Women Leaders Of Real Estate: Rebecca Brooksher of The Agency On The 5 Things You Need To Succeed In The Real Estate Industry
An Interview With Jason Hartman
Don’t be afraid to say no to clients. Because these relationships last, because we get super personal, I cannot take on clients I don’t mesh with. Communication is everything. Sometimes it’s just not there. And that’s ok. But so much better to figure it out upfront than down the line when everyone is struggling. Know when it’s not a good fit.
As a part of my series about strong women leaders of the Real Estate industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rebecca Brooksher.
Rebecca Brooksher is a New Orleans native who has proudly called New York home for almost 20 years. She comes to The Agency from a background in the arts, and her tenacity in creative thinking is her calling card. She is a tireless advocate for her clients and sensitive to the emotional aspects of buying and selling a home. She goes the extra mile to get every deal done right. She especially enjoys working with first time buyers, helping them navigate the process from finding financing, negotiating price, presenting the perfect board package, and welcoming a client home. Her skilled guidance and attention to making sure her clients understand every step of the way, makes buyers and sellers feel at ease and confident in this very competitive market.
Rebecca attributes much of her success as an agent to her husband and colleague, Shawn Fagan. Their husband and wife team gives their clients double the attention and support in the sales or purchase process. They have lived most of their adult lives in Harlem and introducing clients to this growing neighborhood. Rebecca has a BFA from the University of Arkansas and a master’s from The Juilliard School. She has acted on and off-Broadway stages. When she can get away from real estate, she manages to fit in filming a guest star TV role. She can be seen on many recent TV series, including The Blacklist, The Good Wife, Elementary, and Happyish.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the Real Estate industry?
My Grandmother used to tell me that success is measured by how much you can give back. Ten years ago I was doing “well” with my career in the arts. But that meant I was able to afford to live in Manhattan. Giving back in a meaningful way didn’t seem possible. Back before multiple career paths were in vogue, I hatched the notion I could find something that would balance out my life. Another passion that could add stability and bring my grandmother’s kind of success. I found that passion: helping New Yorkers find their homes. I partner with Project Renewal, a wonderful organization helping the homeless in New York get back on their feet. Helping New Yorkers find homes in so many ways! It’s amazingly fulfilling.
Can you share with our readers the most interesting or amusing story that occurred to you in your career so far? Can you share the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
I once had a buyer request to take her shoes off and roll around on the floor of a $6M home on Gramercy Park “to feel the aura”. Thankfully, I knew a bit about this woman from her agent, that she was a real buyer and had the funds to purchase. So we watched and listened as she moved in odd ways and told us about the home’s energy. Which I guess was not up to her standards because she did not buy it. But early in doing this, if she had just walked into an open house, I might have thought she was being ridiculous and asked her to leave. What I know now is ANYONE can be your buyer. It’s my job to adapt the narrative of the house to fit whoever walks in the door. Since then, this lesson has helped me out a lot with people who do really end up purchasing. However, none have been quite that interesting.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I just shot a six-piece video series on the buyers’ process. Manhattan’s purchase process is so unique. An accepted offer to closing can take three months or longer. Buyers can stay more grounded and confident by really understanding the full process. And regarding the longer term, I’m working on a reality show pitch. I hate the reputation New York real estate has gotten from shows like Million Dollar Listing. New York is for everyone, not just the 1%. Where do the other 99% live? And why do THEY love NYC? Super excited to share that story.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
In 2022, the brokerage I was with merged with The Agency, a global real estate brokerage founded by Mauricio Umansky.. So naturally, I wondered how things would change. I was told we would have “global reach” not knowing what that was going to mean. But it has meant a lot. This is New York! People move here from everywhere and they move all across the world from here. Or want a second home. Or five. I routinely have clients needing to sell, then move to Chicago, or needing a pied a terre in LA, or London. I don’t know those markets. The Agency does. And not only where we have offices! We have trusted partners in EVERY market. And the process set up to get my clients to fantastic agents anywhere is phenomenal. The partnerships I have built through The Agency’s global network are so very exciting.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the Real Estate industry?
Empowering buyers, witnessing real transformations of spaces and welcoming someone home
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Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?
In New York, the purchase process should be streamlined. I’d love to see more equal opportunity measures in place for different income brackets to live in New York. There should be more checks and balances in place to prevent discrimination in co-ops.
What advice would you give to other leaders to help their team to thrive?
Real estate transactions are not a “deal”; it’s someone’s home. The success of your team should not be measured in transactions. It’s the effort and the extra mile each agent gives to their clients and to each other. Be open, listen to your clients, get to really know them. Then celebrate welcoming them home.
Ok, here is the main question of our interview. You are a “Real Estate Insider”. If you had to advise someone about 5 non intuitive things one should know to succeed in the Real Estate industry, what would you say? Can you please give a story or an example for each?
1. When speaking to a client for the first time, do not “sell yourself”. Listen. And try to solve their problem. Real estate agents have gotten a reputation akin to the 90s used car salesman in commercials. When I first started, that’s all I saw and I almost tried something else. Then I researched companies that had giving to charities in their business model, just as something to try. That’s where I found quality people with this mindset.
2. In New York, there is real resistance to technology. It’s changing now, but if you are an agent who wishes to be the only expert in the room, you’re in the wrong business. If your clients are looking in a 5-block radius, they can get just as much information as you can on what’s for sale there. You are the person that can interpret that data. It’s not a competition to get them listings they haven’t seen, it’s about ushering them to the finish line.
3. Lines between business and the personal blur between real estate agents and clients. They have to. We help buyers understand what a home is to them. And it’s probably one of the biggest investments they will ever make. It’s an emotional decision. Be open to this relationship and earn their trust. I recently had a client couple tell me they were expecting a baby and I was the first person to know. But I had to know, because it affected their future home! We found a great place, and they also used my OBGYN to deliver their baby.
4. Clients should be for a lifetime. That family I helped get settled just before they had their first child? I will reach out on her birthday. I send them Christmas cards and get them in return. We meet for coffee. I will know when they have another baby. And be right there when they need another bedroom. This is not simply for “business,” but these clients are now a part of my community. Keeping these relationships is the number one perk of the job. Seeing them thrive in their home is everything.
5. Don’t be afraid to say no to clients. Because these relationships last, because we get super personal, I cannot take on clients I don’t mesh with. Communication is everything. Sometimes it’s just not there. And that’s ok. But so much better to figure it out upfront than down the line when everyone is struggling. Know when it’s not a good fit.
Because of your position, you are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
What if every real estate agent in New York gave just 1% of what they make to helping the homeless here? Imagine the city we would have. We help people find homes, right?! It’s a no-brainer.
How can our readers follow you online?
@rabrooksher
@livablenyc
Thank you for your time, and your excellent insights!
About The Interviewer: Jason Hartman is the Founder and CEO of Empowered Investor. Jason has been involved in several thousand real estate transactions and has owned income properties in 11 states and 17 cities. Empowered Investor helps people achieve The American Dream of financial freedom by purchasing income property in prudent markets nationwide. Jason’s Complete Solution for Real Estate Investors™ is a comprehensive system providing real estate investors with education, research, resources and technology to deal with all areas of their income property investment needs. Through Jason’s podcasts, educational events, referrals, mentoring and software to track your investments, investors can easily locate, finance and purchase properties in these exceptional markets with confidence and peace of mind.
Starting with very little, Jason, while still in college at the age of 19, embarked on a career in real estate. While brokering properties for clients, he was investing in his own portfolio along the way. Through creativity, persistence and hard work, he earned a number of prestigious industry awards and became a young multi-millionaire. Jason purchased a California real estate brokerage firm that was later acquired by Coldwell Banker. He combined his dedication and business talents to become a successful entrepreneur, public speaker, author, and media personality. Over the years he developed his Complete Solution for Real Estate Investors™ where his innovative firm educates and assists investors in acquiring prudent investments nationwide for their portfolio. Jason’s sought after educational events, speaking engagements, and his popular “Creating Wealth Podcast” inspire and empower hundreds of thousands of people in 189 countries worldwide.
While running his successful real estate and media businesses, Jason also believes that giving back to the community plays an important role in building strong personal relationships. He established The Jason Hartman Foundation in 2005 to provide financial literacy education to young adults providing the all-important real world skills not taught in school which are the key to the financial stability and success of future generations. We’re in a global monetary crisis caused by decades of misguided policies and the cycle of financial dependence has to be broken, literacy and self-reliance are a good start. Visit JasonHartman.com for free materials and resources.
