Brian Rush

SEPTEMBER 2023 COVER STORY

STORY BY ZACHARY COHEN | PHOTOS BY NESTED TOURS

Beyond Sunday: A Pastor's Heart in the World of Real Estate

At first glance, ministry and real estate may not have much in common, but that’s not how Brian Rush sees it. He believes his 15+ years as a worship and executive pastor formed the perfect backdrop for a successful and honorable career in real estate.

Brian launched his real estate career in 2015 in Dallas, a short time after closing out his time as a full-time executive pastor and church leader. He returned to Oklahoma City the following year, setting out to build a business upon the same principles he held in ministry.

“In real estate, I'm the same person I was in ministry,” Brian says proudly. “There is nothing that could have prepared me for real estate more than ministry. In ministry, you are serving people, problem-solving, and helping people walk through difficult situations in their lives. It's all about relationships. There is a lot of carryover.”

Built on Values

Brian runs a highly relational real estate business — a strategy that has helped him build a reputation for his integrity and become one of Oklahoma City’s top agents.

“I care about people and want to help them accomplish their dreams. My pastor's heart — that never went away. It's just redirected in real estate and the people we serve,” Brian offers. “Our business has followed the same model from the beginning. We treat everybody as valuable and important. We don’t cater to only one type of client or price range of homes but, rather, want to give the best service to every person we serve.”

After many years with Keller Williams, Brian transitioned to Bailee & Co Real Estate in late 2022. He closed out the year with 46 units sold for $14.8 million, and he’s looking to build upon those numbers in 2023 with over $10 million in volume closed through June.

“I absolutely love KW,” Brian affirms. “The training, support, and business guidance — it’s top shelf at KW. But in mid-year 2022, watching the market, I could see the writing on the wall that a shift was upon us. Bailee & Co is a Zillow Flex brokerage, offering a high level of partnership with Zillow. The amount of business that comes in from that is huge. I knew it would be important to have another strong leg of business, and that is exactly what has happened.”

A Pastor’s Heart

Outside of his real estate endeavors, Brian's focus is on his family. He has been married to his wife Alicia for 25 years, and they have two children, Isabelle (18) and Ian (16). Family is at the core of their lives. Brian and Alicia actively participate in their spiritual community at Faith Church, leading worship monthly and serving as leaders. Brian is a church elder, contributing to the direction and future projects of the church.

As Brian reflects on his legacy, he returns to what he values most: serving others with heart, spreading love wherever he goes, and keeping God at the center of his life.

“I firmly believe you reap what you sow. If you sow seeds of service, hard work, and kindness, you will reap all of that back. If you do things right, you will come out on the other side of things strong. And it’s proven to be true in every sense,” he says. 

“I want people to know I love God and my family with all my heart, and that shows up in my life and all I do. I want to be known as somebody who genuinely loves the people around him — obviously my family and friends, but also my clients. My hope and my goal is that when somebody does business with us, they know Brian Rush genuinely loves and cares for their family. With that as a guiding value, I serve.”

Fun Fact

Brian is a talented vocalist and pianist. He’s been leading worship through music since he was 14.