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For co-founder and managing broker Holly Brink, innovation is an essential element in providing exceptional service to both clients and stakeholders. An innovator and systems architect at heart, she personally designed and launched her brokerage’s AI-powered agent assistant, MyCortex, and builds tech solutions like automated drip campaigns and Slack workflows to help her team “focus on people, not paperwork.”
“We’re relentlessly agent-first,” Brink said. “Every tool, process and perk is built to make agents more efficient and less stressed. We love pushing the tech envelope.”
The new woman-led, agent-driven brokerage with two founders — one a Marine Corps vet turned Realtor and a 15-year agent in her seventh year as managing broker — prides itself on the fact that “solutions come from lived experience and actual agent feedback.”
Find out how this broker across four states has launched and where she and her agents are headed as they embrace the future.
Name: Holly Brink
Title: Co-founder and COO, managing broker
Experience: Over 15 years in residential real estate, including six-plus years as managing broker at two national brokerages and two months steering operations at My Real Estate Company
Location: Spencer, Iowa (managing broker in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Nebraska)
Brokerage name: My Real Estate Company
Rankings: We just launched in March 2025
Team size: Currently 15 licensees across four states
How did you get your start in real estate?
I got my license in 2008 in Arizona to continue my career in property management. I fell in love with helping families find homes — and after moving to Iowa, discovered my true passion was mentoring and coaching agents. I also quickly realized that the real magic lies in building systems that let agents focus on that human connection.
What’s something you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Automation and systems aren’t optional — they’re your sanity savers. And just as crucial: Track your clients and reach out regularly. Building genuine relationships is the real cornerstone of longevity in this business — something I didn’t fully grasp on Day 1.
Tell us about a high point in your brokerage career.
I’m living it right now. After six years as a managing broker with two national brands, I knew it was time to do things differently. In my first 30 days as COO at MyRECo, I led our switch to a mobile-first model — and 11 agents joined under that new vision almost immediately. That early traction showed that transparency, smart tech and an agent-first culture create unstoppable momentum.
What’s your top prediction for next year?
Agents who integrate AI assistants into their business will outpace peers by at least 20 percent in lead conversions — the tech is ready; it’s simply a race of who adapts fastest. I also predict email itself will feel as archaic as fax machines … though that evolution might take more than one year.
What’s your top tip for freshly licensed brokers?
Don’t chase every shiny lead — focus on mastering a handful of reliable sources (sphere, referrals, hyperlocal advertising). Pair that with rock-solid follow-up systems and genuine check-ins. Consistency and relationships will build your reputation far faster than sporadic big splashes.
