Michelle Risi
Real Estate Broker & Executive Vice President
My role in this industry started long before I had the title of Real Estate Broker & Executive Vice President.
At thirteen, I got my first job as a real estate receptionist — a summer position answering phones, filing paperwork, and learning more about how the industry worked. It was also where I made a ton of mistakes.
(If you're wondering why that's important, keep reading.)
Those mistakes were the foundation for what I would eventually come to understand as my process - the way I learn. In fact, I don't even consider them mistakes. It's more of a trial and error experiment. That's how I approach my life: a series of trial and errors.
All through school, I stayed in the business and when my mother ended up taking the leap into brokerage ownership, so did our family. I've worked in every role possible, and have been through almost every market type possible. I've witnessed recessions and market corrections, the arrival of computers, the shift from cold-calling and phone books to online lead generation, and have also witnessed the evolution of what it takes to be successful in real estate.
Nothing about the real estate industry has stayed the same long enough for anyone to master one thing.
But one thing never changed: the people. And my passion for using my strengths to help the people behind the business.
Their vision, their goals, the way each of them was individually wired to work. What helps one agent succeed can't be guaranteed to work for the next — so instead of teaching one method and hoping it applied, I had to actually understand each person before I could help them.
When it was time to decide where I was going to build my career, I decided on real estate.
But not in the conventional way.
I knew I needed to carve my own path — one that would let me use my skills and strengths, but also align with how I naturally operate.
Today, we are over 1,200 REALTORS® across 11+ locations. Through a shared vision and unwavering commitment, we've built more than a brokerage —we've created a community where people can thrive professionally, make a difference, and build a life they love.