Today we’d like to introduce you to Cortney Burns, a real estate broker at Douglas Elliman:
Cortney’s humble beginnings began in the southeast area of Houston. As an only child she grew up in the saddle, training and riding quarter horses. At 18 while working for IBM Cortney attended post-secondary school. She earned her Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences from the University of North Texas.
Upon graduation Cortney’s father asked her what would she do “with all of those books”. He suggested she obtain a profession, it was then Cortney also obtained her real estate license in 2002. She completed $8.4M in real estate transactions in her first year of licensure.
In 2011 Cortney furthered her real estate education with an idea, to obtain her broker’s license. From there, Cortney opened two real estate offices, sponsored approximately 28 agents, and completed countless real estate transactions throughout the years.
Today, with 20 years of real estate experience, she considers herself a true native of the Houston metropolitan area.
She currently resides in central Houston with her son her and their family pet Harper. When she is not at Douglas Elliman, Cortney spends her time with family, trail riding the Salt Grass Trail and volunteering. She also serves as secretary for a local women’s nonprofit and volunteers with Habitat for Horses, a Texas sanctuary for neglected and abused equine.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I learned early, people will be critical of you. I am a huge believer in the “Everything Happens for a Reason” theory, and truly believe in living a life that’s fulfilling and fun, regardless of what others say.
There were times that I was questioned about my choices, for example, people telling me I couldn’t do this or that, however with a belief in myself and learning to trust my intuition it cleared the way.
Every choice I’ve made (whether scary or not) has led to where I am today and I’m grateful for my journey.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve been a licensed real estate broker in Houston for almost 20 years now.
My love for architecture coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit and genuine love for people really struck a perfect balance in running my own real estate business. I adore helping people buy and sell homes, realizing their real estate goals. Working with the team at Douglas Elliman has been inspiring.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My best memories are derivative of the Ranch. I was nine and had the best idea, I asked my father for a horse. At first, the answer was no, but even then I knew how to make a deal. So I asked my father to watch me work with the horses to see what I could do, is was then he decided we would have a horse.
Ask and you shall receive.
I did indeed receive, a basket is full of wonderful memories with horses. We opened the Ranch in 1989 to acquired 23 beautiful equines, all of which I loved, trained and nurtured.
Some of the best memories I have are involving horses and attending trail rides with my father. He adored my love for horses and the trail.
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