From Layoff to Legacy: Al Blocker’s Real Estate Journey

Al Blocker (00:00)
Most people are afraid of failing and I get that too. So what I tell people is this, success isn’t built on success. Success is built on setbacks, heartache, Shortcomings. Success is built on that. So you have to go through the seasons to get there. You have to have the courage

And courage to me is nothing more than setting your fears aside and doing what you want to do, doing what you got to do. So it’s going to take some courage to do it.

Quentin (02:04)
Hello everyone. Welcome to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I’m your host Q Edmonds. I’m trying my best not to be intimidated. Like this guy here, you’re going to see it. His personality is just amazing. He probably can do what I do better than me. ⁓ I shouldn’t have said it, but you know, I’m just being vulnerable for a little bit, right? This guy is absolutely awesome. He’s awesome at what he do. And you know, I like to tell people, I like people who tell their own journey, their own story, but

I want to tell you right now, today I believe is going to be very, very special. And so I am so excited to introduce you guys. Well, some of y’all may already know him, but to introduce to our people who may not know him, Mr. Al Blocker. How you doing today, sir?

Al Blocker (02:45)
Hey Quentin, I’m doing great and that’s quite, quite an introduction. Quite an introduction. I really do appreciate it.

Quentin (02:52)
That’s what I was going for, man. I’m trying to impress. I’m trying to impress, man. But no, I’m serious. I can’t wait for people to get a view from your lens, from your perspective, right? And so I’m excited. I know you’re going to give some gems. And I’m going be honest with you, man. I kind of just want to dive in. And so Mr. Al, I want you to take us into your world, right? know, some people may be familiar with you, some may not be. So if you don’t mind, what’s your main focus these days and what markets are you operating in?

Al Blocker (03:20)
Sure, that’s a great question. So let me give just a quick excerpt of the Al Blocker backdrop. ⁓ So I found myself transitioning out of corporate America about seven, eight years ago. I had gotten laid off from a job and that sort of took the wind out of my sail a little bit, but it didn’t totally deflate me. And the reason is, is for every one of my jobs that I’ve had professionally, I’ve always had a side hustle.

Quentin (03:27)
Yes,

Al Blocker (03:49)
And that side hustle has always been real estate. So when I got laid off, I thought to myself, you know what? No better time now than to go all in. And that’s exactly what I did. So fast forwarding, I’ve been doing residential home flipping now since I got laid off in that last job. And I am focused on the DC market. So for those that are familiar with the DC area, we call it the DMV, DC, Maryland, Virginia.

I’ve done a good amount of business in Maryland, but my primary focus is in Washington DC. And I’m going after some of the higher end markets in DC. So that’s basically what I’ve been doing. And I got to tell you, it has, you know, I’ve been met with some challenges, but overall I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I would not trade for anything.

Quentin (04:34)
I’m at that DC market. It’s a good market to be in, you know, and I know it comes with its challenges at the same time. And so I’m going get to that. what I love about what you said, we were talking backstage, you said, man, you’re just not flipping homes, you’re flipping mindsets. And I love when you said that because that gives me a peek into what I like to call the servant’s heart, you know, like trying to really serve people to get them

to grow and just not be stagnant. And so I don’t know if you want to speak to that if I ask my next question, but when you said that to me, was just, that was a golden nugget to hear you say that.

Al Blocker (06:00)
Right, so let me expound on that. Right, so my motto is I’m not just flipping homes, I’m flipping mindsets. And I equate that to this. I do a podcast, I’ve got my own podcast. And as a result, many people reach out to me with questions, with guidance, with coaching, with mentoring. And that’s really what the platform is all about, all those things that I’ve just underscored. So what I mean by…

I’m flipping more than homes. I’m flipping mindsets. It’s flipping mindsets around ownership, around opportunity, and around earning potential. And I wish that I could have had someone giving me this type of prescriptive guidance, I don’t know, 10, 15 years ago, because I probably would have left corporate America before they dropped the hammer on me. So yeah, so that’s what flipping mindsets.

over and above houses is really all about.

Quentin (06:54)
Absolutely, man. I love it. I love it now. Like I said, it’s not always especially easy in this climate. So what’s been the key to keeping that machine running smoothly? Like what you do, your passion. What’s the key to it, Mr. Al?

Al Blocker (07:07)
Yeah, so there are a couple of variables that factor into staying steady. think that number one, you’ve got to have a vision, right? And I talk about this in my podcast. So with every project that I take, you know, I have a vision of what the place is today, but more importantly, what it’s going to look like rather than three to four months down the road. I think that the other thing is, you know, what’s keeping me sort of level is

going after things within my buy box. And what I mean by that is knowing what I can afford all the way around. So you got to know what you can afford from the acquisition to the construction. Okay. And I think the last thing that’s probably most important is having a good team. You got to have a good team. Without it, you’re doomed for failure. So having a good team would consist of obviously your crew, your trades people.

In the trades, people being your HVAC, your plumber, your electrician, you need a good realtor, you need a good attorney. So all of those components allow me to stay afloat and stay the course of what I’m doing with residential home flipping. That’s been the key for me. And that’s what I try and impart on would-be flippers, know, people that have a desire to follow this pursuit. Those are some of the things that are going to be critical.

in your process slash journey.

Quentin (08:33)
Absolutely. No, I love that. I love when you talk about team. I love connecting with people. I love people realizing that you can’t do it on your own. You know, you’re only as strong as the team that you have around you. And so that’s absolutely beautiful. I love that. And I want to ask you this as well. you know, things are not always perfect, right? I know you’ve been in business. I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of up and downs. There’s a moment when things get real, right? Maybe a deal will sideways or a time.

Maybe you had to pivot fast. Mr. L, you got a story like that that maybe you could share with the audience, right? So they know that it’s, know, it can be some hard times ahead, right? And I would just love to get your lens on how you handle those times.

Al Blocker (09:14)
Yeah. Well, you know, it’s interesting. I know we only have a lot of amount of time for this for this show, but I could turn this into a three hour podcast, given some of the challenges that I can pick in front of what, but you know, what I would say is this, ⁓ the challenges, you know, it is par for the course being in this, in this industry. ⁓ you know, and the reason I say that is when you’re talking about real estate development, there are a lot of moving parts.

And something is bound to go wrong, right? There are a lot of moving parts, things gonna go from A to Z in a straight line. But for me, probably one of the biggest challenges that I’ve had is the permitting process. Now that’s something that’s, it’s semi out of my control. You you try to do everything to adhere to code within the city that you’re working. And sometimes it just isn’t enough, right?

And you might be hit with a stop work order, which means you’ve got to cease, stop all work. And that’s the worst thing that can happen. And then there are permitting issues, just waiting on permits. Sometimes it can be a very, very lengthy process. So I sort of prefaced my conversation today by saying that for me, I like to be in and out in about four months. Well, I’ve been in this situation before where I’ve had to wait on a permit almost three months. And I talk about this quite often in my podcast.

At the end of the day, don’t care if it’s Al Blocker or the next developer slash flipper, time is money. I repeat, time is money. So, you know, those are some of the biggest challenges that I’ve been confronted with. got one stop work order and the permitting issue, I’ve been held up maybe twice delayed with that, with that whole process. Again, four months kills you in a holding pattern, not being able to do anything. So those are my probably.

In fact, my two biggest challenges that I’ve been confronted.

Quentin (11:37)
Thank you so much for sharing. Thank you for your honesty, listening to you. I can hear the difference between those that just dabble and those that’s kind of in it for the long term, And so again, I thank you for that lens because we want to position people with some advice and experience for them for the long haul. And so again, thank you for sharing a story like that. Let me ask you, yeah.

Al Blocker (12:00)
And if I

can just add, you know, one of the things that I’m a huge proponent of is this ⁓ for anyone that has a desire to pursue residential home flipping. I talk about this in my podcast. I talk about this to people in person. Always align yourself with a mentor. And what I mean by that is someone who’s traveled the path because

Quentin (12:04)
Yes, sir.

Al Blocker (12:26)
There are many pitfalls that one could fall prey to in this pursuit of residential home flipping. And unfortunately, the pitfalls, there’s usually a cost associated with it. So align yourself with someone who’s been there, who’s done that, who can give you coaching, who can give you mentoring. You know, I do the best that I can to reach out and help people on my podcast, but I can’t be all things to all people. And you write, someone… ⁓

may very well be in the middle of a challenge or some type of setback. And perhaps you could have avoided that if you had a mentor, right? So that’s the advice that I give people quite often. that remains close to the vest to me. Always align yourself with a mentor for those that are just starting out.

Quentin (13:11)
That’s a golden nugget. actually, I’m going come back to that point later on, but that is a golden nugget for sure. And I thank you for saying that. We’re going come back to that. I want to ask you, what are you focused on solving or scaling next, Mr. Al? What’s the next real goal for you?

Al Blocker (13:28)
You know, so that’s a great question. Things are are are day to day for me in terms of the world that I live in. Because I, you know, once I start a project. You know, it is a priority to finish that project. You want to finish on time and on budget. But I think over and above that is to be able to help other people. Again, I go back to how we sort of talked about I’m doing more than flipping homes. I’m flipping mindsets.

You know, so many people are in, whether it’s being confronted with a job loss, entertaining the idea and the thought of going into residential home flipping, but just don’t know where to start, how to start. I want to be able to reach out and help more people that are in that position. The biggest, probably the biggest ⁓ and latest thing for me is I’ve onboarded my son to the business.

So he’s getting some good coaching and shortly thereafter, my daughter’s gonna be coming into the business. So that’s going to be, and I’m sure that things are gonna change. I’m hoping only for the better, you know, but those are some of the next big things that are in my foresight. Couldn’t get that word out. Just forward thinking, that’s where I’m looking ahead.

Quentin (14:43)
Yeah. Yeah.

Al Blocker (14:47)
at doing as a next milestone, so to speak.

Quentin (15:33)
That’s big onboarding your son, bringing them into the business. You’re going to pass on this knowledge, man. And for me, that’s what it’s all about, leaving legacy, establish something for your children and possibly your children’s children. If we run this thing right, you know what I’m saying? So that’s big, man. And the next move, can either compound things or create total chaos depending on how you play it. And so, yeah, absolutely.

Al Blocker (15:56)
Yeah. Well,

and a good thing about my kids is they listen, you know? And that makes my job a little easier. Because what I learned in corporate America was this. While corporate America was absolutely fantastic for me, I mean, it was absolutely fantastic. For me, and even before I got laid off, I wanted more control of my

I wanted to stop working other people’s agenda and create my own production that gave me control over my earning potential. know, when I wanted to do something, how I wanted to do something. And you know what? I guess it’s a blessing in disguise that I got laid off because here I am. I’ve got all of those things that I was in search of right now. And along with the problems that come with real estate too, you know? So, but, you know…

It’s me that oversees that. I I make all decisions and I could not be happier. again, onboarding, my son and my daughter, they’ll get there and I want to be able to, it’s about trying to create some generational wealth and really pass down the lessons that I’ve learned as an entrepreneur to them as well.

Quentin (17:05)
Absolutely. And so I told you we would come back to that about some mentors. You talk about bringing on your children. You talking about passing down information. I mean, obviously this has to come with connecting with the right people. Right. And so a lot of people, listening right there early in their journey. They’re looking to level up. And I think it think it benefits them hearing this from you when it comes to building relationships and growing your network.

What has made the biggest difference for you?

Al Blocker (17:33)
Well, you know, I think that that’s a great question. You know, for me, building a network, I think it’s essential in this business if you want to grow, right? If you want to stay put, you know, don’t worry about building a network, you know, don’t be the social butterfly. But for me, what I’ve learned is that people that I didn’t know two years ago have become like essential to my business. It can be like a realtor. It can be people that bring me potential.

opportunities that are off market, right? It can be a plumber, it can be an electrician. I can never have too many, I think people should note this, you can never have too many assets. You can never have too many assets that work in your favor. And how you get that is you have to actively network. Not everybody’s going to be an asset, but you only find out.

as you begin and try to forge relationships and connections. Again, not everyone is going to be a connection, because you’ll learn a lot about people very, very short. I mean, very, quickly rather. And I’ve learned a lot about people very, very quickly. Some are still with me, and some it was an introduction and nothing more, and that was it. So I think building networks, building partnerships, it’s part of the ecosystem that you need to cultivate and nurture.

as an entrepreneur, as a business person, because again, you can’t do it by yourself. And you may meet someone that knows someone that knows someone that can help you out. You just never know. And vice versa. I found myself in situations where I may have been in a conversation, I may have met someone for the first time, and they may have been in search of something or needed some information. And lo and behold, I have what they needed. And it really did strike.

forged relationship that is a fruitful relationship to this day. So the moral of that story, you can never have too many assets in your back pocket.

Quentin (19:30)
I love it. I love it. Yes, you cannot fake relationships, relationships, everything in this space. I love it. You cannot have too many assets. I love that. And so I consider you to be an asset right now, being in front of this camera, people listening in. And so I just want to take time to give you space. Is there any type of encouragement, motivation, maybe anything that’s kind of been on your mind,

I just want to give you space to be able to do that right now. If you have something like that.

Al Blocker (19:56)
I appreciate that. I appreciate that, Quentin. Yeah, so

what I would say is this. You know, I can’t tell you how many people reach out to me and, I want to start flipping homes. I’m going to start flipping homes. But for whatever reason, they don’t do it. Right? And I’m not judgmental because I know that people have things going on in their life. Right? And it isn’t free to flip homes. But what I will say is this. Most people

are afraid to fail.

Most people are afraid of failing and I get that too. So what I tell people is this, success isn’t built on success. Success is built on setbacks, heartache, Shortcomings. Success is built on that. So you have to go through the seasons to get there. You have to have the courage

And courage to me is nothing more than setting your fears aside and doing what you want to do, doing what you got to do. So it’s going to take some courage to do it.

So I would encourage people, if you’ve been thinking about it, you got to start somewhere. The biggest mistake you make is not starting. So go for it.

And you know what, the other thing is this, I’ll tell you this. Another thing that I get is, when is a good time to start?

I talked about this, you know, I share the same sentiments as financial advisors. Don’t try to time the market, you know? It’s almost like saying, when’s a good time to have a kid? Well, there’s no good time to have a kid. You know, because they’re gonna get sick. You gotta take off work. They gotta go to the doc. They’re gonna inconvenience you. So with that, you know, you don’t just jump in without doing your due diligence. Do your homework.

align yourself with the right people, and go for it. There’s no other way to put it. You know, at some point, if you’re gonna do it, you just gotta go all in. And the biggest mistake is not starting.

Quentin (21:46)
So well said, So well said. Sometimes I like to say, you know, sometimes you can be a pathfinder, sometimes you can be a trailblazer. know, trailblazers sometimes, you know, it’s nothing there. You cutting down the weeds, you cutting down the forest because you’re trailing the, you’re trailing the blaze. And then sometimes you can walk in somebody else’s path, but either way, you got to make progress. And so just choose your heart, accept your heart and move forward.

Al Blocker (21:48)
Thank you.

Quentin (22:14)
But you gotta make progress if you want progress. You know what I mean?

Al Blocker (22:16)
Well, you

know what, perfectly stated, and my motto has always been this, if you’re not moving forward, you’re standing still. It’s just that simple. If you’re not moving forward, you’re standing still.

Quentin (22:27)
Man, I appreciate you, sir. Listen, before we wrap, if someone wanted to reach out to you, connect with you, maybe collaborate or learn more about what you’re doing, what’s the way to reach out to you, sir?

Al Blocker (22:28)
Thank you.

Yeah, appreciate

that. Well, there are a couple of modes that people can reach out to me. Instagram being one, it’s rip and flip podcast. repeat, rip and flip podcast. That’s on Instagram. I encourage people to check out my podcast too. It’s, you can download it on Apple, Spotify. I’m on all the platforms. The podcast is rip and flip without blocker. Rip and flip without blocker.

Quentin (23:03)
I love it. There he is, y’all. Mr. Al Blocker, sir, the kindness of my heart. Thank you for your professional courtesy and not taking over my show. I so appreciate you letting me be the podcast host today. Y’all don’t mind. That’s inside joke with my man.

Al Blocker (23:16)
If you had me back again, the outcome may be a little different.

Quentin (23:21)
Listen,

I recognize professional courtesy when I see it.

Al Blocker (23:24)
It’s all good. It’s all good.

Quentin (23:25)
No, man,

honestly, man, I appreciate you. I appreciate your time, your story, your perspective, man. It’s a pleasure having you in this space, having people like you with the heart that you have in this space. So, man, thank you again just for being here with us and sharing all these nuggets with us today,

Al Blocker (23:41)
You’re right, Edmonds Quentin I really do appreciate it. Hey, listen, more importantly, thanks for having me. I really do appreciate it. And if there’s occasion where I can fill in, do something for you in the future, just hit me up.

Quentin (23:53)
Man, see, y’all see, y’all see, y’all see what I’m saying? Coming for my job, y’all heard that, right? Y’all heard it, it’s on Ketanar. I appreciate you, sir. Thank you so much, man. I will definitely keep that in mind, man. It’s definitely a pleasure, brother. Appreciate you, All right, absolutely. So y’all know I say this part and I say it very slowly. If you got value from this, make sure you’re subscribed. Come on, people. Just click the subscribe button.

Al Blocker (24:05)
Likewise.

Quentin (24:16)
I want that alert going off when these podcasts drop because we are having amazing conversations. What today an amazing conversation, right? And we do not want you to miss out on these amazing conversations. So Mr. Al, thank you again. And to everybody else, we’ll see you on the next one.

Al Blocker (24:31)
Thank you.