Life is full of ups and downs. Some people even compare it to a rollercoaster. There are the highest of highs when it feels like nothing can go wrong and then there are the lowest of lows where it feels like the whole world is crashing down. But according to real estate agent Brandyn Negri, life is a journey that is worth every roadblock and gentle cruise.
“People always ask me how I got back into real estate after over 10 years being out of it, a kidney transplant, retiring from teaching yoga, and ending a professional coaching business,” Brandyn says. “I mean I have lived a lot of life since I started selling real estate in 1997, but my intuition called me back.”
Brandyn started her career as a realtor in 1997. She jointly established a high-end brokerage in Sarasota, FL, which later evolved into a Sothebys’ franchise. Upon expanding the business to the Twin Cities in 2006, she relocated to Minneapolis.
“Real estate is such a fun way to connect with people,” Brandyn explains. “I get to help first-time homebuyers choose their dream and others downsize or relocate to other parts of the country. Being of service to others through this process is fulfilling to me.”
Everything was going very well for Brandyn, but a year after she moved to Minneapolis, she got the devastating news that she needed a kidney transplant.
“I have a genetic condition called Polycystic Kidney Disease and for me, that meant I needed to get a [new, healthy] kidney,” she says. “I was so lucky, however, that someone very special was able to donate.”
That special person was her boyfriend – now husband – Mario.
“I have so much gratitude for him and his family for supporting his decision,” Brandyn says. “I mean we were just dating at the time, so that’s such an incredible and selfless choice to make. I was still the owner of the Sotheby’s franchise at the time too, and all the people who worked for and with me were extremely supportive. Also, the team at Mayo Clinic – they were amazing. I was very lucky to have incredible people on all fronts of my life there to be with me.”
Although the transplant went very well, the whole ordeal stood as a wake-up call for Brandyn.
“Once my surgery was over, I decided to focus on my physical health,” she says. “In 2008, I sold my shares of the real estate business and started doing more things for just me and that included yoga. I found that it relaxed me – mind, body and soul – and that I felt so good after doing it.”
After about a year of downtime, Brandyn thought it was time to get back into the professional world.
“I agreed to a two-year non-compete when I sold my shares so I couldn’t sell real estate as a result,” she says. “And to be honest, I didn’t really want to. As a result of this and completing a yoga teaching training program, I opened Sigh Yoga + Boutique in South Minneapolis during 2009. This was an incredible time building a community with other yoga teachers. I found immense joy in it, but the restricted studio space became an obstacle to our growth. Consequently, my husband and I resolved to close the business at the conclusion of our lease.”
From there, Brandyn was recruited by Modo Yoga to teach and train.
“I was so happy to be able to continue working in the yoga industry,” she says. “The last 5 years of teaching and training at Modo Yoga, I started professionally coaching small business owners and employees at Sportech in Elk River.”
Brandyn continued both avenues for many years, finding joy in building relationships and helping others. However, just this past year, she started to feel burnt out.
“I wasn’t feeling fulfilled anymore,” she says. “Last year, I was in an online writing class through The Loft and I chose to write about the time in my life when I was in real estate and had the kidney transplant. When I received feedback from the class, so many people said that it sounded like I had done a lot of healing from a traumatic event in my life. It started to feel like a full-circle moment for me.
“I had also just sat down with a friend where I shared about my lack of fulfillment and she had mentioned that I should go back into real estate. I kind of pushed the idea off, but slowly things started to align.”
So in 2022, Brandyn went back to school and got her real estate license, and after very little deliberation, signed with Coldwell Banker Realty in Minneapolis.
“Coldwell was a no-brainer for me,” she says. “I met with the team there and felt so assured. I trust them so much. I also work at the lakes office, which is super close to my home.”
For Brandyn, the transition from yoga back to real estate has been exciting and humbling.
“The market has changed,” she says. “I’ve come back in post-pandemic and everything is slower than before. It has underscored for me the importance of maintaining consistency in my daily routine. Each day involves a blend of prospecting, marketing, attending appointments, branding, and attending to my physical and mental well-being. I know from being in the business before that it takes about three years before things start to ramp up. I’m so happy to be back.”
Brandyn herself recently moved into a new home after building it on a 1950s foundation by the Lake of the Isles.
“We had a vision to remodel the home, but the problem was that it had a very small floor plan that we couldn’t really work around. So we hired an architect to completely rebuild the house. We kept the original foundation and made everything else the way we wanted. We established two living areas, one on the ground level and another one upstairs. Our love for natural light and the outdoors inspired us to incorporate numerous floor-to-ceiling windows to invite nature inside. Our two French bulldogs also love our new deck. Everyone is very happy with the results.”
As Brandyn gears up for her one-year mark back in real estate, she is thankful for all the support she has received from her Coldwell Banker staff, family, friends and coach.
“I’m grateful for my mom,” she says. “She passed away suddenly this year and I’m so thankful for everything she has given me. I am also grateful for my sisters, my family, Mario and my in-laws. I have felt so loved during all these ups and downs. I’m ready for what is to come with my career and my personal life.”
If interested in having Brandyn be your next real estate agent, email her at brandyn.negri@cbrealty.com or call 612-382-8736.