What happens when a husband and wife decide to bet big on each other and on commercial real estate?

In this episode of Commercially Speaking, Bo and Timmy sit down with Brent and Amy Miller, the couple behind Synergy Investments, to unpack how they’ve built more than just a successful firm—they’ve built a place people never want to leave.

📈 What You’ll Learn:

• Why they treat every hire like family—and how that pays off
• How they balance marriage and business without losing their minds
• What it really looks like to make scary, stretch investments together
• Why empathy, trust, and transparency are their competitive edge
• How to build a culture that outlasts your competition

Whether you're married, in business, or both—this one will hit you where it matters.

🎧 Episode 103 is live now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Connect with Brent and Amy: https://synergyinvestmentfund.com/

Thanks To Our Sponsors

• 💰🏙️ CRE Investor Coach: No Guess Work, No Wasted Time — https://bit.ly/43t6Vrl
• 🤖 Superpowers HQ – Need a CRE executive assistant? Get one here: superpowershq.com/commerciallyspeaking
• 📊 CRE Marketing Mastermind – wesgay.com/cs

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• 🔗 Invest Brent and Amy: https://synergyinvestmentfund.com/
• 📰 Our Weekly Newsletter: The Inside Scoop On CRE — subscribe.wgbarron.com
• 🏬 Barron Commercial Group: CRE Made Simple — https://barroncommercial.com/
• 🥏 All Disc, No Balls! Tizbee, The Secret Game Of Champions — tizbee.com

00:00:00 - Cold Open00:03:05 - Welcome00:03:56 - Let Me Tell You About Brent & Amy Miller00:09:19 - Do you come here often?00:11:54 - Amy’s intro into CRE00:13:30 - Our Client Was Bo Barron00:14:44 - The 1st Investment00:19:09 - Tell me about your boys, Amy00:22:04 - Alright, I’ve got a question about Marinas00:24:31 - That’s how networking works00:27:01 - Brokers be talkin’00:32:26 - Tell us a little bit about your fund00:34:30 - What deals are you looking for?00:36:10 - At what point should I call you?00:37:55 - And what about the investment side?00:40:55 - CRE Investor Coach00:41:48 - Soft Commitments00:43:02 - What makes an investor a good fit?00:46:58 - That term annoys me00:48:36 - What are some of the fears that hold people back that an LP seat solves?00:50:15 - Fear is an indicator of your biggest opportunities00:58:14 - What’s your pump up song?01:03:01 - Go into business with family or no?01:06:53 - Could you work with your wife?01:08:54 - Where can they find you?01:11:20 - How does everybody not know this?

🏡 What if you could be the developer your hometown has been waiting for?

In this episode of Commercially Speaking, Bo and Timmy sit down with Kristi Kandel, a powerhouse real estate developer on a mission to revitalize overlooked communities by empowering locals to lead the change themselves.

From her early days developing Family Dollars across California to building a self-managing company and launching Local Real Estate Developer, Kristi is bridging the gap between mission and money. This episode is about creating freedom, wealth, and community impact—all at once.

🎯 What You’ll Learn:

• Why 75% of U.S. cities are under 10,000 people—and full of opportunity
• How locals (not corporations) are the key to Main Street’s comeback
• How to know if your town is ready for development
• What makes someone a great developer (it’s not what you think)
• How Kristi turned a bored-with-success moment into a new nationwide movement
• The framework she's using to help real people create real change

🎧 Whether you’re a flipper, a W2 warrior, or just someone with a dream for your town—this episode will spark something.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

🔗 Learn more and get connected: LocalRealEstateDeveloper.com

Thanks To Our Sponsors

• 💰🏙️ CRE Investor Coach: No Guess Work, No Wasted Time — https://bit.ly/43t6Vrl
• 🤖 Superpowers HQ – Need a CRE executive assistant? Get one here: superpowershq.com/commerciallyspeaking
• 📊 CRE Marketing Mastermind – wesgay.com/cs

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• 🔗 Learn more and get connected: LocalRealEstateDeveloper.com
• 📰 Our Weekly Newsletter: The Inside Scoop On CRE — subscribe.wgbarron.com
• 🏬 Barron Commercial Group: CRE Made Simple — https://barroncommercial.com/
• 🥏 All Disc, No Balls! Tizbee, The Secret Game Of Champions — tizbee.com

00:00:00 - Cold Open00:04:14 - Welcome Kristi Kandel00:16:16 - Why Krispy Kreme Failed In Our Small Town00:19:43 - “Nobody Else Thinks They Can Do It”00:23:40 - Timmy Teaches Bo Word.00:25:13 - The 2 Types Of People That Can Become Developers00:27:29 - The Power Of Being a Local!00:29:25 - How Do I Know There’s Demand For Development00:34:41 - Pickleball00:37:09 - The Qualities/Characteristics of A Good Developer00:39:54 - Risk Tolerance, Problem Solving, Organization00:41:22 - A Strong Why00:42:56 - Every Community Has A Developer Who Doesn’t Know It Yet00:44:18 - How Did You Meet Beth Azor?00:45:48 - The Ripple Effect00:48:58 - The Impact You Can Make Is Huge!00:50:35 - AI Advisory Board00:56:18 - Navigating Working with Friends01:02:49 - Executive Assistants (superpowershq.com/commerciallyspeaking )01:05:18 - Pop Quiz

📈 2,351 buildings sold. One legendary career. One brand-new book.

In this kickoff to Season 3 of Commercially Speaking, Bo and Timmy Barron are joined by Bob Knakal, the man who's sold more buildings than anyone ever documented—and Rod Santomassimo, his longtime coach and co-author of the new book, Selling Buildings.

This episode is a masterclass in brokerage, relationships, risk, data, leadership, and legacy. You’ll hear:

• 🔥 Why Bob ran to the deli on 9/11—and how that moment changed his business forever
• 📊 How he averaged more than one building sale per week over four decades
• 🧠 Why Rod believes conviction + curiosity are the real broker superpowers
• 💥 What to do during a downturn, and how big bets during hard times pay off
• 🏙️ Why Bob believes right now may be the best buying moment NYC has ever seen

They also share behind-the-scenes stories, including:

• Bob’s obsession with baseball stats and how it shaped his sales career
• The origins of his now-iconic “broker baseball card”
• The strategic decisions that made Massey Knakal legendary
• Why Barbara Corcoran, Ryan Serhant, and other CRE titans are backing this new book

🎧 Whether you're an investor, a broker, or just a numbers nerd, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

👉 Available now on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts

🛒 Buy the book: Selling Buildings by Bob Knakal and Rod Santomassimo — Available now on Amazon https://a.co/d/6FTfXIP

Bob's Previous Episode: https://youtu.be/YRaKpbzMjiQ?si=aytG-cbsr_F8W-z9Rod's Previous Episode: https://youtu.be/UA0u5CMTb9Y?si=rl9mwlCb00qd7E1D

Thanks To Our Sponsors

• 💰🏙️ CRE Investor Coach: No Guess Work, No Wasted Time — https://bit.ly/43t6Vrl
• 🤖 Superpowers HQ – Need a CRE executive assistant? Get one here: superpowershq.com/commerciallyspeaking
• 📊 CRE Marketing Mastermind – wesgay.com/cs

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• 📚 ”Selling Buildings” by Bob Knakal & Rod Santomassimo — https://a.co/d/6FTfXIP
• 📰 Our Weekly Newsletter: The Inside Scoop On CRE — subscribe.wgbarron.com
• 🏬 Barron Commercial Group: CRE Made Simple — https://barroncommercial.com/
• 🥏 All Disc, No Balls! Tizbee, The Secret Game Of Champions — tizbee.com

⏰ Timecode ⏰

00:00 - Cold Open03:49 - Welcome Bob “BFK” Knakal & Rod “CAC” Santomassimo06:50 - Why Did You Write The Book?10:50 - From Coach To Best Friend13:40 - Barbara Corcoran16:28 - The Book17:14 - Where Were You On 9/11?24:01 - This Isn’t Just A Book Of Stories26:36 - The Inflection Point Of 9/1131:11 - Downturn Tactics36:20 - The 4 Cs37:56 - Nothing Is Absolute40:58 - Baseball’s Influence On Bob’s Success46:11 - The Key To Differentiating Yourself48:28 - How Are Deals Different Now Than They Were 40 Years Ago?51:33 - BKREA Update56:11 - Bob’s Got A New Goal59:13 - Bob F***ing Knakal