When I was 15, my family relocated from Houston, TX to Seattle, and my parents had a very short window to find our family a house before the start of the school year. In an attempt to be helpful, I got down to work scouring real estate websites, and eventually found a property that met their requirements. With the help of a local (read: actual) real estate agent, they closed the deal. Always one to drive a hard bargain, I probably haggled for an increase in my allowance as compensation for my hard work that summer. I’ve wanted to pursue a career in real estate ever since.
As time went on, my real estate dreams were sidelined by a reasonably successful career as a Program Manager in HR. And for the past 6 years, I worked for a very, very large Seattle-based tech company. What I loved most about my job was being on the edge of innovative projects that directly and positively impacted customers’ lives (or the free bananas…it’s a toss-up). But as I made my way up the corporate ladder, I found myself moving further and further away from the customers I cared so much about. Like many people, the past couple of years were filled with lots of reflection on how I spend my time and whether that aligns to what I want in my life.
I have wanted to sell houses for as long as I can remember, but the timing just never felt right. For years I studied neighborhoods, obsessed over homes, listened to hours and hours of podcasts, and read books about how to be a successful agent, all while I waited for the “perfect time” to switch careers. If anything is true (both in life and in real estate), it’s that there is truly no perfect time for anything. So I finally made the jump.
It was an incredibly easy decision to join the Ron & Don team. Doing good in the community is a core tenet of their work, and it is evident in everything that they do. Purchasing real estate is a major financial decision and it’s so important to trust the team you decide to work with. Ron & Don are eager to share their knowledge and expertise to help their clients build wealth in real estate. Passion for serving our community in real estate and beyond is a core value we share.
In my time as an agent, I’ve also found that I can apply many of the same principles of Program Management to how I work for my clients. Creating scalable systems, analyzing data, assessing risk, maintaining compliance, and developing mechanisms to ensure critical deadlines are met are all at the intersection of Program Management and Real Estate. The most important intersection to me, however, is still the positive impact on customers’ lives.
I’m proud to say that as the newest member of the Ron & Don team, I’m here to help guide your real estate journey! As someone who grew up in the Seattle area (and has lived in almost every neighborhood in the city), I can provide valuable insight to neighborhoods, things to do, local adventures, and—my personal favorite—all the dog-friendly things this pocket of the PNW has to offer. When I’m not looking at homes, I’m either hanging out with my husband and our dog, working on our house, or looking for the best café mocha in the city. So if you have a favorite coffee shop in Western Washington, please let me know and I’ll gladly check it out!
Maura Lindsay O’Brien
Prior to transitioning to a career in real estate, Maura worked as a Program Manager in technology & cloud computing. From activities to architecture, she is an expert in everything the PNW has to offer, and is passionate about helping clients find their future here.