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Broker Spotlight: Lindsay Reishman, The Reishman Group and Pareto

Name:  Lindsay Reishman

Title: Founding partner of The Reishman Group and Pareto

Experience: 18 years in real estate

Location: 5425 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 600, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Brokerage full name: Pareto

Team size: 6-8

Transaction sides (2021): 200

Sales volume (2021): $150 million

Why Lindsay Reishman is in the spotlight

After launching his real estate career in 2004, Lindsay Reishman started a boutique brokerage in 2010. He sold it to Compass in 2014 and subsequently helped Compass grow into the largest brokerage in D.C. He has now launched Pareto and is excited to be growing a boutique brand in the mid-Atlantic region.

Reishman believes that, to provide an exceptional client experience, agents need “well-developed systems and well-trained administrative support.” Without this, Reishman said, there’s no foundation to build a business on. “Agents already are asked to do too much, so our goal as a brokerage is to solve this puzzle on behalf of our agents.”

How did you get your start in real estate?

I wanted to be a developer but didn’t have any money or experience, so I decided to start as an agent and find projects for developers. I ended up responding to inquiries at my brokerage about upcoming developments and this morphed into a sales business. 

How did you choose your first brokerage?

I sought out a mentor who worked with boutique developers and was willing to teach me how to evaluate potential projects. It pays to be very deliberate; think about your personal goals and what brokerage will best help you achieve those goals.

What’s something you know now that you wish you knew when you started?

You need to become an expert in a specific niche and add value so you differentiate yourself. The beauty is it can be anything: waterfront properties, penthouses, historic properties, new construction. Pick an area that excites you, and learn everything you can about it.

Tell us about a high point in your brokerage career. How did you get there?

I’ve had a few moments in my professional career when I’ve built a business that clicked on all cylinders. My first boutique brokerage reached that level. I attracted a few great agents, we surrounded them with exceptional support, then it snowballed — the culture was great and the staff was exceptional. I’m excited to be building toward that again.

What’s one thing you wish every agent knew?

I wish every agent would realize that providing good service isn’t enough. There are so many good agents who have mediocre businesses because they spend all their energy in their business and don’t focus enough on the business.

Know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Broker Spotlight? Nominations, please, to [email protected].

Christy Murdock is a Realtor, freelance writer, coach and consultant and the owner of Writing Real Estate. She is also the creator of the online course Crafting the Property Description: The Step-by-Step Formula for Reluctant Real Estate Writers. Follow Writing Real Estate on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.