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Show Summary
The conversation explores the emotional and logistical challenges faced by families displaced from their homes due to damage. It highlights the discomfort and difficulties of living in temporary accommodations and the importance of community support in easing their burdens.
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Abi (00:00)
and understanding the individual stories, know, meeting the families who have been displaced and they’re stuffed into hotel rooms with, you know, a family of five with three dogs, you know, and they don’t have, they don’t have a kitchen to be able to cook properly. They have to eat out every meal, which also just gets expensive and you know, it’s so uncomfortable for them. So being able to connect with them and to help them in any way I can, just to make that whole process a little bit smoother for them was a really nice.place to be and also getting to bring these opportunities to my fellow real estate investors of occupancy, right? Because I know we don’t want vacancy. So that’s been really important for me too.
Quentin (02:13)
Hello everyone. Welcome to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I am your host, Q Edmonds. And y’all know what I’m gonna say. I’m excited, excited to be here. I’m excited about my guest because listening to her talk, she’s all about service. She wants to serve her client. And she has thought of a brilliant way to bridge where she is and how to serve her clientele. And I’m excited for her to talk about it. I’m excited for you to get a chance.looked through her lens. And so listen, she told me I can call her Miss Abi. So listen, I’m gonna introduce you to Miss Abi Horton. Miss Abi, how are you doing today, ma’am?
Abi (02:53)
I’m wonderful Q. Thank you. How are you?Quentin (02:56)
⁓ I am doing good, ma’am. I’m excited that you’re here. You you and I have been talking. And again, I’m just excited that people get to see things through your lens and you get to talk about what you do. so, Miss Abi, I don’t want to waste any time. I would love for you to take our viewers into your world. Right. Let us know what you’re focused on. If you want to tell us how you got started, I would love to hear that. And then also tell us what market you’re operating in.Abi (03:23)
Yeah. Yeah. So I started getting into real estate investing and decided to go into midterm rentals. And I figured if I’m going to do midterm rentals, I want to learn all about midterm rentals. And so started learning about all the different niches and industries within midterm rentals itself. know, like traveling medical professionals, insurance relocations, corporate housing. And so I really started leaning into the insurance relocation.niche. ⁓ And that has just been such a journey. know, housing families who have been displaced has been a huge impact on my life, being able to meet them and connect with them. and then, so I’ve built a business over the last few years of building relationships, mostly with insurance relocation companies, and then also extending that opportunity to my real estate network. So other real estate investors that I’m connected with who have properties that meets the requirements of what they’re looking for.
And so that has all led to me then creating a midterm rental platform. So that’s where I’m at currently. I know I just did a lot. So.
Quentin (04:32)
No, no, you didn’t do a lot. I mean, that was spot on. That was excellent. That was wonderful.And so, thank you for sharing. I don’t think you did too much at all. I’m actually probably gonna ask more about it. again, like I said, what shines through for me when it comes to you is your heart, your service. That’s one of the things you led with when we talked in. the insurance displacement community, like…
It seems, you you really want to help this community. So it’s like, you’re growing, your eyes are set on the prize. And so I guess, you know, that’s not always easy in this climate. I mean, I’m sure there’s things, oppositions working against you. So what keeps you motivated? What keeps your passion moving? And what systems do you have in place to kind of keep you looking towards the goal, you know, and pressing towards it?
Abi (06:11)
Yeah, yeah, I think, you know, I started, I started working with insurance relocations. And like I said, it was really eye-opening, connecting with families and learning their stories because I think honestly, it’s something I never really considered before that, you know, when somebody’s home is damaged, that if they can’t stay in their own home, where do they stay? I never really thought about it. So learning more about that.and understanding the individual stories, know, meeting the families who have been displaced and they’re stuffed into hotel rooms with, you know, a family of five with three dogs, you know, and they don’t have, they don’t have a kitchen to be able to cook properly. They have to eat out every meal, which also just gets expensive and you know, it’s so uncomfortable for them. So being able to connect with them and to help them in any way I can, just to make that whole process a little bit smoother for them was a really nice.
place to be and also getting to bring these opportunities to my fellow real estate investors of occupancy, right? Because I know we don’t want vacancy. So that’s been really important for me too.
So yeah, I would say learning all of that led me to wanting to create the platform. So having a solid place where people can register their properties, just like with other platforms that are out there, but this is specifically for midterm rentals.
And it’s specifically with B2B transactions. So just makes everything a little bit cleaner and stays no less than one month. So the type of clientele that you get is, it’s different from what you get from short-term rentals. So the people that are going on vacation or they just want to travel for even for a longer period, the guests that we’re getting, you know, they’re either business professionals and they’re just on an assignment waiting to go home or their families that
staying there on a longer term and they want to take care of the property more. They’re living there, waiting to be able to go home to their own home. so creating the platform just somewhere for my fellow real estate investors to be able to come and get these opportunities.
Quentin (08:09)
Mmm.No, I love it. You’re talking to people who have obviously a story, right? And most of the people you’re talking to, their stories is going to be very, very impactful. It’s going to be very, it could be weighty, right? And so you already are immersing yourself in a scenario where you are watching people go through adversity, right? And I think that’s what I love about
What you’re doing is because you’re helping people go through that adversity. You know, I tell people all the time, there’s a proverb that I live by. It says, when you refresh others, you in return will be refreshed. Right? So you’re putting yourself in a position to help somebody when they need, they absolutely need a refreshing at that moment. And it’s refreshing for you as you go through the process as well. And so I ask that because there’s one of these podcasts, I like to talk about how, you know,
A lot of times we show people their success. When people see us on social media and IG, they see their success, but very rarely do we get a chance to show them the process to success. And so you’re helping people who are at universities themselves, but you also have a process that you got to go through as well to be able to help them do their process. And so there’s times when things get real, when things go sideways. And I was just wondering, as you build your business,
Has there been times when you had to pivot that yourself based on what it was you were trying to do in the middle?
Abi (09:57)
Yeah, I mean, everything changes, right?So like, think we have to be able to, as an entrepreneur, have to be able to pivot. ⁓ You know, the whole process, the building of the platform has taken a lot longer than I had anticipated. And I’m not a tech person. I’m not pretending to be a tech person. I have a whole development team that do that stuff for me. So the tech is great. I didn’t build it.
That’s probably why it’s great. I’m a real estate investor and an entrepreneur. So I have the ideas, but I didn’t do the tech. So yeah, but it takes a long time. And that’s partly been because, you know, as we’ve gone through development as a real estate investor and knowing this process, I, I know the things that are going to make this the most valuable, the most efficient. so things have come up where I’m like, we just need this.
added feature or whatever it might be. And so that’s kind of extended the timeline too. So we’ve definitely hit some delays, which has been difficult. It’s been challenging, especially with, with tech and AI developing in the rest of the world at the speed that it is. ⁓ but you know, we, have to, I have to keep pushing through and trust that I am on this journey and bringing this product for people to be able to use. And I’m doing it in a way. ⁓ you know, I think I’ve mentioned you earlier from.
a real estate investor standpoint. You know, I’m not some tech bro that just saw an opportunity. I’m a real estate investor at the core and I know how to bring this to fellow real estate investors. So it’s valuable for them, but also guide them through the process for the relocation companies. So they get the process, ⁓ you know, in a more seamless way and everybody wins, you know, I’m always looking for that win, win, win. And so if I can, if I can help people to do that, that
transaction, then that’s the goal.
Quentin (12:27)
Yeah. Yeah.No, I love it. I think for me that makes what you do even more authentic and it shows, you know, your authenticity shining even through even more. He’s like, listen, I’m not a tech person. Like I didn’t build it, but what I do, what I am going to do is put people in the right position. I’m going to hire the right people, partner with the right people so that we can continue to help the most people. And so I hear it. I hear your through line with service shining through. I hear the honesty, the authenticity.
And I’m so glad, you know, again, to have you on, to be able to talk about what you’re doing and bring, you know, any kind of help, eyes on what you’re doing and have people, you know, ready to be in a position to partner with you. And so I want to ask this, what are you most focused on scaling or solving next? Like, what’s the next real goal for you, Ms.
Abi (13:17)
Yeah, I think right now the goal is to just bring more awareness of the platform. We’ve just gone live. And so right now we’re in phase one, which is just building landlords and properties on the site. And so I guess the goal right now is just to get properties registered because then we can bring more opportunities of housing requests. So we made it with no sign up fees. So you can register online for free. There’s just aplatform fee once you receive a booking of 5%. And I wanted to be very transparent about that. ⁓ But also kind of circling back to something we said earlier, you know, I want to make sure that I’m kind of guiding people through this process. And so I’m going to be involved kind of on a high level, although the functionality of the platform is a full booking platform and it will facilitate the full transaction. But
I want to be available to help people. So we do have like a Facebook community where you can ask questions, even if it’s just generally about midterm rentals or just to kind of see what other hosts are doing, but also to be able to help them each on the platform. You know, if there’s something that’s coming up or I can help guide with pricing or, know, whatever, optimizing the listing. So it just looks its best. You know, I want to be able to help people with that too.
Quentin (14:36)
Yeah, no, I love it. ⁓ Again, you’re going to keep saying I love it because I really like what you’re doing. I like the progress you’re making. I like the vision that you have for the company. And, you know, I want to talk a little bit about relationships because it seems to me that you are a relationship building person. You talk about the B2B.so it’s like, you know, I’m coming from this world of being an investor. I have people who I know, you know,
I made connections within the investment world. And then I’m looking at what’s going on with the insurance relocation. It’s people here. So it’s like you’re merging two worlds together and you’re being the bridge. And so I know relationships gotta be important to you. So when it comes to building relationships and growing your network, what’s made the biggest difference for you?
Abi (16:08)
Yeah, I love building relationships. I love meeting people. I love connecting. And it’s funny, you referred to yourself as a connector. I also feel like a connector. I love meeting somebody and them telling me that, I invest in this area or I’m into this thing. And I meet somebody else, I’m like, wait, I know somebody that does that. Let me put you guys in touch. And that’s also kind of how this whole platform came about was because…you when I started building these relationships with the relocation companies, I realized that, you know, my, my investment properties are in Ohio. And I realized to be valuable to them. I, I needed more than just my properties in Ohio. And I thought, you know, I know all these people, know hundreds of people within my real estate networks that they have properties and maybe they have a vacancy. And so that’s kind of how this started. Okay. Well, you know, you need something in Houston, Texas.
Let me go and find all the people I know in Houston, Texas, and see if they have availability. And sometimes they do. And, know, the business built and eventually I ended up making connections with new landlords. And, you know, if I didn’t have something that, that was available that they were asking for, but I’ve been able to build so many more relationships and I’ve been really hands on in the business that we’ve been doing. And that’s kind of why I was saying, I really want to still be involved just on a, on a bit of ⁓ a different level.
with the platform too, with the Eros platform, because I want to be able to help people through this. Like I said, even with the families, if I can just make that process a little bit smoother, a little bit easier for them. It’s the same with real estate investors. You if I can help answer a question and make this process a bit more seamless, then great. You know, why would I not want to share my knowledge with you, especially if we’ve connected and you know, we’re all just humans just trying to figure it out, right? We’re all just trying to.
Quentin (18:02)
Absolutely.Abi (18:03)
to get by.Quentin (18:05)
Absolutely. Now, I love and I love how you keep saying, you you still want to be involved because for me listening, you know, you’re the through line, you’re the connector, right? And so you want to be, still be involved because your spirit is in it. And it makes sure that same spirit is flowing and is connecting through every vein and every, every part of the business. And so it makes total sense to me why you would still want to be involved.And I think I love your vision that you’re saying, you know, you ain’t gonna, I’m not gonna do everything. Like you said, you know, I’m not a sec person, but I don’t know, I’m gonna make sure I partner with somebody. But what I do know, and one thing is about serving people, I’m gonna make sure my heart and my spirit is connected through this. And so I definitely understand it. And listen, Miss Abi, I’ll be honest with you. When I talk to somebody like you that has the perspective that you have, I like to kind of, not necessarily end, but kind of.
anchor this with this question, you know, is there any kind of advice or encouragement that you would want to give out audience? And you know, just, you know, something like from the heart, just based on, you know, what you, what you’re building, what you see from your perspective, from your lens, if there’s some, a word of inspiration that you wanted to give to the audience, I would love to give you the opportunity to say it if you had something.
Abi (19:26)
Yeah, I would say just always be learning, always be a student and be open to hearing what somebody else has to say. And I think that’s so important in life and in business, you know, because we don’t know it all. We don’t know it all. And I think being open-minded enough to hear what somebody else has to say, whether it’s something that you agree with or not. And even if you don’t agree with it, just, you know, take it on board, hear it, and then you can…Make a decision what you do with it from there.
Quentin (19:59)
Nope, I love it. I always, I have a saying, it’s not my saying, but I just picked it up from somewhere that, you know, we’ll chew the meat and spit out the bones, right? There’s something on that bone that we can chew on, it’s some meat that we can chew on. And then everything else, you know, we may have to discard it, but like you said, we don’t know it all. So we’re learning from each other. And that’s why, you know, that relationship, when you talk about relationships, I just see you as a person that can relate very well and partner well with people. And so.Abi (20:08)
Mm-hmm.Quentin (20:28)
I appreciate that. So Ms. Abi, listen, before we wrap, if someone wanted to reach out to you, connect with you, maybe collaborate with you, what’s the best way for them to reach out to you?Abi (20:39)
Yeah, you can find me on Instagram. It’s @theAbiHorton is my handle. And actually, if you follow me on Instagram and send me a DM with the word Quentin, then I’ll send you my top tips of managing out of state midterm rentals.Quentin (20:56)
Y’all, this is the first time I’ve been putting in like a little promotion. ⁓ I love it. Y’all heard that? Say it for him one more time, Ms. Abi.Abi (21:05)
Yeah, yeah, just follow me on Instagram, @theAbiHorton, send me a DM with the word Quentin, and then I’ll send my resource of like top tips for managing out of state midterm rentals.Quentin (21:16)
I love it. Miss Abi, thank you so much. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your story. Thank you for your perspective. Just thank you for coming through and just adding so much value to the platform. I really appreciate you, maam.Abi (21:30)
Yeah, thank you for having me and thanks for your energy. This was so great.Quentin (21:34)
I appreciate that so much. Yes, ma’am. Well, listen, everyone. Listen, you got the value. You got a little discount code. Like, come on. Like what we keep telling you, we’re going to keep bringing amazing people. And today was no different. You heard Miss Abi. You heard what she’s doing. It’s totally amazing. So listen, just make sure you’re subscribed. That way, when the alert go off, you can just come in and get the value. So again, Miss Abi, I thank you so much.And to everyone else, we will see you on the next time.
