Lessons from Local Leaders:

Anna Czech

Anna Czech: Turning a Childhood Dream into a Mission for First-Time Homebuyers

Most people stumble into real estate by accident—looking for flexibility, a career change, or a side income. Anna Czech is different. She’s wanted to be a real estate agent since she was a little kid, fascinated by architecture and the way homes evolved through the decades. Now, just two years into her career with the Hardman team at Samson Properties, she’s turning that childhood passion into meaningful impact for first-time homebuyers and immigrant families across Maryland and Virginia.

For Anna, real estate has never been about sales tactics or quick commissions. It’s about the puzzle of matching people with their perfect home, about understanding the architectural story each property tells, and most importantly, about helping families achieve milestones that seemed out of reach. In an expensive metropolitan area where homeownership can feel impossible, Anna has become the calm, knowledgeable guide that turns dreams into keys.

A Rare Path: Following the Childhood Dream

“I’ve really always wanted to do real estate,” Anna explains. “It’s always been an interest of mine even since I was a little kid. I know that’s rare in the industry.”

Rare is an understatement. While most agents enter the field seeking lifestyle flexibility or second careers, Anna’s passion emerged early from genuine curiosity about homes and architecture. She loved observing how design changed from the seventies to the eighties to the nineties, how floor plans evolved, how aesthetic preferences shifted with each generation.

That fascination has only deepened in her work. Anna now handles many new builds, giving her front-row seats to how modern homes continue transforming. For her, each property tells a story through its design choices, layout flow, and architectural details—and matching those stories with the right families feels less like work and more like solving an intricate, rewarding puzzle.

The Surprising Realities of the DMV Market

Two years in, Anna has discovered aspects of the business that no amount of childhood fascination could have prepared her for. The first surprise? The sheer amount of time spent in the car navigating the sprawling DMV metro area.

“Sometimes if I am doing a couple showings for different clients, I am living out of my car that entire day,” she notes. It’s the reality of serving a vast, traffic-heavy region where clients might be comparing properties across multiple counties and states.

But the more significant discovery has been understanding how dramatically different Maryland and Virginia markets operate. What works in one state doesn’t necessarily translate across the border. Regulations differ, buyer expectations vary, and neighborhood dynamics shift completely depending on which side of the Potomac you’re exploring.

Rather than specializing narrowly, Anna has embraced this complexity. She’s lived in DC, Maryland, and Virginia—moving back to Virginia for the second time recently. This diverse experience gives her knowledge that many agents lack. While others stick rigidly to one area, Anna moves fluidly across the entire region, revisiting her “old stomping grounds” while helping clients discover neighborhoods they might never have considered.

Championing First-Time Buyers and Immigrant Families

The majority of Anna’s clientele are first-time homebuyers, and this demographic has become her true passion. There’s something uniquely rewarding about helping someone buy their very first home—especially in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country.

Many of her clients are first-generation Americans, families working to achieve their version of the American Dream. For these families, homeownership represents more than just acquiring property—it’s a milestone that validates years of hard work, sacrifice, and building a new life in a new country.

“It’s such an honor to be able to help them in that way and help them find that home,” Anna reflects. “Living out the American Dream per se is just the most rewarding thing.”

But serving first-time buyers in the DMV area requires specific skills. This is an expensive market where finding something within budget that actually meets a family’s needs can feel impossible. Anna has developed expertise in identifying neighborhoods and areas where clients can get what they want while staying within their price point—a delicate balance that requires intimate knowledge of the entire region’s micro-markets.

The most rewarding moments? Helping close friends buy their first homes. These were people who knew Anna long before she became a realtor, and their choice to trust her professionally speaks volumes about the relationships she builds.

“Now I go over to their house for the holidays or they’ll invite me over, and that’s the house that I was able to help them find,” she says. “That’s been really cool.”

The Calm in the Storm

Clients consistently describe Anna with one word: calm. Even in the most stressful moments of a transaction—and buying a home generates plenty of stress—Anna maintains composure that helps her clients breathe easier.

“I try to put myself in their shoes,” she explains. “Buying a home, it’s usually a very big investment and that’s a big deal. It’s a big life change too. You’re moving.”

Anna has moved numerous times herself, so she understands viscerally why the process creates anxiety. While she doesn’t always feel calm internally, she consciously chooses to be a calming presence for her clients. The last thing anyone needs during an already stressful situation is an agent adding more pressure or panic.

This approach creates space for clients to ask questions freely, express concerns without judgment, and feel reassured throughout the journey. Anna doesn’t take stress personally—she recognizes it as a natural response to a major life decision and meets it with understanding rather than frustration.

Busting the 20% Down Payment Myth

One of the biggest misconceptions Anna encounters is the belief that buying a home requires 20% down plus closing costs. In the expensive DMV market, that assumption keeps countless families on the sidelines, thinking homeownership is years away when it might actually be within reach right now.

“I’ve had people bring like less than five grand on closing day,” Anna reveals. “I’ve had people get checks back, money back on closing day, which has been great.”

The reality? The minimum down payment right now is just 3 to 3.5 percent. Many first-time buyers qualify for assistance programs that provide down payment or closing cost help, dramatically reducing the cash needed upfront.

Maryland offers particularly strong programs, including grants that never need to be repaid. The Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) is among the most common resources Anna’s clients use. Virginia has programs available as well, though the specifics vary based on income and purchase price.

But here’s the catch: you won’t know if you qualify without talking to a lender. And that’s where Anna sees many buyers make their biggest mistake—waiting until they think they’re ready before reaching out.

“I think it would be more helpful if they were to reach out way before they want to buy a home,” Anna advises. “So that way they can just plan ahead accordingly and make sure they have all their ducks in a row.”

Early conversations allow buyers to understand the financial requirements, work on credit scores if needed, and create realistic timelines instead of operating on assumptions that might be completely wrong.

Credit Scores and Pre-Approvals: Getting the Foundation Right

Before even calling a real estate agent, Anna recommends knowing your credit score. If it’s in the 600s or below, taking time to improve it can save thousands of dollars on interest rates and determine which loan programs you qualify for.

Once you’re ready to seriously pursue homeownership, getting pre-approved—not just pre-qualified—becomes essential. Pre-qualification takes minutes online and provides rough estimates that are sometimes accurate, sometimes not. Pre-approval involves a lender reviewing actual financial documents, discussing budget realistically, and often fully underwriting the application before you’re even under contract.

“I will not submit any offers without a pre-approval letter,” Anna states clearly. “You have to have a pre-approval letter to submit an offer, or at least if you want your offer to be taken seriously at all.”

Many of Anna’s lenders fully underwrite clients before providing pre-approval letters, ensuring there are no roadblocks once a contract is signed. This is especially helpful for clients with income from overtime hours, which can complicate standard pre-qualification processes.

The difference between being pre-qualified and pre-approved can literally make or break your ability to compete for the home you want.

No Pressure, Just Partnership

Anna doesn’t come from a sales background, and she doesn’t approach real estate like a salesperson. She describes her role more as a resource and advocate working on her clients’ timeline, not pushing them toward arbitrary deadlines.

“I never put any pressure on my clients,” she emphasizes. “There’s really no rush. I can help you meet a certain deadline, absolutely. But I don’t ever have a deadline for my clients. That’s really for them to determine their timeline.”

Sometimes finding the right property takes a while, especially in competitive markets or when buyers have specific requirements. Anna would never rush someone into a home that isn’t right just to close a deal. That’s simply not how she operates.

For clients nervous about the home buying process, this no-pressure approach provides tremendous relief. They’re working with someone who genuinely prioritizes their interests over quick commissions, someone who will show fifty houses if that’s what it takes, someone who sees her role as advocacy rather than salesmanship.

Reading the 2025-2026 Market

Toward the end of 2025, the DMV market slowed considerably compared to previous years—welcome news for homebuyers. Anna has been able to negotiate more effectively, secure seller concessions, obtain closing cost assistance, and lower sales prices overall.

Right now, buyers have a definite advantage in both Maryland and Virginia. But Anna expects this window may be closing. With interest rates slightly lower than they’ve been recently, she predicts the spring 2026 market could see a comeback with increased competition.

She’s careful not to claim perfect prediction abilities—lots of people try to forecast markets, and Anna prefers staying away from that game. But the indicators suggest that buyers currently sitting on the fence might want to act while conditions remain favorable.

Building Community Beyond Transactions

Anna’s work with the Hardman team extends beyond individual transactions into genuine community building. The team hosts quarterly client events, with Oktoberfest at Vale Brewery in Haymarket standing out as a fan favorite.

These aren’t networking events disguised as parties—they’re actual celebrations where the team cooks food, provides free drinks, organizes games for kids, and creates space for past clients to reconnect. It’s the team’s way of giving back and staying connected with the families they’ve served.

For Anna, these events mean catching up with clients, seeing how families are growing and thriving in the homes she helped them find. The relationships don’t end at closing—they continue evolving into genuine friendships built on trust and shared milestones.

Leveraging Social Media as Connection

Anna maintains an active presence on Instagram and is developing her TikTok strategy, recognizing that social media has become “almost like another CRM.” Through these platforms, clients and friends get to know her better, see her work in action, and access valuable real estate information.

“Information is power,” Anna notes, and social media allows her to educate broadly while building authentic connections. In a diverse metropolitan area where potential clients come from countless backgrounds and communities, social media provides a way to demonstrate expertise and personality simultaneously.

Looking Ahead: Diving Deeper into Virginia

For 2026, Anna’s primary goal is exploring Virginia markets more deeply. Having recently moved back to Virginia for the second time, she wants to dive into neighborhoods and opportunities she hasn’t fully explored while maintaining her strong Maryland presence.

It’s a goal that reflects her broader philosophy: continuous learning, expanding knowledge, and always seeking new ways to serve clients better. Two years in, Anna’s childhood dream has evolved into something richer than she could have imagined—a career that combines architectural passion with meaningful service to families building their futures.

For first-time buyers, immigrant families, and anyone navigating the complex DMV real estate market, Anna Czech represents a rare combination: genuine passion for the work, deep knowledge of the region, calm professionalism under pressure, and unwavering commitment to clients’ best interests over quick sales.

In an industry that can feel transactional and impersonal, Anna has built her practice on something more enduring—authentic relationships, patient guidance, and the simple joy of helping people find not just houses, but homes where their lives will unfold for years to come.

---

Reach Selina Bryant Below