Welcome to the Interior Perspective, where luxury real estate meets timeless design. I'm Nicole Fisher, a Hudson-based interior designer working with the region's most exclusive properties. Each week, we sit down with top brokers to explore the stories, insights, and inspirations behind the most remarkable homes on the market. This is your front row seat to the art of elevated living. Let's get started. Welcome back to the Interior Perspective. Over the last several episodes, we've been exploring how design and lifestyle intersect, not just in the homes we create, but in the choices people make about where and how they live. Today, we're looking at this through the lens of one of my favorite topics, the art of place because moving to a new community isn't just about a real estate transaction. It's a transformation. It's about designing a new chapter of life. My guest today knows this very deeply. She is Lexi Brine, a real estate agent in Westchester County. Her story is more than just sales and square footage. She transitioned her life to Westchester from a career in law, built a thriving career in real estate with Compass, and does it all while balancing life as a mom. That combination, career, community, family, it's a powerful reflection of what it means to design a life that feels ambitious and grounded. We'll talk about her personal journey to the county, how she got started in real estate, and the realities of balancing clients and kids. This isn't a business story, it's just a human one. Because at the end of the day, home is never just the walls we decorate or the deals we close. It's about creating a foundation for how we live, how we grow, how we show up in the world. So let's just dive Thank you. I love that. Like recap slash thought provoking. manifesto on what I do and how it intertwines with what you do. It's Yeah, we're here to please. So do tell me, tell me about why So I actually grew up in New York City. I grew up on the Upper East Side. I'm a New York City kid through and through, and I never really imagined that I would be in the suburbs. But like many of us, there came a point after my second child, my daughter was born, that I was just feeling like things weren't working. I wanted more space. I wanted to find community, really. I think that was a big thing. I was feeling a little lost in the city, like not rooted. And so we set about thinking about where we could go in the suburbs, right? And in New York City, really it's Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, and Connecticut. Like, that's where people think about, especially if they have commutes to the city for work. At that time, I was working in a city and my husband was working partly in the city and partly in Connecticut. So Westchester really was practical in the sense that it was in a location where my husband could commute, I could commute. And so we just, that's kind of how we narrowed it down. And then we looked at towns within Westchester to Yeah. Okay. So tell me your journey to Larchmont. How'd you get there? Cause I went to Mimeric High School. Did you? I didn't know that. You didn't? No. Yeah. I went to Mimeric High School. Oh. So just going back there and that's why the project that we had come out today was such a full circle moment for me because I lived over there for a period of time. So Yeah, So yeah, so we had kind of settled on Westchester or like lower Connecticut, Greenwich, kind of. We wanted to be close to the city. My mom and sister are still there. We wanted to both for commute but also just lifestyle. So we started looking at kind of towns that are an easy commute. That's kind of how we started. So we knew we weren't going to look at northern Westchester, which is like above White Plains, right? We knew we wanted something that was a shorter train ride or car ride to the city. And then we started looking at towns. Like we drove through Westchester We talked to people that lived in the different towns, we did our research, we started looking, we had our budget, we started looking at what we could afford in the different towns, but really it came down to fit and kind of vibe and. seeing the towns and talking to people, really talking to people that live in them and getting a sense for where we thought we'd fit. We actually almost bought in a different town. We even had an accepted offer, inspected the house. Oh, wow. Yep. And someone came in and swooped and took the house from us for a higher offer. Yep. And in that moment, I was like, you know what, I think we should pivot. I don't, maybe this is like the universe's way of steering us in a different direction. And a month later, the same inspector inspected our house here in Larchmont. And we're like, remember us? Like from the other town? So yeah. And so that's how we ended up I fully, I love that. I believe in the universe telling us to do stuff. I believe in, you know, when things are not meant to be, like don't force it, you know, like plan B is usually better. And I love that. Is that legal for someone to come in and like, Just because you didn't sign it, it's out of line, right? So what people don't know about like New York real estate, unlike other states, is that when you have an accepted offer from a seller as a buyer, in both directions, like the seller and the buyer, there's no legal obligation on either side until you sign a contract of sale. So that actual little period of time between, okay, you know, you have a deal verbally or even on email, and actually signing a legal contract, either side can back out with no consequences. Got it. I mean, ethical, you know, it's not a great thing to do, but sellers do it, buyers back out. You haven't put your deposit down yet and there's no legal obligation on either side. It actually makes my job when I am a buyer's agent really difficult because that period of time you have to move really quickly because usually there's a lot of demand and a lot of buyers interested in the home. Time kills all deals. You want to move fast, you want to do your due diligence, but you want to get to contract as Yeah. Do you still have that flexibility if you have a written offer with a contingency of a Yes, okay, so if you have a written offer with a contingency of inspection, that contingency could actually go into the contract. So then you'd be perfected for a longer period of time. So even after you sign the contract, you could get out of the contract, get your deposit back with the inspection, right? But the period before you sign, it's not contingent on anything. You can leave because you get cold feet. I mean, all the time I've had, you know, listings where I get, I accept an offer and the next morning the agent says, I'm really sorry, but my people got cold feet and they're not going to buy the house. I mean, for So let me ask you, how do you put on your, like your buyer's agent hat versus your seller's agent hat? How do you think about I don't know if it's a different hat. I think I really, because every buyer's different, every seller's different too. So I think I really try to lean into the unique experience of that particular client and what they need. because you know and and try to tune into what they're asking for what they're looking for certainly in this market in Westchester it's been a seller's market very much so since since I came into the business since COVID right so it is more challenging in some ways to be a buyer's agent because you're kind of like There's not much negotiating, right? It's more like, here's the highest we can go. Did we win? I mean, there's ways to strategize. But at the end of the day, when there's 15 offers on a house, you have to put yourself in the best position. But as I always tell my clients, we can't control the other buyers in the market. We can't control the seller. You can only control yourselves. And It's interesting, you came in in peak time, so you've never had to mentally transition you know, maybe on a seller, I'm sorry, a buyer's market into a seller's market in your mind. You know, you've always been in this kind of go, go, go. This is a really competitive market where you are. And I wonder if that is an advantage to you and your clients because it's already been something that you've trained your brain on. It's not something you had to like retrain your I think all the agents in the market are now trained because it's been years. It's been years. And even though the market's been a seller's market, it's been a very different market. My first two years in the business, it was a lot of deals, a lot of sales, even though it was still more demand than inventory. There were a ton of transactions and they were happening very quickly. And then the last three or four years, it's been really difficult to get a deal together because there are so few homes. The inventory really took a dive. It has changed and gotten worse for buyers, but also been a more challenging market in terms of how to navigate for buyers. Totally. Do you give your buyers the same advice that you did for yourself when you were moving to Westchester? You tell them to move around, to drive around, talk to people, how's that Yes, my number one piece of advice for any buyer coming to Westchester from the city or from relocating is community first, house second. you wanna find the town you wanna be in first, then we can figure out the house. And I try to help them do that to the best of my ability and tell them to go out and see things, go to dinner, go to lunch, go to a playground, talk to people. I try to give them as much information as I can in terms of commuting, size of the schools, size of the town. And I tour them myself, but there's really no, replacement Yeah. Do you feel like that creates a level of trust with you and your clients or a level of trust in your process and I hope so, yes. I mean, everyone comes to it, and some people disagree with me. You know, I have a client right now who's searching completely by tax. Like, she only wants to spend a certain amount on taxes. So it's not even about the price of the house, because different Westchester towns tax differently. But it was like, you know, and that's not my advice. But you know, everyone does things in their own way. But I do really try. I try to guide people to the right place. I want people to It totally makes sense. So to me, Westchester is like its own world. It's a very unique place. It's a place that has continued to bring in wealth. It's a place that's continued to bring in interesting types of people. It's close proximity to the city obviously makes that. so, but it's so incredibly desirable to be there. It's so beautiful. You feel like you've stepped into the country in 20 minutes outside of Manhattan. It's really wild. What do you think makes this market different from others in Connecticut, New they're all competitive markets so like all this stuff there's just no inventory anywhere so like that's true of everything, I think you hit the nail on the head when you say commute like I think the commutes really desirable and people prefer commuting from Westchester than they do New Jersey sometimes. I also think we have. so many different towns that feel really different from one another. So there's kind of something for everybody. Like the river towns, right, feel so different than Larchmont, feel so different than a Scarsdale, right? And we have this interesting mix of geographic, you know, so we have like the river on one side, the sound shore on the other, you have the towns that are kind of in the middle, they're not on the water. You have the towns in Northern Westchester, which can feel really like farmland or like open space. And then you have towns that feel much more like suburban urban living, like a Larchmont, which is so walkable, so many sidewalks. You know, you can't drive 20 minutes to the train in Larchmont. There is no house in Larchmont that's a 20 minute drive from the train. It doesn't exist. So I think that you have like great variety in a small, area. But yeah, I think the proximity to the city is obviously what drove a lot of it, but it's interesting. It has such an interesting history. I mean, like, Larchmont was the Hamptons, basically, of the late 19th century. Like, all the houses along the water in Larchmont were built in 1860, 70, 80, those were country homes. They're old Victorians, right? I'm sure the ones that you love so much, right? So yeah, they're the best. So like you have that interesting, it wasn't built as a suburb. So I think sometimes people that are, I get a lot of clients from the city that are like, oh suburbs, like I don't, but like there you can find pockets that actually don't feel very suburban because Right. Interesting. I actually didn't even know that. That's incredible. But yeah, to your point, there is such a vast difference between the West and the East side. I mean, I literally never stepped foot on the West side of Westchester. Like the Rivertown, my husband grew up in Hastings, and those I feel like your vibe and your aesthetic would Yeah, I just, like for work, we're still very much on the East side. And then growing up was just, I don't think I ever crossed like Scarsdale. Like it was, it was like, like Central Avenue was just like the big divide. You never, you never went to the other side. And like for my husband too, he's like, nope, I've, he's never visited any town on like the East side. Which is just, which is so wild. How do you think these little towns in their individuality kind of create community for people? I think that they do because they're small, because you're really buying into the town, right? Like the school districts, like who your kids are at school with, who you see at the restaurant, you know, and it has a very different feel. Like, for example, in the Rivertowns, you're not allowed to have any chain restaurants. You won't see a Starbucks. You won't see a Smashburger. You won't see, yeah. You won't see, yeah. You don't see a Bluestone Lane like you have in Larchmont or in Armonk. It's its own thing. They have like a rule. That's their priority. That's their value system, right? And like you see it in the way the town is set up and what it feels like and what it looks like. And so I think, yeah, I think that that, I think community is such a thing in the suburbs, especially because these are the people, so many people that live in Westchester are in the same transitional point in life, right? They're moving here because of their kids or because of their family. Whereas in the city, you have people coming after college or you have a wide variety. And when you send your kids to the public schools or you live in a small community, those are the parents you're raising your kids with. Like you wanna feel aligned, you wanna feel good about that. You wanna feel like they have the same value system priorities that you do. So I think it really lends itself to Right. No, that makes sense. And I'm sure you deal with most, most Most of my, not all. I have actually a lot of couples that don't have kids yet. Maybe yet, maybe never. I don't know, but like. Right. That didn't grow up here, especially ones that grew up here. Right, okay, so they're familiar, they know what they're getting. Yeah. Totally. But it's usually young people, right? Yeah. In the late 20s to early 40s, I would Totally, that makes sense. How do you manage the raising family component with now this really robust career that feels very demanding day-to-day? I don't have a perfect answer for that, but. All right, forget it. I will say I, so I came from a job in corporate law. Like that was my job before I had my son, my oldest, and I really hated it. So I think part of it is that I like this job and it has some of the components that I was missing in the corporate law job, meaning I don't have to go to an office if I don't want to. I don't have to have status meetings every week. I don't have FaceTime. I don't have any of that. And that really helps me. Even though my job is very demanding and some of my time is not my own, it feels a little bit more in my control. For my personality type and the way I work, that's super helpful. And the real estate market is cyclical. So I really try to be present and focused on the time I'm in and every month is different, right? Like so February, March and April, I'm gonna be really busy at work. That's the busiest season in the suburban real estate market. So I know that I'm gonna miss things and I know I'm gonna be working every weekend and I'm not gonna have, right? But like November, December, I'm around and I'm picking them up and I'm enjoying the holidays. Like the summer it's quieter. So I try to, I try to the best of my ability to lean into the season that I'm in and know that the season will change. And also a good thing about local real estate in some ways is, and I was just talking to an older agent about this is, you know, picking up my kids from school, which I love to do because I love to see them. It's also work. Like I could be making a connection. I could be finding out a house is coming on the market, right? Like people chat like, Oh, I think this one's moving or whatever. Right. I might find a client. I might. You know, I've gone to the nail place, bumped into someone, and then sold their mom a condo. Like, I mean, you just don't know. Like, my life feeds my work a little bit, and my work feeds my life. And, like, I try to remember that, too. That can be hard, right, too. And I'm picking up my kids at the playground, and there's, like, four clients that want to chat with me about something. But it can also be great. So, you know, there's good and bad, and I try to balance and... Like I said, to Right. Absolutely. So I'm thinking, listening, patience, problem solving. That's where all these ideas coming from. What lessons from motherhood then show up in your business and being able to deal with these kind of clients who want to interrupt you, I mean, motherhood teaches you so much. Like, I don't know. I feel like I'm a different person now because I'm a mom. Like, I learned how to listen more. I learned how to stop controlling more. That was a huge lesson. You can't control them, right? That's my work. That's my life's work, not controlling. Meeting people who they are, like where they are and for who they are, you know? You can't change. I think I think, yeah, patience, certainly. And I also just have like a deep, I work a lot with families, with people that have kids, and I have a deep understanding and empathy and compassion for especially young parents of young kids. And I think that comes through in my work. Like I get it. You know, I was just texting a client the other day about seeing houses and I was like, well, what's the nap schedule? Tell me when what will work. You know, like I know I am Totally. Yeah, we try to do the same thing with our clients. I understand you have kids. I understand you have a dog that wants to come in with his dirty feet. I understand that they come in with their soccer equipment and throw it all over the floor. I'm not trying to change your life, but I want to make this beautiful space adapt to your life. You know, so I think that is, it's a nice balance when you kind of can already premeditate knowing we're moms, we get it. Like I already, I can see four steps in the future, what you're going to need and want. And Yeah. Totally. I love that. Do you, have you had moments where you're like, this is too much? This is like, I can't do this. Okay. Have you? Hell yeah. Yes. Totally. Has anyone not? I throw in my towel like every other day at this point. Yeah. Of course. There is no job that's perfect. Totally. What's that like ultimate gratification moment? Is it like when they get No, it's when they say like, thank you. I wouldn't have been like, yeah, the relationships I build with my clients are the most like, For sure. Like just knowing that I played a small part in, you know, them building their family and growing their family or, you know, finding their place. Like literally nothing feels better. It's the most gratifying, the most gratified I've ever been in any job I've ever had is feeling That's so nice. How much of your business is like repeat clients And referral, repeat and referral. Repeat, not as much. My husband says I do my job too well because I put people in like forever homes. He's like, you gotta put people in smaller homes, and then they sell them and they buy a new home. Totally. But a lot of referral from past clients, from friends. I mean, it means the most to me. There is no better compliment than someone trusting me. My daughter's pre-K teacher, who grew up here herself, raised her children here, sent her recently married daughter to me to And I got the email, and I was like, I'm so-and-so's daughter, and she said I should go to you. And I was in bed. It was late, and I got the email, and I just burst into tears. I was like, is there a better compliment than that? No. And that's what I mean when my work feeds my life, my life feeds my work. This woman knew me as a mom, right? She saw me at pickup. She saw me at. the, my daughter's, uh, parent teacher conferences. She saw, she just saw the way I moved in the world and she trusted me with her own kid. Like that is a huge compliment and it's so rewarding. Right. Oh, that's what a beautiful story. I love that. That's it is like such a compliment. I, I struggle with the relationships with our clients sometimes because we get so involved in their like, the intricacies of their life. And we still want to maintain as these like authority figures and still be like really, you know, relevant in making decisions and knowing that we're making the decisions for them, but also balancing this, friendship that we've kind of created with them. To me, that's one of the hardest parts of this job, and it's the relationships. And you want to only... The more I work, I'm in business 11 years, every year I'm only working with people that I like and getting closer and closer and closer to that because we build such a strong, strong bond and connection. I know where your underwear go in your drawers. I know what toothpaste you use. I know everything about your life. So when they come back and they want to do that again with me, I agree with you. It's like such, it's the biggest compliment. It really is. I love that. So if you, I'm going to throw you a curve ball. If you could describe Westchester in three words, Okay, Larchmont. Larchmont, I would say walkable. Cool. Waterside. Cool. And convenient. That's awesome. I love it. I'm so happy that we were able to like Connect. We met through a client of both of ours. That Okay, cool. Well, then I'm glad that that day happened so that we Thank you. Yeah. It It's really special. I know. I love it. I'm super happy, but I hope that we will continue the conversation. I'm so excited that you were able to join learning about Westchester. Thank you so much for having me. Of course. It has been such a treat listening to this kind of next phase of how people are enjoying that county, different than like how I grew up, really. Totally. So how can people find you? They can find me on Instagram at Lexi Brine Real Estate. They can find me on email, lexi.brine at compass.com. Yeah, DM me, Amazing. Well, that has been an incredible episode with our friend Lexi. Please join us next week on The Interior Perspective, and we'll see you soon. Thanks for listening to The Interior Perspective. If today's conversation inspired you or you're a broker with a story worth telling, connect with us on Instagram at NicoleFisherInteriorDesign or visit NicoleFisher.com. Until next time, keep creating beauty, living with intention and seeing every space