White Barn Realty, LLC: Growing community one home at a time

Sue Grossardt

Contributor

June 23, 2025

STANLEY – Business partners Courtney Luzinski and Alycia Soper said they opened White Barn Realty LLC (213 1/4 N. Broadway St.) together early this year to serve the City of Stanley and its surrounding communities. 

However, Luzinski said the relationship between the two goes way back – as Soper is her cousin and often babysat her as a child.

“We knew each other from day one,” she said. “My mom and Alycia’s dad are brother and sister.”

Soper said she was the first of the two to transition to real estate – previously working as an advertising manager with a national publication. 

“Courtney joined me at the real estate firm I was working with,” she said. “It was a great way for her to just dip her toes in the water. Once we got going, we decided it was probably time to do something for ourselves, so we stepped out on our own.”

A moment of knowing

When it came to making the transition from a career in health care to one in real estate, Luzinski said there was a moment of revelation.

“There was a point in time during COVID-19 when many people did a check-in of sorts with themselves, asking questions like, ‘What do I want from my life?’” she said. “I loved working in health care. I do miss it sometimes. Just last week, I was there and saw my former co-workers and (realized) I miss the people.”

However, Luzinski said there was a point that she realized she wanted more.

“I think I always wanted more and wanted to own my own business,” she said. “I wanted the flexibility and wanted to make an impact in a different way. I was also pregnant at the time, so having three kids that would be in daycare, I knew I needed more flexibility. It worked out where it was a good time to transition.”

Whether it was foreshadowing or just a much-needed break for a hard-working nursing student, Luzinski said she had her eye on real estate years before even considering a career shift.

“Funny enough, I remember when I was in nursing school, I would be in the computer labs for hours and would browse Zillow,” she said. 

Soper said her epiphany moment was about pursuing her plan B.

“I had been in advertising sales for a national magazine publication,” she said. “We had closed the office (building) – our company just got bought out by another corporation – and I was working up in my loft in sweatpants with no face-to-face interaction. I knew I needed something for myself. I’m (now) more invested in myself instead of working 12-hour days and never seeing anyone but my kids.”

Soper said conversations about working together with Luzinski picked up momentum in the last year. 

“People would always make comments, ‘Oh, are you guys going to go into business together?’” she said. “We would laugh it off, and we weren’t thinking (seriously) about it at the time. But then last year, we sat down and had a deeper conversation, and it came to fruition that we just needed to go for it. We’re not getting any younger, so we decided it was time to start investing in ourselves.”

Even before they decided to take the leap into business ownership together, Luzinski said it was important to them to have a healthy blend of work and family.

“You can be great at what you do,” she said. “You can work hard, you can do your job well and make the service you provide the best that you can – but for us, family is No. 1. Buying a home is the American dream, and we are facilitating that for clients. But what is also part of the American dream is being there for our families.”

Thus far, Luzinski said she and Soper have created a good balance.

“I don’t want to say that we have it all figured out, but I do know we work well as a team and that is helpful for both of us,” she said.

Luzinski said the skill set required for health care and real estate is surprisingly similar.

“Health care is a people industry and is customer service in a way, just like real estate, yet you are serving in a different manner,” she said. “There’s health and then there’s home.” 

Now that she’s working with clients, Luzinski said she recognizes how the importance of a home is sometimes forgotten.

“(It is) a safe place where they raise a family,” she said. “So, you have to love working with people, because you’re dealing with them at vulnerable times in their lives.”

Industry highs and lows – just part of the job

Though they often talk of the volatility in real estate, Soper said she and Luzinski take it all in stride.   

“The markets will go up and down,” she said. “I don’t think that’s a new problem. It is still a hot market, however, there is a housing shortage – so supply and demand are definitely not equal at this time.”

Soper said the glaring difference in today’s real estate and the job of an agent has everything to do with technology. 

“Technology has transformed the industry,” she said. “Clients are doing a lot of pre-work on their own to see which properties have sold and which may still be on the market. They get pre-approved (on their own) by the bank.”

Though technology plays its role in buying a home, Soper said nothing replaces face-to-face interaction.

“Anyone can talk to a computer screen, which is efficient,” she said. “However, I think there is something to be said for the one-to-one interaction. Depending on that person’s situation, we can do a closing at our office, and we can have a title company come here, too. I think it’s important to have that offering in our smaller communities.”

Which is why, Luzinski said, the physical office space is an important part of the White Barn experience.

“The brick-and-mortar office on Broadway Street is very important to us,” she said. “Having this presence and an opportunity for people to stop by is part of our vision.”

Though in-person transactions are not as prevalent in the industry today, Luzinski said “it gives us a face in the community and helps us build relationships.”

“I think that is kind of lacking in society right now,” she said. “We want people to come together.”

Soper said they know what it takes to be there for clients.

“Sometimes maybe you’re hanging out with the kids and skipping rocks in the lake while the mom and dad are inside checking out the home,” she said. “I think it’s just about being present in the moment and making people feel comfortable – establishing that rapport and comfort is important.”

Community proud

Luzinski said White Barn Realty, LLC serves surrounding communities of all sizes – focusing primarily on residential real estate along with large parcels of land because of where they are located.

Nestled in the heart of Stanley, next to a local hardware store, Luzinski said they plan to be involved in the community as much as they can.

“We hope to be part of local parades and other community events, and we have a desire to give back,” she said.

Furthermore, Luzinski said it’s also important to them to have their families involved.

“We want to raise leaders, but we want them to be well-rounded, too,” she said. “We want them to see mom working, contributing and giving back.”

Sentimental name

Naming the business, Solper said, was somewhat difficult as they entertained several options.

“I was sitting in my car talking to Courtney on the phone, and she posed the question, ‘What connects us?’” she said. “Of course, it was our grandparents’ farm where our parents grew up and fostered many memories. We have a photograph of it which is proudly hung in the office.”

Thus, Soper said the White Barn Realty name was born.

“It’s a sentimental piece, and a reminder of where we came from,” she said.

For more information, visit the agency at whitebarnrealtyllc.com.