Anna Elder identifies as both a real estate agent and an autism advocate — roles she believes complement each other.
The Minneapolis-based agent has established a specialty in home sales, focusing on working with families and individuals with specialized requirements, including those with neurodiverse children.
Her work in real estate, in addition to building a networking group for nearly 600 families with neurodiverse children and volunteering with Fraser, a local nonprofit organization that offers support to children and adults with developmental disabilities, garnered her a Good Neighbor Award from the Minnesota Realtors Association.
The recognition is given annually within local agent trade groups, and then nationally to a select number of honorees who receive grants to support their volunteer work.
It all started with her first and now 6-year-old son, William.
William received a diagnosis at 21 months old for autism spectrum disorder, along with a speech and language disorder and a developmental coordination disorder. He required a full-time therapy program, requiring Elder to make a job switch to accommodate a flexible schedule.
She turned to real estate in 2023 after having her second son, also diagnosed with a neurodiversity. Elder watched the Bravo TV show “Million Dollar Listing” and was ready to be the agent she thought people wanted.
“That show is absolutely not what real estate is like. In my first headshot photo, I'm literally wearing extensions, which is so not me. I am a T-shirt and jeans kind of girl. … I felt like I had to be this image of what I thought, and I really didn’t like being a Realtor then,” Elder told Homes.com.
It took a trip to a family camp to remind Elder of who she was, and how her personal experience and values could be intertwined with her career. She shifted everything: posting on social media about her life as a mother with neurodiverse children and her deep understanding of what clients with similar lives need when buying or selling.
“I did get feedback from people: ‘Do autistic families even move that often? Do disabled families have money?’ I was shocked to hear these stereotypes, because yes, we are a normal family like everyone else,” said Elder. “It’s just that process might look a little different.”
And when someone told her that she wouldn’t want to be known as the “autism Realtor,” Elder matter-of-factly responded, “Actually, yes, I do.”
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
You created a local network of nearly 600 families with autistic children. How did that come about?
I’m a social being. When I was pregnant with my first, I was in an online parenting group and started going to playdates. My son’s disabilities became so noticeable, especially when the other kids could throw a ball or speak some words or feed themselves. Going on a playdate was no longer enjoyable. It was actually painful for me.
I got three moms from his therapy center to do a few playdates, which really was, "I’m going to this park, anybody want to join?" We grew a little bit, then that group continued to grow. So, I pulled us into our own group for the purpose of organizing playdates so we could meet in person because that is what I was really craving. I was lonely, struggling and I had no one to talk to. I felt like I didn’t know if anyone else was going through this.
Now we do large playdates once a month. Last week, I rented out a farm with the owners and educators stationed around so families could come in and spend time with the animals.
I don’t necessarily have words for how meaningful this is. The meaning for me comes from hearing from other families what they are getting out of the group.
How do you approach working with a client with a neurodiverse or differently abled family?
I do a needs analysis with a family, and for an "average" family, we talk about budget, monthly payments, ideal bed and bath counts, mudroom wants and garage wants. Very rarely are those the topics of conversation in our needs analysis.
For families with disabilities or unique circumstances, schools are going to be the top priority topic. Simply because special education is not ranked. A school could be ranked eight or 10, but do not have the resources the family needs, or it’s not their strength.
Then the environment: Is there water nearby, if that’s a safety concern? Is traffic a big issue? Some homeowners’ associations, even if there’s a medical need, have certain guidelines for equipment that can be on a lawn, which can be challenging to some families.
And neighbors and neighborhood, which is different than the environment. Then do we have calm sensory spaces?
And every day routine: How does the home itself work for their routine? From the kitchen, can you see the entire yard, so if your kiddo is out playing, you don’t have to be there the whole time?
What insights do you share?
When a Realtor reaches out, 80% say, "They’re asking about schools. I don’t know what to do."
We can’t advise on schools, but one thing I say to families is to call that school — let’s say they have a second-grader — and ask, "Is there another second-grade parent that has a child with X disability that I could speak to?" That is going to be your best way to get information.
Beyond that, [for a] Realtor with a family with unique challenges or disabilities ... start with those regulation needs, not the aesthetics.
We are talking way less about, if even much at all, the size of the kitchen island or an outdated bathroom. Then consider pointing out a budget for post-close for either sensory spaces or safety needs to make the home truly theirs. Some families might also be working with a waiver or some support from the county.
And then the community, not just the house. Walk the area. How do you feel on this street? Go at different times of day.
How might selling a home be different for these clients?
The selling is, in my opinion and experience, absolutely the most stressful portion. A lot of these families need to both sell and buy. The first thing is to know that the timeline will be longer.
The whole idea of transitions is very challenging. For many of our families, home is maybe the only place that the kiddo feels safe.
A 15- or 20-minute window before a showing notice is not going to be enough time for most families to get all the equipment and the gear put away. Ideally, I try to do showing windows on certain days for a certain set time so they can be out of the house, or maybe you schedule it around a predictable therapy appointment so that there’s less disruption.