In this episode, Ryan sits down with Jordan Smith, the founder of Smith House (along with his wife Veronica) and creator of the Jordan Smith Builds YouTube channel. Jordan shares his path from working in oil and gas to launching a design-build home company focused on high performance and longevity. His journey, which began with remodeling his own homes and learning under YouTube pioneer Matt Reisinger, led him to pursue smarter ways to build homes that stand the test of time.
Jordan and Ryan explore how the homebuilding industry is often driven by return on investment, not quality. Jordan explains how production homes tend to prioritize square footage over durability, and how the race for the lowest cost can lead to poor long-term performance. He outlines how his company builds homes with a 100-year mindset, focusing on things like better wall systems, thoughtful site placement, and practical energy solutions.
They also talk about working with his wife, Veronica, who brings a different perspective to the business. Jordan opens up about both the challenges and the strengths of being in business with your spouse. He also shares how they talk to their kids about risk, responsibility, and the realities of entrepreneurship, even if their kids aren’t running side hustles just yet.
Finally, the conversation turns to affordability, prefab housing, and how builders can deliver smarter homes without making them unaffordable. Jordan’s vision includes doing small developments that prioritize quality and livability over size.
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Ryan sits down with Peter Murphy Lewis to talk about how storytelling can help developers and builders attract better talent and build stronger teams. They break down simple, practical ways to use video and real stories to stand out in today’s labor market.
Keith Miller joins the show to talk about his focus on building attainably priced homes at scale in Montana, why he’s using factory-built housing, and what it really takes to bring new supply to fast-growing markets.
Ryan and Charles break down falling homebuyer demand, a heated TikTok debate on millennial housing choices, a proposed property tax hike in New York City, and what a shrinking U.S. population could mean for developers.