Veterans Day Spotlight: Christopher Pickett

In celebration of Veterans Day, we invited members of the Douglas Elliman community who have served in the armed forces to reflect on how their service experiences have shaped their lives and careers in the real estate business.

Christopher Pickett, Agent, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Please briefly describe your military service.

I graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned as a naval intelligence officer. Subsequently, I attended the Naval Intelligence School in Dam Neck, Va. As an intelligence officer, I served with VF-211, the Fighting Checkmates, an F-14 squadron at Naval Air Station Miramar and at Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado, Calf. I also served as the flag lieutenant to RADM Raymond Smith who was Commander Naval Special Warfare Command, the top Navy SEAL.  At the time, I was one of only two intelligence officers who also had his jump wings and SCUBA qualifications.

In what ways, if any, has your service experience shaped the way you approach your life and career in real estate?

At the Naval Academy, one of our first “plebe rates”—otherwise known as “required knowledge”—was memorizing a plebe’s five basic responses:

1. Yes, Sir.

2. No, Sir.

3. No excuse, Sir.

4. Aye-Aye, Sir.

5. I’ll find out, Sir.

If you didn’t know the answer or how to do something, you never said, “I don’t know.”  You always said, “I’ll find out.” In my 20+ years representing sellers, buyers, developers, etc., real estate continually evolves, from real estate law to market volatility to neighborhood dynamics. No clients are alike, and no transactions are the same. I am always learning, growing, and evolving.  And though there are times when a client or colleague asks a question I may not know the answer to, I always answer the same, “I’ll find out,” and then I go and find out. This is not only a good real estate strategy but also an excellent life strategy.

What would you like your colleagues to know or understand about your service experience and what it means to you?

Serving my country as a naval officer instilled in me a profound sense of pride and accomplishment, as I felt a deep sense of purpose in contributing to the well-being and security of my nation. It’s also important to acknowledge that service to one’s country takes many different forms, including joining the Peace Corps, National Parks, or community organizations.