Julie Granahan is a Redfin Premier agent in the greater Seattle area, specializing in West Seattle and Burien. She originally joined Redfin in 2016 and quickly became one of the brokerage’s top-producing agents. She rejoined us in June 2024 after two years at Compass. We caught up with Julie to hear more about her experience coming home to Redfin.
What brought you back to Redfin?
I missed a lot of things about Redfin, but Redfin Next was the biggest factor that brought me back. I remember reading a news article about it as soon as the pilot launched. I was at Compass at the time, and as much as I loved real estate, I didn’t love all the aspects of running the business. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if I could still sell homes, make commission, and have support and have someone take care of all the business stuff for me? So I reached out to my old manager and said, “Put me on the list!” The California pilot had rolled out in October 2023, and by March I was interviewing so I could start as soon as my contract ended in June. I moved as fast as I could because I knew it was a no-brainer for my business.
How has Redfin Next changed the way you work?
It has refreshed the way I work within Redfin’s model. In some ways it used to feel like I was working against the Redfin system, because I’ve always had a more traditional mindset. I liked to be more hands-on and handle things like open houses myself instead of relying on associate agents. Redfin Next has shifted that mindset across the company. Now it’s easier for me to use Redfin’s tools to grow my business, and hopefully also capture more sphere clients, people from open houses, and other buyers and sellers that aren’t Redfin-generated. I’m no longer working against the Redfin system, I’m working with it.
It has also pushed me to become a more well-rounded agent. During my first time at Redfin I was strictly a listing specialist, and I worked with maybe five buyers over the course of six years. Under Redfin Next, I’m working with more buyers, and I find that really rewarding. I love the balance, it’s making me a better agent, and it’ll help me earn more money in the long run.
What has been your biggest success so far?
Things are going well with my clients, but my biggest success is what this move has done for me personally. I’m a single mom, so being on my own was just really isolating. At Redfin I feel like I’m part of a team again, having support not only from my coordinators, but other agents. In my experience at other brokerages, you walk in and the other agents immediately think of you as competition. And when you’re competing, everyone wants to keep their secrets safe, so they don’t share ideas or resources that could help you grow. But at Redfin, we want to share all of our tricks with everyone because we want to see each other succeed. I’m feeling more motivated and successful being around people like that. It’s just like a big hug.
What would you say to an agent who was thinking about joining Redfin?
My manager, Wendie, has actually put me in touch with agents who are considering Redfin. The last one I spoke to was struggling with his business being slow right now. My advice to him was that if you’re slow right now at a different brokerage, imagine coming to Redfin and immediately getting the leads and having the support to get out of the slump. The real estate market does go through cycles, but this is a better place to be “slow”. And honestly, you really won’t be.
Redfin is looking for ambitious, mission-driven agents and managers 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.
Written by: Erin Osgood