The two entrepreneurs first met as colleagues. Mary Smith and Dieuwke Borger worked for years as real estate agents at the same Amstelveen office. “I knew as early as age twelve that I wanted my own real estate agency,” says Dieuwke. “But because I was so happy at my old job, it never happened. I had a good salary, a lot of freedom, and it felt like a family. I was comfortably settled in my comfort zone.”

Everything changed when another, larger company took over the real estate agency in 2019. “I had been working for the same employer for 18 years,” Mary explains. “But after the takeover, a lot changed—and not for the better. We had less freedom to offer clients personalized service, something I consider very important.” The changes led Mary and Dieuwke to both resign.

Personal attention
During lunch, Dieuwke suggested they start a business together—one that would center on their own values as real estate agents. “BorgerSmith stands for customization, high-quality interior styling, and personal attention to buyers,” Mary explains. “With this approach, we always achieve the highest prices for our sellers.”

Their client base grew almost effortlessly at first. “Existing clients reached out to us because they knew we delivered quality,” Dieuwke explains. “They wanted to work with us again to sell or buy a home because they were familiar with our approach and service. However, we later learned to be more selective in accepting clients, as we realized just how much it actually cost to deliver our quality.”

Every entrepreneur reaches a point where personal growth is necessary to help the business expand further. For Mary and Dieuwke, that moment came in 2023. “We worked hard and were constantly focused on the business,” says Dieuwke. “We felt like we were giving a lot, but we were frustrated with the financial return we were getting. We knew this had nothing to do with our dedication or the quality of our service, but what was the problem then?”

The partners began looking for ways to strengthen their skills as entrepreneurs and leaders. Through her gym, Dieuwke then got to talking with a fellow entrepreneur. “She introduced me to Straight-Line Leadership,” Dieuwke explains. “We quickly felt that this was exactly what we needed, even though the investment was a bit of a stretch for us.”

Dieuwke and Mary ultimately decided it would be worth the investment. They opted for a membership program designed to strengthen their personal leadership skills. They immediately put the insights they gained into practice.

: Numbers and Communication First, they took a critical look at their numbers. “The problem was that I knew exactly what was going out, but not what needed to come in,” Mary explains. “And because of that, I didn’t know what we should be aiming for. Once I did have that in mind, a lot changed. We adjusted our rates and started working with startup fees, so we knew people were serious. We also kept a much closer eye on our numbers. Every week, we tracked what was coming in and whether we were still on target.”

Those changes quickly paid off. In 2024, Dieuwke and Mary not only sold twice as many homes as they had the previous year, but also made significantly more profit. “That was partly due to our focus on our numbers,” says Dieuwke. “But it was also because we changed the way we communicated—with our employees, our clients, and with each other. That actually had the biggest impact on the bottom line.”

No energy drain
In the past, certain issues between Mary and Dieuwke went unspoken. “We already knew each other well when we started working together,” Dieuwke explains. “So I thought I knew how Mary felt about things, and vice versa. But now we really talk about everything, so we can be sure that everything is out in the open. There’s nothing I hold back from her or am afraid to say.”

Mary: “We no longer let things pile up; we address them right away. For example, if we see the other person doing something that isn’t very helpful. We’re no longer afraid that the other person will get angry, because we’ve learned to phrase things neutrally and to look more inward. We always ask ourselves: what is our own part in this? As a result, we don’t feel attacked when the other person gives feedback. We can move forward again after five minutes, and there’s no drain on our energy.”

A cake as a thank-you gift
They’ve also changed the way they communicate with customers. “I’m much more attentive,” says Mary. “When a customer says something, I don’t let my own assumptions and judgments get in the way, but instead I think: wow, what could they mean by that? I really listen to the person, don’t make assumptions about them, and ask specific questions. That has often led to great results.”

Mary gives an example: “A woman wanted to sell her late mother’s house. Although we received some good offers, she never thought they were high enough. She wouldn’t even consider making a counteroffer. After a while, we invited her to our office for a meeting. She said, ‘I just want to do right by my mother.’ I then asked her what exactly that meant. She replied that her mother had wanted a family to live in the house. She hadn’t mentioned that before.”

Mary then asked the final bidder to send a photo of their family. When the seller saw it, she decided to sell the house after all—without demanding a higher counteroffer. Mary: “A few days later, she even brought a cake to the office as a thank-you!”

Anything is possible
Clear communication and active listening also play a major role in BorgerSmith’s recruitment and selection process. Last year, Mary and Dieuwke expanded their team from two to seven employees. To attract the right people, the entrepreneurs are crystal clear from the very first interview. They articulate their own expectations and also ask about the applicant’s. This allows them to make better decisions early on. “For example, we don’t allow remote work here—we make that clear right away,” says Mary. “Candidates often tell us, ‘Wow, that’s really clear. But it’s nice, because then I know where I stand.’”

At first, Dieuwke thought it was impossible to find good employees. “I thought: young people don’t want to work, and a team just causes you trouble,” she shares. “That’s why we used to work only with a few freelancers, even though I really wanted a bigger team. But I discovered that it was mainly my own preconceptions that were holding me back. In reality, anything is possible. I now hold that conviction in every area.”

Want to communicate with the same impact as Mary and Dieuwke?
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