Celebrity Real Estate Agent: Janelle Pierzina

Premier Agent® Janelle Pierzina went from being a houseguest on “Big Brother” to house finder in real life. The three-time reality game show participant took her experiences on television, applied them to her real estate career and is coming up a clear winner.

Minneapolis-based Pierzina watched “Big Brother” and was a fan of the show. After observing the participants’ strategies for a few seasons, it struck her to become a competitor herself.

“I thought, ‘I’m going to go on and I’m going to win it,’” Pierzina said. “I wasn't going on there to try: I was going to win.”

She took third place on “Big Brother 6” and returned the next year for the All-Stars version, in which she set the record for winning the most individual competitions in a single season and also won the $25,000 Fan Favorite Award. Pierzina returned a few years later as a coach on “Big Brother 14,” eventually re-entering the game for a third time. Since her appearances, “Jedi Jani” is regarded as the greatest female houseguest and one of the overall greatest players in the show’s history.

“The show definitely enhanced my competitive nature,” Pierzina said. “I have a must-win attitude and it absolutely goes with helping others buy and sell homes.”

From reality TV to real life

Moving into real estate seemed a natural fit for Pierzina, who started her career in New York after working in sales for years. She’s always loved houses and meeting people, and has a clear understanding of real estate’s people-oriented nature.

Her experiences on “Big Brother” play into the biggest trend in real estate she observes on the rise: social media. Pierzina feels that particular platform has been instrumental in attracting millennials and other first-time home buyers to her: She has more than 142,000 followers on Twitter alone.

“I always mention in my marketing that when I put out a tweet, it’s going to be seen thousands of times because of my followers,” she said. “Because I’m a public figure, I can get listings out there faster and in so many more places.”

Pierzina’s open house events draw a large number of attendees because many people are fans who attend primarily to meet her and have a photo taken with her.

“They feel like they know you because they saw you on the show,” Pierzina said. “They tell me, ‘You’re competitive and trustworthy and focused on what you’re doing — and I want you to find my house.’”

Bringing it all together

Pierzina is skilled in turning a conversation around to real estate, and more often than not, fans turn into clients or referrals. But she doesn’t rely only on her celebrity to achieve her real estate success. Pierzina updates her Zillow profile with a personable bio, listings, recent sales and reviews. She also writes a newsletter, and maintains a significant social media presence with regular messages on Twitter and Facebook.

After “Big Brother,” Pierzina took time off to start a family, but continues in real estate and sees herself doing so for years to come.

“It’s a lifelong career for me because it’s such a great fit,” she said. “I don’t think I’d switch: I love people and clients are going to get a great experience working with me.”