From 7 Rental Properties to Zero: Rebuilding After Divorce
In this episode, Amy Slate, founder of the Breakup Broker, shares her journey from real estate investor to niche expert helping individuals navigate divorce-related property decisions. Discover her insights on building a niche brand, overcoming challenges, and empowering clients through education and strategic guidance.
Amy Slate (00:00)
You know, for 20 years I built a real estate portfolio and then in I don’t want to say blink of an eye, but it was gone. I’m down to zero. And it’s an incredibly weird feeling, but I think it helps me relate to people I’m speaking with who have owned their family home for 20 years and suddenly won’t own it anymore. Like it’s a huge transition. But for me, this was absolutely the right move. And being able to communicate that to people going through divorce and help them kind of understand like I’ve been in your shoes, I get it, is like paramount.
Meghan Escobar (02:05)
Hello everyone. Welcome back to Real Estate Pros Podcast. I am your host, and today I have the pleasure of sitting down with a very special guest by the name of Amy Slate. I’ve really been looking forward to bringing this conversation live for many reasons. First and foremost, because she’s got a very specific service that she’s providing to a very specific person. And I think our audience is going to walk away with some great insight with what she’s got to share. And the way that she’s built her business. So thank you so much, Amy, for being here. Yes, of course. Let’s dive in. So, first and foremost, for those of those folks that might not be familiar with your name or your worlds, this is Amy Slate, founder of The Breakup Broker. Give us a 30,000 foot view of what your main focus in is these days and where what markets you’re operating in.
Amy Slate (02:36)
Thanks for having me. Sure. So I am physically located in Boston, Massachusetts, and that’s where I transact kind of my normal real estate business. But about two and a half, two years ago, when faced with my own divorce, I realized that there was a desperate need for people going through divorce to just be educated and empowered on their options when it comes to the marital home, investment properties, all the things. And so I built and launch The Breakup Broker, which sounded cheesy in the moment, but has come to really be a brand that people go, my God, this is what I’ve been looking for. This is what I need. This is amazing. And I support people through any stage of the divorce journey, just understanding options, because I think so often people hear divorce and think, sell the house or keep the house. And it’s not always so black and white, and it really depends on your personal situation.
Meghan Escobar (03:47)
Yeah.
Amy Slate (03:52)
And so I provide incredibly customized guidance to people across the globe.
Meghan Escobar (03:56)
I absolutely love it. And, one thing that caught my attention was the passion that you had when talking about this project and this journey and some of the struggles that, you’re currently facing. Providing free consultations for individuals while still trying to pay the bills. Amy, you did mention you’re you do have a bit of a background in invest in the investment worlds. That’s kind of what brought you into this. Going from seven properties to zero is not it’s it’s not an easy thing to do. Talk to us a little bit about what’s what’s keeping you running.
Amy Slate (04:31)
Yeah. And let me just speak to the seven to zero situation. You know, for 20 years I built a real estate portfolio and then in I don’t want to say blink of an eye, but it was gone. I’m down to zero. And it’s an incredibly weird feeling, but I think it helps me relate to people I’m speaking with who have owned their family home for 20 years and suddenly won’t own it anymore. Like it’s a huge transition. But for me, this was absolutely the right move. And being able to communicate that to people going through divorce and help them kind of understand like I’ve been in your shoes, I get it, is like paramount. Like I I can’t I you can’t replicate having walk the walk when you’re talking to someone. But I will say, it’s it’s so it’s so emotional. It’s so filled with all these logistics and emotions and finances and all the things that come with divorce. And I realize I’ve just totally gone off the track of the question. But helping—
Meghan Escobar (06:17)
They’re fine. Yeah, that and that’s okay. Actually, I think it’s a good pivot. So, I I think it’s important to talk to the audience about what you focus on with The Breakup Broker. Like what exactly it is it that you’re providing as a service for, individuals that are miss divorced post-divorce.
Amy Slate (06:35)
Sure. So I think a lot of real estate agents come in when it’s time to sell the house, right? The divorcing parties have had a conversation and they’ve said, okay, we’re gonna sell the house, let’s get a realtor. And there are plenty of amazing experts that do that. What they don’t do is kind of way earlier in the process is having the conversation when the divorcing person doesn’t know are they on the deed? Are they on the mortgage? What does it look like to keep a house? What do I what’s maintenance look like? How do I even, begin to think about this? What’s a quitclaim deed just like all the educational pieces and components, kind of logistically, but also emotionally. Like, do you want to stay in this house? Is this house too much? You’re gonna be a single parent on a single income. Do you want to worry about snow removal in the winter? Like all those things and just really talking through all the the pieces that like encompass divorce, new chapter, next stage. And figuring out what that right next chapter is.
Meghan Escobar (07:34)
Beautiful. So really kind of getting into the nitty-gritty of what’s gonna come of this sale of the house or and and and this divorce in general. Or not even—
Amy Slate (07:45)
Yeah. So like sometimes it’s I’m gonna keep it or he’s gonna he or she’s gonna buy me out. And how does that make you feel? Because it’s emotional too, right? Divorce it is legal and financial, but is incredibly emotional. And helping them make decisions from a place of knowledge and not just like, I have to keep the house because we’ve had Christmas here for 22 years. Like that can that that’s a feeling that comes up. But let’s talk about it. Let’s talk through it. Let’s talk about, okay, but could you have Christmas somewhere else? And how’s that gonna feel?
Meghan Escobar (08:19)
Yeah, for sure. So every operator and entrepreneur that I know, there’s a moment in their career where things got real, and maybe for you, that was as an agent or leaving behind the investment portfolio, whatever it is, maybe a deal gone sideways. Do you mind Amy sharing one of those moments?
Amy Slate (09:15)
So I was a Boston based agent during the pandemic, relocated to Florida with my then husband. And that’s where kind of was surprised with divorce and suddenly had to figure out what my next chapter was. And very quickly realized that was coming home. Massachusetts, where my network is and my community and my sphere, and almost rebuilding my business because I had left for three years. And not that I wasn’t nurturing, but like I’m back now and I need to kind of not start fresh, but really, dig in. I am now a single woman, single income. I’ve got to figure out my business. The market is what the market is. Simultaneously trying to build The Breakup Broker, which wasn’t generating income and just going, my God, like I need to buy groceries this week. Right. Like all those emotional pieces and trying to keep it grounded and keep plugging away.
Meghan Escobar (10:04)
Yeah. And that’s the kind of stuff that, you people just really don’t they don’t talk about enough, right? The vulnerability side of things and what’s keeping you going. And it truly is what separates folks who are here to just dabble in the industry from, the ones who are here to stay grounded, stay in the game. So with that being said, what do you feel like—
Amy Slate (10:26)
Um
Meghan Escobar (10:29)
You’re most focused on right now? What what’s the next big move or next big goal for Amy Slate and The Breakup Broker?
Amy Slate (10:38)
Every day I wake up with a new idea. And I think my heart is really in supporting people, kind of on the the front end of divorce and just educating and empowering. But again, that’s a free service I provide, 30 minute free calls to anybody in the world. And so that doesn’t pay my bills. But as I think about kind of the the the timeline and the life cycle of a divorcing person, post divorce, they may have now gotten a chunk of money if they got a buyout or sold the home. And I think educating them to that that that it’s possible for them to become a real estate investor because so many people think it’s this thing someone else does and it’s too complicated and it’s too hard. And as someone who’s done it, who didn’t have a clue when I started and figured it out, it’s not that hard. Right. And so I think kind of part two of The Breakup Broker will be we’ve gotten you through the divorce, you’re post-divorce, you’ve got some money. Let’s talk about investing that in real estate to build some long-term generational wealth for you and your family.
Meghan Escobar (12:15)
Yeah, that’s that’s huge. So that’s really taken can really potentially take you and your brand to the next level and potentially create some chaos in between, depending on how how it’s played. But that I think that’s huge. And so, a lot of our listeners, they’re either very early on in their journey when it comes to wanting to learn about real estate, whether that’s wanting to be an agent or a broker or an appraiser or an investor, or we have folks who are have been in the game long term and they’re just looking to level up. And I really think that they would benefit from hearing this. So when it comes to building relationships and growing your network, we hear all the time your network is your net worth, what do you feel has made the biggest difference for you?
Amy Slate (13:08)
Yeah. And that’s, I will say that’s a two part question. And as someone who started my journey in real estate on a t on a real estate team, I think there are always other people you can learn from. You could be the best and the brightest and the most successful, but there was always someone else that can teach you something. So don’t ever think you’re above it and seek out those relationships, those mentoring opportunities, those networks, because you will learn and you will grow. For me personally, I am still on a real estate team. I love my teammates. We’ve all been in this industry many years, but there’s always those one-off, like, what in the hell is going on with this transaction kind of questions that having someone to kind of bring in and help you brainstorm is amazing. But then on the divorce side, unbeknownst to me prior to my divorce, there was an entire world of divorce professionals, whether it’s attorneys, financial analysts, coaches. All the things and being able to connect with them and not just refer business, but learn from, industry stuff and how they’re connecting, what they’re hearing across clients that they talk to and all the things and just constantly bringing in more information. I’m one person. I can only listen to so many podcasts and read so many books. Right. But when you open up your sphere to just all these other amazing humans, you’re learning from them and the collective just grows.
Meghan Escobar (14:28)
That is a really incredible perspective. I love, the way that you mentioned how important it is because what I’ve always heard and know to be true is the more you learn, the more you earn. Right. So wisdom is something you cannot put a dollar amount on. So thank you for sharing that. I think it’s really important for people to understand, the rooms that you’re in matter. And if you ever feel like you’re the smartest person in the room—
Amy Slate (14:53)
Get a new room.
Meghan Escobar (14:54)
Yeah, you’re in the room. Yeah. And it’s something that you can’t fake. Relationships are everything in in the space of entrepreneurship. So yeah. Before we wrap this up, if someone wanted to connect with you and collab or learn more about what it is that you’re doing, what would you say, Amy, is the best way for someone to reach you? Is that social email phone number potentially?
Amy Slate (15:17)
All of the above. Probably the easiest and kind of quickest to remember is thebreakupbroker.com. So on there it’s got my socials, my email, you can book a call, you can download my free divorce housing guide. Tons of stuff right there. So thebreakupbroker.com. Again, I am the only one, which is how I was able to get the domain because if you’ve ever looked for a domain, it’s tough to find one that actually matches what you want. Yeah.
Meghan Escobar (15:41)
It is. That’s incredible. Congratulations on your journey. I’m excited to see where this goes and where you’re gonna land, in the next year or so. And if there was anyone listening in and thought, I got some value from this, please make sure to hit subscribe. And before we go, I wanna thank you, Amy, for your time, your story, and more importantly, your perspective here. I think we need more people in the space who are doing things authentically and very niche driven. So thank you again for being here. For the folks listening in, if you did gain value, please make sure to hit like and subscribe and go give Amy a follow. Go hit up her website. We’ve got more conversations coming in like this with entrepreneurs just like Amy here, who are out here real out here building real businesses in real time with real people.
Amy Slate (16:15)
Thank you.
Meghan Escobar (16:35)
We’ll see you on the next episode.
