Brian Sacks in Rick’s Room
In this episode of Rick’s Room, Rick Grant sits down with longtime mortgage industry veteran, entrepreneur, author, and real estate professional Brian Sacks to discuss his latest venture: helping seniors and their families navigate one of life’s most difficult transitions.
Brian explains that he now works as a senior move manager and placement specialist, helping elderly homeowners transition into assisted living, independent living, or memory care communities. Rather than approaching families as a real estate agent looking for listings, he approaches them as a problem solver.
He points out that thousands of families face this situation every day. Adult children often live hundreds or even thousands of miles away and simply do not have the time, resources, or ability to spend weeks helping their parents sort possessions, sell homes, arrange moves, and evaluate senior living communities.
One of the most compelling insights from the interview is that Brian deliberately avoids leading with his real estate credentials. Instead, he builds trust by helping families solve their immediate problems. Once those relationships are established, opportunities to assist with the sale of a home naturally follow.
The conversation explores the emotional complexity of helping seniors downsize. Rick observes that Brian’s current business appears to be the culmination of everything he has done throughout his career. His experience in mortgages, real estate, investing, training, and family caregiving all contribute to his ability to solve a highly specific problem for a growing market.
Transcript Highlights
Rick Grant: Welcome back to Rick’s Room. This is the show where I get to sit down with some of my favorite people and have the kind of conversations we used to have at the end of a busy conference day.
Today’s guest is well known throughout the mortgage and real estate industries. Many people know him as the author of one of the mortgage industry’s most influential loan officer training programs. My guest today is Brian Sacks.
Brian, thank you for being here.
Brian Sacks: Thank you for having me. It’s always a pleasure to sit down with you.
Rick Grant: It’s been too long. You’ve been a mortgage professional, a real estate agent, and an entrepreneur who’s started more businesses than I can count. What’s keeping you busy these days?
Brian Sacks: I learned something interesting about myself. I love starting businesses. I enjoy creating them, but once they mature, I’m ready for the next challenge.
Let me ask you a question. What if you could get paid to go on listing appointments, whether or not you got the listing?
Rick Grant: I’d like that very much.
Brian Sacks: What if you only worked with highly motivated sellers who absolutely needed to move?
Rick Grant: That sounds ideal.
Brian Sacks: That’s exactly what I’m doing.
I’m in South Florida, what some people jokingly call “God’s waiting room.” There are millions of retirees here. Their children come to visit and realize Mom and Dad aren’t getting around as well as they used to. Suddenly, it’s time to start thinking about assisted living, independent living, or memory care.
Most real estate agents approach these families looking for a listing.
I don’t.
I come in and say, “Let me help you find the right community. Let me help you make the move.”
The adult children don’t want to spend weeks sorting possessions, coordinating movers, arranging estate sales, and cleaning out a house. They need help.
That’s where we come in.
Rick Grant: That’s brilliant. You’re building trust first by helping them through one of life’s biggest transitions.
Brian Sacks: Exactly. We serve as senior move managers. We help families evaluate communities, coordinate moves, and manage the entire transition.
The communities often compensate us for helping residents find the right fit. Many families also need to sell a home, but that’s not how we lead the conversation.
Rick Grant: This must happen constantly in Florida.
Brian Sacks: Every day. But it’s not just Florida. It’s happening everywhere.
Remember this statistic: 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day.
The need is enormous.
Many of these seniors have significant equity tied up in their homes. They need to access that equity to pay for care, and their children don’t want months of carrying costs while the house sits unsold.
That creates opportunities for investors, too, because many of these homes can be sold off-market before they ever reach the MLS.
Rick Grant: Everything you’ve done throughout your career seems to have prepared you for this.
Brian Sacks: It really did.
I lived through it personally. I’m an only child. I helped my parents through assisted living, nursing homes, and hospice care. I’ve seen every stage of the process firsthand.
That experience helps me understand what these families are feeling.
Rick Grant: There must be a tremendous emotional component.
Brian Sacks: Absolutely.
People are leaving homes they’ve lived in for decades. They’re surrounded by memories. Their possessions aren’t just possessions. They’re family history.
One of the most valuable things we do is act as a buffer between parents and children.
When a son or daughter says, “You need to get rid of that furniture,” it can feel personal.
When I say, “The sofa simply won’t fit in the new apartment,” it becomes a practical discussion.
We’re often helping preserve family relationships during an emotional transition.
Rick Grant: That’s an incredibly important role.
Brian Sacks: It really is.
And from a business perspective, it demonstrates something I’ve always believed: don’t be everything to everybody.
Find a niche.
Solve a specific problem.
Most people are trying to compete in crowded markets. I prefer to find underserved needs and create value where others aren’t looking.
Rick Grant: That’s a lesson you’ve applied throughout your career.
Brian Sacks: Absolutely. In every business I’ve built, I’ve tried to look at what everyone else is doing and then find a different approach.
If you solve the right problem, people will find you.
Rick Grant: Brian, this has been fascinating. You’ll have to come back and continue the conversation.
Brian Sacks: Anytime. I’d be happy to.
Rick Grant: Our guest has been Brian Sacks, mortgage professional, real estate expert, entrepreneur, and now senior move manager helping families navigate one of life’s most important transitions. Thanks for joining us.
