How does a former nurse and stay-at-home mom go from zero experience to 10 transactions in her very first year—and become a finalist for the 2025 RISMedia Rookie of the Year award?

Meet Julie Peteritas, a Berkshire Hathaway Realtor® from Lancaster, PA, whose inspiring leap into real estate shows what’s possible with hard work, creativity, and perseverance. In this episode of Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission, Julie shares how she turned her family’s investment background into a thriving career while balancing motherhood, time management, and building her client base.

You’ll hear:

Why she left nursing to pursue real estate

How she passed her license exams in just two weeks (while juggling mom life!)

The creative ways she found her first clients—handwritten notes, social media, and neighborhood farming

The challenges she faced with time, money, and “looky-loo” buyers (and how she solved them)

A heartwarming story of helping a VA buyer family that six other agents turned away

How quirky “animal encounters” became part of her real estate adventures 🦌🦇🦨

Her top tips for new agents: boundaries, authenticity, and perseverance

Julie’s journey proves you don’t need to have it all figured out—you just need grit, strategy, and the drive to keep going.

⏱️ Video Chapters:

00:00 – Meet Julie Peteritas, Rookie of the Year finalist
02:00 – From nurse & mom to real estate career
03:30 – Family investing background & first projects
05:00 – Getting licensed through CE Shop (in just 2 weeks!)
07:30 – Passing the exam & mom-life curveballs
09:00 – First year expectations & first settlement story
12:00 – How she found her first clients (handwritten notes, social media, farming)
16:00 – Why Instagram worked best for her business
18:00 – Open houses: more marketing than clients
20:30 – Biggest challenges: time & money management
24:00 – Handling “looky-loos” & Zillow leads
26:00 – Mentors, support system & office culture
28:00 – Funny stories: skunks, bats & surprise animal encounters
29:30 – Most memorable client: helping a VA buyer family
31:30 – Building lasting client relationships & referrals
34:00 – Community involvement & long-term goals
36:00 – Advice for new agents: keep going, be yourself
38:00 – Lightning round: books, advice, & dream dinner guest
44:00 – Where to connect with Julie

🔗 Connect with Julie Peteritas:

📲 Instagram: @juliepeteritas

💡 Want to Be Featured?

Are you a rookie real estate agent with an incredible first commission story? Apply to be featured on Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission by reaching out to UnlockingRealEstate@ColibriRealEstate.com or filling out this form: https://share.hsforms.com/1o4DbEqKvQwSzoMTSnrznZQ8ish

What does it take to bounce back from five failed real estate exams, reinvent your career during the pandemic, and grow into a thriving Michigan agent?

In this episode of *Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission*, we meet **Amber Boone**, a social media marketing pro turned full-time Realtor® with Thrive Realty in Troy, Michigan. Amber’s story is all about resilience, authenticity, and building a business rooted in helping people—not chasing transactions.

She shares:

* How losing her marketing job during COVID pushed her toward real estate
* Why it took her **five tries** to pass the licensing exam—and why that didn’t stop her
* How she landed her first clients through her sphere and Instagram (no paid ads!)
* Why being “real” with clients became her brand and biggest differentiator
* How she manages multiple businesses, family, and real estate without burning out
* Why perseverance, self-awareness, and authenticity are the keys to long-term success

Amber’s journey proves that setbacks don’t define you—perseverance does.

00:00 – Meet Amber Boone (Thrive Realty, Michigan)
02:30 – From social media marketing to real estate
04:30 – Inspired by a bad buying experience
05:30 – Licensing school during COVID (Groupon course!)
07:00 – Failing the exam 4 times before passing
09:30 – Adjusting expectations in her first year
11:20 – Landing first clients via sphere & Instagram
13:00 – Building a brand on authenticity (“Get Real with AB”)
15:00 – Marketing experiments beyond social media
15:50 – Why she loves open houses
16:45 – Serving all clients, from first-time buyers to luxury
19:15 – Imposter syndrome & early challenges
21:00 – Support system & learning from peers
22:30 – Advice for new agents: stay true to yourself
24:50 – Running 3 businesses & community involvement
27:00 – Organic networking & referrals
29:40 – A day in the life & time management
33:00 – Growth, mindset, and future goals
35:50 – Lightning round: books, mentors & advice
40:30 – Final tips: perseverance & authenticity
41:10 – Where to connect with Amber

📲 Instagram & TikTok: [@GetRealWithAB](https://instagram.com/getrealwithab)
📘 Facebook: [Amber Boone Real Estate](https://facebook.com/GetRealWithAB)

Are you a rookie real estate agent with an incredible first commission story? Apply to be featured on *Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission* by reaching out to ** https://share.hsforms.com/1o4DbEqKvQwSzoMTSnrznZQ8ish
[UnlockingRealEstate@ColibriRealEstate.com](mailto:UnlockingRealEstate@ColibriRealEstate.com)**.

How do you go from graduating college during COVID, working in mortgages, and feeling “too young” for real estate—to becoming one of the **Top 25 Rookies of the Year**?

In this episode of *Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission*, we sit down with **Caroline Coladonato** of RE/MAX Ready in Pennsylvania. Caroline opens up about her journey from the mortgage world to real estate, how she built confidence as a young agent, and why authentic networking and staying true to herself fueled her success.

She shares:

* How her entrepreneurial family inspired her to bet on herself
* The challenges of starting in real estate without buying a home of her own yet
* Why it took over a year to close her first deal—and how she stayed motivated
* How she turned rentals and referrals into a six-figure client pipeline
* Her million-dollar client success story that started with a simple apartment search
* Tips for staying confident, building relationships, and avoiding rookie burnout

Caroline proves that being young in real estate isn’t a disadvantage—it’s an opportunity to bring fresh energy, authenticity, and resilience to the business.

Video Chapters:

00:00 – Meet Caroline Coladonato (RE/MAX Ready)
00:40 – From Villanova grad to mortgage desk job
02:00 – Inspiration to switch into real estate
03:30 – Getting licensed while working full time
06:00 – Classroom lessons vs. real-life real estate
07:30 – Expectations for her first year
09:50 – How athletics shaped her work ethic
10:30 – Why her first transaction took over a year
11:30 – Staying motivated through the grind
12:30 – Hitting her stride in 2023
13:20 – Networking, referrals & renters who became buyers
14:40 – Social media & staying authentic
15:30 – Coaching field hockey & community involvement
16:50 – Challenges of being a young agent
18:30 – Staying connected with clients (handwritten notes & personal touches)
19:30 – Advice for new agents: realistic expectations & confidence
20:40 – Why she loves real estate: people & variety
22:10 – The million-dollar client story that started with no commission
24:00 – What’s next: growing with RE/MAX Ready
25:00 – Caroline’s biggest success tips
26:30 – Lightning round: books, advice & mentors
31:10 – Where to follow Caroline online

Connect with Caroline Coladonato:

📸 Instagram: [@closingwithcola](https://instagram.com/closingwithcola)


Want to Be Featured?

Are you a rookie real estate agent with an incredible first commission story? Apply to be featured on *Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission* by reaching out to **[UnlockingRealEstate@ColibriRealEstate.com](mailto:UnlockingRealEstate@ColibriRealEstate.com)** https://share.hsforms.com/1o4DbEqKvQwSzoMTSnrznZQ8ish