Unlocking Real Estate: Colibri Real Estate Podcast
Welcome to Unlocking Real Estate - My First Commission where we dive into real stories, big wins, and early lessons learned from highly successful rookie real estate agents and brokers. This is the podcast where we explore how real estate can transform lives one home at a time by sitting down each week with a new agent or broker who has found incredible success in their first year.
Your hosts are instructors and leaders at Colibri Real Estate school, one of the largest real estate educators in the nation where we focus on helping people like you get started or find continued success in their careers.
We’d also love to hear from you! Send your comments, key takeaways, or recommendations to UnlockingRealEstate@colibrirealestate.com
Interested in being on the podcast, or know someone who might be? Please fill out our form: https://share.hsforms.com/1o4DbEqKvQwSzoMTSnrznZQ8ish
Unlocking Real Estate: Colibri Real Estate Podcast
From Nurse to Rookie of the Year Finalist | How Julie Peteritas Closed 10 Deals in Year One
How does a former nurse and stay-at-home mom go from zero experience to 10 transactions in her very first year—and become a finalist for the 2025 RISMedia Rookie of the Year award?
Meet Julie Peteritas, a Berkshire Hathaway Realtor® from Lancaster, PA, whose inspiring leap into real estate shows what’s possible with hard work, creativity, and perseverance. In this episode of Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission, Julie shares how she turned her family’s investment background into a thriving career while balancing motherhood, time management, and building her client base.
You’ll hear:
Why she left nursing to pursue real estate
How she passed her license exams in just two weeks (while juggling mom life!)
The creative ways she found her first clients—handwritten notes, social media, and neighborhood farming
The challenges she faced with time, money, and “looky-loo” buyers (and how she solved them)
A heartwarming story of helping a VA buyer family that six other agents turned away
How quirky “animal encounters” became part of her real estate adventures 🦌🦇🦨
Her top tips for new agents: boundaries, authenticity, and perseverance
Julie’s journey proves you don’t need to have it all figured out—you just need grit, strategy, and the drive to keep going.
⏱️ Video Chapters:
00:00 – Meet Julie Peteritas, Rookie of the Year finalist
02:00 – From nurse & mom to real estate career
03:30 – Family investing background & first projects
05:00 – Getting licensed through CE Shop (in just 2 weeks!)
07:30 – Passing the exam & mom-life curveballs
09:00 – First year expectations & first settlement story
12:00 – How she found her first clients (handwritten notes, social media, farming)
16:00 – Why Instagram worked best for her business
18:00 – Open houses: more marketing than clients
20:30 – Biggest challenges: time & money management
24:00 – Handling “looky-loos” & Zillow leads
26:00 – Mentors, support system & office culture
28:00 – Funny stories: skunks, bats & surprise animal encounters
29:30 – Most memorable client: helping a VA buyer family
31:30 – Building lasting client relationships & referrals
34:00 – Community involvement & long-term goals
36:00 – Advice for new agents: keep going, be yourself
38:00 – Lightning round: books, advice, & dream dinner guest
44:00 – Where to connect with Julie
🔗 Connect with Julie Peteritas:
📲 Instagram: @juliepeteritas
💡 Want to Be Featured?
Are you a rookie real estate agent with an incredible first commission story? Apply to be featured on Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission by reaching out to UnlockingRealEstate@ColibriRealEstate.com or filling out this form: https://share.hsforms.com/1o4DbEqKvQwSzoMTSnrznZQ8ish