Paige Burnett

Paige met the man of her dreams just before he had to move across the country to continue his education. Then he asked her to come with him. It meant leaving a lot of things behind, including a successful career. She had to start over. But she had yet to discover how much she was capable of.

As she was on a walk, a truck pulled up beside her, and the driver asked if she had seen his lost dog. Jeff Miller. They’d gone to the same school. She didn’t really know him very well, and he’d been a year ahead of her, but she was pleasantly surprised to see him. Maybe she could help him in his quest. (Don’t worry! The dog is currently lounging in our home!) Even though they already knew each other, that was when their relationship started.

Jeff certainly had his concerns in the beginning. The biggest one was that he was applying to graduate schools and knew he'd be moving away from Washington. Sure enough, after they had been together for about six months, he was accepted to a school in Chicago. Talk about long-distance!

Meanwhile, she had been killing it in her career as a real estate agent in Gig Harbor. She was originally an assistant transaction coordinator to one of the top producing agents in the area. After only a couple of weeks, she’d gotten the agent’s attention for all the wrong reasons. He thought she was terrible on the phone. He instructed her to buy a mirror and smile at it when she answered the phone, so she wouldn't sound so monotone! It turned out to be a really good trick, but she wasn't meant for the role. Instead, the team asked if she’d consider getting her license and joining the sales team. That was what she’d wanted to work her way up to in the first place! The point is it went really well.

Jeff knew this. He said he’d understand if she didn’t want to but asked if she'd move to Chicago with him. That was a big question of a 23-year-old who had lived her whole life in one place. It would be her first time living with a partner in a new city. She'd need another real estate license. She’d be leaving behind friends, family, and everything familiar to me. But if not now, then when? She accepted his offer, and they were off to Chicago after only a year together and bought their first home sight unseen.

Up to that point, she had done so well career-wise, she didn’t fully understand what this would mean to her as an agent. This is a job built on networking and building relationships. She knew no one in Chicago, and the first brokerage she joined was a bit of a disaster.

The first year and a half was a real struggle. She wasn't used to struggling in real estate. Jeff made some connections through friends at school, but she knew she needed to find a better brokerage. Luckily, she found one with an incredibly welcoming group and even teamed up with a top producer! She found the same success she’d had in the beginning, Chicago felt fun and exciting, and she loved their new life in the Midwest.

After four years, Jeff finished school, and it was time for them to move back to Washington. It was bittersweet. She’d found true connections and formed deep relationships with the people she met in Chicago. As hard as it was to move there, she was now sad to be moving away.

But coming back to Washington has been great. While she was away, her sister got into real estate too, and they have worked together to build Burnett Real Estate Co at Keller Williams over the last four years. She’s been doing this job for 10 years and can’t picture a more fitting role.

The core of this job is problem-solving. Each transaction requires a diverse set of skills. She works hard to keep all those skills fresh.

Building and maintaining relationships is always at the forefront of her mind. It’s not just about what she can do for you now. It's also about how she can help in the future. She’s a resource whenever her clients need her. She feels that way about her clients, and she feels that way about other agents. She's been coaching agents for five years, and it’s had a massive impact on her. She knows what it’s like to struggle, so seeing the people she works with succeed makes her feel like she's making a difference and creating positive changes in the industry.

She prepares her clients for what’s ahead while still celebrating the small victories along the way. This is a fun and exciting experience—let’s act like it is! But at the end of the day, she’s dedicated to helping clients reach their goals.