On this week’s episode of the Over Ask Podcast, Michael Reddin and Ryan Palianto of Property Brothers-in-Law join Matt Lionetti and The Broke Agent to discuss how they started with funny real estate videos and the impact of those videos on their business.
Also on the table were some ideas for future skits and marketing—one of which involves a boat.
What’s the story behind Property Brothers-in-Law?
Michael learned the ins and outs of the business from Ryan, who has been licensed since 2015. Michael is an actor who worked as a public school teacher. But during the pandemic, he took Ryan’s advice and joined him as a real estate agent.
Oh, and…Michael is married to Ryan’s sister. Lindsey is also their sound engineer, production assistant, and co-director. So between being brothers-in-law and working together, they have plenty of content inspiration for funny videos.
I joined his brokerage. I had no business, no clients, but I was just following him around every day, and I really learned the business through him. Because he was a top producer. And ultimately, I started getting busier with friends and family. But as far as the videos, we’re just like good buddies. We had a lot of fun… It’s the best of both worlds, I guess.
Impact of PBIL on their real estate business
With the positive response to their videos early on, Ryan and Michael started posting weekly. As their notoriety grew, they started seeing its impact on their real estate business. Some who laughed at the videos contacted them to say they’d sign on with Ryan and Michael if they were included in one of their videos.
The videos pushed us to top of mind when people are thinking about buying or selling.
Being two different people, their comedic styles aren’t always in agreement.
I have a lot more of the dark humor on my side that we clash with a lot.
Those differences, combined with their realness and warm, playful energy, make their videos resonate so much with their viewers. It’s slightly edgy but fun.
Collaboration and growth
With the success of their funny real estate videos, Property Brothers-in-Law is likely to become a collaboration magnet. And we’re honored to have them as guests on the Over Ask Podcast—which just received the 2022 Inman Innovator Award for the Video/Podcast category.
So, how has their video business grown since they started? It started with Ryan linking to some of The Broke Agent’s Instagram content.
I remember linking onto your account when I was first posting real estate memes—I didn’t know what to post, so I’m like, ‘Let me just come up with funny shit,’ and then you were the go-to for that. I think at that time, you were only at 10K followers, and I think I was annoying you then—like, ‘Dude, what do you think of this?’ I was one of those guys. And, I’m just relentless, so… You catapulted us.
Real estate presence and goals for the future
Michael stressed the need for a real estate presence because, as popular as their comedy is, they’re still having to compete with a lot of different agents in the area.
Their real estate business-related posts are on a separate channel from the funny skits because the audience for Property Brothers-in-Law is conditioned to expect humor. They wouldn’t respond well to even a sprinkling of dry, listing-related content. Neither would the algorithm.
So, what does this mean for the future of Property Brothers-in-Law? What do they see as their game plan—or what would they like to do with their brand?
We’d be open to really anything, I mean, I really enjoy doing real estate. I like the freedom and all that, the money… Our lives are a lot more relaxed than they were [when I was] working in a public school. But…I’ve been interested in acting for my entire life— a lot of off-Broadway community theater, commercials and things. I would love to host a show or do something with Ryan that’s creative…
Content inspiration
Every creator gets their inspiration from somewhere. So, where do the Property Brothers-in-Law get theirs? Is there anything they’re watching right now that gives them ideas for new content?
Ryan is always looking through what’s trending and then trying to twist it to real estate.
Ryan finds a trend on TikTok, and we make it into something to do with us. Spin it.
From there, the conversation turned to ideas for future marketing tactics: like advertising their business on the side of a boat.
Watch the full episode for more.
