Case study · Residential real estate
How a Unicorn gave a transaction coordinator room to breathe, then became the first hire at her new firm.
Built by Kay Ann~30 min saved per transaction from week one
The storyGood at the job, overwhelmed by it
Sheryl Senet was one of the best transaction coordinators at Front Gate Real Estate, trusted by founder Jeff Biebuyck and embedded in a high-volume operation supporting 60+ agents. She was good at her job. And she was overwhelmed by it.
When Jeff's team brought in Assistantly to support operations, Kay Ann Celzo reported to Sheryl. What started as a capacity play turned into something no one had formally planned for: Kay Ann gave Sheryl enough breathing room to start thinking about what came next.
Front Gate was scaling fast, pushing toward 100 agents while Sheryl carried the full weight of transaction coordination. Escrow files, compliance documentation, agent follow-ups, and inbox management all landed on the same desk. The operation needed:
The work wasn't the problem. The ceiling was.
What Assistantly put in place
Within two weeks, Kay Ann built a fully automated deal intake and tracking spreadsheet with integrated calendar workflows, templated email sequences, and escrow timelines. No one asked her to. She saw the gap and filled it, saving roughly 30 minutes per transaction from the start.
Kay Ann took full ownership of uploading, auditing, and tracking transaction files. She managed DocuSign workflows, flagged issues proactively, and kept compliance clean. By day 60, Sheryl was stepping away for full days without disruption.
By day 90, Kay Ann had built a complete email system: label organization, daily file reviews, and follow-up tracking, all without prompting. Sheryl started leaving early on Fridays. Things still got done.
Unprompted, Kay Ann built automated calendar reminders for higher-tier clients. Her workflow system was later shared with Assistantly's Talent Success Team as a best-practice model across the network.
How it unfolded
Matched as an OTC Transaction Coordinator, reporting directly to Sheryl at Front Gate.
Kay Ann builds an automated deal intake and tracking sheet with calendar workflows, email templates, and escrow timelines.
Sheryl starts stepping away for full days. Files, audits, and DocuSign workflows keep moving.
A complete inbox system is running without prompting. Sheryl starts leaving early on Fridays.
Kay Ann moves to full-time as Sheryl's trust deepens.
On June 1, Sheryl launches her own independent TC firm. Kay Ann goes with her.
What changed
Kay Ann's workflow system is now recognized as a best practice across Assistantly's Talent network.
“She's amazing. She's a magician. This probably takes a half hour off my day.”
“She meets every expectation and excels. She rarely asks the same question twice. She just gets it.”
Sheryl SenetTransaction Coordinator, Front Gate Real Estate
The moment
When Sheryl's independent transaction coordination firm went live on June 1, 2026, Kay Ann transitioned with her as her first hire. A second Unicorn is already planned, with Kay Ann positioned to lead the onboarding.
Sheryl didn't just need help with transactions. She needed to trust someone enough to stop being the only one who could hold everything together.
Kay Ann earned that trust fast, by getting ahead of instructions instead of waiting for them. She built systems before being asked, flagged gaps before they became problems, and operated like someone with a genuine stake in the outcome.
When Sheryl made the move to launch her own firm, she didn't have to build a team from scratch. She already had one.
That's not task support. That's partnership.
Tell us the role, and we'll show you who has already done the work.
