LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT Aline Pitney

Associate Broker at Westwater Realty and 2024 CAR Treasurer

What was your first job? I was a drama and history major in college, and my first job out of college was as a Museum Services Coordinator at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. The Center for Puppetry Arts is very well-known in the puppetry community (a lot of exhibits from Jim Henson, including a Skeksis from The Dark Crystal and some Sesame Street characters). One of my duties was shutting down the museum at night, and it was a bit scary to be in the dark with a bunch of puppets!

How long have you been a REALTOR® and how did you get your start? I got my license in August of 2021 after working at a financial firm and preparing taxes for 6 years prior. My husband owns a roofing company and has worked with many REALTORS®, and we thought it would be a great career that would enable me to have more flex- ibility. I didn’t know too much about the industry before starting, but I have learned so much in the past few years!

What do you love most about being a REALTOR®? I love the advocating and volunteering I get to do. I am passionate about everyone being entitled to homeownership, and nothing is better than seeing the look on new homeowners’ faces when they close on their new home. I am also honored to be able to volunteer at the Colorado Association of REALTORS®, and I enjoy serving the REALTOR® community and helping to better our industry.

Tell us briefly about one of your most memorable transactions? I helped a client close on a new build last November, after almost eighteen months of helping her. She had never owned a home by herself before and initially, I was helping her find a multigenerational home for her to help care for her parents. We had a nightmare transaction that ended up terminating, and her parents decided to remain in California instead of moving to Colorado. My client spent some time licking her wounds and then decided to get back in the market. We found the perfect new build community for her in the exact area she had requested (she would have had to compromise had we closed on the first property), and it was amazing to get to see the progress of the build and share her excitement when it was finished. I’m so glad she stuck with me and was able to get what she wanted!

What is one thing you recently learned or are learning? I’m learning how to find my voice by being part of this industry. I had always worked in office or administrative positions before, and there wasn’t a lot of agency in these careers, it was more a “keep your head down and do your work” environment. As a REALTOR®, I’ve needed to learn how to advocate for both my clients and for myself. It’s not always easy to deliver bad news or to have to negotiate on items that are extremely important to your clients, and while it has been slightly terrifying to learn these skills, it’s helped me in both my career and in my personal life. Finding my voice has also helped in my leadership journey - I’ve learned the power of the word “no” (although I’m still working on it!), and I’m excited to continue my journey with the skills I’ve learned.

What’s your favorite comfort media (book, show, movie, music)? I’m kind of a rerun junkie - I like to have TV on in the background while I work. I love watching Law & Order: SVU (which sometimes makes me afraid to walk down the street alone), and I also watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my young teenager heart loved Buffy and Angel), Friends, iZombie, Ted Lasso, and my newest obsession, Suits (I want to be Donna Paulsen when I grow up).

What three words would your friends use to describe you? Charismatic, trustworthy, and loyal.