Meet Kristina Kapeller | Lead Buyer Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristina Kapeller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristina, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
For years I was functioning in a rise and grind state. Don’t get me wrong, I really loved it at the time. I woke up, dedicated every waking thought to real estate: how I could help others on their homeownership journey, how I could be the best realtor for my clients, how I could grow my business, how I could create engaging content, on and on. My existence revolved around being the best realtor I possibly could be and I built myself up to be a recognizable person within the ATL community. This state of being changed in 2023 with the birth of my son. I don’t entirely know if I believe in a heaven but the feeling I got in the labor and delivery room of Northside Hospital in May of 2023 has to be the closest experience I’ve ever gotten to it.
I stepped into a completely new identity and it’s one I’m still finding my place in over a year later. I wasn’t just a wife and Top Producing realtor, I was now a Mom. Instead of living in the same flow state of sifting through real estate transactions, writing contracts, and touring homes, I am now living in a state where the moments are fleeting with days that change from crawling to walking and from cooing to babbling.
I still work and I work hard for my clients. I’m thankful for the several years that ramped up my business and I gained insurmountable knowledge in my industry to make me a well informed realtor. Work is a lot less stressful than it was in those earlier days. But instead of spending hours making content on Instagram, I’m spending it in the back yard on a blanket with my 1 year old as he plays with the same set of blocks for the 50th time. I take advantage of the naps, streamlining everything I need to complete during those hours. My husband and I trade off taking care of him during the evenings and weekends so I can still fully dedicate myself to my clients and my business. I got into real estate not only for the passion and love I have for the industry, but to also be a present mother and take control of my own business when the time came for us to expand our family.
Life looks different now than when I started, but with where I’m at the balance isn’t only desired but it’s absolutely mandatory. I don’t want to be remembered as the Mom who was always stressed out over deals falling through, business being slow, business being too robust I could barely manage it. I don’t want to be remembered as the Mom who was never around for family dinner, baseball games, or helping out with homework in the evening. I want to be remembered as the Mom who could do it all and do it so gracefully. I want to be remembered as the Mom my kid can look up to as someone who worked their way to the top of the industry and did it without missing the most important parts of life.
I’m not just doing this for myself anymore, I’m doing it for him. I’m doing it for us.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m not just a Realtor, I’m the Lead Buyer Specialist on a Top Producing team out of Midtown. While I work both listings and buyers I do all of the training on the home buyer experience for all of our new agents on the team. In 2023 we rebranded to Allay Realty Group. Allay (verb): diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry).
Over the years I kept hearing a lot of the same feedback from my clients, that I made this process a lot easier than they were expecting it to be, that this wasn’t as stressful as they were anticipating, and that they felt well informed throughout the process. If you don’t believe me, just check out the plethora of 5 star reviews across mine and the team’s pages.
We really wanted to harbor this identity our clients were creating for us, so we bottled it up into one word and made it the team name.
Was it easy getting to this point? I think it’s based off of perspective. For me it was because I enjoyed the moments that have gotten me here. The smile on a client’s face at the closing table, the ceremonious exchange of keys from one homeowner to another, the endless gratitude that pours out of our home buyers and sellers makes it worth it. That’s not to say there haven’t been stressful moments like low appraisals, rude co-op agents, stop work orders, clients filled with anxiety who need a good 8pm cry session with me on a Friday, I could keep going but I won’t bore you. But it’s true what they say though, when you love what you do it doesn’t really ever feel like work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ll break it down into Eastside and Westside: Have lunch at The Vortex in L5P, it’s an ATL staple that almost anyone can enjoy. Because I have a gluten intolerance, I have to plug a stop into Hell Yeah Gluten Free bakery in Candler Park. There is no one that complains about their delicious baked goods and you’ll never know it’s entirely gluten free.
Stop into Krog Street Market, I personally love The Collective and always pick up a Coffee Shop candle made by local ATL candle company Jack Be Nimble. I actually give these candles out as gifts at the holidays and they’re always a huge hit. You can also snag an air plant or succulent but in my case I end up killing them within a month (not intentionally, I swear). The Merchant is a fun shop as well where you can discover a number of local goods and gifts.
While I’m a bit of a Westside snob because the Eastside Beltline trail is too crowded for me, I will admit that there are some fund finds on the Eastside Beltline trail. Stop in to Pour Taproom where you can pour your own beers, ciders, and wines, straight from the tap and try out a collection of frothy drinks.
The margaritas at Guac Y Margys are 10 out of 10 and I’m a sucker for the pizza at Nina & Rafi.
Once you’re done stomping the Eastside trail, finish off your night at the Clermont Lounge just to say you went and for a completely relaxed evening.

Now for the Westside, after you indulged in some greasy foods on the Eastside you may want to have lunch at Flower Child. I have this one at the top of my Uber Eats delivery app. Highly recommend the chicken enchiladas and it’s another food allergy friendly restaurant. Swing into the Works to enjoy a few beverages at Dr. Scofflaw, play some pinball and arcade games at My 3rd Spot, and snag dinner at Fox Brothers BBQ.
You can work your way down to the SW Beltline trail which was our hang out spot for years. It’s like an alcohol playground. I love the cocktails at ASW Distillery, in the cooler months they have hot ciders and it’s one of my favorites during that season. If you’re with a group that has a lot of varying taste buds, you can also split off to Monday Night Garage or Wild Heaven West End and meet up at the courtyard to enjoy all the drinks.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It’s going to sound cliché, but it’s my husband. Tyler,
I know I have the capacity to go far in life but I can go a lot further with you by my side. You give me the space to grow, mess up, complain, celebrate, and catch me when I fall before I ever even see it coming.
In 2017 it was you who jumped on the wild excursion of buying a house on a whim because what else were we going to do with our lease expiring in 60 days?
In 2019 I went through a bad depressing and it was you who brought me to a Tony Robbins seminar to cheer me up and sparked the entire idea of launching my real estate business.
It was you who supported me through the long days of the pandemic real estate business, often drinking too much vodka for the 4th time that week because my buyers were submitting offer after offer only to be beat out by corporate investors.
In 2023 it was you who made me a mom, who was up late with me at 2am on the nights our son cried endlessly and neither of us were sleeping.
And in 50 years, it’ll still be you. Maybe a few extra kids, a different house, changes and shifts throughout our jobs. But amidst the chaos there is always one constant, and it will always be you.

Website: https://www.allayresidential.com/

Instagram: @letscallatlhome