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EP# 352: Redefining Luxury Real Estate In Western North Carolina with Real Luxury Life

• Skip Mauney & Alicia Bean MacDonald • Episode 352

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What if luxury real estate had nothing to do with price and everything to do with how you’re treated? We sit down with broker Alicia Bean MacDonald of Christie's International Real Estate to unpack a service-first approach that helps buyers, sellers, and investors in Western North Carolina make smarter moves with less stress. Alicia explains why accurate pricing on day one creates momentum, how strategic comps and absorption data guide better list decisions, and why the “overprice then negotiate” tactic often backfires in today’s shifting market.

We also dig into buyer myths—especially the idea that you need a massive down payment. Alicia lays out accessible lending options, including programs with zero-to-five percent down, and shares how to evaluate readiness with income, credit, and property type in mind. For investors, she breaks down cap rates, rental benchmarks, and honest expense modeling to stress-test returns. With the local market evolving over the past 12 months, she shows how real-time data can protect margins and keep offers competitive without overreaching.

Beyond the numbers, Alicia opens up about a childhood challenge that forged her resilience and empathy—qualities that now anchor her client relationships. That story underlines her philosophy: luxury is a standard of service, accessibility, knowledge, and integrity for every client, whether it’s a first-time buyer or a million-dollar seller. If you want clear strategy, grounded expectations, and a steady hand from search to closing, this conversation delivers practical steps you can use right away.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s navigating a move, and leave a quick review to help others discover conversations that make smarter real estate decisions possible.

SPEAKER_01:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Money.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, hello everyone, and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. So I am um very excited this morning to have a very special guest in our studio for the first time. And I'm sure I'm excited to learn all about them and their business, and I'm sure you will be as well. Because today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Miss Alicia Bean McDonald, who is a broker with Christie's International Real Estate. Alicia, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_02:

Thanks. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Like I said, we're excited to learn all about you and your company. So if you don't mind, why don't you kick us off by telling us about uh about your business?

SPEAKER_02:

Uh my business in Western North Carolina is Real Luxury Life. Um, that's my real estate brand. I'm affiliated with Christie's International Real Estate, and I support folks in the process of buying and selling homes and investment properties.

SPEAKER_00:

And tell us about your journey. How did you land here?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, my entire career, I've been in service to others. I started with Makeup Wish Foundation, where I was first employed. And after college, I went on to join the banking sector. And I worked closely and supported the lending departments as the vice president of marketing. And then I took a step back from my corporate career to raise a family. And then I naturally transitioned my skills into real estate sales about 11 years ago. I absolutely love assisting my community in housing transitions. Through life, I've experienced the same changes that spark the need for new housing, like relocation, settling estates, upgrading, downsizing, and investing too. So I have a really good understanding of what my clients are navigating, and that's partly why I can help them be successful in reaching their goals.

SPEAKER_00:

In the real estate industry, which you have a lot of experience, uh what uh what are some myths or misconceptions in what you do?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, I can think of two. Um sometimes sellers believe overpricing their property leaves a buffer to negotiate getting the actual sales price that they really want, but often it'll leave the property to sit on the market for a much longer timeline, and then they'll be faced with having to process price reductions. The best approach is to price it accurately from day one and then maximize on the initial showings as a new listing on the market. And the second is that buyers have to have a substantial down payment in hand to purchase. That's a myth sometimes. There are a number of lending programs that cater to zero to five percent down. While there are qualifications that they have to meet, just like any loan, I encourage buyers to explore these options. Often they find themselves surprised by their own capabilities.

SPEAKER_00:

So, and I'm sure there's many more. There's many misconceptions. There's a lot. There's a lot.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Well, those are two good ones, though. So um, who are your target customers and how do you how do you reach them?

SPEAKER_02:

My target clientele is anyone that's a buyer or a seller or an investment um or an a real estate investor in Western North Carolina. Um I love helping people in that housing transition. Um, but I also love helping those real estate investors look for a property that's going to return. Um so I'm so happy to provide all of the market analysis data for buyers, for sellers, um, market um comparative analysis. So we know that you're either making an appropriate offer in terms of pricing, or you're pricing your property appropriately before listing it on the market, or um also running cap rate calculations for investors to know uh what the percentage of return would be, um, and also running some rental rate analysis in the market. Things are changing, um, and we've experienced a pretty hefty change in the past 12 months. So that that marketing um, that market data analysis is is more important than ever.

SPEAKER_00:

I couldn't agree more. So um you it sound like you know, being being in real estate, I know is a demanding job, um, but hopefully there's some time outside of work uh that you get to enjoy. Uh if so, what do you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_02:

You know, as much as I love selling homes, I love being at home. Homesteading, walking the trails, and welcoming guests. Um, I also love to travel and attending live music events whenever I can.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you live in a great place for that too. There's tons of tons of shows. Absolutely. Well, uh, let's switch gears for just a second. Um, Alicia, if you could um think of a hardship or a life challenge that you've overcome and how it made you stronger when you came out the other side. Anything come to mind?

SPEAKER_02:

You know, um I think I'll have to roll that all the way back um to my childhood. Um, when I was a kid, I was really overweight. I loved eating and I loved sugar. And I was mercilessly ridiculed for it. But I knew I wasn't a bad person because I was heavy. Um, so with my family's support and love, I was able to brush off the bullies and still find a way to love myself. I eventually lost the weight, but I didn't lose myself. Was still the same happy gal. That experience has transcended through my adult life. I know when I'm getting beat up by the world, that can't change my loving spirit. I'll always have that inside of me.

SPEAKER_00:

Great story. Um, so if um Alicia, if you could think of one thing, the one thing that you'd like our listeners and viewers to remember about you and about uh uh your uh Christy's International Real Estate and uh real luxury life, what would that be?

SPEAKER_02:

I want your listeners to know that my luxury real estate business is not defined by value, but by level of service. I believe luxury standards are steeped in quality service, accessibility, knowledge, and expertise. So whether you're a million-dollar client or a first-time homebuyer, I do not waver in providing luxury-level service to all of my clients.

SPEAKER_00:

Service makes the difference.

SPEAKER_02:

Agreed.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. Well, let's say some of our listeners' viewers uh are in the market looking for a home or wanting to sell their home, or perhaps an investor uh is interested in learning more. How can how can they do that?

SPEAKER_02:

They can find me at my website, RealLuxury Life. I'm sorry, realluxury.life to learn more about my services and of course contact me. Um I would love, I would love to know how I can support your listeners and their families.

SPEAKER_00:

Awesome. Realluxury.life.

SPEAKER_02:

Realluxury.life. That's my website. And they could also Google Alicia D. Macdonald um and see. Um I have a I have a Google profile and they can see all my reviews on there as well.

SPEAKER_00:

All right, very good. Well, Alicia, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to tell us all about you and uh and your your real estate business. And we wish you, your family, and your all your clients and company all the best moving forward.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you, Skip. Thanks for taking the time to have me today. I really appreciate being a part of the Good Neighbor Podcast.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, we're thrilled to have you as a part of the podcast and would love to have you come back sometime.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, sir. I'll love that.

SPEAKER_00:

All right. You have a great rest of the day.

SPEAKER_01:

You do. Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNP Tri-Dash Cities.com. That's GNP Tri-Dash Cities.com or call 423-719-5873.