PDX Real Estate 138: Celebrating 10 Years of Masters in Real Estate

In January of 2012, as we made our way out of the Great
Recession, ethics in real estate was at an all-time low. And Joe
Fustolo asked himself, ‘How can I fix this?’


He created the Masters in Real Estate Facebook Group to foster
professionalism and cooperation among real estate professionals
in the Portland tri-county area.


Ten years later, Masters is nearly 8,000 members strong, and
Joe’s commitment to the integrity of the group sets it apart from
other real estate related communities on Facebook.


On this episode of the Portland Real Estate Podcast, Joe and
cohost Steve Nassar celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Masters
in Real Estate, discussing what the group looked like in its
early days and how the community grew over time.


Joe shares the mandatory questions prospective members must
answer to be approved, reviewing what's okay to post (and what’s
not) and explaining why members who break the rules are
blocked. 


Listen in for insight on asking for vendor recommendations
on the platform and find out how staying relatively small and
local differentiates Masters from other real estate communities
on Facebook.
Key Takeaways

What inspired Joe to start Masters in Real Estate in January of
2012


Who Joe invited to join the Facebook group early on and how it
grew over time


The mandatory questions prospective members must answer to be
approved and why members who break the rules are blocked from the
group


Why Joe encourages Masters members to self-moderate


When to go to your principal broker with a question rather than
the Facebook group


What to do if you’re unsure whether a post breaks the rules


How Joe feels about posts featuring kudos and shout outs


How to ask for vendor recommendations on the Masters platform and
why you need to be careful about posting negative reviews


Why it's important to Joe to keep the Facebook group small and
local


The benefit of using the Masters group to address safety concerns
Connect with Joe

Soldera Properties


Joe on LinkedIn
Connect with Steve

Steve’s Team at Premiere Property Group


Steve on LinkedIn
Resources

Masters in Real Estate Facebook Group