, take your money.

[Host]

And that happened to me. Dude, really? Lost half a mil.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Host]

Yeah. Got wrecked.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Host]

Had friends lose millions too.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Host]

Yeah. I'm never doing forks again.

[Chris Bentley]

That's crazy.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, that's what I was worried about.

[Host]

Yep. And any other investments you do?

[Chris Bentley]

Nah, just as stocks. I mean, I have some people that invest with like bigger projects. They have like projects that are doing multi family and stuff like that. And I invest in.

[Host]

Nice.

[Chris Bentley]

That's kind of like a. Just kind of just some play change kind of deal.

[Host]

Do you do a lot of personal.

[Chris Bentley]

Development work of like myself?

[Host]

Just like your mindset. Do you listen a lot of podcasts, books?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I listen to like a lot of like motivation. I learned that when I was broke. Like I was like, I would wake up in the morning and listen to motivation and then before I went to bed, I listened to motivation and I listened to like all kinds of people. I've listened to like, you know, all the big names to just regular people. I just. Because for me, like, they may have a different angle on something that I never even like thought of.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

That's what I really like about my girlfriend. She'll put me in some angle about something and I'll be like, that's like a really good idea. And then I'll sit there and chew on her for a couple of days. And I'd be like, ah, Like I know what she was talking about. I know what her he was talking about. You know, just some interesting thing.

[Host]

Yeah. I asked you that because you were in the green room with headphones on.

[Chris Bentley]

That's what I was.

[Host]

I've actually never seen a guest do that.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I was just listening. All motivation.

[Host]

I could tell it was something. Something important.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Well, like I get in the right mindset, you know.

[Host]

Yeah. And the girlfriend thing, I could relate with that too. My fiance.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Oh my gosh. She humbles me.

[Chris Bentley]

Really?

[Host]

Yeah. I feel like I'm making all the right decisions and. Yeah, you need that outside perspective or else your ego will just take over.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Or you'll go down like the wrong path.

[Host]

Yeah. Because, you know, it's easy to have yes men around you once you have some financial success. And then you just think you're hot.

[Chris Bentley]

And then like the people that you pick up are people that are telling you the wrong thing. And the only reason why they're telling you to do. Do that is because they get paid on that.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

And then you're just like. Well, like, you know.

[Host]

Yeah. I got pulled in so many ways when I started making money to invest in this, invest in that, and they, they would get a commission. I would end up losing the money.

[Chris Bentley]

And they're really not your friend.

[Host]

Lost a lot of relationships. You don't want to lose relationships over money ever.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

That's not a smart thing to do. It's so short term thinking, what are your long term plans and goals?

[Chris Bentley]

Top three, obviously in Dallas.

[Host]

Where do you rank right now?

[Chris Bentley]

Like at the bottom pretty much.

[Host]

Okay. So you got a long road ahead.

[Chris Bentley]

I got a long road, yeah. But I knew that coming in.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Yes. When you start a brokerage with like, you know, not a very big name and then kind of like grind it out through word of mouth and social media and that kind of stuff, it's difficult, but that's cool. Like that. I like it. Like that's the, the challenge of it.

[Host]

How many employees you think you'll need to get to the top three?

[Chris Bentley]

Probably 180.

[Host]

180. You're 1 10th of the way there.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Not bad.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

And those guys probably raised money and had all sorts of connections.

[Chris Bentley]

So it'll be just, it'll be a fun journey. Like that's what I'm really Looking forward to is, like, the journey more than just, like, the numbers. I've always been that way. Like, it really doesn't matter about the money. Like, money's money comes and goes. But, like, the journey is where it's cool.

[Host]

That's what I realized, too, with money and journeys. Journeys are way more fun.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah, it's a blast. I look back, like, working in my mom's basement, it's like those. Those were the glory days, honestly.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I mean, me too. I was like, man, like, being broke and, like, having to actually go out and, like, hustle and, like, hustle hard because you got to make rent and there's no other. Like, you got to make rent or else, like, you're out. Like, you're living under a bridge. You know what I mean? Like, it's not like this whole, like, oh, like, you know, like, I'll survive tomorrow. It's like, no, like, you got to make it. Like, yeah, you got to make that sale.

[Host]

Backs up against the wall, right?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

That's when I'm the best, too.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. I was like, I can't, like, try to explain that to agents that especially, like, newer agents. I can't explain that to him. And, like, I had this one guy when I was doing financial services. He was. He would tell me. He'd be like, you know, if you want to be successful, you got to give me all your money. Like, just strike me a check for all your money. I'll hold on to it until you do get successful. But you. That's the only way you'll be successful in this business. And I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. This guy's full of it. And then, like, now that I kind of see it, it kind of makes sense because, like, if I took all your money and that was it, and you had to go survive, like, you have to go figure it out.

[Host]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Chris Bentley]

There'd be no safety net. You have to figure it out.

[Host]

That is an interesting perspective.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah. A lot of kids are comfortable right now.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Or they have a backstop. They'll be like, oh, I'll ask my parents for it or something.

[Host]

Go back to my mom's house. Yeah. Chris, it's been fun, man. Where can people keep up with you? Your social media.

[Chris Bentley]

It's Chris D. Bentley. And anywhere on any handle, pretty much on social media or Christy Bentley dot com.

[Host]

Boom. But, yeah, link below, man.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Thank you for having me on the show. I really appreciate it.

[Host]

Absolutely. That was cool. Thanks for watching, guys, as always. See you you next time.

[Chris Bentley]

Take care.