Two truths and a lie:
Real estate can be fun.
Lawyers can be funny.
Real estate law doesn’t make for compelling entertainment.
Readers of Behind the Hedges are no doubt familiar with real estate attorney Andrew Lieb and his column, “Lieb at Law.” Lieb’s witty columns delve into the nitty-gritty of real estate law and litigation, offering practical information while providing personal, relatable insight. Fans of Lieb at Law will be excited to listen to Lieb’s new radio show, Real Estate Investing with Andrew Lieb, on 103.9 FM this Sunday at noon.
“It is about real estate investing, but off of that, what it’s about is entertaining,” Lieb says. “What we find is that some people in the real estate industry are so caught up with themselves and so full of themselves and trying to be something they’re not that they’ve forgotten how to laugh. So what we’re going to do is make it entertaining, with witty and satirical stuff going on.” But, Lieb notes, “Don’t misunderstand, there’s cutting substance.” In the first episode alone, Lieb goes into how to locate property without getting sued and new regulations on discrimination laws that are about to go into effect.
The idea for Real Estate Investing with Andrew Lieb sprouted when Lieb met producer David Heydt. “A couple of months ago, I was at a real estate event and Andrew does a ton of public speaking and I had never met him before,” Heydt says. “I was so impressed–he was so dynamic and had the authority on real estate investment but his delivery was spot on and he was so entertaining. It was real and authentic and I knew it would translate well to radio, so I reached out and we took it from there.” Heydt, a longtime radio and television producer, worked on ABC News, as well as with fellow East Ender Howard Stern to launch his Sirius XM channel. “I’m always developing ideas. When I see something and it resonates, I know immediately, ‘This person has it,’ and there’s no question Andrew has that ‘it’ factor and it’s just a matter of putting the pieces together to build a show.”
Without a doubt, Lieb has a big, endearing personality, but lawyers aren’t exactly known for being entertainers. “I didn’t choose to be a lawyer,” Lieb notes. “My great grandfather was a lawyer, and in my family, if you want to go into something like garbage truck driving you have to first graduate law school. So in between college and law school I got a masters in public health. I taught human sexuality, which is the closest you can be to a rock star if you can’t sing and dance. I taught it on a college level and when you do that, that’s entertainment! But then my father wanted to retire so I had to go to law school. No one knows how to entertain in law or real estate. There’s so much information people need and it’s delivered terribly.” Lieb, of course, also runs the Lieb School, teaching real estate law to brokers and salespersons throughout New York State. “I went from seven people in my attic to over 10,000 students.”
Real Estate Investing with Andrew Lieb is divided into four segments per episode. “We start off with reading an article on how to become a property locator,” Lieb explains. “Just as John Stewart would find ridiculous news, we found that article to be quite ridiculous. We tell the audience how many ways they’re going to get sued and go to jail from following that article, and what they really should be doing if they don’t want to go to jail.” The other segments include audience questions, an educational but funny “two truths and a lie” and more. Future episodes will feature guest interviews. Heydt likens Real Estate Investing with Andrew Lieb to a mix of The Daily Show and Bloomberg. “You’re going to learn but also have fun,” he says. “We’re trying to think outside the box.”
Lieb hopes the show will appeal to both real estate professionals and people who are not in the industry. “It’s aimed at dreamers,” he says. “It’s aimed at people sitting at their desks saying, ‘Hey, I want to invest, I want to go into real estate.’ You walk away knowing how to invest. But it’s done with a spirit and energy about how you need to succeed and you’re going to get beat up at some point, so you might as well laugh along the way.”
Listen to the first episode of Real Estate Investing with Andrew Lieb on 103.9 FM on Sunday, March 1 at noon. The show will also be participating in the Hamptons Home Show this April. For more information on Andrew M. Lieb, Esq. MPH, visit liebatlaw.com.
