When Experience Counts

Who would have thought the pandemic would have brought the real estate industry such huge growth? Venture Properties witnessed this firsthand, closing $112 million during a time they thought would be a downturn in the market. The fact remains: Buyers continue to flock to Northern Michigan in search of the perfect property. But in a crazy market, it’s the experience of your real estate team that makes the difference. Venture Properties has successfully connected their clients with vacation homes, primary residences and land since 1980, and is known for selling Leelanau County waterfront property. The brokerage had the largest sale on north Lake Leelanau in 2021 at $3.8 million, selling at $300,000 over the list price. Kimberly Bork, broker/owner of Venture Properties, then sold another home after a knock on the door from a neighbor before the listing ink was even dry—and this home also closed over $3 million.

Venture Properties founder and Associate Broker Perry Pentiuk based the values of the brokerage on building relationships, not sales. As a result, Venture Properties is one of the most successful independently owned real estate companies in our region, with many long-time friends that remain clients today. When Kimberly purchased the company from Perry in 2019, she kept those core values intact.

“I was fortunate to learn from the best in the business, and I am grateful for all Perry has taught me,” she says. “It is an honor to carry on the legacy with like-minded individuals.”

Kimberly now has a team of seven, including Perry, as well as Realtors Nicole White, Hillary Voight, Powell Smith, Marissa Wege and recent addition Mark Hood—her father. “My dad hired me as his admin when I was in college,” she says. “He is responsible for shaping my entrepreneurial spirit. This is going to be an exciting new chapter for us.”

Mark has always been keenly interested in real estate. Since moving to Traverse City in 2001, he and his wife, Karen, have acquired and sold many vacant land parcels and residential homes. They also completely remodeled four homes on Old Mission Peninsula and became well-versed in the do’s and don’ts of home construction. Mark served on the Peninsula Township Board of Review for several years, gaining valuable experience and knowledge on the tax assessment and appeals process. Mark also brings decades of experience in the finance industry to Venture Properties. He has been directly or indirectly involved in more than $3 billion of financing for a wide spectrum of assets including aircraft, ships, barges, railcars, oil wells and computers.

What’s next for Venture Properties? Home staging and property management are a few of the services that will continue to grow in 2022. Team members Kimberly, Marissa, Hillary and Nicole all have years of experience in this department. “We love to work with our clients to get a property ready for the market,” Kimberly says. A recent staging project included a waterfront cottage. The seller called for advice, and the team provided a detailed plan. The client followed the plan to the letter—they cleared the home of personal items, painted the interior, cleaned the house, carpets and windows, and had a pre-home inspection completed. Venture Properties staged the home and listed at a fair price. The result was 68 showings and 10 offers; all wildly above the list price. The property sold in three days for $225,000 over asking price. Sure, it would have sold without the staging plan—but not for nearly a quarter million more.

“It pays to prepare,” Kimberly says. “We have many prequalified financed and all-cash buyers searching for homes in our region and the lowest inventory levels we’ve seen in a long time. If you’re thinking of selling, now is the time. Interest rates will continue to rise, and the market will shift, so don’t wait. And, if you need to find a home, Venture Properties excels at competing in this crazy market. We are here to help.”

by Cara McDonald

A crazy real estate market requires more than just a Realtor—you need a team of strategic partners.

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