It takes moxie to start your own business, and Julie Pfeifer has plenty of it. “If I weren’t in real estate, I’d be a Fugitive Task Force agent,” Pfeifer says. “I love cop-and-manhunter shows. I want to bust through the door and arrest the bad guys!” For more than 12 years, the last three as broker-owner of Boutique Realty, she has channeled that energy into buying and selling real estate. She lives in Dardenne Prairie with husband Jeff, 8-month-old daughter Greyson, and Boston terrier Cali.
[beginnings]
I worked as an administrative assistant in a real estate office while studying interior design in college. I saw firsthand what real estate agents did, and I enjoyed learning from them. I got my license, and it was the best decision I ever made. Now I use my design skills to help clients market their homes.
[dedication]
My first year in real estate, I made only $13,000. It was scary, being on my own, on commission, with lots of bills to pay. I often joke that I missed out on my 20s because I was so busy hosting open houses and showing properties to clients. But I loved it.
[philosophy]
If you’re going to work long hours, you might as well love it and have fun. And I do!
[first sale]
I sold a bachelor pad to a couple of buddies.
[biggest sale]
About five years ago, I sold a new condo project in Brentwood for a builder, totaling $28 million in sales. I sold and closed more than 120 condos in just a year and a half. It was an incredible experience.
[no sale]
If your house won’t budge, let’s re-stage it, or come up with a new way to bring in fresh prospects. Dropping the price isn’t the only option.
[good times]
Watching a deal come together is pure happiness. It’s the adrenaline that fuels me for the next transaction.
[bad times]
I hate when a contract falls through. It’s no fun telling happy, excited clients we have to start again.
[when the going got tough]
When the market crashed, I went to Costa Rica for two months. I couldn’t stand being around all the doom and gloom. I came back refreshed and refocused, and opened Boutique Realty the very next year. When other companies were closing their doors, we opened ours!
[recipe for success]
Be on time. Answer phone and text messages promptly. Be honest and respectful. Be a pleasure to work with. And always give it your all.
[rewind]
I spend my days mulitasking like crazy, but holding my baby after a nutty day is bliss.
[motto]
It takes teamwork to make the dream work.
Photo: Bill Barrett