Above (L-R): Jackie Louh, Lisa Sturtevant, Bess Freedman, Christina Pappas, Carrie Little, Michele Harrington and DeAnne Golden (upper row).
Anam Hargey, Wendy Forsythe, Marisela Harper, Athena Peterson and Brenda Maher (lower row).
During RISMedia’s 5th Annual Rocking in the New Year event on Jan. 8, a cohort of female leaders from across the industry shared sage advice and practical knowledge for succeeding in the months ahead. In honor of International Women’s month, here are some of the top takeaways from just a few of real estate’s most influential female voices.
Bess Freedman
CEO, Brown Harris Stevens, on agent success
“It’s hard for people not to get caught up in the outcome because people only get paid for results in what we do. So agents, many times, if they’re focused on the commission that’s coming in versus serving their client, everything gets jumbled, and that’s not good. We have to focus on the journey, what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, and all the other good stuff will come.”
Lisa Sturtevant
Chief Economist, Bright MLS, on the economy
“2026 is going to be a transition year, not a turnaround year. Sales are going to be lower than they would in a more normal year, price growth is going to slow and, overall, we will be seeing the market head back towards a more normal condition. But there’s going to be a lot of uncertainty, and homebuyers and sellers are going to be looking to their real estate professional to help give them the advice and guidance they need to make the right decision.”
Michele Harrington
CEO, FirstTeam® Real Estate, on the value of discipline
“The best thing about real estate and the worst thing about real estate is the amount of freedom that you have. It’s an amazing business for being an entrepreneur, but the problem is, we don’t have the structure that we need to be successful. So my biggest piece of advice is creating amazing habits, using discipline, making sure that you’re doing the hard things first every day.”
Carrie Little
Designated Managing Broker/Owner, CARMAC Realty Group, LLC, on lead gen
“What I like to tell real estate agents, before they go invest in lead generation, look at what their brokerage offers and look at what’s available to them through their local association or even multiple listing service. They probably don’t even know that they have access to potential buyer leads and potential seller leads at their fingertips.”
Marisela Harper
Broker/Owner, ClearView Realty, on buyer agency changes
“Getting a buyer representation agreement signed before going out and showing a home was something I did for years, and then COVID happened and it was a race to show the home, a race to write the offer and there was less time to explain my process and how I worked. These changes have caused us to slow down, talk about our process, talk about how we get paid. I think it’s been positive; transparency creates a better environment, and those agents that take the time to slow down and do it the right way are the ones that are going to thrive long term.”
Christina Pappas
President, The Keyes Company and Illustrated Properties, on relationships
“We are a relationship business. We’re nose to nose, toes to toes, belly to belly. Our company’s about to turn 100 years old. Like my grandfather said, everything is different, but nothing has changed. It’s about the people. But I would also add, it’s about trust. How are you differentiating yourself and ensuring that you are in front of people when they need to buy or sell? How are you providing value to your customer so they call you for that referral?”
Wendy Forsythe
CMO, eXp Realty, on the advantage of AI
“I look at how AI can handle all the things that are sort of low-impact so that I am freeing up my time for high-impact activities, the human interaction activities, because that’s where I get the highest amount of return. I don’t worry about robots replacing me. People don’t want to buy houses from robots. If that’s what they wanted, they would’ve found ways to do that years ago.”
Brenda Maher
President, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England, New York and Hudson Valley Properties, on private listings
“It’s very, very important that the seller be completely consulted with, to really understand their motivation. Oftentimes, exclusives sound like the way to go. In many instances, I think just haven’t been educated fully, and they don’t have any idea that they’re going to be leaving money on the table. Will the open market always bring in the highest and best price? Maybe not, but the majority of the time, it is in the best interest of the seller, for sure.”
Athena Petersen
Senior Vice President & Regional Manager, Long & Foster, on affordability challenges
“We do have some financing in place that helps first-time homebuyers get into homes, and some buy-down programs. We’re also able to get buyers into homes with an assumable mortgage rate. We work really closely with our lender team as well. Our preferred lenders help educate our buyers and help them come up with creative solutions.”
Jackie Louh
Chief Operating Officer, Lamacchia Realty, on modern marketing
“The way that consumers look for homes and look for agents, and really make decisions in general, has changed completely. We are now marketing to a digital-centric consumer and one who expects instant information and a seamless, personalized experience. From AI tools that help us understand buyer behavior to social media platforms that shape our brand presence, modern marketing is no longer optional—it’s essential.”
Anam Hargey
Team Lead, The Hargey Group, Real Brokerage, on productivity
“I schedule everything. I do time blocks for responding to emails, responding to text messages, reaching out, scheduling lunches, coffees and then I also leave a block in my schedule open in case a last-minute showing request comes up or somebody needs something that’s a little more emergent. I have time in my day built in so that I can handle it and it’s not going to throw off the rest of my day.“
DeAnn Golden
President & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, on mindset
“We always perform to the level of our mindset, so make certain the people around you are lifting up your mindset because that’s going to help you get more clarity, and clarity is going to gain back more confidence. Your mindset is going to control the amount of clarity you bring forth to your day, to the people you’re surrounding yourself with, to the clients you serve.”
