The REKAP Room
Welcome to REKAP Room — where ownership becomes a strategy, not a dream.
Hosted by Michael Kaplan of The REKAP Group, this podcast dives into the intersection of Chicago real estate, investing, and personal growth. From renter-to-owner blueprints to breaking down million-dollar deals, each episode is designed to help you think bigger and move smarter.
This isn’t just about buying property.
It’s about building equity, leverage, and optionality.
Pull up a seat.
Episodes
42 episodes
REKAP Room | Ep. 40 - How to Buy a Condo in Chicago in 2026
Chicago has long been recognized as one of the greatest cities in the world a global hub for culture, architecture, business, and opportunity. But over the past few years, the city hasn’t been immune to economic headwinds, and the real estate m...
•
38:22
REKAP Room | EP. 39 - How Realtors Actually Win On Social Media @modernchicagohomes
Michael sits down with one of Chicago’s top real estate agents, Vik Wadhwa, to break down how he’s leveraged social media to build a powerful personal brand and generate consistent leads. With years of experience in the industry, Vik shares how...
•
49:05
REKAP Room | EP. 38 - Debt Is The Deal: Inside Commercial Mortgage Brokering
Michael sits down with the next generation of commercial real estate brokers to break down today’s market, discuss what they’re seeing on the ground, and share insights on where the commercial sector is headed in the months and years ahead.
•
1:15:53
REKAP Room | Ep. 37 - The Future Of Real Estate
Michael sits down with the next generation shaping the future of Chicago real estate. Christian, Julian, and Michael share how they each got their start, what they’re building today, and the unique perspectives they bring to the industry. From ...
•
1:27:42
REKAP Room | Ep. 36 - Stop Listening to Bad Real Estate Advice! A Conversation with Top Producer and Mortgage Coach Tim Brigham
Tim Brigham, a top-producing mortgage lender and respected coach, joins the REKAP Room to share his decades of experience in the lending world. In this episode, Tim breaks down what today’s buyers and agents need to understand about financing, ...
•
47:52
REKAP Room EP. 35 Chicago Fall Market Update
Chicago fall is here, and we’re breaking down where things stand as we taper off the busy summer season and move into the fall market. For buyers, this time of year can bring new opportunities with a slower pace, there’s often more flexibility ...
•
14:22
REKAP Room Ep. 34: The Truth About Commercial Real Estate with Kevin Rocio
This week, we sit down with Kevin Rocio, one of Chicago’s most respected and accomplished commercial real estate agents and investors. Kevin shares his incredible journey through the ups and downs of the market, the lessons that shaped his succ...
•
51:20
REKAP Room Ep. 33: Top 10 Tips For First-Time Landlords
Gordy kicks things off with a recap of the Bears’ first win of the season and what it could mean moving forward. Then Michael shares his personal tips as a landlord, offering practical advice for anyone thinking about buying their first rental ...
•
22:55
REKAP Room Ep. 32 Serious Buyers Vs. Shoppers: Spotting The Difference
Michael discusses the difference between what a serious buyer looks like and a "shopper" on today's episode. He breaks down what each type of buyer looks like and why we see serious and shopper buyers in this market.
•
18:52
REKAP Room Ep. 31 Chicago's Hottest Market: Lincoln Park
Michael dives into the hottest neighborhood in Chicago Lincoln Park. Discussing how it has become so competitive and why it has become so popular. Are there other neighborhoods that can compete with Lincoln Park?
•
12:27
Saying Goodbye To Our First Intern Rekap Room Ep. 30
As the summer is starting to wind down we officially depart with our first ever intern Mike Williams. Going through his first experience working in real estate Mike talks about the experience, challenges, what he's learned and much more.
•
14:38
REKAP Room Ep. 29 Navigating Business With Friendship
Gordy and Michael have been working together for almost 3 years as they discuss their friendship and partnership within REKAP. They go more into depth where it all started, how they've managed their relationship, and what are the plans for the ...
•
24:42
REKAP Room Ep. 28 How To Know If You're Ready To Buy?
Michael breaks down the key signs that you’re truly ready to make one of life’s biggest decisions in buying a home. From financial preparedness to personal goals, he’ll help you figure out if now is the right time to take the leap into homeowne...
•
16:55
How's The Market?
On today's REKAP Room Michael gives us an inside look of the market and the trends we are seeing today. Where is the current market at? What does the future look like? When should I be looking? These are all questions broken down and more insig...
•
19:21
REKAP Room Ep. 26 New Beginnings
We are back! A lot of new changes have come to the REKAP Group as we introduce our new teammate Mike Pierson. Get to know Mike and his new role with the REKAP Group!
•
26:37
The REKAP Room Episode 25: Can you Carve out A Career in Door to Door Sales? Ft. Alex Hochman
On today's episode of The REKAP Room we have special guest Alex Hochman. One of the top salesman for Vivint smart homes who has created a name for himself as a top door to door salesman. He speaks about how he has started one of the top produci...
•
1:03:43
REKAP Room Episode 24: How to Buy a GOLF COURSE in Your 20's feat. Jake Johnson
We are back with another episode of the REKAP Room. Today's guest is one of the more interesting stories you'll hear Jake Johnson a 25 year old golf course owner. Tune in to hear about how he ended up buying a golf course at such a young age an...
•
58:24
REKAP Room Episode 23: The Man Behind The Camera
We are joined by a very special guest our very own friend and camera man Patryk Rydzewski. Pat has been with us since the start and we sit down with him to discuss his upbringing, how he got into photography/videography, and his future plans.&n...
•
56:27
Episode 22: Aram Ghazaryan Joins The REKAP Room
In this episode, we sit down with Aram Ghazaryan to explore his incredible journey from immigrating to America to building a thriving career in real estate. Aram shares how he discovered his passion for the industry, the challenges he faced alo...
•
1:15:54
Episode 21: Our First Ever Guest Penny Silich Joins The REKAP Room
We are joined by our very first guest on the show Penny Silich as she discusses her long and successful career in real estate. Join us as we discuss life, real estate, and how to navigate yourself in your career. You won't want to miss this.&nb...
•
58:02
Episode 20: The Future of The Real Estate Market For 2025 and Beyond
On today's Rekap Room we dive into the future of the real estate market and what each of us thinks is the 2025 outlook. Could we see a more stable market? We discuss how everything will shape out as we get into the holiday season and closer to ...
•
28:40
Episode 19: Why Real Estate Prices Keep Rising? What Can We Do About It?
In today's episode we talk about the real estate epidemic of the rising housing costs and what has led to this. We discuss potential solutions of how this problem can eventually be fixed or minimized.
•
29:56
Episode 18: Why The Agency Drop Out Rate is So High In Real Estate
In today's episode, we explore why the dropout rate in real estate is so high, sharing our own challenges with unpredictable income and competition. We'll discuss why many agents leave the industry and offer insights on how to navigate these ob...
•
45:05
