Meet Tallie Lancey and Michael Pitcairn, Leading Real Estate Professionals in Big Sky
By Taylor Owens
In the heart of Big Sky, two remarkable real estate professionals share their stories and insights into the thriving real estate industry. In this exclusive Q&A, learn about their individual journeys into the world of real estate, what sets them apart in the competitive Big Sky market, and the special experiences they cherish in this vibrant community. From cooperative competition to positive community impact, discover the passion that fuels their success and the unique aspects that make them integral members of the Big Sky real estate landscape.
Tallie Lancey – Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty
Taylor Owens: How did you get into real estate?
Tallie Lancey: I got into the business 17 years ago when I was a baby, so I’ve been selling for my whole adult life, and I am with Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty.
TO: What do you love about working in the real estate industry?
TL: What I love about working in this industry is the dynamic of cooperative competition. So, within our competing brokerages, we are each other’s customers as well as competitors, and I really like that dynamic because I learned not too long ago that the root word of competition is to strive together, so I think that it’s a really cool dynamic. The dynamic of having that cooperative competition is really interesting to me. We have to treat each other well in order to do well, and there aren’t a lot of industries that have that dynamic, so that’s what I like about it.
TO: How do you distinguish yourself from the crowd of agents in the Big Sky area?
TL: So I only work in Big Sky. I have one market, and I personally believe that you have to pick one, but I know there are agents who straddle. The way that I distinguish myself is by being Big Sky’s leading independent broker. So there are a couple important words there. “Leading” because I’m a leader within the industry. I gather all of the local realtors on a regular basis, and I’ve been doing that for 10 years in an effort to strive together. “Independent” because I don’t have an affiliation with any developer, and I never have. This means that my customer is you, and only you, and to most buyers and sellers that matters a lot. I distinguish myself not just by leading my peers but by leading in the non-profit space. Our customers want to work with someone who cares about both their real estate investment, as well as their experience in Big Sky and largely that falls on the shoulders of the non-profits in our community. Leadership that creates positive local impact is a pillar of my business.
TO: What is one of your favorite things to do in the Big Sky area?
TL: In the winter, I love to Nordic ski in the park, so I just go break trail and explore and be along a creek alone with a friend or my husband. That feels like a really special experience in the world, and we get to do it right here, and it doesn’t cost anything. In the summer, I love mountain biking with my girlfriends.
TO: What do you personally enjoy most about being part of the Big Sky community?
TL: I would say the ability to make a positive difference is really easy to do. I grew up in a big city, and I think if I were to envision my life having gone a different way, living in a big city, I probably wouldn’t be able to have such a profound impact on my community. That is something that will keep me here in Big Sky for a long time.
Michael Pitcairn – Outlaw Realty
Taylor Owens: How did you get into real estate?
Michael Pitcairn: My parents were actually real estate investors when I was growing up. They got us involved right at the beginning. I was probably seven, eight years old and going to rental properties with them. We had a couple of different jobs. We’d help them turn over. When a tenant would leave, we would go in, and we’d help them paint and refresh the unit before somebody else would come and occupy it. They’d also bring us on property showings. If they were going to look at a new investment project, they would have me and my two brothers in tow. I remember vividly walking through new construction projects wearing hard hats. I’m sure the people that were showing us the property were wondering why there were two eight-year-olds and a 10-year-old in tow? But my parents just thought it was very important from a young age to see how real estate worked and all the nuances of it. They brought us along, which I was very fortunate to be able to have that experience at such a young age.
TO: What do you personally love about the real estate industry?
MP: I love the variety of people that we get to meet, especially selling in Big Sky. It’s a very fun, adventurous person, typically, because the people that buy in Big Sky are here to ski, they’re here to fish, they’re here to just hike and enjoy the outdoors. It’s very fun to get to meet people like that. And obviously, the price points that we’re at, they are folks who are very successful in business. It’s very interesting to see the different industries that folks are involved with. The combination of being very successful in business and getting to connect with them on that level, and then also connect with them on the adventure side. It makes this really a fun industry to be in, especially in Big Sky.
TO: How do you distinguish yourself from the crowd of agents?
MP: I would say video marketing. At Outlaw, we’re huge on video marketing. Most of our buyers are not in Big Sky to begin with. And so, we feel that being able to help describe a property through the use of video is very impactful and really helps the buyer to gain an understanding of the property before they step foot in Big Sky. We feel that it is a very valuable tool to have, not only for the buyers, but also for the sellers to be able to explain their property in detail versus just clicking through some pictures that don’t always tell the whole story.
TO: What is one of your favorite things to do in the Big Sky area?
MP: I’d say snowboard and snowmobile. I love getting out on the mountain. That’s why you move to a destination like Big Sky is to have the incredible access to almost 6,000 acres of skiing. I love to snowboard, and I love to get out there with clients. And then recently getting into snowmobiling has also opened up another way to explore the outdoors and get to some really neat vantage points. Recently, I’ve gotten my son into it, which has been really, really fun. Teaching him the ropes on how to maneuver a snowmobile has been really, really fun.
TO: What do you personally enjoy most about being a part of the Big Sky community?
MP: We live right in the heart of downtown Big Sky. It’s obviously a tourism town, and we get a ton of visitors through here, but I love the core group of people that live here. It’s a very small, tight knit community. Everybody helps each other out. It’s not easy living in Big Sky, and I think people are just overly helpful and involved in the community and helping each other out.
