Fake Business: Prank Calling Realtors as a Hobby

• 20:55Tim calls realtors posing as a real estate investor to conduct "fake business" as a hobby.
• 21:16He prank-calls about a commercial property on Palm Canyon Drive, asking detailed questions about price per square foot and local restrictions.
• 21:37Corporate chains like Starbucks use competing business clauses to prevent independent coffee shops from opening in the same area.
• 22:02Tim spent 10 minutes on the phone with a realtor and dismisses the criticism that their time has value.
• 22:30One fake client nearly made an offer on a house after Tim called the realtor 45 minutes, three separate times.
• 22:49Realtors actually started drawing up contracts and scheduling inspections before Tim had to block their calls.
• 23:26He sometimes uses his real name Tim Dillon, sometimes makes up a firm name, sometimes claims to represent investment groups.
• 24:12By asking fake questions and showing interest, Tim gets the realtor to spread the word to his wife, secretary, and partner.
• 24:39When someone at dinner said his prank-calling was horrible, Tim argued he's just practicing, like a golfer at a driving range.
• 25:40Fake comedians spend a decade impoverishing themselves and living on floors—at least Tim's fake business requires less commitment.
• 26:28Tim calls the realtor back live on the show to demonstrate how well he conducts fake business negotiations.
• 27:08On the live call, Tim asks Adam about competing business clauses and requests a list to send to his "investors."
• 27:58The realtor explains the property just went on the market when COVID hit and was delayed two to three months.
• 28:28Tim notes there's a mattress store across the street and asks about lease terms and rates.
• 29:17Tim pivots to discussing how LA's problems are driving clients to look at the Rancho Mirage area instead.
• 29:39The realtor explains the high season is January through April, with shoulder seasons in September through December.
• 30:49After the call ends, Tim insists he's conducting fake business well and protecting the interests of his nonexistent clients.
• 31:20Tim advises the audience to start doing fake business—no license required, just a phone and computer.
• 31:53He describes himself as someone who was meant to be a deal-making rainmaker and power broker.
• 32:21Tim acknowledges that even in his fake life he's just a shitty realtor in the desert trying to sniff out a deal.
• 32:54His advice: set high but reasonable expectations for your fake business, following Gary Vaynerchuk's real business advice but for pretend.
• 33:21Realtors get upset after he calls 17 or 18 times, so he makes up stories about why his investor couldn't show up to viewings.
• 33:41Tim concludes that all business is essentially fake until contracts are signed, and he's among the best at conducting it.

Fake businessYes or yesStarbucksGary Vaynerchuk