By Russ Brown
Photos by Erin Trimble Photography
After graduating from Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, Laura Rice embarked on what she naturally expected to be her career path, specializing in family law with a heavy emphasis on divorce litigation, only to learn after less than 10 years that it wasn’t going to be satisfactory after all.
“Family law is one of the most stressful areas of law practice,” she explained. “After nine years I decided I did not want to do it for the rest of my life. I felt like there had to be a more fun way to earn a living.”
Rice quickly found that was definitely the case. When she sold her house in 2013, the broker suggested she consider getting a real estate license.
“I did, and once I was licensed I took the leap full-time, loved it and have never looked back,” she said.
No wonder. In a relatively short period of time, Rice has proven to be highly successful in her second career as a broker for Lenihan Sotheby’s International Realty, with offices at 3803 Brownsboro Rd. She employs two licensed assistants -- Taylor Fuller and Mattie Tabor. In 2022 she was named to Business First’s list of 20 People to Know in Real Estate and she has been recognized for the last several years as a top agent by Real Trends. Last year her sales totaled $22 million involving 58 closed transactions, and she projects her volume in 2024 will be $20-$25 million.
Her quick success is all the more remarkable because she doesn’t have the lifelong connections to Louisville that natives of Derby City have, giving them a natural advantage. She was born in Lexington and also lived in Georgetown, Ky., Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. In addition to her law degree from UofL she also has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Transylvania University in Lexington and a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Suffolk University in Boston.
Somewhat ironically, perhaps, having discarded her law practice, Rice has found her law experience to be a valuable tool in real estate almost every day, noting that she handles many transactions having legal implications. Among those are divorce, estate sales, short sale, foreclosure and bankruptcy.
She fell in love with the process of home-buying and selling and helping find solutions to challenging situations. Those who know her as friends or clients can testify to her diligence, professionalism, energy, skills and her drive to exceed expectations no matter the circumstances.
“I have found my niche for helping individuals who have real estate needs that also require knowledge of the legal system,” Rice said. “I am able to provide better support and guidance, both to clients and their lawyers because of my legal knowledge. Understanding and interpreting contracts, being well-seasoned in negotiation and being able to anticipate and avoid problems are key. I am a problem solver and I love helping people through difficult situations.
“The only thing I can truly say I would have done differently is that I would have made a career change sooner. Fear of the unknown kept me from leaving an unhappy career for longer than I should have stayed. The most valuable lesson I have learned throughout my professional journey is that change is inevitable, and the sooner you accept it, the happier you will be.”
One of the achievements Rice is most proud of in real estate came in 2021 when she represented one of the parties to an agreement that resulted in Olmsted Parks Conservancy acquiring 26 acres of land that will extend Cherokee Park and provide a setting for Louisvillians to enjoy for many generations to come. The transaction took eight months from start to finish and she was instrumental in getting the deal completed.
When she gets the chance, Rice eagerly serves as a mentor to young women trying to make a go of it in business. She believes one of the biggest challenges women face is trying to wear too many hats for too many people, so she advises creating a good work/life balance while trying to relieve some of the pressure on themselves by delegating.
“One of the best things I have done to create better balance in my life is to hire a personal assistant who runs errands for me,” Rice said. “Now my non-working hours are not bogged down with chores, so I am free to spend time with people I love and have time for activities I enjoy. This has been a total game-changer for me.”
Among her other suggestions, in a nutshell:
Grow thick skin to be better equipped to deal with criticism. Learn and grow from mistakes and move on from them instead of dwelling in the past. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable, meaning getting outside your comfort zone because you can’t grow in stagnation. Be yourself, unapologetically. *Be willing and unfearful to take some risks to reap the rewards.
Rice and husband Ben Wilson -- owner and president of the engineering firm Wilson Controls, Inc. -- live in the Highlands. They have no children, but as self-described “huge animal lovers,” they are raising five “fur babies,” all rescue animals, named Felix, Sophie, Jameson, Bailey and Jade. “
Outside of work, first and foremost Rice loves to travel, especially after being homebound like so many others during the pandemic.
“Since the Covid years, I have been doing a fair amount of ‘revenge travel,’” she said. “Covid really drove home the fact that for me, life can be fleeting and that I won’t be waiting until retirement to go see the world. Also, after being locked down I find that I need a change of scenery more often.”
She is active in giving back to the community in a number of ways, including serving on the Board of Directors for Camberwell Grief Sanctuary and other non-profit boards, along with financially supporting Family Scholar House, Hildegard House, CASA and Center for Women & Families.
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