Brittany Cartwright‘s not closing the door on reuniting with estranged husband Jax Taylor … but, she has to see serious changes before reconciliation can truly begin.

We caught up with Brittany out in Los Angeles on Friday … and we asked her all about her split with her husband of almost five years — specifically asking if the couple’s taking any steps to mend fences.

Cartwright says Jax hasn’t made much of an effort to work things out … adding she’s asked Taylor to hit some relationship benchmarks, but nothing’s happened yet.

Despite Brittany saying there is a lack of movement on Jax’s front, she says she’s not giving up on her man yet … seriously hoping to get back together eventually.

She’s also confronting rumors that this separation is a publicity stunt head-on … saying there’s no truth to that online gossip.

Brittany alludes to a ton of fighting between her and Jax as well … adding both she and the couple’s son — 2-year-old son Cruz — deserve better.

Romantic issues aside … Brittany says she and Jax still plan on working together —  cohosting their podcast ‘When Reality Hits’ and even filming their “Vanderpump Rules” spin-off “The Valley” while dealing with their issues.

We broke the story … even though Jax claimed the couple was still living together through their separation, sources with direct knowledge told us that just wasn’t the case — and pics of her moving out provided further confirmation.

All this came after Brittany announced the news on an episode of their podcast earlier this week … seemingly bringing an end to a relationship that began almost a decade ago.