“I was born and raised right here in Williamsburg,” says top REALTOR® Nan Piland of Liz Moore & Associates. “I love the new people, growth, thought processes and opportunities.” She explains that she’s a classic INTJ on the Myers-Briggs scale and loves to analyze data and all aspects of a situation and add some heart to it. “It’s funny because when I started going to my religious organization, I realized their values were the same as REALTORS®,” she explains. “Social justice in the form of fair housing and nondiscrimination; I guess I’ve always related to the way REALTORS® are supposed to behave.” 

Nan believes that although people have free will, they need to stay within the confines of rules and regulations. “I’ve been called a walking dichotomy,” she laughs. “But I don’t know the difference between Nan the REALTOR® and Nan the person, which is my key to happiness; you don’t have to split your soul.” She likes to imagine her clients being on her shoulder and how they would want her to behave and treat others. “As REALTORS®, we live by the Code of Ethics, based on the Golden Rule,” she says. “It’s a big part of my value system and a reason for my calling to leadership.”

Nan is passionate about professional development, from the licensing process to the actual fieldwork of real estate, and she says that being a REALTOR® is all-encompassing. “Fighting for the rights of people to buy and sell homes requires me to get involved on all levels,” she explains. “I’m involved in the legislative work but also the regulatory side.” She got involved at the state level when she realized the huge gap between getting a real estate license and being a REALTOR®, so she works hard to address and make progress toward narrowing that gap. 

Nan’s natural leadership skills combined with her other innate talents make her an ideal candidate for effecting change. She’s been sought out as a resource for workgroups, has chaired and served on various committees and served as the President of both the Williamsburg REALTORS® and Williamsburg MLS. “I was appointed to the Real Estate Board in 2020, and in 2022, I was appointed as Chair of the Education Committee,” she says humbly. “I’ve worked to create programs that I’m really proud of.” 

Nan jokingly cautions her colleagues to be careful of what they wish for, saying, “If you speak up enough about something you are passionate about, you will end up being heavily involved.” She knows what she’s talking about, having been sent to cities around the country to work with the company that creates the state and national licensing exams. “I never intended to become a leader,” she says. “I just sort of end up there when I give back to my real estate community.” She attributes her success to her problem-solving approach. “I have a knack for not only seeing the big picture, but also the impact it will have on people,” she explains. “Sometimes you have to make tough decisions for the organization as a whole but also understand and empathize with the human element of it.”

Nan is grateful to her husband, Rob, for always supporting her career and volunteer work. Their daughter, Leighton, now a pharmacist living in New Kent with her husband, Quentin, was only three months old when Nan started her career in real estate, and Nan says, “If I did anything right in my life, she’s it.” She points out that real estate comes in seasons, and her family always worked with her on that. Nan says, “Rob kept the home fires burning, but I never missed a field hockey game or a Girl Scout meeting.” Naturally, she was the Girl Scout troop’s leader! 

Nan believes that when you love what you do, success comes naturally. “I do so much in the background because I truly love my clients,” she says quietly. “It’s a big part of who I am.” Nan has been known to drive clients to doctors' appointments and once accompanied a client on a really hard act of mercy when her beloved pet needed to be euthanized. Those quiet acts of service fuel a larger calling, and Nan believes in expending her time and talent where it will be most needed. “If you don’t like the way something is done, then get involved and make changes,” she says. “Be a part of the process by making the time to volunteer and devote yourself to what you truly care about.”

"Nan has been with me for over 13 years, and I have had the pleasure of watching her business grow steadily over that period. Her knowledge and experience are impressive, and she is one of the most consistent producers I know. She is a great role model for all REALTORS®." —Liz Moore, President, Liz Moore & Associates