Celebrating Women's History Month
March is Women’s History Month. The Vermont Association of REALTORS® is celebrating the women whose leadership, dedication, and expertise continue to shape the real estate profession and their communities.
From guiding clients home to strengthening the communities we serve, women in real estate open doors, create opportunity, and inspire the next generation of leaders.
Betty McEnaney
What woman has made the biggest impact on your professional career?
When asked about a woman that was an important influence in my life, my answer is complicated. I can’t say just a woman, I must also include a man. My dad had polio in 1956. He suffered muscle paralysis of his leg and stomach muscles. I was 3 years old. After 18 months of rehab in the hospital, he came home having learned to get around with heavy metal leg braces and crutches. He was eventually able to walk with two canes. He never used his handicap as an excuse. He learned to drive with hand controls, he worked until his late sixties, he volunteered his time in the community.
Through all this, my mother never once acted like she wished her life was different. She was a loving wife and mom. I grew up as an only child, learning to do things to help. I was mowing the lawn at 9, shoveling the driveway, opening doors, carrying things and so on. No one taught me, I just grew up in a house where you did things for others. This wasn’t just for family; it was for anyone who had a need or could benefit from a quiet gesture. This has been with me my whole life. My motto is Be Good. Do Good. Feel Good. I wish my dad had been able to enjoy life that we take for granted, but I don’t regret for a second the lessons I learned living in a home with a handicapped parent.
If there was an influential person I wish I had the chance to meet, it would be Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring. If you haven’t read it add it to your list of must-read books. If we don’t heed her words, we will be leaving the world a toxic mess for our kids and grandkids.
We must stay involved. Every one of us has something to give.
Laurie Mecier-Brochu
What advice would you give to women starting their careers today?
If I were starting in the real estate business today, I’d remind myself to have the courage to be heard when I know I have something valuable to contribute. Listen carefully and learn from those around you—experience is the best teacher—but never stop seeking new knowledge and growth. Confidence is not arrogance; it’s believing in your potential even when you don’t yet see it clearly. Set goals for yourself-they are the benchmarks of achievement. Know that others often recognize your strengths before you do and are rooting for you to win-take compliments and advice with grace. And finally, always be authentic and present yourself with professionalism—dress for the role you aspire to and treat every person you meet with respect and sincerity.
Sandy Reavill
What advice would you give to women starting their careers today?
As women entering real estate today, my most important advice is simple: treat every consumer like they are a million dollar client.
You won’t know immediately when you’ve just met your biggest client, or when a small transaction will grow into a lifelong professional relationship. It is essential to build every relationship on respect and the belief that everyone deserves exceptional service, whether they are interested in a $90,000 condominium or a $90 million family estate.
Over the years, I have watched agents disqualify people from receiving their services within minutes of meeting them, and sometimes even celebrate that. I have been a qualified consumer on the receiving end of the Realtor’s filtering system and it is disheartening. Upon becoming a Realtor®, I’ve modeled my practice on never treating a consumer like I’d been treated by practitioners in our industry. I challenge every Realtor® working in Vermont to treat everyone like they are the most important client you will ever serve.
Using this guiding principle, I’ve seen incredible results. Buyers who started with modest purchases later entrusted me with their largest investments. Clients going through difficult life transitions: downsizing, caring for aging parents, or saying goodbye to a family home, have told me that feeling respected and valued made all the difference during emotional moments.
Real estate is not just about transactions. It is about people, trust, and service. When you treat every client with dignity, patience, and professionalism, your reputation grows, your confidence grows, and your business grows with integrity.
To women beginning their careers: lead with respect, serve with excellence, and remember that kindness and professionalism are among your greatest assets.
Recommended Resource and Challenge – One small practice I encourage, especially for leaders who want to be allies to women in the profession, is to broaden the voices we highlight in our professional conversations. Many business presentations begin with an inspiring quote from history. Remarkably often, those quotes come from the same group of well known male leaders. While their words may still inspire, there are also extraordinary women throughout history whose wisdom deserves to be heard. For that reason, I often share the book, “Inspiring Quotes from Inspiring Women” by Katie Johnson with colleagues in leadership positions who want to be strong allies.
My challenge to them is simple: learn the names and words of inspiring women from history and bring those voices into the room. When we broaden who we quote, reference, and celebrate, we help ensure that the next generation of leaders sees that inspiration and leadership have never belonged to just one group.
Sometimes small shifts in awareness can make a meaningful difference in how inclusive and supportive our professional culture becomes.
Robbi Handy Holmes
What woman has made the biggest impact on your professional career?
I met Carol’s husband, Bill Parkhill, in 2005 while I was studying for my real estate exam. He told me about Carol’s incredible success and that she was planning to begin coaching Realtors. Little did I know how much that conversation would shape my career. Fortunately for me, I chose to work at the same company Carol was with, Century 21 Jack Associates at the time, now BHHS Vermont Realty Group.
From the start, Carol’s energy and love for life and for real estate was contagious. She had a presence that lifted everyone around her. A few years later, Carol became my real estate coach. Almost instantly, my business became more consistent and more successful. But what she gave me went far beyond production numbers. She encouraged me to get involved, leading me into NVRA and VAR, and to serve on the Board of the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
If you knew Carol, you knew what an extraordinary woman she was. Her life was cut far too short, but her legacy continues in the many lives she influenced, including mine. She instilled habits and disciplines I carry with me to this day: writing my 10/10s, keeping a daily schedule, and above all, staying consistent. I am forever grateful for her guidance, her belief in me, most importantly her friendship.
What does it mean to you to be a woman in a leadership role?
Being a woman in a leadership role means determination, deciding you’re going to make it happen and following through. Leadership requires confidence, and sometimes that confidence is built in the very moments you choose to speak up. It’s also about empowerment. Not just personal success but lifting others as you grow. Encouraging other women to step forward.
What advice would you give to women starting their careers today?
Surround yourself with positive people, have an accountability partner, state your affirmations daily, set goals, be consistent and kind. Give back to the community, take time to take care of yourself physically & mentally.
What is the biggest challenge women face in the real estate industry today, and what can people do to help?
If you could meet any influential woman throughout history, who would it be?
Mother Teresa – She worked in difficult, heartbreaking conditions and stayed committed. Her lifelong devotion to serving the poorest of the poor, establishing homes for the sick, dying, and orphaned, and advocating for the dignity of all people. She was humble and driven to make a difference in the world.
I will end with Mother Teresa’s quote, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love”.