In this candid Q&A, Katrina Barrett reveals the highs, lows, and bold moves that shaped her career. From mergers and billionaire clients to tough decisions and balanced real estate with motherhood, nothing is off-limits. She shares hard-earned lessons, breaking points, and the mindset that keeps her on top.
Q: How do you feel being constantly referred to you as the #1 realtor in Arizona?
KB: Embarrassed. I never measured success by others—It’s always me versus me. When I started in real estate, I didn’t even know what was big or not in terms of volume.
When I was in competitive swimming, it was about beating my own time, not the competition. In business now, we ignore titles and rankings, focusing solely on how happy the clients are.
Q: Did your childhood shape you into the hustler you are today?
KB: I grew up in Tucson, which was tight-knit community, but I always wanted something bigger. I told my parents early on that I wanted to wear a suit every day, work in a skyscraper and be nothing like them.
My mom was a tax attorney who worked from home. She worked incredibly hard and was someone who valued intellect over appearance. Her philosophy was, “You want me for my brain, or you don’t want me at all." That mindset shaped me, and I was lucky to have a mom who coached intellectual value.
Q: How did competitive swimming further shape your mindset?
KB:
Swimming demands discipline—hours of repetition, pushing limits. I was a University of Miami swimmer, and while I didn’t always love it, it built endurance, resilience, and grit—skills that now drive my business.
Q: Do you still swim?
KB: No. A while back, I was invited to a 5 a.m. swim at Arizona Country Club after 20 years out of the pool. We swam for an hour, and afterward, the guys shook my hand and said, “Wow, you really were a swimmer.” That was my comeback—and retirement—on the same day.
Q: Before real estate came finance, yes?
KB: I started in and am still in finance. When I was young, I was closing big deals and managing high-profile clients without intimidation. Looking back, I don’t know where I found the energy or guts. Now, I overanalyze everything. Age brings a mindset of risk mitigation over return.
Q: If you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be?
KB: Buy everything. Literally. If I had known how much the market was going to skyrocket after 2008, I would have put every dollar I had into real estate. Arizona dirt was and continues to be a bullish bright spot.
Q: Before acquiring Walt Danley, you founded Local Board, now rebranded as Local Luxury. What sparked that?
KB: It started out of necessity. Coming from finance, I saw brokerages as sales-driven, not true consultants. Local Board began with seven friends at a diner—early on, people mistook us for a zoning board, but we’ve since improved our marketing.
Q: What was your biggest challenge in launching a brokerage?
KB: Building the infrastructure was the hardest part. With no brokerage experience, I relied on systems, refused to charge desk fees, and took on full risk. I still haven’t perfected it, but I’m grateful for my agent family and learn from them daily.
Q: How did you end up acquiring Walt Danley?
KB: I was in merger talks elsewhere when Walt Danley unexpectedly reached out, and when someone like Walt Danley calls, you listen. Walt was the biggest name in Paradise Valley real estate for 40 years. A total legend. People still call me and ask if I own “Walt Disney” instead of “Walt Danley.” No, not Disney—Danley.
Walt had to move fast. I flew to Chicago, planning to buy his firm independently. But Christie’s said, “Wrong move—we are the biggest asset in this deal.”
Q: Were they right?
KB: 100%. At the time, I was thinking, “Why am I paying all this money?” The fees were massive, and I was already spending a fortune on my own marketing. But what I didn’t fully grasp at the time was the power of a global network and that you really are stronger with a gang of other high performing agents in your corner in every luxury city. The ownership with Christie’s is priceless and to thank for my recent success.
Q: You had to fire 100 people last year. How did that unfold?
KB: When I acquired Walt Danley, we took on a lot of agents. And I had never really let anyone into our little protected bubble before that and took criticism from people I had never even met. Up until then, it was handpicked people—people I knew and trusted.
Many of them had different expectations. Some hadn’t sold a home in two years. And we pay for everything, charging zero desk fees. So, I had to ask, “If you haven’t sold a home in two years, are you a full time luxury agent?”
Q: How did they react?
KB: People were furious. The anger was misdirected, coming straight at me. It was hard, but then I met someone high up at Whisper Rock, and he offered advice that changed my approach.
He told me:
You’re doing this all wrong. Right now, they hate you when they leave. Instead, you need to tell them this:
"Larry Fitzgerald walks into Whisper Rock, ready to write a $500,000 check to join. They ask, 'What’s your handicap?”'And he says, '30.'"
Whisper Rock tells him, “Well, our barrier to entry is 18. But we’d love to take your check once you get there.”
Two years later, Larry walks in and says, “My handicap is now 9.” And they say, “Fantastic, you’re in.”’
Q: Did you change your approach after hearing that?
KB: Yes. Instead of cutting people loose, I started saying: "Show me you can do it. Go get some experience and then come back." Six months after being so angry at me, people started coming back- apologizing.
Q: What’s happening in the Arizona real estate market right now?
KB: It’s in a transition phase. Inventory is still low, demand is high, and locals are finally starting to move again. But the real shift is the flood of out-of-state buyers. 80% of our high-end buyers are coming from Washington.
The California fires will undoubtedly skyrocket demand in Arizona. The fires devastated some of the most expensive communities in California. We’re talking 13,000 homes, over $10 million each, gone.
Locally, we have around 200 active listings in Paradise Valley. That’s it. But thousands of luxury buyers are about to flood the market. It’s not a question of if—it’s when.
Q: You work with some of the most high-profile clients in the country—athletes, celebrities, billionaires. How do you navigate that world?
KB: Discretion is everything in luxury real estate. Clients trust me because I don’t talk, tout closings or show off- let’s face it, I’m really not living the lifestyle either, all I do is work. That’s why I initially hesitated to market myself—I feared crossing a line. But they love it. Everyone wants to see their reel and buzz on the Gram. Marketing is essential, especially in down times.
Q: Any memorable moments working with celebs?
KB: Of course, but I won’t talk about them.
High-profile buyers play by different rules. Billionaires don’t do inspections, negotiate, or hesitate. They seek opportunities, not just homes, often eyeing multiple properties at once. Deals happen fast—cash, no contingencies, no approvals needed. They’re not buying a first home; they’re collecting assets like art.
Q: What areas are you seeing the most movement?
KB: We’re seeing a major migration pattern, specifically, Paradise Valley and Arcadia. The demand is off the charts. Park City is on fire and inventory is low. Dallas is becoming a major luxury hub. Wealthy buyers are loving the privacy and space of Montana and Idaho. And so many clients want a vacation home in Cabo.
Q: Are you making deals all over?
KB: If my clients are moving, I want to be the one helping them. I’ve been flying to Texas a lot. Utah is practically going to be my second home this summer.
Q: Do you think Arizona’s market will continue to grow?
KB: Yes. Arizona is still undervalued compared to places like California and Washington. I think we’re about to see a 20-25% increase in luxury home prices over the next few years. We have low tax and no natural disasters, relatively low traffic and the best restaurant scene around.
Q: Are you telling people to buy now?
KB: If you’re a cash buyer, get off the bench. Interest rates don’t matter if you’re paying cash, and by the time mortgage rates drop, the competition will be insane.
Q: Shifting to personal life… you have three kids. How do you balance everything?
KB: I don’t. Or at least, I don’t do it well. I rely so much on other moms; they are incredible to me. I don’t even know why they’re so great to me, but they are.
Q: Do you get time with your kids?
KB: I try, but it’s hard. I get home at 10 p.m. most nights. I missed my son's game last week because a showing popped up last minute, and that showing didn’t even end up selling their house.
It eats at me. But the thing is, I signed up for this, and I love it, but it doesn’t make missing my kids’ moments any easier. I also know that what I’m building is for them. They see me work hard, they see what it takes, and I hope that one day they’ll understand and respect the sacrifices. I love what I do, but I also know that I can’t run at this speed forever.
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to entrepreneurs, what would it be?
KB: Don’t take investors or loans. Grow organically. It’s easy to spend someone else’s money. It’s hard to spend your own. And if it’s your money, you’ll make smarter choices spending it on the right things.
I see so many people rush to take outside money because they want to grow fast. But when you grow too fast, you make bad decisions. You spend recklessly. You lose control.
The people who make it long-term are the ones who reinvest in themselves—not the ones who burn through investor cash.
Q: Looking back, would you have done anything differently?
KB: I would have bet more on myself. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but I’ve also learned from every single one of them. At the end of the day, I feel good about how many people we have brought into an intimate circle of trust and the beautiful community of clients that are our Arizona population. I bleed AZ love and really strive to support locals.
Q: Final words for those who admire your success?
KB: Work harder than anyone else. Learn from failure. Don’t forget the human you are serving. And never wait for the perfect moment—just do, learn, and “work while you wait."
IG @katrina.a.barrett