Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Robaina.
Hi Crystal, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a Los Angeles native married to a Michigan guy, and we joke that we did life a little backwards — we bought a house, had a baby, and then got married. But honestly, that’s been the theme of our story from the beginning.
One of my favorite early memories takes me back to when my husband and I were still just dating. It was the tail end of 2013, and we were both department managers at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills, sitting at the Mariposa Café eating popovers (IYKYK), when I looked at him and said, “We need to buy a house. Interest rates are at four percent, and we need to start looking.”
He looked at me like I had 2 heads, and said, “Don’t you want me to propose first?”
I leaned in and said, “No — are you crazy? We need to buy a house now or we’re never going to be able to afford one in LA again.”
That moment — made over lunch in Beverly Hills — set the first domino in motion. We bought a home over the hill that had been previously owned by the same family for over 60 years, had no central air, and the guest bathroom sink water would electrocute you when you washed your hands. We poured a lot of love into that little house, and before we knew it, we were expecting a baby and juggling demanding careers in luxury retail. I was now a Store Director for Tiffany & Co. and my husband was running the Men’s Universe at Louis Vuitton. From the outside, it looked glamorous. But the reality was that Los Angeles traffic consumed hours of my life every day, and we hadn’t had a single day off together in over a year because of childcare costs. I was missing dinner, bath time, and bedtime with my baby five nights a week.
I loved my company and had worked hard to climb the retail ladder, but the life I was living didn’t align with the life I wanted for my family. I’d always been drawn to real estate, but the timing never seemed right — until it absolutely was. My husband made the first leap into software engineering, and when I called a close friend (a realtor) for advice, she basically said, “I’ve been telling you for years to do this. You have the eye, the grit, the drive… and you’re cute, which doesn’t hurt.” It still makes me laugh.
We sold our home quickly in the spring of 2019, packed up our lives, and moved to Austin with a toddler and a lot of determination. It was truly a rip-the-band-aid, sink-or-swim moment and then… COVID hit. Unlike the popular “COVID success stories,” I did not have a hot start in real estate. I was a mom of a three-year-old, new to the city, and knew almost no one except for a couple of far-removed cousins. That first year was humbling. It was about survival, learning Austin, and figuring out how to build a business from scratch while still being a full-time mom. We landed in a great neighborhood… but it was the wrong neighborhood for us.
Everything changed when we realigned our household goals, moved to a pocket of town that was totally us, and I found a brokerage I genuinely aligned with. That’s when my business began to grow — especially among relocation clients, who became some of my favorite people to serve. I’m a relocation story myself, and I learned a lot through trial and error. So many people romanticize moving states without fully considering the cultural shifts, lifestyle changes, and emotional transitions involved. I love guiding clients through that process with honesty, clarity, and lived experience.
We initially landed in South Austin, but it didn’t quite click for us. Eventually, we relocated to Dripping Springs — and that move is truly where our family found its rhythm. This is the community where we feel grounded. Our son is thriving, we’re surrounded by people who share our values, and it genuinely feels like home.
Travel is a big part of our life, too. All three of us — including my eight-year-old — have passports and Global Entry. Exposing my son to different cultures is incredibly important to me, and that global mindset naturally influences how I approach real estate. I’m currently earning my Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation because I believe in building a meaningful life here and dreaming bigger abroad. So many people fantasize about owning property overseas, and I want to normalize that dream. As Mel Robbins says, a dream is something you fantasize about, but a goal is something you work toward. That’s exactly what my family is doing — and what I love helping clients do.
Through all of this, my purpose has stayed the same: real estate is one of the biggest investments many people will make, but your “dream home” shouldn’t mean stretching to the very top of your budget. I’m here to help people build a life that feels aligned — financially, emotionally, and practically. I want my clients to live the big, beautiful life they’ve always envisioned, not just buy the biggest house they can afford.
Real estate changed my life, and now I get to help other people change theirs. That’s the part that feels the most meaningful to me.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The short answer: absolutely not. And honestly, I’m grateful for that.
When we moved to Austin, I was launching a brand-new career in the middle of COVID while raising a three-year-old and knowing almost no one in the city. My first year in real estate wasn’t glamorous, and it definitely wasn’t profitable (I think the math equated to earning about 13% of my income the previous year). I wasn’t one of the “COVID agents” who hit the ground running — I was a mom trying to buy back the time I had lost with my baby in my previous career, and trying to build a business from scratch in a place where I had zero network and no safety net – and let’s not forget social distancing!
The emotional transition of leaving LA was also more complicated than I expected. Moving states isn’t just changing your address — it’s adjusting to new rhythms, new cultures, new communities. I learned all of that the hard way, and it’s a big part of why I’m so passionate about guiding relocation clients with transparency instead of sugar-coating the process. I’m every relocation client’s “first friend” and “emergency contact” when they land in ATX.
There were moments when I questioned everything — whether we made the right move, whether I could succeed in this industry, whether I could be the present mom I wanted to be while building a business. But those challenges forced me to get extremely clear on my values, my work ethic, and the kind of real estate advisor I wanted to become.
The road wasn’t smooth — but the friction shaped me. It made me a better agent, a more grounded human, and a stronger advocate for the families I serve. And in hindsight, the struggle was exactly what I needed to build the business, and life, I have today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I help people build lives that feel aligned with who they are — not just what they can afford. My business runs under the philosophy of “Buy the home that lets you live the big life you’re dreaming of”, which reflects how I serve clients and how I show up in my community.
I’m known for my big laugh, bold statements, and saying out loud what everyone else is thinking. I’m also the agent who will tell you the truth even when it doesn’t benefit me — including, “I don’t think you should sell your house. I think you should rent it become a landlord and leverage this asset to keep it moving forward.” Not everyone will want to work with me, and that is ok because I care more about long-term outcomes than short-term wins.. if it’s not right “right now”… you’re going to hear that from me first.
What truly sets me apart is how I build community. I love connecting my clients with one another and helping them create a life beyond their front door. One of my relocation clients from California has become a close friend. She dreams of starting a dinner party business, and I’m helping her host her first one. That’s the part of real estate I thrive on.
One of the most meaningful parts of my career has been joining the Dripping Springs Elite 25, a collaborative of top-performing local agents from different brokerages. Some are solo agents, some are team leaders, some are brokers — but we come together to mastermind, support one another, share opportunities, and pour back into the community through philanthropic efforts. A few of the agents I’ve done deals with have become true friends. That sense of collaboration, community involvement, and alignment with my core values is one of the biggest reasons I love working in this market.
Compass has been an incredible partner in supporting the growth of Beyond Her Borders, especially as I move toward earning my Certified International Property Specialist designation. I believe you can build a rooted life here and explore opportunities abroad — and I want to normalize that possibility for others.
Beyond real estate, I’m a huge dog person and actively support our local animal shelter, PAWS. I’m working on a fundraising project — including a 2026 pet calendar — with more details coming soon.
At the heart of what I do is connection, honesty, and helping people step into their next chapter with confidence.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’ve never labeled myself a risk-taker, but when I look back, most of the defining moments in my life came from saying “yes” before I had all the answers. The biggest risk I’ve taken was uprooting my family and moving out of state without anything guaranteed on the other side. No job lined up, no clients waiting for me — just a belief that the life we wanted didn’t exist where we were, and it was on us to go build it.
People who know me well always say the same thing: the second I say I’m going to do something, it’s happening. Even if it sounds a little wild. A perfect example? My husband and I planned a destination wedding in Havana, Cuba with a 14-month-old baby — hiring a wedding coordinator we’d never met, secured through a $400 Western Union deposit. We genuinely didn’t know if we’d arrive in Havana and find an actual wedding waiting for us… and we still did it.
That’s how I operate. I’d rather regret the decisions I made than the ones I was too scared to try. I’m methodical, but I trust my gut — and it’s never steered me wrong.
Another moment that felt risky at the time was turning our South Austin home into a rental and moving my family into a small apartment in Dripping Springs- did I mention that I had this grand idea just 2.5 weeks before our son was supposed to start in kindergarten!? It made zero sense on paper. But I knew we weren’t aligned with our old neighborhood, and I wasn’t going to sacrifice my family’s happiness for convenience. That move completely transformed our lives — and ultimately shaped the direction of my business.
So maybe I am a bit of a risk-taker. But to me, the real risk is staying somewhere that no longer fits and hoping life changes on its own. Every meaningful shift in my life has come from taking the leap first and building the plan on the way down.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://crystalsellsaustin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystalsellsatx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crystal.robaina.7
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalrobaina/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9GBzVxR4SxVu8ZRbRuqxdA
Image Credits
Black and white wedding photo – Ayenia Nour Family Photo – Kristen Hafner Business lifestyle photos- Amy Ames
