PIVOTING WITH PERSISTENCE: HOW CASSIDY BURNS FOUND SUCCESS IN AN INDUSTRY HE NEVER EXPECTED

Building solid, meaningful relationships has made all the difference for rising star realtor Cassidy Burns. After a stint as a personal trainer at Equinox in Bethesda, Maryland, Burns, 29, has found his new flex — and he’s made some real friends along the way. 

On one unsuspecting night — during a late shift — at Equinox, Burns was working the floor, searching for potential clients, handing out towels, making sure weights were aligned and placing them on the appropriate racks. 

As usual, he was there to offer the fitness buffs who enjoyed pumping iron in the evenings, advice on how to improve their technique. That’s where he met Andrew Diggs— an older, familiar face within the facility. Over the course of eight months, Burns cultivated a relationship with Mr. Diggs. They talked about fitness, finance, their families, sports, but mostly small talk before Diggs agreed to train with him two times per week. Mr. Diggs wanted to work on his chest, abs and arms, but Burns, who says he’s a hybrid of 25% trainer, 25% therapist and 50% friend, helped Diggs in the areas he needed work on the most — stability, core strength, balance, knee stabilization and glute activation. 

“I always made it fun, which is what kept clients coming back,” Burns recalls.  

“I was always reading my real estate [and] finance books during my breaks on the mat while I was stretching. A lot of the members [including Mr. Diggs] and trainers in the gym started to pick up on it. I think they knew I was different, and wanted something more.” 

Burns’ rapport with Mr. Diggs continued after he left Equinox in 2017 to start his real estate career. After renting in Bethesda for over 10 years, Mr. Diggs reached out to his former trainer and asked him about buying a house. “He knew I had bought my own house and then we discussed for months and finally went out and started looking,” Burns says. “He bought the fourth place that he saw and it's been great for him thus far.”

The two friends now have dinners on Mr. Diggs’ new rooftop, coffee once a month on Fridays and frequently attend Washington Nationals and Capitals games. “We are actually going to the Nats game next Friday,” Burns says. 

Burns has become an enterprising realtor who understands real estate is a tool for the long term. With the knowledge of the D.C. and Virginia housing market, he uses the same strategies he did as a trainer to grow his own portfolio and help others build wealth through real estate. For Burns, real estate is the bridge to financial freedom and a bridge between communities. 

Dojo DC caught up with the DMV’s most promising real estate agent to talk about his journey, mindset and what keeps him motivated. 

DOJO DC: When did you begin your journey into becoming a real estate agent?

Cassidy Burns: Becoming a real estate agent for me began on the personal training floor.  Networking with my personal training clients, building relationships, rapport, and learning from individuals who were unlike anyone I had interacted with before.

What were you doing before?

Personal Trainer at Equinox Bethesda

Are there any lessons from your previous career that you use for real estate? 

It's all people.  Everyone's got a problem that needs solving; the key is being creative and driven enough to seek the solution.

Why did you choose residential real estate over commercial real estate? 

I actually do both.  I sell residential real estate, but I acquire and manage commercial real estate.  Residential real estate was just the opportunity that was presented to me at the time, so I dove on it.  

Describe how you felt when you made your first sale.

When is the next sale?  I don't get fixated on the short term rewards. I've always been a long term, bigger vision thinker.  

What is the typical process behind selling a home/space for a client?

Education.  Most agents put you in their CRM, set you up on an auto search, and then eventually you will find the house while searching on zillow, text the agent and then boom — magically you are ratified.  I go in a different direction. I guess you could say my selling proposition is different.  I educate the client on WHY they should be purchasing a piece of real estate over HOW to buy a piece of real estate.  I want you to know the short and long term implications of the purchase.

Can you pinpoint a moment that made you realize you made the right decision going into real estate?

I was able to help my mother purchase her childhood home once my grandmother passed away.  Not only from a knowledge standpoint, but a financial standpoint.  It's every son's dream to give back to those who helped him along the way. 

Also, I'm obsessed with the ownership and rent collection of the business, so when I collected my first rent check from a tenant, the lightbulb came on and I was like wow, what if I had 1,000 of these?

What keeps you motivated to continue in this industry?

As I said, I'm a long term thinker. Everything I do today is going to be a byproduct of who Cassidy Burns is in 5, 10, 20 years from now.  My ultimate goal is to be a father, and never have to miss a little league baseball game. Real estate is the only thing I know that can make that a reality with a little hard work and consistency.

How do you use social media for your brand? 

Education and geneunity.  I want to be the professional and all around guy that people say "He's the smartest guy I know when it comes to all things real estate, but also, he lives life on his own terms. I'm not flashy. I'm simple, I like my truck, cold beer, wearing hats, short sleeve polos, and doing business with people who I enjoy.  I use social media to let people know that.

Also, I use it to empower people who may not have been given the perfect situation or had to work a little harder to get where they are.  I'm the reality that it's possible and hopefully people look up to that story and try to create one themselves.  

How do you keep a healthy mindset while you’re working? 

My morning routine and Reading has been my mindset changer and reset.  In my first 21 years of life I may have completed 3 total books.  Last year I read 35.