'VPR' Brittany Cartwright Says Jax Taylor Needs to Make Changes to Reconcile

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.