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Hershey Llanes

Hershey Llanes: From Military Kid to Real Estate Advocate—Building Legacy Through Listening and Filipino Heart

Hershey Llanes doesn’t have the typical “I’ve always dreamed about real estate” story. Her father owned a brokerage in the Philippines and she did international tours with him, but that childhood exposure wasn’t what made her become an agent. What pushed her into real estate was watching her military parents struggle to buy their first home—seeing agents pressure instead of guide, hearing them say “this is what you gotta buy” without explaining the process.

Her father tried three times to purchase a home during Hershey’s childhood. Each experience felt so wrong that he pulled back. It wasn’t until last year—while vacationing in the Philippines—that he finally bought his first home, a “beautiful Texas mansion” with Hershey coordinating everything from Virginia.

“He’s living his dream now,” Hershey reflects. “That’s his hard work from being in the military, being a veteran. He’s able to have a piece of something wonderful.”

That journey—from watching her dad’s frustration to helping him achieve homeownership decades later—defines Hershey’s approach with the Hardman team at Samson Properties. She serves first-time homebuyers, sellers, and soon renters, with special passion for military families and the Filipino community.

Her 6-year-old daughter is her marketing director, passing out business cards to teachers and directors, never letting anyone forget: “My mommy is Hershey Llanes with Samson Properties, the Hardman team. She’s a real estate agent.”

And Hershey’s secret? “The first thing we need to learn is learn to listen.” Not talk over clients, not assume what they need—actually listen, then give it back to confirm you heard correctly.

Because real estate isn’t about who knows more. It’s about understanding, guidance, and making people feel good about the biggest purchase of their lives.

The Military Family Experience That Changed Everything

Growing up with a military father meant constant PCS moves, new places, starting over. Hershey understands intimately what it’s like to arrive somewhere unfamiliar, needing to find home quickly, wanting guidance instead of pressure.

When her parents tried to buy, Hershey translated for her mom. Agent after agent told them what they could afford, what they had to buy—but never explained the process, never provided true guidance.

Her father, despite his real estate background in the Philippines, felt something was off each time. Three attempts, three pullbacks. The dream of homeownership kept getting deferred.

That experience planted seeds that took years to bloom. When Hershey entered real estate, she made herself a promise: “I want to help military families. I want to make sure that they understand the process and they’re able to feel guidance instead of pressured.”

Veterans can purchase homes with 0% down, but if they don’t understand what they’re doing, they’re vulnerable to agents who see easy commissions instead of people deserving careful guidance.

“I’ve seen that a lot lately where veterans are just buying homes because they trusted someone and said, ‘This is it, that’s all you can afford,'” Hershey notes. “And that’s not the case.”

Her mission became clear: be the agent she wished her parents had found.

The Sales Foundation: Learning to Listen

Before real estate, Hershey built a strong foundation across different sales environments—retail at the mall, car business, various customer-facing roles. Those experiences taught her something crucial: “It’s always about how they feel.”

“There’s never anything that you can sell anyone that they don’t want,” she explains. “When they’re coming in, they already know what they want. You just now have to help them.”

The key to helping? Listening.

“When I’m telling you what my needs are, I need you to listen to that and give it back to me,” Hershey emphasizes. Simply confirming you heard creates good feelings. When clients feel good about their agent—confident they’re being heard, that their needs and stories matter—nothing creates a better foundation for relationship.

She’s noticed newer agents don’t listen enough. They’re so focused on what they want to say next that they miss what clients are actually communicating.

One North Face customer bought a hundred jackets. Not because Hershey pushed hard, but because she listened, asked the right questions, understood his needs, and offered a small discount. He brought his entire company back. Years later, they’re still friends who reconnect after his trips.

That pattern—listening leading to relationship leading to loyalty—repeats across Hershey’s career.

The Emotional Journey: Vision, Feeling, and Fit

After clients get an offer accepted, Hershey asks one question first: “Are you happy?”

Not about the deal terms. Not about commission. About how they feel.

“I always tell them when you come into the house, it should feel exactly how we felt when we met—we have the right connection,” she explains. “Does that feel the same?”

One client pushed back: “It’s a house, Hersh.”

Her response cut to the heart: “Can you see your daughter here? Can you see her going up and down those stairs?”

The client paused. “No, I can’t see them going up and down those stairs.”

“Then this is not the right house.”

You have to be able to have that vision, to see yourself and your family living in the space. Without that emotional connection, the house is just walls and a roof.

This personable approach—treating people like people, not transactions—defines Hershey’s style. “No one likes working with a smart-ass,” she laughs. Some clients match her energy, but even the reserved ones eventually open up when she asks, “Tell me more though.”

Transparency, Questions, and Building Through Referrals

Hershey’s business is built on referrals. That only works when clients trust you enough to recommend you to people they care about.

Her approach to building that trust? Radical transparency and encouraging endless questions.

“Ask me a million questions,” she tells clients. “Because the moment I see you stop asking me questions is the moment I’m gonna put a stop on everything.”

Clients are confused by this. Why would she stop the transaction?

“Because if your head space is not clear and you’re not understanding what we’re doing, there’s going to be a part of it where you’re gonna say, ‘Oh man, I have no idea what I’m doing. I would never use Hersh again.'”

Her business depends on clients who can enthusiastically tell others: “She was able to help me understand the process.” If confusion or regret follows closing, referrals dry up.

So Hershey slows down, explains thoroughly, confirms understanding, and makes sure clients know exactly what they’re signing at closing. “I want you to go in there, sign those papers, and you’re like, ‘I know what the hell I did. Good for you. Let’s go celebrate.'”

Even clients who don’t show affection openly—one never seemed to like Hershey—end up sending referrals. “She sent me three people,” Hershey marvels. “You do like me!” Everyone shows love differently.

New Motherhood and Unhinged Schedules

Hershey transitioned into real estate as a new mom—a major life change that required flexibility and family support.

“I had my family guiding me, and then I found a great group of people that was able to watch after my kids,” she shares. The schedule? “The most unhinged schedule.” But her husband and family understood.

Now her daughter proudly announces Hershey’s full business name to anyone who’ll listen. Her son used to cry when Hershey didn’t get a contract that week—”No contract this week?” with tears streaming. The pressure from a child’s disappointment is real.

But they’re also her biggest cheerleaders and her “why.” “I want them to have vacations. There’s times where I am at the beach with a laptop, and they’re like, ‘Mommy’s making a contract.'”

She’s building a legacy, hoping one day they’ll see value in continuing what she’s created. Her daughter seems interested—she’s already the marketing director. Her son? “This house is too much, Mom.” But he sees the work ethic, the striving, the results.

The Hardman Team: Go-Givers and Shopping Sprees

Joining the Hardman team marked a turning point in Hershey’s career. What attracted her? “Treating people like they’re people.”

The team operates on principles from “The Go-Giver” by Bob Burg—focused on giving more, understanding it takes time to see returns, building impact through kindness and collaboration rather than cutthroat competition.

“We’re all different in our aspects that we’re able to help each other grow,” Hershey explains. Team lead Sam is genuinely passionate about helping agents succeed, available whenever needed, acting from heart rather than obligation.

During her interview, Hershey was direct: “I want things on my name.” Some teams claim ownership of agent businesses. Sam’s response sealed the deal: “I have built my business for the last 20 years. My job here is to help you guys build your business.”

That mattered profoundly. “I want a team lead that’s going to want to see me grow, whether it’s going to be part of this team or somewhere else where she can grow and blossom, knowing that I was at one point part of that.”

Also helpful? Shopping sprees when hitting quotas. That definitely motivates too.

But the real value is collaboration. Real estate can be lonely—”Phil Dumphy didn’t make it look like it,” Hershey jokes. Finding your people matters. “There’s days where you’re like, I do not want to do this anymore. I’m very tired and exhausted and I don’t know what I’m doing.”

When you’re surrounded by motivated people who have your back, who might be feeling the same way, you can “go crazy together” but still find ideas, energy, and strategies to keep moving forward.

Market Shifts and Homework Assignments

Hershey’s seeing more homes sitting on the market, though many sellers aren’t highly motivated due to interest rates they don’t want to give up. Fix-and-flippers are more common. Manassas is booming with opportunities. Some buyers are moving toward Winchester for affordability and bigger homes.

Spring brings more competition. New builds include many condos, which some buyers resist. “That means now we gotta shift our mind and know that this is what we have to do to win.”

Every city is its own market—Fairfax, Loudoun, Manassas, Winchester, Stafford all operate differently. When some areas were sitting, Stafford still moved in 10-15 days.

The last three months have been “a weird shift” with economic uncertainty. But buyers still exist who say, “I’m gonna buy, I need it at this point, ’cause rent is just going up.”

Hershey’s strategy for helping clients find the right area? Homework assignments.

She listens to what they want, acknowledges they’ve probably driven around their preferred areas. Then: “I always like to give them two other options. Do you mind driving around here and here? Take a look. I don’t like coming with them because I want them to have the experience themselves.”

Why alone? “Sometimes when we’re there, I feel like there is still that point of ‘Maybe she wants us to think this way.’ I never want you to feel that way, so I want you to go out, see it for yourself.”

She even suggests going to different Targets, trying restaurants, experiencing the atmosphere. Often clients find new friends in areas they didn’t initially consider. When kids glow up in certain places, parents know that’s home.

After homework, everyone regroups: “You know what? We’ll consider that. Give us options.” Next thing, they’re under contract and celebrating.

The Touch of Home: Embracing Filipino Community

For three years, Hershey didn’t fully embrace her Filipino heritage in her business. Her daughter didn’t speak the language, making Hershey feel like “that Filipino now” who’d lost connection to culture.

Then Filipino clients started seeking her out specifically because she could speak the language. “We didn’t feel comfortable ’cause we wanted to find someone from our place.”

Initially Hershey worried they wouldn’t want someone from within the community knowing every detail. “But it turns out they do. They appreciate it because there’s somewhat of a sense of home in it.”

Working with Filipino clients gives Hershey that same touch of home. “I reminisce a little. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I need to go back home. We have the greatest beaches, all of these things.'”

An 80-year-old client helped her understand: support within your culture, help yourself, give back as much as possible, be visible and available to guide.

Now Hershey posts in Tagalog—”They say it’s broken, but you understood, so we’re doing great.” She’s positioning herself as a resource for the Filipino community, offering not just real estate expertise but cultural familiarity and comfort.

“They want someone who’s there to guide and they want someone that’s gonna be a touch of home,” Hershey reflects. It took time to recognize this opportunity, but now she’s fully committed to serving her community with both professional skill and cultural heart.

A Legacy Built on Listening

From military kid watching her father’s homeownership dreams deferred to helping him finally buy his Texas mansion, from sales roles teaching the power of listening to real estate agent building through referrals, from new mom with an unhinged schedule to team member thriving through collaboration—Hershey Llanes’ journey reflects someone who discovered purpose through experience and pain.

She’s not the agent who pressures. She’s the agent who asks, “Are you happy?” She’s not the agent who assumes what you need. She’s the agent who listens, confirms, and delivers exactly what you said mattered.

She’s building legacy for her daughter (the marketing director) and son (who thinks houses are “too much”) by showing up, working hard, and prioritizing relationships over transactions.

For military families navigating VA loans and unfamiliar territory, for Filipino clients seeking cultural connection alongside professional guidance, for anyone who wants to feel truly heard rather than rushed through a process—Hershey represents what real estate should be: personal, transparent, guided by genuine care.

Her business is built on referrals because clients leave knowing exactly what they did, why they did it, and confident enough to tell others: “She helped me understand.”

And sometimes, late at night, you might find her at the beach with a laptop, kids playing nearby, making contracts while building the life—and legacy—she’s determined to create.

Because the grind doesn’t stop. But when you love success, when you thrive on making impact, when you see your work reflected in client joy and family pride—why would you want it to?

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