Lesson Learned: This Isn’t Influencing. It’s Business
For North Carolina real estate broker Alli Pepperling, advocacy is at the center of both her professional and personal lives. “I am looking out for my client’s best interests at all times, especially in this ever-changing environment,” she said. “My background working in the county tax department, where I saw people lose their homes, taught me the importance of fierce advocacy.
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“Combined with my experience advocating for my son’s autism rights, I approach every transaction as a protective advocate for my clients.”
To position herself as a trusted advocate in her Research Triangle market, Pepperling, employs search engine optimization (SEO), answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies to create community leadership content and show up online.
“I’m staying ahead of digital trends and being very proactive about online presence in an industry that’s often slow to adapt. I don’t know how to do this so I hired for it,” she said.
Find out how Pepperling launched her real estate business while embracing both tradition and technology.
Name: Alli Pepperling
Title: Broker-owner
Experience: Nine years
Location: Apex, North Carolina
Brokerage: Alli Pepperling Realty, Compass Fenton-Cary
Team size: Three
2025 YTD Performance: $23 million in sales volume, 19 transactions (14 listing-side, five buyer-side)
Rankings and recognition
- Top 500 agents in the Triangle (top 2 percent of 26,000 agents)
- Ranked 44th in Triangle by Real Trends
- 394th in North Carolina
- Top 1.5 percent nationally ranked
- Top Producer Council member
- Compass Gold award recipient
- Compass Bronze award recipient
How did you get your start in real estate?
My path to real estate began in an unexpected place: working for the county tax department, where I saw the harsh side of real estate when people lost their homes for unpaid taxes. When we relocated to North Carolina, several agents had told me I’d be good at real estate, so I enrolled in real estate school immediately, knowing nobody in the area.
The original firm I joined told me I’d never make it. They suggested I host cookie exchanges to talk about real estate. I told them I don’t cook. They said to pull out a chiminea and talk real estate in my cul-de-sac. Their lack of faith motivated me, and I surpassed that broker’s production by year three.
What do you wish more people knew about working in real estate?
This industry is the Wild West right now, and you better have somebody who is working it full-time and really knows the laws. It can’t be your friend who does this part-time, especially with how the market has shifted. We’ve seen a 404 percent increase in homes for sale in our area from July last year to July this year, which is staggering.
You’re not dealing with multiple offers anymore; you’re dealing with very nervous buyers. If it takes too long to pick up the phone or handle negotiations, they can retract at any time. There’s a reason there’s an 89 percent fail rate in this business; it requires real expertise and systems.
What’s something you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
I wish I had known to put better systems in place from the beginning. I thought I could do it my way and recreate the wheel, but don’t do that. There’s a reason people have been successful with certain systems for so long.
I didn’t even start using a CRM until three years ago, which shows how unconventional I was. Now I absolutely believe in technology. Understanding market stats is crucial because you have to feel the turning of the market and adapt to its constant changes.
Tell us about a high point in your brokerage career
One story that always makes me feel warm and happy involves a sweet couple who tried to get married three times during COVID but couldn’t due to restrictions. They were looking at their dream home, and we had to go all-in to beat out over 20 offers. Even though we weren’t a cash offer, they chose us.
Both sets of parents happened to be there when I called with the good news. They didn’t get their wedding due to COVID, but they got their dream home. Seeing the joy and excitement from the couple and both sets of parents reminded me why I love this work, because it’s about life transitions, not just sales.
What’s your top tip for freshly licensed brokers?
Quit paying so much attention to social media because it’s all smoke and mirrors. Get your education. Find a successful agent in your office and watch what they’re doing. Be quiet and listen because they’ve been there for a reason.
Don’t try to be an influencer. This isn’t influencing; this is real business. Focus on free education, such as podcasts, YouTube and programs like Keller Williams offers. Don’t spend money you don’t have on certifications that new clients won’t understand anyway.
Get out there, do open houses and get comfortable selling the product while educating yourself on market rules and guidelines.
What’s one thing you wish every agent knew?
Check your emotions at the curb. It’s not about you; it’s about your clients. Some agents become emotional because they’re hungry and need that transaction, or just because we’re all a little crazy in real estate. But your emotions have no place in the deal.
If you’re not in it for your client’s best interests, you’re dangerous and shouldn’t be in this business. My job is to protect the most expensive asset in my clients’ lives, and I approach that responsibility like a pit bull, especially having learned advocacy through navigating my son’s autism diagnosis and ensuring his rights were protected.
