Adrianne Kurman finds pets (& their humans) homes
Discover how the founder of The FurBaby Group at True Floridian Realty established her business, plus her advice for fur families.
Adrianne Kurman has loved animals for as long as she can remember. She attributes it to being raised in an animal-friendly family. They loved animals so much that they supported her pescatarian food preferences from only 9 years old. (To this day, she does not eat meat.)
She’s also loved real estate. Not one to sit at a desk all day, Kurman became a realtor shortly after college.
Over time, she noticed how many families abandoned their pets during the transition from one home to another. She was inspired to change all that.
FROM REALTOR TO THE FURBABY GROUP
In 2011, Kurman and True Floridian Realty Founder Noelle K. McIntrye met during a rental transaction.
“Working from opposite sides of a transaction helps you get to know a realtor,” said McIntyre. “I instantly loved working with Adrianne. I appreciated and respected her strong work ethic and passion for community and animals.”
According to McIntyre, she immediately began a “campaign” to convince Kurman to join her team. After a few years, Kurman said yes, and they’ve been “crushing it and changing lives” ever since.
Over time, as Kurman continued to see homeowners give up their pets, she decided to create a business around helping families relocate with them—instead of displacing them.
She pitched the idea to McIntyre (also an animal-lover), who loved it.
Within a few months, FurBaby Realty was born and eventually became The FurBaby Group at True Floridian Realty. The group specializes in helping families with fur children find suitable home accommodations.
We caught up with Kurman to learn more about her dedication to real estate and fur-ever families.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE A “FURBABY”?
The official definition is “a pet for someone who has no children.” But I think of it as any animal with fur and loved like a family member. A fur baby is a family member, period.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO HELP PETS FIND A HOME WITH THEIR HUMANS?
I identified the opportunity after seeing multiple people leave their pets behind when they moved. I don’t believe that is right or fair to the animals.
We wouldn’t drop Aunt Susie at the pound because our new living arrangements don’t allow Aunt Susies. I believe the same should go for relocating with our fur babies. There will always be another option that allows “pets” and Aunt Susies. My team can help you find those!
AND HOW IS THAT BUSINESS MODEL GOING?
It’s going fantastic. We have helped many families find and sell their pet-friendly homes. This helps us support our community’s hard-working heroes who save animals’ lives at nonprofit rescue organizations.
We also now have five animal-loving realtors on our team. We’re growing so quickly that I’ve had the honor to hold True Floridian Realty’s “Top Sales Performer” title for two years, 2020 and 2021.
DOES THE INCREASING NUMBER OF SOUTH FLORIDA CONDOMINIUMS POSE A CHALLENGE FOR PET OWNERS?
As more buildings are built, there are fewer green areas, like parks, for people to visit with their pets. Living close to a private beach or having easy access to a dog park or dog-friendly beach becomes essential for many people.
MANY SOUTH FLORIDA CONDO OR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS LIMIT THE NUMBER, TYPE OR WEIGHT OF PETS PERMITTED IN A DWELLING. HOW DO YOU HELP CLIENTS NAVIGATE THAT?
A lot of newer buildings are pet-friendly—to an extent. They have weight and breed restrictions, which are important to understand and follow, even though that might not seem the fairest for families with fur babies.
I always advise clients with multiple pets that don’t fit into a condo’s guidelines to let us help them by searching for a townhouse or single-family house that can better accommodate them.
WHAT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS DO YOU GIVE BACK TO?
For every qualifying closed transaction, we donate to Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Rescue—the shelter that helped me find my very own fur baby Uno.
We also support Kitty Karma, Delray Citizens for Delray Police, and The EJS Project. Beyond helping animals, we believe in giving back to our community protectors and assisting children to gain new skills through tutoring, mentoring, job training and more.
DO YOU HAVE FUR BABIES OF YOUR OWN?
Yes, I have four kids! My oldest is 7 years old. She’s the first cat I ever owned, and I found her in an alley when she was only a kitten. Fortunately, my dogs adopted Ms. Vivian quickly. (Which is excellent because they didn’t like cats before!)
Fifi is a 5-year-old Siamese cat who believes she is a dog. I found her after my boxer Shakira died in 2017.
Shortly after rescuing FiFi, I rescued Delilah from death row at the Miami-Dade Animal Shelter. She had been badly abused by her previous owners and is now living her best life as a nearly 6-year-old boxer.
And finally, the man of the house is 4-year-old Uno, a chihuahua I adopted from Dezzy’s Second Chance Rescue. He’s a character and the sweetest boy.
WHO DOES YOUR LOGO FEATURE?
That’s my first dog, Shakira. She was my ride-or-ride and best friend. She died of cancer several years ago, and I still miss her daily. I carry her in my heart, and everything I do is in her honor.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FUR-MOMS AND FUR-DADS AS THEY HUNT FOR A HOME?
Get pre-approved so that you know what you’re qualified for. Make a wish list and have an open mind while looking. You must be persistent, stick with your search, and the right home will find you.
Also, remember your family’s needs: Would you want to live somewhere your fur children aren’t welcome?
A SPECIAL NOTE
“I want people to have the best experience in buying and selling,” said Kurman. “Seeing their faces light up when they enter the right place is rewarding and inspiring. It makes me want to go above and beyond. I love what I do.”
For more information about finding families their fur-ever home, contact Adrianne Kurman.
