Lessons from Local Leaders:

Carly Gilbert

Carly Gilbert: Finding Purpose Through Connection, Balance, and Serving First-Time Homebuyers

For over a decade, Carly Gilbert poured her heart into managing a pet sitting company, building relationships with clients who became close friends, caring for animals she genuinely loved. It was work that fed her soul—until COVID forced the business to close, pushing her into remote email marketing work that paid the bills but left something essential missing.

“It wasn’t feeding a part of me that I just knew I needed,” Carly reflects. “And it was that people connection and adding value to people’s lives.”

Family and friends kept suggesting real estate, but Carly resisted at first. She didn’t believe in herself, couldn’t quite see it. Then she looked at her daughter—now five years old—and something shifted. She wanted to be a mom first, always. But she also wanted work that mattered, that allowed her to serve others while maintaining the flexibility to prioritize family.

So she jumped in, got her license, and discovered she’d found exactly what had been missing.

Today, as a local real estate agent with Long & Foster serving primarily first-time homebuyers, sellers, and renters across Loudoun County, Carly brings the warmth of a social butterfly, the dedication of a health enthusiast, and the heart of someone who genuinely thrives on helping others achieve life-changing goals.

Her journey from pet sitting manager to realtor isn’t just a career change—it’s a story about trusting your instincts, betting on yourself, and discovering that sometimes the path you never saw coming is exactly where you’re meant to be.

The Pet Sitting Years: Learning to Build Relationships

Carly’s passion for animals is genuine and deep. For more than ten years, she managed a pet sitting company, loving every moment of connecting with both the animals and their owners. The work taught her invaluable lessons about building trust, managing teams, and creating experiences that turned clients into friends.

“I’m a social butterfly, so for me it feeds me—the connection with people,” she explains.

Many of those client relationships endured long after the business closed. Carly still talks weekly with numerous former clients, babysits their kids, visits their pets. These weren’t transactional relationships that ended when services stopped—they were genuine friendships built through care, consistency, and authentic connection.

That ability to transform professional relationships into lasting personal bonds would prove essential in real estate, where trust and connection often matter more than technical expertise alone.

When COVID forced the pet sitting business to close, Carly transitioned to remote email marketing. She learned valuable skills and met wonderful people, but something fundamental was missing. Working behind a screen couldn’t provide the face-to-face human connection that energized her.

“Although I learned a lot and I did enjoy it, and I still met some wonderful people even if it was behind a screen, it wasn’t feeding a part of me that I just knew I needed.”

The Leap Into Real Estate: Betting on Herself

The suggestion to try real estate came from multiple friends and family members who saw what Carly couldn’t quite see in herself. “You’d be great at it,” they told her repeatedly.

But self-doubt held her back initially. “I didn’t really believe in myself at first,” she admits. “I could see myself, but maybe, I don’t know.”

Then came the moment that changed everything. Looking at her daughter, thinking about the kind of balance and flexibility she needed to be the mom she wanted to be while also doing work that mattered, Carly made the decision.

“I’m just going to jump into real estate. I’m going to see where it takes me.”

She knew real estate could offer the balance she needed—the ability to bring her daughter to meetings and showings, to be present for family while still serving clients meaningfully. Her daughter now calls herself a “little mini agent,” attending appointments and seeing firsthand what her mom does.

Within just two to three months of getting her license, Carly reached a profound realization: “I am where I’m supposed to be and didn’t know I was supposed to be here.”

The work fed the part of her that had been starving—the need for human connection, for adding tangible value to people’s lives, for building relationships around meaningful milestones rather than routine transactions.

Mom First, Realtor Second: The Balance That Makes Excellence Possible

Carly is emphatic about her priorities: “I always say I’m a mom first, and then I’m a realtor. I’m very big on family.”

This isn’t just talk—it shapes everything about how she structures her business and serves clients. Finding the right balance between family and career wasn’t just nice to have; it was essential to her wellbeing and her ability to show up fully for both roles.

“Taking care of my family is number one priority,” she states clearly.

But rather than viewing family commitments as limitations on her real estate career, Carly has discovered they’re actually advantages. The support and flexibility that come with Long & Foster’s culture allow her to prioritize family while still delivering exceptional service to clients.

And her perspective as a mom actively pursuing homeownership herself gives her unique insight into what clients need. She understands the drive, the passion, the pressure of working toward something as impactful as a home that will hold your family and create memories.

“I know how badly I want it, and I know it takes a lot to get to that point to get your first home,” she reflects. “My job is to make sure they have the least amount of stress possible.”

The Health Enthusiast Approach: Taking Care of Yourself to Take Care of Others

Carly is a passionate believer in a principle that’s simple yet often overlooked: “If you’re not taking care of yourself, you can’t take care of your family. You can’t take care of your job.”

As a health enthusiast, she prioritizes movement, nutrition, and mental health—not as luxuries but as essential foundations for everything else. Being able-bodied and clear-minded allows her to serve clients effectively, manage the demands of real estate, and show up fully for her family.

“Taking care of yourself takes care of others,” she emphasizes.

This philosophy shapes how she approaches the intensity of real estate transactions. Staying organized, stress-free, and clear-minded isn’t just about personal wellness—it’s about being fully present and capable for clients navigating major life decisions.

Her clients feel this groundedness. When your agent is balanced, healthy, and managing their own life well, it creates confidence that they can handle the complexities of your transaction with similar competence.

Meeting Clients Where They Are: Affordability and Empowerment

Every single client Carly has worked with has raised concerns about affordability. It’s not unique to real estate—anxiety about whether we can afford major purchases or life changes affects virtually everything we do.

Rather than dismissing these concerns or offering empty reassurance, Carly tackles them head-on with honest, grounded conversations.

“My job is to make sure that the decisions that you make, and that I help you make and help guide you through, is something that you know—there is no stress or anxiety or questioning over the affordability,” she explains.

Her approach starts with sitting down to go over everything thoroughly, crossing T’s and dotting I’s. She connects clients with excellent lenders who can help them plan realistically. She works to completely alleviate affordability concerns rather than just minimizing them.

“We will find something for you. It will happen and you will be able to afford it. We will have a budget, we’ll have a plan.”

This personalized approach—meeting clients where they are financially and emotionally—creates space for empowerment rather than anxiety. Clients aren’t just told what they can afford; they’re walked through the process of understanding their options and making confident decisions.

The Know-Like-Trust Formula

Carly frames the client relationship around a simple but powerful formula: know you, like you, trust you.

Trust is the foundation of everything. When you’re making a purchase as significant as a home or selling your most valuable asset, you need to trust the person guiding you through the process. There’s too much at stake, too many potential complications, too much stress to work with someone you don’t completely believe in.

“I know that I want it to be the know you, like you, and trust you,” Carly explains. “And I hope that my clients can be able to do that with me.”

Her natural warmth and people-pleasing personality make the “know you” and “like you” parts relatively easy. But trust is earned through consistency, transparency, honesty, and follow-through.

Carly makes herself straightforward and realistic with clients. She’s responsive—answering quickly, returning calls promptly, staying on top of every detail. She recognizes that anxiety is a natural part of the home buying or selling process, and her job is to provide the steady, reliable presence that eases that anxiety.

Local Knowledge From 15 Years in Loudoun County

As a Virginia native who’s lived in Loudoun County for over 15 years, Carly brings insider knowledge that can’t be replicated by someone less familiar with the area.

“I believe because I have that knowledge of the area, the clients that I do have, I’m able to really help,” she notes.

Want to be close to great schools? Carly knows which locations offer proximity to top-rated options. Have kids who need parks and activities? As a mom, she knows all the spots—the outdoor parks, the indoor play areas, the fun activities and events that make Loudoun County wonderful for families.

“I think that helps my clients feel like they can make a confident decision because they know—okay, she’s been here a while, so she knows this area.”

The community life in Loudoun County thrives on family-friendly activities and events. There’s always something to do, always somewhere to go, always opportunities to connect with neighbors and build the kind of community life that makes a house feel like home.

Carly’s genuine love for the area comes through in every conversation. She’s not just selling real estate—she’s sharing a community she’s genuinely excited about.

Backed by Long & Foster’s Resources and Culture

Since joining Long & Foster, Carly has experienced transformation not just in her career but as a person. The resources, training, support, and mentoring have elevated what she’s capable of providing to clients.

“I know that with my clients they definitely have more of an opportunity because of that,” she reflects. “Because we have the resources, we have the support.”

Throughout the entire buying and selling process, Carly is backed by an amazing team. There are no missing pieces, no gaps in service, no moments where clients feel abandoned or unsupported.

But beyond resources, it’s the culture that has made the biggest impact. Long & Foster’s collaborative, team-oriented environment stands in stark contrast to the competitive individualism that defines many real estate offices.

Carly learned the value of collaborative teams during her years managing pet sitting operations. When team members support each other, fill gaps where needed, help each other achieve goals, the entire business thrives. She’s found exactly that culture at Long & Foster.

“The team aspect of it has been amazing for me,” she says. “I’ve met so many wonderful people.”

For clients, this collaborative culture means their agent isn’t operating alone but drawing on collective wisdom and support to serve them at the highest level.

Relationships That Last Long After Closing

Carly maintains relationships with clients from her previous businesses—people she still talks to weekly, whose children she babysits, whose homes she visits. That pattern continues in real estate because for her, transactions are never just transactions.

“To me it’s more than a transaction,” she emphasizes. “You’re helping someone make such a life-changing decision, and so you really do get connected and you keep that relationship.”

She makes it a priority to stay in touch—and not just with periodic marketing emails. Clients might get surprise visits with batches of cookies. They’ll meet for coffee to catch up on life beyond real estate. They know Carly is there if they need anything, and the relationship continues evolving.

“I might be there for you for life, who knows?” she laughs. “But I just like to be helpful and connect with people, and if they’re open to it, then the relationship after is of course just a long journey.”

Watching clients grow and thrive after helping them achieve homeownership brings Carly genuine joy. Following up doesn’t feel like work—it’s the natural extension of caring about people she’s gotten to know during an intense, meaningful experience together.

The Trust That Changes Everything

When asked what she hopes every client walks away feeling after working with her, Carly’s answer is immediate and emphatic: trust.

“I hold that to high regard because that goes with everything, right?” she reflects. “Just trusting somebody is everything.”

She hopes clients can confidently say they trusted her through the process and that they can trust her moving forward—whether for future real estate needs or just meeting for coffee.

“I’ll show up. You’ll trust I’ll be there.”

That reliability, that consistency, that follow-through—these are the foundations of trust, and Carly works hard to honor the confidence clients place in her.

Growing Alongside Family

Looking ahead, Carly is excited to continue growing her business while her family grows alongside it. “Family first for me,” she reiterates. “As I grow with my family, I hope to see my business grow and thrive with it.”

She’s eager to meet more wonderful people, serve more clients, and establish herself as a helpful resource throughout Loudoun County. The journey from pet sitting manager to realtor has shown her that purpose can be found in unexpected places—you just have to be willing to jump in when the opportunity feels right.

For anyone considering buying or selling a home, Carly offers exactly what she’s always offered in every role she’s held: genuine connection, dedicated service, and the kind of care that transforms professional relationships into lasting friendships.

She’s a social butterfly who thrives on people connection. A health enthusiast who models the balance needed to show up fully. A mom who understands the drive to create a home for your family. And a realtor who believes that helping someone make a life-changing decision is a privilege that deserves to be honored with trust, transparency, and unwavering support.

From managing pets to managing real estate transactions, Carly’s path has been anything but conventional. But looking at where she’s landed—serving clients she cares about deeply, maintaining the family balance she needs, doing work that feeds the part of her that was starving in remote email marketing—it’s clear she’s found exactly what she was looking for.

Sometimes you don’t know where you’re supposed to be until you get there. For Carly Gilbert, real estate wasn’t the plan—but it turned out to be the perfect destination.

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