June 26, 2026
How Top Agents Negotiate: Winning Deals in a “Weird” Market w/Katie Connelly :: Ep 28 Mortgage Wise with Mike Wise
<p>The real estate market is “weird” right now – higher rates, high prices, and buyers and sellers stuck on the sidelines. In this episode, Mike Wise sits down with Ventura County Realtor of the Year and Real Estate Negotiation Expert, Katie Connelly, to unpack how smart agents are still winning great deals.</p><p>Katie shares what she learned managing 200+ agents, how her military relocation and VA loan expertise helps service members build long-term wealth, and why negotiation is really about personality, tactical empathy, and structure – not just price. Mike also breaks down the “all-in-one” mortgage strategy that can shave years off a home loan and save hundreds of thousands in interest.</p><p>If you’re a buyer, seller, or agent trying to navigate today’s market, this conversation gives you practical, real-world tactics you can use right now.</p><p>Timed highlights:</p><p>- 0:36 How Katie got started in real estate (and 10+ years in the business) <br>- 1:36 Managing 200+ agents at a major brokerage <br>- 2:09 Why Katie went back to full-time sales <br>- 2:52 What top-producing agents do differently from “hobby” agents <br>- 3:58 Breaking six figures during Covid while parenting <br>- 4:41 Do certifications really matter to clients? <br>- 5:08 Katie’s key designations explained (ABR, SRS, RENE, military relocation, forms) <br>- 5:46 Serving military buyers and sellers in Ventura County <br>- 6:38 Why VA loans are so powerful – and safer than people think <br>- 7:42 Biggest risk with 100% financing (and relocations) <br>- 8:03 Negotiation: lessons from “Never Split the Difference” <br>- 8:50 Reading personalities and adapting your negotiation style <br>- 9:23 Katie’s golden rule: “Both sides give more than they’re comfortable with” <br>- 10:08 How Katie handles sellers who want above-market pricing <br>- 10:49 Checks and balances: buyers, banks, appraisers and sellers <br>- 11:28 Biggest mistake agents make at listing appointments (and commissions) <br>- 11:56 The Walmart vs. Nordstrom analogy for agent value <br>- 12:19 Using negotiation credentials as a listing advantage <br>- 12:44 Standing firm vs. caving: what it signals to sellers <br>- 13:05 Why Katie loves working with buyers and first-timers <br>- 13:41 “No” is not the end of negotiations (inspection, as-is, concessions) <br>- 14:13 How buyers use inspections to decide whether to walk away <br>- 14:56 Emotional buyers, leverage, and not showing your hand <br>- 15:29 Local hot-button negotiating issues in Ventura County (repairs, ordinances) <br>- 16:05 Sewer laterals, AB-38 and wildfire hardening requirements <br>- 16:10 Why experience and deep forms knowledge really matter <br>- 17:23 1,800 forms and almost being “part attorney, part advisor” <br>- 17:51 Where AI helps – and where it can seriously mislead clients <br>- 18:27 Why you still need a human fiduciary, not just ChatGPT and Google <br>- 19:06 How Katie uses AI (and why she still fact-checks everything) <br>- 19:12 Explaining principal-first and the all-in-one mortgage <br>- 20:22 How traditional 30-year loans front-load interest <br>- 22:48 Funniest/strangest things Katie has seen in homes (guns, tarps and more) <br>- 24:36 Sellers’ top objections to listing right now <br>- 25:07 Interest rates vs. bidding wars: which is really worse? <br>- 25:54 Why buyers actually have more options now <br>- 26:26 Why rates probably aren’t dropping dramatically anytime soon <br>- 27:07 Using seller credits to buy down rates instead of “waiting for later” <br>- 27:38 Rent-control ordinances and why rents still keep rising <br>- 28:09 30-year fixed as an “inflation buster” vs. rent increases <br>- 28:41 Refinancing wins: lowering payments and “giving yourself a raise” <br>- 29:22 Stretching to buy in California – and why it often pays off <br>- 29:33 Lifestyle changes, raises, inheritances and long-term affordability <br>- 29:51 Sellers stuck because of ultra-low rates – and how to move anyway <br>- 30:19 Trading a big house for better quality of life (and using equity) <br>- 31:43 How structure and creativity in lending can change the whole picture <br>- 32:38 Why some listings fly and others sit for 60–90 days <br>- 33:03 What’s selling now: move-in ready homes vs. projects and condos <br>- 33:32 Investor behavior and buying “right” in this cycle <br>- 33:50 NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun’s price projections <br>- 34:36 Could median Ventura County prices hit $2M by 2050? <br>- 35:06 Experiences vs. ownership: how younger buyers think <br>- 35:52 Early 20s homebuyers and the return of the mall <br>- 36:36 Starter homes in your 20s vs. lifestyle homes in your 40s <br>- 37:23 Remote work, geography and moving to more affordable markets <br>- 38:03 Introducing the All-In-One Loan concept <br>- 38:17 How pairing a line of credit with your checking pays down principal faster <br>- 40:42 Common borrower objections and why this loan is so different <br>- 40:56 25 years of performance: no delinquencies, no foreclosures <br>- 41:41 Why the 30-year fixed was created in the first place <br>- 42:43 How banks make most of their money in the first 10–15 years <br>- 43:11 Savvy borrowers, creative thinking and smarter structures <br>- 43:26 Final takeaway: why your team (lender + agent) matters so much <br>- 44:14 Where to find Katie online <br>- 44:44 Outro: Mortgage Wise with Mike Wise </p><p>Tags / hashtags:<br>mortgage wise, mike wise, katie connelly, ventura county real estate, VA loans, military relocation, real estate negotiation, real estate tips, home buying tips, home selling tips, all in one loan, creative financing, real estate investing, california real estate, high interest rates, first time home buyer, real estate market 2026, mortgage strategies, refinance, negotiation skills</p><p>Hashtags:<br>#MortgageWise #RealEstatePodcast #KatieConnelly #VALoans #HomeBuyingTips #HomeSellingTips #RealEstateNegotiation #VenturaCounty #CreativeFinancing #AllInOneLoan #RealEstateAgent #MortgageTips </p><p>---<br>Would you like 2–3 alternate sets of highlight timestamps focused specifically on: (1) negotiation tactics, or (2) VA/military and loan strategy segments for use as shorts/reels?</p>
