And yet, today she stands as a leading name in the St. Louis real estate scene, a respected entrepreneur and team leader at Sarah Bernard Realty Team. 

Back in 2008, Sarah was simply a mom looking to enjoy quality time with her kids at Innsbrook Resort. That summer retreat sparked a lightbulb moment: what if others could experience the same joy without the commitment of owning a vacation home?

So she bought her first vacation property—not for herself, but as a rental. “I realized there was an opportunity to rent a home instead of buying one and still have the same amazing experience,” she recalls. One home turned into many. Soon, friends and neighbors were asking her to manage their properties too. Before she knew it, Sarah was running a thriving vacation rental management business at Innsbrook, long before Airbnb became a household name.

But becoming a licensed real estate agent? That wasn’t in the playbook.

That all changed in 2013 when a good friend—Jill Butler, who is now Sarah’s broker at RedKey Realty Leaders —urged her to study for her license. As she dove into the coursework, she found it was the right fit for her. “It wasn’t just about showing homes,” she says. “I realized it was a business—and I had a business background. That changed everything.”

In 2014, Sarah officially became a licensed agent. Her previous life in corporate sales and marketing, including time at the historic Fox Theatre and a decade at Ralston Purina (now part of Nestlé), gave her a professional edge. After earning her undergraduate degree in French and music at Kalamazoo College, she earned her MBA at Washington University while working full-time.

“Purina taught me a lot about international marketing and branding. I just took those skills and applied them to real estate.” And it worked.

Over the next decade, Sarah scaled her vacation rental business to 35 properties, eventually expanding beyond Innsbrook. She created custom websites, hired a support team, and focused on stellar customer service. Her approach? Treat it like a corporation, not a side hustle.

In 2024, she sold the rental management company to focus entirely on real estate sales—though she still owns four vacation properties: two in Innsbrook and two in sunny Florida.

A Businesswoman with Heart

Sarah leads a three-agent team with a full-time administrative assistant and part-time marketing support. Her favorite part of the job? “I love working with clients—getting to know their stories, their dreams. And I love seeing my team grow in their skills and confidence.”

With her signature warmth and sharp business acumen, Sarah is not only helping buyers and sellers—she’s mentoring the next generation of top producers.

Sarah’s greatest joy is her family. She has three children. Jack (29), a construction business owner in Austin, Texas, is getting married this October. Her daughter, Mary Alex, works alongside her husband at Stanford University. She’s also proud of Michael, 24, who lives in Atlanta and works in investment banking.

Despite the distance, the family stays closely connected through regular Zoom calls and big vacation reunions. Weekly coffee chats with her daughter are a cherished tradition.

Sarah is also an early riser with a strong personal routine. Mornings are sacred—reserved for journaling, reading ten pages a day, and working out. “If you read just ten pages a day, you can finish a book in four weeks,” she says.

Sarah currently hosts two monthly shows for STL-TV, a television channel owned and run by the City of St. Louis. She’s been a television host for over 14 years and has even done TV commercials as an actress.

What Keeps Her Going?

Travel, theater, movies, the beach, and of course—real estate. Sarah is passionate about lifelong learning, always seeking out new marketing strategies, tech tools, and sales techniques to elevate her game.

She lives by the mantra: “Nothing changes if nothing changes.”

If something isn’t working—your business, your habits, your mindset—it’s up to you to shift. That belief has guided her every step of the way, from the boardrooms of Purina to the lakes of Innsbrook to the front lines of St. Louis real estate.

And though she never planned on becoming a real estate agent, it’s clear that real estate found her—and she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.