No Sitting Still: Why Real Estate Is Built for Flexibility

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8X3FS4AAlg

Brittany Hansen isn’t one to sit still. Whether she’s building her real estate business, parenting her three children or taking on a new challenge, she thrives on staying busy, setting goals and figuring out what’s next. That drive is one of the reasons real estate has been such a natural fit.

For Brittany, real estate isn’t a career with a rigid path or predictable routine. It’s a business that gives her the flexibility to build around her goals, her family and the way she works best.

“I feel very fulfilled by my work, and I knew that I could do more for my family by going into real estate,” Brittany said.

Brittany has been with Keller Williams Bothell for six years, and the variety of the industry continues to keep her engaged.

As an Air Force military brat, Brittany grew up moving frequently. Born in Sacramento, she lived in Mexico, England, Georgia, Florida and New Hampshire, among other places. By high school, she had attended 12 schools.

The constant change taught her to adapt quickly and connect with new people. It also gave her firsthand experience with different lifestyles and housing situations, from condos and townhomes to mobile homes, rentals and owned homes.

“There’s a lot of versatility in where I’ve lived, and that’s also kind of what drew me to this, just knowing the different lifestyles of people,” Brittany said.

After moving to Washington in ninth grade, Brittany graduated from Mount Lake Terrace High School and attended Shoreline Community College. She wasn't sure what career she wanted until she entered the real estate world through property management in downtown Seattle.

“That’s how I kind of got started with the excitement of exploring real estate,” Brittany said.

She spent four to five years in property management, eventually becoming an assistant property manager. The job exposed her to sales, marketing, event planning, property showings and client relationships — all areas that would later translate to real estate.

“What I fell in love with was that it was so versatile, and it wasn’t just sitting at a desk all day long,” Brittany said. “It was everything from meeting new people, hearing new stories, how they got there. Then it was lead generation, prospecting them, reaching back out and seeing if they’re interested.”

That variety mattered to Brittany. She had initially started school on the medical track but realized she didn't want a career spent in a closed environment. She wanted to interact with people, stay active and tackle different challenges throughout the day.

Eventually, Brittany became a stay-at-home mom to her three daughters. When she considered returning to work, the cost of child care made a traditional job difficult.

“It was getting crazy. You pay for daycare and you have more than two, and your paycheck becomes a wash,” she said. “So it didn’t make sense to go to work to pay for somebody else to do my childcare.”

The pandemic ultimately helped push her toward real estate. With more time at home and a desire to build something of her own, Brittany started her career as an agent.

The flexibility appealed to her, but so did being responsible for her own success.

“I find that I have a resistance to authority,” Brittany said. “I find that I work harder when I am loving something, motivated by my own goals, versus somebody else giving me goals for them to hit.”

That entrepreneurial mindset has shaped each stage of her career. She started as a solo agent, later became an assistant team leader and discovered that she enjoyed helping newer agents find their passion in the business.

Eventually, she realized a traditional 9-to-5 structure didn't provide the flexibility she wanted. She joined Laurie Darrow's First Impressions Group, a move she felt was a strong fit both professionally and personally.

“I knew that if anybody would understand or be able to give me direction, it would be her,” Brittany said.

Laurie became a mentor, coach and real estate partner, as well as an example of the kind of professional Brittany wants to be.

“She goes above and beyond for her team, her clients, her family,” Brittany said. “That’s definitely somebody that I see myself modeling after.”

Brittany's competitive nature also influences how she approaches business. Through competitive bodybuilding, she learned lessons about discipline, consistency and sticking to a system — principles she applies to real estate.

“Being systematic, which we also need to do in real estate, to really excel is to do those same things you do every single day and just making it a part of your system,” Brittany said.

For Brittany, the freedom of real estate doesn't mean working less. It means having control over what she works toward and where she puts her energy.

“When you’re the type of person that puts 150% into everything with all your blood, sweat and tears, I don’t know how to give you more,” Brittany said. “I’m always giving 150%, and I feel like when you put that kind of time into your own personal business, there is more of a return and more of a gift to other people than just trying to hit a quota of numbers.”

Six years into her career, Brittany continues to embrace the flexibility and constant change that drew her to real estate. She knows the industry moves quickly and believes agents have to be willing to evolve with it.

“If you are not invested into learning and constantly learning, you are going to fall behind,” Brittany said. “It’s a fast-paced industry.”

For someone who has never been particularly good at sitting still, that may be exactly the point. Real estate gives Brittany the freedom to keep moving — to build, adapt, learn and chase the next goal while creating a business that works for the life she wants.

Listen to the rest of Brittany's story on Real Conversations: Episode 16.