Lessons from Local Leaders:

Ingrid Pickett

Ingrid Pickett: Listening First, Thinking Outside the Box, and Building Real Estate on Authentic Connection

Five years ago, Ingrid Pickett’s husband told her she needed to become a realtor. Her response? “I don’t think I need to be a realtor for that.” She wanted to invest in homes and flip houses, sure, but get licensed? The honest truth was simpler: she was afraid of the test.

Fast forward a few years. Ingrid woke up one morning with what she describes as a calling—a strong impression to get her real estate license. Looking back, she admits with a laugh, “I should have listened to my husband because that means I would’ve been a realtor much longer.”

But she moved forward anyway. She studied, conquered the test she’d feared, passed, and became a Northern Virginia realtor serving all those looking for a new place to live. Today, working with Long & Foster, Ingrid brings something refreshingly authentic to real estate: a people-first approach grounded in genuine listening, creative thinking, and the relationship skills honed through her other passion—helping couples build stronger marriages.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, I am who I am,” Ingrid says with characteristic directness. “I can’t even pretend to be anyone else.”

In an industry that can feel scripted and transactional, Ingrid’s authenticity isn’t just refreshing—it’s her superpower.

The Journey: From Hesitation to Calling

Ingrid’s entry into real estate wasn’t the result of meticulous career planning or strategic positioning. It was the convergence of her husband’s insight, her own intuition, and the courage to move past fear.

The fear of the test was real, even if she couldn’t fully explain why it loomed so large. But when that middle-of-the-night impression came—get your real estate license—she recognized it as something she needed to act on.

So she studied. And studied. And studied some more. And when test day came, she passed. Simple as that. “The rest is history,” she says, and there’s satisfaction in how straightforward it sounds now that the fear is in the rearview mirror.

What she’s discovered since passing that test is work she genuinely loves. “It’s really fun,” she reflects. “I love it.”

The joy isn’t just about transactions or commissions—it’s about the connections. Meeting people one-on-one, hearing about their needs, serving them to the best of her ability as they navigate one of life’s most significant decisions: finding a new home.

For someone who loves talking to people—”I had no issues there,” she laughs—real estate has proven to be not just a good fit but a genuinely refreshing career that aligns with her natural strengths.

The Foundation: Listening Above All Else

Ask Ingrid how she supports clients through the significant, life-changing process of buying, selling, or renting a home, and her answer is immediate: “Listening. Listening. Listening is how you do that.”

It’s deceptively simple but remarkably powerful. When you walk into a house with a client, you might have opinions about the layout, the finishes, the neighborhood. But none of that matters.

“It’s not about me,” Ingrid emphasizes. “It’s not about what I like. It’s about listening to the need of my clients.”

This listening-first approach creates the personalized experience clients crave but often don’t receive. It means meeting people where they’re at—recognizing that everybody’s at a different phase in life, doing what they need to do for themselves right now.

“If I’m not listening, then I miss the whole thing,” Ingrid notes.

Listening requires more than just hearing words—it requires setting aside your own preferences, assumptions, and agendas to truly understand what someone needs. For Ingrid, this is foundational to everything else.

Of course, listening is only part of the equation. “Listening and doing your homework,” she adds. Understanding client needs is step one; doing the work to serve those needs effectively is step two.

Equal Care for Rentals: Everyone Deserves the Same

A significant portion of Ingrid’s work involves helping people secure rental housing. In an industry where “realtor” often automatically translates to “buying and selling,” she brings the same level of care and attention to rental transactions.

“Everyone should be treated the same,” she states firmly.

Ingrid and her husband rented for five years before buying their home. She understands firsthand that renting isn’t just a temporary placeholder—it’s someone’s home, whether for 12 months, 18 months, or longer.

“I think it’s very important not to make a difference between whether someone is buying, selling, or renting,” she explains. “I think it’s all the same.”

The goal is identical: getting someone into a new home. And that’s a big milestone regardless of whether they’re signing a lease or a mortgage.

This egalitarian approach reflects Ingrid’s broader values. No client is more important than another. No transaction is less worthy of full attention and effort. Everyone deserves authentic care and professional service.

Building Trust Through Authenticity

Real estate is built on relationships, and relationships are built on trust. But how do you intentionally create that sense of trust, comfort, and partnership from the very beginning?

For Ingrid, the answer lies in authenticity. “Being me authentically who I am is going to hopefully get them to the point where they trust me and they are going to allow me to help them in this process.”

She brings experience from other businesses and a network of people she’s worked with before. Those existing relationships provide a foundation. But even when meeting someone completely new, Ingrid trusts that being genuinely herself will create the connection needed.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, I am who I am. I can’t even pretend to be anyone else,” she says. “You get what you get, and most of the time it works.”

That self-awareness—knowing who she is, being comfortable with it, and showing up as that person consistently—creates the authenticity clients respond to. There’s no sales persona, no carefully crafted professional mask. Just Ingrid being Ingrid.

And that genuine presence builds trust faster than any technique or script ever could.

The Long & Foster Advantage: Support and Resources

Ingrid came to Long & Foster through a referral from a good friend who’d been a realtor for over 25 years. What she’s discovered since joining has exceeded expectations.

The brokerage sets new agents up with extensive learning tools, creating space for real growth. Experienced realtors who’ve been in the business 20-plus years actively help newcomers transition into the field. The culture is collaborative rather than competitive—more family than cutthroat business environment.

But perhaps most valuable is the full-service support Long & Foster provides. Need a lender? They have Prosperity Home Mortgage in-house. Title services? Covered. Home inspections? Connections ready. Home warranty providers? Available.

“You don’t have to go out and search for it. It’s right there for us,” Ingrid explains.

This ecosystem makes the job easier for agents and the process smoother for clients. When everything is coordinated under one roof, communication flows seamlessly. Ingrid can call the inspector and ask, “Hey, did you go to Mrs. Smith’s house to do her inspection today?” Everyone knows everyone. Nothing falls through the cracks.

“For people that are going through this process, you want to make it easy for them,” Ingrid notes. “And I think Long & Foster has that down packed when it comes to ease.”

The streamlined process benefits everyone. Clients don’t have to hunt for service providers. Agents don’t have to juggle multiple disconnected vendors. The entire transaction moves forward efficiently.

The Couples Counseling Connection: Skills That Transfer

Beyond real estate, Ingrid co-owns Love First Couples Movement with her husband—a relationship consulting business offering premarital counseling, marriage maintenance, and support for couples experiencing difficulty.

“We just want to help one family at a time be great,” Ingrid explains. “The family unit is as strong as the couple, the marriage.”

The business emerged from Ingrid and her husband’s own marriage journey. “We have gone through from the top to the bottom of what can happen in marriage,” she shares candidly. What helped them, what made them stronger—they’ve taken those experiences, combined them with education and intentional skill-building, and created tools, strategies, and homework they now share with couples.

They troubleshoot. They offer one-on-one sessions. They help couples navigate trauma, drama, and the natural evolution that comes as life changes. There’s no manual for marriage, but there are people willing to walk alongside you—and Ingrid and her husband are those people.

“We’re into helping people with problems. We love it,” she says. “It’s not grueling to us. It’s a great thing.”

Friends ask how they can handle people constantly calling with problems. The answer is simple: they’re passionate about it. Someone has to help families get better, and they’re honored to be those people.

The skills developed through couples counseling transfer directly to real estate. Active listening. Problem-solving under stress. Understanding that everyone’s situation is unique. Navigating difficult conversations with empathy. Advocating for what people need while respecting their autonomy.

Both businesses share a common thread: helping people through significant life transitions with care, expertise, and genuine investment in positive outcomes.

The Creative Lens: Thinking Outside the Box

Ingrid is an artist and describes herself as highly creative. “I’m a person that’s outside of the box already,” she says. “Like, I’m that person.”

That creative orientation shapes how she approaches real estate. It prevents her from locking clients into rigid boxes about how things “should” be done or what path they “should” take.

“There are many boxes that go along with real estate,” she observes. “You should do this. This is the way you should do it. This is how you should go about it.”

But Ingrid’s creative mindset naturally resists that prescriptive approach. She’s already outside the box, so she’s not going to force clients into boxes either.

“I’m gonna always be out of the box. And I love being out of the box,” she declares. “It’s not always been popular, but who cares? I am who I am.”

That willingness to embrace unconventional approaches, to see possibilities others might miss, to visualize potential in unexpected places—these are the gifts creativity brings to real estate. The creative lens allows Ingrid to understand client visions that might seem impractical to more conventional thinkers and to problem-solve in ways that honor individual needs rather than industry norms.

“Who wants to be in a boring old box?” she asks rhetorically. “The box needs to be a triangle sometimes.”

Aligning with the Right Clients

When asked what kind of clients she feels most aligned working with, Ingrid’s answer is refreshingly honest: “I think that I’m going to align with my perfect client. That’s really the short of it.”

She can’t define that perfect client with demographic details or specific criteria. It’s more intuitive than that—a matter of natural fit and mutual understanding.

“I’m not for everybody, I’m sure, and it’s okay,” she acknowledges. “But I know that I feel like I will align with who I’m supposed to.”

That self-awareness extends to recognizing when a client relationship isn’t working. While she does everything possible to make things work when she meets someone, she’s also realistic: “Everybody’s not going to be my perfect client.”

But she doesn’t anticipate this being a frequent problem. Her approachable nature, genuine warmth, and authentic presence make her easy to get along with. The clients who need what she offers—active listening, creative problem-solving, authentic partnership—will find their way to her.

First Steps: Getting Clients to the Right Starting Point

When working with buyers, Ingrid focuses on getting them to a lender as the crucial first step. Long & Foster’s in-house mortgage company makes this seamless—she can connect clients directly to someone like Brian who can assess what they qualify for and provide clarity on options.

“I think that is the first step because it helps people know where they are and where they can go,” Ingrid explains.

The home buying process can be grueling. Starting with clear financial understanding grounds everything else. Clients know their parameters. They can make informed decisions. They’re not wasting time looking at properties outside their reach or missing opportunities they didn’t realize were available.

This practical, straightforward guidance reflects Ingrid’s overall approach: listen to understand needs, provide clear next steps, and use the resources available to make the process as smooth as possible.

The Market Moving Forward: Encouragement and Confidence

Ingrid believes the market is beginning to move in a more positive direction. For buyers and sellers considering their next steps, her advice centers on getting started with the right information and support.

Understanding where you stand financially, what options are available, and how the current market conditions affect your specific situation—these are the foundations for feeling encouraged and confident moving forward.

With Long & Foster’s comprehensive resources and Ingrid’s listening-first approach, clients don’t have to navigate uncertainty alone. They have a partner who genuinely cares about their success and who brings both professional expertise and authentic human connection to the journey.

What Clients Will Remember

When asked what she hopes clients remember most about working with her, Ingrid returns to her foundational principle: “I listened.”

She wants clients to know she didn’t dismiss anything, didn’t talk over them, didn’t impose her own agenda. She absorbed what they said, honored what mattered to them, and represented them well throughout the process.

In an industry where clients often feel rushed, unheard, or reduced to transaction numbers, being genuinely listened to stands out as rare and valuable.

That’s the legacy Ingrid is building—one listening session, one authentic conversation, one client relationship at a time.

A Career Built on Being Real

From initial fear of a licensing test to building a real estate career grounded in authentic connection, Ingrid Pickett’s journey shows that sometimes the path we resist is exactly where we’re meant to be.

Her husband saw it five years before she did. The middle-of-the-night impression confirmed it. And now, working with Long & Foster in Northern Virginia, Ingrid is living it—serving buyers, sellers, and renters with equal care, thinking outside boxes when creativity is needed, and always, always listening first.

She brings skills from couples counseling that translate beautifully to real estate. She brings an artist’s eye that sees potential others miss. She brings authenticity that builds trust faster than any sales technique.

Most importantly, she brings herself—fully, genuinely, unapologetically.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, I am who I am. I can’t even pretend to be anyone else.”

For clients seeking a realtor who will truly hear them, treat them as individuals rather than transactions, and guide them with both professional expertise and genuine care—that authenticity is exactly what they need.

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