MOTHER-DAUGHTER TEAM KNOWS YOU CAN FALL IN LOVE WITH A HOUSE
INTERVIEW BY Martha Thomas PORTRAIT BY André Chung
Mother-daughter real estate partners Laura and Lisa Kittleman are principles in the Ellicott City-based Kittleman Realty Group, founded by Laura and her husband, Tom Yeatts, in 2003. Recently, Lisa was featured on the HGTV 
show “Rent or Buy.” The episode was scheduled to air last December, but was postponed, and at the time of this writing, had not yet aired. While she was embargoed from revealing the outcome of the military family she worked with on the show, Lisa did hint that the chosen home was in Howard County.
Q. Laura, in your experience have you found that there is a perfect home for every buyer? Is it like love?
Laura: I really think it is. People really do have a connection. In this market, with the help of the Internet, people come in knowing everything about the house. They know the amenities, they know all the data. But they still walk into a house and buy on emotion.
Q. What are the most important elements people look for in home? Schools, extra bedrooms, a large garage?
Laura: Yes, people are looking for schools, but over the past 10 years, I have seen more couples, maybe they have small children, they just don’t have time. They don’t want to move in and put in a new kitchen. Sure, there are still rehabbers, but most people these days are too busy. The kids are involved in all these activities, the parents are working full time. They don’t have time to do home renovations.
Q. Lisa, do you agree? You work with buyers.
Lisa: The new generation, the millennials around my age, are looking for smaller homes. They don’t want a McMansion. They want energy efficient, open style homes.
Q. Is that because they are socially conscious or aren’t interested in opulence?
Lisa: We grew up hearing about global warming; we’re conscious of our impact on the environment. My generation is energy conscious and wants those lower bills. We also want that outdoor living area. When I work with first time home buyers they love the outdoor space.
Q. Is that more important than the third bedroom?
Lisa: Oh no, the third bedroom is very, very important. You need to have room for kids, but a lot of people are also working from home these days, so need the extra space. I’ve noticed a lot of young professionals moving into the Columbia area. I think it’s because of all the revitalization going on. Baltimore is close, but you can also go out for a run around the lake.
Q. Are young couples looking for single family homes or are they happy to have quasi-urban life in a townhouse?
Lisa: A lot of young people are buying town homes, and we always advise that they hang on to that home and use it as an investment down the line.
Laura: That way, when they have children, they can use it to pay for tuition when college rolls around. That house will be throwing off money by the time the kids get to be college age. As a supplemental investment, that’s a great one.
Q. Lisa, you were involved in an HGTV reality show last spring.
Lisa: It was called “Rent or Buy” – I talked with a military family with two children, stationed at Fort Meade. We showed them both rental property and houses for sale. Two of the four were in Howard County – in Elliott City and West Friendship.
Laura: it was supposed to air last December, but got bumped for some Christmas shows.
Q. How did you get chosen for the reality show?
Lisa: They looked online at real estate agents and saw all of our Zillow reviews. They saw my mother’s photo and thought she’d be perfect for TV. They contacted us and we started chatting, and we had a Skype interview. They ended up choosing me because I work with buyers.
Q. Laura, did you feel upstaged by your gorgeous daughter?
Laura: Absolutely not, she’s perfect for TV. Lisa has the perfect personality for it.
Q. Would they have used both of you?
Laura: They usually just do one real estate agent.
Q. Well I usually do just one interview at a time, but this seems to be working out okay.
Laura: There comes a point in our lives where we want our kids to have everything.
Lisa is on track to be an amazing agent and run a huge team. Sometimes I think of how Elaine Northrop sold her business to (her son) Creig and he’s just growing it. Elaine was amazing. When she was ready to step out, he asked if he could buy it.
Q. Lisa, what prompted you to join the family business?
Lisa: I was a field hockey coach and worked at Ann Taylor Loft. When I left college, I continued working at Loft, was getting promotion after promotion. My parents asked me what it would take to convince me to work with them. I set a goal and I’ve met it. The first year it was an income goal. In any other job that’s what you focus on. I’ve changed it to the number of people I want to help. We’re very client focused. I have a goal of helping 150 families and individuals buy and sell homes this year.
Q. That’s, ahem, a boatload. Sounds like a lot of work.
Lisa: I used to think the work was taking people around and showing them houses. As I’ve gone through I’ve realized my job doesn’t start until the contracts and negotiations begin.
Q. Do you have any predictions about real estate in the coming year?
Laura: It’s really hard to say. One of the reasons people are eager to buy now is they don’t see interest rates staying down forever. I’m older and I remember when interest rates were 14 percent. Now it seems really low, but a lot of people are worried it’s going to go up.
Q. What will happen to all those big houses if millennials don’t want them?
Laura: I see more and more people combining their families. There are so many people who put additions on their houses so parents can move in with them. It’s a cultural thing too. There are a lot of families in Howard County with multiple generations who want to live together.
Q. Do you get involved in your clients’ lives?
Laura: We almost always become friends; we stay in touch with clients who move out of the area. You do become close, you know their family. They might be going through a divorce or some sort of job loss, or it may be a happy time, like a first-time home buyer or a couple expecting their first child. *
