Sandilyn Burnett
When you meet Sandilyn Burnett, CEO of My Real Estate Company, her leadership style is impossible to miss. It’s direct, decisive and built on a foundation forged long before she ever joined the real estate industry. Before she was running one of the fastest-growing brokerages in the Midwest, she was a Marine Corps war planner — a role so specialized that only 187 Marines held it at the time.
Her years in the service shaped how she runs her company today: with structure, accountability and an unwavering sense of duty to the people she leads. During our interview, it was clear that the lessons she learned in the military didn’t just prepare her for civilian life; they became the blueprint for how she builds teams, scales operations and keeps the culture tight even as the company grows.
7 lessons the Marines taught her about running a brokerage
Here are seven of the biggest lessons Burnett brought from the Marine Corps into real estate and how they show up in her leadership every single day.
1. Clear chain of command prevents chaos
In the military, everyone knows exactly who they report to and what their responsibilities are. Burnett believes real estate should be no different. “People have to know where to go and who can make a decision,” she explained. That philosophy is why My Real Estate Company has a living org chart that’s updated as the company grows.
When roles are clearly defined, confusion disappears. Agents don’t waste time chasing the wrong person for help, and leadership can focus on solving problems instead of managing misunderstandings.
2. Ego has no place in decision-making
Burnett and her COO, Holly Brink, co-founded the brokerage as equal partners, but they intentionally defined their roles to avoid overlap. “The CEO may be above the COO on paper, but we both lead different missions,” she said. “When it comes to brokerage operations, Holly’s the subject matter expert, and I defer to her.”
That kind of humility is rare in real estate leadership, but it’s a hallmark of military training. The best commanding officers rely on the expertise of their teams. It’s not about who’s in charge; it’s about getting the job done.
3. Accountability starts at the top
When a partner brokerage delayed paying referral fees, Burnett didn’t send another email; she sent a clear message. “I told them their internal issues were not my concern and that our agents would be paid by a specific date,” she recalled. “They called me a bully, but the check showed up two days later.”
That moment became a story inside the company, not because of the confrontation, but because of what it symbolized: leadership that stands up for its people. In Burnett’s words, “My agents knew someone had their back. That’s what accountability looks like.”
4. Systems should simplify, not complicate
The Marine Corps thrives on efficiency, and that discipline carried over to how Burnett builds operational systems. Her brokerage runs transaction management through Slack instead of stacking redundant platforms. The goal is to make real estate simpler, not more software-dependent.
“Agents shouldn’t have to log into five platforms just to move a file forward,” she said. By integrating communication, compliance and e-signature tools, the company lets agents run their business entirely from a phone. It’s modern command-and-control without the chaos.
5. Every mission needs a clear objective
In both the military and real estate, confusion kills progress. That’s why Burnett insists on written missions and measurable results. “If a decision doesn’t move us closer to our purpose, we don’t do it,” she said.
Projects are limited and completed before new ones begin. Leaders track response times and completion rates like real KPIs, not slogans. The culture rewards execution, not busyness.
6. Take care of your people — publicly
Burnett believes support shouldn’t happen behind closed doors. Her company runs live Zoom office hours every weekday so agents can always reach a human being. That visibility matters. “It’s one thing to say you support your agents,” she said. “It’s another to show them, face to face, every single day.”
It’s a small gesture with a huge impact. Agents feel seen, not forgotten — and the brokerage stays connected even as it scales.
7. Guard the culture like it’s your brand
Ask Burnett about growth, and she’ll tell you straight: Bigger isn’t always better. The brokerage is invite-only, and every new addition is vetted carefully.
“It’s not about being exclusive,” she said. “It’s about protecting our agents’ reputations. Every hire represents everyone else.”
That’s a lesson rooted in her military years, where unit cohesion was everything. A single weak link could compromise the mission. In business, that same principle protects the brand and builds long-term trust.
From structure to standards: What military lessons look like in real estate
Strong leadership shows up through clarity and consistency. It means agents know who to go to, how to escalate issues and who owns each decision. It also means simplifying the systems that support them. My Real Estate Company integrates compliance, communication and e-signature tools into one mobile workflow, so agents can move deals forward without juggling tech.
Leadership keeps commitments small but consistent. Response times and project completions are tracked like real metrics. Growth is selective, culture is guarded, and when vendors or partners fall short, leadership steps in immediately. Those actions reinforce what accountability means inside the company and outside it.
For other brokers and team leaders, the takeaway is simple: Start with mission clarity. Write your purpose in one paragraph, and use it as a filter for every decision. Coach commitment the same way you coach conversions. Ask agents to finish what they start, stand up for them publicly and protect your culture like it’s your logo — because it is.
Leading from the front
When asked what drives her as a leader, Burnett doesn’t hesitate: “Your self-worth is tied to keeping your word. Every time you say you’ll do something and you follow through, you build confidence, for yourself and everyone watching.”
That’s a leadership lesson born in the Marines but perfected in real estate: Serve first, lead with integrity, and make sure your people know you’ll always go to bat for them.
Josh Ries is a real estate broker and a lead generation consultant. You can connect with him on TikTok and Instagram.
