How One LA Agent Turned Client Care Into $60M in Sales

Lucía Torres · 2026-09-10

### The Honor That Started It All Adrienne Herkes just got a nod that most agents only dream about. The Los Angeles Business Journal named her a NextGen Woman of the Year Honoree as part of its Inside the Valley series. The award was handed out at the 2026 Valley Women's Leadership Symposium & Awards on August 20th, where top business leaders from across the L.A. region gathered to celebrate. But here's the thing about Adrienne—she's not the type to chase trophies. She's the type to pick up the phone at 9 p.m. because a client's nervous about a closing. That's probably why the award found her anyway. ### From Marketing Roots to Real Estate Results Adrienne joined The Agency back in 2018. She didn't come from a real estate dynasty or inherit a book of business. Instead, she leaned on her marketing background and built everything from scratch. Consistency, professionalism, and genuine relationships—that was the whole playbook. And it worked. To date, she's surpassed an incredible $60 million in sales. Let that sink in for a second. Sixty. Million. Dollars. In a market as competitive as Los Angeles, that's not luck. That's a system. ### What "Servant Leadership" Actually Looks Like A lot of people throw around the phrase "servant leader." Adrienne lives it. She approaches real estate with client care front and center—not transactions, not commissions, not closing dates. People first. > "Adrienne approaches real estate with an emphasis on client care over transactions." She's known for a hands-on style. She shows up. She educates. She empowers the people she works with instead of just pushing paperwork across the table. That approach turned her business into one built on repeat clients and referrals across Los Angeles. No cold-calling grind required. ### The Certification That Sets Her Apart Adrienne didn't stop at sales volume. She kept investing in herself—coaching, continuing education, industry involvement. She even earned her AHWD (At Home With Diversity) Certification to better serve diverse communities. That matters in a city like L.A., where buyers and sellers come from every corner of the globe. Understanding different cultures isn't a nice-to-have. It's a necessity. ### Why The Agency Is Celebrating At The Agency, professionals like Adrienne represent exactly what the brand stands for: leadership, exceptional client service, and meaningful community impact. She's not just closing deals. She's building trust, one relationship at a time. So congrats, Adrienne. You earned it—$60 million in sales, a wall full of referrals, and now a well-deserved spotlight from the Los Angeles Business Journal. If there's a lesson here for other agents, it's simple: care more about people than transactions. The numbers tend to follow.