I never really talked about why I moved to Hunt Country Sotheby’s International Realty.

Some people say it doesn’t matter where you hang your license, but I now believe it does.

This time last year I was searching for a new “home.” I knew I wanted to switch and started interviewing at other brokerages. I wrote down a list of wants and needs, just like I tell my clients to do when they start their home search.

Wants:

• Community
• In-person or virtual training options
• Marketing assistance
• Collaboration opportunities
• Ability to keep my brand name and my own marketing

Needs:

• In-person and virtual option
• Technology that can support me
• Great broker
• No office drama

In the fall, I was on a panel with a few of the best agents in Loudoun at our local realtor association, and I was asked a question, “how do you destress?” The other answers looked like this:

-I run marathons and Ironman Competitions
-I fly my plane to and from Europe
-I spend time with my family and pets

There’s nothing wrong with the answers above, but I said, “I haven’t mastered that work-life balance yet, sometimes it looks like crying in your car. And I my voice started to crack…I broke down and cried in front of so many people (which is my fear, I hate looking less than perfect in front of people).

The last few years have been tough! I love my job, I love a challenge, but you have to constantly work on your mindset. We spend so much time writing so many offers compared to ones we get under contract, we tour so many homes, we work for FREE, and people sometimes treat us like trash. I love most of it, the highs are HIGH, and the lows are LOW.

This definitely struck a cord with so many realtors in the room, but it was then that I realized I needed a different environment. I was on an island, with no real help. It was then that I knew I was done with the 100% virtual real estate brokerage.

I needed a local community of people to talk to who really understood what I faced day to day. I needed a community who would help me grow into the person I want to be.

At that panel, I got to work closely with someone I’ve always admired, Lisa Thompson. I met her and a few of her colleagues and I was a little starry eyed because they worked for Sotheby’s, the brokerage I always wanted to work for.

During the next few months, I decided to join another brokerage, one I thought was going to be the ‘right fit.’ Thirty minutes before I was going to make an announcement, I get a call from the Lisa Thompson, saying “hey have you ever thought of joining Sothebys…would you want to talk about it.”…

My heart was racing. I’m a little devastated because I had just made my decision. I didn’t think Sotheby’s would want an agent like little ol’ me.

So I agreed to a meeting, even though I had already ordered new signs, business cards, etc. I couldn’t turn down this opportunity. I met with the broker, Janeen Marconi, and colleagues: Lisa Thompson, Sheri Gershen, and Sara Padden. I learnt more about the marketing and the services they offer, and it was surprisingly a lot.

I’m not sure why, but before I interviewed with Sotheby’s I thought they were a little behind the times when it came to technology, but when I saw the presentation and what they had to offer, I saw that they have a lot more technology than my previous brokerages.

One of the things we spoke about was getting rid of “Rococo Real Estate and Design” this was the brand I created when I got into the industry. It was a brand I had grown to love. And it was a huge decision for me to leave it behind.

When you become uncomfortable, you begin to see signs of growth. “Rococo Real Estate and Design” (brokered by eXp) was great for me at the beginning stages of being a realtor. But in order to grow into who I want to be, I would need to be willing to change. It wasn’t easy, but I felt like it was the right direction.

Once I overcame that internal battle, I was hooked… and I wanted to join. They say you are a reflection of the people you surround yourself with and that is so true. I want to be a top agent. I want to be the #1 in our area and I am putting in the systems and foundations to do that.

I joined and signed all of the paperwork in December 2022, and Lisa immediately told me to sign up for the Global Networking Event in April 2023 (a large expense, but she said it was worth it).

I signed up, booked my hotel, flight, and started learning all things Sotheby’s.

I went to the conference in April, met some amazing new people, learnt more about the brand and all it has to offer, but most of all, I bonded a little more with my colleagues.

I know I have the skills to be an amazing agent, but having a brand behind you that is recognized worldwide as the best real estate company is also an asset. It’s one of the reasons I just got an $7.9 million listing (do you know someone interested in a winery lmk!!).

It’s safe to say I won’t be moving anytime soon. I have so many more opportunities than I have had before. I have the most incredible group of people I’m surrounded with, I feel so supported, and I couldn’t be happier ✨ 💫💙

📸: e. losinio photography