Hampton Roads, Virginia, is home to one of the country’s largest concentrations of military personnel, with nearly 100,000 active-duty personnel and major commands across the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. It’s also where everything came together for my husband, Brian White, and me.
Military leadership in real estate
Lakisha Brown-Shite’s father, Elder Faison Jr. | Credit: Lakisha Brown-White
As the daughter of a Marine, raised in a family of entrepreneurs, I grew up with an appreciation for service and business ownership. After operating my own salon business suite as an entrepreneur for several years and building a deeply loyal clientele, I turned to real estate. Helping people navigate such an important step in their lives was so fulfilling that I accelerated my path to a broker’s license. I then had the opportunity to launch a new office for my brokerage in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Then I met Brian. A proud United States Marine Corps veteran, he served five years on active duty and completed two deployments to Iraq, earning the rank of Sergeant before his honorable discharge.
Brian K. White | Credit: Lakisha Brown-White
After leaving the military, Brian started his own boutique cleaning and lawn service. His main client was a Century 21 office with a large portfolio of rental homes. One day, the broker offered encouragement Brian would never forget: “There are so many better things in store for you.” Those words inspired him to earn his real estate license, and today he is a top producer.
We moved to Hampton and decided to open our own brokerage. For me, leadership and ownership had always been the goal. For Brian, the principles of leadership, accountability, and strategic execution developed during his military service continued to shape his approach to business and client service.
Unified front
Together isn’t just our company name; it’s how we do business. Brian and I handle every deal together, showing up as a team and working alongside our clients. We lead with service because it has shaped both of our lives.
We bring different experiences to that shared purpose. My years as a salon owner taught me the value of listening and building lasting relationships. Brian brings the leadership and accountability he developed in the Marine Corps.
In real estate, those strengths come together around something deeply personal: helping people find a place to call home. Our clients’ goals remain at the center of that work.
That approach extends to the services we offer. Through my home staging business, Center Staged Home Designs, we provide staging services to our seller clients, bringing my design background into the selling experience. Whether someone is preparing a home for sale or searching for their next one, the relationship matters as much as the transaction. Our name reminds us that we work with people, not just properties.
Showing up
Serving our community carries special meaning because we live here, too. Our office is in Hampton’s historic downtown, but we don’t rely on a visible location alone — we make ourselves visible as well. Our military roots connect us with service members stationed here and those who have chosen to retire here. We celebrate Nov. 10 as the Marine Corps’ birthday, honoring a tradition that is part of our own story.
That connection is a starting point, not a limit. We serve military and civilian clients alike, bringing the same commitment to each relationship. Hampton is more than the market where we work; it is the community we call home. Showing up means recognizing that every client has a different story and listening to what matters most to them.
Our office gives people a place to find us; the relationships we build give that presence meaning. With the support of a recognized national brand, we keep our purpose local and personal: serving the people who make this community home. Whether they are buying or selling, we want our clients to feel that their goals remain at the heart of our work.
Looking back, I see how each part of our journey led us here: our roots in service, our experiences as business owners and our shared commitment to Hampton. Century 21 Together brings those pieces into one purpose. For Brian and me, bringing it all together means more than building a business side by side. It means helping our clients take their next step toward home, with service and connection guiding the way.
Lakisha Brown-White is broker and co-founder at Century 21 Together. Get connected on Facebook.
