Boroughs & Burbs, the National Real Estate Conversation

Hosted by John Engel and Roberto Cabrera

Marketing Education Leisure

Website RSS feed

Episodes

239

Latest episode

Jul 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Real estate: the ultimate game of risk and reward. It’s the biggest investment most people ever makeFortunes are won and lost every day. How do you stay ahead of the game? Who’s buying, who’s selling and why? You need an edge. Boroughs & Burbs. This podcast is your secret weapon, giving you the insider knowledge and strategies you need to succeed in the high-stakes and cutthroat world of real estate. The Boroughs are New York City.The Burbs are wherever you are: Connecticut, Austin, the Hamptons, Carolinas, Florida and beyond. From Palm Beach to Palm Springs, Manhattan to Malibu, we travel the country pressing the experts in every luxury market to expose the pain, find the deals, and occasionally predict the future. Don’t settle for mediocrity - tune in to Boroughs & Burbs Thursdays 3pm Eastern and start dominating your market.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

July 31, 2026Episode 23847 min

What’s Up in the Connecticut Suburbs? | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 238

Boroughs and Burbs, Season 6, Episode #238 takes a closer look at the trends, stories, and market forces shaping today's real estate landscape. In this special host-only episode, John Engel and Roberto Cabrera explore the ideas influencing buyers, sellers, investors, and industry professionals across today's evolving housing market. From changing consumer preferences and luxury market trends to community development and long-term investment strategies, the conversation offers practical insights backed by decades of experience. Along the way, they discuss the importance of relationships, local expertise, and adapting to an ever-changing industry. Whether you're a seasoned real estate professional or simply passionate about where and how people live, this episode delivers thoughtful perspectives on the business, lifestyle, and future of real estate.

July 23, 2026Episode 23758 min

Nashville | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 237

Boroughs and Burbs Season 6, Episode #237 explores one of real estate's oldest tricks: creating demand by inventing new neighborhoods. Nashville's explosive growth has transformed farmland, overlooked corridors, and emerging suburbs into some of the country's hottest real estate markets. Hosts John Engel and Roberto Cabrera are joined by Nashville experts Erin Krueger of Compass and Josh Hunter of Magnolia Title to examine how infrastructure, lifestyle, migration, and strategic development reshape entire regions. From luxury penthouses and legacy estates to frontier communities poised for growth, they reveal where buyers are looking today—and where tomorrow's most desirable addresses may emerge. If you've ever wondered how neighborhoods are made rather than found, this episode offers an insider's guide to the future of real estate.

July 16, 2026Episode 23659 min

Inventing New Neighborhoods | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 236

On this Season 6, episode #236 of Boroughs and Burbs, we explore the art and economics of creating neighborhoods from the ground up with Brandon Cobb of HBG Capital. From overlooked corridors to emerging urban districts, Brandon shares how developers identify opportunity before the market sees it. We discuss placemaking, adaptive growth, infrastructure, retail strategy, and how new neighborhoods attract residents, businesses, and long-term investment. What transforms an area from “up-and-coming” into a destination? How do developers balance vision, risk, and community impact? Whether it’s mixed-use development, housing demand, or the psychology behind where people want to live, this episode offers a fascinating look at how entirely new real estate ecosystems are built and why timing matters so much.

July 9, 2026Episode 2351 hr 4 min

Lessons in Productivity | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 235

In Season 6, Episode #235 of Boroughs and Burbs, John Engel, Roberto Cabrera, and Scott Hobbs explore how today’s most effective professionals are leveraging AI to work with greater intention, precision, and efficiency. From intelligent meeting summaries and next-generation CRMs to content strategy and relationship management, this conversation examines how technology is becoming a trusted partner—not a replacement—for expertise. The professionals who thrive tomorrow will be those who embrace innovation while preserving the personal relationships that define exceptional service.

June 25, 2026Episode 2331 hr 1 min

Building Your Hamptons Dream Home | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 233

Boroughs and Burbs, Season 6, Episode #233 goes inside the process of Building Your Hamptons Dream Home with Scott Hobbs of Hobbs Inc. and Stuart Disston of Austin Patterson Disston Architecture & Design. In one of the most demanding luxury markets in the country, great homes do not happen by accident. They require vision, discipline, collaboration, and deep local knowledge. We’ll talk about finding the right site, designing for light, landscape, privacy, entertaining, and family life, then executing at the highest level. Scott and Stuart explain how architect, builder, client, and setting come together, what mistakes to avoid, and why the best Hamptons homes feel effortless even when every detail has been considered.

June 18, 2026Episode 2321 hr 1 min

Megeve and the French Alps | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 232

Boroughs and Burbs, Season 6, Episode #232 heads to Megève and the French Alps with Max Rains and Matt Edelsten of Douglas Elliman France. Long known as one of Europe’s most elegant mountain villages, Megève offers a rare mix of ski culture, old-world charm, discreet luxury, and year-round Alpine living. We’ll explore what makes the French Alps different from other second-home markets, from chalets and village apartments to family compounds, investment properties, and branded residences. Max and Matt help us understand who is buying, what international clients are looking for, how lifestyle drives value, and why access, hospitality, design, and legacy matter so much in this market. This is mountain real estate through a truly global lens.

June 12, 2026Episode 23156 min

Choosing the Right Partner | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 231

Boroughs and Burbs Season 6, Episode #230 asks a simple question with big consequences: why does the right partner matter so much in design, development, and luxury real estate? Daniele Busca of Scavolini and Tim Rooney of Jeffrey Beers International join us to discuss how trusted partnerships turn vision into value. From Italian kitchens and baths to hotels, restaurants, residences, and branded spaces, the best outcomes depend on collaboration, communication, execution, and shared standards. A great partner understands the client, protects the design intent, solves problems early, and elevates the final result. This episode looks at why materials, craftsmanship, project management, and hospitality thinking all matter, and why choosing the right team may be the most important design decision of all.

June 6, 2026Episode 2301 hr 0 min

The Home Photo Test | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 230

On Boroughs and Burbs Season 6, Episode #230, “The Home Photo Test,” we look at the pre-listing fixes that matter most on camera. Ed Quinlan, President of Chem-Dry, joins us on carpets, rugs, and soft surfaces. Chris Seman, President of N-Hance Wood Refinishing, explains how cabinet color, finish, and condition shape kitchen impressions. Nathan Willard, President of The Patch Boys, adds the wall and ceiling repair perspective, where bad patches often jump out in photos. This is a practical “before you list” conversation about what buyers actually see first, what sellers overlook, and which targeted updates deliver the biggest visual impact without full replacement.

May 14, 2026Episode 2291 hr 2 min

New Jersey | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 229

Boroughs and Burbs, Season 6, Episode #229 takes us to New Jersey with Danielle Lacko and Andre Di Stefano of Douglas Elliman for a closer look at one of the most dynamic real estate markets in the country. From commuter towns with direct access to Manhattan to waterfront communities, historic suburbs, luxury new construction, and lifestyle-driven relocations, New Jersey is not one market, it is many. Danielle and Andre help us understand where buyers are moving, what sellers need to know, and how pricing, inventory, taxes, schools, and transportation shape decisions across the state. We’ll talk strategy, local nuance, and why New Jersey continues to attract families, investors, and city buyers looking for space, value, and connection.

May 6, 2026Episode 2341 hr 6 min

Adaptive Reuse | Boroughs and Burbs Ep. 234

On Season 6, episode #234 of Boroughs and Burbs, we dive into one of the most important trends shaping today’s built environment: adaptive reuse. Joined by Bob Diamond of Diamond Law Center, we explore how outdated office buildings, retail spaces, and industrial properties are being transformed into residential and mixed-use assets. As cities grapple with shifting work patterns and housing shortages, adaptive reuse offers both opportunity and complexity. Bob breaks down the legal frameworks, zoning hurdles, and regulatory challenges that can make or break these projects. From feasibility to financing, we examine what it takes to unlock value in existing structures—and why adaptive reuse is becoming a cornerstone of urban redevelopment.