Why I Joined Redfin: Collette Canepa

Collette Canepa is a Redfin agent in Los Angeles. She joined Redfin in April 2024 after nearly two decades in the traditional real estate world and has quickly become a rising star on our southern California team. We caught up with Collette as she approaches her one-year anniversary at Redfin to hear more about her experience so far. 

Why did you decide to join Redfin?

Prior to Redfin I was at Keller Williams for eight years, then switched to Equity Union for a while. Traditional real estate was all I knew. I joined Redfin because I felt like my business needed a shift. I could see that my pipeline was starting to dry up, and I was eager to start working with more clients. Redfin really piqued my interest because I knew it could help me meet those clients and build up my business. The benefits were a big driver for me as well. As an independent agent, I was paying thousands of dollars a month in health insurance for my family of four—and the coverage was terrible. On top of that, I loved that Redfin would take care of my other business expenses like licensing fees, mileage and marketing. It felt like the Redfin Next model was well-suited to my personality and would allow me to focus on my clients.

How has joining Redfin changed the way you work? 

Shifting to Redfin has been a whirlwind, but it’s been so good for my business. In my first three months at Redfin, I closed 6 deals. I’m consistently doing 2 or more deals a month, and as I get to know the system and get it to work for me, I’m confident I’ll average at least 4 deals a month.

Tell me more about that. What is it about Redfin’s model that has helped you increase your productivity?

Redfin’s system is constantly keeping my clients engaged by sending timely market updates, property updates, or new listings–even when I’m asleep or busy with other business. Those touchpoints are so important, because they remind my clients that I’m there for them when they’re ready. And when they are ready to make moves, the process is much more seamless. Right now I’m working with a young couple who wants to see new properties all the time, but sometimes I’m busy and can’t be in two places at once. The fact that I have showing agents to take them out on tours means they’re not waiting for me to be available, and that’s huge. My clients can literally go on the app, press the red button and instantly schedule a tour for two hours from now, rather than waiting for me to pick up the phone, call the other agent, and make sure my schedule is open. That is so invaluable.

You have access to so many tools at Redfin that you just don’t get as an independent agent. Even if you had a huge budget, you still can’t hire all of the support—the showing agents, transaction coordinators, photographers—or buy the technology that you get for free here. I know people who spend a ton of money on fancy CRMs, but they’re just not as robust as Redfin’s. When it comes down to it, they still have to go in there and push the button to send the email. I don’t have to do that because Redfin’s doing it for me.

How has being at Redfin changed your outlook on your real estate career?

There was a point in my career as an independent agent where I was seeing the real estate market as doom and gloom. I really didn’t know if I could do this for even another 10 years because the hustle was so difficult. I spent so much energy chasing people to list with me or convincing them they needed to buy. Now that I’m at Redfin, I no longer feel like I’m worrying about where my next deal is coming from. I’m just focused on relating to the person in front of me, showing them that I’m an expert, and helping them accomplish their goals. It’s so refreshing.

How is the culture at Redfin different from other brokerages? 

At traditional brokerages, agents feel like they’re competing against each other. There’s this feeling that everything’s mine—don’t you dare look at my customer list or my strategy. But when you’re at Redfin, everybody shares. Other agents are happy to answer your questions or share their own strategy, because they know there’s enough bread for everybody to eat. That’s a beautiful thing about Redfin.

What advice would you give to an agent who was thinking about joining Redfin?

If you’re tired of chasing your next deal, but you’re not afraid to work hard and all you want is to help people and sell real estate, Redfin is the place to be. You can actually do your job without worrying about cold calling, door knocking, or pursuing your family and friends. The infrastructure is here, all you have to do is convert.

Redfin is looking for ambitious, mission-driven agents and sales leaders to join our team nationwide. If you’re interested in joining some of the top agents in the industry and growing your business with Redfin, visit our career page or join our talent community.

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