Real estate agent Brierley Lloyd Hannan talks the power of motivation, creative branding, & the keys to a career in this important industry

Falls Village, CT, native Brierley Lloyd Hannan loves working with people, which inspired her to begin a career as a real estate agent. Shortly after becoming licensed in February 2024, she joined William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.

The 23-year-old notes that as a graduate of Endicott College with a BS in exercise science, she was initially reluctant to reveal her educational background. Brierley’s experiences as a personal trainer and fitness professional, in settings ranging from commercial gyms to people’s homes, seemed a bit random to her, in that they didn’t seem to reflect her current profession.

Inspiration close to home

However, this fact ended up being much more significant than Brierley would have ever anticipated, and the learned and innate skill set she’s acquired in the fitness industry has been pivotal to her success in real estate. “Despite the two paths being seemingly unrelated at first glance, to me, real estate was the next logical step.”

Indeed, a major commonality between the two careers is the importance of forming long-lasting relationships with clients, a feature that gets Brierley excited to go to work each day. She explains, “The fitness and real estate industries require an ability to tailor an experience to a client’s unique goals. Both depend on an ability to form and uphold relationships, trust, and communication. Both, in order to diversify yourself, require a willingness to go beyond the scope of a job description and deliver the highest standard of service.”

In addition to connecting with and helping others, Brierley was also inspired to pursue the field thanks to “a complete adoration” for where she is from. “I truly love Litchfield County,” she shares. “I feel so lucky to have started my life here and to have the ability to return and continue my life here.”

With this deep appreciation for the area and what it has to offer, the ability to engage with and give back to the region where she was raised is especially key to Brierley. “My family has been an active part of the community and culture of Litchfield County for generations, and I feel a sense of responsibility to continue that,” she underscores. “What better way to get to know and to support your community than by helping people make, start, and continue a life here?”

Defining your brand, on and offline

Something that has been particularly notable about Brierley’s start in the real estate field has been her social media presence, which showcases homes and projects that she’s working on. She likes to highlight specific aspects of the spaces that she is particularly drawn to, like original hardwood floors.

And while successfully marketing these homes is the main priority with these posts, ensuring that the content is digestible and exciting is central to Brierley’s approach. “When buyers read the descriptions, it is important for them to understand the home and the unique feelings it produces,” she explains. “When we first step foot in a new listing, we write down all of the words that come to mind. That way, when we write the listing descriptions and social media posts, we can really transport the viewer into the home itself.”

In truth, Brierley finds getting to know these homes by preparing them for photoshoots to be the most fun element of her work, and as a mentee of the At Home in the Hills team, she feels thankful to have worked on a selection of truly special listing projects.

Through this effort of cleaning, organizing, and arranging, she emphasizes that the personality of the home shines through, while she as an agent can truly understand and appreciate the space. “From properties that are pretty much photoshoot ready, to moving in a home’s-worth of staging materials, no listing is the same. The feeling of bringing a home back to life and having its essence captured in photos is indescribable.” She observes, “As a kid I loved to rearrange my room; now I get to do it as part of my job!”

While the overall theme Brierley has implemented throughout her social media is organic rather than intentionally arranged, a cohesive vision has unfolded nonetheless. “I choose photos that appeal to me in terms of composition, color, and overall aesthetic.” She jokes, “My aesthetic is just ‘things I like!’”

An opportunity to connect with audiences

A component of her social media accounts that she’s really enjoyed thus far is her ability to write captions that feel personal and a bit stream of consciousness. With the use of colloquialisms and wit, Brierley reflects her own conversational tone and personality, which has played a huge role in helping her professional content stay refreshing and resonate with others.

“I’ve always enjoyed writing. After graduating college, I realized there isn’t a lot of creative writing to be done in the adult world,” she describes. “In this industry, having a recognizable brand, having a recognizable personality, is very important. With so many great and successful agents around, this was a goal for me. When you visit my social media, you get a pretty accurate idea of who I am, what I do, and how I do it.”

While she currently posts on Instagram and Facebook, Brierley also aims to branch out to TikTok or Reels in the future, taking advantage of the short-term video tools to produce lifestyle content. “Real estate, both as a career and as a fixture in everyone’s daily life, can be super intimidating. It is my goal, at least through my social media, to make real estate feel more approachable.”

Navigating new beginnings

As a young person starting out in real estate, Brierley points out that confidence has been vital. It’s a trait that’s especially necessary to ensure that her work – which can have crucial stakes – is completed accurately and efficiently. “It is my job to guide and advocate for my clients in what may be the biggest financial transaction of their lives. In other instances, I could be facilitating the growth of a multi-million-dollar real estate portfolio.”

In tandem with confidence, building mental toughness when approaching transactions has been equally essential to her success as a young agent. “I am, more often than not, the youngest leg of a deal,” says Brierley. “I’ve had to toughen up and realize that you can be assertive and respectful at the same time. You can be direct and firm, but still kind. At the end of the day, it is my responsibility to advocate for my clients, and this outweighs the inclination to avoid discomfort.”

Furthermore, the ability to set boundaries and maintain them in daily life has been incredibly valuable. While she could continue her work 24/7, Brierley recognizes that in order to keep a sustainable schedule, she has to focus on nonnegotiable parts of her daily routine, like exercise, time with her husband Jack and her family, and leisure. “During those times, I turn off my phone and computer. I can get back to work afterwards if needed, but those specific times are important to me and ultimately help me do my job better!”

Invaluable mentorship & support

Starting with “just the right amount of knowledge and willingness to learn,” Brierley explains how she began laying the groundwork of her career prior to even beginning the licensing process by calling people she knew in the industry. “Not only will you learn from the experience of others,” she advises, “but should you pursue a career in real estate, those same people will become your colleagues and will remember your initiative and efforts.”

Soon, this practice led Brierley to meet influential mentors whose guidance and support have continued to be instrumental as she’s launched her career. “Without a doubt, I would not be where I am without Elvia Gignoux and Lenore Mallett,” Brierley asserts.

In fact, Elvia was one of the first people Brierley called in her outreach, and upon being introduced to Lenore and hearing both agents’ encouraging advice, Brierley knew that she was on the right track. “They are truly the best in their field, and I am so lucky to work with them,” she reflects.

Real estate is everywhere

The significance of the real estate industry is not lost on Brierley, both in a global and community socioeconomic context. “Even if you aren’t actively buying and selling real estate, you are living in and interacting with real estate all the time,” she notes.

And with real estate being a large source of economic growth in Litchfield County, Brierley understands her ability to not only help people settle into a new home in the area but boost the success of local businesses and service providers in the process.

In continuing to facilitate positive transactions while forming strong client relationships and developing her reputation, Brierley also notes the importance of supporting the region’s younger population as they strive to find success as local community members. “Young people are the future of Litchfield County: those who were raised here, those who grew up visiting, and those who will stumble across it in their travels. As a young person who is lucky enough to continue to build a life here, I feel a unique responsibility to help others do the same.”

You can learn more about Brierley at williampitt.com/agents/brierleylloyd. To support her on social media, you can follow her at @brierleylivinglitchfield on Instagram and reach her via email at blloyd@williampitt.com or by phone call at (860) 948-8863!