The Alimond Show
Welcome to The Alimond Show --join us as we share our entrepreneurial guests' stories, uncover their secrets to success, and explore the unique paths they've taken to build thriving businesses in our community.
In each episode, our host, Aliyah Dastour, sits down with a diverse group of local business owners, from the corner cafe to the boutique shop, from tech startups to family-run enterprises. We peel back the curtain to reveal the trials, triumphs, and transformational moments that have shaped their entrepreneurial journey.
Discover the passion, perseverance, and innovative thinking that fuels these businesses, as well as the challenges they've overcome along the way. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking inspiration or simply a curious listener interested in the stories behind your favorite local spots, The Alimond Show has something for everyone.
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The Alimond Show
Hanah Desherow on Transforming Careers and Building Client Trust
Ever wondered how to transform a career in food service into a flourishing real estate business? In this episode, we have Hanah Desherow from Pearson Smith Realty, who shares her inspiring journey from the food service industry to becoming a successful real estate agent. Hanah opens up about her commitment to offering a full-service, white glove experience for homeowners, from staging to cleaning. With insights from her early career challenges and innovative marketing techniques like hosting tea parties, Hanah provides valuable lessons on perseverance and creativity in business.
Navigate the evolving landscape of the real estate industry with Hanah as your guide. She brings to the forefront the unique challenges and opportunities in areas with low inventory, like Loudoun County. Discover the latest in new construction developments and the environmental concerns linked to the rapid growth of data centers. On a more personal note, Hanah shares her love for martial arts and gardening, and discusses the delicate balance between maintaining a professional appearance and staying true to oneself amidst societal pressures.
Hanah’s journey is a testament to personal growth and the power of faith. She emphasizes the crucial role of referrals and a client-centric approach in building a sustainable business, highlighting the supportive culture at Pearson Smith Realty. As she reflects on her future aspirations, both professionally and personally, Hanah speaks candidly about finding strength in faith during tough times. Her story is a compelling reminder of the importance of perseverance, authenticity, and the comforting belief that a higher power is guiding us through life’s challenges. Don’t miss out on this enriching episode filled with wisdom, practical advice, and heartfelt stories.
So my name is Hannah Deschereaux. I'm with Pearson Smith Realty, also known as Deschenreaux. I have been a real estate agent since 2016, and I love every second of it. So, between selling and buying homes, everything in between, which comes down to staging, cleaning you know, I have been a girl with a mop before getting a house ready to go Just full service, white glove experience for my homeowners. So it's a lot of fun. Wow, a lot of fun. That's a lot. Yeah, it's crazy, it's a lot. But you know what I wouldn't. I wouldn't trade it for the world If it's not like busy, go, go, go. I don't really enjoy it.
Speaker 2:I don't get enough out of it. I get that. I totally get that I always need to be like doing something. Otherwise I feel like, oh, I'm wasting my day, what am I doing?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Like meditation and silence is something that might benefit me, but I'm you know You're like another time, not today.
Speaker 2:Baby steps, baby steps. And now tell me a little bit about yourself. Your background, how did you end up in this industry?
Speaker 1:Sure, well, I was in the food service industry and customer service industry food and beverage for a long time. So dealing with people one-on-one on a grand scale and also a small scale, like private events, large weddings, catering events, middleburg kind of scene, I felt like it would go hand-in-hand. And also my dad was in the sales industry as well for recruiting and staffing. So I had grown up kind of around the verbiage, the jargon, the relationship building and the phone calls and I used to answer the phone for my dad and be like you know, this is Sage and Health staff. Doug Deschereaux is not available.
Speaker 1:You know, you felt so cool, didn't you? Yeah, I thought it was amazing. I was like I'm sure he regretted working from home oh my goodness, no. But yeah, so I just one day I just decided to go for it. And you know, the classes for real estate are nothing like what it is on a day-to-day right and I'm sure there's some similarities with what you do, it's just it's completely different. So getting through kind of the monotonous testing and everything like that was very rewarding because on the other end it was what I was actually good at, which is people, you know.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And how has that transition been from like helping your dad, seeing everything like from your point of view, to finally going and being your own entrepreneur, being your own business? Like, how did you have any mentors, coaches, besides like your dad? Like, how did that happen?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I just kind of nestled myself up next to someone I admired when I first started and when I mean nestled, I mean I was annoying. I was underneath their armpit all the time, searching for guidance, asking a lot of questions. And it just so happened that I was put in a place where I was around it all the time searching for guidance, asking a lot of questions, and it just so happened that I was put in a place where I was around it all the time. So the contracts just kind of like the firsthand appointment setting experience, working with cold leads versus hot leads. So when I first started it was kind of a huge shock.
Speaker 1:You know, I was like I'm not sure and there was times where I lost faith. You know, maybe like the year three was really hard, or year two, where you know it's just like oh man, is this really going to? Is this going to be it for me Right, is this the end? And now that I've made it this far, there's no doubt this is exactly what I was born to do. Wow, is exactly what I was born to do so.
Speaker 2:Wow, I love that. It took like a couple of like hardship there for you to realize a lot of people when they have those hardship, they're like you know what. This actually is not for me. I'm going to go somewhere else. So I think that's powerful, that you stuck it through and you're just like no, it's just that I don't know anything. But that makes sense, cause I'm new, I'm not going to give up, and once mastered this, so I think that's pretty cool. Yeah, it's just perseverance.
Speaker 1:Perseverance, right, I mean getting getting up every day and knowing like, yeah, I'm a good fit for this and yeah, it might not be. I can't see the vision for it six months from now. Right now, people would say like a pipeline might get dry. You know, and it's. It's moments like that you kind of find out what you're made of. You know what I mean. What are you made of? Are you going to be able to tough it out, type of thing? Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Talk to me about marketing, like how are you making yourself stand out from the crowd through marketing, like when you're putting yourself out there, and what kinds of things are you doing or talk about?
Speaker 1:So I've taken a large leap into listings and so I've had a lot of fun trying to get really creative on how to rename certain things, which is such a just a common practice. But I don't think it's done enough. So you know, when you call it an open house or brokers open, I've been trying to relabel them to a degree to try to get new traffic in more interested parties, even if they're not in the market to buy in the first six months if they're stopping in, they're thinking about the market right. So I've been doing tea parties, which has been kind of like a fun little breakaway that is, cute Cupcakes and local tea, trying to bring in and integrate local businesses from the village of Leesburg, downtown Leesburg and I think people really appreciate that because you know it's hard to see turnover and when we get attached to a company who's come into the area and they leave, it's so sad. So I think that a lot of the peers really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:And you know I take the photography very seriously when I'm talking about my listings. I you know the prep that goes into it. It is militant and I'm very serious and I know I look like a fun bag, like free spirit, but when it comes down to it and it's like all right, you know, there's no offense taken. This is me talking to you from a business perspective. That wall of family photos has to come down right. It's not an easy conversation, but you get better at it.
Speaker 2:No, I think that is great and it's good to have that balance. Like you don't always have to be so serious, but when it's time to get serious, we need to be that role and that person.
Speaker 1:That's the fun of it, right? You bounce between the free spirit and the militant real estate agent, exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and now, can you share some insights currently with what's going on in your market right now, anything that maybe you'd want to share with the audience?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, I think that ever since COVID, people have been kind of expecting to see the market stay at the same pace, that it was season round. So you know, winter, fall, spring, summer, it was just constantly busy during COVID, yeah, and the market really never saw a lull in the wintertime. And so now we're kind of coming back to what the market looked like before COVID, right 2017, 2018, and then part of 2019, right, where people kind of didn't want to purchase anything in the wintertime and sales slowed down and inventory slowed down traditionally. So I think we're back to kind of the traditional swings and, with the election coming up, I think it's been an interesting kind of time of year to see how the buyers are reacting. I definitely think people are on the sidelines.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:I think that they're waiting for the rates to come down a few more times before the election. Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's been interesting. Yeah, that'll be interesting to see, like, what will happen, what will buyers, what will sellers do?
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's been a lot of changes in our industry too, with the real estate commission for buyers brokers. So a lot of those changes have set place already and they'll be formalized on August 14th or 13th, where the compensation is no longer actively listed in the MLS, so you have to negotiate it within the contract. So there's a lot of misinformation out in the public eye to see where it's like. Sellers don't have to pay buyer brokers at all.
Speaker 2:It's not true.
Speaker 1:It's not true. Everybody can ask when they submit their offer. So to tell someone it's never going to happen is not being completely honest and I think we're going to see a lot of confusion in the coming months and coming into next spring. Hopefully we'll have it all figured out because, you know, time will tell yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Wow. That is something to think about. How do you feel that your experience has been so far in the industry right now, like, has everything been like challenging because of the COVID, because you had to go through that during that time, or do you feel like you know what it's, it's okay right now? I think the hardest part is ahead of us. Like, how is your outlook in the industry?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that COVID was really busy for realtors. We were one of the one groups of people, alongside nurses and doctors, which obviously we weren't saving lives to that degree, but maybe we were saving marriages. You know, you didn't want to be stuck in a condo with your husband anymore, you wanted a single family home. The reason to move during COVID only had to be a little bit because it made sense financially, and so people were just moving for the fun of it and they had the time, they had the time to do so, and so people were just moving for the fun of it and they had the time, they had the time to do so, and everyone was working from home, just kind of sitting around looking at their space, and so I think that the work-life balance for people real estate agents in particular it's gotten better, because there was a time where I had zero free time during COVID and so I've really enjoyed just kind of getting back to some of the grassroots things that I've liked.
Speaker 1:But I do think that our industry is coming into some interesting times and I think that everything will continue as normal. We live in such a fantastic area, you know, where inventory is low. Buyers still need places to live and they're building. They're trying to build to kind of like, bring that to a balancing point. Yeah, um, I think there's a bunch of new construction in loudon county that's going to be great cattail run. There's a new community by drb in uh one loudon, so I'm excited to see how the area transforms, for sure yeah, me too.
Speaker 2:um, what are your thoughts on the data centers like? Do you think you think that's a good question?
Speaker 1:You know I, deep down inside, I'm a hippie, and so I really do care about the environment. I really do care about smart growth, and I don't think personally that they have done enough smart growth. When it comes to the data centers, I think they've jumped the gun a little bit. You know. It's easier said than done, though. Am I doing anything on my end to stop it? No, right, so I can only say so much, but I definitely don't love the direction it's going in Loudoun County.
Speaker 2:I agree with you. Yeah, there's always more that we could be doing and being more conscious of it, especially with the environment.
Speaker 1:So yeah, thank you for sharing your thoughts on that.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And who are you outside of real estate? What do?
Speaker 2:you like to do.
Speaker 1:What are your hobbies? I have tried to diversify my hobbies. I go from martial arts to gardening, whoa, it's just kind of everything in between. I really enjoy my gardens. It's a small. I live in a townhome but it has a backyard and I have a front yard and I've made that my own space and I try to curate things, kind of like, towards the dead of winter I'll plant seeds and have them grow. It's very rewarding for me. And then martial arts I've put it on hold currently, yeah, but I was doing jujitsu all throughout the winter which was a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:Watch out everybody.
Speaker 1:Watch out, guys, everybody don't mess with her. It's uh, it's a lot of fun, you know, it's really the community. Like, the people that are in there are just the salt of the earth. They're funny, they're. I can just be myself, you know. Good, I don't have to be anyone else in that moment and I can relax while I'm getting choked out.
Speaker 2:I was just about to say, like, excuse me, relax, but no, that's like, if that's your place, that's your people, that's your peace, you know, there's something very freeing about it.
Speaker 1:About kicking someone's butt yeah, right, just like you know and getting your butt kicked right. So it's like it's humbling and it's my whole family does it at this point.
Speaker 2:So does it at this point? So it just I wanted to be able to say me too, you know? No, that's cool, yeah, really cool.
Speaker 1:Um, as far as like the gardening stuff, I can see that because your shirt is like all floral and you give me that vibe like just chill, happy, but get business done yeah, yeah, I try, I'm trying to give both, you know, best of both worlds. I think that everyone's really caught up in appearances these days and I was just yelling at the not yelling but like bitching. I want to say to the lady doing my eyebrows yesterday and I was like I'm here because I have to go on a podcast tomorrow, sorry.
Speaker 2:So sorry, and.
Speaker 1:I'm like, I can't, like I, you know it's just hard. It's hard and I'm one of them too, worried about appearances, worried about what people are going to think of me, and so it takes a lot of courage as a woman to be up here talking. You know, maybe men too. I don't know what they go through, but like God, like between the leg shaving the tanning the hair, like the time it took to get ready to get here.
Speaker 2:God, did you eat breakfast? Should you not eat breakfast?
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Like no. I don't want to eat. I'm too nervous, but like no. But then I'll be hungry. What if my stomach rumbles?
Speaker 1:and then you're even, you're anxious, no matter what exactly, so yeah. I just I think that, like coming as you are, and that's what I'm trying to be right now I love it just presentable and approachable, and that's really who I, who I am, yeah, you know, love it, so thanks love that.
Speaker 2:I appreciate it. Keep doing it, keep being you. The right auras, yes, check the chakras, whatever they're called.
Speaker 1:Yes, I was gonna try to go take some sage from the, the neighboring unit too, by the way.
Speaker 2:Can I borrow?
Speaker 1:something. Yeah, do you mind?
Speaker 2:um. Can I ask what you're growing in your garden, like what flowers or veggies or what?
Speaker 1:yeah, so I have some willies that I have that survived from last year, and they're bold, and I wouldn't even be able to tell you all the names, because it's a girl, like it is overwhelming between, like the elephant ears, the sedum oh my gosh, you've got it all. Morning glory. Morning glory is the easiest, though, like if you're going to start off a garden and you don't know what you're doing. Morning glory is like the easiest. You just wet a paper, towel them in and then, like three days, you keep it moist, they'll already have like a little green shoot they're. They're basically weeds.
Speaker 2:So oh my gosh. Hey, it's something like look everyone, I grew this exactly yeah just like entry-level gardening.
Speaker 1:Entry-level gardening I've taken on some more. Um, I have some climbing roses that I have not planted yet. I have the seed pack and I'm very curious to see how they turn out. My mom is a professional landscaper and she's been doing a long time and she's telling me you can't just grow climbing roses. They start from like a stem and like you get a stem and a root ball. So you know, stay tuned, next year I'll come back, I'll let you guys know.
Speaker 2:That would be great. We need to know how your climbing roses are doing. Hopefully they turn out good. Yes, knock on wood, I'm sure they will. You have your mom there to FaceTime. Be like Mom. What does this mean? I got you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, she doesn't know, because in her world she only buys them as a stem. So it's going to be completely homegrown.
Speaker 2:And then, in this market that has a lot of realtors, how do you try to separate yourself and your services from?
Speaker 1:everybody else? That's a really great question. You know I work 100% on referrals, okay. So what that means is there's every client that I service has to be so blown away that they refer me to their friends and family, right? So that has worked for me for years now.
Speaker 1:There was a time I was on a lead program and I was on Zillow leads, realtorcom leads and I just knew that I would have to stray away from that at some point for my own like what I wanted my business to look like and my own mental health, and I think I would maybe say like five, four, five years ago. That's when I decided to do so and just let go, let God and see what happens. And luckily, the people find my service to be extraordinary because they keep referring me, right. So I just end up in that position and then I get calls, people call me right. So it's a fantastic place to be in any business when you're getting the phone calls in and not be tied to a company like Zillow or anything like that. And I'm not saying it's a bad idea. I think at some point I would maybe reconsider buying leads again. But where I'm at is we're in a very healthy, loving relationship with my clients and my workflow Love that?
Speaker 2:No, and absolutely. There's different things that work for other people and it's okay to switch it up or something new or go back to it Like it's just different. Uh, how do you want to say this? Not different levels, but different moments of when you want to tap into something again and you don't have to stay one thing forever. Nothing is stagnant. You always have to pivot and change. So I think that's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's really rewarding and, honestly, you know there's tons of ups and downs in this industry and you know, having a lot of peers and colleagues within Pearson Smith that I look up to and who look up to me, we just have this energy that ebbs and flows where if I need help I get the help I need quickly and vice versa. You know, just last night I answered the phone to help another agent at 830. You know, here was the answer quick and dirty, boom done. And it's just having a network like that is like I don't know. I imagine it's like having like a college sorority where everyone's just really down for each other.
Speaker 2:I think that's great, that you guys have such a camaraderie together and that you can use each other as a resource and there's no like, oh no, this is my trick. I don't want to like, share that.
Speaker 1:It's all about like if I grow, you grow, if I win, we all win yeah, exactly, I think that's um what Pearson Smith has been grounded on for a long time and I'm lucky that I've been with Pearson since I've started and I think at this point I might die at Pearson. So, um, you know, it's just, it's just a great company to work for and I like literally pinch myself every day. I get to go in the office and say hi to everyone. It just makes me so happy.
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm so happy for you. Thank you, that's great Good for you. Where do you see yourself in the next five years as a person and with yourself, your growth and your business?
Speaker 1:You know, I think I'm going to keep dialing into what I've been doing right and just keep on making it better from the client experience, um, and try to grow maybe the price point that I'm working in and I think that'll happen as I'm getting older.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Experience and tenure Right, exactly so, um, I think that's one of my biggest goals. And then one day I want a bigger garden in five years Okay, yeah, and would love a bigger garden. And I would love to make my home a part of my business to a degree where I'm integrating the two. Doing stuff like this there, you know, just having fun with the marketing, and just make it kind of a part of my own house, love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so. Is marketing something that you're planning to dive deeper in or something that, like, sparks some interest in you? Talk to me a little bit about that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's always fun and I watch a lot of what people are doing and I try to say, okay, well, how, how does that gear more towards me? I don't think I'm willing to do anything that doesn't feel authentic. Um, so there's a lot of stuff I admire, but I haven't found my own path in. So, so there's a lot of stuff I admire, but I haven't found my own path in. So I think, as time goes, I will, you know, keep finding my own grassroots version of it. You know, Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. What are some issues that or not issues or, I guess, misconceptions that some of your clients may have when they are working with a real estate agent that maybe you want to clear up or want to, I guess, set the record straight about, like they only want your money, they don't care, or give me some.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I think that you know there's definitely agents out there that are, you know, doing business differently than others, and then there's others that are going to make you feel like family, right. So for that specific thing about having maybe an unauthentic experience with a real estate agent and you don't feel like they care shop around there's no one that ever said that you have to pick the first agent that you run across, I highly suggest making a few phone calls until you find the right fit and even meet with them in person and see if the energy exchange is exactly what you want it to be. There needs to be a level of empathy because, whether you think it's a business transaction or not, this is your home. We're talking about right when coming to sell, right, this is your house, you know. Yeah, there's family photos, there's albums that are tucked underneath that bed that might need to get moved, and so, yeah, you're going to need a balance of two things business and emotional, and when you're purchasing, the same thing goes.
Speaker 1:It's two things, it's never just one, and if you're too emotional throughout the transaction, you might be leaving the business end behind. So you really need to think about it from a balanced point of view and I don't think really there's anything that's record setting that I need to do, other than the changes that are coming up. And if you're a buyer, for example, and you're thinking about buying, before you didn't have to have any sort of agency agreement in place, and now we're all going to be asking for that because, unfortunately, we can't show you a property without having it anymore. And so, yeah, just keep that in the forefront of your mind when you're looking and just know that it's coming.
Speaker 2:Okay, thank, you for that heads up. We appreciate it. Yeah, and what do you think are some key, or at least for you you think is important for real estate agents to have, like some characteristics.
Speaker 1:I think that you need to be driven personally, like a self-starter. I think that you need to have vision and faith. Faith, I underline faith. I think you need to be. I don't really think your personality needs to be charismatic or funny or anything like that. I've seen all sorts of people be successful in it. Right, there's an ask for every seat in this industry. I love that. It's really true. There's definitely a personality for every personality and I think that if you can be a self-starter and you have faith, you have the two things that will make for a great real estate agent.
Speaker 2:Since I have you here right now, is there anything you want to share with our audience?
Speaker 1:You know, I think we really covered it. You know these things. It's always like what do you want to ask? Like what do you want to go over? Honestly, I think, just getting to know the world and having the world, I feel like know me better in these situations. Just getting to know the world and having the world, I feel like know me better in these situations. Maybe you guys have some questions you want me to go over next time and I'm happy to do so, but I think we covered everything Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I love that If you could leave our listeners with a message or maybe a mantra that you'd tell yourself for inspiration, just to leave them with something, what would that message or mantra be?
Speaker 1:Oh my God, you can take a moment on that. Give me a second, yes, um, I want to put like the jeopardy, like, uh, you know, obviously I've driven home on faith. So on days that I'm having a hard time, I just say, you know, a, you need to work harder. Nobody cares, right, that one's brutal, but it's true. It's true, it's true, work harder, nobody cares, and have faith that wherever you're supposed to be today, you're going to end up. Does that make sense? Yes, it does. Just you got to show up.
Speaker 2:Literally Jesus take the wheel.
Speaker 1:Yeah, literally, jesus, take the wheel. And I wouldn't even call myself, I'm not a super religious person, I don't go to church or anything like that, and I have dabbled, but I definitely believe in higher power and so I think, whenever you're feeling stressed, to lean back into that. Yes, you know, it's really comforting, I agree. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. You know it's really comforting. I agree, yeah, absolutely so. Yeah, Well, thank you for sharing that and thank you for taking time out of your day to be here with us and chat with us. We really appreciate it and you've been so great. And thank you for our nice little drink.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.