The time has come – the time to take charge. This summer, July 30-August, at Inman Connect Las Vegas. On January 1, 2024, experience the complete reinvention of the most important event in real estate. Join your peers and the best in the industry to shape the future. learn more.
Farrah Breton has been there from the CIA’s inception.
The year was 2011, and the Beverly Hills-based luxury brokerage was still in the planning stages. Founder Mauricio Umansky set his sights on Los Angeles and came up with the grand idea of conquering California, inviting his and wife Kyle Richards’ stepdaughter Bree Brittany joins him in his new venture. The California native, who was in his early twenties, accepted the job as his father’s assistant on the spot, not to mention the title of co-founder.
“I had to go on this journey and decided I wanted to be more involved in the business side of The Agency,” Brittany, the niece of Hilton and Hyland co-founder Rick Hilton, told Inman. Or more into the real estate side of things.” from her home in Beverly Hills. “I think it’s a unique experience to be able to work for a company from day one.”
“I think the pitch was successful and I decided to work with him,” she added of Umansky.
Now, more than a decade later, with previous plans to pursue a career in psychology on hold, Brittany has grown into one of the agency’s top performers, tallying more than 50 Billion Dollars in Real Estate Transactions Also, as a team, it has sold more homes priced over $20 million than any other company in the United States.
But beyond her stellar business books and star power on Netflix, buy beverly hills Along with Umansky and her sister Alexia Umansky, Brittany has also developed an impressive following on social media, with 646,000 followers on Instagram, X (formerly known as has nearly 32,000 followers on Twitter. In addition to this, she was named a 2024 Inman Global Real Estate Influencer.
“My approach is constantly evolving when it comes to social media,” Brittany told Inman. “I know that the way the world is today, you have to have a presence on social media. I think of it like a business card – whether it’s to attract buyers to post your listing or to market to sellers when they look you up online yourself, that’s the first thing people check out these days. It would be great if they knew some of your history and could get to know you on a personal level.”
Farrah Brittany | Photo Credit: Neue Focus
Curious from the beginning
Brittany began learning about real estate as a toddler. In his early days as an agent, Umansky would take his 7-year-old child to open houses on Sundays, a tradition that included the entire family.
Brittany loved it, she told Inman. She was fascinated by home design, every detail of the home, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods that Umansky showed her.
“As a kid, I was definitely very observant,” Brittany told Inman. “I asked a lot of questions, I was a very curious kid.”
“I’m obsessed with houses,” she added. “Especially the ones with two stories. I love stairs.”
While in college, Brittany studied psychology at NYU for two years before deciding to transfer closer to home to complete her degree at USC, Los Angeles.
During the summer, she interned as Umansky’s assistant, shadowing him during work hours. At the time, she viewed working in real estate as a temporary job while she gained business experience to bolster her resume.
But when Umansky came up with the idea for The Agency and asked Brittany if she would be interested in being a part partner and founder of the company from the beginning, she knew it could be the opportunity of a lifetime.
Work through doubts
Brittany started at the bottom of the agency as Umansky’s assistant. Two years later, when she started working as an agent and interacting with clients, she encountered moments of doubt and imposter syndrome.
One of the reasons Brittany initially wanted to pursue a career in writing or psychology was what she describes as a quiet, introverted personality. In her first few years as an agent, she worried that her personality (not as outgoing as many of the agents she saw on television) wouldn’t pay dividends in an industry and market that rewards boldness and arrogance.
“I worry that I’m not aggressive enough or marketing enough,” she said. “But over time, I realized — and it took me a while to understand — that I had different strengths, and that, in my opinion, was one of the main reasons for my success (as an agent).
Brittany continued, “I combine my experience with psychology by using my empathy to understand how people are thinking and combining that with being a very tactical and strategic negotiator. “I don’t necessarily have to fit the mold of what you think of as a real estate agent. There’s someone for everyone, and all of my clients appreciate the way I handle things.”
Brittany said that through her years of experience, she gained the confidence that she could be a successful agent while being herself and embracing her individuality.
Mauricio Umansky and Farrah Breton | Photo: Neue Focus
established his name
As the stepdaughter of a well-known real estate CEO and niece of another, Brittany has benefited from inherent connections within the industry and has overcome the challenges of establishing her name in the industry.Additionally, Brittany’s mother, Kyle Richards, is also nationally famous, starring in real housewives of beverly hills for several years.
But because of those valuable connections, Brittany says she works hard to prove she’s worthy of the clients she wins.
“I have the ability to meet a lot of people and work with a lot of hotels, so the doors of opportunity are wide open,” Brittany said.
“People don’t think I need to work hard,” she added. “But I’m also trying to build a career that has nothing to do with my family. So regardless of my parents and their names, it’s important to make a name for myself.”
Building relationships with clients that go beyond transactions is one of the most valuable parts of the business, she said.
“The most fun is building real friendships with clients at the beginning of a business relationship,” Brittany said. “At the end of the day, they are my closest friends, and it feels like more than just a deal when you can do that. Being able to guide them on their most important business decisions, whether they’re financial or personal, and It’s really satisfying to see these wins.”
on social media
In her social media post, Brittany said it wasn’t just about showing off her team’s sales numbers or highlighting new products.
“There were a lot of wins, but there were also some losses,” she said. “I think it’s a great thing for both sides to share.”
Opening up about her vulnerabilities and moments of imposter syndrome on social media has allowed her to connect with people in a more authentic way.
“I feel like these are the posts that resonate with people the most,” Brittany said. “People really appreciate it when you break down the façade of perfection and talk about a rough day here or there… It’s in these moments where you connect on a human level that social media can become very positive.”
In an effort to expand her lifestyle content, Brittany also recently launched her own personal website It connects real estate, fashion, health and more, allowing her followers to learn more about her life and interests. This also helps feed her creative side more.
Sofia Umansky, Alexia Umansky and Farrah Brittany | Photo: Neue Focus
new generation
Brittany paved the way for her younger sisters Alexia Umansky (27) and Sophia Umansky (24), who have also started acting in recent years Working for the Secret Service, they will also appear in the second season of “Secret Agents.” buy beverly hills The show will be released on Netflix on March 22.
She said she enjoys being able to work alongside her sisters on the job and mentor them, helping them understand the ins and outs of the industry.
“It’s been so much fun having my sisters join us as part of the family business,” Brittany said. “I just want them to be as passionate and love this industry as I am (as I am) and I’m always there to answer questions, whether it’s from contracts to how to negotiate a deal to how to talk to clients. I’m always there for them. Guide.”
Think more about the next generation, adds Brittany, who advises new agents not to focus too much on the number of deals they’re about to close but instead consider constantly trying to learn from everything and everyone.
“There’s a lot you can do to provide value to your customers,” Brittany said.
“I remember, at first[as a new agent]I was very overwhelmed with how to retain all this information or know how to talk to clients because they were usually older…but over time it all came together. Together. If you can take the time every day to gather knowledge, study data, understand comparisons, read real estate news, and know who bought what, then you will give the impression that you have a lot of capabilities. You don’t have to wait Deals can be closed; there’s so much you can do.”
Even after becoming Mauricio Umansky’s “sponge” and absorbing all of her knowledge as a young agent from him, Brittany says her work of educating herself and improving her skills is never over.
“I’ve applied a lot of what I learned from him to my own business, but even so, my work isn’t done yet,” Brittany said. “I’ve been looking for mentors and coaches for years. I’m always calling more senior agents to get their input and ask questions… I think all agents – new, mid-career or at any stage of their career — should all be done. There is always more to learn.”
Get Inman’s Luxury Lenses Newsletter Delivered directly to your inbox. Every Friday is an in-depth look at the biggest news in high-end real estate. Click here to subscribe.
Email Lillian Dixon
