“I take the scenic route everywhere I go,” said Keller Williams Realty Northern Colorado’s Jennifer Kelly. Her route to real estate has been an unconventional one. Yet looking through the education and jobs she has had, somehow it all fits together beautifully, and it’s easy to see why this driven woman has landed in the top echelon of our region’s REALTORS®.
Real estate was far from Jennifer’s mind when she was starting her career. While attending CSU she worked transcribing police reports, and after earning her degree in Social Work and working as a counselor at a residential childcare facility, Jennifer’s skill set began to unfold and showcase an ability to work fast and with accuracy. Her attention to detail served her well as she moved into law enforcement, joining the Fort Collins Police Department in 1990. At the time, she enjoyed the crisis intervention on patrol and the last half of her career as a detective.
“I loved learning and have always wanted to learn more,” Jennifer explained. “I had my degree and went through the police academy, but
I wanted to achieve more. No one thought I would go to college, and I wanted to prove to myself that I was smart, and I could do more. I earned my Master’s in Adult Education while working as a patrol officer. Real estate always intrigued me, and as I spent many hours driving on patrol, I would often pick up sale flyers from boxes outside of properties.”
Jennifer retired from the police force to spend time at home with her family. She had a son, Conner (now 24), who was born with Sotos Syndrome and a young daughter, Megan (now 22). “I needed to focus on helping my son with physical, speech, and occupational therapies, and I wanted to be there for both my children.” It was only after leaving law enforcement and realizing that the medical expenses
I know that if I, if we as REALTORS®, can continue to provide value and always search for ways to focus on service, then we will always be essential.
would bankrupt her family that Jennifer understood she needed a better plan. This sparked her curiosity in real estate investing, and after some investigation she decided to invest in a multi-unit property; this property turned out to be a great move for Jennifer and became the foundation of her personal portfolio. It was successful enough to intrigue her brother and sister; they wanted their own multi-unit properties, and they became two of Jennifer’s first clients once she earned her real estate license in 2006.
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Jennifer was born in Iowa but spend her early years near Disneyland after her family moved to Southern California. She grew up thinking that the whole world had a fireworks’ display at 9:00 p.m. every night. It was only after her family moved to Aurora, Colorado when she was nine that Jennifer realized the “every night” fireworks were because she lived near Disneyland!
Optimism and a positive outlook have been staples in Jennifer’s life. After 15 years in real estate and raising two children, one with special needs, Jennifer has life experience paired with extensive regional knowledge. This is what she believes equips her to know how to pivot quickly and navigate any situation. Plus, her law enforcement background has taught her conflict management, patience, communication, detail in documentation, and an ability to stay cool under immense pressure - all tools that stellar REALTORS® utilize to operate in one of the world’s most fast-paced, quickly evolving businesses.
As a new agent during the 2006-2008 housing crisis, Jennifer learned about short sales. “Short sales were like a felony filing to me! I had been a detective, and the paperwork, the process all rang familiar in some ways,” Jennifer commented. Short sales and foreclosures were a major portion of Jennifer’s business those first few years and she believes part of her
success was that she shifted with the market. When the market changed, she changed with it, and from there she built a solid base of clients. She also realized that law enforcement had been a bit of a “sales gig” in that it demanded cooperation, confessions, compliance, and many of the other nuances that go into making a solid deal come to fruition.
Although Jennifer started out with a small brokerage, she moved to RE/MAX after a few years, grew a team, and then, six years ago, made the transition to Keller Williams Realty Northern Colorado; she feels she has found the perfect fit for her and her style. “I love the company, the culture here,” she said. “I love being part of an organization that values collaboration and success and now I have my daughter, Megan, working with me as my showing assistant. Eventually, she will earn her license.” In addition to bonding with her fellow Keller Williams teammates, Jennifer also enjoys getting to know agents outside of her company personally. “One thing I love about Real Producers is that it connects all of us. We get to learn about each other and our respective businesses, styles, and achievements,” she remarked.
Today, Jennifer is focused on helping her daughter Megan grow in the industry and continues to support her son Connor as he navigates the world. Connor serves as an inspiration to many – few believed he could go to college, but he earned his Communications degree from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and is employed full time at Scheels, where he was recently named Employee of the Month.
Jennifer serves on the Board of Directors for The Center for Family Outreach; she and her kids have been active supporters of Special Olympics,
and they have served locally on the Youth Activation Committee. She loves to travel. Going places she dreamed of as a child and being able to just drive gives her peace. “I love nice cars! Growing up, I was not sure I would make it from point A to point B, so being able to drive fast creates joy,” Jennifer exuberantly stated. “I love to drive, and I love to explore, whether in a vehicle or hiking. The scenic route is for me in explora-tion and it’s also how I approach life and keep it interesting.”
Jennifer’s focus also includes creating generational wealth and passing her love and knowledge of real estate on to her family. “It is important for me to take the worry and anxiety away from my children. I want them to find joy in the little things and not worry about the big things.” She is an avid investor but has created a place to call home in Old Town Fort Collins, moving to one of the high-end apartments on Linden Street. Jennifer is eager to expand her business in the down-town area, and she is excited about opening a Keller Williams brokerage in new retail space where she lives. Whatever happens, Jennifer is com-mitted to remaining “the conductor of the orchestra of life”, leading her clients effectively through life transitions and monumental changes. “I know that if I, if we as REALTORS®, can continue to provide value and always search for ways to focus on service, then we will always be essential.” Watching her daughter interact with others and finding joy in helping people transition just reinforces the love she has for real estate, and now passing the passion on to her family could be the end to her scenic route. We will see…
For more information, contact Jennifer Kelly at: Office: 970-449-7100 or Mobile: 970-581-9005 jenniferkellyteam@gmail.com
