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GRAND RAPIDS

C O N N E C T I N G .

E L E VAT I N G .

I N S P I R I N G .

Top Producer

Lindsay Van Duinen-Scully Photo by Jacob Harr with harr Creative LLC

JULY 2021

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(616)719-0819 4124 KENOWA AVE SW GRANDVILLE, MI 49418 rentsg.com Grand Rapids Real Producers • 3

MEET THE

GRAND RAPIDS REAL PRODUCERS TEAM

Chris Csotty Publisher

Dina Ranieri

Relationship Manager

Robbyn Moore Writer

4 • July 2021

Terra Csotty Publisher

Jane K. Asher, Ph.D. Managing Editor

Jodie Hawkins

Relationship Manager

Jeanne Monillo April Shanne Subiera Amanda Matkowski Ad Strategist

Lindsey Wells Writer

Publishing Assistant/ Reprints Specialist

Chris Menezes Writer

Editor/Writer

Jacob Harr

harr Creative LLC Photographer

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS 04

Meet the Team

Preferred Partners

Publisher’s Note

Top Producer: Lindsay Van DuinenScully

Agent on the Rise: Lance Tiffany

Partner Spotlight: Tiffany McDugle, Home Warranty of America

If you are interested in contributing or nominating someone for a feature, please email us at terra.csotty@realproducersmag.com. DISCLAIMER: Any articles included in this publication and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of The N2 Company d/b/a Real Producers but remain solely those of the author(s). The paid advertisements contained within the Grand Rapids Real Producers magazine are not endorsed or recommended by The N2 Company or the publisher. Therefore, neither The N2 Company nor the publisher may be held liable or responsible for business practices of these companies.

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Grand Rapids Real Producers • 5

PREFERRED PARTNERS

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HOME WARRANTY Home Warranty of America Tiffany McDugle (281) 731-7231

Michigan Insurance and Financial Services Ben Kacprzyk (616) 918-6868

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Farm Bureau Insurance Ryan Loucks (616) 988-5072 Farmbureauinsurance.com Goosehead Insurance Philipp Reinartz (616) 755-6411 gooseheadgr.com

Lake Michigan Credit Union Jake Williams (616) 265-3837 LMCU.org Lake Michigan Credit Union Zach Tebos (616) 234-6361 LMCU.org Prime Lending (616) 202-0101 Lo.PrimeLending.com/ GrandRapids Ruoff Mortgage Stacy Miller-Kuiper (616) 430-4141 ruoff.com Team Mortgage (616) 974-9710 ruqualified.com

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6 • July 2021

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Grand Rapids Real Producers • 9

announcement S p e c i a l O p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r YO U t o C o n t r i b u t e t o

REAL PRODUCERS COACH’S CORNER Do YOU have special skills, helpful tips, expertise or insight to share with the real estate community? We welcome article submissions (500-700 words) that educate and engage local real estate professionals. Topics may include but are not limited to the following: • • • • • • • •

Game-changing social media strategies New directions in marketing and advertising How-to instructions focused on specific situations or processes Tips on hiring, retaining and motivating employees Building a brand Creative approaches to problem-solving Finding work-life balance REALTOR® Board Updates

B E YO N D T H E B O O K

Have YOU or one of your colleagues written a book? If so, we’d like to consider you as a featured author for an upcoming issue. If chosen, you will have the opportunity to share some information about your published work and your writing journey with the local real estate community.

For additional information about Coach’s Corner and Beyond the Book publication opportunities, please contact Managing Editor Jane K. Asher at jane.asher@realproducersmag.com. 10 • July 2021

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Grand Rapids Real Producers • 11

Publisher’s

NOTE Congrats on being in the TOP 300 for Grand Rapids Real Producers! Our mission is to inform and inspire real estate professionals in the Grand Rapids area, connect them socially and build stronger relationships across the real estate community. Our publication highlights a variety of real estate agents and gives you an inside look at their professional and personal lives. We have spent the past several years publishing Real Producers of Oakland County and Real Producers of Wayne County, and we are excited to work with Jodie to grow Grand Rapids Real Producers and to connect more of you together. We look forward to building relationships with you at our upcoming virtual and in-person events. Our Preferred Partners who advertise with us cover the production, printing and distribution costs of our publication, so thanks to them, our monthly magazine is free to the top-producing agents in the Grand Rapids area. We do our best to screen our advertisers to ensure that they provide the types of services that you may need or want as a real estate agent. If you currently utilize a business that does excellent work, please reach out to us to recommend them.

12 • July 2021

Along with the magazine, we host a variety of free virtual and in-person events to bring the real estate community together. Our social, in-person events are always a lot of fun and include complimentary food and drinks for the TOP 300 and our Preferred Partners. We will inform you about our upcoming events through the magazine, emails and on social media. To stay in the loop with GRRP and view posts of each month’s features, check us out on Facebook and Instagram: @grrealproducers. Also, request to join our private Facebook group — “Grand Rapids TOP 500” — so that you don’t miss our private event announcements. Our platform is designed to increase social connections between top real estate agents and top affiliates so that the best of the best can grow their businesses together. Our events, which encourage a culture of relationship-building on a more intimate level, are a great opportunity for pressure-free socializing and networking. Interested in being featured in an upcoming issue?

Individuals who are chosen as features receive free publicity in our magazine and on our social media platforms. When our editorial team identifies and selects potential features for our

magazine, we take several factors into consideration, including: • whether the person was nominated • their level of engagement with us on social media • their participation in our events • their past and present sales record • their contributions to the industry and the community • their “story” that they share with us in their questionnaire during the initial review period If you would like to nominate a potential feature, reach out to us or fill out the form posted in our private Facebook group. We would like to personally thank all of our Preferred Partners who make this publication possible, as well as the many real estate agents who have contributed to our magazine. Grand Rapids Real Producers would not exist without you! We look forward to sharing your stories in future issues and to meeting each of you at our events. Chris and Terra Csotty Publishers of Grand Rapids Real Producers chris.csotty@realproducersmag.com 248-506-6169 terra.csotty@realproducersmag.com 586-615-8749

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Grand Rapids Real Producers • 13

top producer

By Chris Menezes Photos by Jacob Harr with harr Creative LLC

LINDSAY Van Duinen-Scully Finding Meaning With Each Season

14 • July 2021

@realproducers

Real estate has come to mean many different things to Lindsay Van Duinen-Scully over the course of her 17-year career. As a young college graduate who was feeling unfulfilled in her corporate job, real estate provided her the ability to be her own boss and to have control over her schedule, and entrepreneurial freedom. While those things have always been important to Lindsay, she says it has evolved into more than she could have ever dreamed of over the years. Before Lindsay entered the business, she saw real estate as more of an investment — a way for paying your rent. In fact, it was how she got into the business in the first place: She was looking to purchase an investment property where she could live in one unit and rent the other to pay the mortgage. While on the hunt for this investment property, her agent at the time told her she’d be great in the business. She never thought about real estate as a career, but after a lot of research and prayer, she decided she had nothing to lose. She took the plunge without realizing it would not only become a new career but also become a love and passion. After a few years in the business, real estate as an “investment” shifted for Lindsay when the market crashed and the four rental properties she had purchased plummeted to half of their value. Real estate now became survival. “I just remember thinking to myself how many $40,000 houses I had to sell in order to pay the bills,” Lindsay recalled. “I remember showing houses to clients, and every house you would show would be a foreclosure or a short sale. I hope to never revisit times like that again.” On a brighter side, Lindsay’s favorite role that real estate has played in her life has been matchmaker. She met her husband, Jeremy, through the

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Grand Rapids Real Producers • 15

business, who was one of her clients at the time. He was a partner for a company that flipped houses in Grand Rapids even though he lived in Los Angeles, California. “It took him a couple of years and a lot of excuses later to agree to come into town to meet me for lunch! Needless to say, we hit it off immediately, and he has become a client for life!” Lindsay said, laughing. “I really wouldn’t be where I’m at in my career without my husband. He has supported me through the ups and downs in my career. He pushes me to think outside of the box and to push myself to be better. I feel pretty lucky to have snagged him.” Real estate has also been a place of self-discovery for Lindsay. About seven years into her business, she formed a team with Erica Zeboor. While they had a lot of fun building their business during the four to five years they worked together — hiring and training agents, including Lindsay’s sister, Ashleigh — Lindsay came to the realization that her true passion was selling and not managing a team. “I wasn’t a great manager, and I quickly realized my skill set was not in training people,” Lindsay explained. “When I had my first baby, the team went on to do its own things. It was a great learning experience for me at that time in my career. I learned that more people mean more work. I downsized my expenses and staff and focused on what I loved — selling!” 16 • July 2021

As a wife and mother of three — Lucy, 5, Jay, 3, and Grace, 1 and a half — Lindsay now sees real estate more in terms of a home: a place to create memories, to grow and to love. She emphasizes the importance of loving where you live, which is something many people realized as well during the past year of pandemic lockdown. “Now, more than ever, people are spending a lot of time at home. So, to me, it’s so important that my clients have an environment where they love to be,” she said. “It is amazing how having a place where you can let your guard down and be comfortable and recharge your soul changes your attitude, your energy and your outlook on life. I believe when we are happy at home, we have the energy to be kind, generous and creative to others outside of our home.” Lindsay not only takes that energy into her transactions with clients but also into her community involvement and the work she does with Mel Trotter Ministries to help end homelessness. Over the last few years of working with the organization, Lindsay says she has been amazed to learn the connection between homelessness and a lack of family structure or social support. “One bad month and no one to turn to can quickly turn to homelessness,” she said. “Because family and houses have a huge part of my heart, Jeremy and I have really fallen in love with Mel Trotter Ministries.”

Lindsay cherishes her time with her family and loves entertaining at her house. She grew up in St. Johns, Michigan, on an asparagus farm with her parents, brother and two sisters. She says her strong family bond most likely comes from years of farming together, chopping wood, mowing acres of lawn and playing every sport imaginable in the backyard together. Lindsay credits her parents for teaching her at a young age the importance of a strong work ethic. Lindsay feels fortunate to have recruited and trained her sister Ashleigh when she first got into real estate. Her other sister, Leslie, works for Lindsay as her closing coordinator, and her brother is a teacher in Florida and spends the summers vacationing with family in Michigan. Lindsay now lives on a lake in Hudsonville within walking distance of her two sisters. She and her family love to boat, fish, build sandcastles, paddleboard and wake surf. Every weekend you can find her house packed with family and friends. “To me, having a career that I love, that provides enough for my family and that allows me the opportunity to be generous to others while being a mom and wife to an amazing family is more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

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Grand Rapids Real Producers • 17

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Grand Rapids Real Producers • 19

partner spotlight

Tiffany McDugle, HOME WARRANTY OF AMERICA A One-Stop Shop for Reliable Coverage By Lindsey Wells Photos by Gabrielle Fenske with Forever Joy Photography

Bringing peace of mind to sellers, buyers and real estate agents is the mission of Home Warranty of America (HWA). As a one-stop shop for home warranty products, HWA is built on helping homeowners protect their homes and budgets with simple, reliable solutions 365 days a year. For most of us, our home is the biggest thing we’ll ever buy. And for most of us, the cost to unexpectedly repair a major appliance or system isn’t exactly an occurrence we welcome with open arms. Tiffany McDugle, an account executive for HWA, finds fulfillment in getting the word out about the importance of home warranties. “It’s guaranteed that within the first 60 to 90 days of having a home warranty, a client will file at least one claim, and they will save money while filing that claim,”

20 • July 2021

she said. Unexpected breakdowns on appliances and mechanical systems can only be covered by a home warranty, not a homeowner’s insurance policy, which is only suitable for covering the loss from incidents like fire, storms or vandalism. Something that sets this company apart from similar companies is that HWA is the original 13-month home warranty company. They also offer multiyear plans. Perhaps the most important thing, however, is the level

of customer service that HWA is known for. “We offer the 13 months of coverage and the multiyear plans, and those are great, but when a client chooses to purchase their home warranty from HWA, they are also getting me,” Tiffany said. “I’m always available via phone, text and email. I want you to know that I’m not just trying to sell you something, and then after the sale, I disappear, and you have no point of contact. I’m always here, not only for you as a real estate agent to assist with your home warranty

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orders that you may have, but also to assist your clients and answer their questions. If your clients have to file a claim, if something does break down, call me, and I’m here for the escalation part of it. I step in, and we will make it right.” With the housing market the way it is now, protecting your home either as a seller or a buyer is just as important as ever. “So many people are paying over asking price right now just to get into their dream home,” Tiffany said. “They’re pulling 401(k)s and savings just to move into this home — and then something goes wrong, and they have to pay for that. That’s what the home warranty is for: to help offset those costs when you have a breakdown or failure of a unit. The 13-month coverage begins for them the day of closing.” For sellers, HWA offers free sellers’ coverage while their home is listed on the market. “They don’t want to continue dumping money into a home that they’re trying to get rid of,” Tiffany said. “It also just helps their home stand out from other homes. If I’m a buyer and I’m looking at homes and see, ‘Wow, they have free sellers’ coverage on it,’ that’s a home warranty, and I’m more likely to go with that house over one that isn’t protected. Then, the hope is that the

sellers will transfer that warranty to a 13-month home warranty for their buyers and keep it going.”

mine generally aren’t either. I love to help and answer questions any time, day or night, for my agents.”

The company culture of HWA is unique in itself. It is all about making things right — both for its clients and employees. “We always try to do the right thing. Our motto is, ‘We’ve got you covered.’ I’m a very social person, I love to talk to people, I love to make new friends, and I like to be very real with expectations,” Tiffany said. “I’m not just trying to sell something just to sell it; what I sell, or promote, if you will, is something I truly believe in. I’m loyal and hardworking and on a mission to be there for agents. As a real estate agent, their hours are not 8-5, Monday through Friday, and

While Tiffany’s sales territory covers all of Michigan except for Detroit, she was born and raised and currently lives in a small town right out of Houston, Texas, with her husband William and two children, Garrett, 12, and Ellison, 9. Tiffany and William will celebrate 15 years of marriage in November. William is a district chief for a local fire department in Texas and serves part-time as a firefighter, which he has done since high school. When the family isn’t working or in school, they can usually be found doing something outside, whether it’s watching the kids play sports, hunting, fishing or swimming in their pool. “As a family, we are avid hunters,” Tiffany said. “We deer hunt, duck hunt, pig hunt, dove hunt — you name it. We have a deer lease in West Texas, so we’re usually spending half of the year there and half the year at the lake. We also have a lake lot in North Texas; we have a camper there, so we love to camp and fish. All things outdoors are kind of our thing.” To learn more about HWA, visit hwahomewarranty.com, or contact Tiffany at 281-731-7231 or tiffany. mcdugle@hwahomewarranty.com.

realproducersmag.com

Grand Rapids Real Producers • 21

agent on the rise By Chris Menezes Photos by Jacob Harr with harr Creative LLC

LANCE TIFFANY Ignited by the Fire Within

22 • July 2021

@realproducers

Photo by Hannah Ziegeler

When Lance Tiffany obtained his real estate license in 2013, he never meant to actually become a real estate agent; he just wanted to help a friend for a while. He never expected it to light such an unextinguishable fire within him. At the time, Lance’s friend needed help with her growing real estate business, and he figured he could do it part time until she was good to go. However, once he started working with buyers and forming new friendships, something sparked. “I got to work with a lot of first-time buyers. It’s a very cool experience to be a part of a person’s first home purchase. There aren’t many careers that allow you to build friendships with your clients!” Lance said. Prior to real estate, Lance worked in property and casualty insurance sales, primarily with commercial policies. The opportunity to establish close, personal relationships with clients

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at these jobs were slim. He continued selling commercial insurance full time while moonlighting as a buyer’s agent for two years before going full time into real estate. Once Lance went full time and began working with more and more people, his main challenge was learning how to balance his time, especially in the beginning. Wanting to do everything he could to take care of his clients and make them happy, he didn’t know how to set boundaries. “Failing to set boundaries with my clients led to tension at home,” he explained. Luckily, Lance had great mentors. He gleaned that as long as he maintained open lines of communication with his clients and set expectations up front, his work life and family life could both be great. “Ultimately, if you create an actual relationship with your clients, they respect the things that are important

to you as well. My wife and kids are the most supportive and important people I have in life, and I always tell my clients that,” he said. “I wouldn’t be successful at all without my wife and kids. They are my ‘why!’” Lance and his wife, Abbey, have two kids — Josie, 7, and Pence, 3. Their favorite way to spend time together is by camping and being out on their boat. Lance loves being outdoors, whether he is with his family or out hunting, fishing or golfing. Lance spent most of his childhood outdoors, growing up on the northeast side of Grand Rapids. He loved going to summer camps and has fond memories traveling with his family. He says that even though they were not “wealthy,” they always had opportunities to experience new things and create memories as a family. “My parents always worked really hard to make sure we didn’t have to

Grand Rapids Real Producers • 23

go without. We were always taught that if you are going to do something, you should do it 110% or don’t do it at all, and if you make mistakes or get in trouble, own it, and make it right,” Lance said. After graduating from Forest Hills Northern High School in 2004, Lance attended Western Michigan University, where he earned his bachelor’s in business management. He moved back to Grand Rapids after college and has stayed ever since.

Ultimately, if you create an actual relationship with your clients, they respect the things that are important to you as well.

As an agent and REALTOR®, Lance loves that he can run his real estate business just by forming relationships with people in his hometown. “I think the best part of being a real estate agent is being able to constantly meet new people and create meaningful relationships — not just with clients but with fellow agents as well,” he said. Lance always aims for a win-win in real estate — when all parties can walk away feeling really good about the transaction. He said that no transaction is worth your reputation in the industry, and integrity is paramount for Lance. He strives to not only be an industry leader in production but also in integrity as well, aiming to be a light of positivity and passion to those around him. “Set your life on fire, and seek those who fan your flames,” Lance said, quoting Rumi, the Persian poet. “To me, this is very simple,” he stated. “Do the things you are passionate about, and surround yourself with those who encourage you and want to see you grow. Success is bound to follow.”

24 • July 2021

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Grand Rapids Real Producers • 25

Do YOU want to

NOMINATE

someone to be featured? Email nominations to terra.csotty@realproducersmag.com.

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26 • July 2021

@realproducers

WHO WE ARE We offer local residential and commercial moving services, as well as long-distance moves. We also provide pool table assembly, swing set assembly, white-glove services, wall art placement, and large single item moves such as hot tubs, safes, or other large items. We offer free walk-throughs or virtual walk-throughs in order to customize your move to your exact needs. Call us today at (616) 214-2169 to discuss your upcoming move.

CHANCES ARE, THE ROOF DOESN'T ACTUALLY NEED TO BE REDONE... REJUVENATE! DON'T REPLACE!

WHEN CONFIDENCE MATTERS…

BIG MOOSE DELIVERS!

FREE RADON TESTING with Home Inspection for our Real Producer Agents.

Mention code #RP10021 - Offer Expires 6/30/2021

SERVING WEST MICHIGAN

David Jones realproducersmag.com

1-800-531-0233 616-550-9578

bigminspections@gmail.com

Top 3 Reasons REALTORS® Love Roof Maxx: 1) Handle roofing objections before they come up & make your listings even more marketable! 2) Save transactions that involve roofing concerns for your buyers! 3) Stay top of mind by referring your past customers so they can save money!

RoofMaxx.com | (616) 334-3432 Grand Rapids Real Producers • 27

There are Mortgage Lenders

AND THEN THERE’S US

Ed Napieralski

GREG CLAUSEN

BEN KAKKURI

NEIL SIEBERT

Loan Originator NMLS# 1527296 616-970-9800 ed.napieralski@primelending.com

Loan Originator NMLS# 1065023 616-901-0690 greg.clausen@primelending.com

Production Manager NMLS# 728157 616-822-6557 ben.kakkuri@primelending.com

Loan Originator NMLS# 136552 616-450-7886 neil.siebert@primelending.com

Our core purpose is working together to have a profound and positive impact on the lives of all we serve. With our national strength and local expertise, you can feel secure. We make the home loan process simple, clear and timely www.primelending.com Grand Rapids Branch | 3210 Eagle Run Drive NE #202 | Grand Rapids, MI 49525

PrimeLending NMLS: 13649. Equal Housing Lender.