From Nurse to Rookie of the Year Finalist | How Julie Peteritas Closed 10 Deals in Year One

How does a former nurse and stay-at-home mom go from zero experience to 10 transactions in her very first year—and become a finalist for the 2025 RISMedia Rookie of the Year award?Meet Julie Peteritas, a Berkshire Hathaway Realtor® from Lancaster, PA, whose inspiring leap into real estate shows what’s possible with hard work, creativity, and perseverance. In this episode of Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission, Julie shares how she turned her family’s investment background into a thriving career while balancing motherhood, time management, and building her client base.You’ll hear:Why she left nursing to pursue real estateHow she passed her license exams in just two weeks (while juggling mom life!)The creative ways she found her first clients—handwritten notes, social media, and neighborhood farmingThe challenges she faced with time, money, and “looky-loo” buyers (and how she solved them)A heartwarming story of helping a VA buyer family that six other agents turned awayHow quirky “animal encounters” became part of her real estate adventures 🦌🦇🦨Her top tips for new agents: boundaries, authenticity, and perseveranceJulie’s journey proves you don’t need to have it all figured out—you just need grit, strategy, and the drive to keep going.⏱️ Video Chapters:00:00 – Meet Julie Peteritas, Rookie of the Year finalist02:00 – From nurse & mom to real estate career03:30 – Family investing background & first projects05:00 – Getting licensed through CE Shop (in just 2 weeks!)07:30 – Passing the exam & mom-life curveballs09:00 – First year expectations & first settlement story12:00 – How she found her first clients (handwritten notes, social media, farming)16:00 – Why Instagram worked best for her business18:00 – Open houses: more marketing than clients20:30 – Biggest challenges: time & money management24:00 – Handling “looky-loos” & Zillow leads26:00 – Mentors, support system & office culture28:00 – Funny stories: skunks, bats & surprise animal encounters29:30 – Most memorable client: helping a VA buyer family31:30 – Building lasting client relationships & referrals34:00 – Community involvement & long-term goals36:00 – Advice for new agents: keep going, be yourself38:00 – Lightning round: books, advice, & dream dinner guest44:00 – Where to connect with Julie🔗 Connect with Julie Peteritas:📲 Instagram: @juliepeteritas💡 Want to Be Featured?Are you a rookie real estate agent with an incredible first commission story? Apply to be featured on Unlocking Real Estate: My First Commission by reaching out to [email protected] or filling out this form: https://share.hsforms.com/1o4DbEqKvQwSzoMTSnrznZQ8ish