A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with one of the most exceptional women in the real estate business that I know, Stacy Bahrenfuss.
Stacy is the founder and CEO of the Catalyst Group and the creator of the Limitless Realtor Circle. She and I met a few years ago at a mastermind event for high-caliber women, and she has become a dear friend.
Stacy launched her real estate career at a very early age and has gone on to become one of the leading women in the real estate business in the USA. In her practice as a real estate professional and teacher, Stacy leverages her intuition and practices mindfulness techniques that she learned during her travels through India.
I am sure that you agree that her story is absolutely inspiring, especially for women in the real estate business. If you would like to listen to our conversation, follow the LINK to Episode 76 of my podcast, InFlow.
Stacy's Head Start in Real Estate
At age 17, Stacy landed her first job in the real estate world, working as an administrative assistant at a local real estate office. She immediately saw a gap in the industry that she knew she could fill—a need for better customer service.
After graduating from high school, Stacy started her own real estate company with customer service at the agency’s heart. It is truly inspirational to see a young woman starting her own real estate business at such a young age. Especially in a traditionally male-dominated space! In addition to starting really young, Stacy managed to sustain her business through the recession of 2008. She has since gone on to scale her company to seven figures.
Landing the Big Deals
During our discussion, Stacy shared one of her more recent deals with me. I was really inspired by her bravery and self-confidence – something that women in the real estate business often struggle with.
In mid-2018 Stace came across an opportunity to get involved in a multi-million dollar real estate development project, building a community of 11 custom luxury homes. “The numbers made sense,” she says, “and I let the landowner know, ‘If these numbers are what you say they are, I’ll have an offer to you.’”
She made the offer without having the $1.3 million she needed in hand. However, she had six months before the closing date and knew she would figure it out in time – and she did.
Stacy couldn't get a bank loan without a 50-60% down payment, which wasn't ideal. She, therefore, found an entity out-of-state that would finance both the ground and the construction. They finalized the deal in the fourth quarter of 2018, and construction started in February 2019.
Stacy points out that the whole deal took far longer than expected. Her advice to other women in the real estate business is to plan for surprises because they're inevitable.
“If your lots are finished and buildable, your time frame is 18-24 months,” she points out. “If it's done earlier, great!” Stacy points out that it will take longer if you have to develop the land. She also suggests weighing up the options of doing it yourself versus partnering with others.
An Energized Real Estate Market
In spite of the pandemic, the real estate market in Stacy's area is incredibly hot right now.
Boise, Idaho is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. I am actually in conversations with Stacy to start investing in property in Idaho myself. She recently sent me a market analysis of how the area is performing and the type of growth they're experiencing. I was blown away.
“With all the shutdowns, people around the country are thinking, ‘Oh my word, I'm going to be stuck in this area I don't love.’ They're taking serious action and moving to where they want to be—especially people who are working from home,” she explains.
As a woman in the real estate business, I would not have predicted the positive effects of the current conditions on real estate across the board – be it land or houses. Out of the 11 houses she's building, 9 buyers are relocations. While it has been a challenging year in many other ways, I am super excited to be working in the real estate space right now!
Women in Real Estate – Strategy Vs. Intuition
Stacy knows more about real estate strategies than most people in this business. However, she believes with all her heart that strategies without intuition are nothing more than a Band-aid on a deeper wound. “Strategies don't address the inner issues and obstacles standing in the way of a person's success.”
“I leverage my intuition to see the truth of what's going on in the individual,” she says, “and guide them so that they can discover their truth. It makes it possible to get to the root of whatever is going on. If you can pull that root, you can build from a beautiful, calm inner state.” Stacy's calm, grounded energy really sets her apart as a woman in the real estate business, which is generally very high-pressure.
Stacy goes on to say that when you relate to individuals with a deep level of compassion and understanding, you immediately create a sense of safety and security. “From there, I blend energetic spiritual work with strategies and tactics to achieve the end goal.”
A Voyage of Self-Discovery
In 2010, Stacy had two different real estate agents in her life tell her she should go to India and get an “oneness blessing.”
She says, “It was a little too ‘woo-woo’ for me at the time, but any time something coincidental happens, I'm like, ‘Okay, there's something here for me.'”
Following her intuition, she went to a wisdom school in India, O&O Academy, and received a blessing. That is when everything changed for her—both personally and as a woman in the real estate business.
“Everything I learned in India is so profound,” she says, “and mixing that with modern science and results-oriented coaching is where the magic happens.
“When you get to the core of whatever's going on, there's lasting change. Most of the time, people are not coming from their truth; they're running from something, even if it's unconscious. So, the work that I did in India has been brilliant because it allows me to bring in an aspect of consciousness t my work in Real Estate.”
Stacy brought this mindset back to her team, and it's made a massive difference in how they perform. “What’s interesting is the intuitiveness in me is now so powerful. Sometimes, when I start working with someone, I wake up in the middle of the night and have what I call “a download”. It’ s an intuitive call to share with this person. And, often, it ends up becoming something huge that they needed to address in their life. It’s a changemaker for women in the real estate business.”
A Limitless Real Estate Investor
According to Stacey, women in real estate often create from a state of fear. Women operating in a male-dominated industry, such a real estate investing, have a lot to prove. However, she says that by connecting with our source, we can be empowered to tap into our intuition. “That's why ‘limitless’ is such a powerful word to me,” she says, “because anything is possible once you're connected.”
I asked Stacy how she maintains her positivity and brings inflows of grace into her life daily. She told me about her daily practice, which she calls “The Triple Threat.”
“This practice is totally doable, no matter what your schedule, and brings such presence,” Stacy explains:
It’s as simple as:
- Conscious breathing
- Write down three things you’re grateful for
- Read and review your three short-term goals
The Next Big Thing
Stacy has recently taken a sharp right turn in her life.
She’s not just bringing her mindset and personal development strategies into her high-performance team within her real estate brokerage. Now, she’s sharing it with others. She recalls being at volleyball camp as a 7th grader. “Everyone was freaking out, and I called them all into a circle, sat them down, and had them meditate.”
“That is my zone of genius,” she says. “So, bringing that to high performing women leaders and changemakers, helping them operate at a higher level of consciousness, it raises the bar. It raises consciousness for everyone else that they’re impacting. That is my passion. I want to work with women in business to help them see their inner truth and start operating from that place. I want to see women in business accelerate their results and be happy and fulfilled during that process.”
Stacy’s one piece of advice for women in the real estate business?
“Do what you want to do, and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks—or making anyone else happy. If you really go for what you want, everything else will just be absolutely beautiful in your life.”
