Delaney Philbrick grew up surrounded by real estate — her mother, Jennifer, is a real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, and her father, Dan, owns Philbrick’s by the Sea, a vacation-home rental company. So, it’s no surprise that Delaney, at the tender age of 18, has decided to embark on her own real estate journey.
Delaney Philbrick
On July 2, Philbrick passed the New Hampshire real estate salesperson licensure test, which includes 140 multiple-choice questions that cover general aspects of the job such as agency relationships and contracts, real property ownership and interest, finance, and laws and regulations specific to the state.
Within an hour of passing the test, Philbrick and her father were on the road to the New Hampshire Real Estate Commission in Concord so she could have her results notarized, along with three character witness testimonies and a criminal release form.
“My dad and I are always doing crazy stuff like that,” she told Sea Coast Online, a local newspaper in her hometown of Rye.
OPLC Real Estate Commission administrator Rick Wisler told Inman that Philbrick’s accomplishment is no small feat — according to the commission’s records, only 48 percent of 2018’s test takers passed on their first try.
“Her enthusiasm for the profession appears to be very high, and we all wish her the best for success,” Wisler said, noting that he heard about the teen on the evening news.
Philbrick told Inman she was nervous about passing the test, especially considering all the hard work she put into preparing for it. Philbrick finished high school five months early so she could devote all her time to the 40-hour real estate class required to take the test.
“I’d wake up at 4 a.m. to study,” she said. “I’d look at flash cards and search for answers on my phone to any questions I had.”
Philbrick also relied on the years of watching her mother and father expertly navigate all kinds of real estate deals, and the three years of experience she had in helping her father manage vacation rentals.
“Between both of my parents, I’ve heard all sorts of real estate stories, and first-hand examples of the laws that I need to know,” she said. “So, I just didn’t have a definition, I had an actual understanding of most of the questions they asked.”
Delaney and her father, Dan, next to her sign.
Philbrick said she’s ready to begin selling homes, after all, she’s had listing signs that say, “For Sale. Call Delaney Philbrick” waiting in the shadows for two years.
Philbrick will be working with her father, Dan, and her goal for 2018 is to complete at least two transactions — one as a buyer’s agent and one as a listing agent so she can get a feel for both sides of a real estate deal.
Dan told Inman that it’s a gift to be able to work with his adult children and that he’s very proud of his daughter’s accomplishment.
“We’re going to work together as a team, and it should be fun because she’s better at things such as social media, and she’ll bring that expertise,” he said. “And I’ll bring some of the older, standby practices that I’ve learned throughout the years.”
Philbrick understands that some may look at her youth and write her off, but she’s ready to smash any misconceptions that come her way.
“Don’t be afraid of how young you are,” she said as a piece of advice to other young agents. “Don’t take it as a disadvantage, but take it as an advantage. You have the freedom to dedicate so much of your time to real estate, and you have time on your side by starting much younger.”
