Jenn Richardsson never imagined herself in real estate—not really. And certainly not posting about it on Instagram. “I cringe every time I do social media,” she admits with a laugh. “But I’ve been doing this for a couple of decades now, and it’s time. Branding is just part of it.” Still, she didn’t come into the business looking for self-promotion. She came to solve a problem.

Years ago, Jenn and her husband were house hunting while pregnant with their son. The agent they hired showed them more than 80 homes—and not one of them honored their needs. “She listened to absolutely nothing that we wanted,” Jenn recalls. “That experience made me realize how important it is to understand what people don’t want in a house, not just what they do.”

That frustration planted a seed. A professional event designer at the time, Jenn had spent twenty years planning large-scale experiences for corporate clients. “Event design was all about listening—asking the right questions to figure out what the budget is, timing, how the event should flow, how the space should feel, what the goals were,” she says. “Real estate, it turned out, wasn’t that different. You’re still designing an experience—only this time, it’s the experience of home.”

Jenn’s clients benefit from that mindset. Whether she’s preparing a listing or walking a buyer through a property, she’s not just talking square footage and countertops. “I tell the story,” she says. “I imagine the life that could happen in that house—Johnny riding his bike downtown, family dinners at the table by the bay window. I'll paint that picture.” And the result has been incredibly rewarding.  

Over the past several years, the majority of Jenn’s listings have sold well in excess of the asking price.  She attributes that success to her personal approach and bringing out the “story” of every home.   

The difference, she says, is in the preparation.

“You wouldn’t show up to a first date in sweatpants if you wanted to impress,” Jenn says. “It should be the same when you are trying to attract the most buyers—why would you  show a house before it’s ready?” Her listings get the full treatment: staging, scaling furniture, decluttering, contracting repairs, changing light fixtures, painting,  updating tile, adding fresh-cut flowers, freshening window boxes, and even homemade cookies, all before a single photo is taken.  “I put the jewelry on my listings,” she laughs. 

That drive is part of what’s kept her at the top of her game for more than twenty years. “This business isn’t for the faint of heart,” Jenn says. “There are a lot of war wounds you accumulate over time, but also a lot of wisdom.” 

Her’s comes through in how she listens, how she adapts to each client and an ever-changing market, and how she never forgets there is always a strategy involved. “I compare it to tennis,” she says. “You have to be consistent at hitting the ball, yes—but more importantly, you have to strategize based on the strengths and weaknesses you have identified, reading the opposition,  and capitalizing on your team's strengths. Understanding you aren’t going to win them all, and the losses can be tough.”

“Every deal is going to be completely different from the one before, but you can take the knowledge from one to the next.  There is always something to learn from each of the wins and losses.  I have learned over the years that  every client has a list of wishes and deal breakers; my job is to play to those.”

After taking a brief pause in her career to spend more time with her family, Jenn returned to a market that looked nothing like the one she left. “It felt like the Wild West,” she says. “But then we got a new Coldwell Banker manager, Kara Flanagan, and everything changed. Her leadership inspired me again. I wanted to conquer this new version of the business. And I did.”

Today, Jenn’s client base is almost entirely repeat clients and referrals—a testament to the trust she builds and the care she brings to each transaction. “My motivation is less about volume,” she says. “And more about doing the heavy lifting necessary to get everything possible out of a property. I take them over like it is my own, and do what I can to get it looking its absolute best.  It’s not just about closing deals—it’s about making sure clients feel as though I understand their goals, they have been heard, and I care about the mission.”

Jenn Richardsson doesn’t just sell houses. She creates relationships, trust, and admiration from her clients, treating every transaction, whether on the buy side or sell side, as if it were her own, making its debut to the market stunning.  This personal approach is the key to her success.  She understands not everyone has the time, energy, creativity, or desire to go the extra mile; thus, she capitalizes on these strengths.  This drive, as well as her sense of humor, are what make Jenn Richardsson so inspiring in the world of real estate.  She truly does all the “heavy lifting.”