Speaker 1: 0:30

I'm Brianna Getting. I work for Pearson Smith Realty and I'm a realtor.

Speaker 2: 0:35

Amazing. Thank you All right. Well, take me back. What drew you to the world of real estate? Give me a quick overview of your journey.

Speaker 1: 0:44

Honestly, I never thought I would ever be in real estate. To be 100% honest with you, I started in cosmetology, then I had three kids and right before COVID happened, I was turning 30.

Speaker 2: 1:07

And I thought, man, I need to do something, since my kids will all be in school. So I adventured into real estate how it finds you, or you just find your way into it and it's the best, the best thing for you, what inspired you to start your career in real estate and what keeps you passionate about it today?

Speaker 1: 1:23

I guess it started because I was told I could never do it, that I wouldn't be as successful as I'd be, so that pretty much drove me tell me, I can't do something, I'll probably do it 10 times better on on my head. So that's really what it was. I didn't really think of it. Naturally, it was pretty good. I was working as an assistant for a top realtor and then I realized that I wasn't really going to be able to grow in that direction under that wing. So I ventured off and saw where it took me and I'm pretty happy.

Speaker 2: 1:52

That's amazing. I am the same way Like tell me I can't do it and I will show you Exactly. That's the best motivation, isn't?

Speaker 1: 1:59

it yes, yes, self-motivation. You know what I mean. You drive yourself.

Speaker 2: 2:03

Yeah. What's your secret to helping buyers feel confident and stress-free in such a competitive market?

Speaker 1: 2:10

Well, I'm primarily a listing agent. In the last five years I've sold about 250 homes and, to give content, average agent sells about 12 homes a year. So my highest year has been 65 as a solo agent, which is pretty incredible. I do work with a lot of buyers and really I would say the best thing is to make them feel comfortable with the process. There's so much information out. Everybody's got a sister, cousin, brother and uncle that sold a house at some time or another and had an experience. So it's really just listening to their wants and needs, like pretty much everyone says that they need to do, but actually following through with it. Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 2:45

How do you approach home staging to make it irresistible to potential buyers?

Speaker 1: 2:50

Oh, home staging is my favorite. That is what I do with all my listings. I actually bought another home about three and a half years ago, remodeled it and I call it my dollhouse. It is staged with furniture. I have a two-car garage, so all my listings get personally staged with me. It could be anywhere from a seven-bedroom mansion to a two-bedroom condo. I own stock and air mattresses and fake plants and everything in between.

Speaker 2: 3:14

I love that. That is so cool. I feel like that would be my favorite part too.

Speaker 1: 3:19

It is. It's like going into a different home and designing a different dollhouse, basically Looking at taking their flooring and their colors and their style and the vibe and then picturing who you could see living in there and then creating that emotion that's so beautiful.

Speaker 2: 3:33

I actually have a background in music and songwriting and kind of that whole process really taps into the creativity side of my brain and it's almost like the pieces that go into like writing a song and getting that final product and envisioning the people that may listen to it.

Speaker 1: 3:50

You're kind of doing that with your dollhouse. Yes, no, it's funny. I can literally be somewhere and it just irks me to want to move the chair or something like that. I've even been stayed over at Airbnb and I have rearranged the furniture for the week that I've been staying there, just because I felt it was more feng shui, or functional that way, yeah, and I mean, furniture has an energy to it and you want to feel comfortable in your space and some people have some people.

Speaker 2: 4:14

I'm sure you have this kind of this intuitive sense of what feels good.

Speaker 1: 4:18

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 4:19

So satisfying. I love it. What's one unique thing about working with clients in the Eastern Panhandle and Northern Virginia that people might not expect?

Speaker 1: 4:28

What's really interesting is, since we're so close to Virginia and Loudoun being I primarily work in West Virginia, Jefferson, but I do service Loudoun, County and Clark and surrounding areas Just the differences from anywhere from taxes to the regions and the space I kind of joke, but I'm serious. In Ashburn it could take you a half an hour to go from one end to the other because of the stoplights and the extra congestion, but here where I live in Jefferson, you could be towns away in a half an hour and there's no stoplights or traffic lights and 65 mile per hour roads. So it's just the differences that just once you cross over the border from Virginia to West Virginia. Just explaining the differences of that.

Speaker 2: 5:06

Yeah, I live in Ashburn and I definitely resonate with the 30 minutes to get from one end to the other. Yeah, it's every two seconds a stoplight. So, maybe I should move to West.

Speaker 1: 5:17

Virginia and it's nicer because you're more or less driving with fields or greenery from left to right instead of here in Loudoun. It's just grown so much. I was born and raised in Loudoun. I grew up in Percival, so I've seen the change over the last 35 years and it's been crazy yeah.

Speaker 2: 5:33

I bet it's been crazy just as long as I've been alive, like being raised in Loudoun as well. I feel like so much has changed, but it's been cool too. Yeah, what is the biggest mistake you see buyers or sellers make, and how can they avoid it?

Speaker 1: 5:47

Waiting. There's never the right time for really anything. Let's be honest Even if you think it's the right time, the next day you could fail at something or realize you don't want it. So I would say the biggest thing is people being hesitant and then also not maybe relying on the person that they called to represent them. I've gone in and been the second runner up to a list to home or something like that, and seen the differences of how people didn't guide them the right way or held off or did certain things that they shouldn't have done that could have moved them forward.

Speaker 2: 6:19

Yeah, absolutely, and that, like you said, it goes for everything in life. There's never really a right time to do anything, yeah. Things are always changing, you kind of just have to go for it.

Speaker 1: 6:29

Yeah, like I said, I've had three kids and yeah, there's tons of books from conception to birth, but where's the manual when they're 13 and 12 and everywhere in between? You just kind of figure it out, yeah.

Speaker 2: 6:41

What do you think makes working with your team or brokerage a different experience for clients?

Speaker 1: 6:46

What I would say is, working with Pearson is a completely different experience. I was with another brokerage before. It was more of a boutique brokerage and what I loved about Pearson when I was interviewing, switching over to see where I wanted to ultimately land myself is I love that Pearson really let me be who I was and also let me put my name in front of the brokerage name. For example, most people think I'm a brokerage, although Pearson is tagged along with everything I post and everything like that, but they let me have my name and my number on the forefront and everything, which I think is amazing, because a lot of other brokerages I feel like don't let the individual agent be themselves and shine in their talents and everything and serve the way that they feel most comfortable.

Speaker 2: 7:28

Yeah, I love that, and especially with you. You have such a vibrant, amazing personality and a great name. I know I got lucky to be married to your last name, so I love that you're able to really be the face of your brand and be your brand and not be. You're attached to Pearson, but they let you have that.

Speaker 1: 7:48

Yeah, my own identity. Yeah that's really great. Especially in my area where I live in Shannondale, west Virginia, people are like you're a mini celebrity because my face is ever a nice style and I'm really involved in the community and stuff like that. So it's neat to everybody is somebody. But to really feel like you are somebody when making a difference is pretty awesome, awesome.

Speaker 2: 8:08

Yeah. Can you share a story about a client experience that really reminded you why you love this career?

Speaker 1: 8:16

Oh goodness, there are so many Gosh I don't even know where I could go with one of like where I helped. I can think of very funny things that have happened or things that I can identify. I think those Okay. So this one story. So where I live there's a lot of well and septics and a lot of people are not familiar or knowledgeable on them. So one time I was explaining to a first time home buyer about the septic field and walking around and a bird pooped right on me. So there's that one. I've had to climb into a window before because the owner let us but the tenants locked it. I one time had a client that didn't understand radon. A lot of people don't and radon is the second leading lung cancer killing next to cigarettes. And I had one client I will not buy this house with radon and I said for about $1,500, we can fix the radon. So just little funny things, just showing about how just education is really key and everything.

Speaker 2: 9:14

It really is. Yeah, wow, thank you for sharing this. Everyone's going to get a kick.

Speaker 1: 9:18

I was going to say I'm sure you were not expecting that, but it's two stories that I honestly share, because houses I raid on and sometimes septic, so it's an easy tell story.

Speaker 2: 9:30

Sometimes you just get pooped on.

Speaker 1: 9:32

Yeah, and it lightens the. It lightens the day.

Speaker 2: 9:35

Some say that's good luck. Well then, I'll take it. How do you help clients feel at home in a new area when they relocate?

Speaker 1: 9:43

Really helping them get immersed in it. Let them know, hey, this is where I guess really not everybody wants the same things. I guess I should take that back, Really seeing what kind of lifestyle that they have and what they're interested in and then showing them where that they can do those things. Like, if they're big hikers, I'll show them oh well, there's a hiking trail from here, there, everywhere else. Oh, I like farmer markets Great. This town is known for having farmer's markets, certain schools, things like that. Really tailoring to their lifestyle and then showing them, hey, this is what we have in the area that could help with that.

Speaker 2: 10:14

Yeah, that's awesome, because then they can really envision themselves like in their day to day.

Speaker 1: 10:24

Yeah, yeah, and everybody wants different things. Some people, what may be important to me may not be important to you. So I would hate for to kind of push something on them and be like, well, I don't even like hamburgers, you know? Like why are you pushing me on to hamburger?

Speaker 2: 10:35

restaurants. Now that makes sense. What is one thing your clients often say about you after closing a deal?

Speaker 1: 10:44

Oh, that I'm extremely energetic. They're usually surprised when they find out that I don't even drink coffee, that I'm very present and I'm kind of like a pit bull with a bow. I'm very sweet and go-getting, but also if something is not right, I'm there to fight for my clients I love that those are like some of the best qualities some people do, but the no caffeine could not be me.

Speaker 1: 11:08

Yeah, everyone's like how do you not do it? Or people will be like I thought you'd be taller. I'm like. I know I talk like I'm a six foot New Yorker man on Wall Street.

Speaker 2: 11:17

I love it. I think it's amazing. How do you?

Speaker 1: 11:25

make the real estate process fun and memorable for your clients and their families. I would say just getting really involved. I like to meet with my clients. Since I'm primarily a listing agent, it's easy for me to be welcomed into a home because naturally I need to go through it to see what the if any repairs need to be done, the condition, the value and things like that. So I would say, just being involved. I kind of some people say that I become a member of the family just because I'm always checking in and I am a good sound wall. I listen a lot and give advice and things like that. So I really feel that it's not just a home that I find a family in when I'm selling their houses.

Speaker 2: 11:58

Okay, aunt Brianna, that is so beautiful, love that.

Speaker 1: 12:02

Thank you.

Speaker 2: 12:03

And it always feels better too, when you like connect with either the businesses you support or I don't know the realtors that you use no-transcript better about like, of course, these are big purchases, right so? It makes them feel a little bit more comfortable.

Speaker 1: 12:20

Yeah, I say and if I'm not the one, I completely understand. Not one size fits all. You know what I mean. There's people that go to Chick-fil-A over McDonald's, so and I tell them, I want them to feel comfortable, like, who do you feel comfortable calling you know, in the middle of night when you're thinking of something like oh my gosh, I didn't understand something, or what's the next step, or what have you? You really want to work with someone you feel comfortable with. They say, buying a house is no different on the stress level of divorce or having a baby, or a wedding and stuff, and you just don't call anybody to officiate your wedding or you don't just have anybody deliver your baby. So it's taking time to have somebody that really cares about you and to handle your situation.

Speaker 2: 13:01

Your motto is hard work and determined. What does that look like in your day-to-day?

Speaker 1: 13:05

work I just. Every day I wake up and I'm ready to kick ass, if you will. I wake up so ready for the day and just for what's next to happen. So I believe when you work hard and you're determined and you set a goal, you can achieve it.

Speaker 2: 13:21

It's not so cliche as you think it is Absolutely being a wife and mom. How has your family influenced the way that you run your business? They're so involved.

Speaker 1: 13:31

Luckily, my husband grew up in real estate so he completely understood like the hours and the stress and the time and everything. And for my children, it's amazing for them to see their mom like work and grow up. I feel like so many kids don't really know what their parents do to provide the lifestyle that they have and I feel like it's really special that my children are so involved, like they love coming with me and tagging along if they can, and my oldest just turned 13 and he started doing some work for some of my sellers, like just some little odds and ends things and stuff like that, and it's really, it's really neat to see it's turned into quite a family business.

Speaker 2: 14:06

Yeah, that's that's so fun. I would have loved that as a kid.

Speaker 1: 14:10

I mean, my parents both worked and I got to see that but I wasn't necessarily like going with them or day to day becauseday, because they're government so I can really like go in there exactly that is so cool and I'm sure that.

Speaker 2: 14:22

I'm sure that your kids have the best time.

Speaker 1: 14:24

Oh, they love seeing all the different houses and then also, like it's just neat, I get to be proud of them for things that they do in school and life and things, and then they get to be proud of me too, but it's a full circle. So, yeah, and all their friends know when I go into school they're like your mom's. The one on the sign, oh my gosh, so I'm like yes, hi, I'm like, I'm just the normal mom too.

Speaker 2: 14:50

I love it. How do you balance being a top producing agent with family life without burning out?

Speaker 1: 14:56

Just creating that. I think it's really valuable to create your own schedule and boundaries. Hey, if I wanted to go to the DMV on a Sunday, I can't right. So I pretty much just scheduled my own life and time and schedule that way too. Like, okay, well, what are time periods that are important to me? Are my mornings, when I'm there to see my kids go off to school? The afternoons are important to me, so I really block schedules so that way I can make the most of my time.

Speaker 2: 15:22

Yeah, that's great. What advice would you give first time homebuyers who are maybe nervous about starting the process?

Speaker 1: 15:29

besides, just do it Honestly. Your first home is not your forever home and I think it's best to always not go for your full pre approvalval. Go a little bit below, because it's very easy that two years can fly by and you could use your first home as an investment property to buy a second one. So I would say, just really realize that your pre-approval is not your ultimate purchase price. Don't always go for the end goal home. Buy something that you need now and that's going to satisfy your needs and that could also be a stepping stone to the next thing.

Speaker 2: 16:01

That's a great reminder, because I feel like most people do think, okay, first home, stay here forever. And not necessarily.

Speaker 1: 16:09

No, I've moved in 10 years. I've had three homes. So first house less than two years, second house three years, and then we're in this house that we're in now. We've been there for almost five, so yeah, so even a realtor. So we change our houses too.

Speaker 2: 16:25

If you could leave clients with one lasting impression about who you are as the realtor, what would it be?

Speaker 1: 16:33

That I'm here to roll up my sleeves and get it done. I usually have a backpack leaf blower or a hammer or some sort of tool that I can show I'm ready to rock and roll right away.

Speaker 2: 16:42

Yeah, I saw on your Instagram the picture with the hammer.

Speaker 1: 16:44

Yes, I love that. That is just the coolest. Oh, I've got it in my bag too, don't worry, take some more, so fun.

Speaker 2: 16:52

Is there anything else that I didn't touch on that you'd like to share with us today?

Speaker 1: 16:56

No, I think that we went over a whole bunch, so thank you.

Speaker 2: 16:59

Yeah, thank you. Thank you for coming in and making the time to chat with me today about your journey and everything that you do. This has been an awesome conversation. I know that our audience will love it and get a few laughs out of it as well, and learn a lot. So thanks again. Yeah, thanks for having me.